Fall of kNight (35 page)

Backwards he moved us, stumbling, tripping and even laughing as we tried to find our way somewhere, anywhere. It didn‟t matter at that point where we landed. We had to have one another. With a heavy growl, Daniel finally gave up. The muscles in his arms flexed once. In one easy motion, he lifted me up to him, sliding my body across his long torso. My arms wrapped tightly around his neck. His hands grabbed my legs as they locked around his waist.

The intoxicating spicy scent swirled around my senses. I softly nipped at his neck, savoring the spicy scent and sweet taste of his skin. My teeth suddenly ached. The canines inside of my mouth emerged ever so slightly. I wanted to taste more of him in my fevered state. Closing my teeth down into his skin the rush of sweetness ran from my teeth. Daniel‟s body stiffened. He let out a deep and throaty growl. He took two strides and slammed my body against the kitchen counter. A gasp of air escaped me as my exhilarated senses drew to higher levels. His fingers dug into my hips as he pulled me down onto him. In one long and stealthy motion, he entered me completely.

The hot rush of excitement ran through me. My breath ran in short pants. Fever consumed my soul. I wanted more. Dear Fate, how could I be so greedy and selfish when it came to Daniel. Deeply my fingernails dug into his hot flesh. My knees pressed tightly against his chest. The muscles in his arms tightened and flexed as he held me tightly against him. Deeper and harder he drove inside me, taking me to the edge of an eternity I had never known existed until now. My dear lover had been holding back. The wolf instinct was released inside both of us; a hot untamed and wild beast was set free.

Cries of pleasure echoed through the room. Uncontrollable whimpers and moans escaped me. My voice shivered as my body quivered in pleasure. I cried out a series of pleas to my lover. Daniel continued in a rhythm only I could understand. It was our song. It was our rage. It was our passion. It was our need. I cried out, begged him as my world swirled and shook around me. The earth finally fell away. Existence as I knew it disappeared. Higher and higher I soared. My body exploded inside. Tremors threatened my mind. Daniel grabbed my legs, sliding his arms underneath them and pushing them apart. Harder he drove. Deeper into the very existence that he held so sacred, like the Alpha male he was, strong and demanding.

All dignity I had was lost in that moment. The muscles in my arms trembled as I braced myself against the countertop. Daniel grabbed my waist as my hips moved wildly against him. The tremors took over me as I took every inch of him I could possibly contain inside my body. Harder he drove me until an explosion erupted out of me like a volcano. My mouth opened. My canines fully exposed. My eyes locked onto his now dark brown eyes. The feeling kept coming. He wasn‟t going to stop. The feeling grew deeper, uncontrollable as I threw my head back. A scream of undeniable pleasure erupted from my throat. Cries, moans, whimpers and deep growls of pleasure continued to trail out of me. Daniel‟s deep, throaty groans and growls were now as loud as mine.

Dear Fate, he had been holding back! His body shook and trembled as we came dangerously and violently together.

We both were exhausted. Our bodies glistened with the tiny beads of sweat. As soon as we could move, I climbed down off the counter. My legs were still shaking. My body was still reacting to him. There was no denying Daniel and I were made for each other. We finally made it to the sofa. I reached over and pulled a blanket over us. Never mind the bedroom. We didn‟t have enough strength left to make it. I snuggled close to him as my eyes closed; the soft sound of his heartbeat drummed a slow and steady pace.

Slowly I drifted into the realm of soft sleep.

The darkness of the night settled around me. I was in the midst of a dream. I was walking through an open meadow with low-lying clouds pressing against the brilliant green grass. The air of the night was clean and pure. The scents of wildflowers and pasture grass were abundant.

Stopping only to sniff the air, I recognized another scent. Vampire. Turning, I saw one standing behind me. This was not the same vampire I had come to know. The vampire who stood before me was darker. Deadly. His pale skin seemed to glow under the light of the moon. He was beautiful in the same way as Richard. This vampire had long black hair down to his waist. His eyes were the same blue diamond like jewels that pierced into my very soul. He was tall and elegant, like a statue of a Greek God. His face was a chiseled work of art with well-defined cheek and jawbones. The black shirt he wore didn‟t hide the broadness of his shoulders. When he moved, he moved with such fluidity it appeared he walked on air.

Bells of fear tolled in my heart. I slowly stepped backwards. Tremors ran through me. My heart screamed warnings loudly inside me. This vampire was not friendly.

There was an evil lurking inside him, an evil far more deadly than I had ever seen before.

This time I had no choice but to flee. Was I fast enough to avoid contact between this creature and me? I did not know, but I would find out.

The muscles twitched in my hindquarters as I pivoted and broke into a run.

Moving faster than I had ever moved before, I ran. The wind was in my face, plummeting through the depth of the forest. I could hear his laughter behind me. He was a shadow of a figure following me, chasing me without ceasing. I was his target. His prey.

For miles I ran, searching for the safety I needed. I came to a clearing. I was exhausted and fell to ground, my breath heaving and the muscles inside my body aching from the extra strain. If it was my death he sought after, then I had no other choice. I turned my head and saw him standing at the edge of what appeared to be rocks. He laughed again. His laughter, eerie as it was, rang out into the night. Then I realized something, he could not cross over the rocks. I was inside the wall of Fort Mountain.

I heard the sound of rustling leaves beside me. Jumping to my feet, I turned around. My ears flattened against my head as I watched the leaves. The hair on my back prickled to their ends. There was something wrong, terribly wrong. Suddenly a hand shot out from beneath the ground and grabbed my paw. I yelped out loudly. Pulling my front foot back with all my strength, the pale hand wouldn‟t let go. Loud growls rumbled from my chest. There was no way out. Hands were now on my shoulders. My breath caught in my chest. It was over for me this time. I knew it.

“Julie!” I heard a voice fading into my dream. “Julie! Wake up!”

Slowly I came to my senses. I opened my eyes to find Daniel hovering over me, his eyes wide with terror. What on earth? My breathing was erratic as I tried to calm down. I looked around and noticed it was daylight and the rain had stopped. Daniel and I must have slept through the night soundly.

“Julie?” he began. “Are you awake?”

I nodded slowly without speaking. I was still numb from my dream, and my heart was still racing. My eyes were wide and fear consumed me.

“Dear Fate!” His eyes peered into mine. “I can see the images of your dream!”

Daniel was as shocked as I was.

I looked into his eyes as the images flashed before him, replays of my meeting with the dark and dangerous vampire. Richard was by no means as dangerous as this vampire; this one was the most dangerous of them all.

“Who is he?” Daniel shifted against the pillow under his head.

I dropped my gaze for a moment. In the back of my mind, I tried to come up with some answer. From my own experiences, my dreams always had some meaning to them. If in fact this was a premonition then I was in danger. My eyes widened as my eyes darted back to his.

“Mithras.” I whispered.

Even saying his name sent chills down my arms. I glanced at my arms as Daniel‟s hand settled on them and looked at me in confusion. He searched me for answers.

“Who is this Mithras?”

“Mithras is one of the oldest living vampires. Richard said he was the only one who may know what was hidden inside of Fort Mountain. I think he left to go find him.”

“Why would he come to Fort Mountain?”

I shook my head. “I don‟t know. Maybe the item or whatever this evil thing is…it has something to do with him.”

“He is someone we all should fear then?” Daniel asked. The uneasiness in his voice confirmed what I already knew. Yes. Mithras was a vampire we all should fear. I nodded slowly.

“Great.” His head fell back on the pillow.

“Daniel, we can make it through this.” I managed to strain out.

He raised his head. His eyes saw the hope that I clung to so desperately. He knew in my heart I had faith that we would make it.

“Yes, we will. I will not let anything happen to you.” His hand went to my face.

For the first time, I truly believed him. Daniel was stronger. He was more confident in himself. I knew he would kill for me if he had to. It was his nature, the instinct of the Alpha male wolf inside of him. His words were as true as any I had ever heard. I gave him a gentle smile.

“Well, let‟s see if we can‟t leave those thoughts behind. I think…” he paused shifted me slightly off him. “We need to start this honeymoon off with a bang.”

“I thought we did that last night?” I chuckled softly.

Daniel‟s mouth twisted into a grin. His hazel eyes sparkled with delight. He knew all too well it was more than a bang. It was an incredible explosion of cosmic proportions.

“Yes, well, I have a day planned for us. Then when we return home tonight, we‟ll see if we can top last night.” He kissed my forehead as he stood up.

A warm heat crossed my cheeks. We had a great night and if he wanted to improve upon it, then I would have no objections. Although any dignity I had had been lost last night. There was nothing else left to embarrass me.

Daniel padded away from me. His naked body was absolutely beautiful. Even from behind, he had the type of body that sculptors in ancient times longed to carve into statues. He had long, lean, muscular legs and wide shoulders that tapered into a narrow waist. And then there were those tight yet powerful buttocks. I inhaled a deep breath then released a long sigh. He was breathtaking. The best thing, he was all mine.

“So exactly what do you have in mind for us today? Shopping?” I was excited.

“Nope. Highland games.” His voice trailed off as he disappeared around the corner of the bedroom.

Highland games, I wondered. Feeling somewhat aroused by Daniel‟s appearance, I considered joining him in the shower. The coldness of the room shook me over and I pulled the warm blanket over me. Highland games? The only thing I knew about Highland games were Cabot tossing and tug of war. Music, food and dancing accompanied such festivals. Indeed, this would be a good day. But then, any day spent with Daniel was a good day.

The water in the shower stopped. Any minute the bathroom door would open and Daniel would appear. Since I was already awake, I wanted to move to the bathroom, grabbing the warmth of the room before the cold air entered it. The bathroom door squeaked on its hinges. Now was my chance. I slipped passed him, escaping the cold of the cottage.

After my shower, I opened the bathroom door. Daniel had already built a roaring fire to warm the little cottage. The mixture of wood burning and coffee filled the air.

With a towel wrapped around me, I walked toward the bedroom.

When I stepped out of the bathroom I froze. Daniel stood in the living room holding a cup of coffee. His eyes lifted to me as he saw my approach. I was speechless.

There he stood; tall, handsome, strong and ever so virile. I had never dreamed he could look so appealing in a kilt. The dark blue, greens, yellows and tiny red colors intertwined in the woolen attire. The broad and muscular chest was covered slightly by the drape of the fabric that hung over his left shoulder. The colors enhanced the hazel tones within his eyes. I felt a twitch inside of me. My gaze fell to the kilt. What exactly was he wearing underneath it?

Daniel‟s eyebrow rose slightly. A soft chuckle escaped him as he turned the cup to his lips. Slowly he took a sip of the hot coffee. His eyes glinted with humor. Yes, his thoughts were clear to me. He loved that he excited me. It brought him great joy to know I desired him.

“Would you like to find out?” A wicked grin now formed on his lips. “I mean, right now, if I am wearing anything under this kilt?” He teased.

“No.” I let the word linger a moment. “I‟d rather not.” The sudden heat of blood rushing to my cheeks gave me away. Not to mention the thoughts that ran through my mind.

I turned fleeing toward the bedroom. The desire I had for Daniel ran deep. Dear Fate, I couldn‟t stand it any longer. My body trembled as I took a step toward the dresser. My hand reached out to brace myself. Blood boiled inside my veins. The hot passion swept over me, taking the very breath of my existence. The slight movement from my peripheral vision forced my full attention to his approach. Daniel stood in the doorway. The muscled arms flexed as he crossed them against his chest. He leaned against the doorframe. My heart pounded loudly. The only sound I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. My face flushed. Every nerve in my body had become alive.

Electricity surged through me. A soft growl erupted from my throat as I fought hard to regain my senses.

Daniel took one step toward me. I raised my hand to him and my other hand firmly braced myself against the dresser. A chill ran over me and I trembled. In my current condition, I shuddered to think of what would happen if Daniel so much as touched me.

My breath was in a pant. Dear Fate, if he took one more step I felt as if I was going to lose my mind.