Templar Vampires - Midnight Sun Part 14

Amanda's last thought was of her mother's smiling face.

She carried that vision with her as the monster took her from her suffering and finally gave her peace.

Chapter Fourteen.

Allie laughed softly at Sebastian's astonished stupor. By the look on his face, she had the distinct feeling if he'd been standing when she told him she loved him, he would have fallen right on his a.s.s.

"Too bad I don't have a camera handy," Allie teased weakly, her voice a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "The look on your face is priceless. I bet the boys would love the chance to see it."

All he seemed able to do was sit in amazement. "You can't mean it."

"Yes I do."

Stretching out on the bed, every part of her ached. The cold she felt from the inside out was something she knew the Templars suffered the last seven hundred years.

How awful to always be this cold.

Sebastian sat next to her on the bed. The sheet was tossed aside-thankfully onto her-leaving him tohang out in all his naked glory. The man definitely had no shame. Not that he needed any. With a body as gorgeous as his, covering it with clothing was a crime.

She finally had a clean view of his incredible tattoo. Black and gray work, the design was a cla.s.sic Dark Ages dragon crawling down his shoulder. The tail wrapped around his neck, ending behind his ear.

When she sat, Allie dragged the sheet with her. Clutching it tight around herself, she wasn't exactly as immodest around Sebastian as he obviously was around her.

She placed her hand on his knee, shocked at how warm he was-as warm as any living being. Her life lent him a temporary reprieve from the cold. That alone made it worth it for her to put aside her reservations when it came to him feeding from her.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," she a.s.sured him. "Not to sound pathetic, but the truth is, I've been half in love with you since I first saw you."

Sebastian made a very male grunting sound and finally looked at her. His disbelief was evident. "How can you love me?"

The incredulity in his tone pulled at her soul. "How can I not?"

Sebastian was quiet for so long, Allie grew incredibly uncomfortable under his intense stare. He seemed to be trying to see past the surface of her and glimpse into her heart.

Without a hint of warning, he grabbed her by the back of her head. She sucked in a startled breath when his hand fisted in her hair and he pulled her head toward him. From the look on his face and the hungry gleam in his eyes, for a moment she swore he was going to eat her. Instead, his mouth came down on hers in a kiss meant to claim. To dominate.

She'd never forget this kiss.

Dizzy with pa.s.sion when he released her, Allie was still in her right mind enough to raise a brow at the undeniable male arrogance oozing off of him. She wanted to say something witty, but was too dazed to form a single coherent thought.

Allie finally learned what it meant to be "kissed senseless".

"You make me believe miracles are real."

Nothing else he might have said would have made her feel more cherished. "Sebastian..."

Medieval warrior, d.a.m.ned vampire, Templar, label him whatever you wanted and it would make no difference. He was an incredible man and she adored him no matter what he was or the things he'd done in his past.

He'd been judged enough. Now it was time for him to be accepted and loved.

Throwing herself at him, she wrapped herself around him, bear-hugging him for all she was worth. He pulled her onto his lap cradling her. This time, it was her turn to steal some warmth from him.

He tucked her into him, resting his chin on her head as his fingers idly danced over her arm. Nearly lulledto sleep by the tender touch, she snapped awake when he spoke. "Did I hurt you? Before?"

Surprisingly he hadn't. Not like when that other vampire took her blood. "Nope."

His hand petted her hair, lulling her into a totally relaxed state. "Why did you let me take your blood?"

"It felt right." Though a part of her didn't want to know the answer, the question tumbled from her before she could stop it. "How many times have you fed since the night at The Gate?"

Sebastian didn't hesitate in his answer-unfortunately "Every night."

Gone was her relaxed state. Hurt and jealousy exploded through her like the shattering of gla.s.s. "Oh. I hadn't realized it was that much."

Not being the jealous type, this was all new to her and left her heart raw with pain.

Allie never thought herself a violent person, yet her heartache made her want to smack Sebastian right in the mouth.

Disgusted, she went to climb off his lap but Sebastian stopped her. He settled her back on top of him and placed a finger under her chin. He tilted her head so he could see her face. "I haven't touched another woman since the night I found you poking around my room."

Okay-now she was confused. "But you've been feeding."

He gave a small shrug. "Animals, Allie. I've been feeding from animals."

Her jealousy died instantly. "I thought vampires couldn't do that."

"We can, but it only quiets the hunger. It doesn't sate it."

The admission floored her. Five nights had gone by since the night at The Gate. Five nights he'd suffered with the hunger. It had to have been sheer torture and so much more than she expected him to put himself through.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did." He stroked her cheek tenderly. "The thought of my hands on another woman made me sick."

That statement was worth a million "I love yous".

She gave him a fierce hug and showered his face with kisses. "Thank you,"

He smiled and she saw his fangs peeking out from behind his lips. "You're welcome."

She leaned into him, resting her cheek against his chest and wrapped her hands around his waist. "Can I ask you another question?"

"You can ask me anything, suns.h.i.+ne." She smiled at the way his voice rumbled through him, echoing within him. "What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

She licked her lips, hesitating for a moment. She didn't want to open old wounds, yet she felt it was time she began to see into his world. "Being a medieval warrior in this day and age?"

Sebastian had wondered how long it would take her to start asking about his life. The curiosity must have been killing her given her inquisitive nature. If their positions were reversed and she'd been the one to see history played out before her eyes, his curiosity would burn him to know what that must have been like.

"Wrong," he admitted without hesitation. "I look around at what the world became and I feel wrong here."

She pursed her lips together and nodded gravely. "I can understand that." She gave him a curious look.

"You know? I don't even know your birthday."

So many centuries had pa.s.sed since he marked the day, he had to think about it for a minute.

"November nineteenth, twelve eighty-two."

Allie must have done the math in her head before letting out a soft whistle. "Wow. My boyfriend is six hundred and twenty three years old. Talk about a May-December romance."

Sebastian smiled at that. He liked that she called him her boyfriend. "I was only twenty-eight when I died."

"I can't even imagine all the things you must have seen."

If he stopped to think about it, evenhe couldn't imagine the things he'd witnessed. He'd stood in the presence of kings and queens. Stood in the shadows and watched historical events unfold right before his eyes. "One day I'll tell you all the wonders I've seen."

Her smile was radiant and her laugh infectious. "That'd sure make watching the History Channel a lot more fun." Then the bomb he dropped crept back into her mind. "Why were you celibate for so long?"

Cringing inwardly, Sebastian knew Allie wasn't going to let that bit of news go too long without an explanation.

He lifted her off his lap and set her aside. Lying back on the bed, he folded his arms behind his head.

She scooted over to him, making sure she was still covered by the sheet. He found her modesty adorable considering what they'd just done.

She was a b.l.o.o.d.y mess and pale as death. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, the spark gone, leaving them dull and lifeless. His saliva already healed the two small punctures his fangs made, leaving behind bruises that would fade naturally.

It was exactly how she looked after being attacked by those renegades.

He had no words for how deeply it pained him to have done this to her. Even as his guilt knew no bounds, a part of him felt intensely satisfied to have been able to take the life she so selflessly offered him. Her generosity and love humbled him.

"I drove a woman mad."

He gave her credit for how fast she snapped her jaw closed after it dropped open. "You can't be serious."

"I a.s.sure you I did. Her name was Selena Ashford. She was the daughter of a local lord back in Northumberland." He remembered the night like it happened only yesterday. "And only fifteen when I saw her running through the woods that separated Seacrest and Rydon. What a sight she was in that white gown. She looked like an angel.

"I made quick work of the renegade chasing her, though not quick enough. Selena saw me take the b.a.s.t.a.r.d out. She saw what I was, what I did. She saw me reduce the renegade to dust."

Allie looked baffled. The sentiment was reflected in her tone. "You saved her life."

"She lost her mind that night and I was responsible." Though he hardly ever thought back on that night, the recollection of the look in Selena's eyes still cut through him. "The renegade should have killed her.

After seeing what she became, it would have been the merciful thing."

Allie placed her hand on his chest. Her icy flesh chilled him.

"No, Sebastian. Take it from me because I know, if you would have left her for that renegade you would have condemned her to h.e.l.l."

"You can't know that."

"Can't I?" Allie kept her voice whisper soft. "I was attacked remember? I know what it feels like to have a monster stealing from your body. That vampire wasn't only taking my blood, Sebastian, he was stealing my soul."

"Oh G.o.d," Sebastian said hoa.r.s.ely. He sat up, his hands biting into her shoulders as he fought the need to give her a good shake. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have taken from you if I'd known that."

Allie's hands covered his. She pried them off her and held them down by threading her fingers through his. "I don't know. I never wanted anyone to know that."

Sebastian lay back and ran his hands over his face and head as he exhaled loudly. At that moment, feeling like a demon that crawled out of the bowels of h.e.l.l, he swore he could almost hear Lucifer's laugh cutting through the silence.

"You didn't drive Selena mad. Your takedown of the renegade obviously triggered what must have been there all along. You have to know that's true, Sebastian."

When Allie lay down next to him, he gathered her close and held her against his side, wis.h.i.+ng he could give her warmth back. He liked her in his arms, it was where she belonged. "I watched over her until the day she died. For twenty-six years I witnessed her suffering. I swore I'd never do that to another living soul. I only put myself around humans when I had to feed." "That's because you're a good man." Allie snuggled closer into him. "What made you break your celibacy vow after all these years?"

He rolled over onto her. He wanted her again, but she looked like h.e.l.l and he knew she wasn't up for another go. "You, Allie. Everything about you."

"I'm flattered."

He felt her love for him run through him. It lit him, burned him, made him wish to G.o.d he was alive with her, to share life with her not merely take it with nothing but death to give in return.

Though he didn't want to leave her, he had to. He had to put some distance between them in order to clear his mind and regain control.

"I'll be right back."

Getting out of the bed, Sebastian placed a kiss on Allie's forehead, loving the small, shy smile she gave him. He headed into the bathroom, stopping only long enough to pull on his pants. After was.h.i.+ng her blood from his face he brought her a wet cloth. By the time he got back to her, though only gone for a few minutes, she was already drifting off to sleep.

Her eyes opened when he began to wipe the blood from her. "Am I that much of a mess?"

"I'm afraid so." He felt guilty as sin for it.

She touched her hair and groaned. "I bet I look awful."

"You look beautiful."

"You're a good liar." Her laugh was weak at best, her eyelids already closing again. "My hair is a matted mess. It's the one draw-back of keeping it so long." She rubbed his shorn head and giggled, the first time he ever heard the like from her. "Guess you wouldn't know anything about that."

"No, I wouldn't." He ran his hand through her hair, working the knots free. "All better."

"Thanks."

Her arms reached out to him, beckoning him back to her. It was h.e.l.l to resist what she offered. "I have to go for a bit, suns.h.i.+ne."

He expected h.e.l.l from her. Obviously, his Allie was too tired to protest. "Hurry back, okay?"