This is it! What you've been waiting for. This is not edited at all. Lol.

***

I stir awake as fingers lightly trail on my bare neck and shoulder. It's a blissful feeling I have missed - a calm serenity within chaos. Stretching out, I run my hand on the smooth cottony surface of the sheets, only to be stopped as I feel a body next to me. I keep my eyes closed, savoring the warmth of his hand as they massaged my tense muscles. I let out a satisfied sigh as I feel a strong arm curve around my waist to pull me closer.

A gentle hum escapes from his mouth as I fold my arms in, with him cradling me against his sculpted chest. Considering our circumstances, this is something I never thought would occur. The feeling is like coming home from and long and exhausting trip. I inhale his musky and minty scent and open my eyes.

Valentine's majestic blue eyes are the first things I see and I couldn't break away from his gaze. Reflected upon the surface of his irises are strong, tangible emotions that strike me - love and compassion. To say I'm sorry wouldn't even cover it, we have hurt each other in so many ways. The tension between us still ever present and I would like to break that barrier, no matter what it takes.

"Forgive me?" He whispers ever so softly.

Those two words enter my mind and float peacefully like feathers fluttering in the wind. I don't let it settle because I should be the one asking that question not him. It was I who was being difficult. He continues to stare at me, waiting for an answer. My heart aches for him, and I long to straighten the lines between us.

"I should be the one to ask you," I reply while reaching up to run my thumb over the wrinkles between his eyes. He sighs and the crooked lines smooth down as his entire body relaxes. "This was all my fault."

I anticipate his answer, feeling nervous and anxious. My heart beats an incomprehensible speed as if it has a mind of its own, wanting so bad to jump out of it cavity to bring life into Valentine's.

"Saphira," he mutters with a husky morning voice. "Whatever you do, whether it be for or against me, you will always be forgiven. My disappointment and past errors brought out the worst in me and seeing you with someone else, especially my brother, triggered my anger and bloodlust. I lost you once and I was afraid that I had lost you again."

"You'll never lose me."

His arms tighten around me. He's afraid that I might run again, that I might lash out and leave him forever. Honestly, I wouldn't blame him because I have no room to talk or even protest. I allowed myself to forget how to love or even treat people for what they actually are.

"Then why do you keep running from me?"

I close my eyes briefly. It's now or never. "I was afraid of not knowing if you loved me or the body that I'm in."

His jaw clenches tightly and I can feel him grind his teeth together. I can tell he's fighting back the urge to tell me to stop thinking about his unfaithful ex-girlfriend whose body I'm in. "Your actions made it look like you still loved my brother, even after all we've been through. Seeing and hearing the two of you made it feel like I was living the past over again."

"Do you remember what I said last night?"

He shakes his head against the pillow. "I don't remember much of yesterday's events. I only remember feeding like nothing could satisfy me."

Some weight lifted off of my shoulders. He wasn't himself last night and that explains his hunger, his accusations and his disregard for what I confessed to him.

"I'm all yours - my body and soul," I breathe out and pull back so I can see his face clearly. I notice the spark that flashes in his eyes and I almost stutter. "Ever since we met, you're the only thing I ever think about and it's driving me crazy. I was envious of the love you had for her."

"Do you know why I never told you about Scarlett?"

I shake my head not knowing. He chuckles and my ears tingle from his voice.

"It's because I was thinking the same. I didn't know how you would react if I told you. I wanted to make sure you weren't going to run away once you knew why I kept you."

As if we weren't already skin to skin, he pulls me closer and buries his face in my neck and hair. The familiar tingle of his breath latches onto the delicate skin and I shiver from my fingers to my toes. "I've waited for you for two hundred years, sweetheart. Scarlett no longer resides in my heart. You're all I ever wanted and more."

I wrap my hands around the back of his head and run my fingers through his hair. His lips and tongue slowly torture my neck until a moan escapes my mouth. "Valentine," I say, fighting back a toe curling wave of ecstasy as it courses through my body. He hums deeply against my neck and I finally have the courage to tell him. "I think I love you."

When the last syllable left my lips, he stops what he is doing and looks at me intently. I watch in a wonder-filled gaze as his pupils dilate and turn his eyes dark with hunger.

A shot of pure heat barrels straight through my core as he places a warm hand on my thigh. I gulp down the intense desire for him but I was hit hard with pleasure as he captures my bottom lip in his mouth. I moan against him as he digs his hips harder against mine, causing my body to electrify. He presses is lips harder into as if I was the only thing keeping him alive. I slip my tongue out and lick his lip for entrance, wanting to taste him.

Valentine growls seductively from my abrupt action and his grip on my thigh tightens. I can feel his fingers dig into the soft, delicate skin under my thigh, inching closer and closer to where all this heat is pooling. Our kisses are furious and full of intense desire for one another's bodies and with his free hand, he grabs a fistful of my hair and tugs down, causing my body to arch back. I whimper softly as he lips leave mine to trail hot kisses down my jaw and neck – nibbling, biting, teasing.

He groans in delight and rips my shirt off of my body, letting it fall to the ground in pieces. Valentine flips us over so that his body is over mine - his heavyweight pins me down as he starts another onslaught of arousing strokes and kisses over my body. My core twists in wanton for him – this is where I want to exist forever.

"I love you," he whispers breathlessly at the hollow of my neck, which he decided was the perfect place to suck hard. I instantly melt at his words and I bring his face back up to mine and violently collide my lips with his. There is no question as to where this will take us and we don't hesitate to. All barriers keeping our skin from touching are dissolved and once again, we start our heated mess of tangled limbs and sweet, carnal satisfaction.

***

My eyes glide over the smooth skin on his back and shoulders. My hand hovers over his muscles and I smile as the small hairs follow the direction of my hand as I slowly wave it around. I pull the covers over my chest, remembering that we both have nothing on our bodies.

Since last night, his arm has not left my waist, trapping me to the bed with no space between us. We've been sleeping like this for hours and I don't mind at all. After our late night escapade that lasted till morning, I couldn't wipe the satisfied smirk off of my face. He's a beast alright.

Is this how everything is going to be from now on? Will this love last through the war burning outside those doors? How will I tell him that my soul is also being shared by his brother? Although I have no feelings, or even regard for Augustine, I have no choice but to remain in his control and grasp until either of us die.  Questions badger my mind but I don't let it ruin the moment.

"If you keep that up, you are never leaving this bed." Once again, his statement hits me like a ball of fire going straight to my core. It didn't help that his voice deep and husky. I shift my position and attempt to pull his arm off but they resembled steel bands, with no escape. I guess my vampiric abilities aren't as strong as his.

"Keep what up?" I ask coyly, hoping he would get up.

"You've been staring at me for the past five minutes, sweetheart. I can feel your eyes unravel every inch of me." He mutters all of this against his pillow without even turning to look at me. I blink continuously, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"What if I don't want to stop?"

He lift his head and his dark, lustful eyes meet with mine, causing bursts of heat to erupt all over my body. "Then you better run, little one."

His sexy growl reaches my unprepared ears but I take advantage of this moment  by slipping out of the bed and running toward the bathroom. Only I never reach the bathroom as Valentine quickly reaches me and traps me between his body and the wall in a very compromising position.

"Where do you think you're going?" He says staring me down until I quivered under his gaze. His body was only inches from mine but I can feel him against my skin. My own flesh and bones immediately responds to his intimate contact and I couldn't think of any answer to his questions. He places his hand on the wall either side of my head and my breath hitches. I am definitely never going to leave this room and frankly, I don't mind. "That's what I thought."

"But don't we need -" I start to say but he cuts me off with a sensual and heated kiss on my neck.

"I would give anything to be able to taste you again," he whispers under his breath.

My hands snake their way up his abdomen and over his muscled chest  until their stop at his collar. I eye the necklace around his neck as it trails down his chest, ending where a small key dangles right over his heart. Ever since I met him, I have not seen him take it off and I'm curious as to why he even wears it. I reach out to touch the metal but Valentine notices my obvious fascination with the object and stops his torturous kisses.

"What's this for?" I ask, referring to the old skeleton key.

"Oh," his jaw clenches as if he was remembering an awful memory. "My mother gave it to me the night before she was killed. She said that it was to be a reminder of my immunity to titanium. I've never taken it off and I've never been affected by it."

I search his eyes, wanting to know if he is telling the truth. Although he may have loved his mom, that just doesn't cut if for me. His eyes hold something I cannot put my finger on so I let it go, for now. I reach out and grab it between my fingers allowing it to burn my skin. As a half-vampire I'm not too affected by the metal but I can say that after a minute it started to sting like the a human would after staying in the direct sunlight for too long. Valentine frowns upon my hand and takes it to cradle it in his large ones.

"She must have loved you," I whisper, feeling sorrowful for never knowing what it's like to have a family.

"My mother would have loved you," he says, reassuringly. It amazes me how much he knows what I'm thinking or feeling just with a single look, like we're connected.

"How about we run away and never look back?" He says with a grin, trying to lift my spirits. I admire his effort and bend my neck to look into his eyes, which have now reverted to their original color.

"I'd like that," I respond with a genuine smile.

"I've never seen you smile," he comments. "It's now my favorite thing in the world. You are my favorite thing in the world."

My smile widens and his eyes twinkle, letting me see a boyish grin emerge from his lips. That's gotta be my favorite thing too, just like him.

Valentine grabs me by my thighs and lifts me up until my legs are wrapped around his waist. Somehow, my mouth is able to direct themselves to his awaiting ones and he groans in pleasure as our tongues meet in a harmonious reunion. My arms cradle his neck as he walks toward the mess we created last night. He's decided that we are never to leave this room and I've decided that I am never to leave him again.

Valentine's hands are no longer strangers to my body. He's managed to slip his fingers and mouth in every crevice, letting me know of this claim over me. My fangs graze just under his angled jaw and he groans in gratification. He pushes his hips further into the space between my thighs and a moan escapes my busy lips.

My body jerks and I shiver as I hear a faint knock on the door. I attempt to pull back from Valentine but he keeps me in place. I suddenly feel embarrassed for whoever is outside the door.

"Ignore it," he growls.

Another knock on the door helps me to finally pull back from him. "Valentine, we need to get the door."

His eyes turn a pitch black color as he throws his head back and groans exasperatedly. He wraps the sheet around him as he stalks over without any shame. I take this time to rush over to the bathroom to run a warm shower. I lean against the wall, out of sight, as Valentine answers the door for our unexpected guest.

"I'm sorry to ruin your fun," the voice says, which I immediately know to be Vladimir's. I'm never going to hear the end of it once I'm outside this room. He's going to badger me like a teenage bully. "But something's come up."

"What so important that required you to interrupt?" I can tell Valentine is very frustrated and very bothered. His kingly and dominating voice has emerged from it's dark corner.

Vladimir sighs. "Quite a bit, actually. You seem busy though. I'll let you two get cleaned up first and I'll meet you downstairs?"

My clench my fist and and grind my teeth together. Vladimir, of all times chooses this time to be cryptic. It isn't like him.

"I'm not leaving this room until you tell me what's going on, Vladimir."

I crane my head to listen intently to the words they exchange. If only my clothes weren't ripped to shreds I would be standing before him, with my own methods to get all the information.
"The Lycan's made a visit here yesterday and gave us the most unfortunate news. From yesterday until now, the barriers between out kingdom and theirs has no longer exists."

"That's impossible." I enter the shower cautiously, letting the warm water massage my back.

"We thought so too. But King Rowland and his pack was able to get into the Numidia without prior notice or even alarm."

"Does Acarius know?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, we visited Elriel earlier this evening. It can't be done overnight, Valentine, but they will replace the enchantments," Vladimir mutters.

"Where's Ari? She knew more about barriers and veils more than anyone in the underworld," Valentine's voice is harsh but very authoritative.

Vladimir shifts uncomfortably on his legs. "That's also another thing," he sighs. Without even looking I can tell that he is sporting a pain expression on his face. "Amaryllis is missing."

A loud gasp comes out of my mouth and I almost slip on the tile from my sudden shock. How can a powerful witch suddenly disappear? It doesn't take a brain to know that Datura is behind all of this. A battle is definitely on the rise, but now that the barriers are falling, it's not just us against her, it will be the entire Underworld.

***

Oh no!!
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