Would he go against the Dark Wolves, the only blood relatives I had left? I knew the side I would take. I was sure of it.
In the middle of my own turmoil, I heard the bathroom door open.
“Julie?” It was Casey.
“Yeah, give me a minute. I"ll be out soon.” I shouted to her through the glass.
“Jason is waiting. He wants to check you over.” She replied a little louder. The tones in her voice stung my ears.
“Okay! Tell him just a minute,” I yelled out again.
The shower was rushed, as was my dressing. When I was completely dressed, I checked the clock. It was 4:30. I could hear Jason downstairs talking softly with Casey and Nathaniel. Somewhere I wondered if Richard was still here. Slowly I moved down the stairs. Jason was sitting in the chair, while Nathaniel and Casey were sitting together on the sofa. My heart froze. Richard stood in front of the fireplace. The expression on his beautiful face was sad. His eyes lifted to me as he saw me walking down the stairs into the living room.
There were no words spoken. His gaze never left mine as I moved closer into the room. I felt my heart freeze in time. There was an overwhelming feeling of love surrounding me, a sudden rush of excitement, followed by pure love. Richard"s body stiffened. It was as if no one else were in the room but the two of us. We were locked in a moment of time.
Richard moved to me. He appeared to be in slow motion. My heart fluttered inside my chest, and a feeling of pain and turmoil encamped around my heart and soul. His inhumanly beautiful form stood inches in front of me, reaching out to me. He took me in his arms and I couldn"t do anything but respond to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he held me tight to him, his heart pounding against my chest. Slowly he pulled away from me.
The pale fingers trembled as they touched my face. His eyes peered into mine. Joy filled his face and he smiled broadly.
“Richard…” I began softly.
“Don"t.” He cut me off. “Please do not thank me again. Do not ever put yourself in that position. I am not strong enough at this point to mind my manners,” he stated in a firm yet commanding voice.
I understood. The feelings he had swept over me like a strong wind. I felt the very essence of his being. There was no warmth, but cold. The love, however, was true.
Richard was undeniably in love with me. His love showered over me like a pouring rain.
It had to be some type of connection we made when he took my blood. At least that is what I believed. I have never felt him like this before. When he took my blood, he took my very existence, the intimate life force that dwelled inside of me.
“Casey said you almost died.” My eyes peered into his. I wanted to know why he did such a thing.
“Yes, well let us just say werewolf venom does not exactly work well on a vampire"s stomach. I must say, your blood was rather tasty though.” He let out a chuckle.
A smile crossed my face. “Food poisoning, huh? Then my blood will not be tempting you any longer?”
Richard really didn"t want me to know how severe it was for him. A smile crossed my lips, and I raised my eyebrows as I peered into his beautiful face.
“I bet it"s one of those things like food poisoning. You probably won"t want to do that ever again.” I teased.
Richard let out a laugh, then nodded. His eyebrow rose and a wicked grin crossed his lips. “I suppose you could say it was like food poisoning. And you are right. The experience has left me with being a little shy of ever biting you again. However, you can never tell. I am a slow learner,” he warned as his lips twitched into a smile.
I could feel the heat on my cheeks. He was so beautiful. His eyes, those beautiful crystal blue jewels twinkled with delight.
“All right then,” Jason began as he cleared his throat. “Julie, I need to give you a once over. We will need to do an ultrasound as soon as possible.” He pointed to the chair for me to sit down.
I moved around Richard. His fingers brushed over mine as I moved past him, relishing the touch of my skin against his. My heart broke as I sat down in the chair.
Jason opened his black bag and pulled out several items. One of which was to check my blood pressure. I waited and remained quiet while he checked my vitals. Then the pen light moved in front of my eyes. I jerked my head away as the light hit my eyes. Jason immediately stopped. He froze.
I heard Richard and Casey inhale a quick breath. My heart raced out of fear, I waited to hear the unexpected news. The light felt like a knife had been shot through my eye. It hurt all the way to the back of my head. I turned slowly back to Jason.
Jason grabbed my face with his hand. He tilted my head up and stared into my eyes. The look of shock was all over his face.
“What! What"s wrong?”
“Julie, your eyes. Dear lord.”
“Jason!” I growled out.
“It appears your eyes are sensitive to light.” He turned immediately to Richard.
“It is the effects of the vampire venom. She will be all right. It will go away in a day or two. She will probably need to wear sunglasses for the time being,” he stated firmly.
“Is that all I need to be concerned about?” Jason glared at Richard.
“Yes,” Richard hissed at Jason. “It is a normal reaction. She is not turning into one of us, if that is what you are asking.”
“I just want to make sure,” Jason stated flatly. “I need to take a sample of your blood, just a precaution. To make sure you don"t have any foreign substances crawling around in there.” He motioned for me to hold out my arm.
I glanced to Richard and his eyes narrowed. I could tell he was not very pleased with Jason"s doubts of his honor. I tried to force out a smile, but winced as the needle pierced my flesh. Richard"s jaw tightened. He was restraining himself. From the corner of my eye, I saw Nathaniel grab Casey"s arm. In a flash, the two of them were gone. The door opened and closed to the patio faster than I could have imagined. Richard however, remained. It was blood.
“Sorry,” I stated flatly, while watching the patio door.
“Casey, I am afraid, is still settling in. She will be fine,” Richard stated in a controlled voice.
“And you?” I reminded him.
“I will manage.”
Jason was finished, and set the vial of blood in his medical bag. He stood up wearily, taking one more glance at me, then smiled. “It appears everything is all right for now. No hemorrhaging?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“Then as soon as we can, we will get that ultra sound done. I want to make sure the wee one is all right. I"m sure it didn"t appreciate what your body went through.” He smiled.
“Jason, I didn"t really appreciate it.” I returned his smile.
“Well, I"m headed back to bed for a nap. I"m sure Daniel will be up in a few hours. I gave him enough sedative to knock out a horse yesterday evening. The poor lad needed some rest.” He turned, then headed up the stairs.
Richard turned to me, eyeing me carefully and almost cautiously. I couldn"t help the feelings I had. I could feel myself being drawn to him in the most precarious ways.
“Richard,” I began. “Is there something else to this vampire venom I need to know about? Like the effects.”
He released a long sigh. “Maybe.” He paused. “Your eyes will adjust in a day or two. I think that is all you need to worry about.”
“What about this odd feeling I"m having?” I asked.
Richard"s eyebrows crinkled together briefly. “And what odd feeling would that be?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“It"s just…I well…” How could I explain it? I wondered. “It"s like a connection to you.”
“The connection? It is your blood. I feel it too. I feel you inside of me. Living.
Breathing. I feel your heart with each beat it takes.” His gaze became deeper as he moved to me. “The longing.”
“Richard, stop.” I pleaded. “I can"t do this.”
His gaze left mine. Turning his head, his
attention fell in the distance beyond the patio door. I could feel the heart inside of his body. It was breaking, pulled and torn into pieces.
“I suppose you are correct. Your heart belongs to Daniel. As does your love,” he replied softly. “The sun is going to be coming up in a few hours. I think it best if I return home.”
I rose to my feet as he turned and slowly walked past me to the front door. There was no way I could let him leave. Not feeling the way I was feeling. The venom was more than what he was telling me. At least in my mind, that was what I wanted to believe.
“Richard,” I called out to him. He stopped as his hand touched the door handle. “I
… know what you are feeling.” I moved slowly toward him.
Richard turned to face me, his eyes searching mine. Was this the answer he was seeking? Some type of answer to quench the desire in his heart? A satisfaction for all those years he waited? Standing in front of him, I could not deny at that moment that I loved him. My heart was bleeding for him. I wanted to show him how much I loved and appreciate him. In my heart, I wanted to give him the love he so longed for.
I reached out to him, touching his face softly. His eyes closed as his face pressed against my hand. The pain in his heart was overbearing. It twisted my heart even more.
Yet, I couldn"t help my own desire to try to soothe him.
“Julie,” he began softly. “Take care of yourself.” He took my hand in his. He brought it to his face. Richard pressed his lips to my fingers, allowing the kiss to linger for a moment, savoring it. Then he let go of my hand, and his fingers slid across mine slowly as he turned away. The heart inside my chest felt the closing pressure as I watched him walk away. My heart immediately dropped into the pit of my stomach.
I stood in front of the door, my arms wrapped around my body and tears forming in my eyes. The inhumanly beautiful vampire had walked out of my life. I could feel it.
Richard was not ever planning on seeing me again. He knew the love I could give him wasn„t enough to satisfy him. The floodgate opened as I watched Casey and Nathaniel wave goodbye. I would see Casey again. But not Richard.
The sun rose causing my eyes to sting and burn as I finally backed away from the front door. It was only then I realized I had been standing in one spot in total numbness for three hours. Where had the time gone? How could I just remain standing there like that in one thought? One heart wrenching thought. Richard.
The memory of our last moments played over in my mind. Remembering the sadness in those beautiful eyes, the crushing pain in his heart and the longing he felt and my heart finally broke. The pain gripped me, ripping my soul apart. I turned and headed back to the stairs. Hot tears fell from my eyes. The pain was intolerable. I gasped for breath as my hand slapped over my mouth. My body became weak, trembling as the waves of the oceans crashed against my wearied heart. How much more pain could I endure?
Slowly I dropped to the floor. The tears continued. The shattering pain blistered against me. No, I couldn"t fight it anymore. The storm threatened to wail out of me once again.
Footsteps were heard as they stepped slowly down the staircase. Even through my own tears and stuffy nose, I could recognize Daniel"s scent, the spicy masculine fragrance I so enjoyed. My watery eyes lifted to him as he sat down on the step. Gently Daniel reached for me, pulling me close into his arms. My very heart and soul were tormented. Swells of the ocean"s storms beat down against me. Its winds, hurricane in strength, terrorized the very seat of my emotions, ripping and tearing me from beginning to end.
Daniel pressed a kiss on top of my head and the warmth of his body pressed close to mine. Softly, gently he whispered words into my ear. My love. My angel. He cooed sounds of assurance and I cried even harder. Feeling the pain once again of a broken heart. Was there no end to what my heart could endure? Was there no salvation for the brokenness that I had succumbed to? My heart broke for Richard. Fate help, but I loved Richard. Daniel, as much as I would have wanted to keep this from him, knew. The words I never expected to hear were spoken clearly as I grieved.
“Julie, my love, I know you love him,” Daniel whispered softly. “I can feel that love in your heart.”
Hot tears ran down my cheeks as I raised my weary head. My watery eyes barely focused on his face. His fingers wiped the tears away from my face. The remnants of my heart still ached inside. What could I say? How could I explain these feelings to the man I loved? Did he know better than I?
I opened my mouth to make some sort of comment. It was only the right thing to do. Daniel gently pressed his finger over my lips. Leaning forward he pressed his lips against mine softly. Then he pulled me closer to him, closer to his heart.
He inhaled a deep and ragged breath. “You really cannot blame Richard for falling in love with you. I mean, you are the most desirable woman I have ever met. I guess you would be considered desirable to any man. Vampires included.” He chuckled softly.
“Daniel, what are you trying to say?” I couldn"t bother with reading his thoughts.
The thoughts in my head were enough to deal with.
“What I am trying to tell you is this; I understand. Jewels, I know you love Richard.
It is only natural for you. You have the heart of a wolf. I know you are not in love with him. There is a distinct difference. A difference I can tell and feel. Your heart belongs to me. As long as I have that, I am a happy man. Besides, Richard looks like he needs a little piece. Not yours, of course. I mean I would have to kill him for sure if it came to that.”
For some reason, I hesitated on Daniel"s last sentence. A frown crossed my forehead. The comment would have probably been taken more seriously if Daniel"s lips had not twisted into a grin. Yes, it was not a piece of my heart Daniel was implying Richard needed. My eyes widened in surprise. Daniel let out a chuckle.
“Daniel!” I snorted and pushed away from him.
Daniel roared out in laughter. “What? What did I say?”
“I really thought you were being nice to Richard,” I snapped out.
Daniel continued to laugh. “Julie, I am a male wolf. What did you expect?”
“Ass!” I huffed out then stood up. My stomach growled loudly. Daniel"s eyebrows rose. The twinkles in his eyes told me something was coming. I just didn"t know what.
“We need to find you something to eat before that stomach of your jumps out and grabs a body or two.”
For once, my feelings were soothed. I shook my head as Daniel"s arm went around my waist. He guided me in a little more hurried motion than I would have liked to the kitchen. My heart was so full. There was no way I could explain how much I loved Daniel. For once, I was beginning to believe we really did understand one another.
Daniel understood the compassion and capacity of my heart. He understood how I could love someone so deeply and unconditionally. I didn"t have to “fall in love”. Love was just a factor of life for me.
Foremost, I was finally beginning to see Daniel"s point of view. Daniel wasn"t just a male. He was an Alpha Male, providing protection and leadership. These were the things Daniel regarded as his duty. His odd sense of humor had grown on me, and I knew this was just a part of him. Even if it did appear he was being asinine, I was learning how to enjoy his humor.
Everyday our bond was growing. We were developing a beautiful relationship. The closer we became, the more love and understanding we shared. Even now, I understood how I could love them both.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The rest of the day went smoothly and quietly. Heather and Jason spent the most part on a run. Daniel and I spent a comfortable day just relaxing. We both needed it.
Mainly, we stayed cuddled up on the sofa watching movies. Which after two of them, we decided we needed to get out of the house for a while.
Daniel and I decided to visit Gramps and John. I admit, it was Daniel"s idea, but I really wanted to see my family again. As the evening approached, we headed out to the Qualla Reservation. He knew Gramps and Aunt Tess would be excit
ed to see me.
Especially to know I was doing well.
We arrived around four p.m. John was outside in the driveway working on an old car he purchased. Daniel and I pulled up into the driveway, and he looked very excited to see us. I could honestly say I was glad to see him too.
It was not the kind of excitement I had expected. We soon found out everyone was meeting in the heart of the reservation, the same place where the family gathering took place. He didn"t mention why, just that it was important.
Daniel and I went directly to the site. When we arrived, we found everyone standing in the field. Most of those gathered were men. I immediately recognized Gramps and Taylan. We hurried out of the car and went to meet them.
“Well, there she is!” Gramps said with a smile on his face. “How ya doing?”
“Better,” I said as a smile crossed my face.
“Good. Good. You look a little peaked. After what you"ve been through, I would say you might need a little more rest,” his strong voice filled with concern.
“Yes, well, she is pretty stubborn,” Daniel said slyly.
Gramps nodded and smiled. “Yep, most of the women in our line are. They have to be in the middle of everything.” He shot me a wink.
“John said everyone was meeting out here. Is there something wrong?” Daniel asked as his arm slipped around me.
Gramps expression suddenly changed. He glanced at the others a moment, then turned his attention back to Daniel. It was evident his concern was strong. The anxiety was written all over his face. He moved toward us and placed his hand on Daniel"s shoulder, he led us away from the others.
“This is not good. Daniel, you need to take Julie back home immediately.” Gramps voice was firm.
Daniel"s spine straightened. I could feel the immediate anxiety build inside of him. His dark eyebrows met in a frown. “Why? What is wrong?”
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