Tensing the grasp my shield had on Kian a little tighter, I heard him audibly groan. It would only take a little more pressure to crush him like dry tinder.
“This is the way it’s going to be. I’m going to let you go, Kian. And you’re going to stay the hell out of my family’s life. And when I say family that doesn’t include you. You leave my brother, Stefan and my friends alone. If I even suspect that you’re causing problems I’ll be back and only one of us will walk away. Do we understand each other?”
Kian glared at me, powerless against my ability. Part of me wanted to gloat at being able to hold my own with him. The other part of me knew I’d provoked a madman with my demands. To allow my father to leave with the knowledge of my strength and potential was a dangerous risk. I was not only leaving myself exposed, I was putting those I loved at risk: Stefan, Anna, Nikolaus, Lukas. But what other choice did I have? I couldn’t kill my father in such close proximity of the Council. I’d be signing my own death warrant. No matter how badly I wanted Kian dead, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my own life to take him down.
I’d have to let him go. But the next time, I’d be better prepared. He wouldn’t walk away, and I knew he’d be planning my own demise as I plotted out his.
He hadn’t answered me. My shield closed squeezed tighter and Kian struggled, gasping loudly. My voice was shrill as I screeched at him. “Answer me!”
Stefan refused to stop struggling, shoving at the shield. Increasing my hold on him, I stopped him with a slight shake of my head. “Let me handle this. Stop fighting me, Stefan. This is difficult enough without you working against me too.”
The struggle from his side stopped instantly, relieving some of the tension I was feeling. It was easier to control one person than trying to direct the shield around two struggling bodies.
“Understood,” Kian agreed. Reluctantly letting him go, I watched as he backed away from me slowly. He didn’t turn his back on me until he was at the end of the hallway. He scurried out of eyeshot, disappearing behind a set of double doors.
Only then did I release Stefan from my shield. He was infuriated with me, unable to believe I’d held him back.
“We need to leave. Now,” Stefan growled through his clenched teeth. He stormed ahead of me, his wide shoulders rigid as he stalked quickly towards the elevator. As I stepped inside, he pressed the button for the main lobby and stared straight ahead at the metal doors. He refused to look at me, the bond between us seething with his fury. Not only was he incensed at being bound, he was furious that I’d revealed my ability to Kian. To him, I’d given Kian an advantage the next time we met. He’d find a way to neutralize my shield.
I'd only used my shield to stop them both. Kian had intended to kill me. Stefan had intended to kill Kian. I knew I'd only postponed the inevitable. It was just a matter of time before they faced off again.
The car ride home was still filled with silence, but his anger had morphed into heavy sexual tension that slammed into me like a brick wall. Stefan had been both furious and aroused at my growing power. He was warring over which emotion he wanted to take over.
Stefan had made the decision to channel his anger into lust. It radiated from him like a pulsing heartbeat as he drove back to our apartment. His hands gripped the steering wheel of the Mercedes, his jaw clenched tightly. He refused to look at me, staring straight ahead as he drove. Even as he pulled into the underground parking, he averted my eyes. During the elevator ride, the intensity between us increased.
We stepped off the elevator and headed towards our apartment. My eyes were drawn to his sexy, confident stride as he swaggered down the hall. It was only after he unlocked the door that he finally met my anxious stare. His eyes were nearly black and heavy-lidded. He didn't look like the Stefan that I loved. He reminded me of a lion stalking his prey, waiting for the right moment to strike.
He held the door open for me and I rushed inside. He shut the door, methodically securing each lock. He rested his hand against the wall with his head lowered.
"Stefan?" I breathed, my voice coming out in a raspy gasp.
He slowly turned on his heel, sauntering slowly towards me with his head slightly lowered. His hands grasped my waist and he drew me to him roughly. His mouth was hot, his lips brushing against mine as he spoke in a primal growl. "I cannot talk to you sensibly. I need to lose myself in you. I need to hear you scream my name until your voice is hoarse." He paused for a moment and my own arousal spiked, wet heat spreading between my legs. "I will give you a head start."
He yanked my sweater over my head and tossed it aside. His eyes caressed the swell of my breasts before meeting my gaze. The familiar sea blue of his eyes had disappeared into the black abyss of his unbridled need.
"What was it you said to your father? Ah, tick, tock."
Backing away from him gradually, excitement surged through my body as I spun on my heel and dashed down the hallway, glancing eagerly over my shoulder. I wanted him to catch me. A sadistic part of me wanted to feel the wrath of his pent up anger.
In all fairness, he did give me a five second head start before he raced after me. I'd made it to the bedroom before he tackled me, spreading me across the bed on my back. My own need arose as his quick fingers unfastened my jeans, roughly wrenching them from my legs. He stood at the side of the bed, letting his eyes run greedily over the length of my body. A cold smile of approval curled at the corners of his mouth.
"Every single inch of you is beautiful. And every single inch of it belongs to me. Say it," Stefan ordered softly. He slowly began removing his clothes, his soft blue cashmere sweater falling to the floor. I didn't see his fingers unbutton his jeans, but I watched with rapt attention as he pushed them over his narrow hips to pool around his feet.
"I am waiting. Tell me."
My mind was scrambled. Fear, lust and desire had clouded my mind. "I'm yours, Stefan. Only yours."
His prideful smile was beautiful as his hands pushed my thighs apart. They tickled up the inside of my thighs until he reached my panties. He slid them over my legs and ran his fingertips over my swollen clit. My body jerked at his touch, my back arching off the bed.
“Stefan..." I whimpered. One moment I was totally in control, able to hold my own with him. The next I was completely at his mercy, begging for him to please me.
"Look how strongly you want me. You defy me, yet now you shamelessly beg for me to fuck you. You provoke your father while I am with the Council, leaving me helpless and unable to assist you. You infuriate me." He placed my legs over his shoulders, burying his face into my pussy. His tongue flicked circles around my clit until my thighs trembled, ready to come apart at the seams. He'd slowly back off, his tongue thrusting and licking along my folds. My hips bucked frantically under his ministrations, wanting more. Always more.
He looked up at me deviously, his eyes glittering. "You are not going to stop me now? Suddenly you are anxious for me to control you."
He was a blur as he flipped me onto my stomach. He held me on the bed with my legs together, each of his arms braced on either side of me. He hovered over me, sliding into me from behind until his hips met the curve of my ass.
Moaning, I turned my face to one side, my hands grasping at the the silky cover beneath us. My closed thighs intensified the friction of his cock as he began to thrust at a merciless pace.
"Why do you have this effect on me? You frustrate me, yet when I am buried inside of you, you manage to shatter my resolve," he hissed, forcing himself deeper inside my willing flesh. "I wanted to make you beg for me to take you. This bond we have punishes me; it makes me only want to please you. Denna obligation har bojor mig. Men jag vill aldrig bli fri.”
Releasing a wanton cry, I struggled to rise to my hands and knees, but he held me flat on the bed. "No," he instructed into my ear. "This is the only thing I can control."
"Stefan..." I pleaded again, my voice breaking. The combination of him inside of me and the power of his words had shattered me once again
.
"You were glorious as you confronted Kian. Even though I was furious with you, you were like a Valkyrie. Your powers are increasing. Tell me, where is that power now?"
He was goading me with his arrogance. I was unable to resist him and he was well aware of his power. He grabbed my hands and trapped them flat under his own. I was pinned in three places, crucified to the floor and screaming in ecstasy as he stroked harder.
“Du är min. Min att knulla, mig att älska, min för evigt.”
His switch to his native tongue rocked me to my very core. Moaning his name, I raised my hips under his assault and asked for more as he pounded harder still.
"Jag älskar dig, dumma kvinna. Mitt hjärta tillhör dig, " he moaned as if the words pained him. "I love you, foolish woman. My soul belongs to you."
I cried out, coming hard and squeezing around him tightly. Even the violence of my climax didn't cause him to relent. He roared loudly as he placed more of his weight against me, his cock slipping deeper.
"Come again," he demanded, purring in my ear. “Igen!”
His fangs bit savagely into my neck and I screamed beneath him, climaxing harder than I had only moments ago. He followed behind, shuddering violently against me.
Shaking and sobbing, I rode out the last of my orgasm. He released my hands from his and scattered dozens of gentle kisses down my back, withdrawing carefully as he descended. He was completely controlling one moment, desperately loving the next.
"Only more reason to believe you were made for me," Stefan murmured against my spine. "You are completely frustrating and addictive. I merely existed before you."
Even though he'd said those words to me before, I shivered against his the tenderness of his lips. While the words were the same, they impacted me differently with the knowledge of my father’s behind the scenes machinations at keeping up apart.
Stefan felt my anger and grief. He instantly flooded our link with love and comfort.
"I wish you'd found me years ago," I whispered against my arms. "You’d have been my first. I'd been missing my other half all these years."
Stefan wasted no time rolling me to him and swallowing me into his arms. "I am happy being your last, vackra. Destiny works in mysterious ways."
Tears streamed from my eyes and the sheer force of my embrace would have staggered a human man as I hugged him tightly to me, unwilling to let him go.
He pried my arms away and pressed kisses into the crown of my forehead. The pads of his thumbs swiped at the tears that had escaped down my face. He wore his soft, unassuming smile. It was the smile I'd come to associate as my smile. It lacked the normal smugness and arrogance that many of his expressions held. No one else had seen this smile. Only me.
"They never will, vackra." Stefan murmured, burrowing his head against my breasts. My hands went into his hair, stroking my fingers through the thick hair. A deep purr of contentment rumbled in his chest at my loving attention.
"What happened after I was kicked out of the Council meeting?"
His voice sounded sleepy when he spoke. "My testimony was a mere formality. Anna was registered as my progeny. It was fine until I felt your fear."
"We both knew my father would approach me. I handled it the best I could." My hands continued their gentle caress, lightly scratching his scalp with my nails.
"You push him. If not for your shield you would be dead right now," Stefan sighed. He rested his chin on my chest, looking up at me with his sea blue eyes. They were filled with sorrow. Even my imagined death caused him pain. It completely filled our bond with grief.
"Things just got out of control. He pisses me off with his slick demeanor and fake concern. He had the balls to actually say he showed up to personally thank you for saving me.” I barked out a soft laugh. “I know his dirty secrets and he knows of my new abilities. We're at an impasse."
He moved from my arms to lay back against the pillows, considering my words. He rubbed his hand across his chin and his eyes slid closed.
"It is a tentative impasse at best. He is planning his next move. It is important now that we stay alert. Warn your brother. He may want to stay close by," Stefan’s eyes reopened and he simply watched me for a moment, before summoning me with his index finger. "Come here."
I crawled across the bed, letting him reach to place me on his lap, my bent legs straddling his hips. He smoothed my unruly hair away from my face, his fingers wandering down my neck to cup my breasts with his palms. Arching into his hands, I pressed my them deeper into his grasp. He smiled his quiet approval as his fingers rolled my nipples, tweaking them gently.
Tipping my head back under his expert touch, I sighed as his free hand ran a sensuous trail down my throat, between my breasts until he reached my abdomen. I didn't attempt to stop the whimper that fell from my lips as he gently touched me.
"It won't take long to find Nikolaus. I know he's next door with Anna. It's no secret. Lukas ‘who doesn't do monogamy' is off with Amir somewhere," I murmured. I ran my hands over the angular planes of his face, over the prominent arch of his cheekbones, the stubble of his jaw. He smiled under my caress, his deep set blue eyes closing in pleasure.
He craved my touch. Our bond vibrated with contentment as we sat in our loving embrace.
"Amir and Lukas have had an ongoing relationship for 100 years. Neither wants to give in to their feelings. Lukas lived a very oppressed life while human. Amir was a monk during his human life, a man of the cloth that faced religious opposition. It is against their nature to admit they love each other." His hands lowered to grip my hips, circling them with his long fingers. "I have watched them dance around their love for a century. Amir is focused on his political position. And Lukas is focused on himself. The circle continues..." Stefan's voice wandered off as his fingers continued to trace over my skin.
My fingers danced across the muscles of his shoulders. I'd listened to him describe Amir and Lukas' relationship with interest. "What about you?"
Stefan's eyes flickered up to meet mine. The previously happy bond between us filled with quiet apprehension. "What do you mean?"
I leaned forward until my breasts were pressed against his chest and my lips were at his throat. "Surely you didn't just have a relationship with Solveig. You were as guilty as dancing around love as Lukas and Amir."
"I was waiting for you when they were introduced. No other woman mattered at that point."
"But before..."I began softly.
"Is this a subject you truly want to discuss? Are you prepared to hear about how I viewed women prior to my vision of you?" Stefan's voice held a warning tone to it. "Are you positive you want to open a door that cannot be closed?"
Shaking my head, I rested my face against his chest. "No. There is a part of me that does, but then I'll be constantly comparing myself to every woman you've been with. It's not healthy."
Stefan closed his long arms around me, holding me against his broad chest. "Ah, Josephine. There is no one that could ever compare to you. No one has ever or will ever be capable of captivating my heart like you. It has always been you for me, even when I did not know it."
We lay together in silence. My heart had slowed to a slow cadence, barely beating.
“Your heart continues to beat slower and slower. Soon, it will cease to pulse,” Stefan whispered. His hands combed through the waves of my hair. “It will be bittersweet to not hear it. It is the first thing I hear when I awake and has lulled me to sleep every night since we met.”
My eyes grew heavy and the last thing I remembered was the comforting feel of his lips against my temple.
***
It must have been late morning when I awoke. Stefan’s presence in our bond was gone, the reassuring hum of his life force was gone from our tie. Letting out a strangled gasp, I struggled to sit up. The pain in my chest felt as if part of my heart had been ripped from my chest. Clutching my the covers to me, I groaned out in pain.
Anna’s voice startled me. “Stefan asked me to stay with
you until you woke up. He had to attend to business with Amir.”
Struggling to raise myself into a sitting position, I looked at Anna. She stood at the windows, peeking out the heavy curtains into the street below. “I watch people rushing to get to work, to live out their boring little lives totally unaware that there’s more out there. I never thought to question the possibility that there are things that go bump in the night. Vampires, werewolves… I know I should miss my human life, but I don’t. I have an endless life ahead of me. I can do whatever I want. In a way I should thank Derek. I’d never met Nikolaus if I hadn’t been changed.”
“Anna. Where is he?” I could barely speak. I had barely paid any attention to her words. All I could think about was Stefan and the crushing pain in my chest that took my breath away.
“I told you. He’s with Amir. I have no idea what they’re doing. Stefan didn’t tell me. He just asked me to at least stay with you until you woke up. I can leave if you want,” Anna answered softly. She glided to the edge of the bed and sat down. She held out a folded piece of paper. “Stefan left this for you. Read it and I’ll make you some coffee. If you feel like talking, I’ll be in the living room with Lukas.”
Anna got to her feet and quietly left the room in a dizzying blur. Opening the paper with shaking hands, I ran my fingers over his impressive cursive handwriting.
Josephine,
As Anna has explained to you already, I am with Amir. His presence will more than likely temporarily cut the tie that links us together. The pain of the separation will be temporary and uncomfortable.
We are attending to Council business that could not be discussed last night during the testimony hearing. Be safe and do not leave the apartment unattended by Lukas or Anna. It is imperative that if you never listen to anything else I say, you follow this request. I cannot worry about your safety while I attend to these matters.
Awakening (The Vampire Destiny Series Book #3) Page 16
