I stepped in front of Sully’s tombstone. “Sully, you knew what Marsala was when you brought her into my life and knew I was defenseless against her, yet you chose to bring her into my home, without a hint of warning or consideration. I have spent years blaming you and hating you for what Marsala did to me, but now I choose to forgive you. I love you, brother, and I miss you.”
I placed my hand upon Sully’s stone, my way of saying goodbye, and a light breeze blew toward my face. I detected something unexpected and inhaled deeply to better identify the source. Someone had recently been at my family’s burial places, and not just any someone, it was a vampire I didn’t recognize.
* * *
It was dusk when the four of us arrived at the park. Shelby and Chansey saw a few of their girlfriends and went over to the group to speak. I recognized many of the same people from the beach gathering and I wondered if Crosby dared to show his face. Drew read my mind and said, “He’s not coming because he’s too embarrassed to face everyone after he acted like such a jerk.”
Crosby was an adult and capable of making his own decisions, but I was partially responsible for his poor behavior. “I hate that things got out of hand. I knew he was trying to show me up in front of Chansey and I accepted his challenge because I didn’t want to look weak in front of her,” I confessed.
“What do the two of you have going on?” Drew questioned.
“Who said anything was going on?” I questioned, secretly hoped he was about to share information he heard from Shelby.
“No one has said anything and that’s why I’m asking, because it’s easy to see there’s something there,” he prompted.
“She’s a great girl and we have fun together,” I generically replied.
“Come on, can you give me a break here and give me something to report. I’m on a mission for Shelby, to find out how you feel about Chansey,” he confessed.
My feelings were still a mystery to me and I wasn’t ready to profess my feelings for Chansey to anyone. “What can I say? I enjoy spending time with her. We’re getting to know one another and I look forward to exploring the potential of our friendship.”
“That answer is not going to make Shelby happy. She wants illicit details,” he warned.
“Sorry, she will have to wait and see what happens, just like the rest of us.”
He saw I would not be making illicit confessions and moved on to the topic of graphics, then the girls returned and I felt relief just by having Chansey back by my side.
The band was four songs in and I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were. The crowd seem to really enjoy their music and the young girls in the audience looked ready to swoon at any moment. I wasn’t familiar with the songs they played, but the audience, including Chansey, seem to know them well as she sang along, never missing a word.
Shelby leaned over and said something into Chansey’s ear, then Drew announced they were leaving. After they walked away, Chansey said, “When they are on, they are really on, if you know what I mean.”
“Do you want to leave since they’re leaving?” I asked.
“I’m having a great time, but we can go if you’re ready.”
I looked to the sky. Dark clouds toward the Southwest threatened to spill rain at any moment. “It looks like rain could force us home at any moment, but we’ll stick it out a little longer.”
Another four songs later, the wind picked up and lightning flashed across the sky, then the band regretfully announced they would end their performance prematurely, due to the weather. We had only begun our walk home when the bottom fell out of the sky. I took her hand in mine and we made a run for it. Fifty yards later, we both stopped running, seeing the uselessness in it. We stood, facing each other on the sidewalk, drenched in the rain, laughing at our ridiculous attempt to outrun the sudden downpour.
She stood with her arms stretched, looking to the sky while rain fell upon her lovely face. “I haven’t done this since I was a child.”
The smile upon her face brought joy to my heart and I wanted to take her in my arms and never let her go. I yearned for her kiss and wanted her to long for the closeness that would lead to it. Her eyes penetrated mine, granting me permission to do what it was I desired most.
I stepped closer, placing my palms on each side of her face as my gaze deepened, showing her my intentions. She lifted her chin, in acceptance of the kiss I offered, and closed her eyes, waiting for the brush of my lips against hers. As I slowly leaned forward, to place a kiss on her lips, a car of teenagers flew past us on the street, laying on the horn while screaming, “Woohoo!” With each of us startled by the abrupt display of immaturity, our moment was lost, without a kiss.
Neither of us spoke and she took my hand, leading me toward the house after her eyes reassured me that our kiss was not lost, only postponed.
I unlocked the door and opened it, allowing her to enter from the rain first. She walked through the doorway and turned to me as I entered and shut the door behind us. She stepped closer, catching one of my hands in hers, and intertwined our fingers before raising them to rest over her heart. “Can you feel how fast my heart is beating?” I didn’t have to feel it because I could have heard the pounding from a mile away. “Kiss me,” she whispered.
I didn’t need further encouragement as I reached for her face, cupping each side of her face with my palms. My thumbs caressed her pouty bottom lip before I brushed my lips against hers. She placed her palm on the back of my neck and pulled me closer, deepening our kiss. My mouth left her lips and followed her jawline to her neck, then I moved lower and hesitated over the pulsation of her carotid. The rapid palpation in her neck beat against my lips and I lingered there, testing the beast within me.
The essence of her blood remained unchanged, leaving me void of a desire to bite her or drink from her. This pleased me greatly and I returned to her lips as a familiar fragrance invaded my senses. It was the same scent I noticed when I was intimately close to her in the kitchen, and although different from blood essence, is was no less powerful. The scent encouraged me to lose control and do what felt good, which at this moment, was kiss her harder and pull her closer.
I backed toward the couch, leading Chansey to follow and I dropped to the couch, bringing her to sit across my lap. Our kiss deepened and she was no longer content with sitting across my lap, so she raised up onto her knees and slung one of her legs across me, straddling me. She placed a hand on each side of my face and looked into my eyes while she caught her breath. Her eyes told me everything I needed to know; she wanted me, as badly as I wanted her. She closed her eyes and leaned forward to kiss me again and my palms started at her knees and moved upward. Her skin was so soft and warm, almost hot in comparison to my cool touch. I slowly worked my hands under the denim skirt gathered at the top of her thighs until I reached her hips and pulled her against me, separated only by thin material between us.
I was driven by a force I couldn’t identify and I was consumed with the urge to be closer to her. I wanted all of her hot skin against mine, but touching her was not enough. I wanted to become one with her and I was shocked, yet delighted by what my body urged me to do.
She stopped kissing me and stared into my eyes and I touched my finger to her mouth, gently tugging on her lower lip. She caught my finger in my mouth and rolled her tongue around it, before holding it hostage between her teeth. Her mouth released my finger and she pulled my shirt over my head. Her touch was driving me to do what my body commanded and the monster inside of me understood the need to satisfy my urge; I wanted her and he encouraged me to have her.
She placed her palms against me, exploring my chest and abdomen with her hands. “You are the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” Her words ignited a battle between my conscience and my desire for her. I wasn’t a man, as she believed me to be and it was wrong to allow her to believe otherwise, so I knew I had to stop. I gently pulled away, breaking our kiss. She looked at me, trying to find the reason for my retreat and a
sked, “Did I do something wrong?”
My peripheral vision caught the image standing inside the doorway and my heart dropped to my stomach as I looked over to see Solomon, wearing a mask of shock and horror. When Chansey saw my eyes looking toward the door, she turned to see what drew my attention from her and quickly left my lap to stand and straighten her clothing.
Solomon showed no sign of anger in front of Chansey, but I felt it strongly. “Well, Curry, I can see you’re getting settled in just fine.”
There were no words to describe the feeling I had at that moment as I predicted the conclusion he would draw from what he witnessed. I left the couch and found my shirt, pulling it over my head as I said, “Chansey, this is my oldest friend, Solomon Alexander. Solomon, this is Chansey Leclaire.” Solomon smiled at Chansey and without doubt, believed he just saved this young woman from her impending doom.
Chansey extended her hand. “It’s very good to meet you, Solomon, because I didn’t know Curry had friends. He’s so secretive and selective with the information he shares about himself.”
“The pleasure is all mine. Is it Leclaire, as in French, meaning bright or light?”
“Yes, it is. My father’s family is French Creole from New Orleans.”
“Very interesting,” Solomon murmured in a voice too low for Chansey to hear.
There was a lull in the conversation, no one quite certain what to say after the awkward situation. Thankfully, Chansey turned to me and said, “I think I should go up so you can visit with your friend. Would you mind walking me to the door?” I didn’t blame her for wanting to leave this awkwardness and I wished I could join her in leaving. I followed her to the doorway and she turned to speak to Solomon before she left. “It was very good to meet you, Solomon.”
“And you, Miss Leclaire. Perhaps I will see you again, soon.”
The rain was still heavy and we sprinted to the coverage of the porch. She smiled up at me, rain dripping from her hair onto her face and said, “Well, that was embarrassing.”
I couldn’t help from laughing. “That’s the understatement of the millennium. At least you don’t have to go back down there and face him.”
She reached for my hands, intertwining our fingers. “Tomorrow evening is my cousin’s wedding rehearsal. I wouldn’t ask you to endure the rehearsal, but I am in need of a date for the dinner. Would you do me the pleasure of being my guest?”
My heart skipped a beat with the excitement of being with her again. “I would love to be your guest.”
“Perfect. We’ll talk about the details tomorrow.” She licked her lips, then leaned forward and placed a light kiss upon my lips. She pulled away and said, “Goodnight, Curry.”
“Goodnight to you, too, Chansey.” She smiled and I watched her go inside, leaving me to answer to an angry vampire.
Chapter 13
I entered my apartment to face the angry vampire and he furiously threw a towel at me after I shut the door. I dried the rain from my hair as Solomon sat motionless on the couch and I felt the fury as it radiated from him. His face was void of emotion and I knew he believed I failed him and his teachings. I moved to the couch and waited for my interrogation to begin. “What have you been doing to that girl?”
His accusing words were painful, but I reminded myself of how he would have no choice but to draw the wrong conclusion based on the intimate display he witnessed between us. “Sol, I know it looked bad, but please, give me a chance to explain. It isn’t what you think.”
“You’ve been drinking of her, haven’t you?” he asked, disgusted with me.
The accusation was more painful than I expected. “Please allow me to explain before you judge and convict me.”
“Yes, please do explain, and after more than twenty years of mentoring, give me some encouraging news to prove this has not all been in vain.”
“I have not drank a single drop of her blood. Her essence is neutral and doesn’t appeal to me at all. How can that be possible?”
“It isn’t possible.”
“Believe me, it is very possible, but that’s not all. Her unique fragrance drives me crazy. Can you smell her?” Even now, her fragrance hanging in the air made me desire her.
“Of course I smell her. You had her heart rate so elevated, I could have smelled her two blocks away. Her blood essence is as strong as any other’s and it lingers all in the room, just as any other human’s essence would.”
“I’m not talking about the smell of her blood essence. I mean the sweet, but musky, fragrance that floods me with a desire for her that has nothing to do with drinking of her. It provokes me to touch her and kiss her and I think I will go mad if I don’t. I can’t get enough of her and being close simply isn’t enough. Something is driving me to make her part of me and I don’t understand it. Sol, I don’t know how to turn it off. What does it mean?”
“I have no idea,” he replied, but I knew he was lying, and then he said the words I didn’t want to hear. “I need to consult Sebastian as soon as possible.”
I knew what Sebastian would recommend and I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t do it. “I won’t leave her.”
With a raised voice, Solomon demanded, “You will leave her!” He saw the pain on my face and lowered his voice before he continued, “I’m sorry, Curry, but you are dangerously close to exposing yourself. You put yourself, and this girl, in danger by being so friendly with one another. This relationship, if that’s what it is, can go nowhere, so there is no decision to be made. You must leave her to protect her and yourself.”
I had to make him understand the danger she faced. “I would never place her in danger. I would do anything to keep her safe. There is something, more dangerous than me, lurking in the shadows to harm her, and I won’t leave her unprotected. I promised to keep her safe.”
He eyed me curiously. “What do you mean you promised to keep her safe? Did you make a promise to her?” When I didn’t answer immediately, he said, “Please, tell me she does not know what you are.”
“Of course I didn’t tell her what I am, but something I don’t understand has happened. I have taken responsibility of her safety and I will not allow harm to come to her. I don’t think I’m able to leave her.”
I saw the shock on his face. “You have made a sacred covenant to protect her? The vow has never been made for a human, so this does complicate things. I’m not certain it is legitimate.” His face became entirely serious and he looked like he couldn’t believe what he was about to ask. “Do you love her?”
I wanted to deny it, but my heart wouldn’t allow it. I pointlessly loved her and I could never have her, but denying my love for her would be one lie to never cross my lips. It terrified me to admit I loved this beautiful girl and I knew he wouldn’t understand, so I attempted to avoid answering his question. “I’ve only known her a short while.”
“Of course, you love her. A blind fool could see it because it’s all over your lovesick face right now.” My lack of denial confirmed his accusation. “How old is she?” he asked.
I wasn’t certain because we had not discussed it, so I took my best guess. “She is in college so I guess around 20 or 21.”
“She’s so young, almost a child,” he commented.
She was young, but she wasn’t a child. “Anyone in comparison to us seems like a child. It’s not like I planned for this to happen. It was out of my control,” I defended.
Solomon simply said, “That’s right. You are completely out of control and that’s why Sebastian is going to order you to leave.”
I wanted to put my fist through the wall because he wasn’t getting it. “I found something I wasn’t looking for and I had no control over that, but I’m in perfect control, more than I’ve ever been. There is something, bigger than me, at work here.”
“If that is the case, why haven’t you contacted me?” he scolded.
“Honestly, I didn’t want to contact you. I didn’t want to be told I had to give up the one thing that has returned joy to
my life. I didn’t want to see you look at me and doubt everything you have taught me. You have no faith in me and it’s all over your face.”
“I’m sorry. I do trust you.” He stepped closer and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Curry, you are my best friend. You know I want you to be happy, but this isn’t the way. I don’t know why you have these feelings for this human, but it can only end poorly for both of you.” We both knew he was referring to his experience with Lisette.
“She makes me feel more human than I did before I was turned. How does an immortal handle having all of these mortal feelings?”
“I don’t know what it means, but this girl could be the clue Sebastian needs to solve the mystery.”
“Do you think Sebastian will have the answers we need?”
“He is the wisest vampire I’ve ever known. I hope he knows, because if he doesn’t, we have nowhere else to turn. He is overseeing the construction of the new compound and can only be reached in person, so I must leave immediately. Please do not do anything foolish while I’m gone.”
“Will he require me to come to him?” I asked.
“No, I think he will want to see the girl and observe the two of you together.”
This was not the Sol I knew. He wasn’t his normal, carefree self and I saw the worry in his eyes. We both knew this wouldn’t end well. Something was coming, and we both felt it, although neither of us voiced it. He turned for one last look before leaving and his words were soft and sympathetic. “Curry, treasure this time with her, but be prepared to say goodbye.”
I knew he was right. I had a couple of precious days with her, then I would be forced to leave her. After Sol was gone, I walked out into the night air hoping to clear my mind, but it did little for my mind or my heart. I walked a bald path in the grass behind the house while I thought about my life and how it had changed, for the better, in this short time with Chansey. She made me happy. I smiled when I was with her, and she was the reason. She resurrected feelings and emotions inside of me, dead and buried two and half centuries ago and the things I experienced with her were unforgettable.