He cleared his throat and wrapped himself in a towel. “Did you turn on the water?”
“Mm hmm,” I said still looking at his member.
“The water turned ice cold. You almost froze my nuts off Lilith.”
“That would have been a tragedy.” I was still looking at his body lost in a daze.
“Are you okay?” he said with a laugh. When I didn’t answer, he walked over to me, “Lilith? What’s wrong?”
“What? Nothing’s wrong. Are you okay?” I felt like an idiot. I was staring at him like a kid staring at a candy store. “I’m hungry.” I turned and walked back into the kitchen without saying another word. I could feel my cheeks burning red. I finished wiping down the countertops and pulled out stuff to make a sandwich.
Tristan walked into the kitchen wearing a white t-shirt and some night pants. Thankfully he had clothes on, but it didn’t help the way I felt on the inside. I tried to keep my eyes focused on my sandwich, but it was hard to do. When I was done making my food I walked over and sat on a bar stool. He walked over and started to fix himself the same thing. I watched how his muscles flexed in his arm as he lay the turkey on the bread. They twitched as he spread the mayonnaise. I could see his chest muscles move through his shirt as he cut his sandwich in half and I have never been so turned on in my life.
When he was done making his food he came and sat next to me. His elbow brushed against my arm when he sat down sending a tingling sensation straight to my center. My body was reacting to him in a way that I knew wasn’t safe. It was hard to breath sitting next to him and that’s when he noticed I was being weird. “Are you okay?” he asked.
I couldn’t look at him, “I’m fine.” He turned and looked at me placing a hand on my shoulder. His touch was enough to make my body lose control. I jumped up from the stool and walked over to the fridge. “Want something to drink?”
“Sure,” he said with a raised eyebrow. I got up and grabbed us two sodas. When I handed him his, our fingers touched causing me to look him in the eyes. That was all my body could take. I was on him so fast he didn’t see me coming. I kissed him hard and he slipped his tongue into my mouth causing me to moan in reaction. The sweet familiar taste of his kiss was still there. He pulled me closer into him and slowed the kiss down. He began to kiss me softly. His kiss was filled with so much love it calmed my body down. It was amazing how he knew what I needed when I needed it. He knew I wasn’t ready to have sex with him yet but if we continued to kiss like we were, it wouldn’t take much more for me to be ready.
He slowed the kiss down so much that our lips were barely touching. He gave me one last peck before pulling away from me. “I’m sorry I attacked you like that,” I said looking away from him.
“Don’t be sorry. I enjoyed it,” he said with a smile. “Who knew you could be so aggressive?”
“I don’t know what came over me. I was just…I mean I saw your…” frustrated I couldn’t find the right words I closed my eyes. The pictures of him standing in the bathroom wet and naked came flooding back. Gosh he was so sexy. “I’m just sorry okay.”
“Okay,” he said with a laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“You.”
“What did I do?”
“You are sexually frustrated at me.”
“And you think that is funny?”
“You’re cute when your flustered.”
“Goodnight Tristan,” I said as I walked back to my room.
Chapter Six
The next few days were quiet. There have been no signs of Odin finding out where we were so Tristan and I spent the days relaxing. I knew we were getting a little bit too comfortable and we were letting our guard down, but it was nice spending time together.
We decided to sit by the lake to watch the sun set behind the trees. Just as I was relaxing, I smelled something in the breeze. It was an awful stench. It smelled like rotten garbage, but also musty. “Do you smell that?” I asked; the smell was making me sick to my stomach.
“Smell what?”
“It smells like…” I turned to my right and came face to face with a bear. I grabbed for Tristan without making any sudden movements. The bear walked closer to me, smelled me, then stepped back. He suddenly changed. A naked man stood in the bear's place. He was buff and covered in tattoos. His black shaggy hair falling into his brown chocolate eyes. “What the hell?” I screamed.
Tristan got up and stood in front of me. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” he asked the man.
“I’m here for the girl,” the man said.
“What do you want with her?”
“I was sent to bring her back.”
“So, Odin is working with shifters now?”
“I don’t work for Odin; I work for Draven.”
“Well, you can tell Draven she’s not coming back.”
“You will hand over the girl or I will kill you where you stand boy.”
I stepped in front of Tristan, “You will not touch him, and I am going nowhere with you. You will leave now, or you will not survive coming here,” I said through clenched teeth.
The man laughed. “What will a puny little girl like you do to me?” he said stepping closer to me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them again the vampire in me had taken over. With one swift thrust of my hand I stood holding the man’s heart. He looked at me with shock before falling limply to the ground. “Kill you,” I answered even though he was already dead.
“We have to go Lilith. They know we are here. You go get your stuff while I take care of his body.” As I walked away, I heard a splash; Tristan had thrown him in the lake.
I grabbed my things as quickly as I could. When I came out of my room Tristan was waiting for me by the front door talking to someone on a phone, I didn’t know he had. He hung up when he saw me. “You ready?” I asked a little out of breath.
“Go grab whatever food you want to bring. We are going to be on the road for a long time.” I walked over to the kitchen and started grabbing whatever food I could while he loaded our things into the car. When he came back inside, he helped me carry the food I had had chosen to take with us. We hopped in and headed down the long skinny dirt road back toward civilization.
“Where are we going?” I asked curious as to what our next destination would be.
“I have a friend waiting with another car. Once we switch, we will drive to New Mexico. A friend has a house we can use.”
“So, there are shifters in this world too?” I asked.
“Yes, among other things.”
“What types of other things?”
“Well, fairies for one.”
“Seriously? Like Tinkerbell?”
He laughed at me before saying, “They aren’t little flying glowing things if that’s what you mean. They are regular people like us. In fact, you already know two.”
“Who?”
“Daveh and Razi.”
“No way. They are fairies?”
“Yes.”
“What else exist in this world?”
“Trolls, mermaids, werewolves to name a few.”
“What? How did I live my whole life in this world and never know about any of this?”
“You were human. Humans can’t know about us.”
“So, there’s more?”
“More what?”
“You said that was just to name a few. So, there are more creatures than that?”
“So much more. And I hope we never run into any of them.”
We drove in silence for a while and I could tell Tristan wanted to talk about something but wasn’t sure how to approach me. It was starting to become awkward between us. I had to say something if he wouldn’t. “What is it Tristan? I know you want to say something.”
“I was just thinking.”
“About what?” I asked.
“About how you ripped that guys heart out with suc
h little force. Usually it takes at least some effort to rip someone’s heart out.” I didn’t respond to him. I was still shaken about what I had done. I actually killed someone with my bare hands. “How are you handling that?” he asked concerned.
“I’m a monster Tristan.”
“No, you’re not. You did what you needed to do to save the three of us Lilith. I would have done the same thing if you would have given me the chance.”
“I’m sorry I stepped in but every time someone threatens you something comes over me. I feel protective over you for some reason. Same thing happened when Odin threatened to send you away. I was ready to kill him then too. I don’t understand why I am that way about you.”
“I think it is sweet,” He said as he took my hand in his and kissed the back of it.
I know what I am and sweet isn’t it. I am an abnormality of my kind. I am a savage beast. I hate what I have turned into. I need answers on how to control what I can do. The demons inside of me are always begging to come out. They control me when it should be the other way around.
Although, I do love the fact that Tristan can love me despite what I have become. He can look past the beast that dwells inside me. And he has offered to help raise my baby that doesn’t even belong to him. He is even willing to wait till I’m ready before trying to start a relationship with me. He knows I am in love with him and he understands what I have been through, which makes me love him more. Lost in my thoughts I started to doze.
Out of nowhere I was standing on a cliff and laughter surrounded me. I was getting sick of Slaaneth’s games. He always invaded my dreams and it was getting tiring. “What do you want Slaaneth?” I asked a little more than frustrated.
“You already know the answer to that question.”
“Yes, I know. You want my baby and me dead. What’s new?”
“So, snippy today my Lilith.”
“Why are you here?”
“Just checking in on my saving grace.”
“You will not get your filthy hands on my baby. What do you not understand about that?” I yelled.
“Why are you so convinced that I won’t?”
“Because I plan on killing you,” I said confidently.
His laughter was so loud it made my ears ring. “You are so sure you can kill me. How?”
“I don’t know yet. But I will find a way.”
“My sweet naive Lilith, so new, so confident, so willing to take me on. Even though we both know you don’t stand a chance against me.”
“Naive? You’re the one who is naive. You think because I am new to being what I am that I can’t take you on? Don’t underestimate me Slaaneth, I may be a newbie but this newbie plans on killing you.”
He came closer to me. Our faces merely inches apart. His breath, hot against my cheeks, smelled like rotten flesh. “You child will die before ever seeing your child’s face. You will die before hearing its first cry. You will be dead before getting to hold your precious child. I will make sure of it.”
I lunged for him, but he disappeared, and I jolted awake. I placed my hands on my stomach making sure my baby was okay. “Are you okay?” Tristan asked startled.
“Yes. I just need to check something. I need silence please.” I closed my eyes and concentrated. I was listening for a heartbeat. In the silence of the car I could hear a faint thump, thump. I let out a slow sigh of relief as I realized my baby was okay. I would do whatever I needed to do to make sure Slaaneth never got his hands on my baby.
“Is everything okay?” Tristan asked again.
“Yes. I was just checking on the baby.”
“How is it?”
“Hungry. Can we stop to get some real food? These chips just aren’t doing it for me.”
“Sure. I’ll try to find an exit. But is it okay if we hit a drive thru? I’d really like to get as much driving in as I can.”
“That’s fine with me.”
It took us forty-five minutes to find an exit with decent food. By the time we got to the drive thru, I had to use the restroom. I told Tristan to order me a burger and some fries while I ran inside. When I walked into the restaurant the lobby was empty except for one woman sitting in a booth facing me. She kept her eyes on me as I entered the bathroom.
In the middle of midstream the door to the bathroom opened. Someone walked over to my stall and was standing in front of the door. Panic filled me as I watched their feet. I pulled my pants up and tried to control my breathing. The person leaned up against the door. “What do you want?” I asked.
“He sent me to warn you.”
“Who did?” I asked completely confused.
“Slaaneth,” she said with a giggle. “He wanted you to know how easy it would be for him to kill you and take your baby,” I whimpered as fear took over my body. “There is no need to be scared today. I’m just here to warn you. Remember, he is always watching, and he always knows where you are.”
The woman walked out of the bathroom leaving me alone. When a knock sounded at the door, I jumped, and a small scream escaped from me. “Lilith? Are you okay?” I ran out of the stall and straight into Tristan’s arms. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked in a tender but concerned voice.
“Can we go please?” I asked through tears. I finally realized that Slaaneth could do whatever he wanted to me unless I killed him. He would always be there in the shadows stalking me. He had reign over my dreams while his followers had my consciousness.
I was torn between telling Tristan about Slaaneth’s threat. I wanted to tell him, but I didn’t want him to have to worry about something else. He was already stressed enough with Odin and his father looking for us. I didn’t need to add to it.
“Are you going to tell me what happened back there?” Tristan asked once we were back on the highway.
“It was nothing,” I lied.
“Lilith, something clearly upset you. Tell me what happened.”
“I just don’t want to add another problem to your plate. It’s full enough.”
“We are in this together. Whatever happens to you, happens to me. Tell me.”
“Fine.” He listened intently as I told him about the dream and about the woman in the bathroom. “I’m scared he will be able to get my baby before I can stop him.”
“I will never let that happen.”
“But how was he even able to find us in the first place? How would he know we would pick that place? How would that lady know to be waiting for me and who I was?”
“I don’t know. But I do know that we will do whatever we can to protect your baby. We are in this together.”
“There is just so much to take in. Maybe we should have waited until I killed Slaaneth before leaving. I mean there is so much to deal with now. We are constantly running from Odin and his father and Slaaneth. This much stress can’t possibly be good on the baby.”
“If you want, we can always turn back. You know Odin will forgive you.”
“I don’t want to go back to Odin, Tristan. He betrayed me in the worst possible way. And besides how could I spend a second with him when I am in love with you? All I was saying is that I wasn’t prepared for all of this. Even though I knew Slaaneth was after me I didn’t think he would actually try anything until after the baby was born. I thought we had time.”
“We have been driving for hours. Want to stop for the night?”
“Sure.” I was exhausted, and we had been driving for seven hours and it was already late when we left the cabin.
Tristan found us a hotel and got us a room with two beds. I was fine with that since I didn’t trust being left alone. I was afraid Slaaneth would send someone to attack me.
“Mind if I shower first?” I asked as soon as we entered the room.
“Go ahead.”
I grabbed my clothes and headed for the bathroom. I let the water steam before stepping in. I let the hot water run over my body trying to relax, but nothing would calm the worry inside of me.
Someone wanted to take my baby, while someone else wanted me and Tristan dead. Would Odin find us? What would happen to us if he did? A thousand questions ran through my mind causing me to zone out until the water ran cold. I quickly washed up and jumped out. After I dressed and brushed my hair I walked back into the room. “I may have used all of the hot water accidently,” I said to Tristan as I got into my bed.
“Accidently?” he asked with a grin.
“Yes accidently. I was lost in my thoughts until the water turned cold.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m just worried.”
“I’m here if you need me. I’m a good listener.”
“I know. Thank you. Goodnight Tristan.”
“Sweet dreams empress.”
Chapter Seven
When I woke up the water in the bathroom was running. I assumed Tristan was in the shower. I got up and looked at myself in the mirror above the dresser and I was shocked by my appearance. My hair looked like a rat’s nest and I had dark circles under my eyes. I looked exhausted. I also looked like I had lost ten pounds overnight.
The water turned off and a sudden sharp pain went through my stomach. The pain was so intense I doubled over and let out a scream. Tristan came running out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel. “Something is wrong with the baby Tristan,” I cried out. He got dressed so fast he was almost a blur.
He picked me up and carried me in his arms to the car. Once we were inside, he sped out of the hotel’s parking lot. “I saw a sign for a hospital on the way in last night. We will be there soon Lilith. Just hold on okay.”
The pain was so intense I was rocking back and forth trying to ease it. I was losing my baby and there was nothing I could do about it. Within minutes we pulled up to the hospital. Tristan parked right in front of the emergency door. He pulled me out of the car and ran inside. “Help her, please,” he pleaded with the first nurse we saw.
“Calm down sir and tell me what’s wrong.” The lady said sitting behind the desk.
Beautiful Corruption (The Corruption Series Book 2) Page 4