Chapter 14
"No." I moaned as Liam's cool fingers slid up my shirt and rested against my chest. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to feel pleasure.
"It's the way it was meant to be." He growled into my neck, and then his teeth pierced into the skin over my jugular, and I was falling. I could feel the tug as he fed. And I couldn't help the thought He's not a vampire from running through my mind. But even that thought quickly vanished, and Liam was everywhere. His thoughts, emotions, desires clouded into my mind and I could have busted from the intrusion. I knew that this was wrong, but it felt good. There was no poison seeping into my body like the last time I was bitten. This was different. Oddly, I could feel his body tight against mine, between my legs, and I could find his hair between my fingers as I gripped his head.
A long moment later, he pulled away and looked into my eyes, licking his lips. I gasped, taking in a jagged breath. I lifted my shaking fingers to my neck and they came back slicked with my own blood. He turned then, staring at the door. He looked angry that we had been disturbed, but I was relieved.
There was a man in the door way. His hair was long and blonde, and he had a menacing look on his face. My body began to tremble. Without looking away from him, Liam reached out and placed a palm on my side, trying to relax me. I tried to breathe. "Liam" The other man spoke, his voice was soft but full of hatred and authority. "I knew you would come again, I just didn't know it would be on the opposite side."
"Not the wrong side, father." Liam murmured.
"We shall see." His eyes slid over me. "It seems you have found your chosen…"
"Yes." Liam murmured. "But she is taken."
"That doesn't matter. She must stay with you now, you must take her. Kill him." He pointed to Edward on the floor, and I gasped.
"No!" I said, falling to the ground and pulling Edward's back against my chest. I felt something on his right pectoral and pulled. It was a silver staff, a dart of some sort. It was hard to pull out, but I threw it across the room.
"You're strong for your love." Liam's father said. I looked up at him. He was smiling. "It's too bad it had to be you." I didn't believe his sympathy. Liam pulled hard at my arm and I was standing again. He pushed me into the far wall and strode towards his father. There they stood nose to nose. "Are you going to fight me, kill me, son?" He asked.
"I should. I won't. But I will not stop someone else from finishing you off. Father."
Liam's father smiled again, his teeth showing. He sniffed the air and his smile grew more pronounced. "You fed from your chosen. It's been completed. You took her as your own. Her blood is within you now, and you will always need her to survive. You are my son, Liam. You have done the deed in order to take over the thrown."
"I have done so, but not for your thrown." Liam spat. I felt my way along the wall, closer to Edward. I saw his eyelids twitch. They wouldn't notice me if I dropped to the ground, would they? There was only one way to see. I slid down the wall and sat on the balls of my feet. Liam and his father were still speaking in urgent tones. I rolled onto my knees and pulled Edward towards me. He wouldn't move. He was too heavy. Quickly, I placed my palm on his cheek, letting my skin linger so he would smell my scent. Then, I grabbed under his arms and prayed that he would use his feet to push himself towards me. Surely he was strong enough for that. It worked. He stayed quiet, and in less than a second he was in my arms. I pressed his cheek against my breast. He was shaking, weak. The silver or drugs or whatever was still in his blood stream. I had no idea how to make him strong enough for him to save me. I knew he could. Just not at this moment. "Bella…" His lips moved but no sound came out. He lightly gripped the fabric of my shirt. Tears spilled down my face. The voices had stopped. I looked up and saw both Liam and his father watching me. Obviously they had come up with an agreement.
….
I could feel my Bella holding onto me, and I willed with all my strength to hold her, to kiss her, to save her. But my entire body was not functioning as my mind wanted it too. I tried to speak her name and was unaware if she heard me. Or if I even spoke at all. This could all just be a dream. A Hellenistic, yet completely dutiful dream. It would be wonderful if it had my Bella in it. She turned it into heaven. But I could not dream. I had not dreamt, or even slept in over a hundred years. This was definitely a living dream. I knew it was happening. I was aware of it all.