Dragan's Redemption Book One of the Manor at Echo Lake Trilogy (33 page)

Amira lathered up the
washcloth
as the shower rained down on her.  The warm water felt heavenly over her chilled skin.  Hearing a noise
,
her hand stilled as she saw
Dragan
watching her.  Her eyes trailing over his perfect form,
chiseled
muscles
,
h
is
waist
tapering down, her eyes widened at his arousal, so
blatant in front of her.

“Can I help
you?
”

Smiling
,
he stepped into the marble enclosure.  “I think that maybe you can
,
Amira.  Or, I could help you.”  Taking the washcloth from her hand, he hung it on the hook before reaching out trailing a group of bubbles that eased
its
way down her chest, sliding down the side of her breast to her stomach.  Her breath caught as his fingers lingered on her skin.  Placing both hands on her hips, he stepped
closer to her
, dropping his mouth to hers, gently nipping at
them
until she gave him access.  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her naked
body against
his.

“Dragan, we have to be down for dinner.”

“I know
,
Amira, and I am so hungry.”

Grabbing his
face,
she laughed up at him.  “Focus baby.  I am talking food.”

“Then
let’s
make this quick.
.
.”

Kissing down the side of her neck, his head lowered to her breast nuzzling before taking a nipple into his mouth sucking gently.  Moaning she
pushed
her fingers into his dark hair now saturated from the shower.  Gasping
,
he kissed her lower then dropping to his knees kissing her between her knees.  Amira’s eyes widened
,
shocked.
  “Dragan
,
stop.”

Ignoring
her
, his
mouth touched her finding her center, then sucking
flicking her with his tongue he grabbed her with his lips, sucking softly at first then harder.  Gripping the sides of the
shower,
she felt her legs go weak as she felt her desire
building
where his mouth pressed.  Within
seconds,
her body shuddered as she felt it spreading
throughout
her body.  Standing quickly he grabbed her buttocks,
lifting
her up as if she weighed nothing.

She could hear the laughter in his voice. 
“Hurry, Amira, we ar
e going to be late for dinner.
”

Reaching between them, her fingers direct
ed
him to where his mouth had just been.  Pressing her back up against the marble, he drove inside of her, thrusting hard as she clutched his shoulders for support.  Within
moments,
he grunted as he let go inside of her.

Amira
felt him release her, holding her steady until her feet hit the floor.

“Holy shit!”

Dragan looked back at her smiling.  “Indeed.  Race you down stairs.”

Staring out of the library window,
Dragan
watched as the rain
poured
down in torrents.  The dark clouds matched his mood.  Sighing heavy
,
he turned back to his work to find himself bumping into Aaron.

Looking at the ancient book on the desk, Aaron walked to the bar pouring himself and Dragan a drink
,
handing it to him before sitting on the couch.
“What is wrong with you brother?  You have been a miserable wreck since you came back from
Nantucket
.”

Sitting in the chair, Dragan looked at Aaron
.
“What does faith mean to you?”

Aaron’s voice hardened. 
“
Absolutely
nothing
, but y
ou know that.  Is that what this is
all
about, faith?”

Swiveling in his
chair,
Dragan
stared back out at the pouring rain. 
“
The
first day I met Amira, she read me like a book.
  And she told me something I would
never forget.”

Curious Aaron
leaned forward listening intently.

“Aaron, she told me that
she had met some Monk and that
I needed to
‘
embrace my suffering
.
’
 
He had
told her that she had to stop swimming against the tide.  To let go and swim with the current and with faith in something greater than
all of
us, we would find tiny inlets to rest
and gain courage to go back out into the raging water.  With that blind faith
, she felt that
I was to let go
,
knowing that there is someone that has already prepared
my
way.
 
Did you know that Amira
came here to
Echo
Lake
because she wanted to embrace her suffering
?
”

“Wow.  That is pretty deep.”

Turning back again in the chair,
Dragan
looked at his brother.  “I am
trying to gain
the courage to take that leap of faith
,
brother
,
into the raging water.
  It is much harder than I thought.”
  There was a long heavy silence before Dragan continued.

“
Aaron
, what are your feelings towards Amira
?
”

Aaron’s eyes narrowed, trying to read his brother
’
s face.

“She is an exceptional woman.  I have grown to have great affection for her.”

Dragan looked pleased at Aaron’s answer.  Nodding his head, he looked down at his hands.  “If anything happens to me, will you promise that you will look out for her?”

“Don’t talk like that.  Nothing is going to happen.  You have lived 335 years.  Really?”

“Please, just promise me.  If nothing happens th
e
n nothing happens, but the world is a strange place and now that I have found love, her life is fragile.  I need you to promise me.  There is no one I trust as much as you.”

Feeling a twinge of guilt thinking of him and Amira at the
shore
of
Echo
Lake
, he
hesitated
.  “Of course
,
Dragan
,
I will always look
ou
t for her.”

A look of peace crossed
Dragan’s
face
,
and he stood.  “I must attend to my morning prayers.”

Aaron had a deep sense of impending doom but was not sure why.  As the gooseflesh broke out
over
his skin, he racked his brain trying to figure out the cryptic conversation.

“What are you planning on doing brother?”

Sensing
his brother was fearful, he kept his tone light
,
closing the giant book on his desk
.  “Nothing that you should
be afraid of
,
Aaron, or worry about.
”

Aaron poured another drink gulping it down as he watched his brother walk out of the room.
 
Gooseflesh broke out over his skin. 
He didn’t believe
Dragan
for a moment
,
and he
was very afraid.

Dragan stepped out into the hallway noting that James was waiting patiently by the front door with his umbrella.  “Ever faithful you
are,
thank you!
”
  Striding to the chapel
quickly
, he opened the door before turning
around.  Saying a command to Shadow, he smiled when the wolf looked up at him as if confused.  “Come, there is nothing to be afraid of in here
,
and I will not be able to concentrate with you sitting in the pouring rain.  I
certainly
do not think God would mind.”  As if
understanding
, Shadow stepped over the threshold,
head hung
low, watching his
master
’
s every move
.

Walking to the pedestal holding the
sacred
holy water
,
he
dipped his fingers in then made the sign of the cross on his skin. T
urning to the
wolf, he spoke again.
  “Shadow
,
come!”  Shadow padded over standing
obediently
as
Dragan
blessed him as he had done himself.

Walking to the
altar
as he had done for over a hundred years, he bowed his head and
began
his
prayers
.

“What is going on Sebastian?”

Sebastian
turned to his teacher with sad eyes.  “He is currently asking for forgiveness for his transgressions.”

The Elder looked
irrit
at
ed
,
but glancing at the three angels standing behind him,
he
dared not rebu
k
e his young protégé. 
The three had been constant companions for a while now.
“Sebastian
, has something changed again?”

Sighing deeply, Sebastian clasped his hands in front of
himself,
as did the three angels
as Dragan prayed the “Our Father
.
”
He really did not appreciate the interruption right now.
“The vampire is thanking us for standing by him and being with him through this trial of his
on earth
.  He is not asking for anything for himself but only for the
one
he
loves
and for
her
health to be restored.  He is asking for
forgiveness
and mercy
for his brother
Aaron
,
whose
lack of faith bothers him
tremendously
.  He is asking for a blessing and
forgiveness
to be bestowed on the evil one that put him in this condition
for without it, he would never have met Amira.  Walking in
this chapel today
, he blessed the wolf that has remained faithfully by his side
.  In essence
elder
, he is saying goodbye.
”

Reverently and finally understanding what was happening
,
the Elder
lowered
his voice to a whisper.  “
What
is he going to do?”

“That we do not know.  In the
B
ook of Life,
many paths
are drawn at this junction in his life.  The next 24 hours are a
spider
web of roads
.  No one knows what the next move is
.  The next 24
hours
should tell the story.
”

The oldest of the angels approached the two whispering.  Removing one of his cords tied around his waist, he handed it to the Elder.  “It is time
for you to let your protégé go
.
.
.”

Sebastian
stilled
as his teacher tearfully wrapped the gold cord around his student
’
s waist
.  Saying a prayer, he twisted
the tassel so that
it
fell down the right side of his le
g
.

The lead angel placed his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. 
“You have the
potential
of becoming a great leader to all
,
and may this cord represent our faith in you for it is y
our faith and belief in the fallen
which
have shown us your kindness and
perseverance
.  What ever happens over the next few human days, you must believe that your job was well done, good and faithful
servant
.”