Sweet Cravings (21 page)

I was drowning in confusion, “You mean that…that happened?”

He said with a straight face, “Yes.”

I turned my head and shivered. I could still remember Darius’ erotic touch, the feel of his mouth linked with mine—him feeling my body was like some sort of heaven, his mouth sending sparks sizzling inside me.

I faced him and cupped his cheek in my hand. His eyes widened at the sudden change of heart and he rubbed against my palm, eyes closed, long eyelashes swept downward.

“This is what I want,” he uttered, smooth voice melting me physically and mentally.

I then heard Sang holler, “Breakfast is ready! Come and get it while it’s hot!”

Darius placed his hand on mine and withdrew from me. “Come, Lily. Sang says that breakfast is ready.” He reached out, and I accepted his hand to get up. We walked into the dining hall side by side and sat next to each other.

Sang walked from the kitchen wearing a white apron with illustrations of waffles, pancakes, and other breakfast food on it, and he carried a steamy tray of fresh pancakes. He set it in the center of the table and took his oven gloves off and sat directly opposite to me. He grinned at Darius and then forked three pancakes onto his plate.

“It’s my special recipe for the two people I love most in this world,” he exclaimed while pouring syrup.

His comment made me reflect on my own love. I loved Sang, yes, and I loved Darius, yes. I had kissed them both. I loved them both, truly loved them. But there was an aching in the back of my head, and I became guilty for loving them at the same time. Life can be such a bitch sometimes.

I grabbed myself a couple of pancakes and drenched them in syrup. Darius chuckled and said, “Just like you to pour more syrup than you should.”

I shoved a pancake in my mouth and savored its warm sweetness. “I just really like a lot of syrup on my pancakes. And waffles, too.”

I swear Lawrence just suddenly appeared out of nowhere and got three pancakes for Darius and then daintily put some syrup on them. Then he just bowed and walked away.

Okay…
I’ll pretend I didn’t see that.

I swallowed my second pancake and asked Sang, “So, how’s Hira?”

He set his fork down and dabbed his face with a napkin. “He’s not well, Lily. He’s really sick, so his brother is taking care of him at the moment. I offered to help, but his brother didn’t want me catching it, so he refused. I felt really bad about it, and I still do. I’m so worried. I’m gonna call when we’re done.”

“You’re such a nice friend,” I said.

He cut his remaining pancake into tiny pieces and took a bite. “Do you like my special pancakes?”

I swallowed another and answered, “Yes!”

I turned to Darius, and he had already eaten all his. He simply said, “They are delicious as always, Sang.”

Sang cheered up, and his crimson eyes seemed to glimmer in joy. “Thank you, Lily! Thank you, Master!”

I got up and moved my chair so it was facing Darius and sat down. “So, are you gonna explain why Mr. G, my stuffed animals, and all my clothes from my apartment are in my room upstairs?”

He replied, “You are moving in here with me. It’s for your own protection.”

“My own protection? I can take care of myself,” I retorted grumpily.

Darius shook his head. “I’m sorry, but you have no say in this, my dear. I have already moved everything from your apartment here and have already terminated your lease.”

“But you would need my signature for that, and
me
!”

He drummed his fingers on the table. “My powers are capable of wonderful things. I can control minds and bodies at will.”

I was disgusted. Really disgusted, and I stood up, pushed my chair under the table, and ran to my room. I couldn’t believe it. He did it. He actually did it. He made sure that I’d be trapped here for good now. I turned the knob and dashed inside and then locked the door. Lawrence sure operated fast. I smacked a pillow over my head and hugged Lacy to my face while sad tears flowed from my eyes and onto the bed.

I had no personal home now. I was stuck here with Darius. Some part of me was happy that I no longer had to pay the bills and rent from my pocket, and another part was remorseful for the privacy I’d no longer have.

What did he want from me? Why was I so significant to him? He always spoke as if he knew me, and everything he said was spot-on. Did I know him once and he had my memories erased? What was the answer?

I sniffled and watched as Mr. G opened and closed his mouth hungrily. I didn’t bring any food, and I was guilty for leaving him in such a state. Without thought, due to my distressed condition, I dipped my right index finger into the bowl. He started to pick and nip at it quickly. It turned into a flurry of biting and eating of my flesh, and I pulled my finger out to see it was all gleaming bone.

But it didn’t hurt at all. I stared in amazement as the flesh repaired itself like a puzzle on my finger, building new and healthy skin, even a long nail where Mr. G had eaten it away. In a minute, my finger looked better than before. Was this part of being a vampire? Inhuman regeneration?

I grasped the blankets and curled into a ball beneath them. No one would be able to disturb me now. No one. I reached for my nightstand and opened the drawer. I had a bottle of sleeping pills inside, and I wanted so badly to take some right now. I stopped and retracted my hand. No. That’s not how you deal with problems. I would just have to purge the anger and depression from my system myself. Pills were a quick fix, but they would not solve the problem at hand.

As I huddled beneath the blanket I heard footsteps approaching me and thought,
Oh no. It can’t be!
Someone sat on the base of the bed, and the springs bent under the weight. I knew I wasn’t making it up.

“Who is it?” I asked shakily.

“My, my, who else would it be, my lovely?” replied a seductive voice.

Darius.

“How-how did you get in here?” I glanced toward the door, and it was still closed and locked. What the hell?

Darius seemed worried and brushed a hand through his thick hair. “I can walk through walls, my dear. You didn’t know that?”

“That’s just creepy, that’s what it is.”

He laughed and said, “I’m merely kidding. I can’t actually walk through walls. However, I can freely go to somewhere I’ve been before.”

I snapped, “That’s still creepy!” And buried my head beneath three pillows.

Darius grabbed the covers off of me and took the pillows away. I tightly closed my eyes as he caressed my head soothingly and said gently, “I do not want you to be upset, Lily. I did what I had to do for your own good. The closer you are to me, the less I have to worry about you. Do you know the dangers you were in when you went to that apartment? Someone could have attacked you or even worse. I am so worried about you; I want you to be safe. Will you accept my apology and live here, with me?”

I paused and thought about it. The way he spoke sounded so heartfelt, so passionate and loving, that I couldn’t say no, although I wanted to. I just had to accept that things didn’t always go my way and that living here with Darius was the best option in case of freaks like Vex, or that quick bastard that took my blood. Being near Darius was so much better and better overall for me. I loved his mansion, and I loved my room. And I love the scent of him everywhere and that lingering smell of Sang in the kitchen and by his room beside mine.

“Okay,” I begrudgingly answered in a whisper. “Okay.”

“You know what is best for you as do I.” He lay down and wrapped his arms around me protectively, tenderly. I cried at the loss of my apartment but was overjoyed at how much Darius thought of me. He might’ve been the man who ruined my life, but he also saved it. I got to meet Sang and Hira and Haru and Lune and vampires, shifters, hellhounds, and homunculi. My life wasn’t so boring anymore.

No, it was just beginning.

I rolled to my other side and pressed my face against his chest. Darius’ grip became stronger, and he touched his forehead to mine. The hunger then stirred inside me, and I wanted blood. No, needed it.

“I don't know what trick you pulled for me to say yes, but it worked.” I watched him intently as his eyes locked with mine.

“No tricks, my dear,” he breathed. I reached out and coursed a hand through the chocolate waves of his hair. It was so soft, so fine, like priceless silk. For a short second, a fading scene played in my mind, of hands touching hair, the sun and clouds, familiar lips, eyes, the flowing of water.

My lips met his, and I was thrust into the erotic heat of bliss. In haste I ended it too soon, and I regretted it. My lips were driven to the base of his neck by the rousing hunger. I kissed his skin tenderly, widened my jaw, and sank my fangs deep into his flesh. With an excited shudder he arched his back, eyes fluttering wildly. His fingers eased me from the pooling of his sweet nectar and brought my face up for an intimate kiss. When we eventually finished, he pecked my forehead and rose with that usual fluid grace like a ripple of water, and he approached me leisurely like a lion to a lioness. I observed the gold velvet robe he wore, how it moved with his body as if it were a part of him. All my previous emotions drained away. Something inside me pleaded to stay, to be with him. Something else wanted me to go, to distrust him. My legs were stagnant and numb. I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about Darius—all I knew was that right now I wanted him.

“Wait,” I said, and he halted.

“Stay with me a bit more? Please? Until lunch?”

Darius crawled onto the bed again and embraced me. His touch was so cold, but emotions spilled off him in hot waves. “Until lunch,” he breathed.

When my clock inched close to twelve in the afternoon, I tried to get off the bed, but Darius held me firmly. I bit my lower lip and said, “You can let go now.”

He strengthened his grip. It wasn’t enough to suffocate me but it was damn near it. “I do not want to let you go. Not yet.”

I asked, “Why? We’ve been lying here for hours.”

“No.” His voice was low and held a degree of sorrow in it.

“What is with you?”

“I want you here, in my arms,” he said pointedly and pressed against me.

“Darius, what’s wrong?” I became anxious. Was there something strange going on?

“There’s nothing strange happening.” His voice sliced through my thoughts. “I just…I want you so much right now. To have you here with me—to feel and hear you, breathe you in and speak to you—makes me so happy. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment.”

I broke from his hold and sat upright to look straight into his eyes. “You’re right. I don’t know how long you’ve waited. I don’t know why you like me so much. I don’t know why you turned me into a vampire. Will you please answer me honestly, for once?”

“I cannot tell as of now.”

“Oh, yes you will, dammit!” I growled while raising a fist.

He dipped his head low and spoke softly. “All right. I will tell you why I turned you and such. Please give me a minute to think it over.”

I glared at the clock until a minute passed and yelled, “Okay! Minute’s up. Now tell me. Please.”

He chuckled. “You were always so eager to know everything, too. Lily, my dear, I turned you so that you wouldn’t be attacked by any other vampire when you were a weak and fragile human. I needed you in my life, and me in yours. You see, I was cursed to never see you again, unless I turned you. This time I decided I would, with a heavy heart, because I knew becoming a vampire would be painful for you. But I had to do it or you would’ve been…”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What do you mean by cursed to never see me again?”

He swallowed hard and linked his fingers together. “I’ve always been in love with you, Lily. Since the day we first met, I’ve always had a place for you in my heart.”

“When did we first meet? Wasn’t it at that bar the night you turned me?

He shook his head, hair framing his face like some ethereal angel. “No. It was not. You see, I knew you in another time, thousands of years ago. Your name was Lily, and you were as you are now. However, some unexpected events happened, and I was cursed to watch you go through seventy-eight reincarnations and die each time before I could get to you. I couldn’t bear to change you into a vampire, this monster that I am, but during the seventy-seventh reincarnation, I made my mind up that I was going to change you before anything got to you, no matter what.”

I uttered, “What was I to you? Back then?”

He took my hands in his and genuinely smiled as a single tear slipped from his eye. “You were my everything, Lily—you were my wife.”

The End

Publisher’s Note

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Elisabeth Popolow lives outside the rural town of Danville, Pennsylvania and has always had a deep passion for writing. She loves horses and animals especially and enjoys spending time with her horses and dog. Elisabeth is a triplet and cares for her siblings sincerely, as well as her mother and father. When she’s not writing she’s usually training her horses or reading a good book. She hopes that her readers will enjoy her work as much as she enjoys writing it.