Blood Spirit (16 page)

He
looked like he did now, his smooth black hair hanging to his shoulders and
those deep green eyes piercing her with his stare. He stood outside near a
fence somewhere with a look of sadness on his face.

Ilona
marveled at how different he looked in the daylight and then a realization
flooded over her. In her thoughts, he wasn't vampire. The image of him began to
fade, but Ilona fought losing it, desperate to keep that man with her. No
matter how hard she struggled, however, the image faded away, leaving her with
an emptiness that overwhelmed her.

She
opened her eyes as the old man's touch left her and looked at Terek to know if
he'd heard what was inside her. His face told her he was still unaware as he
looked at her with an expression of hope, his eyes sparkling as he waited to
hear the answer to his question.

The
man spoke to him in a somber tone, and he lowered his head. When he spoke
again, she understood him and what he was saying to Terek.

"You
cannot hear her thoughts because she is not meant to be heard. To know what
lies inside her, you must feel instead of think."

Ilona
saw the disappointment in Terek's expression, and as they left the old man, she
sensed an air of defeat come over her sire. It made her want to make him happy.
As they walked silently through the streets toward the Place el Hedim, she
asked, "Can we stay here for a few days? I've never been to Morocco before."

Nodding,
he said quietly, "If you like."

She
didn't like seeing Terek like this. He seemed so dejected. So lost. But if he
let her, she'd try to make him happy again.

Chapter Thirteen

Ilona
let Terek take her to Marrakech, hoping the change might brighten his spirits.
As she waited in a cafe, he made arrangements for them at a local hotel. When
he returned, she thought she saw a sparkle in his eye that hadn't been there
earlier.

Standing
beside the table, he extended his hand out to her. "Ready?"

"I
thought we could sit here for a while. This cafe is great."

"I
have a surprise for you. Come."                                

Taking
his hand, they walked little more than a block before Terek turned into a
courtyard as she stopped dead and stared up at the breathtaking sight in front
of them.

"The
Grand Palace?"

"I
thought you'd like it," he said with a smile.

"Like
it? Terek, it's a five-star hotel in every sense of the word. I saw an entire
program about it on the Travel Channel one night."

"Well,
let's see if the Travel Channel got it right," he teased.

As
they walked the grounds, Ilona marveled at the hotel Terek had chosen for them.
From the gorgeous, lush gardens of brightly colored flowers and exotic plants
to the exquisitely appointed lobby with the finest furniture, it was paradise—a
stunning oasis in the middle of the dry Moroccan landscape.

Terek
handled checking them in while Ilona stared wide-eyed at the spectacular
surroundings. Never before had she seen such opulent luxury right before her.
Fascinated, she admired a mosaic fountain in the center courtyard surrounded by
intricately carved arches. Pastel tiles seemed to dance in the light against
the stone walls.

"It's
even more incredible in person," she whispered excitedly as they walked to
the elevator.

"I'm
glad you like it. I thought you would."

What
she liked even more was that her happiness appeared to be bringing out some in
him. Stepping into the elevator, she squeezed his arm and was thrilled when he
looked down at her and smiled.

As
they walked to their room, Ilona felt like she'd fallen into a world of color.
Everything was so rich looking. The vibrant reds, blues, and yellows in the
Moorish architecture were a feast for the eyes.

"These
are so beautiful, Terek," she said as she admired a mosaic mural that
covered the full length of the hallway.

They
stopped and he explained the story the mural told of a Moorish princess stolen
from the man she loved and held captive by an evil and jealous man. She
languished for days and nights as her beloved searched the world over for her.
While he spoke, she wondered how he knew this story so well, but fear of his
slipping back into that sadness he'd felt before kept her from asking.

By
the time they'd reached the suite he'd reserved, Ilona was sure nothing could
be more impressive than everything she'd already seen at The Grand Palace. One
look at their room proved she'd been so wrong.

"Oh
my God...Terek," she said in amazement as he gently guided her in and
closed the door behind them.

The
Travel Channel hadn't done it justice. Ilona's eyes traveled up the delicately
etched walls to the ceiling made from wood beams that had been stained the
deepest mahogany color. The effect was breathtaking in its beauty.

Wood
doors with intricately carved panels flanked a Moorish archway that led to the
bedroom and balcony that overlooked the gardens below. Ilona walked into the
bedroom only to find more grandeur there. Behind the king sized bed hung deep
orange curtains, accented by a dark wood headboard that reached halfway up the
wall toward the ten foot ceiling.

Terek
followed behind her explaining the architecture's history. Turning, she watched
his happiness blossom. "Have you lived in this country?"

"No,
but my sire brought me to Morocco and I fell in love with it."

As
Ilona continued to look in amazement at their suite, she asked, "Did he
bring you here?"

Terek
walked past her seemingly unfazed by the beauty all around him and headed for
the balcony. "No. He was gone long before this hotel existed."

Ilona
followed him outside onto the balcony and stood silently in awe of the vision
before her. The night sky was purple and magenta above the gardens lit up for
evening walks. Palm trees illuminated from the ground stood tall enough to
touch the stars that seemed to hang from the sky.

"It's
one of the most beautiful places on Earth," Terek said in a faraway voice.

"I've
never been out of Spain, except once to visit where my mother grew up, but I've
never seen anything like this."

As
he stared off in the distance, he said, "I was very fortunate. Amir
introduced me to things I'd never have seen if he hadn't made me vampire."

This
is what he'd meant in the courtyard at his home the night before. This was what
he wanted to give her, and she'd refused it without a second thought.

Ilona
cringed at the memory of her callousness. She'd been so sure she didn't want to
be his vampire, she'd never taken into account everything he could show her of
their world.

Ilona
laid on the bed and watched Terek as he stood in the doorway. Had she ever
really looked at him for who he truly was? Standing there on their private
balcony at one of the most incredible places on Earth, he looked so much more
than the man she'd considered him to be.

His
dark hair rested along the collar of his white dress shirt that made his olive
skin seem even darker. He had an exotic look to him, she thought, as he stood
there, his back to her, seemingly lost in thought. Ilona watched him unbutton
his shirt and shrug out of it to reveal his muscular torso. His back and
shoulders looked knotted, and she frowned at the idea that she was a part of
the stress taking its toll on his body.

The
urge to fix some of the unhappiness she'd caused him pressed on her heart, and
she slowly padded up behind him. Unsure of his reaction, she tentatively slid
her hands across the smooth skin of his back and over his broad shoulders to
gently knead his tired muscles.

"I'm
sorry I've been such a hassle, Terek."

He
exhaled and moaned softly as her hands pushed what she'd done out of his body.
Inch by inch, his muscles relaxed under her touch and for the first time since
he'd saved her life, she didn't fear being close to him.

She
put her arms around him and rubbed her palms over his chest. He was toned and
hard under her hands, and as they trailed down to his abs, she let herself
truly relax, pressing her cheek to his back.

"I
have no idea what you're thinking," he said quietly as he continued to
stare out into the night.

"Why
do you want to know?"

His
hands covered hers on his ribs and he sighed like a man ready to give up.
"I don't know how to reach you. I have so much I want to give you, but I
can't seem to convince you to accept me."

He
had no idea how much she wanted to accept him—to be his in every sense.
Everything in her cried out for him, so much that it frightened her. This
Terek—the man who was tender and caring—she wanted, but the other Terek—the one
who seemed to collect women as playthings—never seemed far away. It was that
man she'd never accept.

Sliding
her hands from under his, she backed away from him. His need to know what she
thought smacked of manipulation. Quietly, she repeated what the mystic had
said. "You'll never get me to accept you if you can't feel what I
feel."

***

The
moment her touch left him, Terek felt cold and alone. His plan to solve the
problem of not knowing her thoughts had failed miserably, and the idea of
relying on feelings terrified him more than battling a thousand Archons. For
seven hundred years he'd been saved from feeling much of anything. As a monk,
he'd found peace in a life of quiet reflection and prayer devoid of emotions
that cluttered the mind. And as a vampire, he'd escaped having to feel other
than physical pleasure because of his gift of telepathy.

He
remembered feeling. The pain of losing his wife and newborn son had nearly torn
him apart. For months, he'd lived as nothing but a human shell on the outside
covering a pain so great more than once it had made him wish he could take his
own life.

It
had been the Church that had saved him, and he'd have lived the rest of his
days in silence and service to God in return for the solace being a monk
provided. But it was not to be.

Once
more, he was surrounded by the emotions and feelings of others when he was made
vampire, but his gift allowed him to rise above them. Knowing what a woman
thought without having to rely on deciphering her emotions made being with them
not only possible again but something he relished. Nearly a thousand female
vampires later, he'd foolishly believed he'd conquered the curse of feeling.

Now
he'd pay for such hubris. Just as when he was human, he'd be forced to confront
his heart and its desires. And just like so long ago, he'd have to face the
reality that love could lead him to an ending full of misery.

The
mere idea of losing Ilona made him wince in pain. From the moment he first felt
her tug at his heart, he'd wanted her in his life but his way and on his terms.
Willful and stubborn, she'd fought him at every turn. And now it seemed she'd
won their battle.

If
he wanted her to accept him, he'd have to let her into his heart.

He'd
have to accept her.

Terek
found Ilona in the bathroom soaking in the tub. Kneeling behind her, he placed
his hands on her shoulders and caressed her. The white candles that softly
illuminated the brown and gold room cast a sultry glow on her wet skin. Gently,
he placed a kiss on each of her shoulders and one on her neck.

"Ilona..."

Slowly,
his fangs descended into his mouth. "Ilona, let me taste you."

Without
saying a word, she turned her head and pushed her hair back from her neck.
Holding her chin, Terek kissed the spot just under her ear and felt her pulse
beat against his lips. The smell of her skin teased his nose, exciting him, and
he pushed his fangs in to pierce her vein.

Her
blood hit his tongue and his cock instantly stiffened. She made him feel alive
again, and every drop of her blood convinced him to take a chance.

To
let her in.

Ilona
moaned with each pull on her vein, and he slid his right hand over her breast
to between her legs. She arched her back and let her legs fall open, moaning
his name as he took her very essence into his body, making it a part of him.

He
slid his fingers through her soft folds to the tiny knot of nerves and stroked
her with his fingertip. Whimpering softly, she took one of the fingers on his
left hand into her mouth. Her fangs scraped against his skin with each stroke
of her clit, teasing his desire higher and higher.

He
wanted more than her blood. He wanted her wrapped around every inch of him as
he made love to her. Closing the holes in her neck, he pulled his hand from her
pussy. "Ilona, I need to be inside you. Now."

When
she turned back to face him, he saw she wanted him too.

"Yes."

She
stepped out of the tub and with water dripping from her luscious body, pressed
against him and tilted her head to look up at him. "Tell me why it means so
much to you that I accept you."

For
the first time since he became a vampire, he told a woman the truth and not
what he knew she wanted to hear. "I don't know. All I can tell you is that
I won't rest until you do. You consume me. I can't believe you'd be sent to
merely torture me, so there must be a chance you'll have me. I've had any woman
I wanted for seven centuries but never felt what I feel for you."

Ilona
looked up at him with half-lidded eyes and lifted herself up onto her toes to
kiss him. Very lightly, she brushed her lips against his and then whispered the
words he'd waited to hear. "I don't want to fight you anymore."

As
she fumbled with the button on his pants, he kissed her like a man desperately
in love. She tasted sweet in his mouth, and her tongue teased his until he
couldn't wait anymore. He shed his clothes with a thought and lifted her the
perfect height to enter her.