5th chapter
Amanda strolled through the house; her mind occupied with everything that had happened in the last days. She came to a halt in the kitchen, letting her eyes wander out of the window and onto the large field to the right. It was a beautiful house, located at the edge of a forest far away from civilization. She didn't know whose house it was, but she also never asked. It's been two days already since she had arrived there, her mobile phone was useless as she barely got a signal at all, but there was more than enough to do and to explore. He left her alone that day, telling her he had some important matters to discuss and so she had more than enough time to think it all through.
A deep blush built on her cheeks as she thought back to when they had travelled the whole way. She didn't think it through, that he couldn't possibly have a passport, so flying was no option. As if it was the most normal thing to do, he had offered to walk, or more precisely, to run all the way. Obviously, Amanda hadn't been too fond of letting him carry her, but she had had no choice, as one second, she had stood next to him, fighting off his offer and the next second, she had been in his arms and the world around her had disappeared in a blur as he had sped off with the smuggest smirk on his face. The blush on her cheeks intensified as she remembered how she had held onto him for dear life, how she had burrowed her head in his chest as it had been too much pressure to let her eyes open. If she had any doubts of his inhuman nature, there would be none left after that.
Even though, he had told her not to leave the house, due to others of his kind being near, she stepped out of the front door and onto the porch. She inhaled the fresh air and enjoyed the soft breezes playing with her hair. A smile appeared on her face and she stepped closer to the railing on the right side, keeping her eyes focused on the seemingly endless field. Amanda put her arms on the railing, getting into a more relaxed stance. She couldn't honestly believe she did all of that. She basically ran off with a stranger into another country, not telling her family, lying to her employer and abandoning her studies. All of that for something she couldn't quite grasp, some strange sensation that drew her to a man she didn't know, who apparently felt the same sort of pull.
She stood there for quite some time, the sun started to set and it got colder every minute. That was when she decided to get back inside again, she didn't know when he would come back. Once inside, she went upstairs to the bedroom, to take some fresh clothes. She felt like she needed a shower to calm her rambling thoughts and the guilty conscience about her recent actions of running off. Truth be told, deep down she felt good, she felt excitement of doing something, she would usually deem as something rash and utterly foolish. With a smile on her face, she descended the stairs only to be met by the sight of him in the entrance hall. He looked at her with a small frown on his face, but didn't say anything.
"Oh, you're back," she said a little too happy for her liking, but she couldn't help herself. His facial expression relaxed at her words. She just made the last step off the stairs, one hand on the wooden railing, the other held onto her clothes.
"I had to inform some people about your presence and that they would do best to stay away," he said in a stern voice. In his mind, he played through different scenarios on how he would punish those even thinking about threatening her. He relaxed a little, noticing her stiff reactions and careful glances at his behavior. She had absolutely no idea, what it meant to him to finally find the one, to have her in his life. As long as she was still human, he would make sure that she was the most protected human on earth. He moved a little, trying to ease the tension further as she still stood unmoving at the bottom of the stairs.
"I, erm," she started, suddenly feeling a little shy. She let out a deep breath and looked in the direction she wanted to head. "I want to take a shower." She didn't look in his eyes, when she walked away and into the bathroom, though she felt his eyes nearly burning a hole in her back. Once, she closed the door behind her, she locked it. It might be a stupid thing to do as he could probably easily break the lock if he wanted to, but she felt more comfortable that way.
Once the warm water hit her body, she relaxed instantly and a satisfied sigh left her mouth. She tried not to think about anything in particular, but just relax under the comfortable warm shower. Amanda took her time, she only left the shower, when she was in a state of pure calmness. She slowly dried her body and her hair, which she tangled up in a bun. When she put on her fresh clothes, she took a look at the mirror. A smile was plastered on her face and she put her hair down to properly blow it dry. With a last glance at her reflection, she opened the window and finally left the bathroom. Much to her surprise, she didn't find him sitting in the living room.
Amanda shrugged and went off into her bedroom to put her clothes away. She sat on a chair next to a window, returning to the book she started reading the day before. She did so, until the sun began to descend behind the trees and robbed her from her light source. With a sigh, she put her book aside and looked into the dark. He gave her space, time to adjust and she was grateful for that, but something inside her yearned for his presence. She had to get to know him, if all of that was supposed to work one day. With a smile, she stood up, she would confront him tomorrow, talking to him, to finally know the man that captivated her thoughts since they first had met.
She slowly walked over to her bed, feeling for the shirt she would wear that night again. She began to change out of her clothes, letting out a small sigh of relief once she got rid of her bra. She stood only in her underwear, grabbing for the shirt on her bed, when a knock interrupted her doing. With widened eyes, she quickly took the shirt but before she could put it on, the door was opened. She had only enough time to press it in front of her bare breasts, her arms wrapped tightly around her upper body in order to protect herself from prying eyes.
"Excuse me?" She said in shock and utter disbelief at his behavior. "You could at least wait until I answer your knock." She shook her head and breathed heavily. "Geez, so much for manners." Despite the anger, she felt due to his intrusion, her cheeks flushed in a deep red. A nervous tingling feeling spread through her body. She turned a little, trying to hide her more intimate, yet clothed part with her angled leg. She stared at him, but couldn't quite read his expression. Outwardly, he seemed calm but she couldn't be too sure about that. The hair on her arms stood upright as goosebumps built on her whole body, when he answered in a thick accent. His tone darker than usual and it sounded slightly dangerous, but it had a whole different effect on her body.
"Apologies," he said but kept his eyes on her. He knew he should leave her, respect her privacy, but he couldn't move. His eyes were fixated on the woman, who still looked completely shocked. He tilted his head lightly, which only resulted in her, narrowing her eyes. Without really noticing, he let himself follow the undeniable pull, not even trying to resist it.
"What are you doing?" She asked as she noticed how he got closer to her, his eyes almost staring into her soul. Amanda began to grow even more nervous, with each step he took, she made one back, though there was not much space she could evade to. Once she felt the wooden wall on her bare back, she flinched instantly, automatically she turned her head to look for another way to retreat. When she looked at him again, she gasped in surprise as he stood right in front of her, his eyes piercing into her brown ones. Slowly, her nervousness subsided and curiosity took over. Amanda was short to grow mad at the quick changes of her emotions as she couldn't take a break. The prickling feeling in her body lessened, though her muscles were still tensed. She was frozen in place, unable to move in any way.
In a soft motion, he lifted her chin a little more, letting his eyes wander over her face, taking in every little detail in the process. She let out a soft whimper at the cold touch of his hand, that somehow weren't as disturbing as she thought it would be. "I'm so glad, I found you, iubirea mea." His words were nothing more than a whisper, like he made a final confirmation to himself, that he finally accepted the one, fate chose for him.
The little light, that fell into the room from outside, let Amanda barely see what happened, but all of her former uncertainty dissolved immediately at his words. She didn't understand the last words, but she didn't need to, when the realization hit her. The grasp on her shirt, she held in front of her body intensified, while her other hand almost dared to reach out for him. "I," she tried to form words, but nothing else left her mouth. The tension between the two of them became almost ecstatic with each passing second.
He got a little closer, his eyes switching from her eyes to her lips and back up again. "Let me show you, what is yours," he whispered, repeating the words he used to get her to leave with him. Though, he changed a small but important detail and he was sure, she caught onto that as well. Due to his vampiric senses, he saw her clearly in front of him. In her eyes, he could see how much she thought about his words and asking herself, if she was ready for what was to follow. To him, it felt like eternity when he saw the smallest of nods from her. He got a little closer to her, their faces only centimetres apart, when he looked into her eyes once more, checking for any change of mind or discomfort, but all he saw was content and curiosity.
Amanda's breathing hitched, as her body made the decision for her to respond in a nod. She stared into his eyes, when she suddenly felt his lips on hers. A surprised sound came out of her throat but got muffled against his cold lips. Her body went from almost petrified at his sudden action to a relaxed stance within a split second. She was totally overwhelmed by her emotions once more. Her body was more than willing to completely give in, while her mind still fought back, but getting weaker every passing second. Something inside her yearned to reach out for him, to touch him, but all of it was almost too much for her to handle. Her emotions had a whole trip on a rollercoaster and by then, she wasn't sure if all of it was real or just imagination. Amanda had absolutely no idea, why she didn't shove him away, despite her silently allowing him to proceed in the first place. He was, technically, a stranger after all, she shouldn't let him have so much power over her after such a short amount of time and yet the feeling of content and even pleasure, if she allowed herself to recognize it, were almost shutting down her doubts.
Soon his hand lowered from her chin to her hand, that still held firmly onto her shirt. Carefully, he placed his hand over hers. In doing so, they parted, Amanda looked at him with rosy cheeks and uneven breathing, her eyes nervously switched down to their joined hands. Her mind raced, thinking deeply, if she was truly ready for what would follow, with a man she barely knew. She was no virgin, she had experience, not that much, but still. She had had two boyfriends, but it was a rather short-lived happy time, they had. But the situation, she found herself in at that moment, seemed completely different to her. She had the feeling it would be final, that if she gave in, she would never be able to leave again. That was something, she wasn't sure to accomplish just yet, but that thought got pushed away deeper in her mind into the furthest corner, when she looked back up into his eyes. Suddenly, she felt as if a heavy weight was lifted from her and a deep sigh escaped her mouth. A smile spread on her lips, as she continued to look into his red eyes. Without looking away, her hand relaxed the grip on her shirt and slowly she lowered her hand, with his' still on top of her hand.
It was silent between the two of them, once the shirt landed on the ground. His eyes still stayed on her face as he lifted their still joined hands once more. He put a light kiss on her knuckles, noticing in delight how her blush intensified. Vladimir knew he had to be careful with her, she was still a fragile human, but he couldn't hold it any longer and by the look in her eyes, she came to that realization as well. He let go of her hand, leaving small trails with his fingers from her shoulder up to her neck, before he pulled her in for another kiss. That one was more heated, more passionate as both shut down their minds and just enjoyed each other's touches.
As soon as Amanda felt his cold hand travelling down from her shoulders to the small of her back, she shuddered instantly. She pressed herself onto his chest, her hands clawing into his shirt as if she was afraid, she would fall. The stiffened moan, that involuntarily built in her throat was once more muffled against his lips, but she felt him grin into their kiss. As he retreated a little, looking into her eyes once more, the grin was still visible on his features. Due to the darkness, Amanda could barely see him in front of her, the light of the ascending moon outside was not enough for her to properly take in his appearance. But it all, made the situation even more thrilling. She couldn't describe it, but in that darkness, giving in to a stranger, let him lead the two of them through their passion in their most vulnerable state, was a dangerous game, she was oh so willing to play.
A surprised sound left her mouth, when she suddenly found herself lying on the bed, but she had no time to adjust as she felt his lips exploring the sensitive skin on her neck. His body trapping her under him. His cold breath brushed over her skin and she couldn't hold the low whimpers that escaped her mouth. She even tilted her head a little, giving him more space. Amanda felt his hesitation as he hovered over her pulse point, as if he listened to the blood pumping through her veins. When he pressed his lips on that spot, she shivered instantly, her hands clinging onto him once more.
Vladimir didn't intend to change her that night, but the thought arose. He knew he had to turn her soon, for his own sake, but he would wait a little longer, enjoying her warmth and her shy brown eyes for the time being, until she would share his temperature and eye color for the rest of eternity. For the first time, he let his eyes travel down her body, taking in her almost completely bare form. He couldn't hold back the low growl that rumbled through his chest at the thought, that all of that was his to explore, his to cherish, to protect and to enjoy and worship equally.
By the sound of his growl, Amanda immediately flinched, but her anticipation only grew. She couldn't describe it, she tried to look at him, but she could barely see his silhouette, though the cold that emanated from his body, was something that completely engulfed her. By then, his touches didn't sting with coldness, but caressed her more like a soft wind, that put goosebumps over her whole body. His close proximity, his lips on her skin were a dark promise, that she was in for a night she would never forget. Through heavy breaths, she managed to lift her hand, stroking carefully over the fabric that still covered his body.
Through her actions, his head snapped back to look into her eyes again. For a moment, he just took in her expression, before he leant down on her once more. Letting his body get even closer to her than the last time. With a knowing smirk, he left a trail of kisses up from her collarbone to her ear. "Be mine for tonight and forevermore," he breathed lowly, while being close to her ear. He saw how her body shivered instantly at his words.
Amanda gasped in surprise as she heard his words. She had no idea, that they could have such an impact on her, but she had no chance to suppress the moan that left her mouth. She lifted her hand until she found his face, hovering over hers once more. Softly, she placed her hand on the side of his face and even though, she couldn't see his expression, she smiled at him. Her fingers trailed carefully through his hair, down his neck and came to a halt right at the spot where usually a heart would beat. "Tonight, and forevermore," she repeated his words in a whisper. Her mind didn't interfere, as she finally gave in completely. She pulled him down into another kiss and from that moment on, she let him take the lead through their joined night and the strengthening of their newly found bond.