Darkened Days (25 page)

Park attended, her medical background helpful, and held up the naked, slightly pink little boy so the parents could confirm all fingers and toes exactly as they should be. 

His eyes were already open, dark blue, and looked into Eillia’s as she reached out to hold her son.  Daniel could barely see him through the tears trailing from his eyes.

Park, eyes watery, too, stood and watched the couple.

“So precious, the family unit.  Perhaps the most wonderful thing on earth.  Mother, child, father.  I am so happy for all of you.”

Starla stood at the end of the bed, battling emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.  Thrilled for her friends, amazed to see the beautiful baby take his first breath of air outside the womb, worry for Jacob, pain for her choice that kept other children like this from taking that first breath.

She couldn’t speak, but just tried to hold a tremulous smile while wiping moisture from her eyes. 

The baby didn’t cry, but kept looking at his mother’s face above him.

“Hello, little man,” Daniel said, touching his cheek.

Eillia looked at this huge new vampire she was truly mated with who had given her a miracle baby.

“Look what we made, Daniel,” she whispered.

He leaned in and hugged his little family.

Park
moved closer and touched Daniel’s shoulder.

“He’s fine, everything exactly as it should be.  He’ll be hungry soon, so we’ll go and let you guys get acquai
nted.”

Koen and Bas, who just came back in after the birth, kissed Eillia and Daniel and told them they would see them
later, Starla nodded, touched their hands and left along with Park.

Through it all, Tamesine had stood in the back of the room, her hands to her mouth, eyes huge, as the child she had a special connection to the entire time he grew inside of Eillia, took a
first look at the world.   She didn’t know what to say or what to do.   So she stayed still and stayed away.

Eillia motioned her forward, and when she came, tentatively, Tamesine dropped on her knees, tears in her eyes.

“My little friend.  I can’t believe you’re here.  So beautiful.  May I hold him?”

“Soon.  Not yet.  Can you go back to your room and take care of yourself until tomorrow?  Then you may hold him.”

Tamesine nodded, then hugged Eillia and Daniel, touched the baby on the forehead, and walked out humming.

Eillia couldn’t take her eyes off the little boy who cooed quietly in her arms, already seemed more aware than a normal baby.

Daniel couldn’t stop staring at him, either.

“Caedmon.  You agree?”

Eillia nodded.  “I do.” 

Already he grasped her finger with his tiny hand.

“Hello, little warrior,” she said.

When, a short time later, Eillia lowered her gown to feed Caedmon, Daniel felt it deep inside as she guided her nipple into his mouth.   He thought it might be the most beautiful moment he’d ever experienced.  His son
at his wife’s breast.  His family.  Past, present, future all in this one perfect moment. 

The next six days crawled for Starla.  There was the joy of the new baby, and she felt it deeply, but they hadn’t found any leads for Jacob. 

Starla slept alone in that huge bed with tears in her eyes because it felt so empty without him. He’d become her life.   She sleep-walked through the nights, slept fitfully during the days, ate little, couldn’t take her blood meals.  She spent most of the time on the beach watching the sea pitch and roll, waiting for her cell phone to ring and someone to tell her he’d been found.

After he
’d been missing a week, she decided she had to get in on the search.

“I can’t sit here anymore.”

Koen shook his head.

“Starla, my team is combing every CCTV feed, they’v
e interviewed everyone Crystal has ever come into contact with and checked out anyplace she’s ever been.  They’re monitoring her credit accounts, everything.  I don’t know what else you can do.”

“There’s something.  There’s always something.  I have to find him and
sitting here isn’t doing it.”  She paused as she looked at him with wet eyes.  “I can’t stand this.”

Nodding agreement, Koen spoke in a coarse voice. “I know.  I’ve been looking for someone for two months now.  It’s horrible, waiting, wondering.  At least in my case, I don’t think the woman I’m looking for is in trouble.  Jacob is.  I’ll take my team off my search and add them to those already working on Jacob.”

“I’m sorry, Koen.  I didn’t know.   Who is she?”

H
e didn’t answer her right away. When he did, he spoke quietly.

“I’m not certain.  Maybe just a dream I had.”

Another week passed and nothing.  Starla had become obsessed.  Every moment was about the search.  She’d lost weight, which wasn’t easy for a vampire, but she was starving herself, by vampire standards.  Her skin was pale because she refused blood nutrition until he was home.  She was gone for days, physically searching Paris, then other cities beyond, asking about Crystal, looking for any clue.  They had tried Cherise already, who sometimes could get a read or vision from objects, but it hadn’t worked.  She was an empath, not a psychic, and although sometimes visions
did
come, she could rarely call them up at will.

The days had turned to shit.  Miserable every moment, Jacob sat near the cell door.  Crystal was serving dinner and wine, as she did every night, dressed to the hilt in sexy clothes, her hair pulled high to show off her breasts, which were usually bare.  He’d been patient and accepting, even affectionate, hoping to lull her into a sense of security.  He knew he needed to step up his flirting.

Tonight, she wore a red thong, sheer red vest with nothing beneath, and red high heels.  Deprived of sex for over two weeks now, even this crazy woman made his cock twitch.  He could use it’s betrayal in his favor though.

Jacob leaned through the slot in the cell door that was wide enough to slip a tray through.  His hand could barely reach her breast, but he could flick a nipple several times.  It was the first time he’d touched her.

Crystal moaned.

“Oh, Jake. That was nice.  Keep touching me.”

He smiled.  He hoped he looked sincere and sexy, and leaned out.

“Move in so I can reach you better.”

She did, putting both breasts right to the tray access area.  He used both hands and worked her nipples to rock hard.

“Mouth please,” she said, her eyes closed.

Fuck!  Well, in service to his desperation to convince her he was coming around, and he wanted her, to get the hell out of here. 
Forgive me, baby
, he thought.

He lowered his head.  She moaned again, overly dramatic.  Thank god her eyes were closed because he was sure his expression was less than passionate.

When she opened them a few moments later, she looked at him dreamily.

“You see how it would be, Jake.  Just you and me and the best sex of your life.”

“I’d like that.  You are a beautiful woman, Crystal.  You may have realized Starla and I hadn’t been together very long.  We were just playing around.  You’re right.  She’s young and uninspiring.  Not skilled like a woman with your experience.  I think I’m ready to see what we can do together.  It’s your call.  I can’t really touch you inside this cell.  You can’t touch
me
.”

Crystal stared at him.  Was he sincere?  She didn’t have the ability to read him like some vampires.
But she really wanted to believe him.

“You have to trust me sometime.  Or we’ll never get together.  Let me ask you, do you really believe Starla couldn’t satisfy me?”

She nodded.

“Okay, do you think I’m a smart man?”

“Oh, yes.”

“All right then.  Doesn’t it stand to reason that I would choose you?”

He saw the wheels turning in the rat’s maze of her mind.  He hoped that worked.  Sometimes counter-reasoning worked.

Crystal sucked in a lip and chewed on it while she thought about this man she was in love with.  Could he mean it?  He was smiling now so charmingly.  She’d kept his clothes because she loved his naked body and he had a nice hard-on.  Evidence that she was the one he wanted.

But she was a cautious woman.

“I want to, Jake.  Maybe next week.  I think you
are
almost there.  Patience my love.  What we have is worth the wait.”

Fuck me
.  God, he couldn’t take another week.  But he couldn’t show that.  So he smiled.

“I know you’re right.  Like I said, your call.  You’ll know when it’s time.”

It was the right thing to say.  She smiled as if someone gave her the moon.  Odd that he chose that word.  Play the game, he kept repeating in his mind.  That night, he fell asleep, and visualized making love to Starla.  It was the only thing that kept him sane for now.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Ahmose was done.  Nothing had gone right since he’d betrayed Starla, Jacob, and himself.  He had to fix it.  He knew more than anyone how karma worked, so he was on a plane to Switzerland to get Jacob. He would rescue him and send him home.  But he couldn’t face Starla.  How could he justify his behavior?  It would not be possible.

The plane hit heavy turbulence and he had a moment of panic that karma would destroy him right there, he would die forever, and Jacob would never be rescued.  Just in case, he kept his cell phone in his hand until they landed in Switzerland.  He wondered how a man over a thousand years old could make the choices he’d made.  All he could do now was bring Jacob home and disappear from their lives.  She was never going to be his anyway.

Crystal’s isolated cabin was located half way
up the mountain.  Ahmose had blood-bonded her to him so he could clean her memory and have a permanent trace.  When he arrived in front of the cabin, he was grateful.  The entire bottom level had floor to ceiling windows.  Brave, for a vampire.  Or stupid.

He came through the front door silently, his bond with her led him
to the back of the house.   She was alone.  Cooking in a state-of-the-art kitchen.  He backed out and headed up the stairs.  No Jacob.  All right.  Downstairs? 

Yes, a huge cage
sat in the center of the walk out floor facing the exposed windows.

Jacob’s back was to the door. 
God.
  The bitch was keeping him naked.  Like an animal.  He felt worse than ever.

“Jacob,” he said, quietly.

Jacob turned.  He knew immediately that Ahmose had been involved.

“I’m not surprised.  Son of a bitch!  You come to hold me down so she can finally fuck me?”

Bitter. Harsh.  Deserved.

“No.  I came to get you out of here and take you home.  There are no words to ask your forgiveness.  I don’t deserve it.  But I can at least fix this for you.”

Ahmose waved a hand and the cell door popped open.  Jacob stood there, rage battling with relief.  He wanted to walk out with dignity.  He wanted to run out and attack this arrogant first blood vampire.  More than that, he wanted him to justify his actions.

“Why?”

Ahmose shook his head.

“I let her convince me that you would be okay.  I knew you wouldn’t.   I wanted to believe you really didn’t love Starla.  I knew you did.  I tried to believe she would come back to me.  She never would have.  Everything was wrong f
rom the moment the red-lipped woman came to me.  I was weak and let myself be selfish for the sake of my people’s future.  I threatened it instead.”

Jacob s
aw the flash as Crystal came up behind Ahmose.  A shotgun, pellets racing toward his chest.  It was a moment Jacob would always remember.  Because he wanted to save the man in spite of everything he’d done.  He raced towards him.

Jacob watched as the shotgun pellets stopped and dropped on the floor instantly.
  Ahmose put his hands up and Crystal froze.  Jacob walked up to her.  She looked terrified.

“I need to get her back to Xavier, a first blood in Paris.  He’ll know what to do.  I can’t risk her trying this again.”

“She won’t.  That’s what I meant when I said I’d fix this.  Listen.”

Ahmose caught her eyes with his.

“Crystal, you will not remember me.  You will not remember Jacob or Starla.  Or anyone you’ve met since you met Jacob.  You will not remember Africa.  From now on, you will remember you are vampire, you will feed carefully, but you will make a living serving food at an overnight diner.  If you have sexual needs, you will see to them yourself.  You no longer want men.”

She blinked and nodded.  Ahmose unfroze her.

“Do you remember this man?”

She looked at the naked man in front of her.

“No.  He should put some clothes on though.”

“He will.  Thank you.  You may go.”

Ahmose turned to Jacob as Crystal disappeared out the door.

“She will never both
er you again.”

“I appreciate that.  Doesn’t mean I forgive you.”

“I understand.”

After finding his clothes, Jacob dressed,
while reaching for Crystal’s pink cell phone lying on a table.

When he heard her voice, he
sighed deeply and teared up a little.

“Baby?”

She
did
cry.  He heard his name and the word okay and that was all he could make out.

“Baby, I’m
all right.  I’m on my way back.  It was Crystal.  She didn’t hurt me.”

Ahmose watched him as he leaned into the phone.

“Baby, I’ll explain when I get home.  A few hours.  No, I’ll come right to the villa.  Just be waiting for me, okay?  Tell everyone I’m all right.  I love you.”

Ahmose looked away then.

Closing the phone, Jacob looked up at Ahmose.  “I’m ready.  Get me the fuck out of here.”

The plane ride was silent.  But Jacob could feel the pain and regret from Ahmose.

He couldn’t forgive him.  Not yet, maybe someday.  But he could understand the desperate act.  He might have been willing to do something like that to keep Starla.  Would he?   He thought so.  He laid his head back and closed his eyes.  All he could hear was her voice.

“She was crying you know.” Jacob did not open his eyes.

Ahmose drew in a sharp breath.  Then a moment later he answered Jacob’s comment with a quiet, almost inaudible, “I know.”

The two men understood each other, both knew the consequences of their choices and actions.  Jacob decided he wouldn’t judge Ahmose.  He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be any more innocent. 

Ahmose decided he would accept whatever judgment awaited him.  From Starla, Jacob, or the fates.

The plane couldn’t land soon enough.

She held him so tightly he couldn’t breathe.  And if it meant making her loosen up, Jacob decided he didn’t need to breathe again.  Her arms and legs were wrapped around his body and they just stayed
there for what felt like hours.  It wasn’t long enough.

Finally, Starla slipped down him and looked at his face.

“You’re really okay?  She really didn’t hurt you?”

“Really.”

“We have to stop her.  She can’t ever do this again.”

“She’s stopped.  She isn’t a threat anymore.  We’re okay, baby.  You can stop worrying.  Like I’d let you get away from me.”

Everyone else in the room waited until they were finished before they welcomed Jacob back home.  He patiently greeted them all.  Told Eillia and Daniel how beautiful their son was.  When he’d greeted everyone, he scooped Starla up into his arms.

“Excuse us, please.”

And they were gone.

Below ground, he had them in his large bathroom, stripped, and under the warm water in moments.  He
needed to be clean again.  And he needed to touch her everywhere.

“Baby, please tell me the truth.  Did she rape you?”

“No.  But if I’d been there much longer, probably.”

“Oh, god.  Where did she take you?  How did you get away?”

“Long story. Details later. Right now, I’m busy.”

With Starla in his arms and the warm water cascading over them, Jacob just stood there for a few moments letting the past few weeks wash away.  He had
n’t realized how terrified he’d been that he might not be able to get back to her.  He couldn’t go the rest of his life without holding her or being inside of her.

Starla knew there was so much more than he’d ever be able to tell her.  Jacob
had depths he couldn’t admit because he’d never really loved anyone like he did Starla.  She felt this in him.  And she just let him hold her, quiet, still, healing.  Whatever he needed she would be there for him.  It was unspoken and truer than the sunrise and sunset.

Eventually he dropped to his knees and began to kiss her.  Everywhere.  On her belly, on her thighs, on her buttocks.  It wasn’t sexual. Yet. It was gentle and exploratory.

“You taste like heaven.  All I need is whipped cream and I could eat you up.”

“That can be arranged.”

“Good.  Tomorrow.  Today, can I just get inside you?  Where I belong?”

“You never have to ask.  The answer to the question is ‘always.’”

Jacob stood, lifted her, and slid in.  Again, he stopped and just held her.  Starla tried to stop the soft tears but she couldn’t.   That he was hurting was more painful for her than anything she’d ever suffered.  She gave him what he really needed at that moment.  Her arms around him in support.   And her heart.

When he finally started moving, it was slow, easy, and when he came, it was easy too.  Just a deep spasm
that made him press hard into her, his eyes closed, immersed in her.  A part of her.

It would take time.  She wondered what happened, but that would come.

They finished the shower, dried off, and fell into bed, tangled together.  They slept, dreamless, until the sun dropped again.

Things got back to normal pretty quickly the next week, except for the addition of the tiny baby boy that everyone wanted to hold.  Tamesine played sentry, she held him most, other than his parents.

Jacob finished security for Bas’s huge villa and let him know they would not be returning to live there.

“Starla and I are thinking about our own place.”

“Stay near, my dear friend,” Bas told him. 

“I plan to.  You’re all family, to her now as well as me.”

Bas thanked him and gave him a brotherly hug.

Jacob filled Starla in on all the details of his abduction and rescue. 

She’d been furious
with Ahmose. 

“That asshole!  I want to fly back to Africa and beat the hell out of him!”

“No.  He was a man possessed.  He has deep regret for his actions.  I told him I understand because I might have been willing to do the same to keep you.  And although I told him I didn’t forgive him, I’ve decided to. I won’t judge him.  I want you to do so, too.  He’s a good man, Starla, but I don’t think I really have to tell you that.  You know it.  My taking you away was devastating for him.  Just look at Eillia’s son and you will see what he lost.  Forgive him.”

It took some soul searching and Jacob’s
earnest words to convince her, but she really did understand some of what drove Ahmose.  Because she was still suffering, too.  Since Caedmon’s birth, her own womb had been twitching as if reminding her of her own terrible choice.  She couldn’t help herself, she kept thinking about her lost children.

Second meal was
served.  Starla waited with Park and Eillia, who were up at the buffet filling their plates. She held Caedmon, her eyes locked on his face. 

Jacob
would be a little later since he was still at Park’s house with final construction issues. 

Park and Eillia had just arrived back at the table, when suddenly the baby touched Starla’s face with a little hand.  She started crying.  Eillia scooped him up a
s Park went to Starla.

“Are you okay?  What happened?”

Once she got her tears under control, she shook her head. 

“Nothing.  Just
…nothing. Really, guys, I’m fine.”

Park exchanged a glance with Eillia.  They both looked back and forth, and then at Starla
.

“Starla, did Caedmon do something?” Eillia asked.

Starla didn’t respond at first, then nodded.

“I felt him.   He
touched me and I felt him.  He’s sad for the babies I won’t have.  I can’t believe he can do that.”

“He’s very powerful.  And he’s just telling you something you already know.”  Park
pulled out a chair and faced Starla. Eillia, with Caedmon against her, watched with huge eyes.

“I didn’t bring this up before because I knew you weren’t ready.
  I think now you are.  Cairine knew the moment that she touched you that you would bear first blood children.”

“That isn’t true, though.  I’m not with Ahmose.  I never will be.  Jacob and I are mated.”

“I understand.  And nothing will change that.  You have a love that can’t be broken.  But it can be tested.   What I am going to tell you will test it.  I can bring your children to you and Ahmose.  As you know, I’m a geneticist and I think I can successfully inseminate you.  It’s never been tried on a vampire, but I believe it will work.  So you would never have to actually
be
with Ahmose.”