by C. L. Quinn
Something inside of Sarah broke, a wall she’d always kept up, a barrier around her heart, protection from any pain that true love might cause, but it was blown apart by this connection that let her know it was well beyond just physical. Unbidden, unwanted, her attachment to this man, this supernatural being who likely would not be able to stay here with her, was deep and true and binding. She would miss him forever, an eternal need that would always be unmet. Until the day she left this life, she couldn’t regret a moment.
This, this…merge, for that was what it was, would not be broken by Mies’s return to the spirit realm or by her own death. All she hoped was that, as merely human, she would be allowed someday, to join him there, to have an eternal life with the one person she now realized she was meant to be with.
The best laid plans of mice and men…so much for being fully human again with a normal human life.
When their orgasms hit, blood magics flew, lights split the air, rainbow hues shattered around them, their bodies twisted together, hands to hands, heart to heart, their groans loud and erotic. As they dropped back onto the now-damp sheets, Mies lifted up on his elbows, his hands curved against Sarah’s cheeks. Her eyes were still wet and searching his.
“You’re glowing,” she whispered. Silver swirls in his eyes, illuminated now, intense, bright, in the near-darkness of the room.
“First blood response to spectacular sex with an even more spectacular woman,” he explained. “Are you all right?”
Sarah nodded, her head restrained by his hands, but she loved the touch and wished he would never stop.
“No regrets, Mies. I know we belong together. I felt it in you and inside of me.”
“Never regret destiny or perfection.”
“If this is destiny, then I have to thank it for bringing you to me and curse it for how it did so. If you have to go…”
Her voice cracked and she couldn’t continue.
Mies knew of nothing that would console her, so he gathered her to him and held her. Sarah’s arms went around his belly and they lay still, unable to untangle from their physical link, until the sun threatened the horizon.
“I must go,” he whispered.
“I know.”
Sarah slowly pushed off the bed and wrapped her satin robe around her body, the coolness too frigid without his warmth. She pulled it close, her arms tight against her chest as she thought that once he left, she might never be warm again.
Dressed in seconds, Mies came to her and kissed her on the forehead, the cheeks, and finally, a long lingering kiss on her lips.
“You are the greatest pleasure of my life.”
Turning her head toward the window, Sarah cursed the coming daylight. Facing him again, she looked into his eyes, now calm.
“You already know how I feel.”
“I do. And thank you for letting us be together. I am sorry if it ruins your plans.”
“Plans. Ha. Humans make plans and mostly watch them fall apart. Proves how very human I am now.” She was quiet for a moment, then continued. “But I wouldn’t want to have missed a moment with you.”
“It would have been the greatest tragedy of the world.”
“It might have been. Um. I’ll still set things up for Nikolai and Naji. It’s only fair.”
“They will never know what we have known together, but I believe that they are also meant to be. The spirit realm has a lot to answer for with this decision.”
“I’ll say.”
“I must go.”
“Hurry.”
He lingered a second longer, a hand curling into hers, his fingers touching each of hers in order, then he was gone.
After watching the misty light fill the morning sky, Sarah pulled the blinds and dropped onto her sofa. She had a mid-day shift, but she knew she wouldn’t make it. In fact, she would phone the hospital and call off the rest of the week.
She would be traveling to the Appalachian Mountains by the weekend.
Mies threw his exhausted body onto the bed.
Where have you been, friend?
After a brief hesitation, Mies spoke. Nikolai noticed the sadness in Mies’s tone.
I have come from Sarah’s.
Now, Nikolai paused.
You were with her all night?
We were together, yes.
I’m not going to ask what you did.
You needn’t. You can feel this body. You can feel what I have felt, can you not? I will let you into my mind.
Emotions poured into Nikolai’s mind and overwhelmed him. The love, the sorrow, the loss…
God, my friend, I am sorry for your pain. For Sarah’s. You believe she is your destined mate?
I know that she is. My body recognized her almost from the first moment. Once we touched, it was clear. After last night, the inextricable bond forged. She is mine and I am hers. Forever parted, yet forever linked.
I cannot even imagine. But you do not know that, Mies. I expect that you will be victorious should this intervention work.
Nikolai waited for a response, and when there wasn’t one, he became suspicious.
What do you know that I do not? What are you not telling me? Do not leave me out of the loop, brother, this is too important.
You will prevail. My intention is to leave this body as soon as the connection to the powers is made. I will not take what is yours. This I know, Niko. By the time this is all finished, you will be alone in this body, and I will be back where I should always have been.
You don’t want to keep this body and stay with Sarah?
More than anything on this world and beyond. Other than taking this body that belongs to you, I would gratefully stay and live my life out with my mate at my side. But I will not live so that you must die.
Very noble of you. You would do that for me?
I would do that for anyone who was in this situation. This body is not mine. And I have become very fond of you. We call each other brother because of how close we are forced to be, but I feel that kinship with you, Nikolai. I will not live if you cannot. It is that simple.
I keep thinking that there must be a way.
One body, brother. One body. There is no way.
I believe in Sarah. She may be able to figure it out.
I believe in her, too, but even her extraordinary mind can’t change what can’t be fixed.
I won’t accept that you cannot be saved.
Accept it, Niko. This is what must be. I am okay with it. To have had tonight with the love of a lifetime, it was worth all that I have endured. I just hope that it hasn’t hurt Sarah too much to live out the rest of her life in joy.
She’s resilient.
She’ll need to be.
I guess, what will be, will be.
You guess correctly.
Strangely, if it happens as you expect it to, I will miss you, brother. I somehow realize that it will be very lonely when you are gone.
I bet you say that to all the parasitic ancient vampires who inhabit your body.
Yeah, well, you’re my favorite.
It will all be okay, brother, I promise. Everything under the sun has its moment, its season, and moves on. Even immortal beings don’t truly last forever.
I hear you. Too bad, though, that I don’t get a moment with the woman who might have been right for me.
Sarah’s sexy friend?
Da. I think we might have been just as good together as you and Sarah were.
Perhaps you will still have a chance to find out.
Doubtful. Sarah has already told her that I am not a good fit for her. She was protecting her, I understand that. Naji has no idea that supernatural beings exist and I have come to know that, for peace of mind, it is better that way.
Perhaps.
Perhaps? What do you know? Tell me.
Sarah is even now arranging for your date.
No.
Da. Niko, I intend to be the one to go when we do what we must do. But there are no promises that I have the power to protect you. There i
s a chance that you may be the one ejected, you understand that?
I have always thought that when the smoke cleared, you would be here and I would be gone. I still know that is very possible, in spite of your intention otherwise. Mies, I am grateful for the gesture, even if it turns out that I cannot remain.
I am sorry if that is so. I promise, I will do all I can to control this.
In either circumstance, I want that night with Naji. Thank you for that, at least.
It is my pleasure.
It is my pleasure I seek. And hers. I hope that I may use some of your skills.
I will make certain you can.
What a spectacular way to go!
“Seriously? What changed your mind?”
Naji sipped her hot tea, her eyes sparkling.
“I didn’t change my mind, Naj. I always thought that you two would be good together. It was obvious that night. But I told you, it’s complicated. Now, though, I think that you two deserve a chance to find out if you might have something.”
“Oh, we have something, all right. Sarah, love, thank you. I haven’t been able to get that muscled god off my mind. I mean, he’s hot, no doubt, but there was something else about him. I don’t know what.” She was quiet for a few moments while she took several more lingering sips of sweetened tea that was mostly sugar. Setting the cup back on the table, her eyes went back up to meet Sarah’s.
“You know a little bit about my history. I’m aggressive because I’ve learned that if I ever wanted anything in my life, I had to be. No one else was gonna get it for me. My mother did what she could, but I think that no one ever really loved her when she was growing up, so she didn’t know how to love me or my little brother. I learned to take care of myself after he died in a car accident. My mother took up with some unsavory men, spent all of her time with a straw in one hand and a bottle in the other. So, learning to trust people, to feel anything for them, it’s the hardest thing I’ll ever do. You are the first one I’ve ever really let in. I mean, let close enough to really get to know me.”
“I’m honored, Naji. No one would ever guess, though. You bring such brightness everywhere you go. Your interminable joy at life infuses everyone who meets you.”
Taking Sarah’s hands, Naji caressed her wrists with restless fingers. “Thank you. I told you that I figured out that if I wanted to be happy, it was up to me. Once I left Missouri, I never looked back.”
She pulled Sarah into a hug. “Um, this feels right. Thank you, love.”
Naji held Sarah close for several more minutes, Sarah holding on, too, then she walked away, wiping her eyes with shaky fingers.
“Well, I need a new dress. Something devastating.”
“What you need is your awesome self. You blew him away the night you met.”
“I wanted my hands on that man from the first moment I saw him.”
“That was obvious. So, tonight?”
“Tonight. The sooner the better. Sarah, I don’t know if I’ve ever been this excited.”
“That’s good, yeah?”
“It’s a little frightening. Honestly, I have such high expectation for this…what if it isn’t right? I think I’ll be inconsolable.”
“I’ve got your back, Naj, no matter what. But I know you won’t need me. I saw you two at dinner, and you created some serious heat. You and Nikolai are destined.”
“Destined? I thought you didn’t believe in destiny.”
“Maybe something’s changed my view of the world.”
“Maybe things are going to go right for both of us now.”
“I hope so.” Sarah knew better. Tonight, Naji and Nikolai would have their dream date. Tomorrow night, he might be gone forever. If Destiny really did guide things, it was a monster.
Nine
Nikolai dressed, his mind on the night ahead. His clothing choice was limited, so little fit the body created by his vampire house guest. He admitted, though, that nothing showed off the ripped and sexy body better than the tight jeans and tighter tee shirt. As he slid the shirt over his head, all he could think about was taking it off again, Naji’s body against his, all of their clothing gone.
The sun had set, and Mies was in that heavenly landscape where he sent him when he needed to be alone.
Using normal human speed, he headed to Sarah’s apartment, and, arriving early, knocked on her door.
Sarah opened it, her smile welcoming, her hand out to pull him in. He scanned the small room immediately and saw Naji standing near the window. She looked delicious and he felt his cock twitch.
“Hello, gorgeous,” she said as she walked towards him.
“You stole my line,” he responded.
“Aren’t we a pair.”
Sarah, waiting by the door, could feel that same heat coming off them again as it had at the restaurant. She opened the door wider. “You guys are raising the temperature. Get out of here and have a good time.”
Nikolai held his arm out to Naji.
She slipped her fingers through it, caressing his forearm. “I concur. Ready to ride, handsome?”
At his wordless nod, Naji led him through the opening and they were gone. Neither noticed as Sarah closed the door.
Leaning against it, her arms folded, Sarah shook her head. They were already half in love, she could see it. Was it weird that, technically, sort of, Naji would make love with the same body that she herself had been with the night before?
Pushing away, she grinned.
“Weird is my new normal. I think this calls for pizza and a huge chocolate milk shake.”
A moment of melancholy struck her as she dialed the pizza café just around the corner. She had a strong desire to call Mies to join her. How impossible was this situation?
The call connected and a young man asked what she would like.
“Hi, yes, I’d like to order a pizza for pick-up.”
Naji watched Nikolai with frequent sideways glances. The enormous man filled her small sports car, his head so high, it would have touched the top if she hadn’t lowered it.
The wind blew his hair around, he squirmed some in the small seat that wasn’t designed for such a large body, and also kept glancing at her.
“We don’t know each other,” she finally commented, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“We don’t.”
“But we’re going to. And soon. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that night we met.”
Nikolai’s heart raced. “Pull the car over,” he demanded. They had been passing a park and when she did as he asked, he rose from his seat and had her door open in seconds, pulled her out of the car and into his arms. With the old-fashioned street lamps that had been placed for aesthetic effect along the sidewalk illuminating Naji’s face, he slid his fingers around her head and held her still so that he could just take her in.
“I don’t want dinner. Are you hungry?”
Naji shook her head. “Yes, but not for food.”
“Good. You have a place we can go?”
“I have an outstanding place on the water.”
“Would you wish to go there and make love with me?”
His accent had deepened, and so had her desire.
“I cannot think of anything else on this earth that I would rather do right now than to make love with you.”
“The sooner we get started, the longer we can do it.”
“Love a man with a plan. Get back in my car.”
After Nikolai had taken the passenger seat again, she watched his face for a few moments. Licking her lips, she spoke. “You’ve bewitched me,” she whispered.
“There you go, stealing my line again. How long will this journey take?”
“Three minutes in this car with the way I drive. Hold on.”
Nikolai did, onto the hand grip, but all that he really wanted to do was hold on to her. Soon, he kept whispering, soon. Thank the heavens that Mies was absent. He needed to be completely alone with Naji. If he had to die soon, he couldn’t imagin
e a better last memory.
IN SOUTHERN FRANCE
“Xavier? Where in Boston?”
“I don’t know. Jacob set her up.”
“You feel no blood connection to her?”
“Not when I’m this lubricated.”
“God, Xavier, you’re such a…” Tamesine sighed. As if she could judge someone else’s past or choices. But this phone call wasn’t getting her any closer to finding Sarah in Boston.
“Okay, when you’re tuned in, you’ll see if you can find her?”
“Aye. What do ya want with her?”
“It’s important, Xavier. Very important. It has to do with first blood magics and the fact that she may be playing with them.”
Tamesine heard him snort a laugh.
“Nay, that’s not so, for two unsurmountable reasons. My brilliant little blood-bond left me to return to the dull vicissitudes of ordinariness…she wanted to be fully human again. So, she’s done with our kind and all of our drama, and she’s way too smart to mess around with first blood magics.”
“Well, she is, so you need to help me find her. Now. Is there someone there who can sober you up? I’ll come right away if not.”
“I think I can handle me own self, lassie!”
The drunk womanizer, Tamesine sighed to herself. He doesn’t even know how much time he spent in his cups and up a woman’s… “Don’t go there,” she whispered out loud.
“All right, but Sarah’s life might be in danger,” she said, instead of what she wanted to.
That was what it took. Call Xavier what you will, he took care of the people he loved.
“I’ll call ya back in due time,” he said abruptly, and Tamesine thought he already sounded more sober. The line went dead, and she rang off the call.
“Let’s hope it’s soon,” she said, before she turned to her children who called from the main floor of the villa. Sarah needed help, but for now, so did two rambunctious and creative children with ravenous tummies.
As she wandered down the stairs, Tamesine yawned. It was nearly morning and time to finish the final meal, get the kids to bed and crawl next to her mate. She tired too easily lately, and she knew why. A troubled mind didn’t rest well.
