by Juniper Hart
Sawyer’s eyes lit up. She loved getting dressed up, and to be given the royal treatment for this grand affair lifted her spirits. Since Atticus had spoken such cruel words to her, she’d been depressed. Henry had even stopped speaking to her. She was ready to forget all of her troubles and have some fun. Now, she just had to decide which vampire she would pursue.
The stylist was as amazing as Flavia had promised. Sawyer’s elaborate up-do was adorned with silver barrettes fashioned with the most beautiful emeralds she’d ever seen. Flavia gave Sawyer an emerald necklace and earrings to match the barrettes. Her makeup made her skin glow, and her eyes had never looked more green. Sawyer couldn’t take her eyes away from her own reflection because she didn’t feel like she was looking at herself.
Flavia came up behind her and hugged her from behind. “Sawyer, you look stunning. I can’t wait until my brother sees you. He will regret everything he said.”
“I don’t care about making Atticus jealous. I just want to have fun.” Sawyer turned to face Flavia, who wore a dress embellished with crystals. “Wait, are those real? Are those diamonds?”
“Well, yes. Is it too much?” asked Flavia, superficially embarrassed at her lavish gown.
“It doesn’t matter; you look amazing.”
“I do, don’t I?” Flavia had never been humble. “Well, then, are you ready for your first vampire ball, Sawyer?”
“But we’ve been to lots of parties.”
“Yes, but never a ball,” said Flavia, eagerly.
“I don’t think I will ever be ready, but I am really excited.”
Flavia walked with Sawyer through the hallways as they came to the ballroom. Before the door opened, Flavia said, “Sawyer, try to forget Atticus. So many of the guys here want your attention, but they were scared that Atticus had already claimed you. You don’t belong to him. And, in your case, you’re only young for a short period of time. Enjoy your youth.”
The doors opened, and Sawyer gasped at the extravagance before her. A chandelier larger than her bedroom hung from the ceiling. Glitter floated through the air and never landed, but remained in continuous motion. The most beautiful people Sawyer had ever seen were gliding across the dance floor, and Sawyer wasn’t sure if their feet were touching the ground. Large silver strands of fabric hung from the ceiling to give the room a majestic feel. Turquoise flowers were placed throughout the ballroom, and a full orchestra provided the music. It was magical.
As the women walked into the room, everyone turned and stared. Flavia was the guest of honor, and Sawyer still remained an enigma, so a mystery surrounded her. A dark-haired vampire grabbed Flavia and pulled her onto the dance floor. Sawyer was nervous that she was left alone, but she was determined to have a good time.
Cold fingers wrapped around Sawyer’s hand, and a sweet, deep voice asked, “May I have this dance?”
Sawyer turned to find an extremely handsome vampire with a color of hair that matched her own. His red eyes were intense, but his smile made her warm in his presence. He led her to the dance floor, and she began to dance a waltz, the fiery-haired vampire leading. Her earlier question was answered: their feet were not touching the floor. Instead of questioning how she was floating across the dance floor, she just moved to the music and enjoyed dancing on air.
When the dance was complete, another vampire wrapped his arms around Sawyer as she floated across the floor with her new partner. It felt like a dream. Coming out of a twirl, she turned her head to see Atticus looking at her with a menacing glare and angry eyes. Sawyer narrowed her eyes at him to indicate she was still upset and had not forgiven him. Her new dance partner twirled her again, as Sawyer once again began to dance.
After nine dances with nine different partners, Sawyer needed to rest and get some water. Four glasses of champagne had left her quite tipsy, and she was in desperate need of hydration. Although she was fit, she did not have the same stamina as the rest of the party guests. Vampires didn’t sleep, so Sawyer didn’t think the party would wind down for a while; she wouldn’t miss much if she sat down for a few songs. When she looked around, she noticed there were no chairs. Great. Just great.
Sipping on her water, she turned down several vampires who asked her to dance. Her eyes were locked on one vampire: Atticus. Sawyer watched as he danced with a dark-haired vampire who was obviously enamored with the king. Atticus glanced in Sawyer’s direction, then Sawyer quickly looked away. She was mad and embarrassed that Atticus caught her looking at him. She wanted Atticus to believe that she felt nothing.
“Sawyer, you look beautiful tonight.”
Sawyer turned to meet Henry’s eyes. Finally, he is speaking to me!
“Thank you, Henry. I’ve missed you. Why have you been ignoring me?”
“To be honest, I was hurt. I thought there was more to our relationship than just a friendship, so I needed some time away from you.”
“I never meant to hurt you, Henry. You have always been so kind to me.”
“Well, you can make it up to me with a dance.”
“I’d love to!”
Feeling slightly intoxicated from the champagne, Sawyer tripped as she reached for Henry’s hand. Before she fell flat on her face, Henry caught her and scooped her up into his arms.
Sawyer allowed Henry to lead her to the dance floor. The orchestra played a slow song, so Henry took the opportunity to guide Sawyer’s arms around his neck, and then he wrapped his large, muscular arms around her waist as his hands rested on her lower back.
Even in her four-inch heels, Henry towered over Sawyer by at least five inches. She looked up into his eyes and took in his scent, which was a pleasant medley of citrus and sandalwood. They swayed to the music as Henry pulled her in closer. Sawyer considered whether or not she wanted to encourage his attraction to her. Two songs later, Henry still held Sawyer in his embrace. Finally, Sawyer went to pull away.
“Not yet,” said Henry. “Let me have this moment with you.”
Henry’s wavy blonde hair, chiseled jaw, and taut physique made him look like an airbrushed version of a fitness magazine cover model. Sawyer felt excited. She wondered if the champagne was clouding her judgement as she never had feelings for Henry before, but in the moment, she didn’t care. After a promise to Flavia to let go of her inhibitions, she wasn’t about to back down. Sawyer pulled Henry’s face closer to hers so she could kiss his cheek. He grabbed her chin and lightly brushed his lips across hers.
Without hesitation, Sawyer asked, “Do you want to get out of here?”
Henry didn’t answer, but instead picked her up and left the ballroom, moving swiftly towards his living quarters. Exhaustion was beginning to take over, but Sawyer pushed away all thoughts of sleep as she knew she had a long night ahead of her.
As they approached his door, Henry put her down and asked, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Sawyer nodded her head. Henry brought his mouth to hers in a wildly passionate kiss. The spark that she felt with Atticus wasn’t present, but Henry was hot, and she wanted him. Henry opened his door and gently nudged Sawyer inside. Without wasting time, he guided her to his bed. Sawyer always wondered why vampires had beds since they didn’t sleep, but now she knew.
Henry ripped off her dress, which disappointed Sawyer because the dress was a gift from Flavia and she really loved it. But she decided to forget the dress and focus her attention on Henry. As his hands moved across her body, Sawyer sighed with pleasure and welcomed his touch. Henry lifted her off the ground, and instinctively, Sawyer wrapped her legs around him, feeling weightless in his strong hold. He pushed her back up against a wall, but he was a little rough.
“Henry, remember, I am not as strong as you. Be gentle.”
“Just shut the fuck up, Sawyer.”
“What?” asked Sawyer, taken aback by his harshness.
Henry growled loudly, which startled Sawyer. Unexpectedly, he bared his fangs as he thrust his head forward toward her neck.
Sawyer let out a blood
-curdling scream as she closed her eyes and braced herself for his bite. But it never came. A hand grabbed her and ripped her away from Henry. Sawyer’s feet were dangling off the ground, and she realized someone else was holding her up. She turned and gazed into Atticus’s familiar blue eyes.
“What’s happening?” Sawyer cried. The chaos from everything happening around her sent her into a panic. She didn’t know who to trust. She was lifted off the ground with two vampires staring at her, while she was only clad in her black, lace thong and a pair of black stilettos.
“Did he hurt you?” asked Atticus, with terror in his eyes.
“No!” screamed Sawyer. Even though she was sure that Atticus had just saved her from imminent death, she felt that it was the perfect opportunity to say something cruel and mimicked the words he had spoken to her earlier. “Whatever you thought we had meant nothing, Atticus. You showed me that vampires come and go. You’re keeping me locked away, so I thought I’d have a little fun.”
Atticus set her on the ground, gently. She saw the hurt in his eyes.
Atticus turned to Henry. “Why did you turn on me? I thought we were friends.”
“Seriously, Atticus? I am so sick of you always thinking your choices are what’s best for all of us. We are predators, and we are meant to hunt. The last straw is that you chose this human over your own kind.”
“I didn’t choose her over my own kind.”
“Atticus, I can read your thoughts. You love her, which is why you refused to kill her.”
“You can read my thoughts?” Atticus was confused. “You’ve taken the drug from the fiery willow tree.”
Henry just stared at Atticus and gave a slight nod.
Atticus didn’t bother responding, but instead took action. Sawyer didn’t see Atticus’s hand move, but in an instant, he was holding Henry’s head by his hair. Did he just rip off his head? Sawyer felt sick to her stomach.
The blood started to pool at Sawyer’s feet, and she felt the room closing in on her, the colors surrounding her turned gray and slowly faded to black as she fainted.
When she opened her eyes, she was in her bathtub, surrounded by luxurious bubbles and warm water. Atticus was tenderly washing her body.
“What happened?” asked Sawyer as her eyes fluttered open.
“You fainted. I caught you,” answered Atticus.
“You killed him.”
“He was going to kill you.”
“I think you misunderstood the situation. He wasn’t going to kill me, he was going to fuc—” Sawyer knew there was no truth to her statement.
“Stop, Sawyer. I don’t want to hear about it. And yes, he was going to kill you. Vampires are scared of very few things, but a lot of them are scared of you.”
“And you? You’re scared of me, too?
“No,” said Atticus. “I am scared of losing you.”
“Stop!” yelled Sawyer. “You need to stop playing games with me. You lock me in a prison, then you make love to me. Then, you take me to Paris, which was one of the most wonderful days of my life. Well, it was wonderful before you killed everybody. But, then your attitude changed again, and you told me that you don’t want anything to do with me. I can’t take it anymore.”
“Sawyer, I began loving you when I saw what a wonderful woman you had become. When I found you as a child, I watched over you. At first, I was going to kill you, but I saw that you were good and had a kind heart. I wanted you to have a chance at a good life, and I wanted to leave you alone. But then others discovered you, and rumors started. I couldn’t deny your existence anymore after those vampires attacked you and brought you here.”
“Why did you leave me in a prison for days if you already cared about me?”
“Days? You were in there for less than twelve hours. I just needed to figure out what to do with you once other people knew the prophecy was coming to fruition.”
“Wait, did I hear you say you love me? Why are you so cruel to me?”
“I can’t be with you. We are on the brink of a war. Making our love public would be the catalyst both sides need to act and rise up against me. And you’re human. You will die long before I am willing to let you go. I needed everyone to believe I felt indifferent towards you and that I was doing what was best for everybody.”
“So, instead, you are going to keep me here, locked up, without any chance of a happy life? And you just thought you would say horrible things to me then expect me to live here with you peacefully?”
“I thought by saying those things, you would hate me. I wanted to make it easier on you. And, I want you to be happy. I hope you’ll find happiness here and hopefully make some friends. I know that Flavia adores you.”
“Flavia is wonderful, and I consider her my best friend. But I’ll never fall in love. I’ll never get married. All of my friends will be dead bloodsuckers.”
Atticus didn’t answer and instead continued to wash her body. His touch sent warm vibrations throughout her core, and she craved his touch on every inch of her body. Atticus sensed her arousal and stood up.
“I think it’s time I leave,” he said.
“But, you don’t want to,” said Sawyer, offering an invitation to stay. What am I doing? He’s been such a jerk.
“No, I don’t want to leave,” answered Atticus. “But, I don’t want to hurt you anymore. We can’t be together.”
“It’s not like you have to marry me. I like being near you. You make me feel safe.”
“If circumstances were different, I would marry you. I would love to have you by my side for eternity. If it weren’t for the prophecy, I would turn you if you wanted to be turned. Over thousands of years, I have never found anybody that makes me feel the way you make me feel.”
Atticus gave into his desires. He lifted Sawyer out of the tub, carried her to the bedroom, and placed her on the end of the bed. Goosebumps formed on her skin, partially because she was cold, but mostly because of the effect Atticus had on her. Atticus was still in his tuxedo from the birthday celebration, so he removed his jacket, shoes, and socks before lifting the duvet and the sheets as they both slid underneath, and into the soft bed. Sawyer took the opportunity to guide him onto his back as she straddled him, feeling his erection, which was hidden under his pants.
Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt, and he lifted his shoulders off of the bed so she could slide it off. Sawyer traced her finger from his Adam’s apple, down his chest, past his stomach, and finally reached the hem of his pants. A low growl, almost like purring, came from Atticus’s throat, giving away his deep entrenchment in pleasure.
Sawyer lowered her mouth to his stomach as she gently kissed the area just below his naval. She unbuttoned his pants and lowered his zipper, revealing his large cock. She continued to pull his pants all the way off and discarded them on the floor.
Taking it slow, Sawyer moved down and kissed his thigh, giving him playful bites as her mouth moved closer to his manhood. Using her tongue, she applied pressure from the base of his shaft and moved upwards to the tip. His uninhibited groans encouraged her to keep going. She settled her mouth over his length and moved in a rhythmic motion, while also using her hand to intensify his pleasure.
She felt him pulsating, signaling he was about to climax, when in one quick motion, he flipped her so her back was against the mattress with him inside of her. Her legs encircled his muscular body, and she squealed with delight as he ravaged her. Her body began to quiver along with his as they climaxed in unison, both panting from pleasure.
Sawyer looked into his inviting eyes and said, “So much for not being with me, huh?”
Atticus voraciously kissed her once again. “I can’t pretend I don’t love you. I want to be with you. I can’t bear the thought of anyone else touching you or winning your affection.”
A woman’s voice began screaming from the hallway outside of Sawyer’s living quarters, and it only took a second for both Sawyer and Atticus to recognize that it was Flavia.
“Atticus! Atti
cus!”
Flavia sounded terrified.
“I’ve got to go,” said Atticus as he raced to put on his pants.
Sawyer raced to her closet and put on the first thing she could grab: a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. She rushed outside of her room to find Flavia and Atticus in the hallway.
Flavia was hysterical. “It’s missing. It’s missing. What are we going to do?”
“Flavia, what do you mean it’s missing? What’s missing?”
“The fiery willow tree.”
“No. It can’t be.”
Sawyer wanted to know what they were talking about, but it was obvious they had more on their minds than explaining to Sawyer what was happening.
Atticus began giving orders, “Flavia, take Sawyer to your living quarters. Everything needs to be put on complete lockdown. Initiate all security measures. He then began yelling for his guards, who appeared instantly. “Gather half your force, and protect my sister and Sawyer. The other half are coming with me.”
“Atticus, no, you can’t go by yourself,” screamed Flavia. “I’m just as powerful as you, and I’m definitely more powerful than all of the guards put together.”
Atticus contemplated his sister’s words, but then refused. “Flavia, I will not let you die. You will take Sawyer with you. The guards will help protect you from whomever is coming after us. The thorn won’t kill them.”
Flavia agreed, and she lifted Sawyer over her shoulder to move faster to the safer destination. When they reached Flavia’s living quarters, they hid in Flavia’s bedroom. Dozens of vampire guards were stationed around the room, with dozens, or maybe hundreds, of more guards protecting the two women from outside of Sawyer’s living quarters.
Sawyer used the silence as her opening to find out more. “I thought the fiery willow trees were destroyed? And how can a whole tree be missing.”
“Well, we destroyed all of the trees, except for one. And, it’s more like a plant than a tree. It’s only about twelve inches tall.”
“Why did you hold onto the one tree? Why not destroy them all?”
