"Enough!
Leave more for later."
"Why?"
he gasped. "You never—"
"Merry
Christmas, my love. I had no other gift for you."
"This
is the best gift," he moaned as his climax neared.
"The
best," she agreed.
They
came together with a loud scream. Collapsing on the bed, they laughed
as they struggled to pull up the blankets. Both sweaty, they suddenly
felt cold in the cool bedroom. Snuggling together, they kissed
deeply.
"Thank
you, Rafaela. That was a great gift. Alas, I have nothing for you."
Her
fingers stroked him under the covers. "Yes, you do. I'll take
this in abundance."
Dirk
chuckled, pulling her closer. "And I'll gladly give it as often
as you want. Why do we have to be who we are?" he asked, not for
the first time. "Why couldn't we have met and fallen in love
without all the inconvenience?"
"Believe
me, I've asked the universe that question more than once."
Rafaela put her head on his chest, resting her cheek over his heart.
The steady thudding comforted her and let her fool herself into
believing he was still a human—even for a short time. "You
never told me how you were turned," she whispered.
"I
must have."
"Nope.
I'd remember something like that."
He
sighed, rubbing her arm. "Are you sure? It's not a pretty
story."
"They
never are, my love."
Dirk
kissed her forehead. "No, they never are." He inhaled
slowly.
For
a moment, Rafaela thought he wouldn't tell her, but with another deep
breath, he began. His voice was so quiet, she strained to hear.
"My
kind are attracted to discord and violence. Where blood runs, we're
in the thick of it. We love wars for our kills can go unheeded among
the many dead. So it was in April of 1862 when the battle at Shiloh
took place. My father wasn't landed gentry, nor was he slave owner.
We had a small holding nearby, and my father, brothers and I went to
defend our home.
"I
wasn't trained as a soldier, but I did what I could against the
enemy. Little by little, they pushed us back, until suddenly there
was a breach in our defenses. We fell back, many dying to ball and
bayonet. I was closest to the breach. My family and I lost each other
in the battle. A man leaped at me, face frenzied, eyes black as
night. He tackled me, sunk his teeth into my neck and drained me dry.
I fought him, kicking and biting as I might. . . ."
"And
you tasted his blood."
"I
did. Just a drop of the vile brew was all I needed. He left me for
dead and went on to rip the throats from my father and two of my four
brothers. Another he turned on purpose. The last, youngest, he left
unscathed. To this day, I don't know why. I lay there, unable to
move, until the battle was over. I think I passed out from blood
loss. When I woke, a medic knelt over me. I could see the vein
throbbing in his neck and smelled blood, for he was covered in it.
None of it his, but it didn't matter. He died horribly. I think his
death bothers me most of any."
"More
than my family's?"
Dirk
nodded. "I regret that too, Ella. Truly, I do. But at least they
knew what I was."
"They
had no chance. You killed them in their sleep!"
Eyes
closed, he drew a shuddering breath. "And I regret that too.
When will you forgive me for something so long in the past?"
"I
don't know. Perhaps never."
He
chuckled a moment. "That's one of the things I love most about
you. Your tenacity."
Rafaela
kissed him deeply, tasting her blood on his mouth. "I think I
forgave you long ago, Dirk. But I can't forget."
"No,
I suppose not. Would it help to know that it wasn't personal? I
didn't actually know they were your kin. I was sent by the leader of
my coven."
"Why?
What was the point of targeting my family? They were innocent."
"Because
they were the family of a Hunter. It mattered little who they were. I
did as I was told, like a good little soldier. I'm sorry. Had I known
who they were, I wouldn't ever have done it."
"Don't
you think he sent you because he knew about us?"
"I
didn't at the time, but, yes. I'm sure he did. Which is why I killed
him a few years later."
"Good.
Saved me having to."
Dirk's
hands caressed her, tracing the curves of her voluptuous figure. It
was obvious he was done talking. Since it suited Rafaela, she obliged
him by fondling him in return.
©
Dellani Oakes 2017
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