Hearts Eclipsed: A Beautiful Nightmare Companion Novel

by L. C. Son

  “Great! Now you both are ganging up on me. I see what this is! Anyway, I just came to check on my girl!” Braelyn says over her shoulder as she charges into Damina’s suite.

  Jerrica and I both laugh, and I feel myself relax, knowing that somehow, I haven’t completely lost my friend.

  It was all worth it for this moment.

  Watching the graceful swan-like movements of Damina as she makes her way toward me on the stage seizes my heart only to remind me, she controls it all. Every jaw is dropped as her willowy motion sends the breeze of her calming and sweet fragrance throughout the hall.

  While there are beautiful works of art adorned throughout this great hall, none are fit to be her rival. There has never been a work of art more lovely or as awe-inspiring as Damina Nicaud.

  She is the pure personification of art in motion.

  Extending my hand to hers, she looks up at me with her beautifully bright eyes, fueled by a glint of the Altrinion flame, and my heart skips a beat. Per usual for my Beautiful Queen, her luscious lips part slightly as takes her first step up toward me and takes everything within me not to delight myself in the pleasure of her kiss.

  For she is indeed the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.

  “I knew you’d look ravishing in that gown!” I whisper in her ear as she mounts the stage. No worries, Beautiful, I won’t make you say anything. I just had to have you at my side.” I add.

  Damina smiles and issues a sigh of relief and looks back at the crowd and waves as if she was raised in the royal court. Once more I’m impressed by the elegance of her manner. Wrapping my hold tight at her waist, she nestles her head into me, resting there as though it were her home.

  And like any couple, our would-be bliss-filled evening is marked by highs and lows. Damina wasn’t pleased when I revealed Colin’s plan for me to wed Claudia, but knowing I am far from interested seemed to settle her impending anger.

  Dealing with the Braelyn, Mark, and Dauphine fiasco didn’t help either; neither did Jerrica for that matter. Still, Damina handled her crash-course into her newfound world like a trooper. Like Melvina always says, “she ate the meat and threw away the bones.”

  Thankfully and despite it all, I’ve found a way to salvage our evening. Now that I’ve showcased the love of my life to the supernatural community, it’s time to spend a little time away from the noise of the ball.

  Taking her hand, I lead us out to the patio. Her eyes grow wide with amazement as she sees floating glass balls of light illumine the walkway with tiki torches placed at either side of the garden. Situated in the middle of the garden gazebo a small stringed quartet plays softly as two women arrayed in white with veiled faces dance ceremoniously tossing white rose petals in the air.

  Holding her close to me, we dance slowly to the music and giddy feeling of Christmas warms over me again.

  “Damina, I love you.” After a flurry of confessions, all headlined by my endless devotion and affection for her, those precious and sacred binding words escape my lips.

  I can hardly believe it myself, but my own truth rattles my brain in an endless stream of emotion and thoughts, and they all point to Damina. She rests her head deeper in my chest and I feel her cast away the remaining weightiness of her past as though she tossed it to the far-reaching corners of the ocean.

  The glowing embers of the Altrinion force shine brightly through her and my body instantly mirrors hers as our streams of light glow as one. I can’t help but marvel at the sight of her and smile, knowing I have found what so many have longed for. True love.

  No longer does the thought of such a force as true love haunt or torment. Instead, like Damina, I’ve allowed it to become my guiding light. Our brilliance shines brighter and in an instant our lips are locked together as one. Rippling currents of electric energy pulsate through our bodies with each touch and kiss.

  Wrapping my arms tightly around her, we drift above the ground as I relish in the sweet scent of her aroma as it bedazzles me with the wonderfulness that is Damina. A foggy, steamy cloud forms at the fusion of the night’s chill and the warmth we emit and her name drips like a faucet my mouth and I realize her name is synonymous with love. Saying her name is akin to the word love itself.

  This time it’s Damina’s lips trailing the ravine of my neck and her tongues caresses my clavicle, and she inhales my scent wholly. Her body convulses in my firm grip as she thrusts herself against me and a golden iridescent mist rises over us and I am overcome in the entirety of her.

  If it weren’t for the voyeurs looming about, I’d take great pleasure in sharing the highest level of intimacy with her in the shroud of passion surrounding us. Damina’s head flings back and her mouth gapes open and my desire holds strong as I keep a firm grip around her waist. She cups her head at the nape of my neck, and she exhales, moaning ever so sweetly in my ear a butterfly-like sensation flutters through my entire being.

  In all my years I’ve never felt anything quite like this—ever. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that indeed connected at the highest level of intimacy—but with our clothes on. How is this possible? I ask myself.

  As our kiss fades, Damina slowly pulls away from me and her panic-filled expression fills my heart with dread.

  “Dal! Are you doing this?” She screams, now aware of levitating motion.

  “We are doing this. Don’t worry beautiful, this is all us,” I reply softly, cupping her chin in my hand.

  “Put me down now!” She demands.

  “Calm down, Damina. It’s okay. I’ve got you,” I reply, trying to ease her discomfort.

  “Dal! Now!” Damina yells back.

  Damina now regards me as a stranger as her flame-fueled eyes stare at me with both uncertainty and alarm. While it’s evident she fears what is happening in this moment, it’s not me she fears most.

  Chapter 21

  Jackson

  “Baby, what’s wrong? What happened? Whose phone is this?” A flustered series of questions rush through me all at once and I know I’m more than rattled. Something truly is wrong.

  “I—I need you. I want to come home, Jackson,” Damina cries.

  “Yes, baby that’s all I needed to hear,” I answer softly, slamming her bedroom door behind me. “Please, tell me where you are, and I’ll be right there. Just please promise me you’re not hurt.” The mere thought kindles a fire stirring deep within me.

  “No, I’m not hurt—at least not how you think. I just need you, Jackson—everything is just so messed up! I need you!” Damina exclaims through her moaned cries.

  Though I still know something is actually wrong, I know better than to push the issue. The important thing is that she called me. I need to find a way to help her however I can.

  “You got it, baby. Okay, listen, everything is going to be okay—give me a minute, Gregory!” I shout over my shoulder as my hulking companion stands in the doorway of her bedroom, calling my name through the cracked door.

  “Jackson, you’re gonna wanna see this!” Gregory continues.

  I put my hand up in warning and rush across her room and push the door shut.

  “Okay, Damina, sorry about that. Now, tell me where you are, and I’ll come and get you.”

  “No, Jack. I just want to come home. You don’t need to come here. Can you just arrange something for me to get back home? I don’t have my wallet with me. Pull some strings with TSA—anything?”

  “That’s fine baby. You know I’ll get you back to me safely. I’ll get Sophie and Gregory right on it. Where’s the nearest airport or train station? I can get them to make a few calls if I—”

  “Jack, dude you really need to come out here!” Gregory is back at Damina’s bedroom door, with his head pushed through the opening.

  “Gregory not now! What?” I yell back.

  “Look, Jackson, I’m trying to be helpful here, but I can just
go!” Kyra snaps, forcing the door open past Gregory before turning back to the living room.

  “Kyra, you’re gonna have to wait just a moment, please! Can you all give me a moment?” I shout at Gregory, Brandon and Kyra. Kyra rolls her eyes and heads toward the front door. “I’m on a call. Gregory, go see what she wants so I can finish with Damina please!” I demand.

  “All right, baby, where were we?” I question. The phone is silent, and I barely hear Damina breathing in the background and fear strikes my soul once again.

  “Finished. We are finished, Jackson!” Damina declares.

  “What? What are you talking about, Damina? Come on baby, tell me where you are?”

  “You just said it so lovely, Jackson. You need to finish with me, so you can get back to her. Well, don’t let me stop you! I don’t know why I thought anything had changed. But no worries, you can have all the time you need with Kyra, Mr. Nash! We are finished. More than you know!” Damina screams and the sound of the phone crashing against something rings aloud in my ear.

  “DAMINA!” I yell to unyielding ears and the call ends with only Damina’s screams echoed in the distance.

  Crap!

  I knew having Kyra here would only make matters worse.

  Gregory charges back in the room only to find me in the same desolate state as that of my wedding’s eve. My body grows cold and blood leaves my face as the haunting images of Damina in her anger flash through my mind. I redial the number she called from and it just rings and goes to an auto voicemail.

  Once again, I have authored her pain and I fear the dreaded pages turning in my heartbreak’s story.

  “Jackson, man you’ve got to get out here now—before she leaves!” Gregory shouts at me, shaking my shoulders.

  This time nothing but anger singes my rage and even my best companion looks to be my enemy.

  “I only asked you to keep Kyra away for a few minutes! A few minutes, Gregory! If I have truly lost Damina this time, I will never forgive you!” I scream, pushing Gregory up against the wall, sending a picture of Damina and me on her wall crashing to the ground. We both look down at the broken glass now at our feet and the imminence of my doom is sure and Gregory gazes back at me with a grief-stricken glare.

  “Jackson, please,” Gregory says, gently removing my hand from his collar. “Talk with Kyra,” he breathes his words as though it is his last.

  Scanning his face, I still see the same sincerity and friendship I’ve seen a thousand times.

  Back off. This is your friend, idiot!

  Loosening my grip from his neck, I rush toward Kyra and she steps back behind Brandon, keeping a wary eye on me. “Jackson,” she mutters over Brandon’s shoulder.

  “Careful Kyra! Your next breath could cost you your very life. Now tell me, what was so important?”

  “Listen, I don’t know how much time we have so I’ll be brief,” Kyra begins.

  “Be very brief.” My seething tone is less threatening than I intend. Every ounce of me wants to end Kyra.

  “You were right to be wary of Damina’s friend Allyson,” Kyra says walking around Brandon.

  “What about Allyson? Gregory told us her boyfriend was a Dunes—we already know that, Kyra.”

  “There’s more Jackson,” Gregory adds from behind me.

  “What more?”

  “She’s a Jadeite, Jackson!” Kyra exclaims, now standing right in front of me. Her expression is more genuine than it’s ever been.

  “How can you be sure?” I question, fear once again invading my presence.

  “Excuse me, what is a Jadeite?” Brandon says, staring around the room confused.

  “The Jadeites are extremist. A faction of humans loyal to the Vitreous Order, and the most dangerous of Altrinion and Altrinion vampires,” Kyra answers in a low tone, but her gaze is set on me.

  “Just how dangerous are we talking?” Brandon questions.

  “If there were Nazis of the supernatural world—it would be the Vitreous; which makes their followers even worse,” Gregory states in a calm yet somber tone.

  “That would explain a lot. How can you be certain she’s a Jadeite?” I ask.

  “Well, Merle did as you asked and had her followed which lead straight to a secret Jadeite location.”

  “Was her Dunes boyfriend with her?”

  “No, that was the strange part. We can’t find him either. My trackers went back to his regular hang outs, and no one has seen him in a few days. Even they seemed pretty worried about him.”

  “Him? I couldn't care less about him!”

  “But he’s still a wolf, Jackson! Didn’t you just say we needed to begin reengaging with the Beta Primes!”

  “Are you serious, Kyra? You think I care about the Betas right now? That is not my concern tonight!”

  “Then it very well should be! Because I’d hate for his fate to become Dacari’s—or even Damina’s!” Kyra lashes back.

  My hands are gripped at her shoulders in an instant as my wolf struggles to break loose, making me work hard to subdue his will to be free.

  “Tell me! What do you mean? What does this have to do with Dacari?”

  “Dacari has spent a lot of time with Allyson since Damina’s departure—they’ve become fast friends. And just as we arrived tonight, I thought I spotted Dacari going into Allyson’s building.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that, Kyra?” Gregory barks, his concern for Dacari’s well-being evident.

  “It doesn’t matter. Allyson’s not home; she hasn’t been for a while, so I’m sure Dacari will be fine,” Brandon remarks with reassurance, now postured at Gregory’s side. I try to shrug off my new discovery at Gregory’s fondness for Dacari—but I’ll come back to it when we know she’s well.

  “Well, maybe she is and maybe she isn’t. But if the Dunes disappearance and the beating Merle and my trackers took is any indication of how dangerous it is to be associated with this Allyson character; you’d do best to scurry.” Kyra’s portentous posture doesn’t go unnoticed by any of us, but we ignore her and race out of Damina’s condo toward Allyson’s building.

  “Brandon! Stay with Kyra! Don’t let her out of your sight!” I shout over my shoulder on my way out.

  “No worries, I’m not going anywhere,” Kyra answers in a low tone that still catches my ear.

  Arriving in front of Allyson’s building we see Dacari’s Jeep parked out front and we make our way to the steps when we see Dacari racing down the hall.

  She’s running but thankfully we spy no one behind her. Gregory pulls me to the side of the building near a large set of bushes and we keep out of sight as she bounces down the staircase. From the looks of it, she doesn’t seem hurt, so we keep a watchful eye on her.

  Dacari looks up and down the street and squinches her nose up before pulling her phone out of her purse. Walking toward her Jeep, she makes a call. Gregory looks at me, hunches his shoulders, unsure if we should continue our stalking. Before I have a chance to weigh in, she starts talking.

  “Damina! Where are you, chica? Look, I’ve called you a thousand times and you haven’t answered your phone yet! I surely hope you didn’t forget about your birthday promise to me. If you did, oh well! I’m sure I will have fun in New Orleans with or without you… who am I kidding? You know I only want to spend my birthday with you. Alrighty then, tell the Big Easy to duck for cover, I am on my way!”

  As Dacari jumps in her jeep and speeds off, my shooting ache burns in the center of my chest and I know exactly what I must do.

  “Gregory, make the arrangements for the company jet. We’re going to New Orleans.”

  Dalcour

  “Damina!” Calling her name outside of Bessie’s Tavern, I knew she would be here. Following the tempest of the storm trailing her was easy. Even if it weren’t, I’d surely span the entirety of the globe to find her. />
  The terrace doors swing open and Damina gazes down at me and I behold her in all her luminous glow. Despite the torrential pouring rain that I’m almost certain is her doing, I can see every inch of her perfected frame above me. The brilliant light shining through her is almost brighter than the sun and the warmth of her being calls to me like a siren.

  Damina smiles down at me and I know the fear that once held her state is now fleeting.

  “Hey beautiful! Odd weather we’re having tonight, don’t you think?” I tease, smiling hard against the rain. “I believe you owe me a dance! I told you I would have you dancing in the rain before long. And well, seeing as though you skipped out on me earlier, I suppose now is as good a time as any!”

  Damina laughs, shaking her head. I’m glad to see she’s still amused by my charms. She glances over her shoulder and I hear other voices in the background. But it’s the loud and incessant noise of a phone ringing that churns a tinge of melancholy within me. It doesn’t take a genius to know it’s probably Jackson!

  I’ve grown quite sick of the mongrel’s constant intrusion. This morning Nara emailed me all I needed to know about this would-be Prime Alpha. While it closes the loophole on the kind of wolf strong enough to cloak an Altrinion as powerful as Damina, it does little to assuage my disgust. As not only a wolf, but a prime, he had one job—to protect Damina, and he failed. Miserably.

  But it is his misery that gives me great company.

  Although, as I watched television waiting for her to awake this morning, after our crazy night at the Civility Center, I couldn’t shake the feeling I might end up like Denzel’s character in The Preacher’s Wife. Being destined to give back my heart’s one true love because it’s the right thing to do, doesn’t sit well with me.

  Thankfully, Damina doesn’t give me long to ponder my premonitions further when I see her climb onto the railing, I know she’ll be back in my arms where she belongs.

  This is no mere trust fall. She knows I will always catch her. I am not him. It doesn’t matter how many times lightning strikes the shores of our love; we will not become as tenuous as glass. I’ll never let her break. Not now or ever.