by Maya DeLeina
With each gentle pulse, Steffan felt Anya relax. Carefully, he inched himself deeper into her until he was buried completely. He slowly retracted and pumped into her again, feeling her body accepting his entry with every delicious plunge.
“You feel so good. Give me more,” Anya said in a throaty and seductive tone.
Steffan’s heart was filled with bliss. Her heart accepted him, and now her body accepted his entry, his permanence in her very core. He thrust into Anya with a deeper need as their eyes remained fixed on each other.
“Let me love you, Anya. Let me give you everything I have in me. Accept me as your mate. Give yourself freely as mine.”
“I do and I have.”
A blistering heat travelled along Steffan’s jaw and filled his mouth with an insatiable need for blood. His sharp teeth broke through their protective membrane and descended as his body continued exploring her depths.
“Steffan, harder. I want it harder,” Anya said as she pulled Steffan in close to whisper in his ear.
“You want it hard, my love?”
“Yes.”
“You will feel pleasure you’ve never experienced before, but you must promise to let me know if I hurt you.”
“Promise.”
“Remember that I love you, and do not be afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“This.”
Steffan reached under Anya’s legs and firmly grasped her buttocks. He spread her legs wide over his arms as he lifted her straight off the ground. Steffan sat back on his heels and impaled Anya on his cock.
They both moaned in unison.
“Grab a hold of my neck and don’t let go,” Steffan commanded.
Steffan’s strong arms lifted Anya and his cock pounded deep into her over and over again with a relentless passion.
“Oh, Steffan, take me!” Anya panted.
A pleasurable burn ignited in Steffan’s eyes as they turned red with his desire. Kneeling before her, Steffan laid Anya’s head back to the ground and tilted her hips upward to his crotch. He plunged deeper, rougher, and faster into her.
Anya looked up and caught Steffan’s gaze.
At first, she seemed shaken by the red that gazed back at her, but quickly settled in his stare.
Tears welled in her eyes. “I’m coming, Steffan, I’m coming.”
The time was here.
Steffan would start the claim at this moment.
His entire existence, from his turning to the first time he and Anya laid eyes on each other, flickered like an old projector in his mind. Steffan collapsed on Anya, burying his head at her neck to search out his mark. He drew his head back slightly and then came down on her flesh, sinking his teeth deep into her.
Anya shrieked at the initial pain but soon, noises of pleasure escaped her body uncontrollably as the tears streamed down her face.
Steffan continued to thrust deep inside her but slowed his rhythm to a sensual grind. Sweat that once beaded along Anya’s inner thighs now trickled down, pooling where his flesh met hers. Writhing and moaning, the moment was pure ecstasy. From the moistened depths his cock plunged to the sweet taste of her blood coating his tongue, Steffan relished every pleasurable sensation that fired through his body.
“Oh, my god,” Anya moaned in a decadent whisper.
Suddenly, Steffan’s body stilled.
He swiped his tongue along the puncture marks, sealing Anya’s neck. He pulled back, steadying his body over hers. Looking deep into her eyes, he saw a woman fully sated.
Anya gathered a drop of blood from the corner of Steffan’s mouth with her finger and dipped into his mouth. He lapped up the remaining droplet of her blood eagerly and lowered to capture her lips in a passionate and sensual kiss.
Then Steffan moved his hips once again.
Commanding and powerful, he took her hard. He released his mouth from their intimate exchange and gasped for breath.
“Anya, are you ready for me?”
“Yes. Come inside me, Steffan”
“Watch me. See what you do to me.”
Steffan looked deep into Anya’s eyes as he made love to her. This was his mate. Her blood coursed through his body. Her taste was on his lips. And her pussy deliciously swallowed his cock.
It was a pleasure beyond expression, further than anything he’d experienced. He stroked in and out of Anya, increasing his momentum, growing closer and closer to his climax.
“Oh, Steffan!”
Steffan grabbed Anya’s face and gazed into her eyes. “Anya!” he cried out as he spilled his hot liquid fire deep inside her.
His moans of absolute gratification were loud and deep. Yet the moment went beyond sating sexual desires.
In this moment, Steffan and Anya’s eternity was paved.
Steffan completed the first step of the claim ritual.
Chapter Thirteen
“I can’t believe what just happened. We’re out in public. What would we have done if someone came along the path? We were so vocal,” Anya said as she lay on Steffan, brushing her fingertips through the traces of black hair on his chest.
They lay naked under the quilt, their bodies entwined, fully sated, reminiscing about their lovemaking. Anya suddenly gasped at her next thought. “Or worse yet, what if some pervert watched us?”
“Let’s just say I left nothing to chance. No one was coming around. No one would hear us. No one would see us.” Steffan adjusted to deepen his embrace around Anya. “And if someone was able to break through my boundary, I would’ve sensed them well before they even had a chance to near us, hear us, or see anything.”
Steffan suddenly closed his eyes tightly and his body went rigid. “Wait! Oh no!”
“What? What is it?” Anya lifted to look at him.
“Anya, I do recall something. I remember seeing…” Steffan held a long pause. “Three deer and a squirrel!” He opened his eyes and laughed.
Anya playfully slapped his chest. “That’s not funny. What is a boundary?”
“I have the ability to project a mental barrier, like a barricade, around us for protection. You know how some humans claim to have a premonition or a sixth sense about something? That’s the effect of a boundary spell from a vampire. Something inside the mortal tells them not to go in a certain direction, to deviate from a plan or path. The boundary also acts like a mirror, camouflaging us into the natural landscape.”
Anya propped herself on one elbow and looked into Steffan’s eyes. “But what if someone was still able to get around all of that, was watching us, seeing me on display like that? Seeing all of me as I intended only for your eyes?”
Steffan’s gaze grew intense, his pupils transforming to a deep-crimson color.
“Then, god help them,” Steffan responded in a low, gravely tone.
Anya lay her head back down on Steffan’s chest as she wrapped her arm across him tightly. “Steffan, I didn’t realize, I’m—”
“No.” Steffan stopped Anya, not allowing her the chance to apologize. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to still the anger that boiled within at the mere thought of someone watching his Anya. “Don’t apologize, Anya. This is something I will have to control. I need to react only when there’s a reason to, otherwise I’ll drive both of us crazy. I never had a mate before, and all of these emotions I have are so new to me. Some of my reactions will be purely instinctive. Raw.”
“What are you saying?” Anya questioned.
Steffan regained control and opened his eyes.
Anya released a deep breath in satisfaction, signaling to Steffan that his silvery eyes were back in place.
“When a male vampire is courting his human mate during the claim, a defensive instinct kicks in. Centuries ago, before we became civilized, before we built communities, family structures, laws, and rules, a human mate who had willingly accepted the claim and began the ritual process was a target for all lone male vampires. You emanate a strong scent now that we have started the process.”
“So, what
happened with your eyes? Was that like a defensive mechanism?”
“You could say that. When certain emotions are heightened in a vampire, they’re projected in our eyes,” Steffan explained.
“That was a much different shade of red than what I saw earlier when we were, you know,” Anya responded. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy as she recalled their lovemaking.
Steffan smiled. “The red you saw earlier when we were making love was a bright red. That shade of red projects when I’m overwhelmed with desire and love. The crimson you just saw now was a deep red tinged with black. This projects in times of anger and hatred.”
“What about other emotions, what colors are projected?”
“Actually, nothing. The emotional boundaries of love and hate are boundless, endless, so these are the only two to emotions to have a sensory reaction in our body. The only other times our eyes change color is during our initial turning. The sclera is altered momentarily and can suggest the character we inherit from our human existence.”
“Wow! Really?” Anya exclaimed.
Steffan rose up on his elbows.
“Yes. My love, you will be learning all about this during our claim.”
Anya nodded. “All right. But please don’t leave me hanging with this being a target for a lone male vampire thing. That wasn’t a very consoling thought.”
“What we just did, our lovemaking, makes you very vulnerable. But rest assured you’re safe with me. Basically, our scents have combined and have been laced in your blood when I drank from you. It’s meant to let other vampires know that you’re a willing participant to the claim and are spoken for. But in reality, it’s like a homing beacon for lone male vampires out there. Your blood is now the most sought-after nectar for any unmated male vampire because of its divine sweetness.”
Anya gasped. “What?”
“This is exactly why you saw the scary eyes just a minute ago. My body is laced with ancient blood, and the primal instincts to protect you and to be leery of any male contact will be tested from here on out,” Steffan explained.
Anya’s voice became anxious. “But, you have that barrier thing you can do.”
“Boundary. It only works on mortals. But I can immediately sense a male vampire who is lingering, waiting in the wings, unless he has the ability to shield. If he can shield, sensing him is a little harder to detect, but still very possible for me. ”
“Shield?”
“There are vampires who possess the ability to go undetected by shielding their thoughts, intent, or even their mere presence from other male vampires.”
“Okay, but there are laws and rules nowadays that prevent this, right?” Anya asked, longing for reassurance that she was not in eminent danger.
“Yes, of course. But laws and rules, like anything else, are developed for order and are followed by those who respect civility. There are still rogue vampires out there. They are the vampires who roam without a family. They do not respect the laws or the orders our kind have created. They choose to live among society as we once did in the early years of our existence as ruthless, feared monsters.”
Steffan could feel Anya’s hold on him tighten though she remained still and quiet. He sat up and leaned against the boulder, pulling Anya tight in his arms.
“Anya, I would never let anything happen to you. Rogue vampires stay away from areas where there are family units. They know family units are strong and that we carry out the laws and orders of our society. And for our family in particular, we are considered a very formidable lair.” Steffan looked down into Anya eyes. “I am the leader of the family here in Manitou. I have us embedded just about everywhere in the community, law enforcement, hospitals, you name it. We’re even deeply entrenched in politics and the media. I have it this way so we can detect any possible vampire activities. All of this is to protect our family, to protect the humans and to protect our identity. The family, they have all pledged an allegiance to me and the orders I set forth for us to remain civilized. You are not only protected by me, but you’re very well protected by the entire family.”
“You are the leader of the families here in town? H–How many of you are there?” Anya stuttered in shock.
“Seventy-four. Soon to be seventy-five, I’m happy to report.” Steffan winked as he moved to give Anya a peck on the lips.
“I’ve always felt a connection to this town even though I lived way up north. I intentionally looked for a studio near here. I love the atmosphere, the people, and the mood. I don’t know. I’ve always felt comfortable here. Maybe that was part of our fate drawing me to this place. I was drawing me to you.”
Steffan smiled.
“What exactly are the rules, the order you talk about?” Anya inquired.
“All lairs set their rules along the same lines, respect for human life and order, guard against attacks, safeguard against mate abduction and manipulation, and protection of our identity. All families have the same set of consequences for the offense, although the final method of punishment can vary from lair to lair. You’ll learn all of this in depth after your turning.”
“I’m curious, though, what if someone breaks the rules?”
“For the most serious offenses, it’s death.”
“But you’re immortal, you can’t die.”
“Being immortal means we stop aging, are immune to diseases and have the ability to repair our bodies if something happens, which basically allows us to live forever. But we can definitely expire if anything happens to things we need to sustain our functions.”
Anya looked at Steffan. A sense of disbelief held her features.
“Again, we have all the time to go over this, my love. Right now, I want to get you home. Our home.”
“Our home? Mr. Matthews, are you asking me to move in with you?”
“Anya, you are my fated mate. We have started the claim. Quite soon, in a matter of hours in fact, we’ll start experiencing eternal cravings for one another that will consume us. We won’t be able to part with one another. It is part of the ritual. The process is meant to promote bonding and protection of the mates. Even though the process is not yet complete, it’s the human equivalent of a marriage.”
“Well then. That was probably the quickest courtship I’ve been through,” Anya responded.
She immediately appeared to drift into deep thought.
Steffan searched Anya’s eyes.
Damn. It hasn’t taken effect yet. I can’t hear what she’s thinking.
“Huh. Marriage?” Anya asked.
“The existence of vampires doesn’t make you flinch, but marriage does? You have doubts in marriage?”
Anya’s vacant look slowly illuminated to a smile. “No. None. It’s just that marriage conjures up bad memories for me.”
“Anya, I was married once. My wife was Arianell. I lost her years ago. I went to find her after I was transformed. When you turn, you lose most of your human past. The only recollections you have are to things that you held true in your heart. For me, I loved Arianell with all of my heart, everything I had. She was the only thing that consumed my thoughts after I turned. When I returned to her, as a vampire, I discovered she’d died in childbirth. ”
“God, Steffan, I’m so sorry. What of the child?”
Steffan shook his head. “My son only survived for a few hours after the birth. I lost my entire family in an instant.” Steffan paused as he recalled Arianell’s face. “I know what you went though with your husband’s death. I know how you feel. The hurt was so strong. For me, I never thought I would want to love again. Over time, though, I realized I have so much more of myself and my heart to give to someone. I love being in love. I love being loved. So I searched for years. And here we are.”
Steffan and Anya held each other close, quiet in their exchange. No words were spoken. Their embrace exposed all that they meant to one another.
“You only remember people, events, and things in your life that you held true in your heart.” Anya quoted Steffan, br
eaking the silence of the moment.
“Correct.”
“So, what you are saying is that if your heart truly didn’t hold a place for people in your life, they won’t transfer as a memory to a vampire existence?”
“It gets a little complicated, but yes, it’s something along those lines.”
“Huh.”
Steffan watched Anya’s face transform through different emotions in a matter of seconds. And while he wanted to ask a million questions of her looks, he let the moment pass, deciding self-reflection is what Anya needed.
* * * *
The soft light of the mirror on the passenger seat visor pierced the darkness. Anya stretched her neck to examine the area where Steffan had made his entry.
Nothing.
No scar, no mark, no trace. She ran her fingers up and down her flesh, noticing that the sensation of merely tracing the area sent waves of pleasure coursing through her.
“Shit!”
Steffan grabbed her hand in concern as he momentarily took his eyes off of the road. “Anya?”
“Sorry. It’s just that my neck is very sensitive. But in a good way.”
Steffan smiled. “Tell me, did I hurt you at any time? I know it got a little out of control for a second there.”
“No. And, Steffan, don’t get me wrong, I crave the intimacy of slow lovemaking. But I also love being seduced, taken, and ravished beyond control.”
“I’m definitely keeping that in mind.”
“I know you said it happens in stages. But am I a little like you now since you bit me?”
“No, you’re still very human. What we did tonight allows me to mark our claim, and slowly, I’ll be able to her your thoughts. One day soon, we can communicate telepathically. By the way, I don’t know why movies and books depict us as ‘biting.’ I don’t think what we do is anything like biting at all. We drink from people by puncturing the flesh, sucking up the blood, and sealing the wound instantly.”
“So when you drink from someone, you don’t necessarily kill them?” Disappointment washed over her. She had a little fantasy brewing. If she somehow remembered Ryan after the turning, she would seek him out with the help of the new abilities she would gain as a vampire and suck the life right out of him.
