Kindred (21 page)

“
There's one more thing you haven't mentioned, Michel. I would be as weak as I am now.”

“
You are not weak,
ma douce
!” he interjected.

“
You know what I mean. If things go wrong I wouldn't be able to protect myself, not as well as if I had my powers anyway. He could still kill me.”

“
I would not let it happen!”

I reached up and stroked his face, that beautiful face so full of conviction and something more, something that I had not allowed myself to see before, but refused to acknowledge even now.

“
If I die, Michel and we are joined, you die. I will not tie you to me, until I can protect myself sufficiently.”

I hadn't even realised that was what I felt, but as soon as I said the words I knew. I could not place Michel in such a position. The thought of him not going on, not living in this world, was too hard to even contemplate. If things did go wrong tomorrow and I did die, at least I would leave this world knowing that Michel still lived.

He just looked at me with utter devotion in his eyes and pulled the palm of my hand to his lips. He kissed it softly and tingles of excitement threatened to wash all over me again. When his eyes lifted to look into mine, purple swirled in their depths.

“
I will protect you with my life,
ma douce
, forever.”

I didn't doubt it. Despite everything I thought he was, I could see it there, written so plainly on his face, in his eyes, in the way he held onto me so fiercely. But I was also aware of what he would gain out of a joining with me and no matter how much I didn't want to face it, Michel would be powerful when -
God did I just say that?
- if, we joined. And would he still be the Michel I know now when given that much power at his command? I wasn't so sure. I saw that momentary look of hunger on his face when he mentioned he'd be more powerful than any other in our land, more powerful than those vampires he has invited to join our battle, yet worked so hard to not show any weakness in front of.

It was thoughts like these that made falling into his arms so much harder.

The night had passed far quicker than I imagined and after leaving me alone for a moment to check on things in the club, Michel returned with some food and liquid refreshment for me. I wasn't naïve enough, or stupid enough, to pretend he hadn't
eaten
too, I just didn't want to know about it. The practical side of me knew he needed to be fighting fit for tonight, when he rose to face my abductor and that was why I perhaps agreed to his suggestion that I stay at the club with him for the day.

Amazingly his argument that we would both benefit from the proximity of each other and therefore be stronger when we faced what came tomorrow, made complete sense.

The guest vampires had been secured in lodgings on the premises and he led me to his chamber. I felt a little nervous to be entering the daytime resting place of a vampire. He assured me this was one of many he had throughout the city. Why was I so nervous, when I had spent almost a week in the same house as him in Taupo, I wasn't sure. It may have had something to do with the fact that during the day in Taupo he had quietly gone to his “room” and I had never seen where it was or what it looked like, but now I was faced with a king sized bed in a sumptuous room full of dark colours and rich fabrics. No coffin in sight, go figure.

He closed the door behind us and locked it. The loud click of the multiple deadbolts securely closing made my heart skip a beat. He paused, looking at me standing stock still, then proceeded to slowly take his jacket and shirt off, making sure that every move was a seductive motion. Swiftly followed by shoes, socks, belt and trousers, all the while keeping direct eye contact with me, daring me to blush. Finally, he was just left in his boxers and I could not look away from the splendid sight of his body. The urge to reach out and trace the lines of his tantalizing muscles was excruciating.

He smiled a languid inviting smile and said, “I promise not to bite.”

Somehow that broke the spell. “Knock it off, Michel. We're just staying close, that's all, OK?”

“
Of course, my dear, of course. Anything you say.” And he threw himself on top of the bed covers like some Italian gigolo and patted the space next to him with a wicked grin.

God help me.

I took my jacket and boots off, but stayed in my tights, skirt and top and quickly climbed under the covers. He laughed, throwing his head back in pleasure.

“
Are you laughing at me, Michel?”

“
Ma douce
, you are adorable. Such a delight.”

I wasn't sure if I should be angry at him just then, but my stomach was still churning in nervous lumps so that when he suddenly lifted the blankets and crawled in next to me I almost choked.

He pulled me to him before I could protest and kissed the top of my head. “I will not steal your virtue,
ma douce
, we both need rest. Well at least, not tonight. However, I cannot promise to be such a gentleman when presented with a similar opportunity in the future.” He nuzzled my neck and softly kissed me behind my ear. I made a pitiful half-hearted vow to myself, not to give him the opportunity again.

There was no way in hell I could fall asleep like this though. His near naked body pressed along the length of mine, his arms wrapped around me, his breath on my skin. My heart was leaping from my chest, my own breath was shallow and constricted.

“
I will help you fall asleep, my dear. Will you allow it?”

I nodded against him, he wrapped me even closer in his arms, resting my head against his upper chest. I could hear the beat of his heart and then I felt the warmth of his power envelop me, sending a shiver down my spine, but before it could build to anything else, a sense of utter calm stole over me.

The last thing I heard as I drifted off to blissful sleep was Michel whispering softly against my neck, “
Ma belle petite
lumière,
la raison de mon existence.”

The dream started in the field above my parents' farm, as it always does, but this time everything felt so much more real. The colours were vivid, the greens of the grass after a winter downpour leapt up and met me, the blue of the sky; a deep azure interspersed with tufts of white clouds scuttling across its expanse. I almost felt like I could reach up and touch one. The sun filtering through the sparse clouds was bright and warm against my bare arms and face. There were daffodils all over the fields, something that didn't happen in real life, but made the paddocks dance and sway as if they were alive. The lambs were in the distance, waggling their tails as usual, but this time I could hear the odd bleat, the wind in the nearby trees, the sound of the river behind me out of view, water trickling over rocks and rushing against boulders. I had never heard those sounds in my dreams before, it had always been a soft shushing in the background, sound you could contribute to these things perhaps, but never be really sure.

I was dressed differently too. Usually I was in my normal attire, short dark skirt and top, but today I was in a flowing white dress, the bodice close against my skin, the slight breeze coming over the hill making the long and draping material of the skirt swish around my legs, my feet were bare. The material was soft and smelled like new laundry, clean and fresh, there were the most intricate little designs embroidered all over it and when I looked closely, I could see flowers, bees and butterflies, all small but with hints of orange in them. Not visible from a distance, but close up giving the dress a detail and depth beyond imagining. I couldn't stop touching those designs, running  my fingers over and over them. My hair was slightly longer too and the wind lifted it softly and moved it around my shoulders like a caress.

And then
, I heard him, the soft footfalls through the grass, overriding all other sounds until all there was, was just his breathing and my heart beating.

“
Do you like it,
ma douce
?”

“
It's beautiful. Why is it so different?”

“
We are together, everything is more.”

“
It is still your creation. A part of you.”

“
It is a part of both of us, but I have made it, yes.”

“
Thank you.” And I meant it. Even if it was more than my farm ever was, I had needed to see it tonight, needed to touch my roots and centre my soul. Nothing calmed me like being on the farm, and this, even a dream, was a balm to my ragged nerves, an elixir to the terror that had been building at what we were about to face.

“
It is my pleasure,
ma douce
. I would give you the world.”

He was beside me now, looking out at the view. He was wearing casual black trousers and a black t-shirt. I'd never seen him in a t-shirt before, it seemed too casual for him. But when I turned to face him and my hands reached up of their own accord and touched his chest through the thin material of the top, I realised why he had chosen it. I could feel every line, every curve of his firm body. The material almost insubstantial as I ran my hands over his torso, down the flat plane of his stomach and around the sides to his hips, then just continued to move my fingers all over every part of him. He closed his eyes, but didn't stop me, his breathing shallow and controlled, but I could tell he was fighting it.

I took a step closer and felt the warmth of him roll towards me, wrap around me and send shivers down my spine. The overall sensations all tumbling together were electrifying, it caught my breath. So many feelings were running through my mind, my body, I was quickly losing control of myself. I did not want to stop touching this body. Ever.

I closed my eyes and licked my lips, trying to get myself under control. This was just a dream, but it felt so real.

His hands touched my cheek and softly stroked the side of my neck. “Do not fight it,
ma
douce
. This is right.” His words whispered against my mouth.

I parted my lips involuntarily and he took the opportunity without hesitation. Warm lips met mine, wet tongue enveloping my own, wrapping around it and filling my mouth with such warmth and my body with such desire. His right hand had moved down to the centre of my back and he pulled me close to him, his body moulding into mine. I could feel his fingers kneading and stroking my back through the thin material of the dress.

For some reason I was crying, or at least tears were slowly trickling down my face. Michel kissed each one in turn, with small soft movements, down my face and onto my neck. He found my sensitive spot on the side of my throat above my pulse, and sucked gently on it. The sensation was extraordinary, sending a violent shudder through me. He groaned.

“
How is it that you fill me with such longing, such desire, even in a dream,
ma belle
? I cannot get enough of you.”

Right back at ya buddy, was the only thought I had before falling once again into a delightful cloud of bliss. I didn't argue when he gently manoeuvred me to the ground, lying on his side beside me, his body against me, his leg slightly over one of mine. We were kissing again and the the crescendo of heat inside me was reaching the most delicious parts of my body. Without even noticing he had moved, his hand was on my bare skin under my skirt, softly moving up my calves, stroking behind my knees and kneading along my thighs. The wind against my bare legs was warm and far from distracting, just added to the plethora of sensations rolling all over my body.

He hadn't stopped his persistent kissing of me either, finding every spot on my face and neck that would send the most fervent impulses through me. Combined with what his hand was now doing, in my most intimate place, which I had only now just realised was uncovered, was thrilling, exhilarating. I guess it was his dream creation, he could have me wearing, or in this case not wearing, anything at all. I, surprisingly, did not feel exposed, I simply relished the sensations he was causing, building a deep and lush heat right down inside me with the deft movement of his fingers.

My body was arching up towards him, it had a mind all of its own, it wanted more and I couldn't have stopped it even if I had wanted to. For some reason, this being a dream made it feel that much safer. That I could do this without all the hindrance of reality and what that entailed, I was just letting go and
so
wanted this never to stop. His thumb had found the spot that made me whimper, my breath catching and the heat sky-rocketing. He didn't stop, he was relentless in his pursuit of my satisfaction, stroking and probing, but pulling back when I was near the peak, only to start again when I had come back down. The roller coaster of heightened sensations was so intense, sending my heartbeat into overdrive, my pulse thudding in my neck beneath his kisses.

He groaned against me at the increase of the beat. I felt his fangs come out and scrape along my neck, but my mind was concentrating elsewhere as my body rode his fingers, trying desperately to get as much of him as I could inside me. It wasn't enough, not nearly enough. This time he didn't pull back, but let me ride the wave of desire, lust and heat that had built, through to completion. My body shuddered violently as he held me close while I climaxed, whispering sweet words I couldn't understand in my ear.