CHAPTER FORTY TWO
MINE AT LAST
ETIENNE LUCIER:
The dull light through the curtains finally signalled that dawn had arrived. This wasn't our first dawn together as vampires but our second. We seemed to have missed New Year's Day completely. We had become completely lost in each other, three years of denying our lustful feelings had taken it's toll and we had spent hours and hours making up for it. I kissed Leah's hair as we lay curled up together on my large bed in the new morning light. Now I could hold her freely with no fear of crushing her or freezing her to death. It was wonderful. If I could have cried I would have. I could never ever regret changing her. I really didn't know how we would drag ourselves away from each other and back out into the real world. But then I suppose none of that mattered as we had all we wanted right here, right now. Explanations were needed though, but they could wait for now. I looked around my room at the trail of destruction we had left in our wake of passionate love making. I smiled as I remembered how strong, seductive and entirely beautiful my Leah was. There was something I had wanted to do for ages, but I'd put it off because with her being human I didn't see how it would work. Bella and Edward had overcome it, but it had ultimately led to Mrs Cullen's human death. Yes, I burned with desire to do this, and the moment was perfect right now. I pulled Leah up from the bed, wrapping her in a silky sheet of the darkest burgundy which complemented her new pale skin to perfection. She pouted down at me as I knelt before her. "I preferred my state of nakedness, my love" she said sexily. I just smiled up at her as I knelt at the feet of this goddess of mine.
"Leah Clearwater, would you do me the very great honour of becoming my wife? For now, for tomorrow and for evermore?" I asked solemnly. I actually felt a bit nervous as I asked this wonderful creature to marry me. Well I might be old but I had never proposed marriage to a girl before! There was a first time for everything! Who says vampires cannot get married to each other? I was old fashioned and I believed we should marry. If I had my way then Leah and I would have waited until our wedding night to consummate our love. But ours wasn't a normal relationship so my rules of gentlemanly etiquette didn't apply. It was all too late for that as now we were absolutely and completely besotted lovers. I gazed up into her stunningly gorgeous face as I waited for her answer. Her scarlet eyes looked down into mine with wonder and surprise. I would be glad when her eyes changed to topaz like mine. It shouldn't be long as I had been feeding her animal blood from my freezer heated up to the right temperature in the microwave ( a marvellous invention!) There was no way Leah was ever going to taste human blood if I could help it. She had none of the rage or thirst of a typical newborn. Her shape shifting side had miraculously cancelled that out. I thought it had been my mind control but Leah proved me wrong by putting the moonstone on, the night she awoke to this life. Then she promptly seduced me. I shivered as I remembered our first time as lovers. There were no words. I waited patiently for what seemed like hours for her answer to my proposal, but in reality it was only a minute if that. "Etienne Lucier, there is nothing in this world I would rather be than your wife! What took you so long? Yes! Yes! Of course, my answer is yes!" she shrieked as she fell on top of me. We rolled on my wooden floorboards, our lips hungrily devouring each other again. She was so distracting.
I wanted to talk weddings but Leah was determined to possess me once again. The January morning sun flooded through the gap in my luxurious deep red velvet curtains. We had never gotten around to closing them the other night. Rainbows danced and glittered on Leah's skin as she shed the bed sheet and like a beautiful butterfly she emerged from her cocoon of silk. I simply stared at her beneath me in awe. There was nothing as perfect as her, There never would be. She had my heart and soul years ago, now she commanded my body too. There was no point in discussion just now. Leah kissed me and pressed her sparkly amazing body against me and everything else was forgotten as our cold skin came together in perfect synchronisation. Much, much later as the sun set for another day, I finally took a sated Leah downstairs for some re-heated blood. Another day in which we'd spent revelling in each other completely. Another wonderful day spent together in this new world of ours. Leah drank the blood thirstily from the cup, a small trickle running down her chin. I reached over, licking it off with my tongue. She smiled at me as she finished the rest. So strange to see her drinking blood, but she was a natural at this. I kissed her lips, her tongue touched mine and drops of blood filled my mouth. I must pull away from her now or next thing we would know was the dawn breaking once more. She was highly addictive though, more so now than ever.
I sat opposite her at my large dining table, her red eyes watching me full of desire. "Leah my love, I want to marry you as soon as possible. It may sound strange when we have all eternity together, but I want you to be my wife. I have always wanted you to be my wife. I just could never see how it would work before. Now I can be yours completely, nothing would make me happier than being your husband!" I stated lovingly. She smiled at me, her beautiful perfect mouth beaming with love for me.
"Etienne I want to marry you so much too, but first I must confront my family with the truth of what I am. I do not want them to think that I have died, or that I have abandoned them! I must tell them the truth, my love. Will you come with me tomorrow?" she pleaded.
I nodded, despite my misgivings. Just how would her family and friends react to her? She was now a vampire. There was not a trace of her human or shifter side left. To me she was as she should be, I had never seen a more natural newborn. Would everyone else agree with me or not?
Or was I about to cause an almighty war in Forks?