by Angela Foxxe
He moved his hands closer, in between her thighs, his finger found its way to her folds, and he stroked it with his index finger first. Isla shuddered and her breathing came in rasps. Her breasts heaved against Gabriel’s buttoned shirt.
Gabriel slipped in a finger and found her wet and she let out a moan, unable to contain herself. It was a moan he wanted to hear over and over again. He could feel Isla’s body grow warmer, and he forced himself for some control himself so as not to ravage her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he found himself murmuring, seeing Isla in all her naked glory.
He struggled to unbutton his shirt and Isla frantically helped him, the urge to make love now in full force. She wanted him inside her. Throwing away his shirt carelessly, he continued to kiss Isla as he unzipped his pants. Their kisses were hot and urgent and Isla felt his hardness against her leg.
She was throbbing, wet for him and the pleasure he gave her. His tongue licked the underside of one breast and then he began to lick the other one, sucking on it, too. Isla gave a loud gasp. His tongue trailed down, snaking its way to her clit. He teased her, sucking and licking alternately, and Isla found herself moaning louder; pleasure hit her like a wrecking ball
The tip of his penis brushed against her clit and Isla thrashed. He looked at her, seeing her closed eyes and the way she bit her lip. She was writhing underneath him, her lips thrusting the tip of his hardness. Then her eyes sprung open, locking onto his and she breathed in heavily.
It was as if he waited for an invitation to be let in. Her grey eyes poured into his, as if seeing his soul. He saw this as a silent welcome. Gabriel’s hand extended to the headboard and then he slowly thrust himself into her, driving into that velvety, delicious part of Isla. He slammed into her again, and they were rocking back and forth against each other, deliberately slowly to feel the pleasurable sensations between them.
To Isla, the room felt warm, too warm this time and sweat had begun to form on her brow. Gabriel could feel the warmth from her, her wetness coupled with her heat made him feel like he was about to go insane; something he had only felt with her and no one else. His eyes were alight, and he pushed Isla’s legs further apart, aggressively pounding into her. Isla moaned again, one hand clutching his shoulder, her nails digging into his skin, and the other clutching the bedsheets.
He slammed into her again and again, wanting her to cry, cry out his name. He wanted her to cum for him. She bit her lower lip to keep herself from screaming. Then she let out a gasp, biting onto her lip hard. It drew blood and Gabriel couldn’t resist licking her lower lip, closing his eyes, enjoying the pleasures of the flesh and the metallic, yet sweet taste that lingered on his tongue.
The sensations Isla felt soared to new heights, her heart raced and she held onto him as if she held on for dear life, his lean body holding tightly onto her as well. He plunged into her one last time, just as she came.
From inside her sweater, the red diamond safely hidden inside the watch glowed.
*
She woke up an hour later, expecting to see him asleep beside her. She looked around, confused.
“I woke up a few minutes before you did,” Gabriel said, seated across the bed. He wore his pants and was barefoot, and she couldn’t help but stare at his chest.
“Are vampires always that muscular?”
He laughed. “We retain the bodies we had as full-fledged humans. I didn’t lead a very healthy lifestyle, but I did enjoy polo and fencing.”
“You must’ve been a lady killer,” she commented, no longer hiding her body behind the sheets.
He enjoyed this spectacle, this level of comfort she exuded. “I didn’t harm women, mind you. Or children,” he told her. “I just had to feed to survive. Thank goodness for blood bags.”
She looked out the window to see a flurry of white. “It’s snowing already. Isn’t it too soon?”
He didn’t say anything, remembering something before. White was such a contrast against the redness of blood.
“Are you hungry? We can go to the nearby village and eat.”
“Won’t people talk?”
He smiled. “This isn’t the Victorian period. We’re just passing through, after all. I still have winter coats somewhere here.”
“Female winter coats?” her brow rose.
“I had wanted to turn this place into a bed and breakfast, something reminiscent of Victorian holidays. I’d actually started, but I backed out, mum wouldn’t have liked that. This place held too many memories with family. Some of the clothes here were left behind by initial guests, so don’t worry.”
She scrunched up her nose. “I kind of feel icky.”
“We have hot water, no soap though.”
“I don’t mind,” she quickly said.
He smiled. “Make it quick. We have to get back to London while there’s still some sun.”
“We’re going back?”
“I prefer the safety of my manor with its silver lights,” he said nonchalantly, “it isn’t for me, but for you.”
“As long as I have some silver with me…” she said with a frown.
“Who knows what they’ll do,” Gabriel told her. “Isaac is now desperate. Where did you keep the watch?”
Isla was quiet for a while. Then she motioned for her sweater on the chair near him. Gabriel nodded. “Keep it close to you at all times.”
“It’s not hurting you now.”
“I’m not holding it nor am I seeing it now.”
“And you can’t feel the stone calling for a new owner?”
Gabriel shook his head. “As long as it’s encased in silver. We can feel it when you release it from its confinement. That’s why I kept it there. I had this watch made in Switzerland, while I was still human. When I gave it to Lily, she had full knowledge of the gemstone being in it.”
“Do you miss her?” she suddenly asked, feeling confused if she should feel jealous or not.
He looked out the window, feeling the slightest bit of warmth come from the sun. “I do, but you’re here and that’s all that counts. I’m not letting you down.”
She reached out to hold his hand, which surprised him. “Tell me what I have to do. We’re fighting this together. I just don’t think I can kill anyone,” she joked nervously.
“I won’t ask you to kill anyone. Leave that to me. It’s in my nature, even if I haven’t killed anyone in the longest time.”
*
He had awoken from a good dream, a dream where Isla had become his and where he finally owned the red diamond.
Isaac glared at the sun’s rays on the floor. He couldn’t move yet. It was snowing, but there was sun. He had to wait. He knew where Aidan was. That was what was wrong with his brother. He was easy to read, and Isla had become his weakness. He wouldn’t allow it to happen to himself, but if he could have Isla, then all the better. It was his chance to prove to Lily’s memory that he could have given her all that she wanted, and more.
“Who is Lily?” Anna interrupted him.
Isaac looked at Anna, who was lazily seated on a tattered looking couch. He scratched his neck unconsciously, feeling the scar from a silver blade that had injured him in 1908. Those scars faded, but they never left. Silver did that much damage, and he hoped the Hunters had died off completely. Isla was the only one left from the Ashworth line, and if he turned her, then possible male heirs would cease to exist.
“Lily was someone I knew back then.”
“You never talked about her.”
“You never asked,” he replied.
“Did you love her?”
He smiled and shook his head. “I did once. But now you’re here. And you matter far more than a memory.”
Anna looked away, that feeling of giddiness stealing through her. She tried to quash it.
“It’s almost like you’re blushing,” Isaac teased, knowing full well how she felt about him.
Anna wanted to brush off the topic, even if it left her feeling like she was on cloud nin
e. “What do you plan to do now?”
“Kill him.”
“And this Isla?”
“Kill her too, her lineage has been detrimental.”
“Shall I do the honors?
“Do you wish to?” he asked her.
She nodded. “I don’t want her to bring you pain. You’ve already had enough of it.”
“That is too sweet of you,” Isaac murmured, remembering the deer in the headlight look that Isla had when he took her from her flat. Her fear for him almost made him want to love her completely.
He had nearly forgotten that Aidan had laid claim to this newer version of Lily, Aidan wanted everything he wanted, just to spite him. There was a part of him that wanted to kill his brother, but he figured that making Aidan live to see him rise was better. He’d wait until Aidan killed himself, like William did…
Anna looked at Isaac intently, wondering what thoughts filled his mind. As a human, she had fallen for his charms, even when he was only a customer back then. He always looked for her in Madam D’s brothel. He turned to her out of empathy. A customer had beaten her up so badly, everyone thought she would die. Isaac told Madam D he was bringing her to a doctor, and that he would pay for it. Those from the brothel never saw her again.
She had been one of those rare humans that Isaac had transformed, and she was the only one still alive more than a hundred years later. Of course, he had to have a fondness for her. She adored him and had waited for him to tell her he loved her. She didn’t mind waiting, even if it took forever, but sometimes she grew jealous of Lily’s name, a name that escaped Isaac’s lips sometimes.
“What do you want me to do?” she pressed on, moving closer to him.
Isaac still had this habit of sleeping with her, except she was no longer a harlot. She was a free woman with the choice of sleeping with a man she loved. Every time he was close to her, she felt the love.
Isaac pulled her close to him and embraced her tightly, whispering something into her ear. She nodded and smiled, happy to do it for him.
Isaac let her go, still giving her that warm, loving smile. He was smiling for other reasons. Anna was willing to die for him, he saw to that. Then he could have Isla Morgan and every Blackwell estate there was.
*
Gabriel had told her to buy something new to wear, so she could change out of her old clothes. The village wasn’t a large one, but it had decent clothing shops. Isla had bought inner and outerwear in less than ten minutes.
“You stoppin’ by with your husband?” the elderly shop owner asked her.
Isla didn’t bother to correct the lady. She just nodded.
“You two make a beautiful couple, don’t you?” the woman sighed.
Isla smiled and thanked her. Gabriel had given her a thick wad of cash, and he probably didn’t even bother to count how much he gave her. She quietly slipped the remainder of the money back into his hand later on as he sat in the corner of the Headstall Pub.
“You didn’t buy more clothes?”
“Is that your way of saying I look nice? I just needed emergency gear,” she said with a grin, “not a whole new wardrobe. Besides, whatever happened to inconspicuous?”
He smiled. “Right.” He looked at his watch. “We have to go, got a long drive ahead of us.”
“Should I drive?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’ll drive. You can sleep on the way.”
“I don’t think I can, not with this whole thing going on.”
“You can pretend to sleep,” he told her with a smile.
They made their way to Gabriel’s vintage car, with Isla slipping into the passenger side. “Does it really hurt?” she began, “even if this silver has been buried for so long?”
“You saw how I reacted to it,” he said as he turned on the engine.
“Well, what if we just throw this red diamond away?”
“Then others will find it, and they will abuse it.”
“What if you find someone who won’t?” she said.
“Aside from myself and maybe William, who is long gone? There is no one. The nightwalkers have been lucky that all of the pieces from that stone went to proper owners. If not, the remaining Hunters would have gathered, or those who were supposed to be dormant will awaken. It’ll be the death of all of us. Isaac nearly did that.”
“Will I awaken?” she asked as he began to drive away from the village.
He shook his head. “Highly unlikely. The nightwalkers are nearly as old as the Hunters, and they’ve all been male. If you did become a Hunter, I think I’d be dead by now. Hunters will stop at nothing. I am glad you aren’t a guy,” he joked.
She found herself smiling at this. “Why can’t you ask for help from other kinder nightwalkers?”
He turned up on the main road, converging with other cars. “We don’t mess with other nightwalkers’ lives, unless they threaten our very existence. The others treat this as a family feud of sorts, but they know better. I think they’re just waiting for one of us to kill the other. This is beyond mending. I should know, after so many years of conflict.”
“There’s always a way…”
“Blood is thicker than water, but we both like our blood. And hatred is thicker than any other bond I know of. It multiplies and kills you inside. Make no mistake, I dislike my brother heavily, but I have never hated him. I do know he hates me, hates me for everything. The mere fact that I’m alive is already a reason for hatred.”
“Will he hate me too?”
“No. I know he’s already obsessed with having you. He’s so hung over the past, and he believes it’s what will make him live through his present and future.”
Isla sighed, knowing her life would never be the same. How would it be after all of this? “What if you just turn me?”
“What?” he said, aghast, glaring at her for a moment before looking back at the road ahead. He passed through a small road that snaked beside a river.
“My life’s already changed anyway, just by meeting you.”
“Out of the question.”
“Why?”
“This is your life we’re talking about. Things will change greatly for you. You’ll be unable to do things, like have children. You could also die, not everyone can take the strain of turning into a nightwalker…” Lily had wanted children, even when she knew that was impossible.
“I don’t want children, and it’s a risk I’m willing to take,” she told him, looking sideways. They sped past rows of trees, with snow falling already, slowly blanketing the landscape into white. “I don’t know you well, Gabriel, but I think it’s safe to say I’d want to be with you. If forever is even possible as a human.”
“That’s why you want to be turned?” he murmured.
“I’ve already lost people I love. I don’t want to lose you,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant about it.
He heard the sincerity in her voice and was touched by it. He had wanted to say something when Isla gasped and his eyes widened as he saw who was in the middle of the road. He held onto the steering wheel, gripping it tightly as the car spun wildly out of control.
“Gab--!” She choked out a scream as the car skidded for an embankment, flipping upside down as soon as it reached the bottom.
A quarter of the car was in cold water already as Gabriel shook himself out of vertigo. Wildly, he looked around and saw Isla knocked unconscious by the impact. In broad daylight, Anna had shown herself. Did she not burn? Had she gotten a hold of another red diamond before Isaac did?
“Isla.” He reached out for her, unbuckling the seatbelt. Then he saw shoes at Isla’s window’s side. No. No.
In less than a second, Anna had grabbed the passenger door, and with a grunt, she opened it, quickly reaching out to stab Gabriel’s shoulder with a silver blade. He shouted in pain.
“Isla!” he cried out, reeling from the wound.
Anna left the dagger there and then she calmly grabbed Isla away, dragging her body on the snowy ground.
Gabriel could smell something sulphur-like emanating from her skin. The sunlight was burning her slowly, even if it was a cloudy and snowy day. She had taken care to wrap herself up, but he knew it was no use. The sun was hurting her, and he knew this was Isaac’s doing.
“Anna,” he began, “Anna, listen. I can help you.”
She stopped dragging Isla for a moment. “I don’t need your help,” she told him coldly.
She could smell blood dripping from Isla’s wounds. She began to salivate, but she pushed the thought away. She needed this pitiful human alive.
“He’s just using you. Like he did to all the others.”
“No, they failed him,” Anna retorted, “I’m still here and I’m loved by him, and you, you know nothing about love. Not the way you treated your own family, not the way you treated Lily.”
Gabriel reached out for Isla but his whole chest burned from the stab. “Don’t do this…you don’t understand!”
“I don’t, but I’m sure Isaac does,” she told him as she heaved Isla further away from the car.
Gabriel saw Isla lying unconscious on the cold ground, a small trickle of blood came from her temple. He forced himself to try to get out of the car, seeing Anna return for him.
“Isaac told me not to kill you, even if I really want to. You caused him so much sufferin’ and he’s been hurtin’ ever since you killed his father,” she told him. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy being stuck in the water until winter’s over, yes?”
Then without another word, she began to push the car towards the river, watching his eyes slowly widen into panic. The car’s metallurgy creaked as Anna gave it one last mighty heave. The car tumbled completely into the river with Gabriel inside it. She watched for a few seconds as the car began to sink, then she gave a satisfied nod and turned to leave quickly, as she calmly slung Isla over her shoulder.
CHAPTER 12
Gabriel’s eyes wildly looked around, still feeling the excruciating pain from his shoulder and the water that rushed into the car. He reached out for the driver’s window and tried to smash it with his left elbow. He closed his eyes, feeling the blade move, burying itself deeper into his skin.
