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"You're still avoiding my question. We all thought you were dead. And if you die, I wouldn't make it. My chest felt empty, like my..."
"Soul had been ripped from within you?" He finished. Nodding, I looked up into his mysterious sea blue eyes. They churned with emotion as they searched mine. His long fingers pressed between us, rubbing where my silent heart lay. "I felt the same. Tell me, why do you want to know so badly?"
Swallowing hard, I turned to straddle his lap. Turning my face up to the sky, my new eyes could see things they'd never seen before. The stars lit up the dark sky, the hazy shape of each cloud pronounced. And even the crescent moon seemed brighter. As I refocused on Stefan, it turned our pale skin silver in its white luminance. His immortal beauty almost made me lose my train of thought. As a mostly human anomaly, I'd been shattered by his perfection. His striking Nordic good looks could cause an entire room to focus on him, his formidable presence awe-inspiring. It wasn't until after my change that I realized I hadn't been able to see his true beauty. Even his tiny flaws made him more handsome; the almost imperceptible crookedness of his nose added to his looks.
I couldn't stop my fingers from exploring the sharp curves and planes of his face in the moonlight. They traced over his high cheekbones, down his jaw and followed the curve of his lips. The lower was slightly fuller than the top, another flaw that added to his attractiveness.
His pale eyes watched me curiously as my hands explored his face. When my thumb lingered on his lip too long he caught it between his teeth, his warm tongue wrapping around it sensuously. I watched as his eyes darkened in the moonlight, his amorous mood barreled through the bond like a freight train. My own need was simmering and the addition from his nearly sent me over the edge.
Breathing unsteadily, I pulled my thumb away. I shook my head. "Not until you tell me what happened. And not the sanitized, 'safe for Josie's temper' version either."
Stefan grinned at my serious tone, dragging his tongue across his bottom lip. "Why is it so important that you know? Explain it to me."
Shrugging, I ruffled his silky hair with my fingers. "Because I know there's more to it. And you know who's behind it. You aren't telling me because you either fear I’ll shut down or you don't want me to think about it because I'll be angry and want revenge."
He glanced down at the gold pendant around my neck, his first gift to me. He stared lovingly at it, his brow puckering slightly, putting a tiny crease between his eyebrows. "Perhaps it is both. For all intents and purpose, I am not your maker even though we now share the same blood. I cannot use my influence to command you to stay calm. Your shield at best is...volatile." He rubbed his calloused hands over my arms. "You must promise to not use it to restrain me."
Unblinkingly, I stared at him as he spoke. He was building the reveal up, staging the scene so I was prepared. I'd been right. I wasn't going to like what he was going to tell me. "I promise, Stefan. Please tell me."
Our eyes met and we exchanged a long look. He was gauging my control. Reluctance flooded the bond between us; he really didn't want to tell me but our link kept him honest.
He opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him, my voice barely audible. "It was Kian, wasn't it? My father did this, didn’t he? He almost...he almost killed you. But why?"
He breathed in sharply through his nose, closing his eyes. "Yes, it was your father. And as for his reasoning, I would assume he thought he could destroy evidence against him. Amir received a message that all Council members were to convene at the Carriage House. I was requested to join them as well due to my appointed position."
He opened his mind to me, so I could vividly see the scene unfold as he spoke. It was similar to watching a movie with Stefan's deep, lightly accented voice narrating the story.
"We were all waiting. The longer we waited, the higher the tensions between us grew. Accusations were made. You see, each Council member was deceived; they each thought a different member had called the meeting. Amir had been told Nigel had requested our appearance. Lenora had been told Amir had called and so on. It was chaos. A group of irate vampires is dangerous, even in the most controlled of situations."
Fascinated, I let my eyes close and watched the angry recollection. Flashes of angry faces flickered through his thoughts.
"It did not take long for us to see that we had been deceived. Once the confusion cleared and I could focus, it was then I saw a glimpse of Lenora's future: a flash of fire, the agony of searing pain and then...then there was nothing but darkness. I knew our lives were moments from being over. I attempted to warn everyone but with only seconds worth of warning, everything happened in an instant. Amir, Nigel, Sofia and I were able to avoid the worst of the explosion. Lenora and Adolfo...as you know they did not survive the blast."
His shaky fingers stroked my face. My hand instinctively reached to grip it protectively. He had spoken of chaos, and right now his mind was a riotous storm of emotion and memories. His recollections led me through mazes of underground tunnels, climbing through decrepit passages, digging through dirt to reach a viable exit to the city. Once they emerged, they'd been forced to stick to alleys and less traveled streets so as to not draw human attention. Four filthy, bloody people would have drawn unwanted attention. Sofia had been badly injured and had been in grave danger.
His lilting voice continued. "As I dug my way through filth and through partially sealed passageways, I only thought of returning to you. Amir's presence had severed the bond and I could not sense you. I have grown so accustomed to feeling your presence that once it was gone, I almost went mad. The pain I felt...I would gladly endure years of torture other than face that kind of suffering again. My chest felt as if my heart had been ripped from inside, leaving an emptiness that could have brought me to my knees if it was not for the knowledge you were likely in comparable pain. I had to find you to make us both whole."
My eyes burned with unshed tears. I vividly remembered the pain of our severed bond, the terrifying worry of his fate as if it was yesterday. It was impossible for us to be separated. The tie between us was that strong, tethering our hearts together.
"One complete being," I mused bitterly.
"Yes. What is it you say? It is a blessing and a curse?" Stefan caught my chin in his hand, tilting my head back to look into my eyes. The conviction shining in his eyes was powerful. "To have this connection, this feeling is a blessing. Du är mitt liv, min anledning att leva."
Before, I would have needed a translation. Since my change, I could easily tap into his mind to translate or if needed, talk to him in his native tongue. A weak smile broke over my face. "You are my life and reason to live too, Stefan. It's just difficult to accept if something happened to me, your life would be over. It doesn't seem fair."
His precious life could be wiped away with something as simple as my final death. The very thought clenched my silent heart. And if Stefan perished, I would wither away until there was nothing left.
There would be no reason to survive without him.
"Ah, Josephine. I would rather live a final one day of utter bliss with you than face another thousand years without you. Do you understand? My life was empty without you." His mouth lowered to mine, his lips capturing mine in the lightest of kisses.
Miles away from the closest house, our clothes were carefully removed. Our hands worshiped one another reverently and kisses were placed on lips, shoulders and necks. Our foreheads touched as we lay naked on the blanket we'd spread on the grass. The spicy smell of Stefan was almost overwhelming. All I could feel, see and taste was him in the air around us. As he hovered over me, the feel of his arousal pressing against me was tantalizing and heady.
As he pressed me down among our discarded clothes, the kiss never broke. Heavy exhales pushed out against cheeks, tongues tangled and lips glided wetly against each other. The knowledge that he was mine and the sensation of his need filling the bond was strangely satisfying. I wasn't alone. Pulling him closer, I needed to feel every inch of skin against mine. My fervent hands branded his flesh from his firm ass over his muscled back, finally gripping his wide shoulders desperately.
I could hear every thought in his beautiful mind. His love for me was breathtaking, but his need to touch, to memorize, to lose himself in us if only for a moment made my chest ache. I'd made him remember too much tonight.
"We'll stay together, Stefan," I vowed in a whisper against his lips in order to soothe his unspoken fears. "No one can separate us now. Forget it all for now, lover. Be with me."
