Okay, so I seem to have fallen off the side of the planet for a while. And Columbus thought it was round…pft.

Yeah, bad joke, I know. I'm not known for quick jokes on my feet, that's for sure.

But regardless, I got my hands on a working computer, and all the creative juices I had for a while went into overdrive, so here's a new chapter. And for the long wait – horribly long wait, I know – that I put you guys through, I now give you the fun result of any romance story.

A bit of citrusy fluff. Not a pure lemon, mind you, I'll get to that, but I still love me some fluff. So, for the long wait, I give you the next chapter and hope you all love it!

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

I woke up to the sound of a heartbeat in my ears; it was like a beautiful song. Every thump made me twitch slightly, and the thought of the blood pumping through the veins of the heartbeat simply made me want to feed.

"You're awake, mor forwyn," Vincent purred, running his hands through my hair. I opened my eyes and saw that I was lying on top of him, my ear pressed against his heart, as he cradled me softly.

"How long?" I croaked, my throat feeling parched from lack of water…or in this case…blood.

"Three days. I've awakened you to feed. We are still underground, so we are alone. I have hunted for the both of us again, mor forwyn, so take what you need."

At that, I felt my first pang of fear. I wasn't hungry. I was ravenous.

"What if I take too much?" I whispered, almost below Carpathian hearing.

"Then I will hunt more." I rolled off of him and he sat up, letting me look at our surroundings. We were still in the earth with enough room to move around in, locked away from the other two Carpathian couples buried in the ground. This meant a brief moment of privacy between Vincent and I, which if I was honest, I wanted desperately.

"All right, lifemate," I agreed. "Thank you for hunting for me." I could sense the truce he was extending, and of course, I agreed with the sentiment. For now, here in this dark corner, blocked by the earthen walls around us, it was him and I. It was time for me to embrace my lifemate.

He sat up and held out his arms, waiting for me to come to him. He knew how easily he could still spook me, and with this gesture of patience, I relaxed slightly. It wasn't him going to me. I was going to him.

I crawled forward and knelt in between his bent legs, allowing him to slowly wrap his arms around me. The fact that his arms were feather light did help in relaxing me farther. He was trying his best to cooperate with me, since the last time I took blood I almost gave my virginity to him.

"I will try to control myself, Esmeralda. Do not fear me."

I was taken aback at his statement. For all that I had known him, I had indeed been afraid. He was unknown, he was powerful, and he was attractive on a level I had never known. If I gave myself to him, I'd never be able to let him go. Ever. But I had said I would give him a chance.

"I'll try," I told him, locking my eyes with his, my fingertips gently touching his cheek.

His eyes immediately closed as he groaned, nuzzling the palm of my hand, and it brought a small smile to my face. I curled into his chest, letting my head rest against his shoulder, and took his wrist in my hands. I brought it to my teeth and looked up questioningly at my lifemate.

"You can take blood there, if you wish it," he stated, lifting his wrist up a fraction to press it against my lips.

As if on instinct, I gently kissed his wrist and licked the pulsing vein so close to the surface, and was surprised at his groan.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked quickly, trying to make the truce last between us.

"Fuck no," he breathed out. In that moment, I colored as I realized what I had unwittingly done. It seems he was closer to taking me than he had let on, and I did feel a bit guilty. By being afraid, I was causing him so much…discomfort, and it was all my fault.

"I think discomfort's a mild word," he stated with gruff laughter. "Do not worry, mor forwyn. You will be ready when I take you. Now please, drink. I can feel your hunger beating at me."

I frowned as he changed the subject, but quietly agreed that this was neither the time nor place to have the sex talk. He nuzzled my hair, breathing in my scent, and pressed a kiss to the top of my head as he lifted his wrist back to my lips.

I bit down, then groaned myself as his blood hit my parched mouth. He was an ancient, his blood full of power, and with the lack of sustenance for the last few days, I wanted his blood, and would trade anything for it. I drank greedily and as my guard let down, I was flooded with sensation from Vincent. He was in ecstasy. He was holding me in his arms, his face buried in my silken hair, and the pleasure from my bite was almost more than he could bear.

He was so far gone in the pleasure I was giving him, he didn't realize that I was in his mind for the first time, soaking up his emotions like a sponge. I didn't pry nor probe, just allowed myself to feel what he was feeling. It was a huge step, but definitely one that I didn't regret making. I could feel his attachment to me, his growing love and admiration of me, and of course, the barely restrained passion. Every ounce of his willpower was given to keep him from jumping me before I was ready.

I looked up at the Carpathian buried in my hair and noted the rigid posture of his body as well as his other hand, which was clenched into a fist. Small droplets of blood poured from his palm, and again, I was struck with guilt. I should have been ready for this. Diego had talked to me of lifemates, and I should have been mentally ready to give myself to my lifemate. I was foolish. Selfish. But I could at least do something for him.

"Lifemate," I whispered, pulling out of his wrist momentarily to speak. He didn't reply, as if he hadn't heard me. But I knew how to fix that. "Vincent," I whispered as seductively as I could.

It definitely got his attention.

His head shot up, his eyes boring into my own, his passion so close to the surface that I could feel it, and the answering need for him began to accumulate between my thighs. It was time for the next step, time for me to let go of my fear, time for me to begin acceptance of my lifemate.

I lifted my hair from my neck and pulled his lips down to my jugular.

"Are…sure?" he managed to choke out, and I could feel his incisors scraping my skin as he spoke.

"Yes," I whispered, and bit his wrist once again.

He groaned again, and I could feel something within him snap. His arms tightened around me and his legs moved to pin my body where I was, keeping me in place for what was to come. Too far gone, he didn't sense my spurt of fear, but as his canines sank into my neck, I literally cried out in ecstasy. The brief pain was quickly overridden by waves and waves of carnal pleasure as he drank from me, and in turn, I drank from him, swapping the blood between us.

Almost instinctively, Vincent turned his mind to mine, allowing me to feel his pleasure alongside my own, and I couldn't handle it. My body clenched in reaction, and I could feel the first spirals of an orgasm blossoming in my stomach, and from the feral growl I heard from Vincent, he knew this.

His hand was already down between my legs, circling my most sensitive spot from outside of my clothing, and I couldn't help the small moan that escaped from my lips.

"Now," he growled out as he pulled out from my neck, grabbing the back of my neck to turn my face to him. He took in my features as he settled on my dilated eyes, then pulled off the sexiest smirk I had ever seen. "Come for me," he commanded, and pressed against me harder.

The chain of events and the roughness of his voice, combined with the dark pleasure in his own eyes did the trick. I cried out as an orgasm ripped through me, and I lifted my face toward the ceiling, basking in the coils of pleasure rocketing through me. Unexpectedly, he cried out, and I felt an explosion of pleasure from his mind as well, but I was too far gone to understand what it meant. I was still in the throes of my orgasm, my body clenching against what I wished was Vincent inside of me.

After a few seconds of bliss, I calmed, still panting from the afterglow, and chanced a look at Vincent. What did he think of this? What if I had done something wrong? Did he hate me for not letting him get his own pleasure?

"Enough, Esmeralda," he growled out, licking the wound on my neck closed. The feel of his tongue beneath my skin caused me to shudder, but he pulled away and licked his own wrist shut. "You've no idea of the gift you've given me."

"Funny, I get told that a lot," I stated shakily, not really trusting my voice to speak.

Vincent tensed, but quickly, I relayed the line from my memories, showing him the situations I had heard it in, and he relaxed just as quickly as the jealousy had come.

"So you have, mor forwyn," he stated with the sexy smirk. "But this exceeds everything that they could have dreamed of."

"But…what about you?" I asked shyly, trying to hold his gaze, but it was hard as hell. This wasn't my area of expertise, dammit.

"Seeing you was enough for the both of us," he answered cryptically.

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously. He leaned forward, his lips grazing my own, but I couldn't look away from his eyes.

"Seeing you in pleasure from my touch was enough to make me lose it," he stated. "Like an untried schoolboy, I couldn't even hold it back."

I stared at him, my mind not comprehending his words, but finally, they clicked. He had orgasmed…by watching me orgasm? But….why?

"You don't know how fucking sexy you are, Esmeralda. Everything about you turns me on, and I don't know how I'll be able to survive when we make our bond complete. But know this. I'll never forget this moment." Oh my god, I was getting turned on again. Again! But I had just…you know, and he had too, so why was I getting wet all over again? "The way your body welcomed my touch, the way your eyes dilate when you're drowning in pleasure…" he licked my lips once before continuing, "The way you tossed your head back when you came…all of it. Fucking sexy as hell."

Never before had I felt anything akin to sexy, but his words were making me feel like a sexual goddess.

"I…know I've been wrong in waiting…and…I wanted to make it up to you. I…didn't plan on this."

"Which means I make you lose control," he replied back, smirking.

"Wait, that's not-"

"Too late." I glared at him, but he remained unrepentant, so I smiled at him unexpectedly.

"I guess it is," I whispered, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Thank you for dealing with me, lifemate. I know it must be hard, but I'll try. I need to give you a chance."

He quickly took the lead and kissed me back, his own kiss lingering and oh so sinfully delightful, causing me to shudder once more.

"A chance is more than I had expected, and I thank you."

I looked up at him shyly, but instead of pushing his luck sexually, he merely smiled and pulled me into his chest, waving a hand around us. Immediately our clothing was changed and the evidence of our small foray quickly disappeared as if it had never been.

As he held me, I realized that I was feeling…happy. I didn't feel shame that I had acted so out of character, nor did I feel as if I were alone. I felt content, as if some part of me had been filled, and was grateful to my lifemate. Perhaps this could work between us. Perhaps he could return as my god.

"I'll always be your god," he whispered to me, nuzzling my cheek. "Whatever you want me to, I'll be for you." His declaration made my heart race, and I placed a hand on his chest, allowing myself to deliberately touch him in a possessive manner.

"And I'll try to be what you want, lifemate."

"You don't need to. You're already what I need. Now, lifemate, you need to sleep. Sleep the deep sleep of the Carpathians, and know that I will watch over you. Know that I will never leave you. Sleep, my love, and dream of me."

And as my eyes slowly closed, I realized that I indeed trusted him to take care of me, despite everything. I trusted him to shield me from any harm, to keep me safe from anyone. My protector…my savior…my god.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

I awoke in a rush, dragging breath into my lungs as I looked around. I was on Mikhail's plushy bed, the same that I had slept in as a human, and realized that I was alone.

"Esmeralda?"

I looked up to see Amber and I stared at the girl, wanting to tell her of my dream, wanting to tell her everything.

"Amber…you got a minute?"

As if she sensed that I was serious, she quickly shut the door behind her and came to sit on the bedside.

"What is it?"

I quickly relayed my dream, event for event, even when Amber blushed so fiercely I thought she would catch fire. She said nothing the entire time, letting me spill everything as I needed to do. When I had finished, she and I were no longer looking at one another; each of us found something interesting on the walls around us.

"So um…you had a wet dream of Vincent?" she began, and I nodded, "And you're not sure if he knows this yet?" Nod. "And you're afraid that if he finds out, he'll tease you for it? That's what this is all about?" Again, I nodded, and she sighed. "Look, Esmeralda, here's the deal. You've dreamed of Vincent all of your life. He's been with you through thick and thin, helping you deal with any hardship you had during your childhood. He's kept you sane. Kept you whole. He may not have known it at the time, but some part of him was extending to you to keep you alive for him to find. Agreed?"

"Yeah. But what does this have to do with-"

"Shut it, I'm not done." I reluctantly stopped my question, and Amber continued. "Then you meet him, and physically he's everything you've dreamed of and more." Nod. "And you know that he's had problems controlling his emotions, right?"

"But he left me!"

"To exact revenge on your behalf," Amber informed. "He killed the one that hurt you."

"I remember something in his mind…Mehmet. I saw him dead. Who is he?"

"Shea erased your memories, remember? He was the reason why those were erased. Vincent hunted him down and killed him since he dared to hurt you, Esmeralda. As a man, and definitely as your lifemate, he couldn't let the man breathe for hurting you as badly as he did. That's why he left."

I was quiet for a moment, digesting Amber's words. They did make sense. If something was hurting me, I was sure Vincent would take care of it, as would any other mated lifemate. They would protect their women at all costs.

"So, he's been here with you, keeping you safe as you recovered. He only left to bring you back blood, and when he wasn't feeding, he was there with you, watching over you as you slept. He never once left your side, Esmeralda. Never. Some part of you, the one that recognizes him as a lifemate, realizes this. That's probably why you dreamed of him as you did."

"He never left me?" I asked, slightly off balance. Vincent didn't seem the type, but then again, I hadn't bothered to truly learn about my lifemate, had I?

"Nope. Wouldn't let any of the males feed you either. When you were above the earth, he kept you in his arms. He loves you and would use his own self as a shield to keep you safe. He would die for you."

At the mention of his death, my heart clenched, and fear invaded every fiber of my being. Amber, knowing this would happen, smiled knowingly, but kept her gaze averted, knowing that she shouldn't give me pity or anything of the like. She was doing enough by forcing me to focus on her words and revelations.

"I don't want him to die," I finally admitted, the words feeling as if they were torn from my throat. "Not for me. I'm not worth it."

"He'd beg to differ," Amber quipped. "You're his everything. Why do you think he came back? Why is he still here now? Why is he going out and bringing you back blood? Why would he sleep in the earth with you? Why would he hold you close when you were at your most vulnerable?"

Epiphanies hurt, and the one Amber was cramming down my throat was hard to accept, much less ingrained into my system. For far too long, I had been told that I wasn't enough, that I would never be good enough for anyone for anything. I wasn't beautiful, I was selfish, impure, and a disgrace to my family, since I had no want to join the drug circles my father frequented. I has high and mighty for choosing school, I was the bitch daughter of my worthless mother, everything.

"You know," I whispered. "I've told you what he said to me."

"Your father's a bastard and always will be, Ez. You've been dealt a cruel hand, but you came through it intact. Now, something good falls straight into your life, and you have no idea how to act, do you?"

I shook my head, ashamed. It was true. For as long as I had lived, it was with bad and worse. Never anything good.

"Look, Ez, I love you like a sister, you know that. And I wouldn't be doing this if you were anything less," she said with a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair, "You've got to give the guy a chance. Sure, he's been a prick at times, and sure, he's hurt you. But look, he's got superhuman strength. If he wanted to hurt you, you'd have a broken arm and bruises to show for it. But you don't. It was just uncomfortable. He's been checking his strength where you are concerned, even when he's been his angriest."

"What about his demon?" I asked softly. "That's the part I'm most afraid of."

"When you…ah hell. When you fuck him, you make the ultimate bond. You two will be tied together for eternity, and the demon inside him will be leashed and caged. He'll be able to control it."

"So it's my fault?"

"No dammit!" she cried out angrily. "Nothing is your fault! You don't know Carpathian culture the way I do and have had no way to realize what's wrong and what's right, and what the Carpathian male is in essence. When the time is right, you'll go to bed with Vincent, and he'll be able to control the beast within him. The times he's attacked you, he's been jealous and angry. I'm not absolving him or anything, but it's the truth. He wants you to himself and doesn't want to share you with anyone. Would you like it if he had a mistress on the side?"

My fangs exploded in my mouth and immediately, I was on my feet, a snarl erupting from me as I thought about the prospect. Like he had in my dream, Vincent was touching another woman, his body over hers as she cried out in pleasure.

"No fucking way!" I swore, my hands in fists at my sides, my nails gouging my skin, but as blood poured from my wounds, I calmed slightly. "My god, what am I doing?" I asked, coming back to my senses. I lifted my injured palms up and could feel shock radiating through me. "I…I…"

"That's what happened to him when he thought about you with another man," Amber explained, lifting a hand above my wounds. A light shone from her and the lacerations began to heal from the inside out. "Except the beast inside of him made that reaction twice as stronger."

I sat back on my heels as I realized the implications of what Amber was telling me. Vincent was not attacking me, like I had assumed. I was just so in tune with him that I felt his first reaction when a prospect of me with another man was mentioned. His beast wasn't even close to harming me. It was out to harm the one who dared touch me.

"My god," I breathed out. "Just…my god."

"He wasn't mad at you, Ez. Never at you. I don't think he's ever deliberately tried to hurt you."

I remembered when he had hurt my arm right after I had killed the vampire. He was angry at me, but as I reflected on it, he was angry that I had gotten hurt, which meant…he was angry at himself.

"Oh god…I've screwed everything up. I've been so afraid of him for nothing."

"No, it's human nature that's been between you both. He only knows how to be a Carpathian. You only know how to be a human. It's culture that you two will eventually get over, and now since I've explained this to you, you're already one step closer to actually having a relationship with him."

"Yeah…I see."

Amber squeezed my shoulder and stood, finally looking straight into my eyes.

"You'll get through this, Esmeralda. I promise you." She walked toward the door, but when she opened it and stepped through, she stopped and turned back to me. "Oh, and Ez? Carpathians don't dream when they're in the deep sleep." And with that torpedo in the water, she left.

I stared at the door non-comprehending, but as the torpedo finally hit and exploded, I groaned and covered my face in shame.

I had thought it was a wet dream. But since I was in a deep, healing sleep, I couldn't have dreamed. Which meant….

I had really done that with Vincent. Pure mortification shot through my system, and I flopped onto the bed, still trying to erase the latest revelation.

Sweet Jesus, spare me now.