Blood of the Infinity War (Afterlife saga Book 8)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “You already did… back in my own time,” I told him softly and his growl made me flinch.

  “Then I was a damned fool!” he snarled before I heard the slamming of the door, a sign I was now alone. I let my head fall back onto the rim of the tub and turned my head to the side. Finally, it was safe to let my tears fall.

  “No… you just knew the truth,” I answered the empty room on a heartbroken whisper.

  After this I washed my skin through my misery as if trying to scrub myself free from it. But no matter how much I tried, the betrayal still clung to my skin, like an invisible layer only I couldn’t see. Why couldn’t I break away from this hold that Lucius held over me? I had always thought it had something to do with my prophecy but what if I was wrong, what if it was his own?

  I went to sleep that night with only one thought plaguing me and that was who was I to Lucius? Who was I to his own fate? I had no answers as usual, but at least I found comfort that this was all meant to lead somewhere. Like a story being told before it was even written.

  I don’t know why but after I had cleaned my body and hair, ridding myself of the day’s turbulent events, I unconsciously picked up Lucius’ discarded tunic and placed it over my head. I didn’t want to sleep naked and I was fooling no one by pretending I didn’t find comfort sleeping wrapped in Lucius’ scent. Of course, I hadn’t been planning on him coming back to the room that night, but come back he did.

  He silently slipped beneath the covers and gently lifted my head so that he could slip an arm beneath me. Then he pulled me closer, cradling my body with his as he wrapped himself around me. In that moment I had to ask myself if he too had needed the comfort as I had?

  “You saved my life,” he said in the dark as if he could no longer contain it. I swallowed hard before letting a whispered response from my lips,

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” he asked, obviously seeing it all play back that day. The day we three combined beat Pertinax. The day he almost died and I had saved his life by giving him my blood. The Venom of God. Did this mean he knew of the darkness I now held inside of me?

  “It wasn’t the first time I saved your life,” I told him, hoping this would be enough…it wasn’t. He released a deep breath and then shifted so that he was on his side half above me.

  “I asked you why,” he growled and I knew with the sound of his voice that this was eating him up inside. He smoothed back my hair from my forehead, waiting for me to tell him.

  “You know why, it’s because I care for you,” I said forcefully and he pulled me from my side, so I was now on my back looking up at him. He had left some candles burning in the room as it now cast a warm glow, giving the space a romantic aura to it.

  “You gave me your blood and I saw it,” he told me and I frowned in confusion. I shook my head a little, telling him silently that I didn’t understand.

  “I saw it all. I saw the future.” I sucked in a sharp breath of shock and that’s when it started to click together like ancient puzzle pieces combining with those of my own time to create the picture in his mind. It was that single moment that had changed for him. The moment I gave him my blood and showed him a different life, one that was private and solely belonged to me and the Lucius I knew. Now he’d had a taste and he wanted more.

  “What…what did you see?” I asked as I needed to know. I had to know the depth of the levels I faced. And this time it wasn’t a frozen lake I was pushed into, no in return he gave me an abyss of feelings to drown in.

  One I had unknowingly jumped into,

  “You gave me my humanity back and taught me…” he paused before lowering his lips to mine so he could whisper the last part as the start of a forbidden kiss…

  “…How to give my heart to another.”

  Chapter 28

  Family Connections

  “Wait, this is wrong, we shouldn’t be doing this,” I told Lucius just before he could kiss me and his answer was,

  “I’m a vampire Keira, wrong is all I know,” he told me and the heart-breaking way he said it made my guard slip, enough for my hands to stop pushing against him, which was all the encouragement he needed. He crushed his lips to mine before I knew what he was doing and for a shameful moment I allowed myself the sin of getting lost in his bruising kiss. He ran his hands in my hair, holding me to him for the onslaught. His lips, his teeth, his tongue, they were everywhere, my mouth, my neck, along my jawline and all the while, nipping, sucking and kissing me in the most delicious, mind consuming ways. It was as though he couldn’t get enough of me and the feeling of power that evoked was intoxicating.

  “What are you up to this time, little wife of mine?”

  Draven?

  I heard it and I almost cried out his name. A voice from a different time, speaking not to me, but of me. It was all I needed to tear myself from Lucius’ lips, and I vowed it would be the very last time we kissed.

  “No!” I shouted and rolled myself from under his hold, making him growl as he tried to reach out and grab me but surprisingly, I was too quick for him. Well, I guess there was a first for everything. Although I had to say the whole thing would have looked a lot better had I not just rolled out of the bed and landed on the floor in a mass of covers and with a very unsexy ‘Umpf’ sound.

  I felt one corner of the covers being lifted off my face to find Lucius above me, now lay on his front and leaning casually on one elbow looking down at me with humour lighting up his eyes.

  “Comfortable?” he asked teasing me and I growled up at him before snatching the cover out of his hand and placing it back over my head to hide my shame. The sound of his laughter had me biting my lip to hold in my own. The next thing I knew I was squealing at the feel of him gathering me up in my cocoon and placing me back on the bed. I then felt him join me and start to unwrap me, as I no doubt resembled a burrito. Not that he knew what one of those was…which was when my stomach must have reminded me of what food tasted like. Jesus, but when was the last time I had eaten, let alone gone to the bathroom!?

  “I think that means something important,” Lucius teased pulling the last of the covers off me and revealing my red cheeks.

  “You think?”

  “Often, you?” was his comeback and it made me giggle.

  “When was the last time you were fed?” I looked up as I thought about it and then shrugged my shoulders, saying,

  “I don’t remember.” Hearing this he groaned and swore to himself. Then he got out of bed and I couldn’t stop myself from shouting,

  “You’re naked!” he looked back at me over his shoulder, now with his muscular back and perfectly shaped ass on view for me to openly gawk at. Obviously, he smirked when he saw my face and said,

  “As should you be.” At this I snorted and quickly wanted to smack myself when he looked far too intrigued at hearing it. He was half way between pulling his trousers back on, when he stopped.

  “Did you just snort at me?” he asked and I bit my lip, shaking my head quickly.

  “I think you will find that you did,” he said playfully narrowing his eyes and I laughed, releasing another snort. This time it was one I followed by slapping a hand to my mouth. The grin he gave me was all bad boy intent and he finished pulling up his trousers before stalking back to me. They hung dangerously low on his hips, and I couldn’t help but follow the light speckling of blonde hair that travelled from under his bellybutton into a place I liked to call, ‘The Forbidden Land’.

  “And this little animal in you, is that to be denied to me also, for I am sure I know a way to get you to repeat such a sound, after all…I know of your weaknesses.” I was about to comment with some witty retort when he lunged. The next thing I knew he was straddling my body and had my arms pinned above my head. Then he transferred both my hands into one of his and used his other hand to inflict his torture.

  “Don’t! Don’t you dare!” Okay, so with my giggling tone it was a stadium sized empty threat, one he raised a brow at before giving me another bad bo
y grin full of mischief.

  “Do I hear that right… did you really just dare me to try and extract such an adorable sound from you again?”

  “Uh…no?” I said before biting the side of my lip to stop myself from smiling.

  “I didn’t think so...” I released a relieved breath too soon as he finished his sentence leaning down, over my cheek,

  “…but I’d better make sure.” Then his free hand started to snake up my tunic, dancing his fingers gently along my sides. Needless to say, I burst into a fit of giggles and the snorts came thick and fast. Seeing this side of Lucius had me completely blown away and I knew that he was showing me what a life with him could have been like. But deep down I knew something he didn’t and right now, I knew it also wouldn’t have been something he would have accepted as truth…

  I wasn’t destined for him, someone else was.

  Well whoever it may be, I hoped for two things, that first, he didn’t have to wait too long until he found her and second, that she was a strong character, because she would need all of it to be able to keep up with this man.

  “Okay, okay, I give in, you win!” I shouted just so that he would stop tickling me.

  “I always do,” he told me acting cocky, which had me questioning…was a man like Lucius ticklish?

  “And what about you?” I questioned looking up at him breathlessly.

  “What about me?” he asked not understanding what I meant by the question and I laughed again. I tapped his hand that still had hold of me, telling him to release me. He did so without hesitation, no doubt wanting to see where this was going. So, without thinking anymore about it, I ran a gentle fingertip down his musclebound torso and asked,

  “Could it be possible for this big, bad macho, Vampire King to be ticklish and giggle like a girl?” His lips twitched before he feigned shock. Then he let himself fall to the side and flopped down onto his back next to me. Then he motioned a hand down his body and said,

  “Have at it.” Oh my, what an offer and if I had been single, I would have jumped at it. However, I very much wasn’t and was now questioning my sanity for starting such a game. Talk about playing with fire, I was doing it with fire and brimstone!

  “What’s wrong little girl, scared of losing?” I knew he was baiting me and I wished I could have said I was big enough to just shrug my shoulders and give up but this was me we were talking about. So instead I tapped a finger to my lips and looked him up and down wondering where I should start. He faked a yawn, making me laugh.

  “Close your eyes.” I told him and his eyes widened at the request.

  “What’s wrong big man, scared of losing?” I threw at him and he scoffed a laugh before doing as he was told. Now, if I could just find some indestructible shackles, tie him to the nearest marble pillar and make a run for it, I thought with a smirk.

  “Put your arms up.” I ordered and now it was I who issued such a command with a voice sounding thick with lust. This is just a game Keira. This is just a way to get him to trust you. Just a way to get a chance at escape. I told myself all of these things as I reached out and started to touch him. I saw him flinch the second my fingertips made contact with his soft skin, like a fine veil of satin over stone. Then using only one finger, I let it skim featherlight along the skin on his sides and I smiled when I saw his lips twitch as if fighting a grin. So, he was ticklish. Um, interesting. Well, this will give me something to tease him about when I get back, I thought with a deeper grin, wondering what his reaction to that would be.

  I continued my journey, reaching the inside of his underarm, the light speckling of honey colour hair, tickling my own fingers as I gently brushed through it to get to the skin and this was where I had him. He jerked and made a small moan of protest, rolling in his lips quickly after, so as not to make another noise. It made him look beautifully innocent and for the first time, incredibly human.

  “What’s the matter Lucius, getting too much for you?” I asked in a seductive voice, one laced with confidence. He smirked, but kept his eyes closed. He then tensed his arms, making his muscles bulge, which turned out to be a contradictory action, when he said,

  “Not at all, please continue for I should be asleep soon.” I couldn’t help but snort a laugh at his teasing, one he raised a brow at without needing to look at me.

  “Was that my favourite sound I just heard?”

  “No, it was the wind.” I told him faking a bored tone and making him laugh easily this time. The sight of his stomach muscles tensing had me licking my lips, thankfully a response he couldn’t see, as he still had his eyes closed.

  “Well unless there is a sow out there, trying to escape that wind, then I think you must be mistaken…that or something far more sinful, like lying.” I couldn’t stifle a laugh like I tried to, as I was having way too much fun to stop it. But what was nice to see was that every time he did hear me laugh, he too couldn’t help but grin.

  “Who me…never. Now hold still so I can get a girly giggle out of you, like I intend to,” I said before upping the game and this time as I made my next journey up his ribs, I added something a little extra. I got down low on the bed and started to blow over the same spot my finger travelled and this time I knew it was going to work as he shivered. The higher up I went the more I could see him fighting against it, and the second I got to his underarm, I paused cruelly, making him wait for the unexpected…then all my fingertips attacked at once. A laugh erupted out of him and I don’t know who looked more shocked because of it, him or me?

  “You cheated!” he shouted bolting upright and I burst out laughing.

  “You can’t cheat at tickling!” I told him with a shake of my head.

  “You used your mouth!” he complained again and soon I had tears of laughter rolling down my face. I couldn’t believe I was sat there arguing with a Vampire King because he had lost the tickling game. It was priceless.

  “Oh, and you wouldn’t have?!” I challenged back and his look said it all, he so would have!

  “Oh, I would have used my mouth alright, but now I am also thinking about teaching sinful little girls a lesson…with my teeth,” he promised with dark intent and I replied with sass,

  “So, you would fight sin with sin, that makes sense…not.”

  “It doesn’t have to make sense, it only has to go my way,” he informed and again this made me giggle. I swear but his smile was infectious.

  “You don’t change, do you?” I commented, referring to his cocky nature, one that was just as prominent to this day…or should I say, back in my day.

  “Tell me, for I am curious…what is our relationship back in your time?” he asked shifting his body against the headboard and raising one knee to rest an arm on. I had to admit he surprised me by this question.

  “Well, we are friends,” I said and he looked sceptical, repeating,

  “Friends?”

  “Good friends,” I added but even this didn’t sound good enough for him.

  “Oh, come on, give me a break here, this is like the second time you have kidnapped me and one of the first times I met you, you did try and kill me,” I told him, letting it all spill out without thought. Now this really got his attention.

  “No! For surely you are mistaken. Why would I ever try to kill my…” he let the sentence trail off, shutting down before he went too far. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.

  “Your?” I prompted, not letting it go as I knew if the shoe were on the other foot, then he wouldn’t either.

  “What happened when I tried to kill you?” he asked, skipping my question completely. I released a heavy sigh, knowing this was a road I really didn’t want to travel down.

  “To be honest unbeknown to me at the time, I was trying to kill you also… only in my defence, I didn’t really know that was what I was doing.” I added this last part when I saw the shock about to seep into rage.

  “What were you doing?”

  “I was burning you with the sun,” I told him in a
small voice. He gave me a thoughtful look as if he was trying to make sense of why this would hurt him, which was when multiple things occurred to me.

  “Why doesn’t the sun hurt you in this time?” I asked and he looked as if he was giving the question some thought.

  “The only answer I have is that I am still a young vampire, if not the most powerful, I still have many years ahead of me to fully develop my demonic powers and reach my full potential. Maybe losing the sun is simply the price I must pay.” Okay so that made sense but there was one other thing he needed to explain,

  “But what about all the times I had shown you the sun when we kissed, how come that never burnt you?” I asked him totally forgetting that he had no clue we had ever kissed before tonight, which was why his eyes grew wide and his grin even wider.

  “Just friends um…then pray, tell me sweet girl, just how sweet are you to the rest of your friends or is it just Vampire Kings you hold in greater esteem above others?” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at this and then said in a whiney, outraged voice,

  “It was you who kept kissing me!”

  “Yes, and by the way you kissed me back tonight, then I can see that I was solely to blame for all this,” he mocked and my mouth dropped open at his cocky bastardy! Okay, so I knew it wasn’t exactly a word but there was just sometimes in life that when somebody said something really shocking, then inventing new words was needed. And this was one of them!

  “I think you will recall I was the one that stopped the kiss…just like all the other times I might add.” I said this last part muttering to myself. Lucius threw his head back and started laughing, as if this was the most fun he’d had in years and well considering his career choice, then not being too big headed but then yeah, maybe I was right.

  “Yes, in your mind you might have stopped the kiss but I also know what your writhing hot, little body was telling me,” he said, being a cocky ass again and I rolled my eyes and replied sarcastically,