by V L Moon
As a soldier and Laziel’s most trusted guard, no other showed such honorable pride in their station as Saul. But, there was a darkness within him Kimberly recognized. She didn’t worry that he’d hurt her physically. She sensed in him the same horror she’d hidden from all of her life; fear of the past, of memories and pain. Held within his arms, Kimberly acknowledged the same fear in Saul. Despite his size, the burly Russian hid within the same closed off part of his mind as she did. With her body responding to the male’s heated touch, Kimberly became hypnotized by the sound of his deeply accented voice.
“Sweet angels save me, he’s beautiful.” She mentally sighed and allowed herself to indulge in the vampire guard’s embrace. She felt safe and warm. His softly spoken words caused her stomach to flutter in such a strange and wonderful way it stole her breath. She felt nervous, almost giddy as he talked. In that moment, as they swayed along to the music, Kimberly felt as though she’d known him for a lifetime.
She nuzzled against his beautiful broad chest and moaned at the feel of thick pads of hard muscle. Saul was solid; from the square set of his jaw to the width of his shoulders. She loved his wide back and thick chest that narrowed to a ripped waist. His long legs were thick with muscle. He was perfect, and looking up into the warmth of eyes that shone a beautiful shade of aqua marine, Kimberly wished the song they were dancing to would never end.
Strong hands roamed down her back and stirred the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy. The exciting thrill floated lower until it pooled between her dampening thighs. The heat of passion caused her to grind against the hardness of Saul’s thigh, trapped between her legs. Her gums tingled as her fangs lengthened. They were highly sensitized due to not having fed properly in days.
She heard Saul’s blood as it thundered through his veins, teasing her with its flavorsome scent. She wanted to taste him; drink Saul down and have him take from her as she claimed him. A soft purr broke Kimberly from her rapturous thoughts. A cherry red blush stained her cheeks on realizing the comely noise came from her.
”You respond so beautifully. You make this old soldier feel young again. Come, let me escort you to your rooms.” He offered and Kimberly found herself nodding in agreement. Saul’s gaze dropped to her mouth and heated before he glanced away. Taking his arm, she followed him through Roman’s Brazilian enclave toward the rooms previously allocated to her.
Kimberly felt as though she floated along at his side. The sense of energy and power running through Saul set her nerve endings on edge. Goose flesh bumped along her skin at his touch. She admonished herself to play it cool. After her shocking and somewhat promiscuous behavior months before with Roman and Tobias, Kimberly was hyper aware of how Saul might have perceived her. Still, she didn’t regret that night.
It had been the first time in over a century she’d acted so impulsively. Even though she had no desire to repeat the performance, Kimberly felt close to Roman and Tobias. They’d become friends after the fact. Good friends.
Kimberly didn’t want Saul to think of her as a whore. She wanted him to like her, really like her. For the first time in her life, she’d met someone whose opinion of her mattered, more than she was willing to admit. She loved the easy feel of him as they walked together. And, once they were alone in her private quarters, the feeling persisted.
Drinks in hand, Saul led the way from the kitchen into the small but cozy sitting room where he eased himself down into the overstuffed sofa and sighed. Trying to relax, he kicked off his shoes. Regardless of their earlier misunderstanding, Saul was comfortable around her, and Kimberly found she really liked his sense of ease. It helped her to relax.
While he sipped his drink, she excused herself. In her room, she slipped out of her restrictive suit and into an old shirt that came down to her knees. She also slid on a pair of white, fluffy socks. Far from sexy or revealing, it was indicative of who she was when she came home after a hard night’s work, running around after their King. Better he see it now so he knows what you’re like.
With a smile, she padded into the sitting room. Saul had built a fire in the hearth and stretched his sock clad feet toward the heat. Accepting her drink, Kimberly sat beside him and curled up with her feet tucked beneath her. “Do you think he’ll be safe? I know he’s more than capable of looking after himself, but he’s still our king.” she asked, refusing to hide the concern etched on her face. She didn’t want to pretend with Saul. Kimberly wanted him to see her. So, when the brawny male tucked her under his arm, Kimberly allowed herself to accept the comfort he offered.
“He’ll be just fine. Mark my words, wherever he is, Laziel will be watching him. Of that I am definitely sure. And, don’t forget Arial. That angel might be one scary assed Fallen, but he is loyal. He cares about our stubborn mule of a king, more than Denali dares to admit.” Saul exhaled as the worry seemed to leach from his skin. His shoulders relaxed and his head rolled to the side to look down on Kimberly as she chewed her lip and frowned.
”Why did he leave? Laziel, I mean. You know that he and the King are lovers, don’t you?” Kimberly squirmed. Given the fact Malachi and especially Laziel refused to hide their affection toward each other, she was sure Saul had to know, too.
”Lovers is probably too weak of a term for what those two share. But yes, I know. I’ve always known. Arial and Lance are also aware, and now you. We do our best to protect them.” Saul smiled. “Laziel—that angel’s in deep. What I wouldn’t give to find love like theirs again.”
“Again?” Kimberly voiced and turned to see the look of utter loss shadowing those beautiful eyes. “Why again? What happened? Oh Saul,” she paused and laid a hand on his arm. “Please forgive my intrusion. My mouth sometimes forgets it’s supposed to filter what I’m thinking. I’m sorry.” Embarrassed, Kimberly attempted to rise, only for Saul to hold her in place.
She hadn’t meant to question his past. What right did she have? They were only friends, and they rarely spoke outside of the working environment. So, why did she feel so envious? When Saul tried to speak, his voice emerged hoarse and broken. Kimberly wanted to kick herself for bringing back the ruggedly handsome male’s painful memories.
Silence ensued. Kimberly watched Saul empty his glass of brandy and stare into the flickering flames. “I had a family once, a long time ago, probably before you were even born. It was the year Malachi began his reign. I remember because it was our king and Laziel who built the pyres on which my family burned.” His words shocked her. For centuries, he’d carried his grief with a stoic sense of humility. And, the knowledge that Malachi and Laziel were there for him filled her with pride for the love and care they’d shown Saul in his darkest hour.
“Was it them? The Nephilim?” Her question shook Saul, and Kimberly regretted it instantly. She well understood his reaction. It brought back her own bitter memories of loss and loathing.
“Yes, nyshka. They came at dusk just as we woke. My beloved, Morana, was heavy with our second child. They slaughtered her before my eyes and cut the child from her womb. His cries and the screams of my firstborn will haunt me ever more.” Pain etched across Saul’s face.
“The enemy culled them like cattle and laughed as they defiled her corpse. I don’t know how many I killed that night, but it wasn’t enough. It will never be enough. I should have died too; I wish I had at times. Five hundred years is a long time to carry such grief. It eats at your soul until there is nothing left but a shell.” He took another long swallow of the brandy.
“Thank god for Laziel. I fear I’d have gone rogue if it were not for the angel and our King. I watched numb as they lit the flames beneath all but one of my family. It wasn’t until much later that Malachi informed me they’d never did found the body of the baby cut from my mate. Most likely, it fell foul to wild dogs. But sometimes, when the enclave is quiet, I can still hear the child’s cries echoing through my mind, reminding me never to forget.” Saul’s words drifted off and they sat listening as the lick of flames blistered the logs in
the hearth. God, her heart hurt for him. How he had ever survived such a heinous crime astounded her.
“I’m so sorry, Saul. But, I’m glad you’re here with me right now.” She reached up and pressed her palm to his beautiful face. “Thank you for telling me. One day, they’ll pay. We will make them pay for what they’ve done to our families and our race.” Curling into a ball, Kimberly held Saul tighter than she’d ever held anyone before. She wanted him to know she was there for him, that she cared.
”The first time I saw a Nephilim I was barley into my eighth year. I’d never felt such fear as when I watched the walls of our enclave fall.” It was her turn to share. She stared pensively into the flames. “We lost my father that night. They were a perfect match. My mother didn’t care that he was human. She fell in love with him and sought permission to turn him. Malachi approved. I still remember how she used to look at him, and how he adored her. It was beautiful. Until the Nephilim came.”
She burrowed into Saul’s warmth as the memories swarmed in her mind. “They came while we slept. The sun was just setting when they attacked. They dragged the first victims from their resting places and threw them into the sun. They laughed as we watched our friends and family burn. They didn’t stop; instead, they came back for more. The older, more powerful males fought so hard to keep us safe. But, with the sun still streaking the sky, they were in a weakened state and no match for our enemy.” She whimpered at the remembered fear and Saul’s arm tightened around her.
“I’ll never forget the look of defeat on their faces when they turned to my father, Yurem, for help. He did the only thing he could think of to save us. He took out the opening to the enclave and brought down half the mountain on top of us, sealing us in and burying himself outside in the sun. By the time night fell and the Nephilim were gone, my father was dead.” Her voice hitched with suppressed emotion.
“My mother was never the same after that day. Her spirit died with him. Less than a week after his death, she walked into the sun to join him, leaving me behind to fend for myself,” she said and shrugged a slender shoulder. “Which I did, of course. But even now, I miss them; both of them. However wrong my mother was for leaving me alone, I still wonder if I’ll ever be lucky enough to find the sort of love she had with my father.”
~*~*~*~
Saul barely breathed as he listened to Kimberly. Angry tears burned his eyes. How could anyone have left her alone? As admirable as her father’s action was, it was her mother’s duty to love and care for her child. Kimberly had lost her father, a father she loved. He could tell by the way her chest heaved, and the scent of the tears that danced in her eyes.
Christ, how could she not see she was worthy of love. The female was perfect and so damned strong. Most would have crumbled and fallen foul to the seedier underbelly that existed in both the vampire and human worlds. But not Kimberly. The perfectly presented female had grown into a proud and venerable vampire. She served the King directly and held her own quarters within the royal enclave of Rome.
“They would be proud of how much you’ve achieved.” Saul tried to soothe her. “As much as our pasts will always be with us and haunt us, we must strive to remember the fonder times, like the ones where you saw love in your mother’s eyes. Remember that love, cherish it. Let it strengthen you on those days when the pain threatens to consume you. And if you can’t, I will be there to help you.” Gently, Saul lifted Kimberly into his lap and cradled her against his chest.
The sun would be rising soon, but Saul was hesitant to leave her. He didn’t want to be without the scent of her skin, or the feel of her hair brushing against his face, neck and chest. He wanted to engrave her in his memory, just as she was, dressed in nothing but a shirt and socks. To him, she was everything he’d ever wanted and more. He sighed and buried his face into her golden mane of hair.
“So very beautiful, nyshka. Please let me protect you until the sun takes my strength.” Saul quietly asked, dreading the rejection he was sure to come.
“You would do that? Guard me without expecting anything in return?” Her question startled him. He just wanted to hold her. He would be lying if he said he didn’t want more, but not yet. Kimberly was a rare orchid that needed to be tended with finesse and love. Not used and cast aside.
“For you, I would wait a lifetime. But now, you need to sleep. It would please me to know you’re safe.” Kimberly rose from the settee gracefully and leaned over to place her lips to his cheek.
“Thank you, Saul, for being here and for being you. There is another room next to my own. The bed is yours should you desire. Goodsun my dear friend.”
“Goodsun, nyshka.” Saul watched the gentle swing of her hips until she disappeared down the hall. With the memory of her dressed in that shirt to torment him, Saul was in for a very long and excruciating wait for sunrise. With only his palm for comfort, his mind played games with him over the beautiful female vampire who slept no less than ten feet away from him on the opposite side of the wall.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Twenty-Six
~*~*~*~
Tobias’s stomach, a mass of knotted nerves, twisted as he walked in the shadow of his father’s footsteps. Before him, Jorn escorted Tobias’s mother toward the rooms Roman had designated for the visiting Pack. The sheer size of the Summus practically dwarfed Tobias’s six feet plus frame. He radiated so much raw energy it made the hairs on the back of Tobias’s neck and on his arms stand on end. However, the Alpha’s face was void of emotion.
To Jorn’s left, Clarice kept stride, her spine straight and her senses sharp. Although she supported his father and the treaty, Tobias knew she was uncomfortable sleeping within the enclave’s walls. If they knew Roman, as in really knew him, they’d be more than comfortable within the walls of his home and could willingly accept his gracious hospitality. His handsome, brooding male sure had style. Tobias couldn’t believe how hard, or how fast Roman and the rest of the vampire’s had worked to rebuild the splendor destroyed by the Nephilim only a matter of months before.
Roman. The mere thought of him raised the hackles of Tobias’s wolf. His nether regions sprang to life. He hoped wherever Roman was, he was safe and would make it back before Tobias had to escort the wolf entourage back to their pack grounds. He wanted to feel all that smooth hard flesh and have Roman feed from him while they…
“Tobias Chamberlin! Please control yourself. I’m quite sure the rest of the pack would rather you keep your thoughts to yourself instead of virtually screaming them through the bonds that tie us,” Clarice snapped. “Jorn, don’t you think the time has come for you to further our—Tobias’s training?”
His mother’s words yanked him from his train of thought. He didn’t hear his father’s reply; he was too focused on the fact his mother couldn’t even bring herself to call him her son. The realization cut him to the core. Tobias hung his head, lost in the shame of his own wants and desires. Desires neither his mother, nor the rest of his pack would ever understand.
The silence of the enclave accompanied Tobias and aided his darkening mood as he trailed his parents through the halls and corridors until they came to their rooms. At the threshold of their door, Clarice faltered as if unsure. Jorn, being her mate and Alpha entered first, sniffing the room for possible enemy scents. Satisfied the room held no threat, Jorn stepped aside allowing his wife to enter. Once inside, Clarice turned to face Tobias, her face showing its usual void, emotionless stare.
“Jorn. Tobias,” she said before taking her leave.
“Goodnight, Clarice,” Tobias replied, his tone clipped, bordering on surly. His failure to hide the hurt she’d caused combined with calling her by her given name startled the exiting female. She faltered momentarily in her stride, lowered her head and whined gently before entering her bedroom and closing the door.
He expected to feel shame for the petty way he’d hurt his mother, but he didn’t. For years, Clarice sidestepped around her maternal instincts where Tobias was concerned. As a younge
r child, his mother’s lack of love had hurt, but eventually, Tobias realized he had to get past it. He could never take away the agony of losing Khad, but he was done with being an unwelcome, and at best, an unwanted presence in his mother’s life.
A low growl reverberated around the small room. The menace behind it reminded Tobias his father was still in the room and acutely aware of his wayward thoughts. Instead of backing down and submitting, Tobias allowed his wolf to rise. The strength of his inner beast poured through his veins. Tobias welcomed the change taking place and mentally stroked the golden pelt of his wolf until it calmed. His eyes remained fixed on his father.
“I’m done with never being a good enough son. I’ll never be Khad, never wanted to be. If who I am and who I choose to be with is not good enough for you or her, then tell me now and I’ll gladly take my leave.” He squared his shoulders. “I will not give up Roman, and I refuse to be anything other than whom and what my wolf and mate desire me to be.” Tobias met the strength of his father’s stare and matched its challenging glare with his own. The fire in his eyes reflected in the darkening pools of his father’s eyes. Tobias refused to back down.
“Am I still your son, or do you harbor the same shame as my mother? I’m a gay wolf, one that will never give your pack young. But, I do offer loyalty, and whether you’d admit it or not, you never would have approached the vampire king if it hadn’t been for me. Make your choice, Father,” Tobias said. “Say the words and I’ll go, but I will no longer carry yours or my mother’s guilt or shame for not being good enough, for not being Khad.”
Tobias’s chest ached, and his jaw twitched as he ground his molars. He didn’t care if his father could sense or smell his tears. He was so fucking done with being invisible to them. At least Roman loved him, at least Roman wanted him, showed pride in his work and achievements and never failed to voice it. All he’d ever been to his parents was a bitter reminder of what they’d lost. An imperfection they so bitterly cast aside.
