Called to Order (39 page)

She crept into the dark space and reached for the shiny metal knob. She pulled, but nothing happened. Frowning at the fancy device, she pressed her thumb into the square button below the handle and tugged. The door swung open with more weight than she expected and made a horrible screeching sound as it did.

Larissa ducked behind the door and looked in all directions to see if the loud door attracted any unwanted attention. When she was satisfied that no one had followed her, she awkwardly hoisted herself into the truck.

A shiny set of keys dangled next to the wheel. Larissa turned the keys this way and that, but nothing happened. Larissa frowned at the keys and dipped her head to look closer. Was there something she was missing?
Turn the keys and go, right?
She tried again only this time she turned them with all her might. They clicked passed the point she had turned them before, and Larissa feared she may have broken the truck, but in the next second, there was another click and the vehicle roared to life.

A chirp of joy squeaked past her lips. She settled into the seat, placed both hands on the wheel and a foot on each pedal. She pressed her left foot down, and the barn filled with a queer shade of red. She was making a light blink in the rear of the vehicle. The other pedal must make it go, she thought.

She pressed her right foot down, and the truck roared but did not move. What was wrong? She thought about being in the buggy. It had been a while since she’d driven a carriage anywhere, as Silus always insisted on driving. She remembered the clutch and looked for a clutch inside the truck. There was nothing coming from the floor, but next to the wheel was a long stick. She toyed with the stick and contemplated moving it. When you moved a clutch you needed to be prepared to go. This wasn’t a clutch, but she was willing to guess it made the vehicle move.

Behind the wheel, was a round dial that had numbers on it. Below the dial was a word she was not familiar with. It said PRND12 and an arrow pointed to the P. “
Prind twelve
,” Larissa said quietly to herself. Losing interest, she looked back at the stick. It was now or never, she figured. Shutting her eyes and saying a quick prayer, she pulled the stick.

The truck rocked then began to move. Only she was not moving out of the barn but farther into it. She panicked and stepped on the pedals. The truck picked up speed. She slammed her foot on the other pedal. The barn filled with red light, and her body propelled against the wheel. Her heart was pounding so fast.

She wasn’t sure if she screamed or not, but the truck itself was loud. She needed to figure this out quickly before someone found her here. Straightening her shoulders, she pulled the stick until it clicked again. The truck rocked slightly, and she hesitantly moved her foot off the red light pedal.

The truck moved forward, slowly at first, but then began to build speed. She was traveling at what she supposed was a slow trot when there was a screech and she saw the shiny mirror on her left clip the side of the barn. She turned the large wheel but only made things worse. The mirror was knocked clean off the truck. Larissa hoped it was not a tool needed to make the vehicle run.

Once she was out of the barn and into the clearing, the truck continued to pick up more speed. As it rolled, she played with the wheel, trying to feel out the controls. She was distracted with her turning and suddenly looked up to see her parents’ home. She was barreling down a hill toward it.

Panicking, she pressed her right foot into the pedal but rather than brake, the truck sped up. She quickly yanked the wheel and almost fell over in her seat as the truck veered left. She was moving quite fast now but realized she seemed to have more control when she held such a speed. She turned the wheel again and then found the right angle to move straight ahead.

A
kintish
laugh escaped her as she realized she was actually doing it. She was driving an automobile! There was a bump and then a steady flutter of something whisking by her. The truck bounced, and she began to laugh with unrefined glee as she plowed through the cornfield. Eventually she needed to find a road, why not take a short cut? The clatter and rumple of cornstalks being pummeled under the wheels of the truck continued.

When she spotted the end of the field, she sped up. Deer dashed out of her path and sleeping birds squawked as they took to the night sky. As she ran over the last bit of corn, the truck propelled into the air and slammed down onto the earth so hard she was thrown from her seat.

Larissa scrambled back into her seat and yanked the wheel, finally pulling onto the road. She nearly ran a lone buggy off the road and winced, hoping it was not a friend. Her mind did not think long on the other driver however. She was too elated to think on much else other than her freedom. She was never going back. Free! She was free!

* * * *

Eleazar pulled on his reins violently as a truck came out of nowhere and almost crashed into his horse and buggy. The driver did not even have lights coming from the vehicle. “English drunk!” The horse reared and whickered, not expecting the fright. This was exactly why Eleazar hated leaving the privacy of his own home. The world was nothing more than the Devil’s playground, filled with unwholesome players.

* * * *

Annalise smiled as she watched young couples emerge from the upstairs and move to the table. In all honesty, many were older than her twenty-three years. However, they were single and she was not. Nope, not her, she was Mrs. Adam Hartzler, soon to be a mother.

“Are you happy,
ainsicht?”
Adam asked from beside her.

“Very.” They had made their toast and pricked their fingers upon their handmade handkerchief only an hour ago. It was at that point that it all finally began to set in. She was married. “And about this?” Adam asked placing a soft hand on her abdomen.

They had yet to discuss the pregnancy. She rested her hand over his and smiled. “I am very happy about this.”

“I thought twenty-three was too young to contemplate children.”

“I was a naive girl when I said that.”

He laughed and kissed her affectionately. With his lips still pressed to hers he whispered, “You said that less than a week ago.”

“Well, things change. Speaking of changing, when will all that happen?”

“Are you anxious?”

“Yes, but I am not scared. I’m really okay with this. I just want to get on with our life together. Be married and happy and not worried about words like
feeish
anymore.”

“We can go now if you would like.”

“Like, right now? But we have a house full of people.”

“Yes, and it will be dawn by the time they all leave. Amish weddings are long. Vampyre bondings are longer. Besides, some of the guests must stay until it is over.”

“Why?”

“See that man over there?” He pointed to a man with blond hair and a narrow face. “He is our healer. He must stay in case anything goes wrong.”

“I thought you said it was a sure thing with bonded mates.”

“It is. He is more of an insurance than anything else. Do not worry, Anna. Nothing will go wrong.”

She rubbed her palms together. “Okay. Then let’s get to it.”

He laughed. “Your wish is my command.”

Chapter 27

As Annalise entered the room that would, for the rest of eternity, be her bedroom, her body shivered. Her heart was wrapped in anticipation, nerves, lust, and immeasurable love for her husband. The door clicked shut behind Adam, and she turned to face him. His expression was of extreme contentment.

The room was bare. A large four-poster, king-sized bed dominated the empty space. Anna gasped when she saw the quilt placed over the mattress. She recognized it from her dream. The one Adam had said his sister made and hung in his parents’ home. She ran her fingers over the fine patchwork details lovingly and smiled. “Adam, you have a romantic soul.”

“I have something else for you. Here, look over here.” Rather then square, the room had a sort of L shape. A wall divided the space. The missing piece of the square seemed to make up some sort of walk in closet. “There is still some work to be done, but by the end of the week I will have all the plumbing running, and a supplier from town is helping me order the parts I will need.” He held his hand on the latch of the planked door that was cut into the room. “I am making you a washroom with indoor plumbing.”

Some women were moved by jewelry or fancy clothes, but not Anna. Her husband was giving her a toilet. It was the most romantic gift she could have imagined. “Oh, Adam!” She threw her arms around him. She let her gratitude overflow into her kiss.

He kissed her back for a moment and then pulled her arms from his shoulders. “
Ainsicht,
do you remember how I said I was getting you a gift?” She nodded. “I want to show it to you. Shut your eyes.”

Anna smiled as her eyes closed. She heard the click of the latch. Adam took her hand and led her into the washroom. “Open your eyes,
ainsicht.”

The room was unfinished with holes in the floor and walls where a sink, tub, and toilet would be installed. The expansive room had wood-planked flooring. A vanity of sorts that resembled a simple wooden desk with a wooden bench sat against the far plaster wall. Anna realized right away what Adam meant to surprise her with. It was the only decorative touch placed in the room.

Her throat constricted painfully as a wash of emotion spread from her heart and erupted upward. Her vision blurred so quickly, before she could swipe a finger under her eye or blink, her tears had already begun to fall. Adam squeezed her hand. “Is that the one?”

She pressed her lips together and gave a tight nod. She could not speak through the emotions swamping her. There on the wooden vanity sat the ugly blue vase in which her mother used to hide Easter eggs.

She slowly walked over to the vase and ran her fingers over the edge, not really touching it but admiring it and feeling the memories it represented all the same. The fact that he had gone to her storage unit and found this for her, that he had looked through items of her past she did not have the courage to see, and found this one piece of her mother she had always coveted, well, it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.

She swallowed and swallowed again. After several attempts to find her voice, she finally gave a watery chuckle. There would be no classy way of thanking him now. She just looked at him and wiped her eyes with her wrists. “How did you get this?” she asked running her hand over the top of the vase, but not quite touching it.

“I had your keys and found the address to your storage unit in your paperwork. I went there this morning while you were sleeping.”

Shaking her head, she said, “You are the most amazing man I have ever met and you’re my husband. Thank you for this, Adam. In a million years I could not imagine anyone ever doing something for me that means as much.”

He hugged her tightly. “I had never expected to care so deeply for my mate so fast. I love you, Annalise. You are the blessing God has bestowed upon me, and I will spend all of eternity trying to be a male worthy of his gift, worthy of your heart.”

The embrace slowly turned into small kisses. Small kisses evolved into long kisses. Anna put her heart and soul into every caress and every touch. Mouths traveled over lips, cheeks, and eyes, as hands journeyed across slopes and curves. Adam had somehow led her out of the washroom and back into the main bedroom.

They stood facing one and other in the center of the room. Her emotions were so thick and turbulent in that moment she felt herself quaking with the effort it took to contain them. Adam stepped back and ran his large palms over her shoulders. “Do not be frightened,
ainsicht
. There will be no pain here tonight.”

“I’m not frightened, Adam. I just want to be with you. I want forever to start now.”

He carefully removed her bonnet and placed it on a small hope chest sitting at the foot of the bed. She turned slowly in his arms as his fingers carefully pulled the pins from her hair. Long twists of russet tresses pulled from their tightly woven bun as Adam gently unraveled her locks. He fanned her hair over her shoulders and said words of admiration for her hair’s beauty.

The ribbon ties at the back of her apron came undone, and the garment loosened over her front. He slid the wide, white straps down her arms. She turned, and he gathered the apron and placed it on the chest.

He kissed her temple and her eyes as he pulled one billowy sleeve down her arm and then the other. She raised her arms as he lifted her blue gown over her head. His fingers went to her bottoms and slowly undid the bow. The fluffy, white garments loosened and fell to the floor. She stepped out of them and stood before her husband completely unclothed.

He took her hand and placed it on his chest over the top button. She began to slowly unhook the snap and work her way down his body, revealing his beautifully formed chest and sculpted abdomen. Her fingers returned to his shoulders where she pulled the straps of his suspenders away.

Unbuttoning his pants, she gave them a careful tug and helped him step out of them. It was not long before he was equally as naked as she. They stood toe to toe, simply admiring one and other, as the moment built with an intensity neither of them had ever experienced.

Adam dragged the backs of his knuckles softly over her flat belly. The swirling motion left a trail of gooseflesh in its wake. His palm flattened over her lower tummy, and they shared a moment weighted in heavy meaning. Their future had already begun.

“Will the baby be okay?” she whispered.

“Yes. My blood will sustain you both.”

* * **

Adam swept the hair away from Anna’s shoulder and placed a kiss on the tender slide of her neck. Anna’s nipples pulled tight and her shoulders shivered. His mouth dragged lovingly to her ear. He trailed soft kisses over her jaw. He anointed every part of her, the crests of her cheeks, the soft tips of her lashes, the tip of her nose. When he finally found her lips, her body was quivering so hard she seemed barely able to hold herself up.

He sensed her building need and smiled through his kiss. His left hand coasted over her pointed hip, past her ribs, and tickled the underside of her breast. Her flesh was heated and sensitive to his every caress. He pinched the ruby tip of her breast, and her knees buckled.

Adam’s satisfied, male chuckle filled the air as he bent and scooped Anna into his arms. He carried her to the bed, spread her out onto the covers and admired her as if she were a collection of precious stones upon a velvet cloth. She was his greatest treasure. His fingers teased and tickled hidden corners and crevices of her body, each touch tuning her body tighter and tighter until it seemed that one more strum of his fingertips would have her bursting into pieces.

He moved more fully on top of her and found a home between her thighs. He was there, yet he was careful to support his own weight. He was barely touching her except for where his fingers purposely intended to make contact. Her hips pressed into the bedding, and her back arched. Her neck curved as she began to make small kitten cries for more. He sat back on his heels and watched her pride fall away as her body’s movements took over in a physical begging he could not resist.

His mouth found her breast and the contact was so needed, the stimulation so thirsted after, she screamed in ecstasy. Her intense reaction to the touch of his mouth only fueled him on. His hands coasted over her flesh, softly petting and pinching in all the right places.

* * * *

Anna’s knees drew up, causing Adam’s heat, length, and weight to press against her sex. He moved down the bed, and the weight was gone, but before she could complain, his mouth was there. Her legs fell wide, and at the first blazing trace of his tongue, her body opened like a flower, and a starburst of color exploded behind her eyes.

She cried out his name as he drove her up and up time after time, never letting her completely fall back down. Every lick, every suckle, every breath against her warm, dewy flesh took her to another place on some distant plane of rapture.

When Anna fell into a rhythm that she could no longer tell where sensation began and where it ended, she only existed as a steady thrum of feeling, Adam moved back up her body. He kissed her lips, and she made sounds that should have been words but were of no language either of them spoke.

“It is time, Annalise,” he whispered as he kissed her shoulder. Anna could not move a muscle. She lay supine beneath him as he carefully moved her body and positioned her limbs where he needed them. She found herself resting her cheek on her forearm and her lower body resting on her knees.

Adam traced a finger down the line of her spine, and her body reflexively followed his touch. Her hips lifted, and her back elongated. He nudged her knees apart and positioned himself behind her. “Do you love me, Anna?”

He waited, and she knew he would not move until he knew she was sure. The act of speaking seemed as daunting as moving a cement wall, yet her tongue somehow formed the words he needed. “Yes, Adam, I love you. I will have no regrets.”

He pressed forward, and the penetration seemed to split her body in two. She lunged forward, and he took hold of her hips. Long, loving strokes reached right to her heart. Their bodies moved as one, and her strength slowly returned. Her arms stretched before her, and it wasn’t long before she was holding herself up again. His heat combined with hers in a union so beautiful and so right, emotion began to prickle at the back of her throat.

They made love for a long while, simply experiencing each other, savoring every pull, every thrust, every weighted pressure and punctuated twist. Her body began to rise, and she realized Adam was lifting her. His right arm banded over her ribs, his calloused hand cupping the soft flesh of her breast. He lifted her until her back pressed fully to his chest from the nape of her neck to the tail of her spine.

His mouth brushed over her shoulder, the hollow of her collarbone. His tongue singed a needy trail of wet kisses over her neck. He licked at her pulse and gently nudged her chin until her head rested on her left shoulder, causing her neck to lengthen and allow him full access.

He reached around her, and she heard the sound of him biting his own wrist. Finding her pulse, he licked again. “
Eawichkeit,
Annalise.”

“
Eawichkeit,
Adam.”

He raised her head off of her shoulder at the same moment his fangs pierced the soft flesh of her throat. Her blood pumped and flooded into him. He brought his arm to her mouth, and she latched on as naturally as a child does to their mother. Warm and spicy, with an essence that was somehow familiar to Adam’s kiss, the ruby liquid filled her mouth and she swallowed eagerly.

The shared sensation of Adam feeding from her and, at the same time, providing her with a life force equivalent to drinking from the fountain of youth brought a heady sense of euphoria to her. As they drank, every sensation grew more intense, more potent. Her hips began to press into him, and he moved still deeply imbedded within her. They began to moan and suck and thrust like wild, possessed animals yet somehow managed to not let go of one and other.

Heat built so tightly inside of her she feared she would catch fire. Adam’s thrusts increased in force. With every powerful stroke, he filled her so completely she was sure she would be bruised, yet she was being equally as demanding with him. She needed him, wanted him, and would never give him up.

She continued to drink, but he had pulled away from her neck. He kissed his mark, and his breath beat at her neck.
“Ainsicht. Ainsicht. My only one. My ainsicht. Mine!”