by Tanja Neise
“Very good.” Robert elegantly stood up and held out his hand, which I grabbed immediately, letting him help me up out of the deep, upholstered furniture.
“She’s fully refuelled and has a sleeping area. The pilots are human, so you won’t be disturbed. The flight is two hours. That ought to be enough.” Shazar's voice quivered slightly, as he wore a faint smile on his lips.
Robert sheepishly cleared his throat and looked at me for a moment. Only then did I realise what the two of them had been talking about. We had a ‘timeslot’ of two hours above the clouds, to perform the ritual. I instantly felt my cheeks, which were burning bright red once again. A disadvantage, which as a redhead, I had already cursed many a time.
Robert squeezed my hand and pulled me behind him. He stopped and stood still in the main hall and addressed the remaining vampires. “Olivia and I are going to take off, so that we can assist Dark as soon as possible. I’ll expect to see you in Louisville.”
They saw us off with cheers and hoots. It must be a man's thing – cries of war perhaps, or something like that. Robert hurriedly pulled me through the narrow door at the hangar’s side exit. Outside, the afternoon sun struck me. In delight, I lifted my head for a moment and basked in the warmth. I almost could’ve forgotten all the dreadful things that had happened since Robert had saved me from those other women taunting me in the Centrodynamics car park. Almost.
The lavish private jet stood a few metres away, waiting for us. I courageously followed Robert to the steps, but halfway up he stopped and turned around to face me.
“Liv...” I looked at him, expectantly. He, who was actually never shy with words, was now, nevertheless, quite obviously having to struggle to find the right words. That gave me a kick in my diaphragm, which began to flinch treacherously. “You decide what happens in there. I can wait.”
I looked confidently into the gentle eyes of the man who had taken my heart by storm, and nodded. “I know.”
His laughter sounded deep and auspicious. “Then everything’s good.”
And so it was. It was good, the way it was all going, and what was supposed to happen would happen. I knew what I wanted and I’d never been a patient person. So why wait? We had time, a whole two hours. We had each other and we had a completely private room that was made for us.
“I love you, Liv!” He held my gaze captive as he raised my hand to his mouth and kissed each of my fingers individually. Only then did he turn around and want to hurry up the steps, but I held him back. He looked at me, astonished.
“I love you too, Robert,” I whispered.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Had he doubted it again? We both seriously needed to work on these constant doubts, or ideally, get rid of them altogether!
Without another word we rushed up the stairs and immediately found the sleeping cabin. The flight attendant stared after us with her mouth open, but the last thing I saw of her was an understanding smile on her face. Then Robert locked the door behind us, locking everything else around us out, too.
Robert Tensington / Raphael
Olivia looked at me with wide eyes and leaned against the upholstered cabin door. I had never seen a more beautiful creature in my whole life. She painted a mesmerising picture. The blue of the interior paired with the colour of her hair was a true explosion before my eyes. Her red hair blazed around her and her green eyes sparkled with joy as she bit into her lip. This simple gesture turned me on more than I could handle. More than I’d hoped. She was everything I wanted and needed to be happy.
Groaning, I thrust myself at her mouth, conquered, caressed and captured it. Liv granted me this conquest wholeheartedly, and returned my demanding kiss with a fire that delighted me, intoxicated me, and made me feel as if I’d just been elected emperor of this earth. Her body seemed to be on fire and radiated a heat that threatened to scorch me, but I nestled in to her as if I were a man close to freezing to death. Greedy to get even more from her.
With my lips, I slowly made my way over to her ear and whispered: “Remember, you decide. Just give me the word and I'll stop immediately.”
Liv shook her head firmly, which relieved me enormously. One of her curls swept along my cheek and tickled me. “I want you, Robert. In every conceivable way.”
Her words penetrated my soul and took possession of me. I held her close to me for a moment, before I lifted her up and carried her, ceremoniously, to the bed. I very carefully laid her down on the sheet. She was so tender, I continuously felt the need to protect her, even from myself and my desire for her.
Our lips met again; hers tasted of vanilla and apricots, just as the scent that she so generously emitted promised. The soft moan that escaped her mouth was enticing, and I yearned to hear more of those sweet little noises from her.
Her fingers dug into my shoulders, as I first explored her neck and then the edge of her breasts with my tongue. Demandingly, she bent against me and I was barely able to remain faithful to my intentions of taking it slowly.
The skin-tight top and matching trousers she was wearing had already been turning me on for the last few hours. But now, here in this cabin, isolated from the world, the provocative clothes only bothered me. It was something that stood in our way, which I absolutely had to remove. I wanted to touch and taste every square inch of her silky white skin. Even the tiniest shred of material would be more than a hindrance. Vigorously, I pushed her shirt up, stroked her stomach with my fingers and elicited another of those wonderful, soft noises from her. I continued pushing the fabric up until I discovered the edge of her bra. With my lips, I explored the path my fingers had taken, licked the velvety skin that radiated an immense heat, and enjoyed every single second I spent in her arms.
Carefully, I bit into one of her nipples, which were teasingly visible through the white lace of her bra, which was covering her breasts. Olivia cried out and arched her back. Her pelvis touched my lower body and whipped my desire into a tornado of lust. In one smooth movement, I roughly snatched at her top and tore it off over her head. I immediately grasped at my own shirt, too, and did the same, before letting my eyes wander over her body. She watched every movement of my face, as if she wasn't sure what effect she had on me. The sight of Olivia in her tight bra and her seductive grin awakened in me the unstoppable urge to make her my partner. I paused for a moment, because the intensity of it was so powerful that my hands were beginning to tremble. Yes, she was mine. Whether we performed the ritual or not, nothing and nobody would be able to separate me from this woman.
Olivia Morgan / Margaret Rumsfield
Robert's upper body shone in the subtle light that diffusely fell on him. He looked as if he was made of marble. He was so magnificent, he rendered me speechless. We’d made love to each other before, but today it was something very special – that was clear to both of us. My heart was beating like crazy, and at the same time I was gripped by a languid heaviness. I didn't want to wait any longer; my desire drove me to reach for my waistband and pull the garment down a little. Robert immediately stood up, which left a void in me. But he simply wanted to reach for the fabric and was now pulling it down on my legs. I now lay in front of him in just my knickers and bra.
His eyes wandered down my body. I almost felt his eyes caressing my skin, but my unfulfilled desire for his touch reminded me that it wasn’t real. I wanted him, on me, and most of all, in me. My body wanted him, my mind, everything about me wanted to carry out this ritual with Robert. I was being driven by an inner restlessness. Then my body took the lead.
I straightened up, pushed my bottom a little further back and began fumbling with the belt of his trousers. Damn it; how did this thing even open? Amused, he smiled down at me, but he didn't help me, which I wouldn't have wanted anyway. No, it was my turn, and undoing his belt was part of it.
The buckle finally unclasped and I began undoing the buttons. One by one – and I looked him in the eye the whole time. Robert had stopped laughing, and was nervously licking his chapped lips. Once I’d undone all the buttons
, I pulled his trousers down until they slackened in the hollows of his knees. From my position, I couldn’t ensure that he would soon be standing completely naked in front of me. But I didn't have to get up, because Robert kicked his trousers off his legs.
His boxer shorts had an impressive bulge that magically drew my fingers towards it. It was rock hard beneath my hand, with a slight pulsation that matched the rhythm in my abdomen. A tremor oozed through my body. I slowly let myself sink back into the pillow and impatiently began to pull down my knickers. I didn't want to wait another second. I wanted him – right now. His amused snorting and the following grip on his boxer shorts clearly showed that he wasn't exactly a master of patience right now, either.
When he knelt on the bed, naked, he looked so wonderful, so vigorous and so possessive as he looked down on me. It didn't scare me; on the contrary, it boosted my desire. Carefully, he pulled the triangular shapes of my bra to the side, so that my breasts were exposed and he could then lightly blow over my nipples, which immediately became painfully erect with pleasure. No sooner had he straightened up again, than I was opening my legs for him, inch by inch. His lustful gaze remained fixed on my face. I had to somehow manage to unhinge his self-control.
“Come here,” I breathed, and smiled boldly at him.
“Oh Baby, you're not making it easy for me,” he moaned, as he thrust his head back and looked up at the ceiling for a moment.
I tenderly reached for his hand and pulled him down towards me, for I had no intention of waiting. Hopefully we’d still have plenty of opportunities to do it slowly and seductively, but not today. Now, there was no more stopping us, no more doubt between us. We kissed as if there was no tomorrow. His fingers skimmed greedily over my body as I explored his velvety skin. Robert pampered and pleasured me until I was about to climax, but then he paused, looked deep into my eyes, and penetrated me powerfully. Yes, that was exactly how I’d wanted him and it was even better than what I’d imagined. I curved my body towards him, ecstatically, but he kept me at bay, with his hips, which hovered a few centimetres above the sheet. We poised ourselves, savouring each other.
I knew that the magical moment had now come; I knew it deep inside me. It was as if the vampiric genes that I’d once been administered had come to life, for it was not just a knowledge, it was a desire, a fundamental need that drove me to move my head to the side and offer my neck to him. Anticipation flooded my body, which was about to explode into a phenomenal orgasm.
With a growl, Robert bit into his wrist. His other hand affectionately stroked through my hair as he held out his slightly bleeding wrist to me. I didn't hesitate for a second, grabbed it and began sucking. It was different from what I’d expected – far better. I wasn’t in the least disgusted. His blood tasted like liquid dark chocolate warmly burning down my throat. I couldn't stop; I wanted more. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him bend down towards me. I felt tender kisses on my neck, his fangs gently scratched my skin, but then he finally bit me. It only hurt for a moment, but I was able to overlook the pain when Robert began to suck, as an orgasm swept over me and made me forget everything around us. When Robert reached his climax shortly afterwards, I knew that he felt what I was feeling. I felt him in every fibre of my body. We had become one. The ritual was complete and, from now on, we were inextricably bound.
Anne Rumsfield
With my eyes, I tried to signal to Sally that she should just back down. I thought she was going to continue opposing the command for obedience, but suddenly she said, quietly, “Yes, we have.” She lowered her gaze in submission and I breathed out, relieved.
“Good!” The soldier's fingers bore roughly into Sally's upper arm as he pulled her in my direction. “She’s yours until the day after tomorrow. Have fun with the stubborn beast.”
“Thank you.” I accepted Sally in the way I’d learned to during my military training, grabbing her arm and pushing her in the direction of the first airlock. As we walked through the door and it closed behind us, we were alone. Sally made an immediate attempt to turn around and talk to me. But I didn't know who was watching us or maybe even listening to us while we were in that space. So I gripped her arm tightly, and said very firmly: “No antics, 23. If I want to talk with you, we'll talk, but for now I don't want to. So shut up.” Sally turned stiff and lowered her gaze. She had understood and would play along. Clever girl.
Finally, the gate on the opposite side opened and spat us out. I immediately pushed my prisoner on and up into the stairwell. When we reached the top, I slowly allowed myself to relax a little. Now all we had to do was get past the doorman, as I secretly called the soldier at the main gate. That ought to be easy. And in fact, the guy met us with a grin. “As I see, you found what you were looking for. Very nice.” His gaze flitted lewdly down Sally's body. “I like that one, too. Perhaps I'll come back for her. What's her number?”
I could hardly swallow the lump in my throat. I was so disgusted by the way we were talking about a human being here, as if she were just a product – a commodity to be passed on.
Sally reacted, thank God, because I didn't know whether I could’ve hidden my vampire teeth from the soldier on guard. “I’m Number 23. Don't forget.”
Astonished, the man raised his eyebrows and then said with a cold look and ice in his voice: “Absolutely not. But believe me, when I'm done with you, you'll wish I'd forgotten.”
Sally remained cool. “We'll see about that.”
When he looked at me, I could see the determination he felt at that moment in his face. “When’s she coming back?”
“The day after tomorrow,” I replied, grabbing my nose as if it were itching so that he wouldn’t notice the anomaly of my teeth.
“Well, then get ready, 23!” With these words, he activated the airlock and we entered the room – a room that would have seen many incidents of claustrophobia.
We had to wait again. Always one step closer to freedom. Again, we kept up the façade so as not to give ourselves away. If the gate opened onto the street, we would have almost reached our destination.
We waited, our hearts pounding. The time dragged on and on, and when the door was opened, I dug my fingers into Sally's arm. Only when she groaned slightly did I notice what I was doing and let go quickly.
We took a brisk step forward. I steered my would-be prisoner in the direction I’d come from. Closer and closer to the forest where our little encampment was. The encampment to which Dark would hopefully soon return with the sons of the woman who had so unquestioningly handed herself over to me.
We turned into a dark alleyway at the end of which there was a wall – one which we’d easily be able to climb over. And then we’d have to walk, a fair distance. We could manage that. At least, I thought so, until I spotted the outline of a man at the end of the alley, in front of the wall.
Robert Tensington / Raphael
Happiness in its purest form flowed through me. It was as if light was pulsing through my veins. A vibrant light of joy. I held Olivia a little tighter in my arms. Of course, I’d already heard a lot about lovers who had performed the ritual – contrary to popular opinion, it was quite rare – but feeling it for myself was a different matter altogether.
Wonderstruck, I gazed at the woman who was now mine for eternity. Her face shone with joy – she felt it, too. Her green eyes shone at me as if they wanted to show me the way. The way to her lips – swollen from all the kissing – which turned into a smile.
“Robert, this is...” She was lost for words.
I briefly put my forehead to hers and closed my eyes. I wished for this moment to last as long as possible, and didn’t want anybody to pull us out of our cocoon. “I know,” I whispered. I was almost afraid that any word spoken out loud would destroy the magic.
I love you! Olivia's voice rushed through my head. I looked at her, amazed. It was the first time I’d heard her in this way. Thus far, our connection had only allowed a one-way form of communication on a telepathic level. Only Olivia
had been able to hear my thoughts, solely, however, when I was emotionally tense.
She smiled, confident that she’d succeeded: “It works, doesn't it?”
“Yes, definitely!” I had to smile, too. I love you! I tried expressing my happiness in a train of thought.
Instantly, she was gasping for air. “Oh Robert, that's insane!” Euphoric, she sat up, naked in the ruffled sheets. Her dishevelled hair blazed around her face, which glowed with excitement. She was so beautiful it hurt. If I hadn’t already been in love with her, I would have given my heart to her by now. My fierce little witch.
“Hey, that's not nice!” She playfully punched my chest.
“What's not nice?”
“Well, first you seduce me and make me submissive to you, and then you call me a witch.” She chuckled as she looked at me.
She’d actually heard it. From now on I had to be more careful about how much of my mind I was opening to her. It probably required practice. Olivia, on the other hand, seemed to be a natural, because apart from the one sentence, I hadn't heard anything else yet. The situation was bizarre and our mood was exuberant. Again and again, we kept sending each other silly little messages to test our bond.
My heart was overflowing with love, and the light that flowed through my veins remained. Never in my truly long life had I felt better than this. Never more grounded and simultaneously closer to the clouds. And I was happy. Olivia Morgan, or Margaret Rumsfield for that matter, was all I wished for in my life, without ever having known that I’d needed her.
“Will it always be like this?” Liv asked, quietly, and buried her face in my chest. Her little teeth nibbled on me, provocatively. I was immediately turned on again and wanted her, which she noticed and confirmed as such with a triumphant laugh, the naughty little vamp.
“As long as we’re happy, yes, but there’ll be other moments. If we’re unhappy, distraught or angry, the light in our veins will be more like a murky stream.” I waited a moment to see if she wanted to say anything, but she remained silent. “I’ll even bear that with stoic calm,” I joked.
