6
“Why are you here?”
Mariah asked out loud. The stone warmed in her palm as images of Roman danced in her mind. She closed her eyes, thinking of him and the kiss they shared. Her legs shifted beneath the quilt, and abdominal muscles clenched and released. One hand trailed over her breast and down her torso. Passion rose swift and strong, envisioning Roman’s hands stroking her skin. His scent surrounded her, and his taste filled her mouth, along with something else uniquely Roman…blood.
Mariah’s eyes snapped open and narrowed to thin slits on the stone. The exhaustion and nausea she normally experienced had eased considerably, adding fuel to her suspicions. Her face tilted when rays of red light emanated from the ruby onto her skin. It vibrated against her fingertips as if waiting for her to say something. Ancient words filled her mind and spirit, flowing from her mouth.
Blood and stone cannot lie
Reveal to me what he tries to hide
I want all truth, the pain and love
Show me all Roman has done.
Immediately, visions from Roman’s life raced through her mind. She witnessed each one in clarity from the persecution of his people, his sadness at leaving his homeland, every person who joined him at the carnival, the losses, the regrets, the little girl asking for healing, the pain when she left him, their kiss, and the passion between them from last night.
With her free hand, Mariah rubbed the spot on her breast where Roman took her blood. She licked her lips at the image of him opening the wound in his chest and tasted coppery, sweet blood in her mouth.
Tears ran down her cheeks with his memories. No wonder he was so bitter and unforgiving, but that also came with the knowledge that Roman loved her, and she was his true mate.
He knew and never told her.
He lived with the pain of their separation, just like she did.
He also sealed the healing on her face with a second blood exchange so she couldn’t return the gift.
He knew what he was doing and also knew the loss would be unbearable for both of them. Roman told himself time and distance would help and planned on returning to his homeland to rest.
He lied to himself to protect her.
The ring of the doorbell startled her from the thoughts. While jerking on her shorts, she glanced at the alarm clock with a frown. She never slept past nine in the morning, but Roman’s spell, her own spell, and the outpouring of memories from Roman’s life moved time differently, and it was now seven in the evening.
With the ruby still clutched in one hand, she ran down the steps as the doorbell chimed again. She jerked the door open to find Lizzie smiling brightly, with a tapestry bag in one hand. “I’ve come to prepare you.”
Mariah shook her head. “Prepare me for what?”
One dark eyebrow lifted over Lizzie’s beautiful eye. “The harvest moon is tonight, the carnival is preparing to depart, and it’s also the night you’ll snag Roman’s heart once and for all. I’m tired of his pouting.”
Mariah glanced at her bare feet before lifting her watery gaze to Lizzie. “I hurt him.”
Lizzie shrugged and breezed past her. “Tonight, you make it right. He’s been a stubborn ass too, so there’s plenty of blame to go around.”
Mariah held her palm out with the ruby stone. “He snuck in here last night.”
Lizzie dropped her bag, clapped her hands, and laughed. “I knew he was up to something. That’s perfect.”
Edgy and impatient, Roman paced back and forth in his room, blood burning in his veins from being close to Mariah. He needed to make her his own, in every way, and put an end to both their suffering. If it wasn’t tradition for the members of the carnival to throw a party every time they departed a city, he’d already be in Mariah’s bed, or she’d be in his.
Roman grabbed his guitar case from underneath the bed and laid it on the mattress. He flicked the latches open and lifted the lid. The black guitar was a gift from his mother, and the leather strap worn from wear and tear. His finger slid over the strings, thinking of his parents and wondering if they heard him. Centuries had passed without a word, but he wanted them here to fulfill part of his plans.
He pulled the guitar from its case and settled the strap over his shoulders before leaving his room into the clearing where the troupe waited. As his gaze fell on each one, a bit of sadness overwhelmed his heart. He wanted to go home, longed to see the mountains he loved so much, and sleep in the soil where his parents rested. He wanted Mariah by his side when he returned home, and her absence weighed heavily on his shoulders, but that was almost at an end.
His gaze lifted to the moon, so high in the night sky. Pale light washed over his cheeks, reminding him the harvest moon signified the completion of a cycle. This would be a new beginning for him and Mariah, and one he wouldn’t squander or take for granted.
The tinkle of her laughter brought him back to the present. Roman sighed deeply as his body tingled in awareness. He jerked to the right when he heard her voice again, and his eyes narrowed to thin slits.
Mariah strolled in the moonlight with Lizzie, seemingly without a care in the world. His hungry eyes devoured her body, clothed in true Romani garb and the healthy, pink blush on her cheeks. No longer did dark circles haunt her eyes, but it was a fleeting reprieve from the disease. His vampire blood did that for her and gave him precious time. He’d never been more thankful to be born a vampire.
A cream-colored, ruffled skirt adorned with roses in crimson red dragged in the grass, an off-the-shoulder cream tunic hugged her breasts, and a gold scarf, tied at the waist, accentuated her petite form. Several gold bracelets circled the pale flesh of her arms, and tiny gold ankle bracelets with bells tinkled in the night as she walked. Wet grass clung to her bare feet, but she didn’t seem to notice or care.
Roman groaned as his entire body went up in flames. Everything he could ever want in a woman, and more, approached him. Earthy and beautiful, she glowed under the moonlight and tempted his resolve to wait just a little longer.
He remained in his position until she stopped before him with a smirk, grabbed his hand, and plopped the ruby stone in his palm. One eyebrow arched over her simmering brown eyes, and a wicked chuckle fell from her lips. “You really shouldn’t sneak into my room at night without finishing the job.”
The stone warmed between their joined palms, and red light filtered between their fingers. Unquenched passion flared wildly. Roman stared at their joined hands before his gaze rested on Mariah’s upturned, beautiful face. “Really?”
“I told you my father was Romani, so that makes me half. I may not have been taught the ways, but I feel it in my spirit, and I’ve studied you and your witches most of my life. We are mates, but you choose to hold on to a grudge. The ruby stone revealed everything, and my heart broke into a million pieces for you and for us. What a lonely existence you’ve chosen.”
A muscle in Roman’s jaw ticked, and he leaned over to accommodate his petite half-gypsy. “That’s quite the speech. Maybe we should find a better use for that pouty mouth?”
Mariah rolled her eyes and released his hand. The light from the stone dissipated until only a cold piece of ruby filled his palm. Her lips twitched as her foot patted the ground. “You’re giving me whiplash, Roman, and I’m tired of it. I came here to dance with my friends one last time before you remove them permanently from my life.”
Mariah pointed at the guitar still hanging from his neck. “You going to join us and play that thing or what?”
One side of Roman’s lip lifted in an almost grin. Mariah called his bluff, teased him, and provoked simultaneously. It was good to see some fight in the woman he loved, even if he already planned everything right down to the last detail. He wanted to turn her over his knee and spank her perfect ass, tell her he knew her secret, but nodded once instead, allowing Mariah her moment. He deserved it anyway, for being so stubborn.
One eyebrow arched when her eyes narrowed to a slitted glare. “I’d be happy to play for you. Lead the way, Mariah.”
Mariah spun on her heel and inhaled a deep breath for courage. She returned to him and offered an olive branch for the third time. What she did was wrong, but it was in the past, and she couldn’t make him change his mind. He either wanted her or he didn’t, but he did love her.
It would break her heart to watch him leave, but she would let him go this time and never look back if that’s what he chose. Death waited for her anyway, and it wouldn’t be a long wait, even with the blood she consumed from him last night.
She glanced over her shoulder at the smirking vampire trailing behind her. The hair rose on the back of her neck, and shivers tickled her spine. Her face whipped toward the troupe, and she bit the inside of her cheek, realizing something was different about Roman. Her back stiffened when his breath brushed her neck, and the coolness of his body pressed against hers. Strong hands slithered around her waist and jerked her backward until her bottom rested against his pelvis. “Damn, damn, damn,”
she whispered.
A masculine chuckle filled her ears and pricked her nerves before cool lips caressed the shell of her ear. “Something wrong, Dragostea mea?”
“What does that mean? Are you calling me a dragon?”
He chuckled, softly kissing behind her ear. “You’ll know soon enough.”
Mariah ignored his comment and continued toward the clearing where music filled the night. Guitars, tambourines, and violins set a jubilant melody under the moon and stars. She smiled as her friends danced around a bonfire, unaware of the tension hanging heavily in the air. Sideways glances and the occasional rubbing of shoulders turned the cool night air into a smoldering furnace.
The people of the carnival were a happy lot, and it showed in their music and warm smiles. Roman played his guitar and locked his eyes with her several times, as if daring her to do something, but then he’d turn away with a wicked grin plastered on his handsome face.
Frustrated and tired of Roman’s games, Mariah finally joined the women in a dance meant to seduce. She didn’t intend to dance to this song, but the sultry night gave her the courage she lacked, and Roman’s blood gave her the energy.
The music set a passionate rhythm, and her hips swayed to the beat. The dances were something she learned from sneaking out of her house and spending late evenings at the carnival. She never thought to dance for Roman this way, but here she was, laying her heart on her sleeve in front of everyone.
Feet stomped the grass as the tempo of the song picked up, and her hands wove an intricate pattern above her head in the air. Sweat-dampened tendrils of hair clung to her neck, and her tunic plastered to her back and breasts, but still she danced. Colorful skirts billowed as the women twirled around the bonfire.
Eventually, men joined their partners, and the dancing turned sensual. Some left for a more private location, and some stayed, but the mood had definitely pivoted into dangerous territory.
Mariah lost all inhibition as his blood and hers surged in her veins. It was a temporary gift from Roman, and she’d make it count before the nausea and exhaustion consumed her life again. Her heart thumped erratically against her chest, occasionally skipping a beat, and her breasts swayed. She winced when pain sliced across her chest, but it was quickly forgotten when the powerful strums of Roman’s guitar vanished, and he was by her side.
Strong arms wrapped securely around her waist, pulling her body snug against his. Green eyes bored into hers, daring her to look away. Flames ignited behind the depths of his hypnotic eyes until Mariah feared he might incinerate her soul with just a look. His lips lifted in a sexy smile, and her heart stuttered. It seemed as if she’d waited for that smile for most of her life.
One moment they danced, and the next she found herself in his room. His hands traced her hips and lifted her shirt, baring her breasts to his hungry gaze. He cupped one breast in his hand and lightly squeezed before his mouth surrounded the nipple.
She threaded her fingers into his hair, holding him to her, and dropped her head back on a moan. At her house, the night before, Roman was tender, but this man was someone dark and dangerous, feasting on her body. His fingers dipped beneath the elastic band of her skirt, teasing and soft as they glided along her flesh. In a flash, her skirt and panties pooled around her ankles, and Roman lifted her against his body.
Mariah wrapped her legs around his waist. Their mouths met, and everything she thought she’d lost disappeared with the first swipe of his tongue. His taste filled her mouth as his fingers branded her flesh. She moaned and secured her arms tightly around his neck, trying to get closer, but Roman tossed her on his bed.
He whipped his shirt over his head and let it fall on top of hers on the floor. Mariah admired the dark chest hair and sculpted muscles when he slid his pants off. His cock sprang out, and she licked her lips. She wanted to please him in every way possible, so she climbed onto her knees and took his shaft in her hand. Her mouth soon followed, licking and stroking, until his groan filled the room, and his hand fisted her hair.
Mariah lifted her face long enough to see his rapturous expression before he crawled over her on the bed, skin on skin. Roman tore away from her lips on a breathless gasp to loom above her. His fangs descended from his gums, and the pointed tips rested against his bottom lip. His gaze languidly traveled over her face as if memorizing each detail. Mariah hesitantly smiled at her dark lover and spread her legs wider to accommodate his size, welcoming him into her body.
Roman’s eyes closed in pleasure, and dark lashes rested against his skin. “Are you sure?”
Mariah placed her palms on his cheeks and traced his eyebrows with the pads of her fingers before sliding her thumb along his bottom lip. “I love you, Roman Lee, and I want to be yours in every way at least one time.”
“You’ll be mine forever.”
He claimed her in one thrust, and she arched her neck on a gasp. Her sheath clung to his cock, milking and spasming around his hardness. The feel of him deep inside completed her soul and brought their lives full circle. Roman ground himself impossibly deeper before pulling out and thrusting into her again.
His mouth found hers once more, and Mariah lost herself in the kiss. His hands slid under to cup her ass, bringing her more fully into his thrusts. Tingling built inside her stomach as stars exploded behind her eyes. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and held on for dear life.
Roman buried his face in her neck, whispering repeatedly how long he’d waited and how much he loved her. Mariah arched her neck when the sting of his fangs pierced her flesh and gave way to even more pleasure, causing her orgasm to cascade in waves as he fed.
Warm blood slid down his parched throat and mixed with the taste of Mariah’s mouth, exquisite and addictive. Her walls spasmed on his cock, gripping and milking his engorged flesh, but he forced himself not to join her. The pinprick wounds on her neck closed with the swipe of his tongue.
With one hand under her neck, he pulled her up and onto his lap. A perfect rosebud nipple filled his mouth as he continued to pump her velvety channel. With his free hand, he opened a wound on his throat, and blood trickled over his flesh. One arm wrapped around her back, holding her in place as she fed from him. The sensation of her lips on his skin rippled across his body and the taking of blood became too much until his eyes closed and he erupted.
They floated in that place together for what seemed like an eternity before collapsing on the bed, still wrapped in each other’s arms. Roman held her tightly to him, knowing what would happen as his blood coursed through her veins. Her organs would reshape soon, her body would rid itself of all toxins, and the cancer cells would be eradicated once and for all.
He stroked her hair when her legs jerked, and she grabbed her stomach while murmuring soothing words. Small hands gripped his shoulders, and she tried to push away, but he held her tightly, continuing to skim her hair and back.
Mariah groaned against his shoulder. “What’s happening?”
Roman tipped her chin up and kissed the corner of her lips. “You’re becoming mine in every way. With my blood comes death and then a new life. Do not be afraid. I will be with you always.”
Mariah calmed in an instant before her eyes widened in fear, pain, and something he didn’t understand. “I have cancer, Roman. This isn’t the change. It’s my heart. I’m dying.”
“No, Mariah. That’s not true.”
Roman panicked when she convulsed in his arms, scrambled to the side of the bed holding her mouth, and emptied the contents of her stomach on the floor. Roman held her through every step, not knowing if he was losing or saving her. Was he too late?
Doubt forged its way into his mind, but he refused to believe he could lose her. Mariah belonged to him, and he would not let her go, not now and not ever.
She lay back on the bed in exhaustion as tremors wracked her body and shivers covered her flesh. Roman stayed beside her through the entire transition, and when her heart quit beating, bloody tears slipped from his eyes. “I will not let you go, Mariah Stone. Don’t even think of leaving me again.”
Roman cradled her in his arms, waiting impatiently for her to inhale that first breath, but when it didn’t come, unbearable pain gripped his heart. He pulled her into his chest, and roared at the heavens, regretting every moment he’d spent angry at his mate.
When her head lulled to the side, he cradled her with one hand, his lips pressed to hers. “Come back to me, Mariah.”
Mariah opened her eyes and blinked at the brightness, floating weightlessly on a sea of multicolored flowers. Large shade trees dotted the landscape and swayed in the light breeze. The pain, exhaustion, and nausea had disappeared, and her body felt completely healed. She smiled at the cloudless blue sky before closing her eyes to enjoy the warmth on her skin until a shadow blocked the sunlight.
“May I sit?”
Mariah opened her eyes to find an older woman crouched beside her. Kind blue eyes on a wrinkled face lent the woman a soft appearance, although well into her years. She wore a blue scarf in her white hair with multiple pieces of jewelry dangling from her neck and earlobes. Mariah wasn’t afraid of the stranger and openly smiled, experiencing nothing but peace. “Do I know you?”
“My name is Karina. I come as a guide and a friend in this in-between place. I am also your great-grandmother.”
Mariah sat up to study Karina more closely, noticing the family resemblance. She glanced at the beauty surrounding her before meeting Karina’s gaze again. “Dad never talked about his family. Where am I?”
Karina sat down in the grass and plucked a bloom from a vine. “This is the place we all go when transitioning from life to death.”
“I don’t understand.”
Karina sniffed the pink rose and softly smiled. “You were ill, at death’s door, and your heart gave out, but something intervened with your transition. Think about it and try to remember the last moment before your eyes opened and you became aware. You need to choose quickly.”
Mariah shook her head, not understanding, but then a face appeared before her, a hauntingly beautiful man with dark eyes. “Roman,”
she whispered aloud.
“Yes, yes, your stubborn vampire. Your soul is stuck in this place, Mariah. He holds you here and refuses to let go. You can choose to go into the afterlife or return to Roman but know this. The life of a Romani is filled with judgment, and so is the life of a vampire. You could be free from all of it, but it’s your choice. Only you can sever that connection to Roman. Choose wisely, great-granddaughter.”
There was no hesitation and no question of where she wanted to be and who she wanted to be with. “I choose Roman.”
One inhalation brought her back to her body, and with another deep breath, she opened her eyes to gaze at the man she loved.
Roman hovered above her with bloody tears streaking his face. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“Never. I’d come back to you a thousand times.”
Roman boldly stepped onto the porch of Mariah’s parent’s home and knocked on the door although he’d entered this place a hundred times before.
It was his mate’s sadness when she spoke of her parents that led him here, when he was content to forget they existed.
They’d arrived home two weeks after Mariah’s transition, and he needed to make peace with them for Mariah’s sake and before he took her to his homeland. Her things were still there, so they had to be worried.
When her father answered with a deep scowl, he refused to move.
“What do you want?”
“Mariah.”
Roman spoke one word, but it was enough.