Eternal Breath of Darkness (21 page)

The physical exertion felt
good. Allowing herself to just be mad as hell at Haden felt wonderful. It felt
absolutely marvelous. She knew he would eventually come after her. She didn’t
know how she would ever be able to escape him for good, but she would find a
way. “Arrogant bastard,” she whispered. He was just another cruel, arrogant
bastard. She was so mad that she unknowingly opened her mind to Haden.

Haden had just left her car
and was following Paul when Caylee’s anger slammed into him.
What’s wrong,
Caylee?
She was running from him.
What are you doing?
There was no
reason for him to ask. He knew she was doing everything in her power to leave
him. He’d seen the look of horror in her eyes the moment she realized he was
preventing her from moving. He’d felt the change in her kiss. He’d heard it in
her voice. He knew he’d pushed her too far. He’d shattered her fragile trust in
him by using his power against her.
We need to talk, little love. I know I
made mistake. Please don’t run away from me.

The forest was dense. It was
too dark too see much of anything, but she continued to run as quickly as she
could.
I don’t want to talk to you, Haden. I’m done. We don’t belong
together. Being with you today was a mistake. A terrible, horrible mistake.
Her
heart beat so frantically it felt as if it was going to explode.
I will
never be with you again. I don’t want you. I don’t need you. I don’t love you.
Struggling
to catch her breath, she continued to run.

You’re mad. You don’t mean
it. We belong together, and you know it.
A warm breeze swept
passed her, touching her intimately, as if Haden were there with her, softly
caressing her flesh.
We can work this out. Stop running away from me.

She kept running, desperate
to escape him.

Refusing to give up, he
continued to toy with her. He flooded her with his desire for her.
The love
we shared was marvelous. It wasn’t a mistake.
He heated her blood with
vivid imagery of their lovemaking.

Infuriated, she stopped
running. Sensing he was flying, she lifted her face to the heavens.
Stay
away from me! And stay the hell out of my head!

The ground vibrated.
Damn
it, Caylee, stop being so difficult. I made a mistake. Get over it.
His
anger and frustration washed over her, momentarily startling her to the point
that her breath caught in her throat.

“Oh that’s it, Haden, be
your big, bad demon self and throw a fit! Get as mad as you want! I don’t care!
Just leave me the hell alone!” Caylee shouted. She glanced around. She couldn’t
see anything. She didn’t know which direction to run, but she needed to get as
far away from him as possible. Completely blinded by darkness, she started run
again.

Paul was so close he
could’ve reached out and touched her. He was intrigued by the fact that Caylee
was running away from Haden. It confirmed Paul’s belief that she belonged to
him, that she was his salvation. He was so insanely tempted to do it, but he
didn’t. He knew better. Haden was too close. Paul wouldn’t be able to get away
with her. It was better to wait for Haden to move deeper into the trap he was
preparing. Once Haden was confined in it, Paul would be able to easily take
her. Remaining silent, Paul watched Caylee for a few more moments and then he
left to finish his trap when he realized Haden was close.

Irritated, Haden scowled.
Perhaps the truth would convince her to behave more sensibly.
The vampire is
stalking you. He’s waiting for you to get further away from me so he can take
you away from me. You need to stop before he succeeds.

Startled, she tripped and
fell, but she stood up and started running again.

Damn it, Caylee, you need to
stop now!

* * *

Caylee sensed something stalking her, but it wasn’t the vampire.
It was something far more powerful and dangerous. She turned around just in
time to see a dragon swoop down from the sky. She took a step back. A black,
swirling mist surrounded the dragon. She blinked and the mist was gone, but
Haden appeared, his large, muscular frame intimidating as he moved toward her.
She glanced from the left to the right, but there was nowhere to run. She
backed away a little further.

Haden stopped. “Don’t move.”

Wide eyed, she stared up at
him, wanting to scream at him, but she couldn’t even breathe. She wanted to
run, but she knew he would easily catch her. And then what? Would he hurt her?
Or would he simply take control of her body to prevent her from moving?

He was shattered by the
sight of her cowering before him. She truly believed he planned to attack her.
“Oh, Caylee, come here.” Stepping nearer, he reached out and wrapped his arms
around her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

She was so mad. She was so
incredibly sick of being bullied by men. “Don’t touch me!” With every ounce of
her strength, she shoved him. Of course, making her even madder, he didn’t
budge an inch. “Let go of me, Haden!”

“I can’t,” he whispered.
“You’re too close to the edge, little love. Move away from it, and I will let
go of you.”

“Stop telling me what to do.
Let go of me now.” Tears streamed down her face, her eyes pleading, begging him
to let her go. “Please, Haden, I can’t stand being touched by you.”

“I was wrong.” He’d
intimidated her just as so many other men had intimidated her into submission.
He’d wanted to protect her—he’d needed to know she was safe in his home, in his
bed. He’d bullied her because he was desperate to stop her from following him,
but he should’ve handled it better. “I was wrong, Caylee.”

She turned her gaze away
from his. The ground shifted beneath her left foot. She looked down and
realized she was standing on the edge of a cliff. For the first time, she
noticed the sound of rushing water below.

“I feel so trapped. We don’t
belong together.” She didn’t really want to die, but she was so very tired, and
death promised to give her rest. “I’m tired of fighting for the right to be
free. I don’t want to be anyone’s possession. I want to free.” In a state of
turmoil, she looked up at him again. “I can’t be with you. I’m so tired,
Haden.”

“Calm down, little love,
just calm down.” He knew she was asking him to allow her jump to her death. “I
don’t want to own you, but I could never stand back and allow you to hurt
yourself.” He released her to make her feel a sense of control, but there was
no way he would allow her to jump. “I would give you anything, but never the
freedom to take your life.”

There it was. The cold, hard
truth. “I was so close to knowing freedom, but you took it from me.” Just like
every other man in her life, Haden believed he owned her. “My greatest wish is
that you never found me a year ago.” She turned away from him and jumped.

He lunged forward and
wrapped his arms around her. Turning her around, positioning his body between
her and the cliff, he held her for several moments before he gently lowered her
onto her feet. “Destroying yourself won’t give you freedom.” Holding her face
in his hands, he gazed deeply into her eyes, attempting to absorb her pain and
fill her with healing energy. His entire body was trembling. He couldn’t
believe she’d actually attempted to jump. “Earlier, when I frightened you, I
was wrong. I was frustrated. I should’ve handled the situation differently.”

She turned her back to him.
“You wanted me to be so afraid of you I wouldn’t challenge you. You wanted me
to believe you would hurt me if I dared to defy you.”

She turned to face him
again. “I trusted you, Haden. I knew you were mad at me, but for first time in
my life I wasn’t afraid of what an angry man would do to me.” She paused to
catch her breath. “I just didn’t want you to go. I didn’t want you to get hurt.
I stood up to you because I believed you wouldn’t hurt me. I wasn’t frightened
of you until you took my ability to move away.”

“I would never hurt you. I
know I was wrong. You must understand that I was only trying to keep you safe.
There’re no words to explain my driving need to protect you. I’m a dragon, a
demon. It’s what I am. It’s what I’ll always be. I have a bad temper at times,
but I would never harm you.”

“You don’t get it! I wasn’t
afraid you were going to hurt me. Huh. God. You’re such an egotistical jerk,
Haden!” Glaring, looking quite fierce, she took a step closer to him. “How can
you justify your actions by claiming you couldn’t help yourself because of what
you are? You took control of my body. I couldn’t move. It’s too much. You have
too much power. I can’t deal with it.” Shocking herself, she reached out and shoved
him. “I won’t be your puppet.”

He tilted his head to the
side, struggling to understand why she would be upset over something so
ridiculous. It wasn’t as if he’d hurt her. He was taking charge because he knew
what was best and she wasn’t cooperating. “That’s why you’re upset?” He took a
step toward her. “There’s no reason to over-dramatize it. I returned your
control to you when I believed you’d realized you were wrong.”

Jaw dropping, her eyes
widened. “Are you being serious?” Holding up her hand, she shook her head. “No.
Don’t answer that.” Clenching her fists at her sides, she took a deep breath
and released it with a sigh. “Haden, it would be in your best interest to turn
around and get away from me as quickly as possible.”

Failing to heed her warning,
he took a step closer to her. “Being mad at me isn’t going to help anything,
little love.” He caressed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. “I won’t
apologize for doing what was necessary to protect you. You weren’t listening to
me. You were being irrational.” He shrugged. “It’s okay. I understand being
irrational at times is in your nature. It’s what you are. You’re a woman.” He
smiled at her. “My woman. And I am your man. It’s my responsibility, my right
to make decisions to ensure your safety.”

Shaking her head, Caylee
stared up at him. “Huh?”

“Stop being so stubborn,
little love.” He bent his head to kiss the corner of her mouth. “There really
is no reason to be so overly dramatic. I mean, is it really so terrible to have
a man love and cherish you so deeply he would do anything, go to any length to
protect you?”

“Control is not love. I
refuse to deal with your inflated ego anymore. I’ve always known I’m not the
right type of a woman for a man like you. I don’t want to be in love with a man
that possesses so much power and such a great need to control. As far as I’m
concerned, it would be better to never fall in love than be in love with a man
that has the ability to force me to obey his every command. You don’t need me.
There are women like you, right? Strong women that are worthy of your respect.
Just get away from me and stay away from me, Haden. I don’t want you. Go out
and find a rational woman that is your equal.”

Powerful emotions washed
over him. Through him. Hatred. Love. Sadness. Joy. Fear. Courage. Pain.
Pleasure. Frustrated, he grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “I am the one
unworthy of your respect and your love.”

He suddenly looked wild and
ferocious. He was more beast than man. His voice, a shocking, inhuman growl,
revealed such terrible agony. She felt his pain. His self-hatred. His
loneliness. She wanted to remain mad at him, but her heart was shattering into
a million pieces. It didn’t make sense, but it was true. He honestly believed
he was unworthy of her love and her respect. A sudden gush of tears streamed
down her face. Unable to respond, she lifted her chin and stared up at him.

He closed his eyes. It was
time. He needed to tell her the truth. He didn’t deserve her tears. His rage
built quickly, violent and ravenous. Incandescent flames, ignited by his
self-hatred, swirled around his body. The atmosphere came alive with his rage.
For an instant, the ground beneath their feet trembled. “I abandoned you.”
Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder.

Startled, she jumped back,
nearly out of her skin. “What are you talking about?”

Lightning streaked across
the sky, each blinding streak followed by a deafening boom. Large hailstones
pelted down all around them, but not one came near her. She wasn’t afraid. It wouldn’t
hurt her. It couldn’t. The storm was a physical manifestation of his emotions.
It was a part of him. It was him. The ground shook violently, and trees groaned
and creaked eerily, threatening to topple over.

~
Fourteen ~

THE STORM WAS building too quickly. It was getting dangerously out
of control. He closed his eyes and commanded the violent forces of his emotions
to return to his soul. A powerful gust of wind slammed into his chest. He
stumbled back a bit. Caylee reached for him, but he pushed her away as he bent
over. For a few moments, feeling helpless, she watched as he struggled to
breathe. Once he caught his breath, blood-red flames flickering in his black
gaze, he stood straight and squared his shoulders. “I turned my back on you. I
allowed you to suffer a loveless, violent childhood.”

“No. We met a year ago.” She
stepped forward and placed her hand on the center of his chest. “Your eyes.
They’re red. Whatever you’re doing, you need stop. You’re hurting yourself.
Your heart is beating too hard, too fast.”

“We first met when you were
five years old. You were flying a kite on the beach in Astoria. I was talking
to Nikolas, my brother, when you ran straight into the back of my legs.”

“Wait,” she interjected. “I
remember. I lost my kite when I fell.” She smiled at him. “I was so upset. I
loved that kite. You knelt down next to me and took my hand in yours. You
raised my hand toward the kite and told me to call it back. It was so amazing,
so magical. It came right back to me. I didn’t know how, but I knew that you
did it.” Returning her smile, he nodded. “I was so sad. I turned to thank you,
but you were gone. One second you were there, and the next you were gone.”

“I didn’t leave. Not right
away. I watched you for a few hours. I knew you were my other half. I was
shocked. I’d searched for you for hundreds of years. You were my miracle, but
because you were human I refused to be bound to you.”

“I don’t blame you.” Forcing
herself to smile at him, she stared up at him. “I understand.” And she did. The
truth was painful, but he was right. They clearly weren’t equal. They were so
very different. Turning her back to him to hide the tears welling up, she
stepped away from him. “We don’t belong together.”

“You’re wrong. I was being
an idiot, Caylee. I will forever regret my actions that day. I should’ve taken
you under my protection. I failed you. I allowed you to suffer. I could’ve
stopped your misery before it ever started, but I didn’t. I chose to remain
detached from you, from your suffering.” He felt so cold and alone. He deserved
her hatred. He deserved to be cold and alone. “The only reason I finally
returned to you a year ago was because I could feel you dying. I couldn’t allow
you to die.”

She turned to face him
again. That was it. For the past year she couldn’t understand why he’d chosen
to be around her all the time. Guilt had been forcing him to remain by her
side. She needed to let him go. She needed to help him find peace with the fact
that they didn’t belong together. “Why did you stay away, Haden?” It was too
painful to continue looking at him. She turned away from him.

“You’re wrong, little love.
I was a wreck. When we met on the beach I was too full of hatred and resentment
for your kind to think clearly. I’ve stayed by your side because I can never
get enough of you. I’m helpless to do anything else. I love you. I need to be
near you. I need to feel your touch. I need to touch you. You’re the most
perfect woman ever born. I could never even hope to imagine a more amazing,
beautiful woman.”

He didn’t make a sound, but
she knew he was moving closer. She took a deep breath and held it. She could
feel the warmth of his body reaching out to her, wrapping around her. Slowly,
she turned to face him. “Do you really think I’m your true love?”

“No,” he whispered. A
terrible chill ran up her spine. She shivered. He removed his coat and draped
it over her shoulders. “I know beyond any shadow of a doubt you are my one and
only true love.” He pulled the collar together. “I know I will love you with every
fiber of my being for the rest of eternity.” He smiled. “But what about you?
Despite the fact I failed to protect you, can you still love me until the end
of time?”

With a mischievous glint in
her beautiful green eyes, she moved closer to him. “Yes.” Shrugging the coat
off her shoulders, she wrapped her slender arms around his waist and held him
tightly. “I know I’ll love you forever, Haden.” Tipping her head back, she
stood on the tips of her toes and nipped his chin, and she then soothed the
sting of it with a soft, sensuous caress of her tongue. “Forever is a very,
very long time.”

Still standing on the tips
of her toes, she kissed the corner of his mouth. “It should be plenty of time
to punish you for being an arrogant, know-it-all jerk.” She nipped his lower
lip, and then parted his lips with her tongue.

Passionately, raging fires
of lust and love merging, they kissed. Devouring. Tasting. Savoring. Teasing.
They dined on each other. Blood rushed to his groin and pooled there, making
him hard and heavy with need. Clutching her soft, curvy backside, he pressed
her body against his. Savoring the sensation of the heat of her body, he moved
his hips, rubbing his hard cock against her belly.

Trailing kisses along his
jaw and down his neck, her hands worked quickly, unbuttoning his shirt. Pushing
it from his shoulders and down his arms, she kissed his chest. Her lips, teeth,
and tongue tested his reaction to her curious exploration of his body. “I want
to taste you.”

“What do mean?” His husky
voice deeply revealed his desire.

She rubbed the length of him
from outside his pants. “I want to taste you.” She unbuttoned his pants and
slipped her hand inside to stroke his cock. She thought of his mouth and
tongue, working together, sucking and licking, driving her insane. His teeth
nipping, pushing her over the edge, stealing her sanity. She needed to
experience him full and hard in her mouth and against her tongue. She wanted
him at her mercy. No. She needed him at her mercy.

Dropping to her knees, she
pulled his pants down to his ankles and looked up at him. “Will you like it?”

Helpless, he stared down at
her, unable to respond. The heat of her breath caressed the ultra-sensitive
flesh of his erection, sending ferocious waves of pleasure through his body. He
couldn’t speak. He could barely breathe. His heart raced, pumping more blood to
his groin. He was so hard. So swollen. He feared he would lose control.
Experimenting, she held the base of his cock; retrieving tasty drops of his
essence, she swiped her tongue over the broad head of it.

He wrapped his fingers in
her hair, his jaw aching from clenching his teeth together. She drew the head
of his cock in mouth and swirled her tongue around it as she gently suckled.
His fingers, now tangled in her hair, trembled. He wanted to thrust forward and
bury his cock in her throat. She took him a little deeper, licking and sucking.

His control was quickly
fading. He’d never experienced anything so wonderful. He was going to seriously
hurt her. He wanted her faster and harder. He wanted to ram his cock down her
throat. “Caylee.” His voice was raspy. He could barely breathe. “You need to
stop.”

Showing no mercy, she
relaxed her throat muscles and took him deeper. He involuntarily thrust
forward. Trembling, he stopped. He was so terrified he’d hurt her. He remained
absolutely still, barely breathing. She moved again, taking his cock even
deeper, her lips squeezing it. Her throat muscles were so tight. Agony and
pleasure mingled. Hot. Moist. Teeth gently scraping. She kept taking him
deeper. She was devouring him. It was so wonderful. It was perfect. Too
perfect. He lost control. Holding her head, he plunged deeper.

She wanted more. She needed
his release. She needed to force him over the edge. Her mouth and throat
eagerly accommodated his cock with each thrust of his hips. Her breasts tingled
and ached, yearning for his touch. Heat, delicious, scintillating heat spread
throughout her body. Pleasurable sensations fluttered over her flesh. She was
burning up, set ablaze by the combination of lust and love, moist heat pooling
between her legs. Her sex was red-hot and slick, needing him to slam into her,
thrusting deep and hard, taking possession of her body and soul.

Suddenly, he froze. Their
minds were deeply merged. Her desire, her need for him added to his pleasure.
It was too much. He released her head, tugging on her hair as he struggled to
untangle his fingers. She moved impatiently, her teeth grazing his overly
sensitive flesh. If he moved, if she continued to suck on his cock, he would
burst. She would hate him. He opened his mouth to warn her, but he couldn’t
speak. He couldn’t even breathe.
You need to stop now!

She looked up at him, her
lips still tightly wrapped around him. Her eyes shimmered, revealing her
mischievous intent. He heard her giggling in his mind. She was doing it on
purpose, pushing him to the brink of mindless bliss. She wouldn’t stop until
she hurled him over the edge. He tensed, so that every muscle in his body
ached, as he fought for control. Toying with him, she slowly slid her tongue
over the crown of his cock. Throbbing, his cock swelled even more. His body
shook. He gritted his teeth, holding on, refusing to allow his body to let go.
He nearly collapsed from the strain of it. She took him deeper, sucking harder,
her throat muscles tightly clenching him, drawing him deeper. Her tongue
teased. Swirled. Fondled.

Stop being so stubborn,
Haden. I want to taste you. Lose control. Come for me.
And
he did. He threw his head back and shouted her name. His orgasm was so violent
he felt it surging throughout his entire body. It was thousands of times more
powerful than any other before it. He expected her to pull away from him, but
she didn’t. She savored each and every drop as his cock pulsated inside her
mouth. She sucked greedily as his hot essence flowed from his body.

He was wild and ravenous,
and her scent of arousal heated his blood even more, forcing it to pool at his
groin. He was desperate for more, still so very hard, impossibly swollen with
need. Lifting her up, he removed all of their clothing with a thought. “Wrapped
your legs around me.” He held her, gripping her hips, her sex poised over his
cock. “That’s it.” He tilted his head back to look up at her. “Now, look at
me.”

She opened her eyes and met
his gaze. She felt such complete joy in that moment. Tears filling her eyes,
she shivered, her body weeping for his, needing to be joined with his. She felt
his thick, hard heat pressed against her. Her sex clenched tightly. Hot,
beckoning fluid rushed from her body, bathing his erection.

“I love you, Caylee.” He
lowered her, just enough to immerse the head of his cock inside her heat.
“Never doubt that I love you.” He lowered her a bit more and then held her
still. “I’m not perfect. I know I will make many more mistakes with you, but I
will never abandon you again. I will never fail you. And you must never fear
me. No matter how mad I get, I could never hurt you. You must believe it. You
must know I could never hurt you.”

“I know.” He didn’t need to
tell her anymore. She didn’t want to hear anymore. “I know.” She was way beyond
needing to talk. She needed action. She needed his cock buried deep inside her
body.

Looking quite
extraordinarily fierce, she glared at him. “I love you too.”

Knowing he was tormenting
her, savoring the fact he was the man that was able to torment her, he groaned
aloud. “Why do look so angry, little love?” He lowered her just a bit more,
making sure that it wasn’t enough.

He was holding her too
firmly, restricting her movement, using his strength to rob her freedom. She
wanted to move. She wanted hot friction. “I don’t want to talk anymore.” Her
flesh was too sensitive. It actually hurt. She needed him. She was going to
burst into flames. “I need you inside me now.” She wiggled restlessly, seeking
pleasure, grinding her body against his.

All at once, he lowered her
and surged upward, thrusting hard. Lightning hit the ground all around.
Immersed deep in her slick, hot passageway, he paused to savor the tightness of
her body.

She wanted more. Needed
more. She immediately took over. She was on fire. She didn’t want slow and
easy; she needed fast and hard. Riding his cock, she took him fast and hard.

He easily supported her
weight, his fingers gripping her hips, as she rode him. “You’re so hot. So damn
tight.”

She was a blazing inferno.
She was beyond words. Desperate for release. Her ultra-sensitive breasts rubbed
against his rock-hard, muscular body. A persistent delight swept from her
breast to her sex, until her body clamped down around him, constricting his
cock. Crying out, she burst. Wave after thrilling wave of turbulent pleasure
raced through her, but she needed more. Her body fastened tightly around his as
she ferociously took more pleasure from his body.

She was climbing another
glorious peak and taking him with her. Pushed too far, he took charge. Holding
her steady, he savagely thrust upward—again and again he impaled her. Moving
constantly. Burning up. Creating scintillating friction. Burying his cock
deeper. Then, her body gripped onto his with a powerful vengeance. Squeezing
tighter and tighter. Mercilessly strangling his cock, holding him deep, drawing
out his seed. They both shattered. He threw his head back and roared. She
screamed out his name, her nails digging deep into his shoulders.