Cassandra reached a steady hand and placed it upon her vampire’s cheek. A low growl escaped Elissa. Raven was instantly between vampire and mortal. “It’s all right, Raven.”
Was it all right? Elissa was fighting a battle she hadn’t had to fight in nearly a thousand years. It was one thing to feed on animals and be around mortals, it was another to feed on mortals and be around other mortals.
“I fed on the brothers.” The words were but a whisper. They were nearly carried off in the wind that was beginning to howl. Once again, the weather was being fickle and winter was returning.
If Cassandra was surprised, she didn’t show it. “Let’s get us both inside where it’s warm.” She took Elissa’s hand. The vampire reluctantly allowed her charge to keep her grasp.
Slowly, they made their way into the cabin. Elissa stood in the middle of the room frozen like a statue. Cassandra stoked the fire before moving in front of her vampire.
Once again, Cassandra placed a hand on Elissa’s cheek. Her other hand grasped her vampire’s hand. “Did they hurt you or threaten me?”
“Shot. Hip.” Elissa was barely able to speak. She knew Cassandra deserved more. But she couldn’t find the words. She felt so ashamed of her actions.
“I see.” Cassandra squeezed her mentor’s hand. “And if you hadn’t been injured, would you have fed on them?” Elissa shook her head. “Then we just have to get you through the withdrawals of tasting human blood.”
Chapter 32
It had been five hours since Elissa had fed on the Jones brothers. Every few minutes, the vampire would revert into her animalistic side. The closer Cassandra was to her partner, the more she would revert.
It didn’t matter to Cassandra. She had eaten, done the chores and was now ready for bed. And she was insisting Elissa hold her as she attempted to sleep.
Elissa was standing in the corner furthest from her mortal. Her eyes were glowing red. They weren’t as bright as when she had first returned to the farm, but they were enough to scare most mortals.
Cassandra wasn’t most mortals. The young woman made her way to her vampire. Elissa pressed herself even snugger against the wall. She flinched when Cassandra attempted to take her hand.
“Elissa.” The vampire would not look her in the eyes. “Look at me. Please.” It was the please that had Elissa looking into understanding eyes. “We can get through this. You just have to trust me.”
“It’s not you I don’t trust.” Elissa was shaking as Cassandra managed to take her hand. “I haven’t killed a mortal to feed. I never wanted to. I…”
“Elissa.” Cassandra squeezed the hand she grasped. “You were protecting yourself. You were protecting me. And you needed to heal. It was either them or you.”
The vampire shook her head vigorously. “I could have waited. I could have found some animals. I could have…” Elissa hated herself.
“You could have ceased to exist.” Cassandra placed a hand on Elissa’s cheek and forced her to look into emerald eyes. “You would have left me all alone. And then what?”
Azure eyes blinked several times. “That’s right. You’ve been alone, truly alone, since Andrea died. Now we’ve found one another. I’m not about to let you give up on yourself.”
The vampire couldn’t argue with her partner. Elissa reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled toward the bed. “Lie down.” Cassandra made certain her vampire was in bed before joining her. “Now, we are going to snuggle. And you’re going to tell me what is going through your mind.”
The snuggling part was actually more difficult. The nearness of Cassandra caused the scent of her partner to penetrate every pore. Elissa remembered how sweet the blood of the innocent youth had tasted.
To keep from thinking those thoughts, Elissa attempted to speak. “The only thing going through my mind is how to keep from turning you right here and right now.”
Emerald eyes grew wide. She hadn’t thought Elissa would ever say those words. “Turn me? I mean…I want that. But I thought we agreed we’d wait until I was older. Until at least after we’d made love.”
“It’s because I want to taste you again.” Elissa couldn’t look Cassandra in the eyes. “You only gifted me with a few drops before to help me heal, but now I have a taste for you. It’s not even about human blood anymore. It was just a reminder of what I had with you.”
Cassandra took a moment to process what Elissa was saying. “I have a question.” Elissa was afraid to answer. She was snuggled against her partner so she wouldn’t have to look into emerald eyes. “After I’m turned, will you still crave my blood?”
Azure eyes blinked several times. It was a question she wasn’t expecting. “I honestly don’t know. I never sired anyone. I refused to. So the few humans I tasted, I only did one time.”
“What about any of the others in the clan. Were you ever able to watch their behavior? See if they couldn’t contain their desire for a certain being’s blood?” Cassandra wished she was looking into azure eyes.
“I…” Elissa thought back. She had distanced herself from Devlyn and her cronies. There were only a couple vampires that respected her and actually treated her as a friend. “I only had a relationship with a couple vampires, outside of Sarah. If they ever sampled the ones they sired, I never saw it.”
Cassandra was a little frustrated. Elissa was her only link to the clan and how vampires acted in general. “All right. We’ll take things one moment at a time. For now, we’re going to hold one another while I attempt to sleep.”
Elissa couldn’t say no. Her soul was battered. It would, she hoped, recover. But for the moment, she didn’t trust herself. Already she’d killed Yohan without thought. At least she hadn’t fed from him. Then there were the Jones brothers. It had happened because they’d shot her, but still.
The vampire wrapped her arms further around her mortal. Cassandra felt content. Elissa felt on edge. But she was where she was meant to be. There was no denying that.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Morning came. Elissa had fallen asleep for only the second time since she had become a vampire. She knew it was because of the love she found herself wrapped in.
Cassandra was still sleeping. Elissa didn’t want to disturb her partner. Instead, she chose to remain where she was. And take stock of her body.
Elissa’s hip didn’t even hurt anymore. That was one positive. Her craving for Cassandra, at least her blood, hadn’t completely disappeared, but it was only a faint trace at this point.
It was enough so that Elissa didn’t have to worry about losing control around Cassandra. The only way that would happen was if the mortal cut herself. Even then, the vampire felt she could finally control herself.
It had taken detoxing. It was the best way to describe it. Elissa now understood why some of the young vampires had had a difficult time feeding like she did.
Devlyn had insisted all her vampires feed on animals and humans. Once you tasted human blood, it was difficult to settle for animal blood.
Now Elissa could understand how mortal blood was addictive. She vowed right then and there she would never feed from another human. Even if her existence was at stake, she would rather suffer than taste a drug such as that.
Cassandra stretched bringing their bodies into closer contact. There was one exception to that rule. Elissa would sire her partner when the time was right.
When would that be? Elissa knew it was a difficult question. When she was young, twenty-four meant you were old. Now, the same age would mean you were middle aged.
What would the future hold? Would twenty-four be ideal like it had been for Elissa all these years? It would mean nine more years of caring for Cassandra to make certain she didn’t fall to any mortal weaknesses.
“You’re still in bed.” It was a statement. There was no surprise in Cassandra’s voice. “Usually by now you are making me my breakfast.”
Elissa couldn’t help smiling. Even as horrible as she felt yesterday, with a slight hangover of s
orts today, Cassandra’s sweetness was salving her heart and soul. “I thought you’d like some company this morning.”
“Thank you.” Cassandra kissed Elissa gently on the lips. “I know you didn’t want to tempt fate and remain with me, but you needed to know you could be with me and I’d be safe.”
“You knew.” It was a statement not a question. Cassandra laughed sweetly. “I’m over a thousand years older than you, yet you were wiser than me on this one.”
“Just keep that mind the longer we are together.” Cassandra once again stole a kiss as she made her way out of bed. She had to dress so she could take care of nature.
The morning routine was adhered to. It meant Elissa made a quick breakfast while they both tended the animals. It was something Cassandra was starting to insist on.
After morning chores, there was baking or making cheese or churning butter or mending or washing or… It depended on what day it was.
This morning was slightly different as they both sat at the breakfast table. “How are you feeling?” Elissa leaned back. She had been counting the number of leathers she had to sell at the general store.
“You want to start for Oregon, don’t you?” Elissa nodded in answer to the question. “If you are feeling all right after yesterday, I’m up for traveling. I might not be as helpful as I normally would be for a week or two.”
“Why don’t we pack everything.” Elissa was becoming excited. It wasn’t so much traveling as it was starting over once again. And this time it was starting with something she knew better than nearly anyone alive.
“We’ll have to decide which animals we take and which we sell.” Cassandra was already beginning to make a mental list of the things they would need. It was a long trip and they didn’t know when the next village or outpost would be available for them to restock their supplies.
This felt different. Elissa watched as Cassandra counted on her fingers. She made a list. She showed it to the vampire who nodded.
It was different because the other times they traveled Casandra had been too young to contribute more than what she wanted and packing her own belongings. Her young partner had always helped load the wagon.
This time Cassandra was practically taking charge. Questions were being asked. It was still a partnership. But it was becoming a more equal one as each day went by.
“I’ll make some loaves of bread. They aren’t easy to bake at campsites. Then there’s the jerky. No matter what kind, it travels well.” Cassandra hastily stood. “I’ll leave out only enough dishes so that I can have supper and breakfast before we leave. We, of course, will need to stop at the general store before we leave…”
Cassandra trailed off at the expression upon Elissa’s face. “Ok. What have I done now?” It was an expression Cassandra hadn’t witnessed too many times.
“You’ve grown up.” Elissa smiled at the blush that was on Cassandra’s face. “I see it every day. Just how much you’ve learned. How much you take charge. I’m proud of you.”
“Yeah, well.” Cassandra rubbed the back of her neck. She could feel the heat on nearly every square inch of her body. “I had a very good teacher.”
“I’ll tell Miss Belle that if we see her before we leave.” Elissa once again could have easily ducked the slap she received to her arm.
They froze. In that moment, the past couple months had washed away. It wasn’t as if it had never happened. It was as if they had learned what they had needed to and now they were in a better place.
The rest of the day was spent in preparations. They would need to travel through Bloomfield, as well as Keosauqua. It wasn’t to say goodbye.
Joseph was already back east. Miss Belle and Cassandra had never been close to each other. The only one they would remain in contact with was their lawyer, Mr. Spinster. That was mostly business, but he was fast becoming a friend.
As always whenever they were off on another adventure, it was exciting. The last time they left New York, they’d had to out run Yohan. This time it was merely running to something that was so exciting.
The immortal and mortal snuggled in bed in the cabin they’d shared for over three years. So many memories, good and bad. But they knew there were so many more memories to be made.
The most important memory would take place somewhere in Oregon. When and exactly where they weren’t certain. All they knew was that the future was bright. And they would face everything together.
Chapter 33
Autumn was right around the corner. They’d been in Oregon for only a handful of weeks. There had been no time to begin restoring the ranch, other than making it livable for mortals.
Cassandra had spent some time in the nearest city. Salem was a small, bustling city on the rise. What the young woman loved about it was the fact there was an actual section in the large general store dedicated to books.
Between reading and writing, Cassandra’s time was well spent. She didn’t neglect any of the chores around the four-bedroom one level ranch house. The kitchen was twice the size of any she had ever seen. And the living room could entertain a dozen people.
The study was large enough that both women could be in there at the same time and not be in one another’s way. Cassandra loved that they could be in the same room, though she knew once they had horses, Elissa would spend a majority of her time breaking them.
That was the room Cassandra was in now. The past two weeks had found her reading books about reincarnation. She was beginning to believe more and more that she was Andrea reincarnated. Which meant she and Elissa truly were soulmates.
Cassandra was so caught up in her reading she didn’t hear her soulmate enter. When emerald eyes looked up from the book she had been reading, they grew wide. “What’s this?”
Elissa held a small cake in her hand. “I think someone has forgotten something with all the work they’ve done on the house and bunkhouse.”
The mortal tipped her head to the side. Cassandra was clueless as to what she had forgotten. “Is that strawberry?” Elissa nodded. “My favorite cake.” She thought for a moment. “I can’t believe I forgot my own birthday.”
The vampire’s face fairly glowed as she placed the cake in front of her soulmate. “I’m glad I could surprise you with this. I managed to get you a present as well.”
Elissa retrieved the small package from her pocket. It was wrapped in colorful paper. “It’s not everyday my favorite mortal turns fifteen.”
“I’m one of the few mortals you know. It’s easy to be your favorite.” Elissa laughed at the comment. Cassandra picked up the small box. “What have you done?”
The shrugging of shoulders was Cassandra’s immediate answer. When emerald eyes continued to bore into azure ones, Elissa motioned to the box. “You’ll just have to open it to find out for yourself.”
Cassandra shook her head. Every year since Elissa had entered her life, the vampire had done something for her birthday. When they didn’t have much, it was merely a small cake or cookies.
Now, they had money being brought in by Cassandra’s father. Elissa continued to sell her leather goods. They were in demand nearly as much as they had been in the Midwest.
The mortal played with the twine that held the paper on the box. Cassandra gave it a tug or two before the bow gave way, taking the paper with it.
The box that was revealed could only be described as a jewelry box. Cassandra stared at it with her mouth open. After several moments, she finally managed to close her mouth.
The box creaked slightly when Cassandra opened it. Inside was a small emerald ring. It was of simple design attached to a silver band.
Cassandra looked from the ring to Elissa. A ring could mean so many things. She wondered if this was merely a gift with no added meaning behind it.
Elissa closed the distance between them. She picked up the ring and placed it on Cassandra’s left ring finger. Now the mortal was beyond speechless. Emerald eyes did all the speaking for her.
“I know fifteen is a little
young to be betrothed. In my time, it meant you were a spinster.” The joke had the desired effect as Cassandra visibly relaxed.
“I’m extremely old fashioned. We’ve been kissing a great deal.” Cassandra didn’t blush like she used to when kisses were spoken of.
“And to me, kisses are a form of a promise.” Elissa knelt beside Cassandra who remained seated. “I’m still not expecting anything other than what you are giving me now, but I’d like for you to wear my ring.”
Cassandra played with the ring Elissa had already placed upon her finger. If there was light, she knew the emerald would be sparkling. It reminded her of her own eyes when she looked into a mirror.
“I want more than to wear your ring.” Cassandra took Elissa’s right hand. She kissed each of the knuckles before trailing the kisses to her wrist. “I want to be married to you. I want to promise eternity to you. And I want to make love to you.”
Elissa had hoped Cassandra wanted the same things she did. “Marriage won’t be legal. At least not in the eyes of the government. But when we exchange vows, it will be forever. And to a vampire, that literally means eternity.”
Cassandra tackled Elissa to the floor. She kissed every available inch of skin. “I want to plan for our vow exchange. I think that’s better than calling it a marriage. I’ve traveled enough in my life with you. The perfect honeymoon will be right here at the ranch.”
“How soon?” Elissa’s heart would be hammering in her chest if it still beat. The thought of exchanging vows with Cassandra had her blood flowing.
“Can you wait a month?” Elissa tilted her head. “I want to make a new dress. I want to finish the book I’ve been working on. It’s not for publication. It’s for you.”
“I’ve told you many times over, I’ll wait an eternity for you.” Elissa kissed her charge and hugged her to her chest. She was happy. Happier than she had ever been in her existence.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The whir of the treadle sewing machine was the only sound in the study. One of Cassandra’s tasks at the orphanage had been to make clothing for all the other girls. She had hated the tediousness of it.
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