Twenty-Three…

Twenty-Three: The Most Powerful Emotion

Once one is under its spell, true love is like a raging inferno; hard to control and difficult to quell.

hehe.

Contains sexual themes and language. As always.  >.>

After a few hours’ sleep, Vaclav and Aubrey awakened and chatted about Reznik. She learned that, in her absence, Vaclav hadn’t snatched the boy from the rival clan. She’d already guessed as much. Once they return home, Vaclav promised to re-hatch a plan to get Reznik.

Vaclav grew incredulous when she told him about her dream, and how their son revealed his name to her. Nevertheless, he agreed that Reznik would be his name. Why argue, when the name had distinctly ancient Czechoslovakian roots? Just like Vaclav?

It was puzzling. Who had named the boy to begin with?

Vaclav climbed out of the coffin; then offered to help Aubrey. She struggled for a moment, so he embraced her, raising her up.

 

Nervous laughter escaped her lips.  

A sensation of weightlessness came over her as he lifted her out.  

She held him tighter. Any further giggling expired in her throat, as another involuntary desire took its place.

Aubrey buried her face next to his neck. He smelled so good… and looked so incredibly handsome.

She should be completely traumatized from the last six weeks’ ordeal, but her mind seemed to disregard those events entirely… at least at that moment.

She wanted him to kiss her… very, very badly. What was with those sudden urges? 

Vaclav wasn’t just a vampire. Vaclav was a warlock, a magician who placed her under his spell. It was like drowning.

She squeezed him, capping the desire to plunder his neck with her lips.

How much longer could she hold off?

 She began to slip out of his arms…

“Kiss me,” she whispered.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

He kissed her neck.  

A second later she stood on her own, shyly gazing at him.  

Please kiss me again, her mind begged. If only he could read minds like Riley.

 Reading her eyes but not her thoughts, he kissed her again.

This time, his lips lingered.  

Then his mouth nestled deeper into her flesh, as a hot new urgency evolved. His tongue brushed her skin. Aubrey’s breathing quickened, her heart pounding like a violent windstorm beating against her ribcage.

He withdrew, leaving her breathless and confused.  

“Feel good?” he seductively asked.

“Uh, yeah.” But why did you stop?

With the rising of the moon, Vaclav and Aubrey left the nightclub.

By foot, they travelled toward the Haas manor.

At one point Vaclav placed his hand on Aubrey’s arm, gently halting her.

“Aubrey, I’m sorry for luring you here to Shadowvale. It was a cruel thing to do.”

“I just… wasn’t thinking. It’s my fault you nearly died.”

But you’re also the one who saved my life, she thought.

“I would tell you to leave Shadowvale, but Sunset Valley is no better. Now you’re in danger there as well,” he said.

She turned to him.

“You’ll never be safe unless you move out of state. Far away from here… and far away from me,” he lamented. “I wish there were another way, but that talisman can only protect you so much. Stupidly, I never realized there’d be enemies inside the Haas Clan.”

Just the thought of leaving him and Reznik brought tears to her eyes.

With one hand he stroked her face, with the other he caressed her arm.  

“I can’t leave you or Reznik,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’m in love—with you both.”

“Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?” he asked, smiling.

“Yeah. I know all about it,” she replied.

“But you’re still not safe here. I have to do a better job of protecting you.”

He pulled her closer.

“What will you do about Shawn?” he asked.

“I’m not ready to tell him. Not yet.”

Disappointment flickered in his eyes. Lovingly, he tousled her hair.

“Before we go, I’m going to kiss you,” he said. “I want it out of my system so I can continue pretending I don’t love you… for Shawn’s sake.”

His kiss was slow and sensual… lighting a fire inside her body.

“Yeah, that’s nice.” He grinned.

Meanwhile, Aubrey’s heart was beating so fast she thought it might implode.

He lunged forward, kissing her with a fresh intensity.

Then his lips went to her neck.

Oh, God. Please don’t pull a Shawn…

“I want you so bad,” he moaned, pressing his erection against her. Gently, he nipped her neck; then glided his lips across the skin. Over and over. He was driving her crazy with desire.

“I was losing my mind while you were gone. I missed you so much,” he breathed.

He parted from her. “We have to go. I don’t want to, but… we have to.”

He pulled her close again, as though unable to let her go.

“I don’t want to go back to pretending,” he said. “Fuck Shawn.

“No, I don’t want to hurt him. I’m just not ready for that.”

“Okay,” he said looking away. “I understand.”

She looked behind him.

Stunned to see one of the Shadows standing in the distance, she stifled a gasp and just pointed.

Vaclav turned.

“He won’t hurt us, he knows better. Just turn around and we’ll continue to the manor.”

He took her hand.

As they headed to the Haas residence, Aubrey marveled how danger lurked in every shadow in Shadowvale.

                                                            …

“I had to kiss you one last time before we went in,” he said. “I don’t know how much longer it’ll be before I can do it again.”

Shawn stood in the foyer, as though expecting them.

“Aubrey,” he said. “Thank God you’re alive.” His tone seemed somewhat cold. Had he seen them kissing?

He stepped up to Vaclav. “Thank you for saving her life.”

“Fuck you,” he muttered.

“I missed you,” he said. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“I love you. We’ll always be together. Always.”

Damn, she thought. I have to tell him about Vaclav… I have to! I can’t live this lie.

 

That night, Aubrey was startled awake.

It must’ve been a nightmare. She just didn’t remember. When she glanced over at Shawn, however, he triggered the memory.

In the dream, she told Shawn about her being in love with Vaclav. Shawn killed her; much in the same way John tried to and nearly succeeded.

So she realized the true reason why she couldn’t tell him. She was deathly afraid to.

                                                            ****

Chapter 24 coming this Friday! Thanks for reading! ♥