“I’m sorry I mentioned it. I feel your nervous feelings. I apologize. I meant it with gratitude.”
Sarma said nothing. Nausea swamped her. It bothered her they could all hear her thoughts as if her mind were made of netting. Did Hilda know how much Sarma wanted to ask about Reinis? Where he was? When she could see him? But Hilda acted as if she had no idea of her questions, although Sarma was sure she did.
Hilda worked her hair into two French braids, soothing the tension that seized her body. Her eyelids became heavy.
“You need to rest. I’ll be back soon.” She patted the braids, then left, closing the door behind her.
After eating and drinking teas to prepare her body for the ceremony, Sarma went to sleep. During the night, she awoke suddenly. The room was black but someone was nearby.
“Is someone there?” Sarma asked. Hadn’t there been a nightlight on? “Hello?”
Nothing.
Her stomach tightened, and a chill rolled over her body. She wished she could disappear into the night, find a way back to Riga, and board a plane. She questioned her own sanity returning to Latvia, voluntarily launching herself into a future with no guarantees. Her sole purpose was to have a baby she would not keep, with a vampire she loved but was forbidden to see.
Sarma strained to see in the dark, but she could see no shapes lurking about. No sound, no person. Only the eerie sensation that she was being watched. Was it one of the vampires, too hungry to face the snow and cold temperatures?
“I asked who’s there. You don’t want to mess with me. Do you hear me?”
Silence.
She pulled the blankets over her head. Her heart thumped wildly and the wind whistled through the trees.
Chapter 40
Winter Solstice, the second and last opening for Auseklis’ conception to occur, arrived. Laima informed Sarma that this time, instead of a chance encounter, they would have a ceremony to help ensure success. Laima prepared her with a scented oil massage and dressed her in a sheer, crimson dress with a black, shiny ribbon tied around her waist. Beneath the gown, she was naked. Her hair was braided, and her lips were painted the same color as the cloth she wore. Sarma looked and felt gorgeous.
Still, she sat tense on the queen-size bed. A black translucent canopy stretched over the top and draped down the sides. She caressed the black satin sheet folded over the upper part of a maroon blanket, trying to forget what she faced that evening. Of course, deep down she wanted to be with Reinis again, but what would happen afterward? That was the problem. Her fingers traced over the edge of the sheet was embroidered with white Auseklis stars. Around her, several small lamps illuminated the room. On a small table against the wall, four unlit candles stood in a silver candelabra on a white cloth.
The door creaked open. Sarma sensed Reinis before she spotted him. The whir in her heart blossomed, and her soul brightened with his presence. She met his eyes and then did a long glance over the form of his muscled body. He was dressed in simple, loose, black pants, a crimson, sheer shirt that matched her dress, and was barefoot. His fade was recently shorn, and he wore a manicured stubble. In his hand, he carried a small bag, which he placed on the table next to the candles. Catching sight of her eyes on him, he ran a hand through his hair and cocked one eyebrow.
Neither of them moved, only listened to each other’s shallow breaths.
Across the room, he took a few steps forward, but hesitated, as if measuring her response. “Sarma, are you sure you want to do this?”
She clasped her hands and squeezed them together. Images from the dream flashed through her mind. But she quickly flushed those visions away.
“I’ve made my decision.”
As if still unconvinced, he stood waiting. “I won’t hate you if you decide to leave. I’ll find a way to force them to let you go.”
Tears streamed down her face. “I’m here because you were dying.”
Why was she saying this to him? She didn’t want him to be executed. Before, she wanted to be with him, and now, standing there, all she could do is lash him with her words.
“Sarma, don’t cry. You have a right to be angry. At me, at the elders.” Closing the space between them, he took her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Every part of me wanted to return to you in Arcata but they would have executed me and locked you up if I didn’t leave.”
“Executed you? Locked me up? Those sick bastards. What about now, are we in danger?”
“No. They won’t hurt you. I told you that. But listen to me. Leaving you was the last thing I wanted to do, but I did it to protect you. I risked your anger in exchange for a chance to fight. I know. It was the worst gamble.” He brushed his thumb against her lips.
“When I arrived, they locked me in the basement beneath this manor. They left me there to rot. They told me we could never be together. I shut down believing I would never see you again. I starved myself hoping the elders would change their minds to make us heartmates. I couldn’t do anything, Sarma. I said I was never going to leave you. I promised you I was going to fight for you. And that’s what I’m doing. No matter what happens, I won’t lose hope again.” He brushed away her tears and kissed her forehead.
Laima was right, he did fight for her in his own way. It was a risk, but they’d left him with no option. Still, she couldn’t believe she was here.
“I must be insane.”
“Why, Sarma?” His eyebrow furrowed.
“Because I’m here, having a baby with a vampire I love, knowing I’ll never see our son, knowing I can never be with you,” she whispered, averting her eyes to his chest.
“That’s not what’s happening here,” he said, tipping her chin up with his fingers, forcing her to face him. “You’re following your heart, and so am I. And if that’s insanity, then I must be crazy, too.”
“But they’ve already punished you and prohibited us from being together.”
“The real truth? This is not about them. I mean, yes, this is what they want.” Reinis stared intently into Sarma’s eyes. “We need to make it about you and me, Sarma.” He gestured between their torsos. “About how we feel about each other. That’s why I need to know. Are you entering this ceremony on your own volition?”
Each word sliced through her fear. Sarma closed her eyes, slamming out everything that surrounded her, shutting off the voices in her head that taunted, and instead, focused on her heart.
Opening them again, she said, “I want this. For me. For you. For us.” Bitterness melted away.
“Come by my side.” He took her hand and led her to the table with the candelabra. Reinis opened the bag and retrieved several pieces of bread, a few fir branches, and some matches. “Help me arrange this.”
Together they placed the branches around the base of the candleholder along with the two pieces of bread. He lit a match and guided their hands to each of the candles.
“As we light each candle, we call on Four Gods to our ceremony,” Reinis said. “Say the words with me.”
Touching flame to wick, he said, “Dievs,” with Sarma echoing him, calling on the sky above. After the wick danced with flame, he said, “Māra, Laima, Vieta,” for Earth, Fate, and Place. Sarma repeated each word, her hand trembling as they ignited each one.
Turning to her, he slid his fingers around her middle. “You are so amazing in that dress.” He sucked in his breath and traced his eyes over her shape. The cloth clung to her body, outlining her dainty breasts, nipples, the curve of her waist, and slope of her hips. He turned off the lamps, leaving them in the soft candle light.
“And you are so amazing, in anything.”
Standing before him, the imprint purred in her chest. Out of all the times they’d been together, this moment weighed on her the most, even more than when they made love on the beach. Not because of his coven. For the first time with the clarity of still, pure water, she was aware of what she wanted and wouldn’t change her mind. She was placing her heart in his hands.
With the
sheer canopy hanging over them like a veil of protection, the imprint hummed between her breasts. She’d endured his sadness, his laughter resounding through him, and now the burning passion he held for her. Not only in body but a firm resolve for them to remain together. She’d never felt closer to him and they would never concede to the elders.
~ * ~
Reinis had sensed her hesitation when they greeted each other, in her slow approach, in her words. But nothing would ever come between them again. Sarma was his heartmate and always would be.
He didn’t deserve her trust, and with her confidence he knew he must not fail her. His coven and species wanted Auseklis, depended on them both, but they were wrong in their tactics. If their Morning Star were to rise, he would greet them not out of obligation, but because of their feelings for each other.
Reinis loosened the ribbon and reached toward the hem of the dress. Sarma’s breath became rough with anticipation. He peeled it off and ran his eyes over her again, his chest expanding as he took in every inch of her curves. Sarma parted her lips. With the tip of his finger, he traced over her collarbone, drawing a line between her breasts, over her navel, but stopped short of her mound. Sarma gasped when he halted as if she wanted him to continue.
Blood pooled in his loins as he drifted his thumb over the pout of her reddened mouth. That mouth he wanted to kiss, to make Sarma feel like the beautiful woman she was. To give her tribute for all she had done for him. A slight moan escaped her throat as he removed his own clothing.
Gathering her in his arms, Reinis placed a languorous, heated kiss on her lips. He dipped into her mouth until she was breathless and her knees buckled. Hoisting Sarma into his arms, he gently placed her on the bed. Laid out before him, he gazed into those fawn-like eyes that had captured his heart when they first met in the club. Only now, instead of averting them, she returned his stare, dwelling on his face for a moment.
“You’ve laid yourself out before me . . .” He met her lips again with a peck. “Sacrificed yourself for the good of many beyond you . . .” His lips found her chin. “Now I want to show you how much you mean to me.”
Sarma’s hand cupped the back of his head as he swept her neck with light sucks and licks toward her breast. Drawing her perky nipple into his mouth, he suckled her peak while he gripped her hip. He caressed her soft skin sending shivers through her body and listened to her panting that heightened with the circling of his tongue. Her nipple hardened between his lips as he opened and closed his mouth, wetting her skin and tasting her sweet flesh.
Her heady fragrance curled through the air, tickling his nostrils, inviting him to find and fill the place between her legs that was his. His sex was already firm, and his length twitched with the expectation of fulfilling the need he sensed in her, but he forced himself to wait.
Reinis drove his hand between her closed thighs, already damp with her juices. She pushed her fingers into his pec, and slid her hand around his ribcage, pressing down as he delved his fingers inside. Leaning over her, he locked onto her mouth again and found the special spot where she loved to be caressed. He titillated the ridge until she writhed beneath him, and her juices flowed. She tilted her hips into his hand and mirrored his tempo as he slid in and out. Her channel clenched around his wet fingers. Sarma hissed when she came and clamped her thighs down on his hand.
Sarma unlatched her mouth, and between gasps, she whispered, “Come into me. I want to join with you. I want our bodies together. That’s what I came here for.”
“I will do this for you.” Brushing her hair off her damp forehead, he nestled his face into her tresses and deeply inhaled. “This is what I missed about you. Hearing your voice ask for me and smelling your delicious scent.”
“You don’t know how much I needed this. Needed you. I tried to tell myself—”
“Shh, just feel me now.”
She closed her mouth and eyes. “Yes, please.”
Reinis lowered himself on top of her and positioned himself between her legs. Her hand found the small of his back. When his cock neared her opening, she nudged him toward her, though he required no urging. Their fingers laced as he eased into her canal.
“Sirsniņa, you won’t have to remember me, because I won’t become a memory. You won’t have to recall this moment because we’re going to be together forever.” He planted another tender kiss on her lips.
A tear rolled down her cheek. “The night they took you away from me, I thought I would lose you forever.”
“But here I am. Here we are.” He kissed the tear away and held her mouth captive again.
He burrowed deeper inside setting a gentle but charged tempo. Though he moved slowly now, he expressed the same passion he had every other time they joined. She wrapped her arms around his back and returned his gesture, moaning as he pulsed between her thighs. His head cradled on her shoulder, he placed his chest against her breasts so their imprints would meet. The vibration unfurled, engulfing them both. Eyes closed, the light of the imprint showed clearly for the first time, extending to all corners of their bodies, filling them with a warmth neither of them had ever known. Another release soared through their bodies, leaving his limbs limp, and Sarma’s body spent.
Reinis lingered on top of Sarma, her slowing breath against his neck, and kissed her damp forehead. Easing to one side, he pulled the blanket back and covered them with it, then cuddled her in his arms. Sarma opened her eyes and kissed him full on the lips. She spooned against his chest and rested her face in the curve of his neck.
“I missed you so much.”
“I know Sarma. I missed you too, more than you can imagine. The elders were infuriated when they found out I imprinted you and even more after they learned I was in love with you.” He held her hand again.
“What will happen now?” Sarma eked out the words, as if not wanting to hear the response. “You can’t leave me again, Reinis.” She met his eyes with skepticism.
“I won’t. Stand up to the elders? No one in my coven has ever opposed their authority. But it doesn’t matter. They can’t break this bond, they can’t take it away, and this time I have a strategy.”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Look at me. I know we’ve put you through hell, but don’t give up on me. I’m not going to let anyone steal my hope away again. Got it?”
Her eyes fluttered open, and she nodded yes. “And I won’t let them take mine either. I promise you.”
“Agreed. This is the longest night of the year. Enjoy me, and don’t think of it anymore.”
Reinis kissed her and nudged her open again, her moans stirring his blood as he pervaded her with his love. He gripped her hand. An image of the elders, hovering in a semi-circle, staring at them on the bed, invaded his mind. He dreaded the arrival of morning.
Chapter 41
In her crumbling manor, Dita faltered as she stood up from her bed, alone in her bedroom. Reinis had been with Sarma again. She trembled from rage and hunger. It’s not that she didn’t want to eat, she couldn’t. She was sick to her stomach about the future. Even if she were to force herself to eat, her regular diet of rats wouldn’t do. She starved for human blood, relishing the thought of it running down her throat, but weakness had overcome her, and she couldn’t bring herself to hunt.
She donned her black cape, lifted into the air, and drifted into the faintly lit main hall of the manor. Ilze, Gatis, and Andis cowered on chairs lined up in the center of the room. They were tied down and their mouths gagged. When Dita neared, they stared at each other in terror.
Gatis’ head hung limp to one side, eyes closed, mouth slack. Dita straddled him, clamped her mouth on the side of his neck, and sucked in his sweet blood. She took enough blood to weaken but not kill. His skin popped as she released the pressure.
Dita moved onto Andis, who was slumped over between them both. He’d fainted as Dita bit Gatis’ neck. She spread her legs over Andis’ thighs and bit down on his vein. As she sank her teeth in, Andis’ eyes flashed open. He
sucked in a sharp breath and lost consciousness again. When finished, she craned her neck toward Ilze; a thin line of blood dripped down the corner of her mouth.
With blood-shot eyes, Ilze stared at Dita’s approach. Sweat beaded on Ilze’s forehead as Dita closely examined her daughter. Ilze dry heaved, tears streamed down her face, and she scrunched her eyes closed. Dita caressed her cheek, scraping a nail over her daughter’s skin. Ilze trembled uncontrollably as Dita climbed on top of her daughter.
“Open your eyes, child. Open them because this may be the last time you ever see me.” Dita breathed hot air onto her neck. Ilze flinched, but her eyes remained closed. “Don’t open them, then. It’s all the same to me.” Dita impaled Ilze with her teeth.
She fed not to kill, but to flag them before she injected the sleep toxin she concocted. Ilze’s body shivered under her lips, and a burning ache to suck the life out of her slammed Dita. But she didn’t want her children dead. She would be left with no one, and as useless as they were, she might need them in the future.
Pulling back, she lifted off Ilze. Dita turned toward the table that stood near their line of platforms and picked up the syringe filled with potion. Tapping one side of the glass vial, she pushed droplets out of the needle’s tip, then injected each of her children with a third of the vial.
The toxin could kill them, but at a low dose, it would leave them in a coma-like sleep. The three of them were already dazed from blood loss. By the time she injected Ilze, Gatis and Andis were nodding off, sinking further into their stupors. After all three were injected, she checked their pulses. They were slow, but still alive.
Gatis was heavy as she scooped him up. But fresh from feeding, Dita’s body was strong. Vampires’ pure blood healed and rejuvenated in a way a puny human’s could never deliver. She lifted him into a wheelbarrow to take him downstairs to the cave. One by one, she delivered her children to their new home and strapped them down to the beds she fashioned.
Forbidden Darkness (Immortal Desire Series Book 1) Page 23
