Fall of kNight (2 page)

Daniel pushed me back, his hands firm on my arms. My tears subsided, lingering to a soft whimper. The beautiful hazel eyes, hidden behind those dark and luscious black lashes peered into mine. He searched for the answers to my nightmare. His thoughts were clear in my head. Richard was a threat.

“Jewels? What happened?” his voice was velvety soft. His hands gently caressed my arms.

“It was…a bad dream,” I managed. I didn‟t know how Daniel would take the news of Richard biting me, much less seducing me with his vampire ways.

“I gathered the obvious,” he sighed. “What happened? Werewolves?”

I hesitated, “No.”

He released a long sigh. “Jewels?” he warned. Daniel was not one who liked to be kept in the dark. I knew better than to avoid it. He had to know. We were mates. I could hide little from him. Even my thoughts were difficult to keep secret with the bond we shared.

“Vampire.” My gaze met his. “It was Richard. He bit me.”

The expression on Daniel‟s face changed. His jaw tightened. “What exactly happened?” His voice remained tight and controlled while his hazel eyes darkened.

“In the dream I was hunting for werewolves. Richard appeared out of nowhere. He killed the one I found. Then he…well…he somewhat seduced me, then bit me.” There, I said it.

Daniel took the news of my dream well, or so I thought. His eyes intensified into a dark black cloud of anger. The muscles in his jaw line twitched slightly as his teeth tightly clenched together. Then he released a long breath. With curiosity, I watched as his eyes mellowed from black back to his usual soft shade of hazel brown. All this happened within a matter of seconds. It was hard to tell whether or not he was actually losing his temper. Lately, he was doing a great job of keeping it under control. Still, I didn‟t want to push him too far, especially mentioning Richard.

“Okay.” Daniel was still calm.

It was a statement I didn‟t expect to hear, especially coming from Daniel. I studied his face for a long moment, contemplating his reactions. Daniel surprised me with his controlled behavior. This was unusual for him.

“Daniel?” My voice came out almost in a whisper.

His gaze dropped to my trembling hands. Lovingly, he took them into his and he gave me a gentle squeeze. I watched as the beautiful dark lashes lifted, revealing to me the depth of love in those hazel gems.

“Julie, it was a dream.” Pausing for a moment, he sighed again. “I also know your dreams are related to premonitions. Which leads me to believe Richard‟s interest in you is exactly what I thought. We know very little of vampires.” His voice was still soft and controlled.

For a long moment, Daniel and I stared at one another. The connection with Daniel was one which mates commonly had. Our souls and hearts were as one. It was easy to hear one another‟s thoughts. This was the reason I was so cautious of my own thoughts of Richard. I loved Daniel with all of my heart and soul.

Those beautiful hazel gems traveled down to my hands again. He took them into his, raising them to his lips. I watched in awe as he pressed a soft kiss on my fingers then placed them to the side of his face. His heart ached. I could feel the earnest fear he had for me. I leaned forward then pressed my face against his, snuggling against his warm body. Daniel‟s head pressed against mine. Slowly he shifted, nestling against my neck. It was our way of communicating. It was the nature of the wolf within us.

In my heart, I wanted to soothe him, assure him in my own way. I pulled back slowly. My lips lightly touched his, as his lips parted slowly to mine. I felt his tongue touch my lips. Gently, I went for the kiss, keeping it soft and warm. Daniel teased and taunted me with his tongue but I knew he wanted more. I gave in to the kiss as it became more passionate and sensual. He was satisfied as he pulled back slowly, allowing the kiss to linger on our lips.

“Daniel,” I softly caressed the side of his face with my fingertips. “You know I love you with all of my heart.”

His eyes softened to a mellow brown. “I know,” he whispered. “I would do anything to protect you. Nothing is going to happen to you.”

My heart froze as the anxious feelings crept back into the very depth of my soul.

Daniel‟s thoughts overwhelmed me. The fear, which consumed him, consumed me.

“You‟re afraid Richard will do something to me, aren‟t you?” I sat back on my heels.

He studied my face for a moment. “We must be careful. We do not need to take any unnecessary risks.” His finger touched my lips. “From now on, we stay together when we hunt.”

In my heart, I knew something else bothered him. I felt his anxiety. Daniel had a gift of knowing certain things that would eventually happen. It wasn‟t exactly like he could see into the future. He had a strong sense of premonitions. Chills ran down my spine even as I could feel my determination setting in. Richard was not going to come between us. My heart truly belonged to Daniel. I was his, and his alone. Daniel would try to kill Richard, if necessary. One question remained in my mind, could Daniel actually kill a vampire? I feared for his life, and did not want to put this question to the test. Richard was extremely dangerous, in more ways than one.

Daniel turned away from me, moving over to his side of the bed. He pulled the bed covers over himself. With one hand under his head, he laid back against the fluffy pillows. I could hear him contemplating the fact he may have to kill Richard. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach.

“I love you,” I stated firmly. The overwhelming need for me to say it was apparent by the concerned expression on his face.

Daniel‟s eyes lifted to mine. “Nothing will come between us. I promise you.”

Daniel‟s statement was true. Within the deep recesses of his heart, he would kill anything that threatened us. The Alpha male I had fallen deeply in love with was, in fact, my protector. He would kill for me.

“I‟m stronger than you think, Daniel.”

“You are mine, mine to protect and mine alone to love. I will not let any harm come to you, especially from that Richard.”

I turned away from him to turn off the nightstand light. I shifted, easing myself back to my spot on the bed. Daniel pulled me into his arms as he released a long sigh.

His head rested against my shoulder.

“I love you so much.” The softness of his voice whispered against my ear.

“I love you, too.”

The warmth between us soothed our worries and calmed our souls. We slept the rest of the night worry free. Tomorrow was another day. If Fate had another challenge for us, then we would be ready.

Morning, the last moments of night lifted as my eyes opened to the soft sound of Daniel snoring. A smile crossed my lips as I rolled over on my side, snuggling close to him. The snoring stopped. A soft grumble released from my handsome man as his hand clasped onto mine. The warmth from his body was a relief to my chilled one. One thing I had learned about myself in this new life; my body temperature increased dramatically at night.

Daniel had turned the thermostat to the “freeze me” zone, which was fine while we were sleeping. I snuggled closer, absorbing the warmth his body emitted. He shifted his head, tilting it to the side.

“What time is it?” His morning voice was deep toned and somewhat scratchy.

“Don‟t know.” My voice was soft as I closed my eyes and inhaled his spicy fragrance.

Daniel moved again. This time he rose and turned to look at the clock. He released a sigh then settled back on the bed. To my delight, his arms enveloped me as he placed a soft kiss against my forehead.

“It is almost seven. Mom is expecting us for breakfast.”

Breakfast at Charlotte‟s was one of my favorites. I only wondered if she was going to do the cooking or Rose. No matter who was the cook this morning, it would be greatly appreciated. A small growl rumbled in my belly.

“I would say we need a head start this morning,” Daniel mused.

I laughed softly, “Only if you turn up the heat in this house.”

Daniel‟s lips pressed against my ear. “How about I turn up your heat?” He growled softly.

Chills ran down my spine, sending sparks to every nerve in my body. He had to be joking. My stomach growled again.

“Julie, did you just growl at me?” His question appeared to have a hint a humor.

“No, I believe that was my stomach telling you I need to eat.” I mumbled.

He laughed lightly then slipped out of the bed. I grabbed the bed covers and pulled them tightly over me. Light suddenly filled the room from his nightstand lamp. I winced, protecting my eyes from the brightness. He padded out of the bedroom and down the hall. A few seconds later, he was back and headed directly toward the bathroom.

In moments, I felt the heat blowing from the vent above me. As warm natured as I had become, I enjoyed the feeling of heat in the morning. The rising sun broke through the last moments of the night. With a reluctant sigh, I pushed myself from the bed to choose the clothes to wear for the day.

The shower stopped, and soon it was going to be my turn. Daniel walked back in the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. I glanced over him; he was so adorable. My thoughts got the better of me as I gave him a wicked smile.

His black eyebrow lifted, his eyes glimmered with humor, “Breakfast, remember?”

A chuckle escaped me, and I darted off for my shower. It was going to be a good day. Tonight, however, was a full moon, which only meant one thing, a hunt. After a nice shower, my thoughts wandered back to breakfast.

Daniel was already downstairs in the kitchen, pondering over the local news while nursing a cup of coffee. As I padded in, following the aroma of coffee, I stopped. Daniel lifted his eyes to mine. Would I ever tire of seeing such a handsome man? I hoped not.

My thoughts betrayed me as his lips twitched into a smile.

“You know,” he started, as he sat his coffee cup down on the counter. “We do have a few minutes.”

Nervously, I moved toward the coffee pot. “A few minutes,” I teased.

“Well,” he growled. I heard the bar stool sliding against the floor.

Daniel moved with stealth, his body pressed against mine. The scent was almost more than I could stand. I closed my eyes tightly as his lips pressed against my neck.

“I suppose I could manage an hour,” his hands slid around my waist as he pulled me closer to him, “or two.”

The pulse quickened in my veins as a gust of air released from my lungs. He knew my thoughts. It was the very desire that consumed me. One thing I loved about Daniel, I never had to ask.

“Must you tease me so early in the morning?” My breath shuddered as I felt his teeth nipping at my skin.

“Who is teasing?” he growled softly again.

“Your mother is waiting on us,” I persisted.

“And?” he continued, as the fire flamed against my skin.

“And…” I braced myself against the kitchen counter. “You know how persistent they are when it comes to being late.”

Daniel released another sigh. “Well, if we must.”

A soft laugh escaped me. Daniel released me, just enough for me to turn and face him. My head tilted back, looking up into those deliciously light brown eyes.

“We must, this time,” I teased as I moved past him.

After a couple of cups of coffee and finishing the morning news, we headed out the door toward his parents. My expectations were on food and food alone. The overwhelming craving for blueberries was absolute torture.

When we arrived at the elaborate home, I could already smell the food from outside. Daniel and I made our way, following the aroma of a home cooked breakfast, to the kitchen. Just as I had expected, Charlotte was cooking.

The second thing I noticed, Charlotte had done a little redecorating. My first thought, she must have been bored or worse yet, stressed. The new sofa, a plush blend of deep brown with a hint of golden tones fit perfectly in the spacious living room. The color stood out against the pale cream walls and hard wood floors. As I moved through the living room to the kitchen, I noticed a few new pictures. I paused a moment to take in the artist, Monet. If I knew Thomas, and I did, this was an original painting. Thomas spared no expense for Charlotte‟s wants or desires.

The dining room was the same, the large dining room table covered by a white linen tablecloth, and the glass vase full of fresh cut flowers, Charlotte probably picked them up on her bi-weekly shopping trip. The walls were freshly painted a soft golden yellow accented by the white trim. Charlotte added a new set of gold draperies, which were pulled apart to allow the sunlight‟s entrance to trickle into the large room. I couldn‟t help but admire the soft pastel paintings that donned the wall. Thomas must have gone on a serious shopping spree.

In the kitchen, Thomas sat at the breakfast table with the morning newspaper and a cup of coffee. Charlotte was, as I expected, in the kitchen slaving over a brilliant breakfast. I could barely wait to taste the magnificence of her culinary skills.

Charlotte looked up as Daniel and I walked into her view. Her eyes brightened as a smile crossed her lips.

“Mom,” Daniel spoke softly as he embraced his mother and gave her a gingerly kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning, you two. Sit down,” her polite voice chimed as she motioned toward the table where Thomas rigidly sat in his chair.

“Looks like you have cooked enough for an army.” Daniel glanced around the kitchen.

“Well, your mother decided to get an early start this morning, early meaning around 4 a.m. The woman has not let me rest one minute since her feet hit the floor,”

Thomas blurted out in a flurry of irritation.

Charlotte shot Thomas a glance of disapproval and waved her hand toward him.

“Never mind him. He is just in a grumpy mood this morning.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise at Charlotte and Thomas. Daniel chuckled softly and pulled out a chair for me at the table. That‟s when I caught the smell of blueberries.