Lost Wanderer Awakened - Book One of the Airendell Chronicles (19 page)

“It’s fine baby,” he says. “I am going to
make you something to eat.”

She frowns at his retreating back, “I must
nip that in the bud,” she muses to herself. “This arrangement will
never do! It will drive us both crazy.” She quickly dries her hair
and hastily runs a brush through it to smooth it down. She dons the
jeans and top and carries the sneakers and socks into the
kitchen.

He is sitting at the table, staring out the
window when she enters the kitchen. There’s a BLT and sliced
cantaloupe waiting on the table for her. She sets the shoes and
socks on the floor by the table, then grabs a coke out of the
fridge, and turns to watch him. She sits down and eats in silence
for a few minutes, worry is gnawing at her gut though as she
watches his withdrawn mood.

When she can no longer take the silence, she
jumps up and runs around the table and straddles his lap. She takes
his face in her hands, and looks him in the eyes. “What are you
thinking Lucian Michaels?” she demands.

“About what I can’t give you,” he admits.

She snorts in response. “You give me
everything, but apparently one thing, that you choose to hold back.
And since I see you are resolved to this course of action I won’t
argue with you, but don’t you dare withdraw from me like you are
doing right now. Remember what you told me… No Walls Between
US!”

“I let you down, again.” he says quietly.

“You have never let me down in over seven
hundred years!” she insists.

“Yes, I have. In two of your life times I
missed you all together, you died before I found your scent. In
this life time your life was destroyed and body mangled by that
witch Kyera before could I make it to you. My God Morna. You are 49
years old. I lost you for 49 years. 62 years if you count the time
you were lost in limbo. I fail you all the time!”

“It’s the curse, not you at fault here. Or
me, because I didn’t figure out how to deflect or rebuff the curse,
but it’s not your fault Luca!”

“I should have protected you from the curse.
Instead you were so weak from avenging me against that ancient
vampire, and trying to prevent me from changing into a blood
thirsty monster that you were an easy target for that witch,” he
whispered.

“Luca, I didn’t take revenge on the ancient
vamp for turning you, or exhaust myself trying to prevent the
change. All of my actions in the glen during that terrible time had
one goal, and only one goal. To keep us alive. He wasn’t trying to
change you, he had nearly drained all of the blood from your body.
He would have drained me and finished you if I had not destroyed
him. And the three days of spell weaving, the sharing of my blood
with you was to keep you alive, Luca. I wasn’t trying to stop the
change. Baby, he had drained too much blood and there was too much
venom in your body, there was no way to stop the change. I didn‘t
even try.”

“You shared your blood with me?” he asks in
an awed voice.

“Yes, I don’t think you had enough of your
own blood left in your body to survive the change, so I fed you
mine over the course of the three days. I would have done anything
to keep you alive. I would do the same exact thing tomorrow, even
if I knew it would achieve the same exact outcome. You are my mate,
my husband, my man of light, you are my everything! You have to
live!”

“You didn’t fear or hate the monster I was
becoming?” he demands skeptically.

“No,” she states evenly. “You could never and
have never become a monster. Look at all that has happened to you
that has been out of your control, yet you have never harmed anyone
because of it. You have never killed a human being, immortal or
vampire without just cause. So what if you cracked a couple of my
bones in bed. It wouldn’t have happened if I weren’t such a savage
little wanton with you, and would use the iron-lion spell. Luca we
both know I have always been wild when we love. You know I speak
the truth.”

Luca is silent for several minutes, taking in
her words, recognizing the truth in them. He’s surprised that she
remembers what the iron-lion spell is. He just wishes she
remembered how to weave it on her body. It makes a Spell Weaver’s
body as hard as iron and as fast as a lion. It’s very useful during
battle and would be useful when they make love.

“Bite me, expose me to venom, then I can be
like you,” she says in a quiet voice.

“What?” he demands. “No! I won’t do this to
you.” He is shaking his head and looks horrified at the very
thought.

“Look at this logically my love,” she
entreats. “Think about what this hellish dance through time has
done to both of us. You have to search for me endlessly across the
world. Once you finally track me down, we often have to live with
the knowledge that other men have done with me, what only you
should ever do…”

“Enough Morna!” he growls harshly. After a
very long, tense moment he sighs. “Baby, I don’t hold you to blame
for that. You have no way of knowing that even I exist, that I am
searching for you.”

“True, you never blame me, but we both know
what it does to you, that knowledge. Luca, I see the pain in your
eyes right now, just thinking about it. Have you ever thought that
it burns me too, it fills me with shame, reveals me for the vile,
carnal creature that I am. What about the guilt and pain you feel
when you find me dead, or hurt like this time. We can avoid all
that… don’t you see it is the only logical solution.” she begs him
to understand.

“No I won’t infect you with what I am!” he
insists.

Morna stares at him angrily for several long
minutes. But she realizes that he will not change his mind in this.
Not right now, maybe not ever. “Okay, okay. You are probably right.
I am sure I would not be able to control myself like you do anyway.
As strange as this sounds, you make being a vampire look like a
good thing.” He starts to speak and she puts her fingers over his
lips, “I know, I know. Sorry.”

Morna pauses and takes a deep breath before
continuing; “Listen, we have to come up with a solution. I only see
three possible options though. Option one, we break the curse and
we both know that‘s not bloody likely, Option two, you change me or
Option three, you stop searching for me after I die this time and
find someone else to love. Because I won’t torture you for all of
eternity. I love you too much to put you through this anymore.
Don’t you see, my love?”

“Fine, we will concentrate on breaking the
curse,” he decrees.

“That’s great darling, I am all for that. But
we need a backup plan. Hear me out.” She holds up her hand to stop
him from interrupting. “Our original wedding anniversary is coming
up soon, March 22nd. If we have not broken the curse by our
anniversary of next year we will move on to option two, you will
change me and then wrap me in a binding spell until I learn to
control my thirst, as I did to you. If you still refuse to do that
then I must insist on Option three; you stop looking for me,
because I will not continue to drag your heart through time. It’s
cruel and hateful and I just won’t do it anymore! Do I make myself
clear?” By now her words are coming in ragged sobs and the tears
are streaming unchecked down her face.

“No, no never! Morna, I will not live without
you! I will not live without you, do you hear me? I will change you
first, before I would give you up. I will do it. I am that
selfish!” he roars in frustration and pain at the thought of
forever being separated from his mate. He struggles to calm himself
and says, “Baby, I will do this to you before I lose you. Just
please Morna, please, give it longer than a year, maybe in five or
ten years we can find a solution.” His voice is coaxing at the
last, trying to get her to agree.

“No darling. We must exist as equals. And you
are already twenty years younger than me. Biologically speaking, I
am old enough to be your mother right now. You didn’t think I
remembered that little detail, that you were only 29 when you
ascended, did you? Well I do. I am vain enough that I will not look
old enough to be your grandmother, do you understand that, darling?
I couldn’t saddle you with a fifty nine year old wife. Please tell
me you do.”

“Your age means nothing to me,” he vows
sincerely.

“Well it does to me. I want to always burn
with passion for you and always be able to make you burn for me. It
is part of who we are. Neither of us were created to live a mortal
existence, with the normal patterns of birth, aging and dying. We
were created for magic, love, healing, teaching, and battle when
necessary. We were created for love, to love each other, in every
way possible. That is our destiny.” This impassioned declaration
leaves her feeling spent and she wraps her arms weakly around him,
she just doesn‘t have the energy to fight with him anymore about
any of this. Luca picks her up and carries her to their bedroom to
love her completely because he knows her words were true. They were
indeed created to love each other.

Luca sets her on her feet by their bed. He
slips behind her and wraps his arms around her as he kisses her
neck. Morna leans into his icy, marble like body and sighs
contentedly. He brings his hands up to cup her full breasts beneath
her shirt and bra. “These breasts are certainly larger than mine
were seven hundred years ago.” Morna laughs and then says,
“Everything about me is larger than it was seven hundred years
ago.”

“Morna, I have found you beautiful in every
incarnation. I am just grateful to have you back, my love.” Luca
whispers as he continues to knead her breasts through her clothes.
She relaxes into him and thoroughly enjoys his ministrations. The
fire in her blood is already raging and her breathing is quickened
as she leans her head back against his left shoulder. He groans as
he sees the pulse racing at the base of her throat. He kisses the
precious evidence of her life. Then reaches down to the hem of her
shirt and pulls it fluidly up and off her body.

Morna quickly turns her around to face him.
Luca kisses her eyelids, her nose, her lips, her throat and the
valley between her breasts. He brings his hands up to cup her
breasts through the bra as he nuzzles them gently. Morna entwines
her fingers in his hair and then lifts his face up to meet hers
again. She gazes at the beloved and familiar face. She strokes his
strong jaw enjoys the soft bristly feel of it. She giggles a bit
and he looks at her questioningly. “Monday morning, when I first
got here and you were leading me up the stairs, I was wondering if
your whiskers would tickle if I were ever brave enough to kiss
you.”

Luca smiles indulgently at her and she
strokes his face with eager hands. She lovingly traces the perfect
contours of his lips with her fingertips, and then stretches up to
kiss them gently. She murmurs against their ice cold perfection,
“I’ve been dreaming of kissing you ever since I first saw you at
the hospital. And when I watched you walk into The Shack with Seth
and we sat chatting at the bar it was all I could do not to try to
get you come home with me. I have wanted you so very badly, my
darling. I have had many a very vivid fantasy about what I wanted
to do with you, but I just couldn’t make myself act on my desires.
You just seemed too young, too perfect, too beautiful for the likes
of me.” She admits shyly as she continues to stroke his beloved
face. “Why couldn’t I remember you sooner? I have wasted so much
time.” She chokes up as she speaks. “Oh Luca, I love you so very,
very much. Thank you for bringing me back.”

Luca’s hands clasp her beloved face and he
kisses her tenderly. “I am so blessed to have my beloved back in my
arms.” He whispers as he pulls back slightly to look into her
face.

Morna drops her hands down to the buttons of
his shirt and slowly, confidently undoes each button while he holds
her bright emerald gaze with his luminous blue one. His arms are
loosely holding her around her waist as she opens the front of his
shirt. She places her hands on his icy, hard abdomen moves them
slowly upwards until she catches the collar of his shirt and starts
to peel it off his body. He turns loose of her waist so that she
can remove the shirt, tossing it carelessly to the floor.

She sighs at the magnificence of him. “Luca,
you are as beautiful and perfect as the very first time I laid eyes
on you.” She whispers as she kisses his throat, moving down his
chest. Her hands lovingly caress his shoulders and strong, hard
arms. She shivers in delight as she revels in his perfection. She
misses the warmth and suppleness his flesh had before the change
but she is still so grateful to have him back in her arms.

He steps out of his shoes, and kicks them out
of their way as she reaches for the waistband of his jeans. She
undoes the snap and moves her eager fingers to the tab of the
zipper and draws it downward. She pushes the jeans downward and
reaches behind and caresses his icy, hard buttocks as she rests her
cheek against his chest and sighs contentedly. And then she pushes
the jeans down slowly, lowering herself to a kneeling position. She
helps him remove the jeans from each leg, and runs her hands
slowly, lovingly up his legs to his hips.

Morna sighs as she moves her cheek up the
length of his hard cock, savoring the familiar scent and feel of
him. Luca groans loudly and clutches at her shoulders and draws her
even closer to him. When she reaches the tip of his erection she
turns her face slightly and opens her mouth and takes him very
slowly into her mouth.

A violent tremor rips through his body and he
growls a deep, primal sound as he clasps her face between his
hands. He physically urges her to stand up. She reluctantly
surrenders her hold on him and stands up to meet his troubled gaze.
“Morna, please don’t push my self-control too much, too fast,” Luca
whispers into her ear. She silently nods her assent, as her hands
drop to her sides, and she stands uncertainly before him, not sure
what he might consider too much. Her uncertainty turns to
self-consciousness, and embarrassment colors her cheeks. She looks
away and takes a deep breath trying to stop the tears that are
welling up in her eyes.