MoonLife (24 page)

“Yes
,
my beloved,” he said
,
lowering his fangs deep into my neck. As he started to drink from me, I could feel his pleasure, his climax all at once. We were connected at that moment, body and soul. I could feel his thoughts and feelings as he came, it was overwhelming and my body started shaking, building to an orgasm bigger than I had ever had in my life. It was like the fourth of July in my head. I felt as though my whole body was exploding, as if every inch of me was sensitive to what was happening around me, and it was making my orgasm that much
more intense. I screamed out Sebastian’s name and felt the shudder continue to ripple through me. It was so powerful and felt so good, I swear I saw fireworks at that moment.

Then it all started to change. The tingly all over intense feeling from my hyper sensitive skin started to change, from a delicious erotic sensation to a feeling of being too warm. My skin itched, like what I would think
a
snake would feel like if it were trying to shed its skin. I started to scratch at my arms, but unseen hands pulled my
arms
back down to my side. I screamed out for Sebastian but there was no answer. All I could hear was the beating of my pulse, loud like a siren in my ears. I was being held down, this I knew and I had to think it was Sebastian keeping me safe. The crawling itch was taking me over. I screamed out
,
but still no one answered me. Then the itching feeling started to change to a touching sensation.  It felt as if someone was touching me all over at once. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, but it wasn’t an enjoyable one either. I tried to open my eyes to see what was going on, but my body wouldn’t respond. It wouldn’t do anything that I wanted it to do.

I felt trapped, like a prisoner in my own skin. The touching sensation became stronger, like a steady pain all over my body. It was as if someone was poking me, everywhere at once. The pressure become more and more intense, to where it felt as if I was being slapped with an open hand across my skin, all at once from every direction. The pain was becoming extreme, overwhelming me, making me call out for Sebastian, but still there was no answer just the beating pulse of my blood in my ears. It was maddening; I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. I felt someone holding me, and I knew it had to be Sebastian, keeping his word to keep me safe. The sense of him being there helped me feel as if I might be able to get through this.

I felt my body screaming, but it didn’t feel like it was me crying out, it was more like someone else was sobbing and I was listening, but deep down I knew it had to be me. It went on for a long time, it was as if time had stopped, and this was my forever. I leaned into the pain and tried to accept its brutal manner. Then it changed again. This time I could feel the blood pulsing through my system. Not that I could just sense it, I was aware of every beat and push my heart made. It was a particularly strange sensation. With each beat of this new feeling, the heavy poking turned into a light burning sensation. With each beat of my heart, it got more and more extreme. Soon, it felt as if the blood in my body was literally on fire. It was consuming me, my blood boiling inside me and I could tell there was something wrong. I called out to Sebastian, and I could feel the unseen arms tighten around me.

I screamed as the intense pain continued,
not knowing
if I could go on. Then in my mind I saw my mother, the Queen. She was talking to me, but with all the pain I couldn’t understand her. She was too far
away;
her voice was not loud enough to get through the agony. I tried to control my breathing and concentrate on her. I focused all my thoughts on the vision of her in front of me, on what she was saying and tried not to
let myself
feel the torture my body was going through. Slowly her voice came into my consciousness, and I could hear her words.

“Kali
,
my daughter, it is almost done. Listen to my words
…
focus on them…focus on me. You are doing well
,
my child. The Turn is different for you than most, harder unfortunately, because you are of
R
oyal blood. You have done well so far, and the burning is the end of the Turn. Stay with me, center on me
,
and it will be over soon.” She reached out to me and I could feel her touch, it was
as
if she was really there.
She
held me close to her and told me stories of the
V
illage where I was born. She spoke to me of my
f
ather and how much she loved him. She told me of her dreams for the future of the
V
illage, and for me. She let me know that I had done
the right thing in marrying Sebastian and that he
was
holding my body right now
,
waiting for me to return to him.

The burning
started
to get even more
agonizing
, and I began to slowly stop hearing my
m
other. I could hear someone screaming, not realizing that again it was me. Speaking louder, my
m
other held me tighter, and made me focus on her once more. The strong burning was consuming me, and I wondered if I would actually make it through. Could my life end like this, right now without seeing Sebastian again? I sent him an
I love you
with my mind
,
not knowing if he would get it.

My mother was fading away from me entirely now, the pain had taken me.
I
fell into it, fighting it
,
but also embracing it. Letting the burning wash over me like water, imagining it engulfing me like lava
,
then letting me go. I rode with the wave of pain, feeling it changing inside me from being in my veins to being on my skin. The sensation of burning alive was real. I was living it, my skin was on fire now, and I was being engulfed in flames. I imaged water around me, cool
,
clear water. I envisioned it, being dunked into the water and putting out the flames. I saw the bathroom and the soaking tub in my mind. I envisioned Sebastian taking me down into the water, holding me in it and taking the pain away. I remembered his smile, the way it felt to be in his arms. I knew then that this pain was not going to win. I would not give in
to the flames. I would
,
in fact
,
endure this so that I could be back with him, and live
out
our moonlife together.

I used all the strength that I had in me and rode out the flames of fire. I used my imagination to try and put the flames out with water, and it worked. I’m not sure how long I was in that purgatory, but when I finally was able to open my eyes
,
I was up to my neck in water, being held in Sebastian’s arms in the bath I had imagined. I looked into his eyes and saw all his pain and worry.

“Sadie, are you with me?” he asked
,
with hesitation and concern in his voice.

“Yes,” was all I could enable myself to say before I passed out in his arms.

Chapter
Twenty One

I slowly came to consciousness, my eyes finally listening and opening up for me. The room came into view slowly. It was unusually dark, and I could feel the sensations of the sheets around me, encompassing my body like a cocoon. They felt so cool, so soft, so much better than the searing pain I had been going through. Lying next to me was Sebastian; his eyes open
,
just watching over me. I wasn’t sure if he could tell I was awake or not, but as I blinked my eyes to bring everything in focus he pulled me into his loving embrace.

He held me tight in his arms.  His body warm and calming next to mine, reassuring me that I had made it through the torture. I was too exhausted to move yet; I just laid there and let him hold me. Not saying a word, just feeling him next to me was all I needed. I laid there for what seemed like a wonderful eternity, going in and out of sleep. All the while Sebastian kissed my forehead and kept me safe. I started to wake again slowly, aware once more of my surroundings and not lost to sleep.

“Sebastian?” I said
.

My
L
ove, can you not speak?

I am speaking?
Well
,
I thought I was.

No, you are talking with your mind. Are you all right,
m
y
l
ove
?

I thought about what he was asking. Was I okay
?
Why did that not make sense to me?

Yes,
I said, wondering if that was true.

Then
,
talk to me
,
Sadie
.

I thought about what he was asking. He felt unreal, the whole scenario felt as if I was in a dream. So I forced myself to open my eyes. I looked up at him and into the deepest amber eyes I had ever seen. He was still holding me in his arms, looking down at me with eyes filled with love.

“There you are
,
my
l
ove. You made it through.” He pulled me in and hugged me close.

“Sebastian” I said, my voice grumbled and rough. “Is it over?”

“Yes
,
my
l
ove, it is.” He leaned in and kissed me. It brought a feeling over me, a new feeling…something different I hadn’t known before. I could feel the blood in his body calling to me…it was
as
if with each touch of his lips, his blood was beckoning to me, literally reaching out to me like a lover. I pulled back and stared at him. It was such a strange sensation
,
I was confused by it.

“It’s okay
,
Sadie. It’s a normal feeling. My blood is calling to you. You need to feed. You’re a new Mandurago
. Y
ou have to do this to survive.” He reached down and bit his inner wrist, slicing it open with his fangs. He placed his bleeding wrist to my mouth and told me to feed. Surprising myself, I wasn’t disgusted
.
I latched on and gulped in his blood. It was delicious like the greatest wine and the greatest food all rolled into one. I fed on him for what felt like an eternity. He pulled me away at some point and I fell back to sleep in his arms.

When I woke up again, I was alone on the bed. I opened my eyes and looked around. I could hear Sebastian doing
something
in the kitchen. I leaned up
on
my elbows and took in the environment with my new senses. Sebastian had turned all the lights down low, keeping the rooms intensely dark. Even that tiny bit of light seemed to hurt my eyes. I was surprised at
that;
I didn’t expect to have that type of reaction to light so quickly. I thought back to the Turn and remembered all the pain. Relieved that it was over, I sat up and wiggled over to the side of the astronomically large bed. Looking down at my legs for a moment while I moved, I stopped instantly and noticed my scar was missing from my knee. When I was eight I had been playing on the back of my
d
ad’s pickup truck. I fell and scraped my knee open on the bumper, hurt it pretty bad. I have had a scar on my knee
ever
since then. Now it was gone, and in its place was a perfect
,
scar free knee.

I got up and walked to the bathroom as quietly as I could. I wanted to discover the new me before I let Sebastian discover it. I stepped into the bathroom and let the gown I was dressed in fall to the floor. There in the mirror I recognized me. Yes
,
it was still me, only the new me was thinner, taller and had much longer hair. My eyes were a brighter, deeper blue. My boobs
–
my boobs were awesome!
Why didn’t anyone tell me these were the perks of being burnt alive? I might have done it sooner. I laughed to myself and
turned to the side to appreciate
my new boobs.
I have always wanted not to have to wear a bra, but mine were large enough I always had to. Now they were still the same size, but much firmer. My stomach was tight, and looked as if I had done eight-million sit-ups. I still had my curvy shape, but I was just tighter all over. I did a little happy dance in the bathroom. Now to show Sebastian!

Not even feeling the need to cover myself up, I walked with my new stealth speed to the kitchen and snuck up behind him. I caught him off guard and hugged him from behind. He
literally
jumped
, and
it made me giggle.

“SADIE!” he said
,
turning around to hold me. When he saw that I was naked, he looked surprised. Then he took a moment to look at me. I knew he had already seen me, I mean he got me dressed in a gown and all, but I wanted to be the one let him seriously see me for the first time. I put my hands out to the side with a “Viola” and did a little spin for him.

“Do you like?” I asked, hoping he would.