Arielle Immortal Quickening (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 4)

by Lilian Roberts

  What in the bloody hell? She felt moisture on her face and tasted the familiar salty flavor on her lips. She walked into the bedroom, shut the door behind her, and threw herself on the bed. Her mind was spinning; her body was feeling the aching need for his touch. The emotions of rejection and unfulfilled passion were overwhelming. She closed her eyes and tried desperately to recall details of her conversation with Sebastian. She was completely baffled as to what was so bloody bad, that had him so distraught?

  When she opened her eyes, the room was completely dark except for the vague light from the digital clock on the nightstand. The eerie quietness of the house was deafening. She tried to think and realized that somewhere in the midst of her thoughts, she had fallen asleep. She wasn’t sure for how long, but she knew that she needed to get herself out of bed. Suddenly, a single thought made her body stiffen. Sebastian! Where was Sebastian? She tried to listen for any noise, but there was absolute silence. Her eyes stung and her face was aching. She reached up and pressed her eyes softly with her palms and felt moisture. Oh, my God, I’ve been crying in my sleep, she thought, surprised. She wiped her eyes and pressed her hands hard against her cheeks, trying to wake up. She had to find Sebastian.

  She jumped out of bed, heart thrashing, blood racing, anxiety rising. She flipped the light switch so fast that its brightness blinded her. She reached up, and she cupped her hands over her eyes and waited for a couple of minutes. She wondered where he was and why he was so upset with her. She tried to remember if she had said something that hurt his feelings, but she was sure she hadn’t.

  She slipped on a camisole and walked into the kitchen. The house was illuminated by a gorgeous full moon that nestled right in the middle of a lucid gray sky. She took a bottle of water out of the fridge and spotted his silhouette sitting on a bench in the garden, staring out towards the ocean. She couldn’t believe that he had been out there all this time. She took a swig of water and made her way outside, stopping right in front of him. She was determined to get this issue resolved.

  “Hi…” she said softly. He raised his gaze to meet hers. He wasn’t smiling, and she could sense sadness that was spread across his beautiful face. She reached and cupped his face, locking her gaze with his.

  “What’s wrong, baby? Why are you so mad at me?” Her voice was cracking as her heart was breaking. He continued to watch her silently.

  “Sebastian, I love you; you are hurting me with your silence,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I did to make you so upset. I need for you to tell me.” She let go of his face. Taking a deep breath, she sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. He didn’t put his arms around her, he remained quiet, unmoved.

  “Please… talk to me,” she pleaded again. She heard him sigh, and his beautiful velvety voice caressed her ears.

  “Arielle, I think that you are tired of me, and I’m devastated,” he murmured. She cleared her throat, lifted his chin and leaned in. Her tongue circled his mouth, and parting his lips, she pressed in with clear hunger, passion and want. Her hands caressed the planes of his back, pulling him closer, and her kiss became hotter as her heart picked up speed.

  “I love you, Darcy,” she murmured, without breaking the kiss.

  “I need you right now.” It took but a short second, and she felt his arms encircling her and pulling her even closer. She heard him moan, and she felt his excitement, and she knew she wanted him more than she ever did before.

  “Are you sure?” His voice was completely out of breath.

  She reached to the back of her neck and unclipped the necklace, as his eyes watched closely.

  “You tell me,” she whispered, her lips curved up in a smile full of desire and her eyes filled with longing and anticipation.

  She yelped, overwhelmed by his speed. He had risen to his feet with Arielle in his arms, taking her breath away. She found herself on their bed before she could take her next breath. His eyes were intense, his gaze sweltering against her skin, and his smile a perfect conductor of heat. His arms were securely fastened around her body, and her heart was pounding in her chest like a hammer. His mouth was hot and wet, and she could taste his immortal sweet scent. He groaned as their bodies merged together, and she moaned imploringly as his body was pure stimulation. This time, she took over and made him cry out. She looked at his face, and his eyes were closed tightly as his expression showed intense satisfaction. She reached for his mouth, and his tongue tasted like honey. The climax was pure ecstasy that traveled through their bodies at supersonic velocity and created frantic ripples of scorching heat as their lips remained locked in fulfillment.

  “How could you ever think that I had a problem with this?” She chuckled, his arms still holding her tightly against his amazing body. His lips curved up to that familiar smile, and she felt complete. His next statement caught her by surprise.

  “Arielle, I’m worried that you’ll change your mind, and you’ll not marry me. I’m warning you that I’ll never let that happen. You have accepted my ring, and you have made a commitment.”

  “Seriously, Sebastian, what is going on with you tonight? Why would I ever change my mind? I love you!”

  “I’m warning you…Lizzy.” The smile never left his face.

  “If you were not smiling, I would think you were serious.” She rolled on her back and stretched, and she laughed thinking how unbelievably wild her life had turned out to be. The most astonishing-looking man jealous of her… She chuckled, pulling herself closer to his glorious body. She was unable to sleep any other way but enfolded in his arms. He held her just like he did every night before they drifted off to sleep.

  The next few days, they focused, preparing for the upcoming classes. She tried to grasp the reality of a last semester. Why did they even bother to prepare? Conceptually, they had been ready for this for the past four years.

  This was the last semester before commencement, before they received their bachelor’s degrees! How wild is that? But having the end result within their grasp was an adrenaline rush of enormous proportions.

  This last week, spending quality time with Gabby was part of their daily activities. They were delighted to see her looking better and better with each day that went by. Troy spent every possible moment he could with Gabrielle. Arielle and Sebastian spent a couple of amazing evenings with Eva, Ian, Loren, and Paul. They went out to some of their favorite restaurants for dinner, saw a couple new films, and visited their usual nightclubs. This was something they hadn’t done in a very long time. They wanted to have a little fun before they buckled down. At least I have to buckle down to get through the last semester. Not Sebastian, she thought. The gang was thrilled to be together again, but they did miss Troy and Gabby. They all agreed to wait for Gabrielle to completely heal before they dropped the bomb on her about Eva and Ian’s transformation.

  A soft kiss, a warm squeeze, and a velvety voice were her alarm clock on the first day of school. She turned to her side to face him. Her eyes met a warm deep emerald gaze, and a striking smile.

  “Good morning, sleepy face,” he greeted, pressing his lips to hers, gently. She stretched sluggishly and sighed as his arms slipped underneath her back, pulling her closer to his warm body.

  “Good morning, Darcy,” she moaned, moving into him, and she heard him sigh. He leaned in and kissed her again, this time longer and with passion. She pulled back gently, and their gaze locked. Her heartbeat elevated, and every thought in her head came to a screeching stop. She just wanted to stay in his arms forever.

  “We need to get moving; you don’t want to be late on the first day back to class, do you?” he murmured, still kissing her.

  “Okay.” She stretched her arms above her head, still holding him to that kiss and moaned provocatively, pressing her body firmly against his.

  “Arielle, seriously, you need to get up.” She pulled back reluctantly, keeping a frown on her face. Getting out of bed, she walked slowly toward the bathroom. She heard him chuckle with satisfaction. She stop
ped moving and drawing a deep breath, she turned to face him. He was still sitting on the bed naked, looking gorgeous, hands resting palms down on the bed.

  Desire was clear in his eyes, lighting them from beneath. Her heart skipped a beat at the way his lips were parted, waiting for hers to meet them. The surge of heat burned her skin and caused parts of her body to tingle in anticipation. Only a second passed before she sprinted back to him. Jumping onto the bed, she threw herself against him, pushing him flat to the bed.

  Her movement shocked Sebastian, but he quickly recovered. The laugh he shouted to the room assured her that she’d made the right decision as he lifted her off the bed. The speed with which he moved left her breathless. His immortal reflexes were beyond the ability of human sense to comprehend.

  Before she could blink, she stood in the shower alone, water running, totally stunned. She gulped a mouthful of air, and she stood very still trying to recover. She could still hear his hearty laughter in the bedroom and pursed her lips, wishing that she had a bit more control over her emotions. Fifteen minutes later, she walked out of the shower and put on a pair of jeans and light blue silk blouse. She dried her hair quickly and pulled it up into a ponytail. She took a last look in the mirror and stepped out of the bedroom.

  She walked into the kitchen. While she’d been showering, he’d dressed in a pair of jeans that defined his perfection and a light green shirt that highlighted his emerald eyes. He was holding two pieces of buttered toast in his hands and a great big smile that made her weak in the knees. He set the toast on a plate, pulling her so close that her breath hitched. His tongue parted her lips, claiming what he was sure was his.

  “You must eat something before we go.”

  She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, trying and cool off the nerves in her body that his touch had jolted awake in a crashing heat wave. He pulled back giving her room to reach the table, but the smile of deep satisfaction on his face didn’t escape her. She knew he loved the power he held over her. He could turn her world upside down with just one finger, and she was fine with that.

  “Thank you for breakfast,” she said with a smile. She took a piece of toast from the plate and bit into it, chewed, and swallowed.

  “Mmm…it’s awfully good; where did you learn how to cook?” she asked, amused, before breaking into a blissful laugh. He joined in as she put the rest of the toast in her mouth and held it between her teeth while reaching into the fridge to pour a glass of milk.

  Soon, they were on the way to school. His gaze swept over her and his lips curved up to that so familiar smile. He took her hand and placed it on his thigh and held it there by putting his hand on top of hers.

  “Maybe you were right,” he said. “Maybe we should turn around and go back home. It’ll be nearly impossible to sit next to you and not be able to touch you.” She laughed quietly with him, but she kept her eyes on the road without responding to his comment. She could see the buildings of the university spread across the land in the near distance. She could see the tall residence buildings reaching towards the gray morning sky. Her thoughts went to Gabby, and she tensed, sighing softly. He felt her tension and pressed her hand, nothing escaped this amazing immortal.

  “What is it?” he asked softly. She pursed her lips and turned to gaze at him. His eyes were luminous but curious.

  “I was thinking about Gabby and….” She trailed off, feeling a bit stressed.

  “What about Gabrielle?” he pressed on, keeping his eyes on her instead of on the road. He always scared her when he did that, but somehow he could drive extremely well even with his eyes closed. She dragged in a deep breath.

  “It’ll be extremely strange without Gabby at school,” she said, her words barely audible. “This will be the first time since primary school that we are not going to be together.” She bit her lower lip and smiled bitterly.

  “Arielle, you can visit with Gabrielle after class. She is fine!” he said softly. “She’ll be back in class before you know it.” He pressed her hand again with certainty. He was right, and she needed to snap out of this trivial mood.

  The first day back was surreal. They didn’t need to have to worry about setting the tone for the rest of the semester. They already knew each professor’s course expectations and their standards. The only excitement was seeing and being with their friends. The accident was pretty much the center of discussion, but everyone was extremely pleased that the outcome was good. Gabrielle and Troy were awfully missed, but they would be back in a couple weeks.

  Chapter 15

  ARIELLE WAS AWARE that school was boring Sebastian to death. But each day she watched him attend classes and take a seat next to her attentively, joyfully, without complaining. She loved him deeply, but she found that type of action disconcerting. Five centuries of matriculating would become dismal. She begged him to skip the last semester, but he wouldn’t hear of it.

  She was his remedy, his compulsion, and she provided him with a sense of ease that was overpowering. He wanted to protect her and make sure that she was safe.

  Arielle wasn’t sure if she should feel pleased or unhappy about all the attention, but she didn’t try very hard to change his mind. His presence was like the air she needed to be able to breathe. She was exultant to know that he was there only for her. There was nothing in this world that could compare to the feeling of walking through campus next to a man like Sebastian with their fingers intertwined. They had this special connection that ignited passion between them. Every day she rode a perpetual merry- go-round made out of Sebastian’s emotions, feelings that tantalized her and filled her with gentleness, thoughtfulness, passion, and adoration.

  She was the envy of many females around campus who didn’t try to hide their feelings. A few times, his admirers were so blatant in their attention that they begged Sebastian for a date in front of Arielle, as though she were invisible. If he hadn’t dismissed each proposal politely while making it obvious that Arielle was his only love, she may have become jealous.

  This last semester she was taking chemistry, design & technology, biological science, and physics. She was finished with the other courses that were required for her Bachelor’s degree.

  Second period was Physics with Professor Mayfield. He was one of her most favorite professors, and she enjoyed his sessions immensely. She walked with Sebastian through the auditorium doors and paused, trying to locate two seats together. She wanted to sit next to Sebastian; unfortunately, nearly every seat was taken. She gazed up at him and pressed her lips together filled with anxiety. He smiled, and she frowned in response. They would have to sit not only in separate seats but also in separate rows. She wasn’t happy at all, and she didn’t bother to hide her disappointment. Sebastian leaned closer, and she heard his velvety voice filled with mirth.

  “If you didn’t take your time in bed this morning, this could have end up a little differently.”

  “I don’t regret a moment of it,” she muttered. She knew he was right, but she wasn’t going to admit it. She leaned closer to him. “I love being in bed with you,” she added, squeezing his hand. They climbed the steps of the auditorium and found an aisle seat next to Danielle. She was one of their dear friends Damien Sander’s girlfriend.

  “You take this seat,” Sebastian said, and she nodded.

  “Sebastian, Arielle!” They heard a low voice and looking up they saw two more of their friends-- Alex Durand and Robert Gibson--waving a few rows higher, motioning to Sebastian to take the vacant seat next to them. She waved back with a smile, and Sebastian nodded in agreement. Just before he walked away, he lifted his hand up to trail the side of her face with his warm fingers. Her skin blushed with excitement, and she pressed her lips together, knowing that she was going to miss holding his hand through the class. He smiled softly, gazing over her face. “Miss me!” She sighed as she watched him walk up a few steps and take a seat next to Alex. She turned around and sunk quite unhappy onto her seat.

  “He is a real knock out!
” she heard a woman in the row behind her say.

  “Yeah! He is pretty hot!” another voice whispered. Arielle pressed her lips together in anger, or maybe jealousy.

  “Hi, Arielle,” Danielle’s voice had a pleasant tone.

  She turned and smiled, truly pleased to see her. She was a real sweetheart. They had become friends during their first year at the university.

  “Hi, Danielle, how are you?”

  “Fine,” she replied with a soft smile.

  “How are you getting along with Damien?”

  “Oh, pretty well, we decided to live together. We rented a flat very close to campus, this way we can walk to class and save money on gas,” she said.

  “That sounds great!” Arielle looked back, meeting Sebastian’s gaze, and she felt herself lured toward his warmth. She sent him a wishful smile in return and settled back into her seat. This was going to be a very long session.

  “Did you see the new professor?” Danielle voice broke her out of her reverie.

  “What?” She averted her gaze swiftly down to the platform in total shock. She narrowed her eyes and racked her fingers through her hair.

  “Who is he?”

  “I don’t know; he must be Professor Mayfield’s replacement,” Danielle said.

  “What do you mean replacement?” Her eyes widened, revealing surprise. “What happened to Professor Mayfield?”

  “I heard that he was in a serious accident during our summer break, and he will not be teaching the rest of this year,” Danielle confided.

  “Oh…” Arielle’s expression went blank, and she pursed her lips. “Crap!” Quickly she fished her phone out of her pocket and text Sebastian.