Dhampir Love (32 page)

     The vampires danced around the fire chanting, “Queen Freda reigns.  She is our Queen.”

     I was never more disgusted watching. 

     Freda took her place beside Tony and said, “Too bad I couldn’t taste your blood. We’d have a permanent bond, my pet.  I’m so glad Millie found you for me.”

     Tony looked away in disgust.

     The dance continued long into the night.

    
Millie? Who the….
and then it hit me.
Mildred Holcomb our neighbor
.  My blood began to boil. 

     I turned back to the clearing.  Tony was gone.  Searching for him, I watched as someone blocked my view.  A hand reached into the trees toward me.  Not sure what to do, I stared at the hand.

     “Jess,” Tony whispered.

     Grabbing his hand, I squeezed and kissed
it, running my cheek against his palm.  Searching for three weeks, I found him.

     “Tony, I found….”

     “Stay here and hidden,” he whispered as he crouched down.

     “Tony,” Freda said.  “It’s time to relax.”

     I didn’t want to let go, I didn’t want him to go back with Freda. 

     “I’ll be back tomorrow,” he whispered low, got up and went back to the hut.

     Tears streamed down my face.  I watched through watery eyes, Tony go into the hut.  Holding my pack to my stomach, I lay my head against the trunk of a tree. 

     In the morning I woke to a hand on my face.  When I opened my eyes, Tony was crouched beside me. 

     “Do you think you can make it to the waterfall?” he asked.

     “I can try, why?”

     “I’ll explain then.  I need you away from here.”

     “I’ve spent….” Tony’s hand covered my mouth.

     “Gidion, have you seen Tony?” Freda asked.

     “He’s off hunting today.”

     “He’s gaining my trust.  Maybe he’ll bring back a boa.”

     Tony and I watched as Freda and Gidion went back into the hut.

     “Jess, you have to make it to the waterfall today before the sun sets.”

     “Which way do I go?” I asked holding his hand to my face.

     Tony pointed back behind me.  I stood up and reached out to hug him.

     “Jess, I don’t want Freda smelling your scent.  We’ll have time for that later, but right now I need for you to go back.  Okay?”

     “She hasn’t hurt you?” I asked.

     “No, but there’s no time.  Please, Jess.  Go!  Go now!”

     The tears started again as I turned in the direction Tony pointed.  Before, I pushed through the brush; I turned back one more time.  Tony looked at me with his half-grin and mouthed, “I love you.”

     “I love you too,” I mouthed back and blew him a kiss.

     Before nightfall, I was back at the waterfall.  Climbing up to the cave, I was greeted by a large lizard.  “So you’re the one I pushed off here a week ago.  Well—buddy scoot over because I’m joining you.”

     The lizard hissed as I scooted it and rested against the cave wall.   Looking out through the water, all I could see was Tony’s face.  He
didn’t look beat down, which was a good thing.  His eyes, however, had a red tint. 

     I heard laughter and crouched toward the edge.  Cam and Kala brought Ingram to the pond.  
That was a fast transformation.
It happened only last night.

     “How did you change so quickly?” Kala asked.

     “Deep in the jungle we make special herbs for quick healing.  I am surprise too.  I am changing so quickly.”

     “Let’s teach you to hunt,” Cam offered.

     The three took off away from the waterfall.  For three days I waited for Tony to come.  Hungry, I needed to eat.  I couldn’t remember how long it had been when the biscuits were depleted.  My stomach growled causing the lizard to hiss.  The fourth day, Tony showed up. 

     “Jess, where are you?”

     “Behind the waterfall,” I said.

     Going to the edge, I looked down to see Tony.  My heart took off the second he saw me. 

     “How in the world did you find this place?” he asked.

     “I needed a dry place to stay and it’s all I could find.”

     Tony’s lips went directly to mine after he was in the cave.  “I have missed you, sweetie.  I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

     “You had to of known I’d look for you.”

     “Where did you start?” he asked laying his hand on my cheek, rubbing his finger across my cheekbone.

      “The Mortensin’s Castle,” I said.

      “Thorment let you see him?” he asked surprised.

      “Yes, and help from the dwarf’s.”

     Tony cocked his eyebrow’s up.  He went straight to my neck lightly kissing. 

     “Tony?”

     “Hum,” he said between kisses.

     “Do you know when we’ll leave this place?  I’m done here.”

     Tony straightened up and looked me in the eyes.  “I’m working on it as fast as I can.  I’ve got Freda trusting me to be alone.  I’m here with you aren’t I?”

     I nodded.

     “Freda is vicious.  She trusts no one, not even Gidion and he’s her brother.”

     “Freda and you haven’t…..” I looked down.

     “Jess, I won’t let her near me.”

     “But she called you her mate,” I whispered.

     “She’s wishing,” Tony said and pulled my chin up to meet his eyes. “Sweetie, Freda and I haven’t had any kind of relations.  She can call me what she wants, but I’m telling you right here and right now.  You are my world.  You are my life.  You Jess, and you alone are the only one who’s touched my heart.  It’s yours forever.”

     I slammed my body into him and hugged him tighter than I’ve ever hugged anyone.  “I love you,” I said and kissed him again.  “I’ve missed you so much.”

     “Sweetie, I love you more than anything on this earth.  I never lost focus and my every thought is you.”

     My stomach growled.

     “Jess, when is the last time you ate?”

     “I don’t know.  Some villagers gave me some hard things, but when I jumped in the water to hide
and they ended up soaked.”

     “I’ll be right back,” Tony said heading for the edge of the cave.

     “Don’t leave!!!  I want to spend all the time I can with you until we can freely leave this hell on earth.”

     “Jess, I have to get back anyway.  I don’t want them coming for me and Freda is very particular about how long I’m gone.”

     “Okay,” I pouted.

     “Believe me, if we could leave now, I would.  It’s timing
, Jess.” 

     “I know it is.”

     Tony went to the edge of the cave.  “Sweetie, I love you and we’ll be out of here soon, I promise,” he said and disappeared. 

     Wrapping my arms around myself
, laying my head against the cave, I saw a hand place some fruits on the floor.  “Jess, eat.  For me,” Tony said.

     Going to the edge, I looked for Tony, but he was gone.  Taking the fruit I ate without tasting.  My first meal in weeks, but I didn’t care.  Tony and I were going to make it out of here and the sooner the better.

     A week passed
before I saw Tony again. Every morning when I woke fruit was lying inside the cave. 
Tony was taking care of me. 
The lizard didn’t hiss at me so much.  One morning, I woke to find it curled against my leg. 

     Tony came to the cave to let me know we’d be out of here in another week. I was beyond ready.  But, I had to wait until Tony knew when the best time was to leave.

     Tony came into the cave early.  He woke me giving my neck light kisses. 

     “I’ve missed you,” I said as my eyes opened.

     “I’ve missed you sweetie.”

     Tony and I embraced.

     “I have some good news, Jess.”

     “What?  We leave today?”

     “Not exactly, but we will soon. Freda trusts me more.  She’s letting me venture without Gidion.  I spent a night near the cave last week.  I returned the next day and Freda blew it off as ‘a bad night of hunting.’  “I’m thinking we could be out of here within the week.”

     “Oh Tony, that’s the best news yet,” I said hugging him. 

     “No. The best news is,” Tony paused smiling wide.  “Tonight, I’m spending it with you.”

     Tony and I spent the day talking about each other’s adventures.  Tony kicked the lizard out of the cave because it annoyed him.  We heard several vampires come and go, but we didn’t care.  Tony and I were spending our first night together.  A month was entirely too long.

     “Jess, how about we swim tonight?”

     “The vampires won’t hear us?” I asked.

     “No. They’ll be hunting ten miles from us on the northern rig.”

     “I trust you.  Let’s do it.”

     Tony and I waited until the moon shone above our heads to swim.  Taking my ragged dirty clothes, I tossed them over the edge and they landed in the water.  Tony didn’t have much to shed…. his loin cloth. 

   Tony grabbed me in his arms, gave me a once over and said, “Let’s jump from here.”

    “Let’s,” I said.

     Tony and I took each other’s hand, stepped to the edge and jumped feet first.

      The water was cool and refreshing.  I came up first without seeing Tony.
  He came up behind me, grabbed me around the waist and turned me to face him.  Wrapping my arms around his neck, we looked into each other’s eyes and the flame rose like the first time we met. 

     Our kiss was
long and passionate as we embraced in the water holding onto each other to never let go. 

    “Jess, your scent is mouthwatering.”

     Tilting my head back, Tony lightly kissed my neck running his nose up and down.  He was devouring me as I relaxed.  “I missed this scent.”   Reaching behind me, he lifted my head out of the water with his lips crashing into mine.  The flames danced in his eyes as he loved me.  “Jess, my sweet Jess.”  Tony grabbed one of my legs and sat it on his hip.  I didn’t hesitate wrapping my other leg around his waist. 

     Glancing up toward the moon, I didn’t want this night to end.  Running my fingers through Tony’s hair, he groaned.  Kissing his neck lightly, the soft growl, I remembered, softly rose with a vampire growl at the end. 
That was my Tony.

  Closing my eyes, Tony whispered, “I’m not finished with you yet.”  Gliding me over to the rocks, he gently pressed my back against them.  Pressing our bodies together he whispered, “When this is all over, you my sweetie will never leave my side.”

     “Tony, when this is all over, you my love, will never be apart from me again.”

     Gently I placed my lips against his.  Tony parted his lips and I inhaled.  His rose, lavender scent engulfed me, but I held strong consuming every breath.  My head began to swirl and my knees were weak, but this moment was one to cherish. 

     How long did we stay in the water? It was hard to say…This was the perfect night, but it was coming to an end.  The moon disappeared behind the trees.  Tony lifted himself to the rocks, and then gave me a hand.  We walked behind the waterfall and climbed back into the cave. We fell asleep in each other’s arms.

     In the morning it was time for Tony to go.  “Jess, soon!”

     “Soon,” I repeated.

     I watched as Tony headed back, disappearing into the trees. 

     The week seemed long.  I listened as vampires came and went without moving from the cave.