Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book #4) (22 page)

He released me long enough to remove his jeans when another burst of lightening flashed.  The power flickered once before it went out, leaving us in darkness.  Seeing my opportunity, I darted away from him.  I was out the French doors and into the woods before Stefan had realized I'd left him.

The pelting rain drenched my skin and was loud against the overhanging branches and leaves.  As I ran deeper into the forest, I knew he'd find me; I couldn't hide from him even if I tried.  I wanted him to find me because I knew he'd be angry when he found me.  A shiver of excitement ran down my spine as I ran silently through the rain, my feet barely touching the sodden earth, clad in only my bra and panties.  I was anxious to see the true predator side of Stefan in action.  The last time he’d pursued me I’d been partially human.  This time…this time I wanted him to treat me as his equal.

His unbreakable equal.

Slowing my speed, I listened for any sign that he was following close behind.  My eyes darted around the darkened woods and I turned from side to side nervously.  Every sense was on alert, waiting for any rustle of leaves or the crackle of displaced branches as a warning of his approach.  It wasn't until I felt his hands on my arms and I felt the impact of his body pinning me against a moss-covered tree that I realized the hunter had been victorious.  He had found his prey.

"Ah, you ran only for me to find you. You have no idea the dangerous game you are playing."  Stefan pressed me harder against the tree, the bark digging into my skin.  He towered over me, rain dripping from the ends of his golden hair.  The dark of his pupils had eclipsed the blue of his eyes, his handsome face seemed carnal and dangerous.  His fingers snapped open the front of my bra, my breasts spilling into his hands.  He pressed them together, lowering his mouth to pull first one nipple and then the other into his mouth roughly.  "You drive me to the point of insanity."

With those words, he slid my panties down my legs, leaving me naked against him.  He slid between my open thighs, his cock twitching against the hot slickness of my pussy.

Drops of water dripped from his face in rivulets onto my neck, the coolness a scorching contrast to the burning of my skin against his.  I wrapped my legs around his hips and pulled him to me.  My arms encircled his shoulders, my nails digging into his back.  "Don't talk, Stefan.  You caught me.  Claim what’s yours."

Another flash of lightning sparked over us, lighting up the woods for the briefest of moments.  I could see the intensity in his eyes, the lust that had clouded his reason.  He buried himself inside of me in one swift stoke, his hips setting a punishing, exquisite rhythm.

My loud, keening cries and his grunts echoed around us.  The pouring rain made our bodies slick, our skin moving easily against each other. Rolling my hips, I met each stroke and begged him for more.  "Don't stop! Don't ever stop!  Fuck!"

An animalistic growl fell from his lips as he claimed me.  He was taking what I willingly offered him: my body, my soul and my love.  It belonged to him, just as he belonged to me.

"You are mine.  MINE!"  His thrusts increased and he slid even deeper than before.  My eyes fluttered closed and I lost myself into just feeling…pushing every stray thought and worry from my mind, if only for the moment.  I could feel the coarse hair on his chest rubbing against my sensitive nipples, his warm breath against my neck.  If I was a human, I couldn't have kept up with the speed and power of his thrusts.  He had filled me completely and we still weren't close enough.

I felt myself tighten around him as I spiraled towards my release.  It was when another strike of lightning crackled across the sky that I fell over the precipice, my screams drowned out by the rain and the roaring thunder.  Stefan pumped a final time before he exploded inside of me, the force of his body against mine cracking the tree behind us.  As it shifted behind me, he pulled me to the forest floor, his fangs sinking savagely into the side of my neck.  Instinctively, my own fangs dropped and buried themselves into his throat, his thick blood filling my mouth.

The bond between us flared to life, its energy burning us alive from the inside out.  As our blood mingled, our skin glowed a pale, ethereal blue, similar to the moment we'd exchanged blood on the rooftop in New York.  But this time, it was different.  The power had intensified and the force was like an atomic bomb, blowing us apart from each other.  We landed nearly 20 feet away on opposite sides, shaken and confused.

I seemed to come to my senses quicker than Stefan.  I crawled across the forest floor to him, ignoring the ragged sticks underneath my knees and palms.  He was flat on his back, one arm thrown across his face.  His legs were tangled among the tall grass and leaves, his rain sodden body motionless.

Frantically, I brushed his hair back from his forehead.  My trembling fingers ran over the contours of his handsome face, over the arch of his eyebrows, down his temple and across his highly arched cheekbone.  There was no response.

"Stefan?  You have to come back to me.  Stefan?"  I whispered shakily.  I gently shook him.  "Baby, please."

Closing my eyes, my head fell back as the rain poured down on us.  "You can't take him from me.  No!  I refuse it.  I refuse it!"

Placing my hands on his chest, I closed my eyes.  If I concentrated, I could still feel his presence in the bond. It was muted, as if we were separated by many miles.

"You're coming back to me," I whispered.  Biting my lip, I concentrated on the bond, the fragile link that tied us together.  When I spoke, the words spilled out on their own accord.  "Nådig Gud Balder.  Gracious Goddess Arianrhod.  Jag ber att ni visar oss vägen. Visa honom vem vi var och vad vi hade. Välsigna våra ögon så att vi kan se. Må det ske att ingen skada sker.  Så ska det bli."

My hands glowed a pale purple, lighting his skin until his entire chest was shining brightly.  The light spread over his body, encasing my own in the soothing light.  A rush of memories flooded my mind, a virtual onslaught of images, moving at a blinding speed.  It was like looking at a confusing blur of pictures, snapshots of long-forgotten memories.  It would take time and effort to make sense of them all.

Slumping over him, I panted with the effort of the experience.  I wanted nothing more than to simply lay here with him until he awoke, but I knew it wouldn't be safe for us to be exposed like this, regardless of how remote and secluded we were here.

"It looks like you could use some help."

Snarling, my head whipped around and I protectively covered Stefan with more of my body.  Fletcher stood behind me, averting his eyes from my nude flesh.

Still concerned about Stefan, my voice was ragged and defensive.  "I'm fine.  And I'm naked."

He snickered dryly.  "I can see that.  You're my sister.  I could care less about your state of undress…or how it happened."  He shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.  "You need help…and I can do that.  Grab one side of him and I'll get the other."

Fletcher draped one of Stefan's massive arms around his neck and I followed suit.  We were easily able to maneuver Stefan through the woods.  Neither of us spoke as we trudged through the rain.  It wasn't until we reached the backyard of Garrett's house that Fletcher came to a sudden stop, causing me to pitch forward.

"Garrett was your uncle?" He questioned softly.  He looked over Stefan's back to meet my curious gaze.

"Yes.  I didn't know that until recently though.  I thought I was adopted by strangers until I met Kian and Nikolaus."  I started walking again, hoisting Stefan up the deck steps.  Fletcher followed inside and we carried Stefan through the house, carrying him into the bedroom and we dropped him on the mattress.  Satisfied he was safe, I peered up at Fletcher.  "I'm going to get dressed and I'll be out in a minute.  Wait outside in the living room.  You obviously were headed this way to talk.  Give me a few and we’ll talk."

He gave a sharp nod and turned on his heel, closing the door behind him.  I shrugged out of his jacket and hurriedly pulled on a pair of jeans and one of Stefan's t-shirts.  I kneeled down on the bed beside of him, smoothing his damp hair back from his face.

"It'll be ok, Stefan.  I promise you," I murmured.  I wasn’t sure if I was doing it to reassure myself or to comfort Stefan. I placed a kiss against his soft lips and was standing up to leave when his large hand wrapped around my forearm, pulling me back to the bed.

"Iosiphina?" Stefan’s question came out as a mumble and his weary blue eyes struggled to focus.  "Du har kommit tillbaka till mig? Eller har min önskan går i uppfyllelse? Har du tagit mig till din värld?"

My mind struggled to translate his words.  My Swedish was still shaky, even with the luxury of tapping into his mind to do quick translations.  Long sentences were still difficult for me.

"Stefan?  It's Josephine.  Can you talk to me in English?"  I smiled gently, continuing to smooth his hair with my fingers.  “Do you know what and where you are?”

"I am confused, but I know what and who I am. I am a vampire.  You were Iosiphina.  Now you are Josephine."  He gradually pushed himself up on one elbow.  "A different time and a different life."

"Yes."  I whispered breathlessly.  He was remembering! My stomach leaped with excitement.  My hands stroked his face, running the backs of my fingers over his cheek.  He reached up and grabbed my hand, pulling it away to study my fingers intently.

“You touched me many times like this.  When I was a human.  Where did you go?”

My eyes welled up with tears.  “I had to go away when you…changed.  I’m back…we’re together again.  Nothing can take me away from you.”

“You are like me now…a vampire.”  Stefan’s voice sounded weak and hoarse.  He looked tired, his handsome face drawn.  Dark shadows smudged the skin under his eyes.  He was still staring at my hand and I took it between both of mine, squeezing it tightly.  “It took centuries to find you.”

“I never make anything easy, remember?”  I joked lightly. My expression turned much more stern. “You need to rest.  Fletcher is downstairs waiting to talk me.  He helped me tonight.”

His brow furrowed.  His blue eyes searched mine as he struggled to remember the night’s events.

“We glowed again.  Only this time, you lost consciousness.  Fletcher stumbled upon us and he assisted me in getting you back here safely.”  I supplied.  I saw recognition flicker on his face as my words jogged his memory.

He attempted to rise up again, his massive body collapsing against the bed.  “I should go with you.  Make sure you are safe.”

“Stefan!  You barely have the strength to move.  I think I can hold my own against a hybrid.  I am stronger than him.”  One of my eyebrows arched smugly.  I didn’t need Stefan to fight my battles.  I was fully capable of handling myself against a half human.

He relaxed into the pillow, his blond hair rumpled and messy.  “Do nothing foolish.  Promise me.”

“I promise.” Dropping a parting kiss on his lips, I stood and grabbed Fletcher’s jacket.

Hurrying down the steps, I found my brother by the French doors.  He was a handsome man.  He had rugged, angular features with a stubbly goatee and dark brown hair framed his tanned face. However, his deep emerald eyes were his most striking feature.  They were clear and bright.  They were the kind of eyes that could see right through you. I found that it was difficult not to stare at them.  Of course, it was even harder to believe I had a brother that had not only survived Kian's torturous experiments, but also managed to escape.  Thinking of those journals Kian kept made me nauseous.  I shook my head and rubbed my forehead as if that action alone would clear my thoughts.

I tossed Fletcher his jacket and he caught it swiftly with little effort.  He gestured up the stairs with his thumb. "Is he gonna be ok?"

I glanced up at Fletcher.  His words were barely a grunt.  His eyes shot around the inside of the house nervously, as if he was frightened something was going to jump out and grab him.  Imagining what he’d been through, I couldn’t blame him.

Sighing deeply, I pulled my t-shirt tighter around me.  "Yes...I hope.  He's...confused and exhausted."

He scratched his chin and his clear green eyes narrowed to slits.  "You hope? You better do more than hope.  The man couldn't fucking walk.  What did you do to him anyway?"