“Blood Bound”

2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved


Chapter 20

    
    Shelby laid on her side and staring intently at Leo’s sleeping form.  For the last hour she had watched him, studying his astute handsome features and was still drinking in every line, every curve that her eyes rested on.  

    His square lined jaw jutted out at the perfect angle, making him seem regal in appearance.  His long, dark lashes curled up, softening his stern face.  His blackened, silk hair spilled across his forehead, highlighting his creamy, pale like complexion and she knew that when he opened his eyes, those eyes that reflected the midnight sky, he could steal her breath with just one look.

    Oh yeah, this man was definitely handsome and she was sitting here, lying beside him after they share some pretty explicit, intimate moments.

    Her cheeks flushed with heat at the memory.  The way that his hands touched her body, the way that his mouth kissed her all over and the way that he filled her was beyond words.  He drove her to the clouds and back with all of the pertinent skill of an accomplished veteran.

    Sated and relaxed, they were now back in his chambers, tucked away in his bed. When she first woke, she found herself clad in one of his silk button up shirts and she couldn’t quite recall exactly how they had transported from the sands of the beach to the Egyptian cotton sheets of his bed.  And if she was being honest with herself, she didn’t really care.  She was just content being with Leo.  

    “What are you thinking about so hard my sweet?”

    His deep voice melted over her like warmed honey.  His knowing eyes popped opened and Leo tilted his head so that he was facing her.  Lifting his hand, he lightly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

    Shelby could only sit there and continue to watch him.  It never ceased to amaze her at how tender and gentle he was with her.  This giant of a man who always wore this impenetrable façade, looked at her with softest of faces.  

    “Talk to me,” he urged in a voice just barely above a whisper.  He turned his hand around and cupped her cheek.  “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

    She smiled.  “Can’t you just look and see?”

    Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose.  “Yes,” he agreed, “I could but-” he paused and leaned back on the pillow, “I want you to tell me.  I want to give you your privacy, but I want you to be open to me too.  Can you do that?”

    The corner of her mouth twitched.  She was still working to process all of this new stuff that had happened to her over the last week.  Things such as the fact that she was now a vampire, the fact that her friend was a supposed witch and then there was that whole deal with the prophecy.  

    It wasn’t every day that a girl learned that she was supposed to be the one to save humanity.   That wasn’t small change, that was more like the millions of dollars.

    “Shelby?”  He never once raised his voice to her but the quiet command in his undertone told her that he wouldn’t let this go until she talked to him.

    Softly sighing, she flipped over on her back and stared up at the ceiling.  “Life,” she told him simply, “And how different it all is now.”

    “Mmm, go on.”  He lazily dropped his hand from her cheek and settled it on her arm.  In slow, soothing motions, he ran his hand up and down her arm, awakening certain feelings in her body that she was un-prepared for.

    She tried to smile at him, pushing past those delicious feelings that warmed her insides and set her blood a blaze.  “It’s funny how it all works out.  I mean, you finding me after that accident, you coming for me on my birthday and then Anissa walking into my life.  This whole new other world that I am being introduced to and then,” she paused to touch the rose pendant around her neck, “The prophecy.”

    Leo’s hand abruptly froze on her arm.  She could feel the tension projecting off of him in waves.  It was so profound that she felt like she was almost drowning in it.  “Leo?” She said cautiously, bringing his eyes to hers.  “Is something wrong?”

    He closed his eyes for a long second and then opened them; it almost seemed as if his eyes went two shades darker, if that was even possible.

    Taken aback by the sudden harshness that marred his face, she touched his chest and let out a breath when he visibly relaxed underneath her timid touch.

    “What did I say?”  She finally asked him.

    Leo forced himself to smile.  It was half-ass, he knew that but he didn’t want to let his mounting fear show.  “Sweeting, you mentioned a prophecy….  What prophecy are you talking about?”

    She turned away from him, already becoming accustomed to his abrupt change in moods.  It was obvious that he had no idea about the prophecy that Anissa had bestowed to her. Keeping her gaze focused on the ceiling, she again thumbed the consecration pendant.   “The one that Anissa told me about.”

    She heard his unmistakable growl reverberate in his chest and stiffened.  “What… prophecy Shelby?”  

    Sucking in a breath, she pushed herself up to a sitting position and slowly turned back to him and gulped.  “You might want to ask her about it.”

    This time he sat up.  In one deft movement, he picked Shelby up in his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather and sat her over his lap, straddling him.  “No,” he told her, his hands gripping her waists.  “I want you to tell me, now.”

    She tried to turn away from him and he grabbed  her chin, firmly holding it in his hands so that she had no choice but to look at him.  His grip wasn’t painful, but it was intimidating.  “What prophecy? He asked again, his tone not quite matching the intensity that shone in his eyes.

    “She said something about me and you, the stars and…” she stopped, blithely waved her hand in the air, “Something about saving humanity.”

    At first she was met with silence and then yet again, he went with that closing of his eyes.  She was quickly coming to realize that he did that when he felt his temper flare and it was a calming mechanism of sorts.  

    “Leo?”  She patiently waited for him to open his eyes and look at her.  For a minute there, she wondered if he would ever open his eyes and then he did.  

    ‘Rest, I’ll be back shortly.’  He spoke the words in her mind and at the same time, lifted her off of his lap, setting her in the center of his bed.  Saying nothing else, he stood up in all of his naked glory and turned his back on her.  By the candle light of the room, she could see the sinuous muscles constricting in his back with every step that he made.

    She was virtually hypnotized by that natural movement and it wasn’t until he made a motion with his hand and he magically clothed himself that she realized he was leaving her; again.

    Wait a minute.  “Leo,” she sat up on her knees, desperately trying to understand this man that made her so inexplicably crazy.  “Are you just going to leave me here?”    

    He stopped at the door and she saw his shoulders drop.  “I have things to do little Bride.  I’ll be back.”  Without offering any further explanation, he just disappeared.

    Shelby was caught dumb struck, staring at the empty space where he had just stood.  This was not happening, she told herself.  Foolishly, she assumed that after what they had just shared, they had already crossed this mole hill.  Evidenlty they hadn't.

     She held no misconceptions that her vampire wasn't going to go off somewhere, alone, to see about the prophecy  Anissa warned her of.  No that was exaclty what he planned to do and she refused to just sit around here in his room, twiddling her thumbs while waiting for him to come back her to.  If that's what he thought was giong to happen then he was sorely mistaken.  

    This was the twenty-first century, dammit!  She was not helpless and she thought that by her actions she had already proven that.

    Crawling off the bed, she started for the door.  She had a few choice words of her own that she wanted to share with Leo.  If they were going to make this work then he would have to accept her for who she is.  

    Feeling her resolve strengthen she pulled the door open and started to step out into the hall when she came face to face with none other than his mother.

    “Just the person that I was looking for,” Isabella smiled.  She took Shelby by the arm and not to gently, pushed her back into the room.  She glanced out in the hall, looking to her left, then to her right, making sure that no one was around before walking in the room herself and closing the door behind her.

    She turned around and faced Shelby, the fake smile dropping from her face.  “I think it’s about time that we had a heart to heart.”