Ultimate Warriors (43 page)

     
"You’re
a vampire?" she asked weakly. "But, I’ve seen you in sunlight."

     
"Half-vampire,"
he murmured, again trying to step for her. "The change wasn’t completed.
The oracle saved me in time."

     
"You’re
supposed to help people. Why were you trying to steal my father’s
formula?" she inquired. This time when he came for her, she couldn’t run.
The sweetness of his voice made her will crumble.

     
"I
was trying to stop you from selling it," he answered. She could read the
truth of it in his expression.

     
"It
was you, wasn’t it?" she whispered. "It was you who worked with my
father when I was a child."

     
"Yes,"
he admitted. "I did."

     
Suddenly,
Quinlan couldn’t take it. She rushed forward, her arms wrapping around his
sturdy neck. Tears streamed down her face, as she said, "I thought I’d
never see you again. I was so scared."

     
Nikandros’
chest convulsed with relief. He pulled her tightly against him and began to
kiss her, never wanting to take his lips away.

     
"Why
did you stay away so long?" she panted, running her hands all over his
delectable body to make sure he was real.

     
"I
had to convince the council to test you," he said. "It’s the only way
we could be together."

     
"What
test?" she sighed, pulling back to look into the solid dark depths of his
eyes.

     
"To
see if you would selflessly choose to serve others, regardless of the personal
cost," he answered. "The oracle knew you would think you had nothing
to gain by saying yes."

     
"I
almost refused," she admitted. "What would have happened if I
did?"

     
"You
would have never seen me again," he replied. "You would have lived
out your life as you have been."

     
Quinlan,
hating the thought, pressed her body into his. She kissed him fervently,
knocking him over to the ground in her passion for him. Nikandros chuckled in
surprise at her ardor, but only pulled her closer.

     
"Never
leave me again," she demanded, grasping his face in her hands. "I
love you. I need you."

     
"I
love you, too," he whispered.

     
As
Quinlan leaned over to kiss him, Nikandros saw Korbin standing over them,
grinning like a fool. Korbin winked at him, nodding his head as he shot him a
thumb’s up. Nikandros frowned, waving his hand for his friend to get lost.
Korbin disappeared as Quinlan broke the kiss and glanced over her shoulder.

     
"What...?"
she began.

     
Nikandros
rolled her swiftly onto her back. When she looked up at him, his head was
surrounded by stars. "It’s nothing, just a pest."

     
At his
comment, Nikandros felt an invisible kick to his backside, pushing him down
fully onto Quinlan. Her body jolted in surprise. In the next instant, Nikandros
knew Korbin had finally gone.

     
Quinlan
smiled brightly, happiness flooding out of her onto him. Moaning, leaning up to
capture his lips, nothing else mattered. He was hers and she was his. With
tenderness in their hearts, they proceeded to make love right there on the
lawn.

The End