My Soul To Take (19 page)

EPILOGUE

Summer

Tahyra stretched and yawned sleepily, blinking back the haze of her catnap. Inhaling deeply, she grinned. The sun. She could smell the sun’s warm honey light as it shone through the thick canopies of the trees. She could smell everything, the sweet, earthy soil moist beneath her feet. The cinnamon-smelling bark, the sharp spice of fresh leaves, and the tall blades of grass filled her senses with their myriad of bitter bouquets.

Her body was a force of nature, her muscles sleek and toned, her fingers and toes tipped in killing claws, and her teeth…. She ran her tongue over the jagged edges and laughed. She was at the top of the food chain, a most fearsome predator. Strength like nothing she’d ever felt before coursed through her veins, pumping faster and faster through a heart that couldn’t be stopped.

The world was her playground.

Naked, she rolled back and forth in the dirt, the soft earth smooth against her skin, and cool in the summer heat. Summer was her favorite season; there was no need for uncomfortable, restrictive clothing and no need for stifling shelter. She was free to roam and revel in the life around her.

The males and females around her began to stir, but one male in particular, a male she favored, a male she let no other female touch, pounced on her and nuzzled her neck. Giggling, she pushed him off her and onto his back, readying to give a playful chase. Their lust, their need for comfort and for companionship was as great as their hunger. Most of her kind traveled in packs for that sole reason.

The female, who’d been sprawled beside her male, hissed her displeasure. She clearly wanted the male. Tahyra laughed at her. This male was hers. In a sudden jealous rage, the female sprung to her feet and leapt in the air. She reacted too late and the female’s feet flew into her gut, with the speed and force of a runaway freight train that sent her flying across the forest. Stupid, jealous female.

She back flipped, landed on her feet, and scaled the closest tree. The female who’d attacked her growled angrily and took off after her. Swinging from branch to branch, she propelled herself to the tops of the forest and ran. As she jumped from tree to tree, branches broke beneath her feet, but her body was quick and nimble. As the branches fell beneath her she was already landing on the next.

The faster she ran, the faster the female behind her ran. She could see and hear her male running below. His heavy footsteps pounded on the forest floor beneath her echoing the rhythmic pounding of her heart.

The female behind her swiped at her, dragging her claws through the skin on her back. Hissing, she spun and jumped into the air. This time she was faster. Both her feet knocked the female in her face and she flew backwards in a spray of leaves and broken branches before plummeting back to the earth. Diving headfirst she followed her down, somersaulting; she landed hard on her two feet and grinned impishly at her male.

With a possessive roar, he tackled her and they both went rolling across the ground, biting and slashing one another until they were coated in blood. They fell apart from each other, breathing heavily and shaking with laughter. The long, slippery stroke of his tongue on her cheek had her laughter turning into panting. She rolled onto her stomach and pushed her bottom up in the air in invitation. Her male reared up behind her and sunk his teeth deep into her shoulder. She pushed back against him, purring with need.

Before her male could claim her, the jealous female pounced, kicked the male aside and took her in a choking hold. She bucked, trying to dislodge her, to no avail. She swung her elbows backwards, straight into the female’s ribcage. With a violent exculpation of air, the female slumped off her and landed to the side in a heap.

Leaping to her feet, she kicked the female in the gut and sent her flying headfirst into a tree trunk. Her skull hit the thick bark with an audible crack.

Her male pounced, sending Tahyra sprawling on her belly. Spreading her, he pushed inside and began a furious mating thrust.

He finished quickly, roaring with primordial satisfaction, a sound she’d never tire of. She rolled onto her back, her legs spread wide and he slid inside again. They mated for hours, consumed by a superannuated need they neither could nor wanted to fight against.

******

Tahyra sniffed at the female that had fallen by her hand. The back of her head had been split open. Blood and brains had poured from the fatal wound and puddled on the forest floor. This female would not be bothering her again. Satisfied with her kill, she rejoined her pack and glared at each of the females, showing teeth, warning them away from her male, and telling them that they would die if they attempted to claim him. One by one, they met her gaze and nodded their acquiescence. It was a wise decision. She was as violent as they came. Not even a male, the stronger gender of their kind, had yet to best her in a fight.

Laughing, her male grabbed her and pulled her against him. She curled up around the hard planes of his muscles and began methodically rubbing every inch of her body over every inch of his, coating him in her scent and coating herself in his. There would be no mistaking whom this male belonged to. He was hers. She was his. Forever.

In return, he licked her cheeks, over her lips and down her neck, cleaning the blood off her.

“Gods, Shandor, I love you,” she purred, grinding against him.

“Shit,
fată, I love the goddamn hell outta you.”

He kissed her fiercely.

“Only you,” he growled into her mouth.”

“Yes,” she murmured.

He rolled her onto her back and deepened the kiss.

“Only ever you.” Sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, his teeth slid into th
e delicate skin, and his tongue caught the drops of blood that fell.

Life was good. So good. In fact, it had never been better.

She had never been happier.

GLOSSARY OF DEFINITIONS:

Băiat
– Boy.

Baiatul meu
– My boy.

Bathtub Gin
– Refers to any style of homemade spirit made in amateur conditions.

Baró
– "Big One" or "King"

Bunică
– Grandmother.

Clan
– A group of families or a grouping of households.

Copii
– Babies.

Copil
– Baby.

Dark
magic
– Is unnatural magic; essentially trapped death. The use of the fifth and forbidden element, spirit, will turn all light magic, dark. There are consequences for calling on dark magic; severity depends on why you’ve summoned the darkness and what you’ve used it for.

Diklo
– The colorful cloth Gypsy women wear on their heads to show their married status.

Dragă
– Sweetheart.

Iubirea mea
–
My love.

Dulce
– Sweet.

Fată
– Girl.

Fata – The girl

Fata mea
– My girl.

Fete
– Girls.

Fetiță
– Little girl.

Frate
– Brother.

Gaje
– Non-Gypsy.

Gypsy
– A member of a nomadic, Caucasoid people of generally swarthy complexion, who migrated originally from India and settled in various parts of Asia, Europe, and most recently, North America.

Light
magic
– Is natural magic and made up of the four natural elements found in nature; earth, air, water and fire.

Mamă
– Mother.

Natur
e
– Is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. “Nature” refers to the phenomena of the physical world and to life in general. It ranges in scale from the subatomic to the cosmic.

Pack
– A group of certain animals of the same kind, especially predatory ones.

Surioară
– Little Sister.

Rom
– Is a masculine noun, meaning “man, husband”, with the plural Roma. Romani is the feminine adjective, while Romano is the masculine adjective.

Roma
– See above.

Romani
– An ethnic group living mostly in Europe, whose origins trace to the Indian Subcontinent. Romani are widely known in the English-speaking world by the exonym Gypsies.

Skin Eater / Skins
– A highly advanced predatory species derived from humanity, devoid of a soul, with supernatural abilities and a taste for human flesh.

Skin Eater
Origins
: – In 1078 A.C.E., the eldest son of a Romani clan Baró, gifted with an affinity for all five elements, used spirit to end the lives of the men that had brutally murdered his entire clan. As punishment for his bloodlust, he will now always hunger for blood. For cutting short the lives of hundreds of innocent people, he was condemned to live out their lives, and the lives of their unborn children and their unborn children, in a never-ending cycle. He will never know peace or life without suffering. He has been condemned to a soulless life of eternal pain, shrouded in darkness. He is called Mullo, the first vampire.

Soră
– Sister.

Tată
– Father.

Tata mare
– Grandpa.

PHRASES:

Ei, acesta este clanul meu.
– Now, this is my clan.
Bunică? Înțelegi?
– Grandmother? You understand?
Dă-i fiica sa.
– Give him his daughter.

Din păcate, da.
– Unfortunately, I do.

Fiica noastră va avea doi tați
.
= Our daughter will have two fathers.

Nu am fost niciodată atât de dezamăgită în toată viața mea
.
– I’ve never been so disappointed in all my life.

Scumpa mea mică prințesă
.
– My sweet little princess.
Te iubesc.
– I love you.
Happy Birthday Song:

Cine să trăiască?
– Who is to live?
Cine să trăiască?
– Who is to live?
La mulţi ani!
– Happy Birthday!
Daniella să trăiască!
– Daniella is living!
Daniella să trăiască!
– Daniella is living!
La mulţă ani!
– Happy Birthday to you!

THE STARRING FAMILES:

Underline = Whereabouts unknown

Strikethrough = Dead

*Asterisks* = No longer human

The Asenov’s

Mihai
m. Kizzy

*Shandor*

Simionce

The Bálan’s

Nic
m.
Jaelle

Indiana

Becki

Michaela

The Čonka’s

Djordji
m. Madeleana

Nico

Nicu

The Deleanu’s

Drina
(Never married)

Xan

Daniel Whitehawk
(Xan’s Tată)

The Hjemsäter’s

Cai
m.
Sanna

*Gerik*

The Horváth’s

Gunari Sr
. m.
Mirela

Gunari Jr.

Gunnar

The Triplets: Fifi (Fi), Tsuritsa (Rista) and Magdolna (Mags)

The Jankovic’s

Lajos

Marcell

The Moldoveanu’s

Punka
m.
Lala

Pitti

Pesha

Pali
&
Mala
(Twins)

The Petros's

Angelos
m.
Chloris

Teodora

Angelos
m.
Shannon

Trinity

*Tahyra*

The Popa’s

Jericho
m. Maisera

Florica

Tobar

Nadya

Michaela

The Sava's

Stefan Sr. m. Aishe

Stefan Jr. (Hockey)

Stevo

Simza

The Siwaks

Harman m. Lyuba

Loiza

Marko

Adriana

The Vãdura’s

Benyamin Sr.
m.
Alana

Adi

Daniella

Benyamin Jr.

The Vãduva’s

Merikano
m.
Christine

Onyx