Chapter 21
21
W e walk down the village square hand in hand. He’s so big by my side. So protective.
A dreamy sigh escapes me as I nestle closer to his side.
“Come with me. I have something to show you,” he says with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
I let him drag me along to one of the village shops. As we make our way inside, the smell of sweets and pastries wafts toward me. I inhale deeply, my mouth already watering.
“Mr. Nykander,” the shop keeper addresses him, wiping his hands on his apron. He steps forward with a smile, inviting us to look around.
“Do you have those chocolate truffles I commissioned?”
“Yes, of course,” the shopkeeper replies. He goes to the back and in no time, he returns with a tray filled with chocolate truffles.
“We don’t have anything to trade in for this.” I get up on the tips of my toes to whisper.
“Do not worry about that. They are already paid for,” Nykander says with a wink.
The shopkeeper places the truffles in a carton and hands it to him, wishing us a good day.
I lick my lips as I stare at it.
We go out and take a seat on a nearby bench. Before I can try to steal one, he beats me to it. He lifts a truffle to my mouth.
My lashes flutter at his thoughtfulness, and I lean forward, wrapping my lips around the truffle and biting half of it.
He pops the other half into his mouth and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more erotic than this.
“You have something here,” he murmurs as he comes closer. He brings his thumb to my lower lip, slowly caressing it. His mouth nears mine, and I instinctively close my eyes, waiting for that magical moment.
Yet before his lips can meet mine, a loud bang erupts in the background. I startle back. Nykander does the same, his expression grave. Looking back, I note smoke coming from the western part of the village. Soon, screams accompany it as villagers run for their lives, only to be struck down by an invisible source, cut in two.
Nykander’s eyes flash and he immediately places me behind him, his shadows erupting from his body and surrounding me in a protective shell.
“What is it?” I ask as fear grips me like a tight vise.
He doesn’t answer, his attention focused in front of him.
As the smoke slowly dissipates, Damien steps forward, followed by Jocelyn and his posse. He’s wielding fire lassos as he cuts one terrified villager at a time, killing them without batting an eye.
Jocelyn smirks as she lays her eyes on me, and with a swing of her wrist, she sends a strong gust of wind toward us.
“Stay back, Barbs. I got this,” Nykander tells me in a strained voice. Leaving me behind shielded in his dark smoke, he lifts his hand, morphing his shadows into a sword that becomes an extension of his body.
Damien does the same with his flames, containing them within a small blade that destroys everything in its path.
They meet in the middle, their swords clashing just as their energies fight against each other. Nykander’s dark shadows meet Damien’s scarlet red flames. Their forces seem to relatively match. As one energy gains more ground, the other quickly recovers, driving it back.
My heart beats wildly in my chest. But my focus is shaken as another strong gust of air hits my shield, making it rattle.
Jocelyn appears in front of me.
“You stole my dog,” she grits out, sending another blow.
I’m pushed backward, and small cracks appear in the dark shield.
My eyes widen with fear. I can’t ask for help, since that would distract Nykander from his battle.
“You didn’t deserve him, you two-faced bitch,” I yell out.
But my insult only makes her more mad.
She grinds her jaw as she gathers her energy around, shimmery particles erupting from her palms before she throws it at me.
The blow is hard enough that I’m sent flying together with what’s left of my shell.
“Barbi!” Nykander shouts my name, glancing back at me. His features are filled with worry as he angles his body toward me, ready to intervene. But that moment of inattention is all it takes for Damien to plunge his blade through his heart—a blade coated with his sire’s blood.
“Nykander!” I call out, feeling the pain in my soul.
I startle awake. Sweat covers my entire body.
“Are you all right?” Nykander asks as he bursts into the cabin. “I heard you scream.”
“Oh. I am…fine,” I mutter.
It was a dream. It was nothing but a dream. I chant to myself in hopes I can get rid of this awful feeling in my chest. It was a dream. But it felt so damn real. Down to the taste of the chocolate that still coats my mouth.
“Are you still in pain?” He inquires as he lures the dogs away from me with some food. He drops the morsels into their bowls before he comes to my side, taking a seat on the bed.
“A little.” I sigh. “The tincture Mr. Foerie gave me is working, and I’m on the fourth day of my period, so it should end soon.”
He grunts.
“It’s not really fair that you can mirror all my injuries but you can’t feel my period pain,” I grumble.
“That is, indeed, quite unfair.” He chuckles. “But I have something to hopefully make that better. His smile turns devilish as he reaches into the pocket of his shirt and removes a handkerchief wrapped around some solid items.
Curious, I lean forward and take it from him, slowly unwrapping it to reveal five chocolate truffles.
Just like the ones in my dreams.
I whip my head up in surprise.
“Did you read my mind?”
He shakes his head.
“I do not have that ability, unfortunately.”
“Then how did you know I was craving chocolate?” I ask as I inhale the delicious aroma of the truffles.
My mouth waters and I lick my lips as I stare at them longingly.
“You said you liked chocolate a while back. It merely took me a little longer than expected to get them.” He smiles ruefully.
“Yes, but how did you get them? They don’t have any around here.”
“I might have spoken with Elijah to allow me to temporarily leave the Sanctuary. I got them from a city called Antwerp in your world. I am told it is the best chocolate available.”
I stare at him in wonder.
“You went to my world to get them? But… How if you cannot access the portal?”
“You forget that I have been there before. That allows me to teleport without the use of a portal.”
“Oh. So technically you could take me back too if you wanted, no?”
He raises a brow at me.
“ If I wanted,” he replies.
My cheeks heat up and I look away. Since his apology, he’s been the consummate gentleman, always looking out for my needs and being there for me to vent if something bothers me. And though I haven’t verbally accepted his apology, his behavior has shown me that he is earnest, and that warms my heart.
“Have you heard more about Damien and Jocelyn? What if they follow you here?” I inquire, the pain from my dream still vivid.
“Elijah assured me they will not be able to cross their barriers. The High Priestess herself built them thousands of years ago and so far no one has been able to cross over without an invitation.”
I nod slowly, though there is a part of me that is still wary. Damien wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble to kidnap Nykander and torture his mind just to give up now. He doesn’t strike me as the type to easily accept defeat.
“But what if they find this place?”
“Nothing will happen, Barbi. Trust me. Damien was able to get me before because I was at my weakest. I will not make the same mistake again.”
“But he has your sire’s blood. Won’t that hurt you?”
“Do not worry about it. I will eventually confront Damien, but not here nor now. We are safe in the Sanctuary. And after I get the artifact, it will be even more unlikely that he will be able to defeat me,” he adds confidently.
I bite my nails as I consider his words. He knows best, of course. He has fought Damien in the past and he knows what to expect. But still…there is a niggling feeling deep inside me that will not let me be.
“Here,” he mentions, taking a truffle and feeding it to me.
I bite half of it, and he eats the other half.
This is just like in my dream…
He watches me intently as I chew, bringing his thumb over my lip and swiping the remaining cocoa from my mouth.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmurs in a low voice.
I tip my chin down, suddenly shy.
“This is the first time you’ve told me that.”
“Really? My bad. I should tell it to you daily. You are absolutely stunning, Barbs.”
My lips pull up in a wide grin. I cannot hide my joy and as I peer at his expression, I note the happiness reflected in his features, too.
I scoot closer to him. Popping another truffle in my mouth, I chew slowly as I throw my hands around his neck, bringing myself at eye level with him.
Errant strands of hair fall across his forehead, making him seem younger, more approachable. I use one hand to push his hair aside, letting my fingers linger on his cheek.
“I forgive you,” I whisper. “But don’t do it again, okay? You get one more chance, but after this, there will be none.”
A strained smile appears on his face before he leans to lay a kiss on my forehead. He doesn’t move, simply hovering over my skin, his breath a light caress.
“Thank you,” he finally speaks.
“Are you sure Damien will not be able to get here?” I blurt out, ruining the moment.
He threads his fingers through his hair as he releases a heavy sigh.
“I am sure, Barbi. What brought this on?”
“I just had a bad dream.” I strain a smile. “It made me a little unsettled.”
He frowns.
“What bad dream?”
“That Damien and his group of mages came to the Sanctuary and killed everyone,” I confess in a low voice. “He had this fire blade that was coated in your sire’s blood and he stabbed you with it.”
He narrows his eyes at me.
“Why don’t you tell me about this dream from the beginning? It might help to talk about it.”
I glance at him from the corner of my eye.
He grabs another truffle and brings it to my mouth.
I slowly bite into it and I recount everything I’d seen in my dream.
He doesn’t speak as he listens attentively. And as I eat the last of the truffles, he brings me closer to him, his arms coming around me in a comforting embrace.
“It was just a bad dream, Barbs. Nothing more.”
I nod, hugging him tighter.
“I wish I had some powers, too. I felt so useless…”
“You are not useless, and you have me to protect you. Do you trust me, Barbs?”
I peer up at him.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Then trust that I will not fail you.”
“If we meet Damien at any point, can you please kill him?”
His brows shoot up in surprise.
“You want me to kill him?”
“I don’t want him to get to my world. It might not be the best place, but it’s still my world. My parents are there and?—”
“I promise you,” he interrupts me. “The moment I see him again, he will die by my hand.”
His words put me at ease, and I snuggle closer to him as my eyes drift shut once more.
It’s sometime later that I’m woken up by a strange noise. I open my eyes to see Nykander pacing up and down the cabin, his expression one of confusion mixed with worry.
“What’s wrong?” I frown, rubbing my eyes to chase the sleep away.
“I think PomPom is about to give birth,” he states, his eyes full of terror.
I immediately jump out of bed.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You were sleeping and?—”
“Nykander! She is my baby. You should have woken me up. Where is she?”
He nods to the bathroom.
I stride there, flinging open the door and finding her nestled inside the pink dog house. She whines in pain, rolling from one side to the other. BonBon is pacing around too, his little barks only making PomPom more anxious.
“Can you please keep BonBon in the room?” I turn to Nykander.
He nods and, taking the dog in his arms, he takes him to the room.
I get down on the floor and slowly massage my baby, murmuring sweet words to her.
“What does she need?” Nykander’s voice rings out from the doorway.
I pause for a moment to think.
“Hot towels. Scissors and thread and needle. We will need to cut the umbilical cord and stitch them. At least that’s what I saw other people do in videos on YouTube.”
He frowns, but he doesn’t argue with me. He disappears for a moment before he returns with everything I’ve asked.
He places the towels on the sink and thoroughly disinfects the scissors and needles.
“What now?” he asks.
I turn to glare at him, but he is as worried as I am.
“Now we wait.” I sigh. “She’ll let us know when she’s ready.”
He gives me a tight nod as he sinks to the floor next to me. He surprises me by taking my hand in his and squeezing it.
“It will be all right,” he assures me.
“What are we going to do with the puppies, Nykander? How are we going to take care of them? In my world, they would need to go to the vet, get shots, have a wellness exam. There are so many things to think about, like nutrition. Puppies need special food after they’re weaned. And they need lots of toys, and?—”
“You are getting ahead of yourself, Barbi. We will figure it out together.” He gives me a comforting smile.
I know I am getting ahead of myself, but just thinking about those helpless little babies makes my anxiety skyrocket.
PomPom’s whines accentuate, and Nykander takes off the roof from the house so we get a better view of her. She’s lying on her side, her eyes semi-closed.
I reach out to massage her belly, praying that everything will go smoothly.
“I see something coming out,” Nykander exclaims.
“The babies are coming. Oh, Lord!”
I hurry to get the towel and place it under PomPom’s bum. I murmur sweet words to her as she struggles to push.
There is a sudden pop and the baby comes out covered in the placenta. Taking the scissors, I look around for the umbilical cord, only to realize it’s wrapped around the baby’s neck.
“Oh no, Nykander,” I murmur, terrified.
I quickly cut the cord and PomPom nuzzles her face against the placenta-covered little pup, licking away and trying to tear it off him. I help her with that, and she finally starts licking at her baby. It’s a black male by the sight of it. Except…
He’s not breathing.
“Nykander… What are we going to do?” I ask in horror as I turn to look at him.
His jaw twitches as he gazes down at the baby. He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he grabs the little pup from PomPom’s side, getting the remaining placenta off him and doing some type of CPR on his chest with his fingers.
I swallow hard against the wave of nausea and pain that travels down to my soul.
He presses his forefinger against his tiny chest and establishes a rhythm—up and down.
I bite my lip as I slide closer to him. My shoulder meets his as I watch with trepidation as the seconds go by and yet there is no movement from the baby. He’s still not breathing.
“He’s…dead,” I whisper, and something breaks inside of me. Tears stab at my eyes, rivulets coursing down my cheeks as I cannot contain my anguish.
Nykander shakes his head, a look of pure determination on his face.
“He is not dead. I will not allow him to die,” he mutters under his breath, continuing to press on his little body.
But when that doesn’t work, he takes him in his hand and brings him to his mouth. Parting the baby’s little lips, he blows air into him at the same time as he massages his chest.
He does this for a few seconds before I note the first movement. A leg—he just moved his leg.
Nykander pulls back long enough to notice that the pup is now breathing, so with one last massage, he places him next to PomPom and lets her lick him and give him her motherly heat.
I stare in shock at him.
“Nykander, you… You saved him,” I say among sobs.
He barely acknowledges my words as he continues to stare at PomPom with her new pup.
“He will not die,” he repeats, almost robotically.
I reach for his hand, bringing it against my cheek.
“He will not die.” I nod. “Because of you. He will live,” I murmur as I continue to stare at him in wonder.
My heart is so full. I don’t think I have ever experienced this depth of emotion before. And the fact that he cannot take his eyes off the baby, that he keeps reaching for him to make sure he’s all right.
If before I had a crush on him, now it morphed into full-blown love.
“Good girl.” He pats PomPom on her head, petting her gently. “You did great.”
As we wait for the other babies, I cannot help but be in tune with every little movement he makes, every sigh, every breath.
He gave his breath to the baby. He breathed life into that little pup. I still cannot wrap my mind around it, but I only know that the mark on my chest hums with an unprecedented strength. Yet this time, it’s not just surface-level. It reaches deep within to the depths of my soul, caressing my very essence.
I am in awe. Simply, utterly in awe.
And in love.
“I think she only had one baby,” he mentions pensively, his eyes glued to her.
I press my hand on her stomach, frowning.
“You might be right. Only one baby. A little miracle,” I say as I glance at him. “A miracle you made happen.”
“It was nothing,” he says gruffly.
“It was everything, Nykander.” I smile. “Everything.”
He looks away, a flush going up his neck.
I shake my head, but my own heart is still beating like crazy.
We clean PomPom and tie the baby’s belly button before we help him search for milk. He nestles close to her nipples, and after a few attempts, he manages to latch.
Nykander and I sigh in relief.
We turn at the same time and our gazes clash. We’re both breathing hard.
I lean in at the same time as he does, our lips mere inches apart. I glance up to find him staring at me with an intense expression.
Licking my lips, I close my eyes.
“You’re killing me, Barbs,” he rasps.
His lips skim the corner of my mouth, moving lower, to my chin and neck. His fangs graze my skin. His arm curls around my waist as he pulls me closer, my body flush against his.
He caresses my pulse point before he sinks his fangs into me.
I moan aloud, twining my arms around his neck and holding him close to me.
“Nykander,” I breathe out. “Harder,” I urge him as I press against him, feeling the contours of his body.
He complies, angling his mouth to sink his fangs deeper into my flesh.
Pain erupts in that spot, but the pleasure soon follows.
The same spot is gaping open on his neck and, driven by an unknown instinct, I trace my lips down his neck, opening my mouth and drinking in his blood.
The moment stretches forever.
There’s only him and the potent taste of his blood. Only him and the pleasure he’s giving me with his mouth.
An impossible arousal claims my body and I squirm against him in an effort to find some relief.
He drags himself from my neck, blood dripping down his chin as he stares at me with an odd look in his eyes.
My mind is foggy with desire as I reach for his neck again, licking the last of his blood as his wound closes. I trail my tongue up his face, cupping his cheeks between my hands and licking the drops of blood off his chin.
He grabs my hands, taking them off his face and bringing them to his mouth for a quick kiss.
Our moment is soon ruined, though, as BonBon starts scratching at the door and barking to be let in. He cries and whines the more we ignore him.
Nykander and I look at each other with an amused expression.
“He’s already taking the daddy role seriously,” I joke.
“Let us reunite him with his family, then,” Nykander says.
He gets up and opens the door. BonBon barges in, sniffing his way to PomPom and their baby.
He licks the pup before going to PomPom and licking her everywhere.
A smile pulls at my lips at the pretty picture.
Nykander has the same wistful expression as he glances at the happy family.
We stare at them for a while before we turn at the same time. Our eyes find each other, and slowly, he reaches for my hand, covering it with his own.
He doesn’t say anything. But he doesn’t have to.
His gentle smile speaks a thousand words. And this time, it’s not directed to the dogs.
It’s directed toward me.
It dawns on me that the dogs aren’t the only family unit here.
I squeeze his hand.
We are a family, too.