Protector (15 page)

Chapter Twenty Three

Right answer hot stuff.
  “I will back off of Calum.  I told him we were friends.  Allies.  I told him I need him.  He needs me.  I need you to handle that.  We can’t do any of this without him.”  She rewarded me with another flush of her hands on the back of my neck like she might pull me into a kiss like once before.

“I will try.  Does he know you are mine?”

She hesitated, “Yes.” 

“What does he expect from you?”  Would he disappear other than the unfortunate circumstances we all seem to tangled in?  If she was mine, I could deal.   

“He knows I want only friendship but he is...persistent and never leaves me alone.” She didn’t lie to me.

I blinked back the anger of tearing him limb for limb to give him the hint.  “And you
okayed this?”

“No, but what alternative do I have staying at the Hunter school?”  She thought about staying at my court and being near me, but her heart spiked with an image that could only be termed as appropriate for me alone to see.  It was heavily termed as  

“You can resume your studies at my court.”

She frowned, I followed with one also,
“You will have your own room of course.”

“I will think about it,” she admitted sadly.

She worried next I wouldn't feel the same if she had said no and asked, “Would you take away the frown now?  I like your smile.”  She sighed inwardly and crooned when she tried,
Ode to the god who gave him beautiful lips and beautiful chiseled cheeks.

My eyebrow went up rippling with curiosity and eagerness for more of her assessments.

Arg!
 
And ode to the god of eyebrow rising.  May it bless me with weak knees.

I laughed deep and smooth like we were back at the picnic from before.  It
’s like her brain never paused.  It always had something new to throw at me.  She put her head against my chest making me motionless when she placed her hand and cupped it against the side of my chest. Catatonic and hurting physically from her nearness, she didn’t understand the unintended effect.

“What are you doing Kissa?”

Listening to you.  The other night your laugh made me...well I just liked it. 

I hugged her.  I
don’t believe I have ever hugged anyone before. 

We both heard a throat being cleared.  She stepped back away too fast. Szar smiled hugely at her and warned,   “Heads up.  Father will be here in roughly sixty seconds. Brother
out
.”  And he backed out with yet another of his ladies’ man winks intended for his sister.  His good guy/mean brother episodes really grated on my nerves.

“Do we say goodbye?” I allowed her to decide, but she knew she should. 

“Suppose we should,” she rolled her eyes thinking she was ready to go.

Lord Hathown walked in smiling at her, “
Anastacia.  Lord Cross.”  He bowed to both of us. 

“I would like to talk with the two of you if you have a moment.”

We looked at each other.  She showed her frustration only in her brain and vowed to take Szar out the sisterly way for letting them get cornered.  I would like to see that.

“I would like to know what your intentions are and how they will unfold for the two of you.”

“Um, father,” she gulped, “I am eighteen.  I have no intentions of staying here or marrying any of the men you may put in front of me.  I don’t think you have a say in who I decide to spend my time with nor do I intend to ask you for your permission.  If you need to feel some form of father/daughter mediation to feel all warm and fuzzy inside, don’t.  It’s not coming from me.  Ever.”

Kissa. 
I took her hand hoping to calm her some.

“Well, that was a fine speech.  I am glad to know you feel strong enough to be honest with me.  However, my own intentions are well spent and will be heard.  You are my daughter no matter what your mother may have said.  I have a vested interest into your affairs and will remain so because I love you Anastacia.  I never once presumed my
hard headed little Tigris would marry anyone but who she deemed worthy.  If this is your intentions, may I say it is a bit fast from my standpoint?  But rest assured I will know what my young friend and loyal comrade here has intended with anything that has to do with my daughter.”

She didn't realize among her speech that all her words pointed towards marrying me.  I had no objections.

Her cheeks flooded with color.  To lighten the atmospheric tension I threw in, “I see where she gets her quick-witted humor.”

...
hard headed BS buddy.

I bent my eyes down to her. 
Kissa, retract your claws.  He has your best interest at heart.  Just breathe!

After she cleared her head slightly, I turned to her father of many roles, “Lord Hathown, I intend to court Anastacia through every means necessary to one day make her my wife.  I have not discussed this with her in full, nor have we taken any other steps in that direction.  I uphold her virtue to the highest possible standards and am aware of her status according to her lineage.”

What in the hel—heck?
Stace thought.

I ignored her solid fear and stated the rest of my business that would forever include her in every equation now.  “I will continue to guard her and council her in all endeavors and hope that she sees reason in assuring me that I am present with her for any meets with other factions.  I am also aware and have not discussed with her how she will proceed with the new tasks she has acquired.  I will first set a meet with the
Were leader and go from there.  If she sees fit to stay in my court, I have assured her safety and the third floor if she wills it.  She will continue her studies if that is your wish and will have her own guard day and night.  Hugo has already agreed to the deed.”

Whoa!
She guessed my reasoning for telling more free information to get what I wanted.  Her father wasn’t naive either.  He was figuring out real fast how I felt about his daughter.

“If this is Stace
’s wish, then I back it.  I would prefer her to be in your court above the Hunter school for the very reason that security is tighter.”  He turned to her, “Is this your wish?”

She felt cornered but repeated, “I will think about it.”

Just like before.

Lord Hathown said while standing, “Let me know when you decide.”  Stace was caught off guard when her father bent to kiss her forehead. 

He shook my hand and demanded, “Take care of her.” 

She huffed inwardly feeling like her father was butting in her life a little too late.  Little did she remember that his life had been all about her from the day she was
born.

I replied, “With my life sir.”

“Nothing less.  Good night to you both.  You are welcome here for the evening.”

After he jetted, she pivoted fast on her heels and threw a finger in my face, “That
wasn’t fair Mr. Lord Cassius Thorn Cross.  You cornered me like a mouse.  In front of my father no less.  And why is everyone so obsessed with my virgin status.  What was with the lineage crap?”

“First, say my name again.”

Huh! Cas,
she tried out.

“No, the whole thing,” I insisted

Her face loosened and she got this glint in her eyes, “
Mister Sneak-ass Lord Cassius Thorn Cross the—

“I think that is enough. 
And a very cornered cute mouse.  Your virginity is very important to me too.”

The red in her cheeks was instant.  I loved that. 
I love your blushing cheeks Kissa. 

She hit my arm playfully. 

“Your status we will call it, refers to the fact that you are a goddess by birth.  You will produce an heir with your blood running through your offspring’s veins that will be the second most powerful being on earth only to you.  Who you choose to mate with is very important to your father.  Who you choose to produce offspring with is of the upmost importance to the gods alone.”

She thought first,
then puzzled me out loud looking at me from under the side of her hair again, “And you knew all this when?”  

“I didn
’t.  My mother assured me that my line is a good match for yours.”

“She did, did she.
”  I didn’t think she believed me.

“And I have to tell you that the Hunter was told the same.  As well as the other man you will meet all too soon.”

She seemed to sense my agitation and didn’t ask, but did share her frustrations about destinies and the lack there of, “Well, it is nice to know she gives me selective options. My whole freaking life was planned before I was made.  Why can’t I choose?”

You can Kissa.  You choose no matter what
.

Her eyes brimmed with tears so for distraction I reminded her again, “The offer stands.  My court is your court.  And I meant what I said.  I aim to make you my wife Anastacia.  I won
’t hide that fact.”

I was through hiding my intentions as bold as she may see it. 

“I will think about it Cas.  I want to sit alone and gather my thoughts to myself.  I want to meet the Were leader and know that he is in accord with us.  I want to make assurance that Calum is secure in his leadership first.  You are secure and Cord, the Were, is secure I presume.  My brother will be fine.  But Calum is a loose cannon that will explode if not given the right attention.  After he saw the letter, he seemed only to grow in resentment instead of understanding.” 

Hearing her say Cord and Hunter Boy
’s name in one dose was setting off all kinds of alert systems that made me boil with resentment and jealousy over letting her near the Hunter and would soon have to meet the other.  Stretching my shoulders out to douse the pain of losing her forced a shot of pain through my head so I popped my neck to purge the hate.  No relief came.  Instead, my mind wandered down paths of getting closer to her again and possibly having her in my rooms again soon.

Love
wasn’t a good enough word to describe the harbored feelings I felt for this girl and couldn’t even tell her for fear of scaring her off.  Whoever invented the “I love you” statement was just setting the female mind up for a halfway meaningful way of telling someone how they feel.  But it is much more than that.  It’s all consuming.  Devouring of time and space and thought processing in its normal fashion.  I knew for many years that she was meant for me and would never have an equal.  I dated.  Tried to replace her invading lack of memories she had never even filled my life with, yet I wanted them there.  I wanted to make those memories right now, as much as possible.  Fill my life and hers with just the two of us.  I couldn’t tell or show her that though.  She would think words like stalker and psycho.

For now, I would take this slow.  Let her know me.  I just hope she does not think me repulsive and vile when she knows more.  

“I know you are not comfortable with my dealings with him, but I assure you he is like a brother to me in more ways than even Szar.  I believe he would do anything and will be a great asset to you as well if need be.  So ease off him and trust me.  He wants more.  I will not pretend I don’t know this, but it holds no ground.  I also don’t doubt that he will try something again to agitate you.  But please hold your gorgeous brooding face for only me to enjoy and ignore the heck out of him.  He does not hold a candle to you.” Stace shied away a little, but held her head up to show me she meant it.

Right answer. “I
’ll take that advice and wait for your next move Kissa.  I will protect what is mine though.  Are you mine?”

She tipped up to me, kissed me very slow. Then her sweet like the most exquisite honey words came through my thoughts,
I am yours.

Epilogue

              Being a Vampire has proved to be the best and fated part of gaining Anastacia Anat in my life, but it wasn’t without its ups and downs.  One day I will tell her this.  One day I want her to know all of me.  One she will be sure she wants to know.

             
At the youthful age of ten, I was made a new Vampire.  My sire was my father, not by birth.  He told me things about our kind that would make a monkey’s balls crawl.  I didn’t think that first day after my first mission that I would live to see another day, but I did.  For her.

             
The pain was excruciating.  Every time I went on a mission with my new father to protect our own, someone died.  The blood, no matter the faction, was like wine to a drunk.  The more you caught the scent, tasted the flavor, the more you craved it.

             
After I went on the first mission she was assigned to and ordered to watch her every move, I wondered then if my father knew what he was doing.  Or if someone or something told him my future.  It just seemed that everything kept falling into place.  Later, I learned of my sired father's dealings with Lord Hathown.  The only thing I wanted more now was for her to know me.  Earlier than later.  It didn’t happen.

             
I told her once I have never killed anyone.  And that is true about my need for blood.  I’ve never killed a person
for
their blood.  But I’ve killed.  For my faction. For her. 

             
Several of her missions required it of me for her survival.  I don’t regret it.

             
She knows how to take full advantage of a situation with just her looks alone.  She a beautiful, powerful creature.  That is the only way to describe it.  I just wish her instinct for her weapons would react a little faster at the onslaught of danger.  She does not see that I am trying to do just that.  She thinks I do the weapons training for the fun of it.  She does not see that I refuse to lose her. 

             
I am the horrid creature she had heard about for years.  But with her, I was different.

             
I have killed for my kind, and taken down some of my own.  Some of our own can be dumb at times.  Young who think they are invincible get into brawls with humans and other supernaturals. 

             
But she is safe.