Her brow squished in the middle as she tried to recall. But it wouldn't come to her. "I know you, but…I can't…" She glanced again toward the Count. The sight of him frightened her, as did this sweeping feeling of love for the man who held her hand. She knew what the Count was capable of and knew these feelings could bring his anger down upon her.
Caleb put her hand to his lips. This quickly got her attention, and her eyes widened. Staring at him in awe, her lips parted slightly. He kissed her hand gently as she stared at him like a frightened doe.
His words slipped from his lips quickly, "Forever is black without you. Like an endless sea of waves that crash upon me, so heavy they crush my every breath, and I’m forced to breathe in their salty poison. Without you, there is no happiness, no life. If I left this world and my body behind, there would be nothing left but my love for you—the love so deeply embedded in my soul that it is eternal and never ending. Nothing will separate us. Not even death."
"I need to…" Her words were soft, her eyes darting over his masked face. She tried to pull off his mask, but he quickly grabbed her hand and stopped her.
His voice was shaky, his eyes nervously taking in their surroundings. "I can't be seen here. We must go somewhere else to talk."
"All right." She nodded then quickly followed him out to the hall. They retreated to a nearby room away from the other guests. When they were alone, she spoke. "Who are you?" She took a step closer to him. Her movements were slow as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "And why is it that you can speak so closely to my heart?" There was an admiring look in her eyes.
"It's okay that you don't remember. I don't blame you." He stroked her chin as he held it in-between his fingers. "I just needed to see you and tell you one last time that I love you. I love you more than anything, Ashleigh. Being away from you is driving me insane."
"Love me?" Her long lashes fluttered. Her eyes were the only feature visible above her lips. "I can feel that. It wears on your handsome face like a cloud of thick smoke."
He slowly pulled off her mask and revealed the face of his love. He smiled when he saw her study him.
"And for you, my masked man." She pulled off his mask. Her face filled with a wicked smile as she slowly raised her chin and eyed him hungrily. The look in her eyes confused him. She didn't seem to be the woman he had known. "Caleb." Her brow lowered over her bright eyes as she licked her lips. Her hands on his shoulders took a firmer grip.
"Ash…I…" He tried to speak as he stared at this unfamiliar woman. It was as if something had snapped inside her. There was a psychotic happiness fueling her expression. She appeared dangerous, something she had never been to him before.
There was a cool seduction in her tone, "Why do you look at me so?" She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. Slowly, she gazed at his bare neck then looked into his eyes. She was so confident, arrogant. Her every movement showed the incredible power that flowed through her veins. "I remember you now." Her tongue peeked from her lips and licked the tip of her fang. Her stare was focused on his lips. "Such a lover, I can never forget."
"What-what happened to you?" He stroked her cheek as his worried eyes scanned this dark vixen in front of him.
"I thank you for letting me remember." Her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Resting her cheek against his, her lips brushed teasingly against its surface. "How I have missed you." She nipped at his ear a few times, as she tried to push back the urge to bite him. "Do you still love me, Caleb?"
"You know I love you." His arms were wrapped around her waist, but he held her loosely. He wasn't squeezing her tightly like he normally would.
"Then, why are you so tense?" She slowly pulled away from his neck, and her eyes fell upon his face. She studied him like she could read his mind, something that was making him nervous. "You act as if you don't want to touch me."
"I want to…it's just…" He glanced over to the side to avoid her intense stare. "I just worry you don't love me anymore."
"Don't doubt me." Her fingers danced over the surface of his cheek, her touch teasing. "It is you that I love. It’s always been you."
"Even though the sentence for touching you is death…" His next words were soft and each one shook as they slipped from his lips, "I would go to the darkest hell, if it meant I could hold you in my arms again—even for just a second. I promised forever and vowed to protect you, but I can't. I'm so sorry this all happened to you."
"Have you come to save me?" A playful grin peeked on her lips. Her mood was not desperate like his, and she was eerily calm. "How sweet."
"I promised I would." He observed her strangely and wasn't sure how to take her words. "I'd do anything for you."
She leaned closer to his ear, her voice smooth as she spoke into it. "Then, wait for me." She started nipping at his neck again. Her body pushed up against his, as her grip tightened. "For I will be the heroine who will free your people from my husband's reign."
"Your husband?" Caleb immediately pulled away from her. His eyes narrowed on her angrily.
She put her finger to his lips. "Shhh…" She laughed softly, a sly expression on her face. "You misunderstand. Though I love you, I am still the Count's wife and always will be." She pushed her body into his, shoving Caleb back a step. Her nose rubbed up and down the bridge of his teasingly. "You need to know who I am before you vow to love me. I have evolved, Caleb—I am no longer human."
"I don't care what you've become. I love who you are."
"You do?" Her long lashes fluttered as her heavy eyes slowly moved upward to meet with his. "Vow to me your loyalty and love, and it will be I who will protect you." She could see the deep hurt her words had caused to his ego. "At my side, you will never be harmed. What is your answer?" Her hand slid down between them and into his pants. Caleb drew in a deep breath when her fingers tightened. "Vow to me, Caleb."
She kissed his neck, her lips against his skin making it tingle. The feeling was incredible and overpowering. His grip around her tightened. "Damn it, babe, you're driving me nuts." His hands took a firm hold of her dress. Licking his lips, he threw his head back. "I can't concentrate when you're—" His mouth opened wide when he felt her bite. With her fangs inside him, everything around him disappeared, the extreme pleasure making his eyes roll back.
She giggled when he dropped to his knees. Following him down, Ashleigh's knees hit the floor. Using her weight, she shoved his over-willing body into a laying position. She took her hand from his pants and held the sides of his head. She tried to drink from him, but she was laughing so hard at his reaction that most of it trickled down his neck.
When the wound started to heal up, she waited for him to come to. She stared into his sleepy face, and her eyes drank in his handsome features, his long, dark lashes hiding his icy eyes from her view. She wanted to be the first thing he saw when he awoke.
"Whoa…" He laughed nervously as his eyes slowly opened. He tried to focus on her face, but was having a hard time doing so. "That was trippy."
"No…" She giggled as she bounced on his hips. "That was delicious."
"So…" Caleb wasn't quite sure where he was, so his eyes scanned the room slowly. "What do you mean by being the heroine?"
"Saving Morgan from Drake." She rose to her feet. Her movement was so quick it looked like a glitch in a computer screen. "Your people need a leader—someone strong to protect them from the Count's rule."
Caleb stood. He rubbed his eyes as he tried to get the dizzy feeling to leave his head. His whole body tingled, and her kiss made him feel better than any feeding had. "And you're going to do that?"
"Of course." She watched his movements like a cat would a mouse scurrying across the floor. "Tell me—how did you come here?"
"I drove." He laughed as he watched her put her mask on and hide some of her beauty from his eyes.
There was a very serious tone in her voice, "Did you bring the jet?"
"Yeah." He ran his hands through his dark hair, trying to perfect his small Mohawk.
"It's at the airport."
"I will tell you what we will do." She pulled on his suit jacket, yanking him closer like a rubber band relaxing after being stretched.
An excited smile filled his lips as he stared at her. "All right."
"Go to the airport, ready the plane, and I will come as soon I finish my business with the Count."
"Will you be all right on your own? I can—"
"I will be awesome." She leaned forward and kissed him quickly. "Now go, before you are caught. I will meet with you soon."
"Promise me you'll be okay…" He reached up and stroked the side of her cheek. There was great fear in his eyes. "Or I won't leave you."
"I promise." She took his hand away gently then pointed toward the window. "Now go."
Chapter Thirteen
She returned to the party and blended into the crowd on the third floor. She stood near the railing, and her eyes scanned quickly for the Count. He wasn't where she saw him last, so she leaned over the balcony, sticking her neck out slightly to get a better look.
"Such beauty is a sin to hide behind a mask."
She turned to the sound of the Count's voice. A small smile peeked on her lips when she saw his outstretched hand. "You have found me."
"One must look toward the heavens to capture the beauty of an angel." He laughed softly as he moved closer to her. His hands slipped around her waist. Cocking his head to the side slightly, he studied her from a different angle. "In white, you could pass for one, but I know better."
"For you are a smarter man than most." She put a hand on his chest. This put some distance between them as she admired him. "But it was a sin to make me into something this powerful." She glanced down then slowly up to his eyes. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."
"So, my costume has fooled you?" He reached up and cradled her cheek.
"Yes." She traced his chin, a slight frown creeping onto her lips. She was thinking about her plans to leave him. The guilt of these thoughts were eating at her. "Why could you not dress as a prince?" She gazed down at his lips, her mind racing as she thought about this feeling. This love she had for the Count, the love she had forgotten when she was with Caleb. Doubt hung heavy like a cloud around her, and she soon realized she didn't want to leave the Count. She loved him.
"It is a game, my love. It supposed to be challenging." He traced her mouth with a single finger. His touch ignited a shiver that sprung from her lips and traveled to her toes. It wasn't one of fear, but of great desire.
She leaned closer to him, turning her head to the side so she could bypass the long sweeping nose on his mask. "Kiss me, Drake." Her lips hovered over his as she glanced upward. Her heavy lids and deep voice showed she was growing aroused. "Kiss me so passionately that all I can see is you. I need you."
"After the party." He laughed as he pulled away from her. "The kiss you require is not appropriate in a room full of guests." He took in her angered expression as he looped her arm in his. "But when we are alone, I shall kiss you the way you desire."
"May I pleasure you, as well?" She glanced over at him as they walked.
"Is it not my turn?" He admired her sparkling eyes. "Can it not be a night focused on you?"
"I want it so badly, I can taste you on my tongue." She licked her lips as she gazed at the crowd below. "The salty taste of it mixed with your blood."
"With an appetite like yours, I shall make sure you have eaten before you get any closer than this."
"So, you are denying me?" She released his arm and took a step back from him.
"Oh…" He chuckled as he turned around to face her. "Have I left you disappointed?" He was paused on the stairs, his hand resting on the railing as he stared up at her. She was standing a few stairs above him, her body towering over him as if she were standing on a pedestal.
"You are a liar, Drake." Her brow lowered, a deepness invading her tone as she glared at him. "You have wronged me, and for such a deception, I will never forgive you."
"I do not know of what you speak."
"You have made me forget…made me into your puppet. Lies, Drake."
"I did this for us. You do not understand—"
"This is a declaration of war, my love." Her lips filled with a dangerous grin. Her tone was like sweet liquid filling his ears, yet each word cut like a knife. "I will soon return home to rule over the Morgan Family. No longer do I, nor they, belong to you."
"My queen…" He reached his hand out to her. His anger was covered up by a playful voice, "What silly words you speak. You do not wish to do such a thing."
"Though I love you, I will not back down. You have humiliated me—hurt me so deeply, you do not deserve even an ounce of forgiveness from my lips. Soon, you will see the extent of my anger."
"You cannot rule." He laughed as he gripped the railing. His wedding ring shone under the light. "Such a threat is empty. I do not fear you."
She raised her hand, and all the people around them passed out. Their bodies fell lifelessly to the floor. "You do not believe me?" The music had stopped, and her voice was the only thing he could hear. "Then, I will show you that I am not joking. I will have you begging for my kiss, my prince. I am leaving you and will raise my own family in Morgan."
"Oh?" He scanned the room. His eyes settled on a few people that rose to their feet. "So, you wish to play, do you?"
"I wish to win. How dare you deny me—after all you have promised?"
"Deny you?" He seemed to take her anger lightly. "How have I denied you?"
"I am leaving you and taking over the Morgan Sect."
"I will never allow you to leave me." His head lowered slightly as he readied to pounce on her. "You and the others belong to me—I am your king. You cannot replace me."
She quickly disappeared then reappeared at the top balcony. She shouted over the railing as she peered down on him, "Oh, my love, what a slow man you've become. It will take more than brute strength to catch such a queen as I."
"I will give you one more chance to reconsider." He appeared behind her, and his hands took hold of her waist, gripping it tightly. His breath was heavy in her ear as he held her. "Bow to me."
She turned around in his arms, an evil smirk filling out her lips. She spoke in a sweet, teasing voice, "Do you love me, Drake?"
"You know of my love. Now is not the time to ask such a question." He let her rest her hands on his shoulders.
Her tone deepened as her happiness slowly faded into a straight-lipped frown. "Tell me, Drake." Her hand tightened around the handle of a concealed blade.
His tone was deep, the boom of it making her heart pound. "Stand down, my queen."
"Tell me you love me, Drake!" Her nose wrinkled in anger as her lip curled slightly. Her hand shot upward, the knife going deep inside his chest. "Our next meeting…" She twisted the knife and forced him to turn around, slamming his body into the railing. "Will not be pleasant." She took a step back from him. "So, stay away from Morgan until you are ready to acknowledge me as your queen."
He started for her, but she quickly vanished. Closing his eyes, he held his hand over the wound. The pained expression painting his features didn't come from the knife, but from his broken heart.
* * * *
Ashleigh could see Caleb standing near the stairs of the jet. The collar of his jacket was popped, and he was smoking, something she hadn't seen him do in ages. His eyes darted around quickly as if someone would jump out of the shadows and attack him. Her expression brightened at the sight of him.
She materialized behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Boo!"
"What the—" Caleb jumped at her action, but quickly settled down when he realized who she was. "Hey."
She giggled as she clung tighter to him. Her teeth nipped at his ear, a deep, seductive tone to her voice as she whispered, "Ready to go?"
"Ya-yeah." He laughed nervously as he turned his head partially to her.
She could feel his fear, but it didn't worry her. "T
hen, let us go." Her hands slipped from his waist and one took his.
When they got inside, Ashleigh pulled Caleb toward the seats. She forced him into a sitting position, immediately hanging on him. Neither of them spoke until the plane was in the air.
"Ash?" Caleb peered down at her.
She was snuggled into him, her eyes closed as she smiled. "Yeah?"
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
Her answer was confident and upbeat, "I do." She studied his expression. She was still in her gown, the puffiness of the skirt like a small barrier between them. Stroking his cheek, there was a calming warmth in her expression. "Trust me, Caleb. Everything will get better now that I'm back."
Caleb noticed she was wearing his ring. "But what if the Count—"
"The Count will never bother us again. I will take care of our family in Morgan." She put a finger to his lips. "He should not make someone his equal. He didn't think it through, and now, I am just as strong as he is." She changed positions as she sat up straighter and placed her hands on Caleb's legs. "And I can protect us. I can protect all of us." She placed a hand on her stomach then took Caleb's and placed it there as well.
Caleb beamed when he felt her bulging belly. "All of us."
"Oh, Caleb!" She leapt into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. Holding him tightly, there was a wet sound to her strong voice, "Thank you so much for saving me. If you hadn't come, I would've been trapped in the past forever. Thank you. You are my sun, my eternal protector. Thank you for shining your rays and making me see what layed in the darkness that shrouded my eyes. I love you, Caleb."
"I love you too, Ash." He rubbed his cheek against her soft curls. "I'm so glad we're together again." Closing his eyes, he held her as tight as he could. "I missed you so much."
"Caleb?" She pulled away from him and wiped away a few of her tears. "Will—"
He answered before she could finish, "Sure." He laughed as he gently tapped her leg. "Sit tight a sec."
Getting up from his seat, he went to the back of the plane. Ashleigh stood on her knees and turned to watch him. Her hands held the back to the seat loosely, a giant grin on her face when she saw what was in his hands. He held up a new guitar, and slung over his shoulder was her laptop bag.
Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) Page 16
