“But I made it. And so did Auseklis.” Sarma rubbed her belly and he cupped her hand, massaging her tight roundness. She hugged him and ran her fingers through his hair and down his cheek.
Reinis took the flower wreath off his arm and fit it on her head. Sarma then placed the rounded oak branches on his. He leaned down and kissed her again.
“Es tevi mīlu,” Sarma mumbled.
“What did you say?” Reinis laughed.
“Es tevi mīlu,” she said, her voice louder. “My accent is terrible.”
“No! I love it. You’re so cute.” With a free hand, he caressed her full round belly and felt the taut skin and muscle beneath his fingers. He couldn’t get enough. “Tell me what the dream showed you to convince you to come back to Latvia? Back to me?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She turned her head away, a little smirk on her lips.
“Please, tell me.”
Sarma sighed. “I dreamt you held me around the waist with our son in your arms. Auseklis was beautiful—black haired with green eyes. I knew we were going to be together. I knew it with absolute certainty. I had no choice but to take the risk and return to Latvia.” She paused, gazing out to the sea. “In the dream, we stood on a beach, like now, bathed in the moonlight—like the first time we made love here. We were smiling and happy. When I woke up, I had to come back to you. No matter what.”
“I love you, Sarma. I hate to say it, but I’m actually glad Velta tried to kill you. Now you’re going to live with me forever.” He pulled her close and kissed her forehead.
“Sounds kind of bad. Glad your sister tried to kill me?” Sarma laughed at his comment. She walked up the shore until they hit the dry sand and sat down. “How’s she doing anyway?”
“They plan to take her out of the induced coma tonight. After she wakes up, they’ll decide her punishment.” Reinis reclined on his elbows next to her.
“Punishment?”
“I told you, following the rules is what’s kept us alive. Velta broke many decrees when she tried to kill you. I won’t let it slide. Even if you survived, she hurt you, she hurt us! I’m going to ensure she receives proper punishment.” Reinis fiddled around with something in his hand.
“It’s strange that Velta made the choice for me to become a vampire, but it turned out to be the best way. The only way for us to be heartmates. And look at me.” Sarma opened her mouth exposing her incisors. “I feel powerful. Amazing.”
“You are amazing.” Reinis kissed her on the lips, dipping his tongue into her mouth. Then he shifted away, opened his hand, and produced the silver talisman the elder had given her.
“You better stop leaving this around. Auseklis did his job protecting you—both in the disk and in your body,” he chuckled
“You found it! I lost it. Yes, Auseklis did protect me,” she replied, holding the disk in her palm. “From Derek, from Gatis, and from Velta.”
She flipped it around in her hand. “Come with me, I want to do something,” he said, helping her to stand. He led her back to the pine where they’d first made love. Next to the base rested a stack of flowers, a ceramic vase, water, and a loaf of rye bread.
Reinis and Sarma built an altar in the forest. They placed the flowers in the vase and arranged the rest of the items beside the tree trunk. To one side of their offering, Reinis sat against another thick pine tree and cradled Sarma between his legs. Wrapping his arms around her chest, he placed his palm over the imprint. She covered his hand with hers and moved it so he could feel Auseklis wiggle.
“Our baby,” he whispered into her ear.
His last duty was now his heartmate. Never in his craziest moments did he anticipate this. The sound of the waves lulled Reinis and Sarma into the silence of contented lovers. Stars speckled the darkening sky. The moon climbed high, and the warm breeze fluttered through trees. Like this, the heartmates sat cradled together, in the forest by the sea.
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Acknowledgments
Thank you to my family, friends, and fans, for your support and for believing in me. There are too many names to write down, but you are in my heart.
A very special thanks to my husband, for his humor, patience, and love. His support means everything to me and I couldn't have done this without him.
And finally, without the readers and the people who believe in me, I might not have made it to this day. I appreciate everything from my heart..
About the Author
Scarlett West writes steamy, paranormal romance featuring sexy vampires. Deep characters and hot romance are her thing. An avid reader and writer who will never stop dreaming, Scarlett has traveled to many countries and been on tons of adventures. She draws her stories from these places, life experiences, and her grand imagination.
Besides writing, she’s a hobby herbalist and a dancer. If she’s not by the computer typing these things up, she can be found in a forest, on a mountain, or by the ocean.
She would like to thank her three F’s: Fans, Family and Friends.
Thank you forever for your support.
Forbidden Darkness (Immortal Desire Series Book 1) Page 26
