The Pentagram Child: Part 1 (Afterlife Saga Book 5)

by Stephanie Hudson

  This was when everything became as clear as the morning sky overhead and it took me a while to bravely find my voice.

  “This isn’t another one of my dreams, is it?” On reflection I could have just said ‘I’m not dreaming am I?’ instead of alerting him to the fact that I obviously dreamt about him often.

  “By the Gods I hope not.” He replied in earnest and my breath caught as my fingers twitched against his skin. We were still connected in a loving embrace and it looked as though neither of us wanted to change that anytime soon. I shamefully took the time to bask in the glory of it and absorb all the sensations I possibly could before my personal Heaven was ripped away from me as it usually was. I knew it was wrong and so did Draven if the pained expression on his face was anything to go by. However his arm still remained around my body like a vice and his fingers were still embedded in my hair, if a little less forcefully but no less possessively than before.

  It was as though we were both scared to move, bringing with it the end of the first connection we had felt in so, so very long. In the end it was my body that ruined the moment and growled angrily at me to feed it. Draven’s eyes widened at the noise and I felt the heat of embarrassment show on my skin. Then he leant closer to me and for a wonderful moment I thought he was going to kiss me.

  “Is there a bear on the roof?” He said after comically looking off to the sides. I laughed and then brought my arm around to slap him playfully on the chest. He smirked down at me and I rolled my eyes at him making him throw his head back and laugh. I can’t lie and say it was the worst way to wake up in the morning but it painfully took me back to those perfect days when this would never have been awkward. Back to the days when he would have simply pushed me firmly to my back and woken me with his hands worshipping every inch of my body, getting me ready to take him. The thought was sobering enough for me to push out of his hold and for a moment it felt like he didn’t want to let me.

  I sat up and stretched out my arms, no doubt looking like I was trying to direct traffic. I looked down half way through when I heard a chuckle and saw Draven had turned to lay fully on his back and put his hands casually behind his head. The sight made my mouth dry and it felt like a bucket of hot sand had been poured down my throat. Jesus, but could this man get any hotter?

  The sight of his biceps bulging from this new position made it look as though he had been injected with rock. The material strained around them and it was only after minutes of staring at him silently did I realise he had finished his chuckling long ago. My eyes shot to his and once again I found the purple fire licking at the edges of his irises.

  “For your best interest, I strongly suggest you don’t look at me that way again, Keira.” Draven almost growled at me and this shook me enough to do a double take.

  “Uh…Sorry?” I whispered as his perfection had once again stolen enough of my breath to speak normally. He bolted upright so quickly I gasped as he grabbed onto my arms and pulled me roughly to him.

  “Let me make it even clearer for you, my little beauty… my restraint around you hangs by a single thread but giving me those ‘make love to me’ eyes of yours, well let’s just say that acts as a knife’s edge held to that thread…do you get me?” He said frowning down at me and looked both seriously frustrated and utterly turned on. I looked down before I could stop myself and saw the unmistakable bulge painfully tight, locked underneath the denim and running down his thigh. Christ, but was he always that huge!?

  “Eh…I…yeah I…”

  “Yeah, you get me now, sweetheart” He said after seeing where my gaze landed. He suddenly got up from the floor bed and I was left still searching my blank and useless mind for some words when he said my name,

  “Keira”

  “Yes?” I replied softly and turned to find his outstretched hand waiting for me.

  “Let me feed you.” He ordered and nodded back down to his hand making me hesitate no longer before taking it. He hauled me up and then had to steady me with his hand at my waist due to his strength that made me fall into him. Was that on purpose? I pulled back and then said,

  “Alright hunter man, feed me,” in a teasing tone. He laughed once and then replied with a sweet…

  “With pleasure, my little blonde bear.”

  Chapter 11

  Broken Time Shattered

  The rest of the day continued on in some kind of euphoric blur that only broke when someone would need me to scan a book or do a search on the computer screen in front of me. I would have liked to have blamed it on the late night but that would have been the biggest load of BS to enter my mind this year! No, it was all down to one man and shamefully I wasn’t talking about my current boyfriend.

  I felt so conflicted but more than anything else, just downright confused. I knew better than most the painful reality that Draven and I could never be together again, not in that way. But that didn’t mean that the love you hold on to just disappears with the first sight of clarity. And evidently it also didn’t mean that you stopped obsessing about them at your place of work, after waking up to find their arms around you!

  I shook my head and tried in vain to concentrate on anything other than a particular someone with the initials double D. In theory this was a good plan, however in actual Keira lifetime drama, not so much. Well this was what you get for thinking your life boring for the last ten months, dumb ass! I thought scolding myself and banging my head on top of a stack of books.

  “You know, I don’t think that’s part of your job description.” On hearing that particular voice I think I actually groaned ‘why me’ into the books I had attractively face planted.

  “Unless of course it helps to get the job done,” he added with a barely contained chuckle at my expense. Not that I minded of course, as it was worth making a fool of myself just to hear that deep and attractive sound vibrating from that muscle bound chest.

  “Uh…what are you doing h…?” My question ended as the pile of books I had been using to hide my shame crashed to the floor, echoing around the large space. Of course causing a loud ruckus in a silent and crowded Library wasn’t exactly the best way of hiding anything, let alone my shame…which also brought lots of notice to the living God that was now stood before me.

  Every eye in the building had now turned to witness Draven grinning down at me as I fumbled around holding onto the few books I had caught, with my legs bent at a funny angle.

  “Need help with that?” He asked biting his bottom lip again to hold in his laughter. Damn him but he was right, doing that just made you zone right in on a person’s lips. I think it was about time I tried to break that bad habit of mine, because it was downright distracting. But then to be honest, this was Draven after all. I mean if the man had been doing something creepy and cheesy like flipping over a cocktail stick with his tongue then it would have been drool worthy!

  “No, no, I’m good,” I mumbled quickly dumping them on the reception counter before bending over to pick up the rest. I could only hope that the blood rushing to my cheeks had moved on by the time I looked back up at Draven.

  “You alright down there?” Draven asked and was clearly enjoying himself if the amusement in his voice was anything to go by. I was taking my time trying to calm myself and regain some cool composure for when I faced him again. ‘You can do this’ I mouthed the words on bent knees before taking a deep breath, feeling somewhat better…well, that was until I stood up again and banged my head on the lip of the counter!

  “Oww!” I moaned, holding the top of my head with one hand and taking an unsteady step backwards.

  “Whoa there, easy now.” Draven said as he was suddenly on my side of reception and pulling my hands down so he could take over my care. What had he done, vaulted over the counter in front of everyone?!

  “And you call me smooth…” He laughed softly as he tilted up my head to get a better look at my forehead.

  “…Are you feeling faint?” I shook my head as much as his hold would let me and then said
,

  “I’m fine, just the usual case of the clumsy Keira syndrome.”

  “Is it weird to say I kind of miss your clumsiness?” He asked making me laugh nervously.

  “A bit, yeah…why I have no clue though.” This turned out to be a bad thing to say if my sanity was anything to go by. He leaned down to my ear and once again gave me his hypnotic velvet voice.

  “Having a clumsy Keira, means I get to catch you and be your saviour.”

  “Draven I…we…?” He pulled back on hearing the desperate confusion in my voice and quickly interrupted me.

  “Not here, but later, we can talk then and I …”

  “Keira, what do you think you’re doing?!” I groaned out loud as I turned to my new boss and all round ball buster of the highest form, and that was saying something considering he had balls himself! Ok, so they might have resembled hazelnuts but still, the guy could be scary when he wanted to be. Oh, and it just so happened that he hated me.

  I pulled away from Draven and turned to face what I thought resembled an angry English bulldog. It was the lack of an actual neck and his baggy cheeks that seemed to glow as though someone had gone apeshit crazy with a brush full of blusher. But to be honest, that wasn’t exactly fair on all those cute dogs out there.

  “Er…Mr Coc…Cox.” I said nearly slipping up with what most people actually called him. Although I was trying to get people on board with an epic rename to Jaba. It was after seeing him eating in the cafeteria once and man alive but that tongue of his had a disgusting mind of its own!

  “This doesn’t look like work, Missy” I wasn’t sure if Draven could feel the revulsion coming off me in waves but I am sure my shudder wasn’t hard to miss.

  “I am sorry Sir, it won’t happen again and…” I started to say and felt Draven turn solid next to me which I didn’t take as a good sign. We might not still be together but I think it was safe to say that with all the evidence displayed last night that Draven still felt protective over me.

  “Yes and see that it doesn’t! And what is this…person doing behind your station…um?” He said as he motioned his hand up and down at Draven like the man next to me was riff raff and I think I came close to swallowing my own tongue. It was a definite ‘Oh shit’ moment.

  “Mr Cox this is…”

  “Mr Draven, and this college’s benefactor.” Draven said in a commanding voice that clearly wasn’t down with me being spoken to like that. He also came forward and positioned himself slightly in front of me, which I had to admit, I really liked. But what I liked way more was looking back at Mr Cox aka, Jaba flappy tongue, and finding his face almost turning purple in the face of what was the biggest screw up of the day. I would say of the year but hey, the man screwed up a lot!

  “Mr Dra…Draven, Sir, but of course I know who you are, I just…I didn’t expect to see you here conversing with our lowest member of staff, please let me help…”

  “What did you say?!” Draven snapped losing his cool pretty damn quickly at his direct insult. The difference of course was that one, I was used to it and two, I couldn’t snap the guy’s neck with just a thought…although I had to wonder if even Draven would strain a little at the thickness of that thing? It’s not like you could get your hands around it.

  I decided to defuse the situation by stepping around Draven and in what I hoped was a calming influence, placed my hand on his stomach to also hold him back in case it didn’t work.

  “Mr Draven here had just requested a tour before helping me with some books that had accidently fallen.”

  “Ah, well…” He huffed before adding,

  “I would be more than happy to show you around Mr Draven, as I am sure you would want someone more experienced in the field and higher up in the ranks… and being as I am the library director, I would be more than happy to…”

  “I think not.” Draven retorted barely holding himself in check and I knew this because I could feel his stomach muscles tighten further where I still had my hand on him.

  “Keira here is more than proficient enough to show me around. However, I will make the point that you are currently keeping me from my business and I am an extremely busy man. So needless to say I don’t appreciate delays in any way, shape or… form.” Draven stated in that toe curling dominant tone of his and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the distasteful look he gave my boss when saying the words ‘shape’ and ‘form’, clearly finding him as repulsive as we all did.

  “Are we clear?” Draven added and I suddenly wanted to kiss his feet for turning Jaba baggy cheeks into a spluttering mess who couldn’t form his apology quickly enough.

  “Yes, but of course, please forgive me, Mr Draven I…”

  “You are still keeping me from conducting my business.” Draven interrupted and then simply turned his back to him to face me.

  “Shall we?” He said softly and obviously reserving his gentlemanly ways just for me. I had the biggest impulse to pop my head round Draven and stick my tongue out at him, but I doubt that would have been considered as professional enough for our little business ruse we had going on. So instead I went with a beaming smile and said,

  “Yes of course Mr Draven, if you would like to follow me this way we can now begin.” I tried to hide my smirk, I ready did…ok, who am I kidding, I didn’t hide it, not even close and Draven’s bad boy grin came out to play when he saw it. I did at least manage to wait until we rounded the corner and out of sight before I almost launched myself at Draven in gratitude.

  I turned and playfully grabbed at his jacket before jumping up and down a few times in my utter glee.

  “Oh you are good! That was brilliant, just bloody brilliant! God but you are like a freakin Jedi Knight at intimidation!” I decided to stick with my Star Wars analogies making him beam down at me.

  “I thought he was going to pee himself! And he was so rude but you just swooped right in there and wham, you put him in his place! Oh the girls are gonna love this well I tell em.” I carried on like this barely being able to keep still in my excitement. The guy was a nightmare to everyone, not just me and at any opportunity to make someone cry he did more than just take it, he enjoyed it!

  “Keira, please calm and have some pity.” Draven said in an almost pained way and all of a sudden I felt bad. I didn’t want Draven to think I had become a bitch or anything, so I quickly spun on my heel back to face him.

  “Oh, no, no…see, you’re getting this all wrong, I’m not being a bitch…well maybe just a little but that guy is horrible to us all, there was this one time when Jessica’s Nan got ill and she needed to leave but he…” I started talking so fast that I barely noticed the soft smile he gave me before placing both his hands intimately on either side of my face. He bent his knees and levelled his eyes with mine. This action shut me up pretty damn quick as I soon got lost in his beautiful deep eyes.

  “I didn’t mean pity for the vile creature, Keira I meant pity for me.” He said gently making my jaw go slack.

  “Uhh…Okaaay… what do you mean?” I asked thinking I was missing something here. He laughed once and then shook his head as if trying to find the strength for something.

  “If I took my clothes off right now, would it be difficult for you to turn away, given our attraction to each other.” He said and if I thought my jaw went slack before then now it was about to hit the floor! Did he really just say that?

  My eyes travelled the length of him and now all I could imagine was peeling off his long sleeved dark red T-shirt, flicking open that heavy belt buckle and popping open those dark denim jeans to reveal what I knew he was packing down there. But wait a minute…why did he always seem to be wearing long sleeves lately?

  “I will take that heated look in your eyes as a yes.” He all but growled and when my eyes shot up they found the same heat staring back at me.

  “Then you will understand when I ask you to please try and stop being so delectably cute all the time.” His voice had grown deeper, more hoarse with his obv
ious arousal.

  “Cute?” I whispered feeling my breath quicken. His eyes erupted into purple fire and I stumbled back a step. He in turn took a step towards me in a predatory manner causing me to retreat until my back hit against one of the tall aisles of book shelves we were hiding along. Then his hands came up to cage me in and gripped o to the shelf either side of my head.

  “Yeah…cute,” he said coming closer on the bloody word that had caused all this. But hold up, what was I saying? It wasn’t like I was doing something on purpose to end up in this position and as belly melting as it was I still had to find out what was really going on here. In fact, it sounded like a great plan. Only actually trying to put it into action was a little more difficult than just thinking about it. What with him looking down at me like that as though he wanted to devour every inch of me after first tasting me with that perfect mouth of his.

  “I…uh, don’t know…what are we…Draven?” I said or at least tried to say anyway. Surely I got points for that…right?

  “Keira, I…” He started, leaning down further and my heart started to run, even if it was in a race it couldn’t ever win. I felt the emotions build and tried desperately to keep them locked away but then lost the battle when I received a soft command from Draven.

  “Look at me.” I did as I was told and felt the tears coat my eyes without falling. His own eyes flashed a deeper purple as he took in my inner torment and one hand left the shelf to come to cup the side of my face. His thumb gradually started to move until it swiped across my lips causing me to suck in a shuddered breath. I closed my eyes for a second in a pointless attempt to escape the raw intensity I felt coming from him in devastating waves. Then I opened my eyes just in time to see him coming closer and I knew that this was it, this was the time I would finally feel his lips again after all this broken time.