Listening to: Crossbreed "Stem" (on continuous repeat)
by Jessica French (Midnite363@aol.com)
****
Damon almost laughed at her. He had never had anyone say it quite like that, or look like that when they said it. He shook his head instead and simply said, "No." The look that over took her face could be said to be desperation, but it was soon overcome with anger. Anger made her eyes darken to emeralds and her skin to grow even paler.
"I'm not good enough to be a vampire, but good enough to be a facet for your twisted taste. You are a truly sick individual, I can't believe you." She shook her head and stared him down until he broke the silence.
"What made you decided to want to become a vampire all of a sudden? I hardly think you have done much more than sleep for the past two days. The choice is not something to be decided on one bite. Even my bite is not that good." He smirked, and looked smug though he was actually quite curious why such a level headed girl, as Shannon definitely was, made such a rash decision.
"I had a dream." She said it flatly, matter-of-factly.
"Oh do go on, it must of been quite a dream."
Instead of looking annoyed or indignant she looked sad and tired. "You will think me crazy, but very well." She told him the dream she had had, relating it to him the best she could, though the exact details had become more and more vague and blurry as her day had gone on. She told him of Malachy and his mask, and the prophecy Malachy had made to her. Then she told him of the meeting with her father and all that had been said in the conversation. When she finished she stood before him looking more defeated, "And that is why I need to be a vampire. As an immortal I will have a better chance of surviving this family, and perhaps I can even save some of my people. Malachy said I would die in the fight... or the aftermath... if I am like you that will be harder than it would be if I am mortal."
Damon nodded, "Nevertheless, I still will not make you a vampire. You would have to die in the first place, remember my story? I was killed by my brother's sword and I awoke. There is never any guarantee that you will awake, the mixture and exchange of blood has to be precise." A shadow fell over his face but he shook it off, "It is always a great risk."
"I'm willing to take it. I am willing to do anything, as long as I have an advantage over the situation, anything is worth it."
"And what after it? What happens to you after this rebellion? Say you live, which I doubt," he sneered.
"Well I..."
He cut her off, sneering and saying with heat, "You what? You will live in this world as I do? A vampire feeding, drinking the blood of your former mortal friends? Who will teach you of the world? Or survival? I bet you do not even know how to wield a sword, much less fight in any physical combat. You would most likely fall prey to any vampire stronger, or older than you. You may survive this human rebellion, but you will never survive the vampire world unless..." He trailed off as if catching his words before they tumbled out his lips with the rest of his scalding words. He pursed his lips as to keep those final words inside.
Her words were strained, her skin pulsing with the angry emotion of his words, "Unless what?"
"Unless I am with you." He said it so carelessly, almost lazy. He sighed and looked to the side where the sun's crest was just visible on the horizon. It's fading light threw shadows or gold and black on his profile, making his already severe features look even sharper. He was so beautiful, Shannon noted in the back of her mind. His hair was tousled and rough from the light breeze that had continued to pour through the open courtyard, and his skin was flawless and smooth. She wanted to rub her fingers along the curve of his jaw and feel those coal black, luscious lashes on her cheeks. The light made his eyes have a film of redness over their midnight black depths, she had seen those eyes even darker with emotion when he had spoke of his lost love, and when he had looked upon her the night he had taken her blood.
Now she wanted to cry, her heart swelled with emotion. He had seemed so cold, so remote. He acted like nothing affected him, he acted invincible, but he wasn't. Oh, he was not the stone cold man he wanted people to believe. His facade was strong, he played his chosen role well, but Shannon was glimpsing past that image he blazed forward. She opened her mouth to speak but shook her head instead, realizing words were not needed. She had known him for almost six months now, and she was sure of her next words, but she spoke them with her head bowed, her eyes on the rusty dirt at their feet, his boots peeking into the corner of her vision. Her hands lightly curled into fists at her sides, said the words she thought she had felt when she first placed eyes on him at her father's table six months ago, but only now beginning to realize what the words truly meant. "I love you." Her voice was almost a pathetic wheeze, it betrayed her, showing the fear she held deep in her stomach.
There was a sharp sucking in of breath through teeth moments after the words fell from her lips. She thought for sure that it was the sound of rejection, that the next sound from his mouth would be the soft laugh she had come to love, or gentle words of rejection. Instead, there was no further sounds, but the warm press of lips to the side of her neck and a finger on her chin urging her eyes from their intent study of the ground to the liquid blackness of his. His made her feel dizzy, like she was falling into the abyss. They filled her vision, her world. Her own eyes were wide emerald orbs in Damon's vision, her rose petal lips parted just slightly to draw in a strangled breath. His eyelids dropped and she was released from whatever spell she had been under, she was further revived when his lips fell on hers in passionate, desperate surrender.
She clung to him in equal desperation, returning his heated kisses with the same heat. She kissed him in the middle of the courtyard, not caring who saw or what they said behind their hands. When you loved someone, she thought, it did not matter what others thought. She only wrapped her arms around his neck when Damon picked her up in his arms.
He kissed her as they descended the steps to his chambers, and kissed her as he placed her down on his bed. He only pulled back when her hands moved to his waist and pulled the soiled shirt from his breaches. When he let her pull it over his head she took in his nearly perfect chest with delight. She looked up at him, he was position above her, stradling her legs. Hesitantly she pulled the laces of his breeches free, her eyes on his face, watching as his eyes bore into hers and his lips parted at her intimate touches.
His hands scooped up the length of her dress and his hands, teasing her bare thighs as they skimmed up her bare legs, unlatched the heavy petticoats of her skirt. He fought against their bulk and removed them from her outer skirt with a little more than the barest troubles.
She laughed at his struggles and smiled at him when his face was finally clear of assaulting fabric. Her eyes sparked with delight and Damon thought she looked most sinful, but not any less beautiful. So beautiful he could not help but kiss her and be delighted when she kissed him back with no inhibitions, letting her tongue dance with his and her teeth nips his lips. He took advantage of her good spirits and undressed her until she lay naked and perfect before him.
Her skin was creamy and flawless, her breasts were firm and warm in the palms of his hands, and when he rolled two puckered, cherry red nipples in his fingers she arched from his bed and let a sound spill from her lips that made him smile at his ease of pleasing her. He caressed her stomach for a moment before bringing her hands to his hips. He let them rest there and waited until she moved nervous hands over his skin and removed the loosened breaches from his hips exposing him to her.
The moments before he filled her she became increasingly nervous, but as she felt him ease into her all thought was overcome by feeling. The slightest pierce of pain and then pleasure, rolling through her from head to toe. She had never experienced anything like this before, and he moved inside her it only increased. She let her hands rest on his back and felt every ripple of muscle as he arched and pushed through her.
The feeling in her was building and her forehead was slightly damp as was the rest of her body. When Damon's teeth grazed her neck it only heightened the feelings, and when he bit into her flesh her back arched from the bed and she whimpered out his name. Never had she felt so vulnerable and helpless and completely overcome by emotion and feeling. When she began to lower back to the bed she was brought to orgasm again he released his seed. The world disappeared and was replaced with one gilded in gold and it sparked like a diamond. This time when she lowered to the bed she was overcome by a complete lethargic feeling. Damon was feeding from her again, she could not remember when he started, but it seemed unimportant.
She was slipping into the fuzzy darkness that was opening to swallow her. Before she lost her mind completely she wondered if she would see Malachy this time....
