Dark Beauty

Andreas’s house was huge. It almost seemed like a castle. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had never before in my life imagined being in a place like this. “You like it.”

“Can you blame me?” I asked awestruck as the limo pulled to a stop in front of the doors.

“It is not an unknown possibility,” it took me a moment to register the teasing note in his voice. I turned quickly and stuck my tongue out at him before looking back out the window. Antonio was at the door opening it for us. Andreas got out before me and helped me out, not something I needed, but it was appreciated. Antonio was already out the trunk getting out my pillowcase and my books. “Leave the books in the study and take the pillowcase to the chamber.”

I frowned at Andreas. “What are you planning buster?”

Andreas smiled innocently. “I merely wish to speak with you honey. Don’t you trust me?”

“I wonder,” I muttered.

Andreas’s chuckled darkly. “Do not fear me Layla. I would never harm you.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that, but I do doubt your motives and your intents.”

“You wound me.”

“Yeah right,” I scoffed.

Andreas laughed. It was something so smooth and beautiful that it took my breath away. It was all I could do to stand up straight and not let my wobbly knees give way. This man was a lethal, addictive drug. I knew it without even thinking. “Ah my sweet, meine Seele. I am glad that I found you. Will you come inside?”

I bit my lip and looked up at the house. I have weaknesses. Big, pretty, and historic looking houses is one of them. I was gone before I even had a chance to really consider refusing. “Yes,” I said nodding my head and walking into the house. I had no sooner stepped inside the house, then Andreas swept me off my feet and was carrying me through the house. I looked up at his face and he seemed so pleased to have me in his arms. He wasn’t balking under my weight. It made me feel…wonderful. I’m not at all feather light, but to Andreas, I was. That was good enough to me.

He took me to what looked like an eighteenth century library. I feel in love with the room immediately. All I could do was stare in wonder and adoration at the shelves and shelves of books that surrounded the room. The books were mostly all leather-bound editions with some plain hard backed editions interspersed every once and a while. “This room pleases you?” There was a deep rumble of thunder that resembled something like Andreas’s pleased chuckling as he put me on my feet.

“I adore this room Andreas. I love books. They are-oh were- my world.” Andreas had started growling when I had begun to suggest when I wasn’t his world. My quick wording change didn’t seem to his mood much. He grabbed the nape of my neck and kissed me. Though I must say that the word kissing wouldn’t do the act justice. It was more branding, ravishing, and plundering all in one. It was hard, possessive, and unyielding. It was Andreas’s way of saying that I belonged to him and nothing would take his place in my life.

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Andreas was pleased with his mate’s reaction to his kiss. It made him want her all the more. Andreas deepened the kiss and moved his free hand down the length of her arm. She shivered and he knew that she had begun to react to him. Andreas lost himself in the taste and feel of his mate. She was more than he had ever hoped for. More than he had ever hoped to have. She was perfection itself. This was the woman who would cage the beast inside of him for eternity. No other was equal to such a task. For that, he would be eternally gratefully to God.

Andreas began the ritual words in his own tongue. “ You are my lifemate. I claim you as my lifemate. I belong to you. I offer my life for you. I give you my protection. I give you my allegiance. I give you my heart. I give you my soul. I give you my body. I take into my keeping the same that is yours. Your life will be cherished by me for all my time. Your life will be placed above my own for all time. You are my lifemate. You are bound to me for all eternity. You are always in my care.”

All at once, they were bound. Their minds were irreversibly connected. He could feel the ties binding them together for all time. He needed to complete the ritual. It was the only thing his mind could grasp. He could feel her hands pressed against his chest. Her voice was an incomprehensible whisper against the blood roaring in his ears. The only thing he could do was complete the ritual and he did.

That was when he felt her fear and her pain. It was overwhelming and terrible. Good God, what had he done?

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A look of shock came over Andreas’s face and I knew that he had finally come back to his senses. My screams had subsided into whispers as he finally spoke. “Layla, speak to me,” he tried to stroke my cheek, but I slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me!” I screamed. “Get off of me!” I struggled and fought until I was free and then I ran. I ran through the house until I was in a darkened garden. I fell onto my knees and the sobs came back in full a vengeance. I knew he had bound me to him. He had done it all against my will. The whole ritual was complete. I could not escape him now whether I wanted to or not. I knew that he couldn’t have stopped himself or else he would have, and I knew instantly that I could not hate him for it. In fact, I couldn’t help, but try and defend him even in my own mind. It didn’t make me feel any better though. He had taken what was mine to give. Even if by Carpathian law we were…wed…it hadn’t been by my will and it hadn’t been my gift. And that was why I continued to cry even when he picked me up and took me into the house and into a chamber. He stayed with me that night, but he didn’t lie down next to me and for that I was eternally grateful.