Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book #4)

by Alexandra Anthony

  My mind met his. "Be gentle later. I just need to feel every inch of you, Stefan. Vänligen älska med mig."

  I wasn’t playing fair. I was using his own words against him.

  He didn’t bite. In fact, he disentangled himself from my arms and legs until he was between my parted thighs.

  “Stefan…this isn’t what I meant.” I moaned wantonly, my hips rising against him.

  I felt his smile against my hipbone, but he merely dragged his tongue over my navel and grazed his lips long the crease of my leg.

  "Ah, vackra..." he started, but then paused long enough to open my legs wider and lick me from one end to the other, making sure to swirl the tip of his tongue around my clit teasingly. "I could spend hours between your legs."

  Another blanket disintegrated under my clasping hands as he licked again, not bothering to wait for my answer. Not that I could manage much more than a harsh moan. A handful of cotton fluttered to the ground beside of me as my fingers laced in his golden hair.

  Stefan was moving slowly, his tongue languid and wet against my pussy. Gripping him harder, I wanted to grind against him as I chased my next orgasm.

  Again, I felt another smile against me, and warm breath from his mouth rushed across my swollen clit. "Open wider for me, Josephine. I know what you want to do. Do it...fuck my face."

  I didn't have to be told twice. My hips jutted hard against his mouth as he licked, sucked, nipped, causing a growl of satisfaction to erupt out of me at finally getting the friction, the feeling that I needed. His hands had given up holding me down. They slipped under my legs and traveled up to my breasts, his rough hand palming them, squeezing and rolling my nipples between his fingertips.

  Not able to articulate what I needed, or even if I knew what I needed, only his name came from my mouth. My back arched, and I continued to grip his hair while my other hand sought out something else. A large, warm, gentle hand engulfed mine, linking our fingers together. The contradiction that was Stefan growled low and feral against my folds, but his thumb made soothing circles on the skin of my hand and I shattered into a million pieces.

  He gave my clit one more kiss before looming up over me. His long fingers swiped at his mouth, slinging the moisture away before his mouth descended upon mine. Something about that drove me absolutely wild, and I accepted his kisses hungrily. It was masculine and sexy, and I moaned shamelessly. But it also meant that my arousal covered him. I could smell it on his skin, taste it on his tongue. My shield wrapped hungrily around him, pulling him closer.

  "That is one, vackra," he pointed out, his forehead dropping down to mine as he braced over me. "You owe more than that, yes?"

  He was strength and possession, predator and protector, love and want all rolled into one beautiful, angelic creature. My hands had to touch him, slip up his chest, over his shoulder, and around to the back of his neck to pull and tug him closer.

  "I want another from you," he stated, almost sounding harsh, but he softened it all with a sweet sweep of his lips across my own. "I cannot promise to be gentle," he warned, begging me with his eyes to understand when he suddenly sheathed himself fully inside of me.

  "Oh fuck...yes!" I hissed, my head pressing back into the pillows beneath me.

  "Fuck," he groaned, his eyes squeezing shut as he drove into me.

  Every sensation that my mind registered, he countered it again and again. He buried his face into my neck, the bond completely open between us. His mind was filled with thoughts about how good I felt, how tight I was, and how nothing was as good as this. My shield wavered around us, but I couldn't help but grip him with it and my hands, which caused the most delicious string of curses to push out into my ear.

  "So good..." he panted, growling low when my hands gripped his ass, but my shield pressed down on his back. "You cannot hold me back forever."

  Had I been coherent, I would've known what he was trying to say, and I might've laughed. But any humor I might've found evaporated with the next swiveling thrusts he gave me. I knew it felt like more than just one pair of hands on him, but as it was, I needed to see this unhinged Stefan come. Soon. And hard.

  Fingernails raked down his strong, flexing back. My legs wrapped around his hips, and my voice urged him to come, because there was no way in hell I was able to hold my shield around us much longer.

  "Stefan, I can't..." I sobbed, gazing up at him. "Please... You have to come..."

  "Then let go. Let go, min gudinna," he chanted in a whisper against my lips, but his teeth dragged across my bottom lip. "Let it all go. But I need one more from you." As he said that, his hand slipped beneath my ass, lifting me up just enough so that he shifted inside of me, sliding deeper.

  There was no holding back. Everything inside of me let go, my shield included. As the orgasm tore through my body from the tip of my toes to the top of my head, the ecstasy of its wake halted my lungs and froze my tight muscles in place.

  "I could watch you come like this for days," he muttered, but his rhythm faltered. His breathing stopped, and with a few more thrusts, he came hard. His braced stance over me failed him, and he fell to his elbows instead. "My beloved," he whispered breathlessly against my lips as my whole body was wracked with an earth-shattering shiver.

  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I chanted, feeling his smile as he brushed my hair from my face. "I couldn't hold it... hell, I don't think I can get it back."

  He snickered softly. "Shh, vackra. It was perfect."

  It was then that I chanced a look at his face. The dark mask of need was gone, and in its place was smug but very happy and sated Stefan.

  I groaned. "You wanted to fuck the shield out of me?"

  A roaring laugh shook his chest as he rolled us to our sides. "No, not precisely," he said slowly. "Consider it a test to see the conditions it can withstand."

  I raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch. "And?"

  "You and your shield passed inspection.”

  ***

  Standing in the open French doors leading out to the patio was my beautiful husband, completely nude. The setting sun made his satin skin glow, his tall frame casting a shadow on the floor around him. His muscled back sloped at an angle as he leaned casually against the door, his blond hair gleaming up in the red glow of the setting sun.

  The words still sounded strange, even in my mind. My husband.

  He turned slightly to face me, a smile on his lips. He extended a hand to me, jutting his chin in my direction. "I have been waiting to hear those words a thousand years, my beautiful wife. Mrs. Lifsten, come join me."

  In a blur, I was across the room and wrapped in the comforting embrace of his arms. The moment our skin touched, I felt our connection pulse between us. It had been that way since I’d turned.

  "How did you know I don't want to keep the last name of Anderson? Maybe I'll be one of those feminist types hell bent on keeping my last name," I teased, poking him in the ribs with my elbow.

  "You forget I can read your mind." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and resumed staring into the distance. "It is beautiful here. Quiet."

  "That's why Garrett chose to live here. It was calming for me. When I was young, my ability was out of control. And now...it's gone. I enjoy the silence, but I didn't realize how much I relied on seeing things, predicting behavior. I'm learning to live again."

  A single finger brushed my hair away from my face. His blue eyes bored into mine as if he was trying to stare straight through me. "I have a theory about your abilities."

  Turning my head to the side, I gave him a sideways glance. Of course Stefan would have a theory. His mind was constantly working through theories, situations...if I let myself sink into his mind, it was like sinking into a swirling pit of snakes. His thoughts were dark and reminded me of things that slithered in the night.

  "Snakes? Interesting." He waggled his eyebrow and gestured for me to follow him onto the patio. He pulled me into a chaise lounge chair and wrapped us in a blanket.

  Twisting to
face him, I relaxed into his lap. "Your mind is scary. Even my vampire mind can't keep up. Tell me your theory."

  He exhaled and his fingers curled over my hipbones. "Your abilities changed when we met. Your transformation began in Bali. You could not see Anna or Georgia. The more blood we exchanged, the more your abilities adjusted to your vampiric nature. You do not need the psychic ability nor do you need to feel emotions. You have your shield to protect you."

  My eyes slipped shut as his hands drifted lower to grip my denim covered thighs. "I'm not just a vampire. Armes told me I'm some sort of daemon. To unlock that side I need to find the book. Nikolaus is the same..."

  Stefan cut in. "He is still human and vampire."

  "Unless Anna changes him. Then he'll be like me. Or some version of me. The journals..." I blew out a frustrated breath and shook my head.

  The shrill ring of Stefan’s phone interrupted us. We knew it was important if someone called us on the disposable phones.

  “I need to take this,” Stefan murmured apologetically. I untangled myself from his lap and watched him grab his phone. When he answered, I could hear the loud chatter of Anna’s voice over the phone. She sounded upset, and I wanted no part in that. Period.

  I got up from the couch and stopped by my bedroom long enough to retrieve a small battered case and headed towards my uncle's study. I hovered in the doorway for a split second before I took a deep, calming breath and entered the room. I'd avoided this room on purpose because of the feelings I knew this room would unleash. Even now, it felt as if I was intruding on hallowed ground. If I closed my eyes, I could still smell the smell of old books and his citrus cologne. I was expecting to see him at his desk, his shoulders hunched over, lost in a book. Instead, the room was empty, the polished mahogany floors gleaming in the sunlight.

  Walking from window to window, my fingers drifted over the wooden frames, dragging through the curtains. I kept waiting to hear the rustle of papers, the squeak of Garrett's desk chair...but the only sound was the echo of Stefan's voice and the chatter of birds outside.

  "Garrett, I'm so sorry. If I'd known...I'd never left you and Meredith. You died because of me...for nothing except greed," I whispered into the emptiness of the room. I headed towards the mantle over the fireplace, leaving the leather glasses case on the lacquered wood. My hands gripped the mantle tightly. "These belong here. And I'll make him pay for the things he did to you and to Armes."

  Anger churned beneath my skin and my hand clenched the wood. "I don't believe in a heaven or hell. But if there is a heaven, you'd be there. You sacrificed everything for me. I'm supposed to find your journal. I've turned this house upside down. I could use a little of your guidance."

  Garrett always had advice for me. But I'd been too young and too spoiled to listen, thinking I knew it all and had all the answers. I'd do anything to hear one of his stories, listen to his sage words of advice right about now. If he was here, he'd pull a random quote from one of his beloved books that would perfectly fit the situation.

  I was losing it, talking to the ghosts of my past; hoping they'd solve my problems. Smacking my hand against the mantle, I listened to the wood shift and felt it move under my fingers. Pushing against it, the top of the mantle opened, similar to the lid of a jewelry box. As I propped it open, I noticed another wooden box inside. Similar in size to a humidor, it had a tarnished brass lock on the front. It stared back at me and with shaking fingers, I sank to the floor. I dug the key from my pocket and sat cross-legged on the floor, simply taking turns staring at the key in my fingers and the wooden case.

  "Josephine?" Stefan's voice jolted me from my stupor. My eyes met his, but I didn't answer him.

  "What did you find?" Stefan questioned softly. He sat beside of me, his long legs folded awkwardly underneath him.

  "I...I don't know." My teeth chattered together. "I'm afraid to look."

  Stefan leaned closer. His hand began a comforting path up and down my back. "Open it. What if this is the answer? Our search is over, yes?"

  I managed a weak nod. Did I want it to be over? Was it easier to look for something or have to confront it? "Yes."

  I hated that I was this frightened of a book. We'd searched for it, and now that it was within reach, I was gun shy.

  A surge of confidence surged through the bond. My hands were still shaking, but I slid the key into the lock, turning it clockwise until I heard it release. My eyes shot up to his and he gestured with a roll of his wrist to open it.

  The lid creaked open and a thin, leather bound journal was nestled inside the red velvet interior. I sat the box on the floor and pulled the book out gently.

  Tucked underneath was a folded letter with my name written on it.

  I passed the book to Stefan and reached for the letter next, opening up the yellowed paper.

  Josephine,

  If you have found the journal, you are with your mate by now. Armes was never wrong.

  You are so much like her, headstrong and difficult. She made many wrong decisions in her life, yet she convinced me her destiny was complete. You are her legacy, Josephine. Take comfort in knowing that we are both watching over you now, guiding you on your journey.

  You will be unable to translate the journal. It is yet another safeguard in case you are not the one to stumble upon this.

  Contact my trusted colleague at the university to assist you in the translation. Liev is trustworthy.

  There are things we didn't get the chance to discuss in this life. You were as dear to me as if you were my own. I love you and wish you only happiness in your long life.

  All my love,

  Garrett

  I held the letter to my chest and willed myself to stay strong. We’d searched, found the journal and we still had no idea what secrets it held. Stefan was paging through the book, his brow wrinkled in confusion. "This was written in some sort of runes. My people used something similar, yet I cannot decipher this."

  "You won't be able to. Garrett said it would need to be translated." I replied. Folding the letter, I placed it back inside and closed the lid with a soft click.

  "By whom?" Stefan asked suspiciously. His blue eyes narrowed above the arch of his cheekbones.

  "A colleague of his at the University. Liev Banin." I trudged through the fuzzy memories to see if I could remember the man behind the name. I remembered a shock of black hair and pale skin...the rest was blurry. "Garrett said we could trust him."

  Stefan squeezed his lower lip between his thumb and index finger. He seemed skeptical. "And how do you feel? Can we trust him?"

  Standing up, I brushed the back of my jeans off. I rocked back on my heels and shrugged. "I don't think we have a choice, do we?"

  Stefan rose up, his tall frame towering over me. He held on tightly to the journal, staring at it with a look of distrust. "There is always a choice. I trust few for a reason."

  Reaching up, I smoothed his blond hair back from his face. "I feel like this is part of a bigger plan. There's more to this, Stefan. I know you trust your visions. You need to let me trust my gut."

  "I cannot trust my visions. They shift as decisions are made. I cannot see what is not concrete." He reminded me. He purred like a contented cat as my nails massaged his scalp.

  "Then we see Liev. What's the worst that can happen?" I asked, placing a kiss on the cleft of his chin.

  His free hand wrapped around my waist. "Mrs. Lifsten, you know the possibilities. We could be walking into a trap."

  He was right of course. We could be strolling into a clever ploy, shrewdly devised. Or it could be just as innocent as it sounded. "I'm glad you're on my side," I retorted with a grin. "We'll go tomorrow."

  He sighed reluctantly, his expressive face resolute. "There will be no convincing you otherwise. It is a date."

  “I know you don’t want to do this, Stefan. I understand why,” I murmured. My head found a place in the crook of his neck. Silence filled the air and I sensed Stefan’s turmoil. It was more than just meeting
Liev. “Stefan, what did Anna want? Lukas is the one that always calls.”

  It was then I heard his broken sigh, felt his worry flood the bond. “Lukas is missing. He did not come home last night.”

  My mind whirred through possibilities. Lukas was flighty, but he was predictable. “He could be with Amir. He’s fine, Stefan. Would you know if…”

  I didn’t want to think it, let alone say it.

  “Would I know if he had met his final death,” Stefan answered for me. “Yes. He is still alive.”

  I pulled away and our eyes met. His blue eyes were wide, worry lining his face. My hands smoothed over his face before I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

  “He’s fine,” I assured him softly. “He’s taking care of a lot of things. I’m sure he’s with Amir and we’ll hear from him in the next day or two.”

  His arms crushed me tightly against his chest. His voice was a whisper in my ear, “I hope you are right.”

  Chapter 7 - Black

  Journal in hand, we set off to find Garrett's trusted friend. I'd met Liev Banin a handful of times when I'd tagged along with Garrett to study at the University library. I remembered him to be a brilliant man, much younger than my uncle. His image was unclear in my mind; but then again, it had been nearly ten years since I'd seen him, not counting the funeral. But that day had been a grief stricken blur where nothing made sense.

  Stefan's hand squeezed mine softly and he pulled me to a stop under a tree on the University campus. He pushed his sunglasses aside and stared down into my eyes. "We do not have to do this. The memories..."

  "Are our memories." I pushed my sunglasses on top of my head, enjoying the cool breeze that rustled the leaves on the giant oak we took shelter under. I drew in a deep breath and stood on tiptoe to kiss the corner of his mouth. "I have my husband at my side; my mate. With you, I can do anything. I want to understand what I am, Stefan."