What I didn’t expect was for Raphael to shift back into his human form and drag me beneath the current. As I fought my way to the surface again, I saw the opening of the river sealing shut. I’ll drown. I’ll drown. I’ll drown. And never avenge my brother and aunt’s deaths.
“It’s a portal, Caroline. We have to keep moving. Dive down.”
I heard Raphael’s words assuring me, but I struggled to trust his judgment because he was dragging me down, quite literally deeper into the waters. Couldn’t I trust him?
***
“Wake up, sleepy head. We have to meet Orlando and the others.”
Hearing Raphael’s low, sultry voice in my ear, I smiled to myself. Again he was right by my side. The warmth of his body ignited my desire instantly. I rolled over and gazed up at him. When I saw the sunlight shining over his shoulder, I freaked out and sat upright with a jolt. “The sun! It’ll kill you!”
He shook his head at me as a few wisps of his black hair fell in his eyes. He pushed them away. “I’m okay. I have these.”
Shoving his sky blue shirt off his shoulders, he turned around and showed me his back. It was covered with a series of designs that appeared to have been carved into his rippling muscles with jet black ink.
“What are they?” I asked as I traced the designs with my fingers.
“My tribal signatures,” he said. “They represent my current regiment in the Fanged army and the one I hope to be in someday. They protect me from the sun. Every member of the Fanged army has some signature.”
Oh really, I thought, wondering now if I had any designs. The Blood’s words surfaced again in my head. Welcome to the Fanged army, little wolf. I’ll be with you forever. I shoved the notion to the back of my brain. Later. “The leopard designs I get, but dragons. Why dragons?” I gasped. “Don’t tell me you can shift into a dragon too?”
“Okay, I won’t tell you,” he chuckled with that laugh I was growing to love. “I’ll show you instead.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” I reached for both sides of his shirt and pulled him down upon me. My lips briefly touched his. “I’ve had enough adventure for one day,” I whispered. Seeing that I too was in my human form made me think of the werewolf transformation as a dream. It couldn’t possibly have happened, but I knew it had. I would no longer be the same.
“Actually I can’t shift into dragon form, but I hope to be able to once I join their ranks,” he replied as his finger tenderly traced the line of my cheekbone and jaw.
“I could see that. How is it that you can shift? I thought only wolves could do that.” His nearness sent a shiver of delight through me.
“I don’t know really. I’ve always been able to manipulate my physical form. My mother taught me how when I was a very young and Orlando helped me refine it. But I can’t shift into just anything. I have only a few shapes I can do successfully.”
“And that of a dragon isn’t one of them?” His nearness was overwhelming and I recognized that it was difficult to concentrate on his words. The closeness of his presence caused my heart to beat wildly and I fought back the urge to taste his lips. Purposely I stared at the cleft in his chin as he talked.
“No. Each form takes a great deal of concentration. I can’t do it if I’m low on blood like I was earlier before we killed the hellhounds. Being a member of the Fanged army, I can shift into the shape of a cat. I prefer the leopard. Once I’m accepted into the Order of the Dragon, then I’ll be able to work on my dragon form.” Raphael twirled a portion of my hair around his fingers and studied it. “Is every woman in your realm as beautiful as you are, Caroline?”
“Possibly,” I replied. “Why?” The grin on my face expanded as I leaned up close to him, ready to kiss him.
He shrugged his shoulders, refusing to say more as he continued to play with my hair. His gaze fell to the expanse of my neck and he contemplated it for some time.
“You’re the most incredible man I’ve ever met,” I offered, leaning closer still to him so I could breathe in his male scent. It was a dark, rich fragrance of spice like warm cinnamon or nutmeg. I wanted to drink from his fountain and possess him. “Kiss me,” I ordered. “I want to be yours, Raphael. Here in this beautiful place. Alone with you.”
Quickly he sat upright, glancing away. His mood had again changed, but he did not move from my side.
Letting the silence between us grow, I marveled at the blue water, trying to forget it was the same color as Raphael’s eyes. A few waves rolled in and splashed against the platform where we lounged in a large hammock made for two. I let my eyes trace the covered pier where we sat overlooking the beach on one side and the water on the other. The platform extended out some sixty or seventy feet from a cove surrounded by palm trees. It was breathtaking. Even in the Golden realm, I had never seen anything like it. Our rivers were green and calm, and wound around mountains. This body of water must be an ocean, I surmised, recalling what my aunt had told me.
When I glanced over at Raphael again, he was staring at me. A rush of warmth rolled over me and my mouth began to water. Claim me, I thought.
He pulled me toward him, cradling my head in his large hands. Gently he stroked my cheeks with his thumbs. “I was dead inside until I met you.”
I merely stared at him, tongue-tied. This was real.
“You feel it too, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I breathed.
He kissed the pulsing hollow at the base of my throat. A low moan left my lips. Then he brushed a gentle kiss across my forehead, teasing me, tempting me to respond. Raising my mouth to his, I licked my tongue along his bottom lip. The electricity sparked between both of us and I closed my eyes as his mouth covered mine. Yes, take me. His tongue sent shivers of desire racing through me and I returned his passion. I was shocked at my own eager response to his lips.
***
“How did we get here?” I asked as he cradled me in his arms.
He remained quiet for a very long time. My question seemed to float along the air, threatening to fall into the water. Lightly I touched my fingers to my lips and felt the wetness from his embrace. My lips were still radiating and warm. His kiss had sent new spirals of ecstasy through me. I want you deep inside me, I thought. As I settled back in Raphael’s arms, I relived our recent kiss over and over again in my head. I relived our lovemaking by the rock. I smiled up towards the white canopy and enjoyed the feel of his arms around me. Life with him would be Heaven.
“By way of the river,” he said finally.
“Yes, but where are we?” I questioned, remembering he had yanked me under the water. “How did we get here exactly?” I repeated.
Raphael stood up quickly, almost dumping me out of the hammock onto the wooden pier. “It doesn’t really matter,” he muttered. “I wonder where they are.”
“Who?” I snapped. I felt abandoned at his hasty exit. He should always be by my side.
“Orlando and the others. We usually meet here.” His voice drifted off. He had changed into a long-sleeve blue shirt, same as I had worn before, and a pair of gray pants. For some reason, I wore a flowing mint green linen dress that I assumed he had clothed me with. That realization made my cheeks redden.
“Raphael?” I added an authoritative tone to my voice, letting the last syllable drop with a hint of seriousness. “I want some answers.”
“This…” he announced, raising his arms to the sky, “is the Fanged world. But it doesn’t matter, does it?” he growled. “You’ll be on your way home soon and out of my father’s clutches. He won’t take you as well, but I’ll lose you forever.” He pumped his fist into the palm of his other hand.
When I realized Raphael was referring to my brother and aunt, a flood of wild grief ripped through me and I gasped.
He whirled around. Oh god, Caroline. I didn’t want to tell you. I’m sorry!”
I covered my mouth in anguish preventing myself from saying anything because I immediately understood his meaning the same time he did. My eyes widened and a la
rge lump formed in my throat.
Our eyes locked. The passion in his eyes died and they became flat, almost as unreadable as stone. He shifted his gaze to the water beyond us, refusing to look at me.
“Who. Is. Your. Father?” I uttered the words very slowly when I finally recovered my voice.
“I can explain.”
“Who is your father?” I screamed, brining my feet down hard on the wood as I attempted to stand without any luck. The wood of the pier beneath me cracked.
“Let me explain.”
“Tell me,” I growled.
“Lord Asmodeus. The demon that probably killed your relatives. He’s my father.”
“No!” Not wanting to hear Raphael confess to a death sentence by association, I covered my ears and shook my head. “No, don’t say that.” I prayed the Wolf had not heard him.
He’ll have to die too, Caroline.
“No, I won’t let you,” I replied inwardly to the Wolf.
To extinguish the darkness in your father and mother, all demons will have to die.
“I will kill the son-of-a-bitch myself, Wolf. This is not your fight!” I screamed, realizing Raphael had no idea what I was talking about. Smothering back a sob, I fell into the hammock, defeated. Tears streamed down my face and I hid my face from Raphael who was standing over me. I’d lose him too. Death would take the one chance I may have at love, real love and I’d be powerless to stop it.
“Please Caroline. I can explain.” Raphael knelt beside me in the hammock.
“No, no. You don’t have to. You’re not your father’s son. I can see that. You wouldn’t have helped me otherwise.” I swallowed down the sobs threatening to spill over into my voice. I rested my head on Raphael’s shoulder for a long time, trying to regain my composure. My mind raced and I struggled to keep control of the situation before the Wolf intervened.
“After you drank my blood, I could hear some of your thoughts, especially if we were touching. I heard you speak of avenging your brother and aunt’s deaths. That came out when we jumped into the river and I grabbed you. But it’s more than that. I knew when I saw the new skulls on my father’s wall and he told me he had kidnapped the Princess of the Golden realm. I knew he was likely hunting your family. I’m so sorry, Caroline. Don’t you see? Don’t you see now why we have to get you out of here? What if you or your father is next?”
He wrapped his arms around my legs as he knelt beside me. “I’ll keep you safe. I’ll die for you if it means you can escape. I won’t let him have you, Caroline.”
I stared down at Raphael as he stroked the outer curve of my calf. A warm golden glow of comfort flowed up from my soul and wrapped around my heart. Already he had been by my side more times than I could expect my father or mother to be. My family was gone with the death of my brother and aunt. It was my reality and I knew it. I rubbed my fingers through Raphael’s hair for a long time, watching the sun rays catch the reflections in his onyx highlights. He sat curled up at my feet, holding me close amid my knees and legs. He rested his head in my lap as I casually played with his hair. The bluish black lights glimmered and mesmerized me. My heart will never mend if I have to leave this man. There must be a way out of this ordeal.
Attempting to change the mood because my legs were falling asleep, I whispered to Raphael. “I hate this hammock. Can we find a better place to sit?”
He looked up at me. His mouth quirked with humor. “The hammock is a bad sitting spot, isn’t it?” he chuckled. “I’ll have to tell Orlando about that. Dragons don’t understand pleasantries such as furniture. Let’s go to the beach and sit under the palm trees, okay?”
I returned a weak smile as I let him lead me off the pier. He took my hand in his and I choked back another wave of grief as it hit me. It was like every ounce of despair I had tried to hold back after losing my aunt and brother in the recent months surfaced in that one moment. Tears blinded my vision and I was thankful I had Raphael there to help me find my way. What if you or your father is next? The impact of his words slammed into my heart. I could be next if this Asmodeus demon, this father of Raphael’s found me.
Chapter 5 – Raphael’s Proposal
Author’s Note: This chapter is told from Raphael, the hero’s point of view.
Once we made it to the shoreline, I used my vampire speed and strength to create a place for Caroline that would be more comfortable than the hammock she had been scrunched in. My large height of 6’2” and weight of a muscular 220 lbs didn’t leave much room for her to be in the hammock with me. I did my best to bury my thoughts of wanting her to sit in my lap or, more accurately, straddle my lap because I knew now was not the time to have such urgings. She needed my mind, not my body.
I couldn’t help but remember what we had already experienced together. It had been incredible. She was incredible, breathtaking. The silkiness of her buttocks. Her dusty pink nipples. The divine warmth of her sex. The sheer power of her werewolf form. Whether she knew it or not, Caroline was indeed a rare werewolf. But was she a Livonian wolf? That I had to find out. It made the urgency to protect her even greater.
As I set to my task and began carving a sizeable bench out of the trunk of a fallen palm tree, I hoped Caroline and I would have time to talk before Orlando and the others arrived. I had expected to see my friend pop his dragon head up out of the water right by Caroline’s feet, but he had not shown. None of the dragons were in their usual dwelling spots by the cove or the pier, and that had me a little more than concern.
Caroline still seemed upset and dealing with her grief, so I shared the story of how I discovered the Fanged world when I was a boy.
She wandered around the grove of palm trees picking up small pieces of wood for an evening fire as I stole a few glances at her. She was a vision that would rival the gods.
***
“My father and I used to get along,” I began. “You wouldn’t expect me to say that, but it’s true. I idolized him when he and my mother were together. She brought out the best in him. Unfortunately, my inaccuracy with a bow and arrow damaged our relationship.”
“Why’s that?” Caroline asked. She strolled along behind me like she was in a sort of a daze, only half-heartedly listening, but I continued as I worked.
“One day my father and I went hunting. Tigers were the big…” I paused and corrected my language to be more sensitive to Caroline’s situation. “We were hunting for tigers across the wasteland. I wasn’t that good with a bow and arrow, so I missed the kill-shot for the cat. The tiger escaped into the water.”
“Tigers like water?”
“They do when they are running for their lives, but yes, to answer your question, tigers are fond of water.” I laughed at her sudden curiosity.
“When the tiger plunged into the water and disappeared, my father insisted I jump in and wrestle the animal out of the water. I hadn’t learned to swim at that time, so I refused.”
“There’s no time like the present,” he had replied. “And he threw me in the water. He refused to let me get out of the water until I came out with the tiger in a bear hug.” I paused as I finished fashioning one side of the bench to match the other side, waiting to see if she’d get my joke. She didn’t seem to notice. I continued.
“I struggled for the longest time to stay afloat, but after I grew tired I began to drown. My father stood there and watched me, not once helping me.”
Caroline interrupted me. “Your father is an asshole.”
“I totally agree.” I smiled to myself, sighing as my heart swelled. This is a moment I’ll always cherish, I thought. I continued. “Once I fell beneath the water and assumed I had drowned, some force dragged me to the bottom of the sea. I woke up on this beach here with two dragons peering intently over me. I thought they were going to eat me, but I soon discovered that they were more fearful of me because they had never seen a creature that could walk on two legs.”
“You were the first human they had ever seen?”
I nodded, glancing her w
ay. She was leaning against one of the palm trees, braiding her hair. I sighed again, exhaling slowly and resumed my work. After a few moments, I announced, “I’m almost done here.” I rested my hands on my hips. “Anyways, that’s how I learned about the Fanged world. Orlando was the one who saved me. I’d say he’s as close as any brother I could ever hope to have. He and I are army friends. We go into battle together when any issues arise and we have to make peace with the other realms.”
“What about the other dragons?”
“The others are older and more reserved, but they are very nice once you get to know them. They’ll be very nice to you. Don’t worry. I’m hoping you get to meet them.”
“You expect them before nightfall?”
“They usually know when I’m on my way, so it doesn’t make sense that they wouldn’t be here now.”
Caroline spoke up, interrupting my train of thought. “The ceiling painting above your bed. You said Orlando made that for you, to remind you?” She paused, her tawny eyes gleaming, as she searched for the right word.
“Here,” I motioned for her to join me on the newly carved bench. “Sit with me.”
“This is beautiful, Raphael. Thank you. Look we can see out across the water. I can’t get over this view.” She cuddled up close to me and patted me on the knee. “That design. I understand now. It reminds you of who you are - a member of the Fanged army - not a demon like your father.” Glancing up at me with a satisfied expression, she asked, “That’s correct? Isn’t it?”
I nodded, brushing her braids over her shoulder. “Precisely. Now you understand. I’m not a demon. And just because I’m a vampire in the Dark realm does not mean I’m evil. I’m not. There’s a small group of us who fight for justice and that’s what I do.”
“You hear that, Wolf,” she announced.
I laughed out loud, then wondered if she meant something by that.
Redemption: My Vampire Lover Part #2 (A Dark Realm Novella Series) Page 6
