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Chapter Seventeen
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2024-10-29 19:42:56It was early evening before Tim returned to the cabin after dropping Mark off at the train station. It was clear he’d been drinking.
“How are the roads?” Edwin asked as he quietly assessed his friend’s drunkenness.
“I have to give the road crews in this part of the country credit. They’re keeping them in pretty good shape,” Tim managed to say.
“Lucky you didn’t meet up with any cops. You reek of whiskey,” Edwin said as he stoked the fire in the fireplace. “I chopped some wood earlier. Are you up to helping me carry some in?”
“I can do it,” Agatha offered from the darkened corner of the room.
She’d been so quiet that Tim actually forgot she was there. He turned to her with a look of stunned surprise and said in a slightly slurred voice, “You’re still here.”
“Where would I go?” she asked.
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Edwin crawled into bed next to Kira, blew out the candle and whispered, “So, you covet my heart?”“I should not have said that. I embarrassed ye,” Kira whispered back. “Forgive me.”“You, not ye,” Edwin corrected her, “and you didn’t embarrass me. I just want to be clear on what coveting my heart means. Does it mean you love me?”“Aye… I mean, yes,” Kira said softly.“Good,” he said with a husky chuckle. “I covet your heart too.”Kira gasped with joy and hugged him close. Then, she pulled away and asked, “Are you certain it is not just the bonding?”“Kira, my love,” Edwin said softly. “I have bonded with many women in my lifetime, but none have captured my heart the way you have. I’ve missed you for so long.”“Ye… you, have only just met me,” she sai
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The sun was just peeking over the treetops when Kira cautiously slipped out of bed, being careful not to disturb Edwin. He’d had a troubled sleep, tossing, turning, and mumbling illegible words through the night; only settling down a few hours ago. She was concerned about what troubled him, but didn’t want to awaken him to ask. She hoped he wasn’t having second thoughts and regrets about professing his love for her. She couldn’t imagine being without him now that he’d come into her life.The squeaking of the door as she opened and closed it sounded painfully loud as it disturbed the peaceful quiet of the cabin. She looked at Edwin’s sleeping form with concern, but he made no indication that the noise disturbed him. As she tip-toed through the main room, a smile spread across her lovely face at the sight of Agatha sleeping soundly in Tim’s protective embrace. She was happy that they’d man
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Although she was worried about her friend, Kira couldn’t help being captured by the awe of what civilization now looked like as they made their way back to Manhattan. More than once she expressed her fears and delights over the changes that occurred during her centuries of dormancy.Her fascination with the scenery, both rural and urban, as they made their trip helped to ease the tension in the vehicle and, eventually, pull both Edwin and Tim’s focus off the danger they so narrowly escaped and onto explaining and educating her. The mood eventually lightened, and the men found themselves smiling and laughing over her childlike innocence.Tim stopped in front of Edwin’s apartment complex with the intention of leaving Edwin and Kira there before heading to his own home, but Kira would have none of it. She insisted that he stay close until they were certain the vampires hadn’t picked up on his energy as well and followed them
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Kira sat at the kitchen table in Edwin’s apartment and played with the steamed broccoli he’d set before her. She was beginning to feel the need for the taste of blood. Had they been in the country, she’d have excused herself and gone off into the woods, but what was she to do in the city?“It’s probably a silly question, with Agatha on the run and the day we’ve just had, but I’m going to ask you what’s wrong anyway,” Edwin said in a voice just above a whisper as he stood behind her, placed his hands on her slender shoulders, and lowered his mouth to her ear.The heat of his words tickled her flesh, reminding her that there was a major difference between them. He was human, and she was vampire. If that wasn’t bad enough… she longed for the taste of blood on her tongue.“I fear staying with ye… I mean, you, is not a good idea,” she murmured.“We aren&rsqu
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It was dark, damp, and cold. Agatha could barely see her hands in front of her as she raised them close to her neck and tucked them below her chin in an effort to thwart off frost bite. The shackles on her wrists and ankles were heavy and cumbersome. She didn’t need light to know that they were cutting into her tender flesh. Not only were they painful, but she could feel the moistness of her blood. Because of this, she did her best to stay as still as possible. She could hear her captors mulling around above her. The last thing she wanted was for her blood to lure them to her.They’d not only bound her hands and feet together, but they’d gagged her mouth to assure she’d cast no spells. Malcolm originally ordered her tongue cut out, but, just as the sharp blade sliced into her moist muscle, he changed his mind; leaving her tongue intact, but with a painful, deep slice to heal. She’d tasted bloo
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Kira paced the length of the apartment’s great room while ringing her hands. When Edwin left her settled before the television set watching the movie, “Twilight”, he neglected to instruct her on what to do when it ended. He’d pointed to his collection of movies, but never explained how to operate the DVD player. With her mind no longer occupied with entertainment, it was clear to receive the frantic, and very garbled, message that Agatha sent.When Edwin and Tim arrived home, she surprised them by pulling the door open before Edwin was able to grab the doorknob and push it open himself.“Something is wrong with Agatha,” she said breathlessly. “She is in trouble.”Tim and Edwin exchanged looks as Tim closed the door behind them and Edwin produced two bags of blood from the inside of his coat.“We spotted some nasty looking vampires while acquiring your blood,” Edwin said.&n
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The farm was at the end of a private road; its nearest neighbor an easy mile away. Tim put his driving skills to work once more as he maneuvered the SUV down yet another unplowed drive, giving thanks - more than once- for the fact that, when it was put in four-wheel-drive, it moved steady like a tank.Once they reached the house, he hopped out of the vehicle and grabbed the key from the hiding spot, where his friend said it would be, and opened the door. With flashlight in hand, he searched for the light switch. Kira moved past him with grace and confidence to flick on the switch before he was able to locate it. Tim looked at her with raised brow.“I have excellent night vision,” she said with a smile. She looked at Edwin as he set their bags down near the door and said in a brisk and urgent tone, “We must find a bedroom and reinforce the bond right away.”Edwin took a deep breath. He understood Kira’s
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Kira crouched in the corner of the dark cellar while she got her bearings straight after teleporting in. She was both surprised and pleased to discover that her abilities as a witch had been enhanced since she became a vampire; as did her eyesight and hearing. She found she was able to easily and competently perform spells that confounded her before.A low moan from the opposite side of the dank and dark cellar caught her attention. Even though she had excellent night vision, it was still not as easy to see in the pitch black of the basement as it would have been had there been some semblance of light offered.She was able to make out Agatha’s body slumped against the wall. Her hands were shackled together and fastened to a hook high above her head. Her ankles were also shackled.Kira inched closer, being careful to stay near the objects that could give her a hiding place, should a vampire enter. Just as she was able to see fa
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Edwin stopped short when he entered the kitchen, which was the one surviving room in the house that wasn’t a bedroom, and saw Kira standing next to the chair that Claus was seated in. Behind her stood Agatha. He gave them a curious look as he willed his legs to move forward. Could it be that she’d decided to be with Claus instead of him? Was he facing the vampire leader for no reason?A wooden chair was set not far from Claus. He motioned for Edwin to sit in it.“It has been a long night of surprises,” Claus said as he watched Edwin settle into the chair with the poise of a proud tribal chief he once knew. “It isn’t often that we leave a man for dead only to have him reappear a vampire. There is the need for blood upon awakening which is normally provided by the maker. How did you manage?”Edwin shrugged, “I awoke to two wolves fighting over me.”“You killed th
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The skies were clear, yet it sounded like thunder up ahead as Edwin carefully made his way through the forest. Ebenezer had already warned him of the battle that ensued at Claus’ estate between his good, and Malcolm’s evil, vampires. He’d also explained that it was because Claus assumed the role as Kira’s mate and protector that his home was under attack. Malcolm was determined to get Kira back. He’d been searching for far too long to let her bonding with another vampire stop him from finally having her. He was her maker. It was his right. Vampire law be damned.Mixed emotions flooded him as he listened to his ghostly grandfather explain how Kira agreed to bond and mate with Claus if he promised to rescue him from Malcolm’s evil clutches. The old ghost was careful to be clear on the fact that Claus coveted Kira and would expect her to honor her promise to him even if Edwin showed up a vampire instead of a
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Kira paced the large kitchen as she watched Agatha pour boiling water over the herbs she’d just combined and crushed in her mortar.“This will put a shield around the babe, should anything go wrong and they capture ye,” Agatha said as she covered the pot to let the brew steep.“Malcolm frightens I,” Kira said.“His evilness knows no boundaries,” Agatha said with a slow shake of her head, “and ‘tis me, not I. Malcolm frightens me.”“Does it really matter at this point?” Kira complained. “I was trying to correct my speech for Edwin. Now…”“You still have to mingle with the world,” Agatha scolded. “’Twould be good to correct it as best as you can. ‘Twouldn’t do to attract undue attention to thyself.”“I suppose you are right,” Kira said with a heavy sigh. “I must go on.&nb
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His body ached from head to toe and he was cold; so very, very cold. Edwin tried to sit up, but the effort was overwhelming. Something heavy was on his chest, holding him down.It was dark, so very dark. Too dark to see even though his eyes were opened wide. He could hear breathing close by. He felt a tickling sensation as a moist nose rapidly sniffed up and down his body. A sudden jolt took him by surprise. His arms frantically flailed around him as he tried to find an inanimate object to secure him in place as whatever had sniffed him tried to drag him by the pant leg through the snow.With every waking moment, he grew more and more aware of his body and surroundings. It was as if he’d left it and was now making a slow reconnection.A low snarl alerted him to the fact that the animal that was dragging him had met up with another animal that coveted him. As fascinating as it would have been to watch the batt
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Claus entered the estate house and immediately headed for the bedroom. He smiled with satisfaction when he saw Kira sleeping in the same position he’d left her in. Her cooperation would serve to better the chances of an impregnation. He gently tugged the pillow out from beneath her hips and adjusted the bedding to make her more comfortable.Kira was actually awake, but was unable to face Claus at the moment. Even though she’d suspected it, Agatha’s confirmation that she carried Edwin’s child rocked her world upside down. She knew little about Claus, but she guessed that he would be one angry vampire to discover the child in her womb wasn’t his. That’s why she stayed for him to find her perched on the pillow like that. She hoped it would remove any doubts or speculation as to the father of her child once it was born.He lightly kissed her forehead and his deep, husky voice whispered, “Sleep my beaut
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Agatha waited until the rescue party left before she slipped into the bedroom to check on Kira. She found her lying on her back with a pillow beneath her hips while silently weeping.“I know, now, that my body does not need to be in love to enjoy coupling,” she said with a voice filled with shame.“I understand,” Agatha said knowingly. “Do not let it upset you like I let it upset me after I coupled with Marc. Just be thankful Edwin was not here to witness it.”“How you must have felt,” Kira said sympathetically.“You? Ye said you?” Agatha giggled.“I am trying,” Kira said with a wan smile.“He has you on the pillow to assure his seed takes,” Agatha observed. “He is surprisingly knowledgeable of these things.”“He said that once a male impregnates a female during the bonding ritual, the bond cannot be brok
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Kira stopped near the bed and awaited Claus’ orders. He said nothing as he moved with cat-like grace to stand before her and lowered his head to kiss her long and hard. Whether it was simply her own emotions or the fact that it just wasn’t there, she didn’t know, but she felt no passion in his kiss.She fought back a shudder of revulsion as his hands explored her abundant breasts. The sound of fabric tearing echoed off the walls as he ripped her shirt from her body. She gasped with surprise and dismay as she covered her naked breasts from his sight. He gently pulled her hands away from them so that he could better feast on her beauty with his eyes. He cupped her heavy breasts in his hands and lifted them slightly while his thumbs teased her nipples. He kissed her softly on the lips and then let his kisses roam down her neck and breast until he had a pert nipple in his mouth.The resistance she’d ex
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Agatha was waiting on the porch when they arrived. She raised her brow at the fact that Kira traveled to her in a van rather than teleporting, but said nothing.“I see you have found the white vampires,” she said in a clear speech as Kira stepped onto the porch.“They know that we are friends, but that is all,” Kira whispered, and Agatha nodded knowingly. “Ye have healed thy tongue.”“You have healed your tongue,” Agatha corrected her.“Aye… I mean, yes,” Kira said with a hint of annoyance that Agatha immediately picked up on.“Now is probably not the time to correct thy speech,” she said gently. “’twas silly of me to do so.”“Nay,” Kira said. “You actually brought a bit of normalcy into my world for a moment. I feel out of control.”“Tell me,” Agatha said as she led Kira inside the farmhouse.
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Edwin lay limp on the cold and dank floor. He was aware of movement around him and heard bits and pieces of their murmured conversations, but cared little about what they said. He’d been beaten and bitten so many times he’d lost count. His mind and body were weak. He’d managed to force all thoughts of Kira from his mind for fear that, in his weakened state, he’d buckle and give her up. Instead, he went over the list of ways to kill a vampire, over and over, until he knew it by heart. Whether the list was factual or fictional, it gave him satisfaction to recite it.With the need to refrain him long over, he felt his body being hoisted over the shoulder of a strong, male vampire. The curiosity of whether it was Coby or Seth who carried him flitted through his mind, but was quickly replaced by his list of ways to kill a vampire. What did it matter who lugged him out of the basement for a bit more torture when all
