Before she can blink, he grabs her and pulls her flush with his body. “Pet, you better hope those are questions I never figure out. Your very life depends on it!”
He releases her suddenly, her body striking the wall behind her. Emma couldn’t hold back the instant gasp of pain as she grabs for her side. Lucas reached instinctively out to steady her, but she shrinks away. He snarls, then turns and stalks down the darkened hallway. She stands there for a minute watching him walk away. Her body tingling all over from the power she felt in his touch. Emma wraps her arms around herself. She has never been so confused or lost in her life.
Turning back towards the familiarity of the bedroom, the sight of red eyes coming around the side of the bed startles her. She had completely forgotten about Rage. He brushed her legs as he walks past her in his wolf form. Apparently, she had hurt his feelings by not knowing who he was, so he was going to leave her here alone too.
Emma tries to lie back down but her mind is too wound up to sleep. She takes the blanket off the bottom of the bed and decides to sit in front of the fire. Has she survived one Hell to just be put in another? Should she leave, or stay? She knew what was expected of her before, but now she feels adrift in a sea of the unknown. The tears flow freely down her face as she lay down in front of the fireplace.
§§§
Lucas smashes his hand against the wall, his knuckles splitting from the contact. “What the Hell is it about her? She is everything I hate about the human race, vulnerable, broken, but damn bloody beautiful in her innocence.” He stands there looking at nothing but seeing everything.
Rage enters the room and growls at Lucas as he looks up at the blood running down the wall. “Yeah old friend, I like her too.” They both leave the house, needing a good hunt to calm their inner monsters.
Lucas returns to the house right before sunup. He finds himself in the doorway of Emma’s room, his feet always bringing him back to her. As he walks into the room, he notices the fire has gone out and there is a chill in the air. Once again, she wasn’t in the bed; she was lying in the floor. Standing over her, he could see changes in her appearance already. It was amazing what a few good meals and a bath would do for the body, or was it the Hellhound saliva? She would never be beautiful, but she was far from ugly. He reaches down, picking her up, cradling her body close. Holding her with one arm, he turns the covers down, and with the other hand, gently tucks her in. A piece of her hair had worked its way out of its braid and Lucas watched as his own hand reaches out and smoothes it away from her face. She turns on her side and whispers his name in her sleep. He jerks his hand away wondering who was really scared of whom.
Chapter Eleven:
I wake up in the bed, once again. It seems that no matter how upset they are with me, neither one of them will let me sleep on the floor. The fire had been banked and the room is toasty. The popping of the wood in the fireplace is what woke me up. The house is unnaturally silent this morning; I'm not used to the silence. There were always people and constant noise in, Ione Manor.
I get dressed and wait in my room listening for the familiar sound of Sam’s wagon, but it never comes. Mary must not be coming today. I make my way to the kitchen. This is just one more thing I'm not used too. I had to cook for hundreds of people every day, now it is just me.
The old house creaks and groans. Shadows flicker on the walls as I walk from room to room. Lucas said, I had the run of the place in the daylight hours, but I'm still uncomfortable nosing from room to room. This manor is nothing but pure luxury, and it’s a shame that a family isn’t enjoying all of it. The long spiral stairways and the empty hallways are missing the fun of little feet and the laughter of family gatherings. I have found more bedrooms than I can count. Closets full of clothes not being used and a music room full of instruments. Most of the instruments don’t look like they have ever been touched. The house is covered in cloths and layers of dust. It would take a crew of workers weeks to get the dust out of these rooms, let alone freshen the linens and curtains on the windows. The house seems as empty, as I feel today.
My whole world has changed so much in the last few weeks. I'm happy and sad all at the same time. I fled to survive one nightmare, only to come here and find another one. I walk past a room that must be some type of conservatory. Old pots sit empty, the once beautiful plants long, withered and dead. The sun and its heat feel wonderful on my face and I stand looking up through the ceiling of glass, enjoying its caress.
I walk towards the door leading outside, noticing it wasn’t locked either. I stroll through the immense gardens. Sam has done a fabulous job with the landscaping. There are fountains flowing and benches placed specifically so you can enjoy the sight and smell of the flowers. I wonder why Lucas would choose to keep this up or why he even cares. Why keep up the outside and not the inside? He can’t see the garden like this, or can he. There are so many questions I would love to ask him.
In the distance, I can see rolling clouds moving in. The air crisp and clean as it blows in a storm. I don’t want to go back in the house where the walls are closing in on me, so I decide to sit here until the rain comes. I watch the world move around me, as I try to contemplate what to do with my own life. Do I stay here or leave?
I was deep in my own worries and pain when I felt him. I look up into one of the windows only to see him standing in the shadow looking down at me. Just then a single raindrop hits me on the forehead and as much as I dreaded going back inside. I knew I couldn’t sit out in the rain forever.
The gas lights have been lit inside the house. Their soft glow beckons me through the hallway. I see him step out of a room to my right. I start to step back, my steps faltering. I don’t know how to react.
“Emma, would you like a drink? I don’t feel like being alone this evening?” Lucas turned, not waiting on my answer and headed back into the room.
“Ummm yeah, if you would like me too. I mean after last night, I wasn’t for sure if you still wanted me around.” I started talking as he walked away because it was easier to talk to his back. I stopped in the doorway, my mouth gaped open in total amazement. The door to this room had been locked earlier and I never gave it a second thought. But there were books and more books. This absolutely had to be the most amazing room in the world. I walk in turning in a circle; they were everywhere, on shelves built clear to the ceiling. I hear a chuckle behind me.
“I had no idea you would have such a reaction, Emma. You never cease to surprise me. I know you said you could read, but I didn’t completely believe you at the time. Being able to read recipes and cookbooks is much different then novels.” Lucas had a puzzled look on his face.
“Ms. Ione taught me how to read. I was behind on my studies and she took me to the side when Kat was having dance lessons. She helped me learn my letters and numbers. I was always fascinated with books. I haven’t read many, but the ones I did read were fascinating. I always loved how you could disappear into another world, one of imagination and adventure.”
“I'm sorry. I had the door locked before. I know, I told you that you would have free rein of the place, but a lot of these books are priceless and an open door to the wrong people could be catastrophic. I will make sure you get a key.”
“Lucas, why only this room, the entire manor is stunning and you leave all the doors unlocked. There are paintings on the walls and vases in the hallways that are worth more than some make in an entire year.”
“I don’t know to tell the truth. Most of those things are replaceable and the locals are scared of the manor. I have never worried about it before, but times are changing. Along with everything else it seems.” Lucas walks over to the bar and pours him and Emma some scotch.
“Here you go.” He extends the glass out to her.
“What is this?” Emma scrunched her nose at the smell.
“Some truth serum and I hear this drink makes girls dance naked in the rain.” Lucas laughed at the look on Emma’s face. “I'm teasing. Take a drink, but not to
o fast. It has a bit of a kick to it.”
I take a drink and immediately start to cough. “Oh, that’s terrible, why would you ever willingly drink this stuff?”
“To watch girls dance in the rain of course. If you drink enough it’s amazing the things your mind comes up with.” Lucas had a rare smile on his face as he walked to the window to look outside at the rain.
I stand in the middle of the room holding a glass of poison. Staring at him like a lovesick fool. That smile of his almost made me faint. Lucas’s face had a hardness to it. Years of frowning has made him hard in my eyes, but once I got a glimpse of that smile, it would make your knees go weak. He is absolutely beautiful, with that long black hair tied at his neck, sun-kissed skin, and coal black eyes that seem to look right through me. His shoulders are as wide as the windowsill he was leaning against. He radiates power and strength. Lucas is in the prime of his life and I am terrified of the feelings I had growing inside of me.
“You’re not drinking Emma!”
I felt embarrassed when he caught me staring at him. “I don’t much care for it, My Lord.”
“Lucas.”
I smile and shake my head, putting the drink down. Walking to the nearest shelf, I run my hands lovingly over each spine. A girl could escape it all in this room.
“Emma, I am sorry about last night. When my brother showed up unexpectedly like that, everything went bad quick.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Lucas, this is your home. I'm sure your family is welcomed before I would be. I didn’t know you had a brother. I caught a glimpse of someone with long blond hair, and then he was gone.”
“Yes, I have a younger brother, Tavish Michael. He is the prankster in the family, and his constant immaturity rubs me raw. I was sitting in your room, watching the fire when I heard something move behind me. When I turned he was sitting on the bed next to you. I didn’t handle it well, to say the least. I get overly emotional sometimes. I put you in our mother’s old room and apparently now he thinks you’re my new pet.”
“Am, I supposed to understand what that means?” I have my back to him, walking from self to shelf. The questions riding me, I'm scared to look at him and ask. “Is Tavish like you?”
“What do you mean, Emma?”
“You know, is he allergic to the sun also?” I hold my breath, why did I ask that?
“You mean is he a Vampire too, don’t you? Turn around and look at me, Emma!”
Ohhh, I really didn’t want to turn around, but I did slowly. “Yes, I suppose that’s what I'm asking.”
“Does this frighten you?”
“Well, let me see Lucas. In the last couple of weeks, I have been introduced to a Hellhound who has marked me, whatever that means, and now I'm in the middle of a family of Vampires. I can’t judge you for your life or lifestyle. I'm a murderer and a bastard child with no name with nowhere to go, and right now the monsters surrounding me are all I have. Of course, I'm scared, but not for the reasons you think.”
“Life hasn’t been kind to you, has it? I wondered when or if you would remember fighting for your life.”
“Unfortunately, I always remember at some point.” I could feel the heat of his stare. Looking away, I head towards one of the couches. “Does anyone’s life turn out the way they think it will? I'm sure you’re not where you thought you would be when you were a young man. I never had dreams of something more. I didn’t reach for the stars because I knew there wasn’t one with my name on it. I have spent my whole life on the outside looking in. No one wanted anything to do with the girl who had no last name. My hair was always fuzzy, my clothes pieces of discarded trash, and let’s not forget the smell. I was put on this Earth for other’s entertainment. Who else would they have to torment and beat down if they didn’t have me? Because of this, I have become very comfortable with my own company.”
“I don’t remember much about where I came from. Sometimes, I catch a whiff of something that reminds me of my Mom, but I can no longer see her face. I remember crying at night and asking Mrs. Ione if Mommy was ever coming back, but after a while, I quit asking. The sad look on her face told me everything I needed to know. The teasing from the other kids about being abandoned on the side of the road never let me forget it either. I'm sure you would never understand you weren’t born into this world the same way.”
“Emma, I bet I would understand better than you think. There are some pluses and minuses to my affliction. Of course, I don’t age. I am, as I was, the day I was turned. I'm stronger than any man alive and I have the power to flash from one place to another in the blink of an eye as long as I have been there once before. I can send my spirit out to search or spy on things day or night and now apparently if someone’s blood is strong enough, I can dream. The sun and the dreams are a drawback because I'm not dreaming of puppies and butterflies. Apparently, I'm reliving some of the most dramatic events of your life in my sleep. So yes, I may not have been born into your world, but I have been in your skin.”
I know my mouth was hanging open and I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. “You are reliving my life, oh please Lord above make the humiliation stop.” I can feel the tears flowing down my face. I refused to make eye contact. I couldn’t bear to see the look on his face right now.
I feel him take his hand and lift my chin up. “Emma, you have nothing to be ashamed of, the things I have seen were you as a child. I will say they have been very disturbing, but they have also helped me understand what has made you, You.” He turns my head from side to side. “The dreams have been different the last couple of nights. Only the sudden bursts of cold and hunger, they kept you hungry didn’t they?”
“Not in the beginning, but as the years went on I was only given the scraps.”
“Where did you sleep at night?”
“Under the stairs,” Lucas moved away from me, but not before I saw his eyes flash red and his fangs extend. “I'm assuming they either kept you dirty or you did this to yourself for a reason?”
“I'm sorry about the dreams,” I whispered, but I refuse to answer the last part.
“Emma, you have nothing to be sorry for. I just wish they weren’t dead, because I really would have enjoyed ripping their throats out and watching them die slowly.”
“Do you need to feed often? Forgive me I have no right to ask you that question.”
Lucas chuckles, “I'm talking about tearing someone’s throat out and you’re wondering if I'm hungry. Let’s just say, I like food as well as you do. I need it to survive. I can go for long periods of time without it, but it’s not a pretty sight.”
“Have you ever bit me? Is that the reason my wounds healed so quickly?”
“No, I have never bit you. It’s Rage’s saliva that healed you, that’s why we all have been watching you so closely. Most people don’t survive even the smallest scratch from a Hellhound, but somehow you have. I honestly was waiting for you to become deathly sick. I was going to put you out of your misery when you started suffering. Mary was the first to figure out what Rage had done. She was very upset and wanted to take you away from here. I knew Rage would never stand for it, so I decided to watch over you myself.”
“I really don’t understand. Will this change me somehow?”
“To be honest I have no idea. Since you have gotten better Rage has returned to his old self, so I don’t know if this has formed a bond with him, or if your body was just immune to his poison. Your mind is reeling isn’t it?”
“That’s an understatement. My life has turned upside down and I'm walking in circles trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do now. How did you adjust?”
“One day at a time I believe, it’s been so many years I honestly don’t remember or care anymore. I have made a good life for myself. I do have to move every twenty years or so. People tend to notice when you don’t age, but for the most part, I'm on the top of the food chain.” Lucas laughs at Emma’s face when he says that.
“For years, mothers pushed their y
oung daughters upon me. I became the mystery they all wanted to solve. The truth was, none of them would understand, what I am, and I never found one that was worth the risk of telling. Tavish enjoys the pleasures of the flesh and the hearts of the young girls. I prefer my solitude and privacy. You have interrupted all of that for sure.”
I don’t know what to say at first. “If you would give me a letter of reference, maybe I could find work in another town.”
“Do you want to leave, Emma?”
“Honestly?”
“Yes!” Lucas had raised his voice.
“I have no idea. I don’t know what my options are? I don’t want to be a charity case. I don’t want to be a burden that you don’t know how to get rid of. I especially don’t want to become a problem between you and your brother.”
“Tavish has no say-so in this house. You will stay right where I put you. There is absolutely no reason for you to be clear on the other side of the house in some cold servant’s room. I know the room you’re in is nice. What is wrong with you using it? No one else is, so enjoy it, jump on the bed, sing songs in the bathtub, and dance naked in front of the mirrors if you want, but Emma, find some enjoyment in your life. None of us are promised tomorrow.”
Chapter Twelve:
Days became routine, between Emma and Lucas. In the evenings, they would meet in the library. Lucas would work on accounts and letters as Rage sat at Emma’s feet, both of them enjoyed hearing Emma read aloud. Mary was back to only coming a couple days a week with supplies. She no longer needed to stay and clean. Emma took it upon herself to clean the large manor. Every day she picked another room to dust and straighten up.
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