J.C. Gordon's Blog

Chapter 18.3: Throw Back Thursday. 

She moaned as he lifted her body up from the bed and slid her down onto his cock as he knelt on the bed. He suckled against one breast and then the other as he held her still against his body. He leaned her backwards over his arm, his eyes glittering as he ran a hand over her breasts.

"Do you want to ride me, wife or shall I ride you?" he asked huskily, moving deep inside her.

Emily moaned and writhed against him. "Take me, husband," she moaned. "Ride me hard."

He groaned and lowered her to the bed, thrusting into her sweet body as he did so. He raised her arms above her head and held them there securely with one hand. His other hand moved to her hip and he gripped her tightly before he began to push hard into her, taking her with short, fast strokes, his breathing laboured as he pounded against her.

Emily cried out and bucked up to meet each thrust, her head thrashing from side to side as their lovemaking quickly reached a breathtaking intensity.

"Harder, Cullen," she cried, wild with need.

He responded to her urging, ramming into her hard and fast, his need at feverish level as he took her almost violently and she responded equally as ferociously.

They cried out together as their pleasure peaked and they shuddered wildly against each other.

Cullen collapsed on the bed beside her, spent for the moment but knowing that he would soon be craving her sweet body again. He couldn't get enough of his beautiful wife.

He pulled the covers around them and cuddled into Emily's back, holding her securely in his embrace. He kissed her shoulder leisurely, brushing her tangled curls out of the way so he could taste more of her sweet flesh. One hand curled around her breast and stroked lightly as they lay together, their breathing slowly beginning to calm.

"You work to hard," he said quietly.

"How would you know, you've only just come back?" Emily laughed, her hand coming to his against her breast and stroking him lightly.

"Why do you think I called Dorian just about every day," he smiled as his mouth roamed over her shoulder. "I love Dorian but I really didn't need to be in that much contact with him. I was calling to find out how you were, what you were doing. If you were coping okay without me. So I do know you've been working too hard, love."

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Really, Cullen?" she asked softly.

"Really, Emily," he smiled. "I may have been thousands of miles away but I couldn't get through one day without knowing what you were doing, that was how much I missed being with you."

"And you determined from this second hand information that I've been working too hard," she said quietly.

"Haven't you been?" he asked, his lips once more moving over her skin.

Emily sighed. "I suppose I have been," she admitted. "I needed something to fill my time, to make things a bit more bearable."

"Janick was right when he said you need to take some time for yourself, love," he said slowly, afraid to get her hackles up.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked carefully, her body slightly tense against him.

"A second honeymoon," he smiled. "Just you and me, alone, lying like this in each other's arms after making hot passionate love together."

Emily relaxed and then giggled. "I think I could be persuaded," she sighed. A whole week, maybe even two of just her and Cullen sounded like sweet bliss.

"It took millennia for our kind to stagnate the first time, love," Cullen said gently. "I'm sure they'll survive just fine without you for a week or two."

"I'm so glad you're home, Cullen," she whispered. "I don't think you've ever really understood how much your Princess needs you as badly as your wife does. I could have a hundred wise heads around me but you are the only one who has the real power to make me stop and see what I'm doing wrong."

Cullen swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He had been so wrapped up in his own issues that what she said was true. He hadn't realised how hard it was for her to take on the responsibility she had. He hadn't known just how much she needed and relied on him to keep her feet on the right path.

"You're right, love," he said softly. "I didn't understand. But I do now, Emily and I'm going to be with you every step of the way. And I've decided that a second honeymoon is imperative to the health and well being of not only my wife but also my Princess. So I'll accept no arguments from you about that."

Emily sighed and pulled his hand to her mouth so she could kiss it. "And I will give you none, my husband," she said and then she sucked a finger deep into her mouth and laved it gently with her tongue.

Cullen groaned and felt his body stir against her.

"Again? So soon," she laughed huskily and proceeded to suck his fingers rhythmically until he pulled his hand away and raised her leg so he could slide into her from behind.

"Again," he breathed against her shoulder, feeling her hot tightness surrounding him. He began to move inside her, taking her with long, slow strokes, his hand coming between her legs to dance lightly and teasingly over her heated flesh.

Emily moaned and raised an arm back behind her to clasp around the back of his neck and he nibbled and licked at her shoulder as he moved inside her.

"I can't get enough of you, Emily," Cullen groaned deeply. "I want to be buried deep inside you forever, feeling your hot, wet tightness wrapped around me. Your body is so beautiful, so sexy, so incredibly hot."

They moved together slowly and leisurely, their lovemaking achingly tender as they whispered words of love to each other until Cullen took her tumbling over the edge again and she cried out her sweet pleasure as he groaned his against her shoulder.

Emily didn't know what time they finally fell asleep. She just knew her body was entirely satiated from Cullen's sweet lovemaking and her spirit was soaring as she basked in his love for her. She curled into his embrace and closed her eyes.

She woke first the next morning. Cullen was sound asleep so she slipped quietly from their bed and had a quick shower and dressed. She suddenly remembered about her torn underwear and retrieved it from his jeans, a wry smile on her face as she dumped the shredded material in the bucket.

She made her way out to the common room. Janick was playing chess with one of his friends but he looked up as she entered.

He stared at her for a moment, his expression unfathomable but then his beautiful face broke into a big, welcoming smile and she relaxed slowly and walked over to them.

"Who's winning?" she asked lightly glancing at the board.

Janick shot her a 'you have to be kidding me look?' and she burst out laughing.

"Pardon me for asking," she said when she finally stopped laughing. She beckoned to one of the serving staff and sat down to watch the end of the game. Janick really was thrashing his friend she saw as she sipped at the drink she had been brought. The game ended soon after she sat down and Janick turned to her as his friend moved away.

"Now that's the kind of look I've been longing to see on your beautiful face, Emily," he finally said with a small smile.

She flushed slightly and looked away, feeling sad for her friend.

"Don't be sad, sweet one," Janick said softly. "I am surprising myself by discovering that of the two choices before me yesterday, this one is the one which gives me the most pleasure."

She looked back at him and smiled. "Thank you, my friend. For everything."

"It is my pleasure to serve, Highness," he said giving her a mock bow and a leering grin.

Emily burst out laughing again. "You are so bad," she laughed, her eyes shining.

"Is it safe for me to be seen with you or is your husband going to appear out of nowhere again and threaten to rip my head off?" Janick joked. "That was a pretty impressive display he put on last night. Talk about marking your territory."

Emily blushed and groaned. "Don't, Janick," she laughed. "I'd just about forgotten about that embarrassing episode. And yes, you are perfectly safe in my company."

"Just checking," he said with a smile. "I quite like my head where it is."

"Cullen isn't like that, Janick," Emily protested. "He doesn't go around beating his chest and threatening to decapitate other men just because they find his wife attractive."

Her friend raised an eyebrow at her. "But you told him about our kiss, did you not?" he asked. "It's one thing to look and another to touch, Emily."

"Janick," Emily sighed patiently. "Of course I told him about the kiss. You knew I would. I wouldn't keep something like that from my husband. He was fine about it, very understanding even. There really is no issue with us being friends. Cullen still cares for Elizabeth. I know that and I understand it too. I dare say once everything dies down and gets back to normal, Elizabeth will start coming around more often. I'm more than comfortable with that even though I know she still loves him. Cullen feels the same way about you as I do about Elizabeth."

"Okay, I give up," Janick laughed. "No point in arguing with you about it. Just don't be surprised if things are a little bit tense for a while. Men can be a lot more territorial than women are when it comes to their mates."

Emily sighed and decided to let the matter drop. She really hoped that Janick was overstating things. She really didn't want to be butting heads with her stubborn husband so soon after he'd come home.

"So what are you plans now?" Janick asked.

"Some time off," Emily sighed a blissful smile on her face.

"About bloody time," Janick said. "Let me guess, Cullen's orders?"

Emily laughed. "Right with your first guess. He insists on a second honeymoon away from this place."

"Then I am really pleased that he's returned. He seems to be the only person you really will listen to when you've got your stubborn head on, Emily. You seriously need the break."

"I know, my friend," she said quietly. "I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to no bowing, no, my Princess, no, Highness! It's going to be heaven."

The sound of a door opening made her turn her head and there was Cullen, his eyes searching for her and finding her immediately. She watched him closely for any signs that he was unhappy to find her sitting with Janick but his eyes were warm and his beautiful smile was radiant as he strode towards them.

He kissed her lightly and sank down on the sofa beside her, grabbing her glass and draining it.

"Hey, that was mine, get your own," Emily said indignantly, slapping his arm playfully.

"What's yours is mine, wife," he laughed and kissed her again before signalling the serving staff for some more drinks.

"I was just telling Janick about taking some time off," Emily said as he looped an arm lightly across her shoulder.

"A great idea, Cullen " Janick said. "And long overdue."

Cullen smiled at the other man. "How many times did you suggest it to her?" he asked.

"Must be close to about twenty," Janick laughed. "She never listened though."

"Excuse me, I am still here," Emily said tartly and the two men laughed.

"When do you want to go, love?" Cullen asked when he'd stopped laughing.

"Next week?" she proposed. "There's a couple of things I need to do this week and then I'm at your disposal."

"Do you have time to slot in some house hunting?" Cullen asked sipping at his drink.

"House hunting?" she said surprised. "Where did that come from? And what's wrong with here?"

Cullen rolled his eyes. "This is your place of work as well as your social life. Did you ever see me with a bed at Cullen and Cross?
 Our room here is supposed to be for a bit of privacy when we're out. Not a permanent residence. We need a house, Emily."

She frowned at him. "We have the apartment."

"You can sell that. It's in your name remember," Cullen said.

"Why would I want to sell a perfectly good apartment?"

"Because we're buying a house and we won't need it anymore," Cullen sighed as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"Cullen," Emily said quietly, her tone annoyed. "Do you not think we should discuss this first?"

"Isn't that what we're doing right now?" he asked his expression innocent.

"I hardly think this counts as a discussion, Cullen. You're telling me what's happening, not asking my opinion about it."

He smiled. "I guess I am," he said, his tone blasé which made her hackles rise more.

"Oh, I know that look," he laughed. "This is when you start lecturing me isn't it, wife?"

"We'll talk about this later," she said shortly, her eyes flashing angrily.

Cullen grabbed her and kissed her until all the anger melted from her body.

"So can you fit the house hunting in this week?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Fine," she said breathlessly, "Just not Wednesday. I'm busy on Wednesday."

"See that wasn't so hard now, was it?" Cullen laughed and then ducked as she went to hit him.

"I suppose you have a point," she finally conceded. "You're going to be a right pain in my royal backside aren't you, husband?" she laughed.

"I'm going to be exactly what you need, Emily," he answered. "Someone who takes care of you when you don't do the job yourself."

"I can see now why none of the rest of us could ever get her to listen," Janick laughed "Interesting technique you have, Cullen."

Emily blushed, having forgotten he was there for a moment and Cullen laughed.

"She's a stubborn woman," Cullen smiled. "Sometimes drastic measures are called for the get through to her."

"I'll leave you two male chauvinists to sit and beat your chests and discuss the correct techniques for subduing women," Emily said waspishly, standing up. "Oh, and Cullen, just beat your own chest. Janick can do his own by himself, he won't need any help."

She waltzed off leaving Janick looking slightly uneasy and Cullen roaring with laughter.

Janick watched Cullen carefully. "You know I love her," he said to the other man. He may as well get this conversation over and done with.

Cullen nodded. "I know she cares about you too and that you kissed. She told me everything."

"I guess that doesn't sit too well with you," Janick said.

"It's not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be," Cullen admitted. "When I was thousands of miles away wondering what was going on here, it was slightly different. Look Janick, I was an ass. I left her with no idea whether I was coming back or not. She's a beautiful woman. It was only a matter of time before someone fell in love with her. I can't fault any man for feeling like that about her, not when I love her too."

"I was willing to take things further with her, Cullen," Janick said. "I was willing to take your place even though what she feels for me pales into insignificance compared to how she feels about you."

"I know," Cullen answered. "If I hadn't come back, she would have accepted your love too. She would have done her very best to love you as you loved her. It maybe even might have worked. If I'd chosen to stay away I would have wanted that for her, Janick, irrespective of how jealous and hurt I would have felt. I would have wanted her to find happiness with someone else. It actually gives me some comfort knowing that you were always there for her. I don't begrudge you trying to win her hand. I don't begrudge you kissing her either or being her friend. As long as it is in the past now that I've returned."

"It is in the past, Cullen," Janick said. "I know you heard everything we talked about last night. The two parts of how I was feeling about your return. I love her but I found today when she walked through that door with joy and happiness in her eyes, that I was glad you'd stayed. I would much rather see her so radiant and alive than being merely content to be with me. It's what she deserves."

"Janick, she is graced with such good fortune to have a friend such as you in her life," Cullen said quietly. "I hope over time that some of that friendship rubs off on me too."

"I don't think that will be too hard a task for me to undertake, Cullen," Janick smiled. "I liked you before I loved her, even though you act like a fool sometimes."

Cullen laughed and raised his glass. "To friendship," he said.

"To friendship," Janick echoed.


The End. :)

Chapter 18.2: Throw Back Thursday.

Cullen walked slowly towards them. Emily searched his face intently trying not to hope too much. He could simply have stopped by to let her know he was leaving.

"Can you forgive me, Emily?" he finally asked softly, stopping a few feet from the dais.

Emily's heart soared as she saw the love blazing from his eyes. She cried out and flew down the steps, launching herself into his arms.

"Always, Cullen" she whispered. "I will always forgive you, no matter what. I've told you this time and time again. Perhaps this time you will believe me, my husband?"

Cullen tightened his arms around her, his hand coming to stroke her face tenderly. "The demons are gone, Emily, every last one of them. This time I can truly believe in everything, my love."

Neither of them saw Janick slip quietly from the room. Their eyes were locked together, drowning deeply in each other's soul.

"You'll stay forever this time, Cullen?" Emily asked softly, a note of uncertainty in her voice.

"Forever, my Emily," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I never want to be apart from you again, love. It hurts too much. I should have come home a long time ago, Emily. I wanted to, every day I wanted to come home to you but something intangible was holding me back. Elizabeth unlocked the doors to my demons and suddenly they all seemed to have just melted away."

"I've missed you terribly, Cullen," she whispered. "I knew I had to let you go, that it was the only way you could battle your demons before you could come home to me. But it was so very hard, my love."

"I know, Emily," Cullen sighed. "Hurting you was the last thing I ever wanted to do, love. And yet, I just seemed to keep doing it over and over again. I've hated myself so much knowing that you were here alone and in pain."

Emily pulled away from him and put a few steps between them.

"I kissed Janick," she confessed quietly.

He gave her a small smile. "Would that have been the night you first called to me?" he asked softly.

"You knew?" she gasped in surprise.

"I knew something had upset you greatly, love," he said gently. "Something that wounded you so badly you couldn't stop yourself reaching out to me. It's all right, Emily. I'm not angry or upset that you kissed him. He was here for you when I wasn't. I had left you hanging for so long. It was inevitable that something like that would occur."

"I felt so guilty, Cullen, that I would let another man kiss me and hold me as you once had," she whispered, her expression tortured. "I loved you so much and yet I allowed myself to consider the possibility of being with someone else."

"It certainly gave me a wake up call," he smiled ruefully. "I was coming home, Emily. I may have been taking my time about it but I was coming home to you from that night when I learned that Janick loved you. I knew that if I left it much longer there was a chance you would not be waiting for me when I finally made my decision."

"But you were so angry with me when I summoned you," she said shocked by his admission. "You said you were going to divorce me."

"I was still fighting hard against your pull, love," he admitted with a rueful smile. "I was trying so hard to deny that I couldn't be without you a moment longer. I was coming home but all the demons were still intact. I think I knew deep down that if I did come home it would surely have destroyed us because I couldn't trust in myself still which meant I couldn't trust in you."

"And now?" Emily asked, a lingering doubt still in her eyes. "Can you trust in the both of us? Can you love both Emily and your Princess?"

Cullen crossed the distance between them and pulled her back into his embrace. "With all my heart, love," he whispered, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "My Princess has the most generous loving heart for her people. She has cried many nights in deep sorrow so our people could be united and safe. She sacrifices greatly for the good of all, perhaps too much sometimes, but it is always with the best of intentions. How could I not love a ruler such as she?"

He kissed her softly, a chaste kiss which tugged at her heart.

"As for my Emily, there has never been a moment since I met her that I haven't loved her," he breathed against her lips. "From the first instance when I saw you standing beside that buffet table in Arthur Belmont's house I loved you. Your beautiful hair was like a living flame under the lights that night. Without even knowing who you were I was pulled across the room to you. I never stood a chance against you, my Emily."

Emily felt tears of joy fall down her face. She pressed her lips to his, sighing softly as he coaxed her lips to part and kissed her with agonising tenderness.

"I swear I'll never leave again, love," Cullen groaned softly. "I'll do everything in my power to earn your trust again, my wife."

"I've always trusted you, Cullen," Emily sighed. "I've always loved you. It was you who always doubted yourself, my love. With that now gone we can finally spend eternity together."

She kissed him again, with more urgency, her body flaming with need to be close to him. To feel him love her body as well as her mind. He pressed restlessly against her, his own need flaring up, trying to consume him. He tore his mouth away from her and groaned deeply. "We can't do this here," he laughed ruefully. "Anyone could walk in."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the little antechamber and locked the door behind them. She kissed him feverishly, her hands tugging at his shirt.

"Whatever would the King think if he knew what you were doing in his waiting room?" Cullen chuckled, his own hands unbuttoning her top to free her beautiful breasts to his touch.

"Cullen, shut up and make love to me," she ground out and then moaned as his thumbs ran over the hardened peaks of her breasts.

"Yes, my Princess," he whispered hoarsely, lifting her up so his mouth could suckle against her breast.

Emily moaned again, her breath coming out in quick pants as her need soared. "Oh God, Cullen, I can't wait," she said desperately.

She felt his hand push her skirt around her hips and then rip the panties from her body. He sucked hard on her breast as he released himself from his jeans and then pulled her down until her tight tunnel was sliding over his rigid cock until he was buried deep inside her.

Emily cried out as their bodies joined together. Cullen caught her cry with his mouth, his own deep groan being smothered by their lips. He pushed her up against the wall and moved deep inside her, taking her with long, hard strokes.

Emily clung onto his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed him feverishly as he thrust up again and again, taking her hard and fast as their need for one another consumed them.

"Oh God, Emily, I've missed you so much," Cullen said hoarsely. "I've missed being inside you like this. You feel so good wrapped around me, love."

He punctuated his words with fiery kisses and she moaned loudly with every hot, hard thrust deep inside her body.

"Take me, Cullen," she moaned. "Take me hard and fast. Make me yours again. Take me to heaven, my love."

He growled and ravished her mouth as he thrust harder into her. He was out of control, his need for her so bad he didn't know if he could hold on long enough for her to achieve her own pleasure. He slid a hand between their bodies and found her clit.

"Come for me, Emily," he said through clenched teeth. "Come soon because I can't hold back, love. I need you too much."

He rubbed against her clit with his fingers as his body surged hard into hers over and over again.

Emily was moaning continuously, bucking against him wildly, the breath rasping out her throat.

"Cullen, Oh God, Cullen!" she screamed as her body suddenly shattered in waves of incredible pleasure. She could hear him crying out her name as if from a distance as he shuddered against her and she felt the hot sticky wetness of his release bathe her insides.

Breathing erratically, Cullen leaned against her, his head pressed into the curve of her neck as his entire body trembled in little aftershocks from the intense orgasm he has just had. He could feel Emily trembling against him, her own breathing erratic and her heart thundering.

"Dear God, Emily, I've never felt anything as intense as that before," he whispered.

"The earth certainly moved for me," she laughed softly, her body still trembling.

He lowered her gently to the floor, afraid to move away from her body.

"I think I may have made a bit of a mess," he said sheepishly. "It has been so long since I've lain with you. I think rather a lot of my seed has been spilled this night."

Emily laughed and rolled her eyes.

"And you destroyed my panties too," she chuckled. "Are you trying to tell me the Princess of Vampires is going to have to walk through the common room hoping and praying that no one notices that her husband's love for her is slowly dripping down her thighs?"

"Oh God, Emily, I'm sorry," he groaned. "I shouldn't have gotten so carried away. Maybe we could tie your panties somehow?" he asked hopefully.

Emily laughed harder until tears were rolling down her face. "Oh, this is so priceless," she finally gasped when she could stop laughing. He moved away from her and she grabbed her torn panties and cleaned herself as best she could.

Cullen rolled his eyes and laughed, taking the ruined underwear and stuffing it in his pocket. "The next time we wait until we're safely behind closed doors," he grumbled, still laughing.

"Is that an order, my husband? she teased gently, her eyes shining.

"It is, my Princess," he laughed, pulling her up and buttoning her top back up. He groaned softly.

"What?" she asked.

"You look like you've just been tumbled very energetically by your husband," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Probably because I just have been," she laughed, trying to straighten her hair. "Oh well, there's nothing else for it. My appearance will just have to do. Come on."

All eyes turned to them as they entered the common room. Emily stifled a groan as she saw lips twitching as she walked passed.

"The first one who says anything is going to be very sorry," she whispered quietly to Cullen who had an arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

"I'll lay money on Liam being the only one brave enough while we're still in the room," Cullen whispered back.

Emily was glad she didn't take that bet when Liam called out loudly. "I take it this means the divorce is off?"

Cullen laughed and swooped Emily up in his arms as she shot daggers at Liam and made to move towards him.

"Get the door, Alice," he laughed. "While I convince my wife that she really does love our Liam and she would be most distressed if I allowed her to take his head from his shoulders."

The room dissolved into laughter as Alice hurriedly complied with Cullen's request and Emily groaned and buried her head in his neck as her face flamed with embarrassment.

"I'm so embarrassed," she groaned as Cullen dropped her onto the bed coming down to lie beside her. "I don't know why you're grinning so much."

"It's a male pride thing," he chuckled. "I find myself basking in the glory of having every other man in that room know that you are mine and I have come home to stake my claim on you."

Emily rolled her eyes and tried not to smile at his open smugness. "Every man or one particular man?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

He looked at her sheepishly, "Okay, maybe one particular man," he admitted, his tone rueful. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. I know Janick has been a great comfort to you, love, but he wants what is mine. I can't really blame him for that because you are a prize worth having. But you are my prize and no one else's."

Emily shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "Next you'll be pissing on my leg to mark your territory," she groaned.

Cullen threw back his head and laughed loudly. "I believe it was another bodily fluid I used, my love," he said against her mouth, sliding his tongue deep inside her parted lips to taste her sweetness.

She wrapped her arms around him and returned his kiss. "Okay, I give you this one time and one time only, husband," she laughed. "You have declared your ownership publicly. Now you will behave with decorum when we are in public and not embarrass me like that again."

"As my Princess commands," he chuckled and kissed her again until she moaned and rubbed against him.

Cullen lay back and pulled her on top of him. "I want you again, wife," he groaned. "I have been too long without your sweet loving. I need you."

Emily laughed and stood up and stripped off her clothing. She flew back to the bed, relieving him of his clothes too and then straddling his body to slide down on his hard cock.

They took their time this time, savouring the feel of their bodies moving together. Emily rode his body in long, slow, passionate movements as he let her set the pace of their lovemaking.

"You look so beautiful when you take your pleasure from me," Cullen whispered softly. He cupped her ass with his hands, easing her up and down his hard length. "Ride me, wife. Take your pleasure."

Emily moaned and moved slightly faster against his body, her hands on his chest. She slid her hands slowly down to his hips and gripped him tightly as she moved on him, increasing the tempo in slow increments, building the fire between them slowly.

"God, Emily, you're driving me insane," Cullen groaned through clenched teeth, thrusting deep inside her as she slid down on him. "Faster, love," he begged as his need began to spiral out of control.

Emily ground down hard against him and then began to move at a much faster tempo, her breath coming out in short gasps as her pleasure began to build more quickly.

"Yes," Cullen groaned, moving faster beneath her, his hands coming to her hips to guide her movements. "Take me, Emily, hard and fast."

Emily cried out and threw her head back, riding him wildly as she felt her orgasm begin to crash over her in wave after wave of sweet pleasure, her cries coming together in one long wail of ecstasy.

Cullen thrust deep within her and roared his pleasure as his seed once more boiled from his balls and erupted deep inside his wife's body. He jerked rhythmically against her until the sweet pleasure passed and she fell forward on top of him, his arms automatically holding her close to him. He peppered her face with hot kisses as she came down from the high of her own release.

"I love you, Emily," he whispered tenderly, stroking his hand up and down her back in long, loving strokes.

"I love you, Cullen," she whispered, burying her face in his neck and kissing and licking at his sweat covered skin.

"I hope you don't have any plans on sleeping tonight, love," Cullen chuckled softly. "I intend to spend the rest of the night making love to you until you're too exhausted to move. I have so much lost loving to make up for."

"Your Princess is in perfect agreement with you this one time, husband," she laughed huskily. "You have her permission to abuse her body all night long."

Cullen laughed and pulled her up from the bed. "I think a shower is called for and then some sustenance so we have sufficient strength to carry out the wondrous task we have assigned ourselves tonight."

He pulled her into the bathroom and started the shower. They kissed and then they were under the hot spray and Cullen's helpfulness at ensuring she was thoroughly washed turned into something else and before she knew it he was taking her again against the tiled wall, his hot, hard body thrusting deep inside her as the water poured over them.

His passion was hot and full of need. He took her hard and she revelled in the roughness of his touch on her skin. He turned her and entered her from behind, thrusting deep and hard as he pressed her against the tiles, his hand coming between her legs to rub against her clit roughly and drive her mad with the need to come.

"Come, baby," he groaned. "Come on my cock. Let me feel your hot, wet tunnel grip my cock hard as your body shakes with pleasure."

His earthy words, deft fingers and throbbing hard cock tipped her over the edge and she was engulfed in pleasure as her orgasm shuddered through her. He answered her passion with his own hoarse cry as he bucked into her, pouring his seed deep within her body, his mouth feverishly moving over her shoulder as they came in unison.

"Now you have to wash me all over again," Emily laughed when he pulled away from her and she turned round to look at him.

He smiled crookedly and flexed his fingers together. "It's a tough job but someone has to do it," he smiled and then picked up the soap and began to get on with the task.

Cullen had not been joking. She'd no sooner finished her drink and he his when he was pulling her back down on the bed, kissing her back slowly, his mouth moving over every inch of her skin. He massaged her ass and kissed each cheek thoroughly before his hot tongue slid within the crack and licked roughly at her puckered hole.

She moaned and writhed on the bed as his tongue breached her tight ring and began to slide in and out leisurely. He finally moved down and kissed the back of her thighs all the way down to her feet. He against stopped at her ass, licking and tasting her puckered hole, driving her wild with his hot touch. He slid an arm underneath her to hold her waist and raised her body up. He brought a finger to her and slowly eased it into her tight ring. She cried out as he penetrated her body and then slowly thrust the finger in and out. The sensation was amazing.

He seemed fascinated by her reaction to his anal penetration. He eased her open gently and tenderly until he could slide another finger inside her. She felt so stretched and full. She moaned and moved back against his fingers, wanting more. He began to take her ass forcefully, grinding his fingers deep inside her tight hole as she cried out over and over again at the amazing sensations she was feeling at his wickedness. The hand around her waist moved to her clit and he rubbed roughly as his fingers worked her ass hard.

Emily was mindless with pleasure, grinding her body against his hands as he pushed her higher and higher until she was crying out her pleasure once more, coming hard from the sheer eroticism of what he was doing to her body.

He soothed her down by kissing slowly up her back and then he turned her over. He was smiling as he looked into her flushed face. "I think you liked my fingers in your ass, wife," he chuckled. "It brought all manner of wicked ideas to my head. I think I may have to feel what your sweet little ass feels like around my hard cock."

Emily sucked in a deep breath at the lust she saw on her husband's face.

"Not tonight, wife," he laughed again when he saw her expression. "But soon, sweet Emily, when you least expect."

To be continued....

Chapter 18.1: Throw Back Thursday.

Emily was sitting in the common room, engrossed in a game of chess with Janick when Cullen arrived. She knew he was there even though her back was to the door. The deadly hush that descended over the room alerted her as well as the slight tensing of Janick's body.

She made her move and snapped the button of her clock down, passing control of the board to her friend. She heard Cullen approach but kept her eyes fixed to the board.

"I have come as summoned, my Princess," Cullen's sweet voice said close to her. From the corner of her eye she saw his low bow of respect.

"Rise, Cullen," she said quietly. "It pleases me that you are once more in our presence, my husband, even if it did require a royal command."

Janick made his move and passed control of the board back to Emily. She knew both men were watching her closely.

"Would my Princess prefer to conclude our game at a later time?" Janick asked, breaking the silence as Emily studied the board.

"I'm sure my husband would like to spend some time greeting family and friends," she sighed softly. "I know they will be overjoyed to see him again. We will talk when I have concluded my game, Cullen."

She heard a slight hiss as he sucked in his breath. His voice was even when he spoke though. "As my Princess commands," he said quietly and spun on his heels and walked away.

Emily slowly released a long, slow breath and made her move, hitting the clock once she had done so.

"Prevaricating?" Janick asked with a small smile.

She looked at him and saw resignation in his eyes as well as concern for her.

"Just a little, my friend," she smiled softly, patting his hand gently in way of apologising for the hurt she knew he was feeling. "Sometimes I am not in so great a rush to break my heart."

Cullen found her the moment he entered the room. It was as if his eyes were pulled to her against his will. God, she looked so beautiful sitting there with Janick, pouring over a chess board with an expression of deep concentration. Was she deliberately with Janick to try and get a reaction out of him? He held onto his anger at her and strode over.

He seethed when she didn't even look at him after summoning him back so summarily. Her dismissal of him, so she could continue her game, angered him further. His mood was black as he made his way over to Liam, Dorian and Alice. He nodded and sat beside them on the sofa.

"I would say you're looking well, Cullen," Dorian said quietly, "but I believe livid would be a better word?"

Cullen sighed and tried to reign in his temper. "I'm not in a very good mood," he agreed and attempted a smile, his eyes fixed on Emily across the room. "It is not every day a man is summoned home, against his will, by his wife only to be ignored once he has arrived. It does tend to blacken one's mood."

"Oh, Cullen, don't be angry," Alice said gently. "She's just working up the courage to speak with you."

Cullen snorted in disbelief, his eyes dark with emotion. "More likely she is enjoying her power over me," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Cullen, you know that is not true," Liam sighed, rubbing and weary hand over his eyes. "Emily has been most subdued since she told us you were coming home. You are the one person that she seems incapable of dealing with at the best of times. And these are not exactly the best of times, my friend."

Cullen forced himself to relax and take the scowl from his face. "Do any of you know what she wants of me?" he finally asked.

"It has something to do with Elizabeth," Dorian answered. "That is all we know."

Cullen looked at him in surprise. "Elizabeth?" he asked quietly.

"She came the night Emily summoned you," Dorian explained. "They talked privately for a long time in her room and then Elizabeth emerged. It was evident she had been crying. A while later, Emily came out and said you were coming home and that you were going to file for divorce."

Cullen listened intently, his expression closed and guarded.

"Did you really mean it, Cullen?" Alice whispered, her beautiful face full of anguish. "Are you really going to divorce Emily?"

"Yes," he finally admitted painfully .

He turned to his friends. "We can't keep doing this to each other," he told them. "It has to end. If divorce is the only option then I will file for one."

The sound of hands clapping filled the room and they all turned to see Emily rising from the chess game. Janick rose too and took her hand, bowing his head to kiss it.

"I fear my Princess was distracted this evening," he said with a small smile. "Though I will take the win however I may get it seeing as she usually wipes the floor with me."

Rumbles of laughter filled the room and Emily smiled back at him.

"Hardly, Janick. You win one in five games against me. Which is more than anyone else does," she laughed.

"Still a severe blow to my pride, Highness, when I was once the undefeated champion," he retorted lightly. "Perhaps your husband should come home more often and then my odds for winning would improve immeasurably?"

Emily's smiled tightened slightly as her friend let her know of his deep hurt at Cullen's return. She slowly withdrew her hand from his.

"Deftly done, my friend," Emily responded, letting him know that his barb had hit it's target.

"I take no pleasure with a win in such circumstances, my Princess," Janick said, a hint of remorse in his tone.

"I know, Janick," Emily sighed softly. She smiled once more. "I suppose I must now attend to my husband seeing as I summoned him back so summarily. The joys of marriage." Her tone made it plain that she found no joy in her current circumstances.

She turned to face Cullen. Pain lanced through her as their eyes connected and she saw the pain and anger in his. His beautiful face was so composed in every other way but his eyes screamed at her. She slowly walked towards him, wondering what he was reading in her own eyes.

"Cullen," she said softly when she reached him. "I know this is the last place you want to be and that you're very angry with me for making you come. I ask only that you hear me out before you reach any decisions which cannot be recovered from."

He stared at her a moment and then nodded once.

Emily sighed and turned towards the private quarters. Cullen followed her a fraction of a second later. They walked in silence, each glancing surreptitiously at the other. Emily motioned him to enter their room before her and closed the door behind them.

Cullen turned to face her and she could see his eyes greedily roaming over her as hers where doing to him. It had been so long since she had last seen him. The time without him had seemed so empty and unreal.

"Cullen," she whispered in anguish, her eyes filling with tears. "Please give me one moment, just one, my love."

Strong emotions crossed his face and then he was pulling her into his arms and holding her desperately, his face buried in the side of her neck. They held each other for a long time, their pain radiating around them. Finally Cullen pulled back and moved away from her.

"What did you want to talk about, Emily?" he asked with his back to her, his voice strained.

"It is not I you need to speak with, Cullen," she answered quietly. "You need to speak with Elizabeth."

He turned, his expression puzzled. "Elizabeth?"

Emily nodded. "She will be here soon. She comes every night around about this time. I ask that you hear her out, Cullen. Really listen to her words. If you wish to speak with me once you have done so, I will be in the meeting room. If you choose not to speak to me then you may leave and I will never summon you back again. I will accept our marriage is over and you may have your uncontested divorce."

Cullen stared at her intently, his thoughts confused. What could Elizabeth possibly have to say which would make any difference? His heart ached to see Emily's pain so clearly on her face. His heart ached for his own pain too. Was this finally the end to their relationship? Had they always been doomed to follow this path?

"What will you do if Elizabeth's words make no difference?" he finally asked quietly. "Will you go to Janick?" He felt bitter jealously deep inside as he thought of her with the other man.

"Possibly," she answered truthfully, her expression haunted. "He loves me and I do care a great deal for him. He isn't you but he would love me as fiercely as he could. Maybe he has enough love in his heart for both of us."

Cullen's heart twisted painfully in his chest and he hissed in pain.

"What would you have me do, Cullen?" Emily half sobbed. "If you do not want me must I spent the rest of eternity alone so your feelings are not hurt? Would you consign me to a life of loneliness?"

"No," he ground out through clenched teeth. "I would want you to find what happiness you could, Emily, irrespective of how miserable it made me."

Emily wiped tears from her face and turned to the door.

"I will send Elizabeth through when she arrives," she said quietly. "I will wait for you for one last night, Cullen."

She left the room quietly.

Cullen watched his wife walk away with a haunted expression on his face. He wanted to run after her, stop her from going. To tell her that he'd stay and everything would be all right. Instead he sat down on the side of the bed and buried his head in his hands and cried.

He couldn't bear the thought of Janick touching her, loving her as he once had. He had seen the connection between them. He knew what she felt for the other man was tepid compared to what she felt for him. But Janick wasn't leaving her every five minutes. Janick wasn't breaking her heart with every word that came out of his mouth. Janick would worship her as she deserved to be worshipped.

A knock on the door brought his head up and Elizabeth entered. He stared at his first wife with a surprised expression on his face. She looked so different and yet still the same. The cold, hard edge he had come to know so well was missing. Instead he saw the girl he had fallen in love with when he had first met her.

"Elizabeth?" he said, his expression confused.

"Cullen," she whispered softly, her eyes taking in the tears still wet on his cheeks. She began to weep silently, her back pressed against the door. "How I have wronged you, Cullen," she finally said. "I have wronged Emily too but the worst of my actions have been done to you, Cullen."

She silently crossed the room and knelt at his feet. Tentatively she took his hands in hers, sighing when he allowed her to do so. She gazed up at him, her expression full of anguish.

"I never left you because I hated you, Cullen," she said softly. "I left you because I loved you. I lied so you would let me go. I had to make you hate me so you would give up on me."

"Why?" Cullen whispered, his voice tortured. "I loved you, Elizabeth. You were my entire world back then."

"Did you think I didn't know that?" she sighed. "Did you think I didn't see the deep wounds on your soul with every life I took back then? I was slowly killing you, Cullen. Each time I killed I saw you take responsibility for my actions and I saw it tear you up inside. I could bear it no longer. I had to get away from you so I would stop destroying you."

Cullen was stunned as he listened to her. He stared at their joined hands, his thoughts whirling madly in his head.

"I should have left sooner, Cullen, but I loved you so much," Elizabeth continued. "Perhaps if I had gone sooner then you would have not suffered as greatly as you did. Maybe you would have realised that you weren't responsible for my actions even if you were the one who brought me to this world. You would have eventually allowed yourself to be happy once more."

Her revelation tore at his heart, opening up the feelings of a time long past. His hurt at her rejection. The pain he felt every time she took a life. He groaned deeply and she squeezed his hands gently.

"I'm the one responsible for the killing, Cullen, not you. Stop punishing yourself for it. Please, my love. Absolve yourself of any responsibility you feel. Allow your soul to be healed."

Cullen found himself crying once more. Elizabeth's arms surrounded him and he held onto her as he felt all his carefully built walls tearing down and great waves of pain come crashing through them.

"I tried so hard, Elizabeth," he cried. "I wanted to help you and there was nothing I could do. When you said those things to me it just made everything so much worse. I had created you out of love and you were a monster with no heart, no compassion. I lost faith in myself the day you left me. I couldn't understand how I could be so very wrong about someone I loved so dearly."

"I know, Cullen," Elizabeth wept. "And I'm so very sorry, my love. I'm so sorry my actions ruined your life for so long, denied you the happiness you so deserve. But it's not too late, Cullen. Emily waits for you. Happiness waits for you. You just need to believe in yourself again. It's all right there for you to reach out and grab."

"Emily," Cullen groaned deeply.

"Will forgive you, Cullen," Elizabeth said urgently. "She has such a generous heart. She has even found it in her heart to forgive me despite me being the architect of her deepest heartache."

Cullen swallowed hard and sat up straight. He took Elizabeth's hands gently in his and stared into her beautiful face. He saw the love she still had for him. The love she probably had always felt for him. He would always care about her. She had been his first love and despite everything, there had been moments when they had been blissfully happy.

"I see the girl I first fell in love with before me today," he sighed softly. "She is beautiful and radiant and her heart is as generous as anyone's. I forgive you Elizabeth, for everything. I will always care about you. I was quite astonished when I realised that fact, the day Emily threatened to cut your tongue out. I had thought that I hated you up until that point."

"She was rather intimidating your wife," Elizabeth managed to weak smile. "She was protecting you, Cullen. She somehow knew that my words could still cut you to the quick and she reacted out of her deep love for you. You would have seen it for yourself if your confused feelings for me hadn't gotten in the way."

"Loving each other has never been an issue between Emily and I," he smiled. "Staying together has been a bit more of a challenge," he added ruefully.

"Are you at peace with yourself now, Cullen?" Elizabeth asked anxiously. "Can you now finally accept that you are blameless in all this?"

"I can, Elizabeth, thanks to you," he answered, his expression thoughtful. "I owe you a deep debt of gratitude. I know doing this must break your heart at least a little, Elizabeth."

She smiled wanly at him. "A little," she admitted. "But the happiness and closure it brings me is an adequate reward. I can now move on with my life and hopefully find a love as special as you have found. Don't hurt her anymore, Cullen. Let her in, trust in her and trust in yourself."

Cullen hugged her to him and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I will always be your friend, Elizabeth. If you ever have need of me then just call. I will do what I can to help."

"Thank you, Cullen, but I think I'll give you and Emily a bit of a break from my interference for a while," she laughed. "I think you both deserve it. A second honeymoon sounds like a place for you both to start."

Cullen smiled, the haunted look gone from his eyes to be replaced with hope. "If I can tear her away from her duties."

"Just go out to the common room and tell that lot you're taking your wife away on honeymoon. I think you'll find them eager to help you pack her suitcase," Elizabeth laughed again. "They long to have their Princess happy once more."

Emily sat quietly upon Alexander's throne in the meeting room. Her heart was racing as she wondered how Cullen was responding to Elizabeth's admission. Was he listening to her or were her words falling on deaf ears?

"I think the King would be most surprised to see your lack of respect of his throne," Janick laughed softly as he came into the meeting room to find Emily sitting sideways upon the throne, her legs across one arm.

Emily turned her head and smiled at him as he approached. "I think my Grandfather has given up on being surprised at my actions by now," she smiled.

Janick took a seat on the dais steps, sitting low enough that he could look up and see her face.

"You wait for Cullen," he said softly, his expression resigned.

"I wait for Cullen," she echoed, her voice quiet and introspective.

"Do you think he will come?" Janick asked.

Emily sighed. "I have no idea, my friend. I sit here and I hope he will. I've been trying to ask my intuition what the outcome of this night will be but it appears to have deserted me. I can only wait and hope."

"I find myself feeling most confused, Emily," Janick finally said when the silence between them stretched on. "Part of me hopes he doesn't come so that I may have a chance with you. The other part of me hopes he will come so I may once more see your eyes sparkle with happiness and love. It's very vexing."

Emily had to smile at his rueful tone. "Oh, Janick, it breaks my heart to know you suffer so, my friend. I am sorry that I am the cause of such confusion for you."

Janick laughed softly. "It is I who am the cause of my own confusion, Emily. You have been very clear about your feelings for me. I am not him and I never could be. I accepted that fact a long time ago. The fault is not yours, sweet Emily, it is mine."

"Even still, I hate to see a friend in such pain, Janick," Emily sighed. "I care about you deeply, my friend."

"That's half your problem, Emily. You spend all your time caring about everyone else that you do so to the exclusion of your own happiness. It is a noble thing to do but it is also incredibly stupid too."

Emily burst out laughing. "Don't hold back now, Janick," she laughed. "Speak your mind."

"My apologies, Highness," he said soberly. "I overstep the mark."

"Nonsense, my friend," she smiled. "I ask you constantly for your counsel. I would be a poor ruler if I became annoyed with you for doing as I ask. Your words are valid, Janick, though it is sometimes the burden of one who rules to sacrifice what they want for the greater good. I must confess that I'm getting heartily sick of it myself."

"You give to us all so unreservedly, Emily," Janick sighed. It is time that you took something for yourself."

"It is not mine to take, Janick," she said quietly. "It is his to give. If he chooses not to then I must find a new path to travel."

"I've always said Cullen was a fool," he snorted, his tone annoyed. "How any man could walk away from what you offer so freely, I am at a loss to comprehend. A man would have to be mad to do so. Or gay," he added as an after thought.

Emily burst out laughing again. "You never cease to make me smile, Janick," she laughed. "No matter what the outcome is tonight, will you always be my friend?" her tone held a hint of a plea.

"You know I will, Emily," he said softly. "Though, if Cullen stays, it may be a bit difficult. He may not approve of our friendship knowing how I feel about you."

Emily frowned. "There is always that," she admitted.

Janick hated to see the frown on her face. He smiled and tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"However, he may feel generous at having his wife back and take pity on a poor soul," he quipped.

"He would indeed feel generous towards the man who had cared for and supported his wife in his absence," Cullen said suddenly from the deep shadows beside the door. He had entered the room not far behind Janick but had stood silently and listened to their conversation.

Janick jumped up in surprise as Emily gasped in shock when he spoke.

To be continued....

Chapter 17: Throw Back Thursday.

Emily sighed as she escaped to her private room at Karpathia's. It had been a long day and she was tired. She flopped down onto the bed and threw her arm over her eyes. It was so tiring being royalty, especially when so many of her friends and family hovered over her anxiously all the time.

Cullen had been gone for almost a year. It seemed like the longest time and yet it almost seemed as if no time had passed at all since he had left. She knew he was somewhere in Russia at the moment. He kept in almost daily contact with Dorian so she always had a fair idea where he was.

She's seen him once since the day Elizabeth had reappeared in their lives. It had been for Dorian and Alice's wedding as he stood at Dorian's side as his best man. It had been a bittersweet meeting. They had both smiled as if their hearts weren't really broken so as to not spoil Dorian and Alice's day.

They had danced together and even found a private moment to talk. Heads bent close together, they had asked how each other was coping, chatted idly about what they had both been up to. At the end of the day, once Dorian and Alice had left, Cullen had stroked her face lightly, his eyes haunted, and then kissed her gently and walked right back out of her life.

There was a knock on the door and Emily sighed and sat up again. "Come in," she called.

Janick popped his head around the door and smiled. "I thought you would have hidden in here, Highness," he said with a laugh.
"They're driving me nuts out there," Emily grumbled as he entered the room and closed the door.

"They're just concerned, Emily," Janick smiled, reverting to her name now they were completely private. "You've been working very hard these last months and travelling quite a bit too. Your friends have missed you. You are looking a bit peaky too. Are you drinking enough?"

"Yes, Janick," she sighed wearily. "I'm not as fragile as everyone seems to think."

"Just incredibly tragic as you waft through the halls, smiling sadly at all who pass," Janick said quietly. "How long are you going to wait for him, Emily?"

"Janick, please," Emily sighed again, standing and walking across the room to the small refrigerator she'd had installed a few months before. She took out a bottle and poured some sustenance into a glass. She waved the bottle at him but he shook his head.

"You know how I feel, Emily," he said softly. "I know you feel something for me too. If you just gave it a chance."

"Janick, we've talked about this many times," Emily said sadly. "I do love you and if there were no Cullen then maybe I would consider acting on those feelings but he's out there and one day he may come home."

"You can't blame a man for trying," Janick smiled, his expression rueful. "One day I may ask the question and get a different answer."

"You should find someone who can commit totally to you, my friend," she said softly.

"You can wait forlornly for Cullen to come home but I can't wait for you to come to me?" Janick asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It does smack of double standards," Emily laughed humorously.

"He doesn't deserve you, Emily," Janick said fiercely, striding up to her and catching her upper arms. "He had the most precious thing in the world and he walked away from it." He lowered his head and kissed her.

Emily stiffened instantly as she felt the unfamiliar sensation of someone other than Cullen kissing her. Janick's kiss was exciting in a different way to how Cullen made her feel. She felt herself start to respond as Janick's lips moved restlessly over hers, and she pulled away.

"Janick," she said breathlessly trying to halt this madness before it went any further.

"A moment more, Emily," he pleaded and kissed her again.

This time Emily allowed herself to respond, the plea in his voice almost breaking her heart. She allowed him to part her lips and felt a stirring somewhere deep inside her. It had been so long since a man had held her like this. Her body craved the touch of a man's love. And Janick did love her. His kiss was achingly tender and loving.

Emily slowly eased back from him. It would be so easy to surrender to him. To let him into her bed and even more fully into her heart. He was funny and smart and incredibly beautiful but he wasn't Cullen. And the tepid love she had to offer him would inevitably make him more miserable than he already was.

"I'm sorry, Janick," she sighed sadly. "I can't do this. Not to Cullen and not to you, my friend." She stroked the side of his face lightly. "I can't love you as you deserve to be loved. It would be disastrous for both of us if I tried."

He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. "Does your infamous intuition tell you so, Emily?"

"My heart tells me so," she whispered.

"I had to try, my Princess." He smiled softly. "I may wait another year and try again."

"I half thought as much," she said fondly.

She moved away from him and finished her drink. "So anything happen I should know about when I was visiting down south?" she asked.

Emily had taken it upon herself to travel to some of the other cities, to try and show her commitment to her people.

She turned when Janick didn't immediately answer her. "What?"

"You're not going to like this," he finally said. "Elizabeth showed up two days ago."

Emily felt as if she had just been punched in the gut. Her nemesis, the woman who was single-handedly responsible for all the misery she'd had to endure, had come back for a third time.

"I told her a century not a bloody year," she said furiously. "What did she want?"

"To speak to you," he answered. "I told her you were away and she asked to speak to Cullen instead."

Emily's face darkened further. "Does that bitch have a death wish?" she grated between clenched teeth.

"Be calm, Emily," Janick said softly. "I know this is upsetting for you but try to keep calm about it."

Calm," Emily half screeched. "If she hadn't come here that day I would still have my husband with me."

"Would you though?" Janick asked quietly. "Emily, it was only a matter of time before things would have come to a head between you. Cullen was struggling with the changes in you long before Elizabeth walked back through the door. She was just the catalyst."

Emily's anger evaporated as instantly as it had come. She knew Janick was right. Something else would have sparked the crisis between her and Cullen eventually.

"I don't want to see her, Janick," she finally said. "If she comes back ensure she knows that she is not welcome here."

"Yes, Highness," he answered. He watched his Princess walk wearily over to the bed and sit down.

"When are you leaving again," he asked when she didn't say anything further.

"Tomorrow," she sighed, lying back against the pillows. "I'll be gone a week this time."

"Can't you take more time to rest, Emily? We barely see you here anymore. Your people wonder why you are constantly absent."

"They are safe in the excellent hands of you, Dorian and Liam," she answered, closing her eyes. "I find it almost unbearable being here with all my memories, my friend. I find it easier visiting new places where there are no memories to haunt me."

Janick frowned and then sighed softly. "I will leave you to rest, my Princess," he said and quietly slipped from the room.

Emily felt tears behind her closed eyes and a sob broke free even as she tried her hardest to keep a tight reign of her emotions.

She needed Cullen so badly. She needed to hear his voice. She did what she had vowed never to do to him.

"Cullen?" she called with her mind.

"Emily, what's wrong?" he answered instantly, surprise in his mental voice as well as concern.

"Nothing," she sighed sadly. "Everything. I just needed to hear your voice. I'm sorry, I promised myself I would never do this to you. Sometimes the ache is just so unbearable."

"Emily," he whispered sadly. "Is there no one there to help ease your distress?"

"Janick offers on a daily basis," she answered, knowing that it was not that kind of easing he had been thinking about. He was silent for a long time.

"And your answer to him is?" he finally asked, his voice strained.

"I tell him I am waiting for my husband to come home," she whispered.

"Emily," Cullen groaned and she felt instantly contrite.

"I'm sorry, Cullen," she said with a sob in her voice.

"Don't be," he whispered gently. "I have thought of doing this many times myself. I just never worked up the courage to do it."

"This must be akin to pulling the wings off butterflies," she breathed. "Taking something so incredibly beautiful and then torturing it needlessly. Do you regret this, Cullen?"

"No," he said softly. "Somehow just knowing that if I really needed to hear your voice all I would have to do is call to you has gotten me through some very rough nights."

"Oh, Cullen, I miss you so terribly," Emily sobbed.

"And I, you, my sweet Emily," he admitted sadly.

"Nothing has changed though," she said what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, " he whispered. " I so want it to be otherwise, Emily."

"I know," she answered.
 
"Emily," he whispered. "If it ever becomes so unbearable again,"

"I won't call to you, Cullen," she finished his sentence for him.

She felt him linger a moment longer and then he was gone. Emily curled into a ball and wept.

Cullen lay on his bed and wished he was home with Emily for what had to have been the ten thousandth time since he'd left. Hearing her voice just then had been so bittersweet. It was almost as bad as seeing her at the wedding all those months ago. His need for her warring with his desire to run as far from her as he could.

The aching sadness in her voice tore at his heart. She had been crying and she was all alone with no one to turn to. Except for Janick. Neither Liam nor Dorian had said anything about the other vampire's interest in Emily. So Janick was in love with Emily. Was she in love with him too? He had thought he'd detected a slight waver in her mental voice when she had said Janick's name.

Cullen felt his fists clench as he wondered if anything had happened between his wife and the other man. He was God knows how many thousands of miles away and Janick was right there with Emily, day in and day out, letting her know that he was there for her if she tired of waiting for Cullen to come home.

The thought of Emily with someone else was too much for him to think about. And yet he stayed away from her, breaking her heart as surely as he was breaking his own. What right did he have to care about whether Emily was seeking comfort in another man's arms. She was a passionate, loving woman. Should she be consigned to living like a nun because he couldn't make up his mind about whether he was going home or not.

Cullen groaned and tried to erase the image of Emily weeping alone and then Janick appearing at her side when she was low and vulnerable. Of Emily opening her arms to the other man, welcoming him into her sweet embrace. The thought was pure torture.

He sat up and grabbed his cell phone. He called Dorian.

"Why didn't you tell me about Janick?" he said curtly when his friend answered.

"There's nothing to tell," Dorian sighed.

"So he's not in love with Emily?" Cullen asked archly.

"He is but she is keeping him at arms length," Dorian said. "She only offers him friendship, nothing more. How did you find out?"

"Are you at the club? Is Alice with you?" Cullen asked.

"Yes," Dorian answered. "You still haven't told me how you found out."

"Send Alice to her, Dorian," Cullen whispered. "She weeps and she needs someone with her."

He heard Dorian say something to his wife and then he was back on the phone.

"She called to you?" his friend said shocked. He was aware that neither Emily or Cullen had ever used the link between them since they'd parted.

"Something tonight must have upset her greatly, Dorian, for her to reach out to me," Cullen sighed. "What?"

"I don't know, Cullen. She's only arrived back less than two hours ago. She went straight to her room, barely stayed ten minutes in the common room with us before pleading tiredness."

"Did Janick go to her?" Cullen asked, his voice strained. "He was foremost in her thoughts when we spoke."

"Damn!" Dorian snapped. He cursed under his breath. "I'm going to seriously do him so damage. He must have told her that Elizabeth stopped by a few days ago."

"Elizabeth!" Cullen hissed. "What the hell did she want?"

"None of us know," Dorian said. "She asked for Emily and then for you when she was informed Emily was away. She left after finding out you were not here either."

"He must have told her then," Cullen said. "Elizabeth is about the only thing that would upset Emily enough to reach out to me. If you find out what Elizabeth was after let me know. You're sure about Janick, Dorian? There's nothing happening there?"

"For now, Cullen," his friend answered. "I can't give you any guarantees though. Emily does care about him. She may decide that you're never going to come back and decide to turn to him instead. You take that risk being apart from her."

"I know," Cullen whispered. He hung up.

Emily heard Alice slip into the room. Her adopted sister climbed onto the bed and slid an arm around her waist, cuddling into her back.

"Cullen sent me," she whispered softly and then hugged her friend harder as she began to weep even harder.

Emily felt as if the tears would never stop but they did eventually. Alice soothed her and whispered word of love patiently as she wept. She finally sat up and kissed Alice's cheek.

"Thank you, Alice," she said quietly.

"What set you off?" her friend asked worriedly.

Emily hugged her knees, looking at her friend. "Janick kissed me tonight."

"Oh," Alice said quietly. "How do you feel about that?"

"Confused, surprised that I responded for a moment, guilty for doing so," Emily sighed softly. "Then he told me Elizabeth had been here and everything was just too much to deal with and I called to Cullen."

"There's nothing wrong with being lonely, Emily. It's only natural that after so long you would enjoy the feel of a man's kiss," Alice said with a little smile. "You are a young, vibrant woman and you have needs just like the rest of us. Don't be so hard on yourself. As for Elizabeth, I have no advice on that one. I just can't understand the woman at all."

"Me neither," Emily admitted. "My initial reaction was fury at her coming back but now I'm wondering what she wanted with me. I scared her pretty badly the last time she was here. Why did she come back so soon?"

"Who knows? The woman is a law unto herself, Emily."

Emily decided to cancel her next trip in case Elizabeth returned. She found herself curious to know why the woman had come. She was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed being back home. It was not as painful as it once had been being surrounded by her friends and family.

Janick had retreated back to a safe distance since their kiss. Emily was relieved about that as she cared about him very much and she would have hated to have to halt their friendship if he had become too insistent about his feelings for her. Talking with Cullen had only reinforced how much she loved and missed him.

Dorian or Liam tended to be around her whenever Janick was near anyway. She wondered if Cullen had detected something in her tone that night. Had he set their friends to protect his wife from the other man's amorous intentions? She smiled at the possibility.

Elizabeth returned on her third night back. She watched the woman walk slowly towards her in the common room and immediately sensed a difference about her. Her body language was less confident, more humble. Emily was surprised at the change.

The other woman bowed lowed when she reached her.

"My Princess," Elizabeth said respectively. "You granted me leave to return if I learned to curb my vicious tongue before the century was out. I have come to humbly beg your forgiveness and to ask if I may talk with you on a delicate matter."

"Rise, Elizabeth," Emily said, her expression thoughtful. "You seem to have made a remarkable turnaround since we last met. May I ask what prompted this turnaround?"

"It was you, my Princess," Elizabeth answered.

"Me?" Emily said surprised. She watched the other woman closely and then stood.

"Walk with me Elizabeth." She turned toward the private quarters.

"Emily?" Liam said, a note of concern in his voice.

She smiled reassuringly at him and motioned for Elizabeth to follow her.

"You wanted to speak with me about something," Emily said once they'd entered her room and the door was closed. She walked over to refrigerator and poured herself a drink. She didn't offer the other woman one.

"It's about Cullen," Elizabeth said taking a deep breath.

Emily nodded for her to continued, too afraid to speak out loud.

"You were right about me," Elizabeth admitted. "I was jealous of you when I came here. It was a huge surprise to me to discover that I was still in love with Cullen."

Emily raised an eyebrow in surprise and Elizabeth smiled softly.

"I did love him once a very long time ago," she smiled. "I fell in love with him the moment I saw him, he was so beautiful, so chivalrous. It was a different time then, not as enlightened as it is now. Vampires guarded their existence very closely. We were together for almost a year before I discovered what he was. At first I was horrified when he told me and then I found what he was exciting. I was always beautiful but suddenly I could always be beautiful, it called to me like a drug."

She paused and swallowed and Emily took pity on her and went a poured her a drink. The other woman sipped her drink then continued.

"We married and then Cullen turned me. I found my new life intoxicating. I loved the taste of warm human blood in my mouth. I over indulged. Cullen tried to reign me in. He was very patient with me, kind and loving. But I craved the excitement of stalking my prey and taking what I wanted. Even then, Cullen only took just what he needed. He never killed. I was different. I took everything."

"Why?" Emily asked quietly. "Why kill?"

"I was out of control, heady with the power I suddenly had. I was young and wild. Cullen tried to stop me. He loved me so much. The guilt he felt every time I killed tore him up inside but still he loved me. Still he tried to teach me how to live our lifestyle without taking life. Eventually I chafed to be free of him. I was tired of his stifling me. But he wouldn't let me go. Even though I was slowly killing him with my actions, he still tried to save me. So I lied to him. I told him I'd never loved him, that I really knew what he was right from the very beginning. He believed me and he let me go."

Emily stared at her for a moment and then she held her hand out to her.

"Come here, Elizabeth," she said softly.

The other woman approached her slowly and sat down on the bed.

"Why did you really leave Cullen?" Emily asked gently.

Elizabeth started to cry. "Because I loved him so much and what I had become was destroying him. He'd made me and I was killing innocent humans. You know how he is, Highness. He was taking responsibility for my every kill. The only way to save him was to leave."

"Oh, Elizabeth," Emily sighed. She hugged the sobbing woman.

"Everything was fine and then Cullen met you," Elizabeth continued. "I was insanely jealous when I heard. I knew there had been no one else serious since me. It made being apart from him easier. I knew he would never forgive me even though I had turned my life around. I stayed away as long as I could and then I heard a whisper that things were not so rosy between you anymore. I went to Karpathia's to see Cullen but he looked at me as if I didn't exist. I was distraught but happy to learn that he was no longer with you. Then I heard he'd married you and you were now royalty. Well, you know what happened then."

"Why are you telling me this now, Elizabeth? Surely you've heard that Cullen and I separated the very day you came here."
Elizabeth wiped her face and sniffed.

"That night, I saw the way Cullen looked at you and realised what he had felt for me paled in comparison to how he felt about you. I wanted to hurt him because it was killing me knowing that I had destroyed whatever chance I'd had with him. That's why I said the things I did. When you pinned me down on the table and I saw the rage in your eyes as you protected him, I also realised you felt just the same way about him. When I went away I sat down and had a long hard think about my actions. I knew I had to try and make things right so Cullen would be happy again. I thought if maybe I sat down with him and told him the real truth then maybe he would finally let go of the pain and hurt and finally be healed so he could be with you."

Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's a lot more complicated than just your part in it, Elizabeth," she finally said.

"Not really," Elizabeth protested. "Cullen won't allow himself to be happy. He doesn't feel he deserves to be after the killing I did when we were together. Haven't you ever sensed that about him?"

Emily nodded slowly. "I even said it to him once. I had no idea why he felt the way he did, I assumed it was something to do with you but I didn't know exactly why."

"Cullen is punishing himself for my actions," Elizabeth said. "I have to stand up and take responsibility. He has to know that he's not responsible so he can forgive himself. He has to know that I left because I loved him, not because I hated him. Maybe then, he'll realise that he deserves to be here with you. He's inventing excuses to be apart from you, Highness, to punish himself. The punishment is twice as devastating to him because he knows how much you're suffering too."

"Oh, Cullen!" Emily groaned.

"I'm so sorry," Elizabeth whispered.

"Thank you for telling me," Emily said softly. "I'll try to get him to come home and talk with you. Will you stay in touch so I can let you know if I can convince him?"

"I'll call in every night, Highness."

"I know this is hard for you, Elizabeth," Emily said. "I know it took great courage for you to come forward. For what it's worth, I forgive you for any wrong you have caused me. I hope Cullen also finds it in his heart to do so."

"Thank you, Highness, but making this right is the only thing I really need. If I can do that then maybe the next six hundred years will be more bearable for me."

Elizabeth left and Emily contemplated her next move. The other woman had read Cullen so accurately. Now that she knew why he believed he didn't deserve to be happy, there was a chance of finally healing her husband. Emily felt a bit of hope for the first time in a long time. If she could just get Cullen home. She lay on the bed.

"Cullen," she called softly.

"Emily? You said you wouldn't do this again," Cullen groaned. She could hear pain and also anger in his voice.

"You need to come home, Cullen, now," she told him, keeping her mental tone firm. She knew he would balk at the request.

"I can't do that, Emily," he said harshly, after a long pause

"You have no choice, Cullen," she replied. She made her voice, colder, harder. "Your Princess commands your presence. Come home now."

"Don't do this to me, Emily," Cullen hissed, his anger winning over the pain.. "Don't use your position to force me back."

Emily fought back her own pain at having to do this to him. "It's not up for debate, Cullen, I have issued a command. Do you intend to obey it?"

The next pause was longer. The silence screamed inside her head as she waited for his response.

"I'll be there within the next three days, my Princess," Cullen finally said dully.

Emily breathed a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe you would do this to me, Emily," he added and the anger was back in his voice. "When you've concluded your business with me I am filing for divorce."

Emily sucked in a deep breath as pain lanced through her chest. She only hoped that he would think differently once he'd had a chance to hear Elizabeth out.

"You are such a contradiction, my husband," she finally said sadly. "On one hand you tell me I do not fight hard enough for you and on the other, when I do fight for you, you seek to punish me by ending out marriage permanently," she sighed softly. "Very well Cullen, if you wish a divorce when we have concluded our discussions, I will not contest it."

Cullen was livid with anger as Emily's voice faded from his mind. She had used her position against him, something he would have sworn she would never do. If he had been closer to her at that moment he would have cheerfully wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed hard.

His violent thought shocked him and he shuddered and closed his eyes. He'd done that once before to her and the end result had been four stitches in her head and a severely sprained wrist. The pain and guilt he had felt afterwards had almost destroyed him. Now he wanted to hurt her again. It would be different this time, she was vampire now so she would heal quickly.

Still even thinking of hurting her physically made him feel sick to his stomach. 'Why now, Emily?' he groaned silently. What was so important that she had to force him back now? He wasn't ready for this. His feelings for her were still so confused and conflicted. Even the threat of divorcing her hadn't changed her mind.

Cullen paced around his room. He had heard the pain in her voice when he had said that. The words had seemed to be ripped from his mouth before he could stop them. She was hurting him and he wanted to hurt her back. Did he really mean it? Pain engulfed him and he closed his eyes again, trying to shake it off. Could he really divorce Emily? His heart thudded wildly in his chest at the very thought of losing that precious tie with her. He groaned out loud and began to pack. He had to harden his heart. He would get through this summons and then he would file for the divorce. This had to end, prolonging it was slowly killing them both.

Emily walked into the common room and saw Dorian and Alice sitting with Liam. She went to sit beside her family her expression grave.

"What is it?" Liam asked. "What did Elizabeth want? Has she upset you, Emily?"

Emily shook her head. "No, she actually brought me a small ray of hope," she said quietly.

"What did she say?" Dorian asked, taking her hand in his and squeezing it lightly.

"Let's just say I now know why Cullen runs so hard from me," Emily sighed, smiling at the blond vampire. "Hopefully once Cullen hears what she has to say, things will be different."

"Cullen's coming home?" Alice said breathlessly.

Emily smiled sadly. "Kicking and screaming all the way," she answered. "He is livid with me at the moment. I had to issue a royal command to get him to come."

The three vampires stared at her in shock. "How did that go down?" Dorian finally asked.

"As you would expect," she sighed softly. "My husband wants a divorce."

Alice gasped at the raw pain in Emily's voice as she said the words. She threw her arms around her friend. "It won't happen, Em," she whispered harshly. "We'll all make him see sense."

Emily hugged the tiny woman, seeking comfort as Cullen's words resounded in her head. "I fear it may really happen, Alice," she said sadly. "There may be nothing any of us can do about it."

She pulled back and looked at her family. Their own pain was clear to see. She knew they ached for both her and Cullen.

"Maybe it's for the best," she finally said, her voice sounding so small.

"You can't want a divorce," Dorian all but hissed in shock.

"No, Dorian, I want my husband home with me for good," she smiled wanly. "But this whole 'will they? won't they?' situation is just too damaging for everyone. Not just Cullen and I but for all of you too, stuck between us. A resolution to the whole thing just seems to be the best for all."

"You're giving up," Alice said tearfully. "I thought you'd never give up, Emily."

"So did I, Alice," she whispered forlornly.

Emily rose and went back to her rooms.

"We have to do something, Dorian," Alice cried as Emily walked away.

Dorian and Liam's faces mirrored the distress in hers.

"What, love?" her husband asked gently. "We've all tried talking sense to Cullen. Nothing we've ever said has penetrated the shell he had wrapped around himself. What more can we do?"

"I'd like to kick the living daylights out of him," Liam said angrily, his expression dark. "How can he hurt Emily like this? I used to think that their love would conquer the world. Instead it has consumed them both until they are only shells of their former selves. It's just not right."

"Maybe Emily is right," Dorian mused. "We are all so consumed by what is going on in their lives. Maybe it is time for this to come to an end, one way or the other."


To be continued....

Chapter 16: Throw back Thursday.

A week later Emily was floating around the main room in Karpathia's, stopping for a few moments to talk with one of the many vampires she had yet to become personally acquainted with. It was a long, tedious exercise as word of her ascension to royalty was spreading far and every day there were a score more new vampires coming to the club to greet their new Princess.

Cullen laughed continuously when she complained loudly in private. He found it highly amusing watching his little wife adapting to her new role among his kind. He hid the concern he had from her when he noticed the open rejection of her from some of the older vampires.

At least thirty of the very oldest of his kind deliberately set themselves apart from the main group following Emily. They were led by Janick, a dark haired vampire who even older than Cullen by half a century, The malevolence in Janick's black eyes, as he followed Emily around the room, set Cullen's hackles up.

Cullen knew his wife was aware of the hostility even though she refused to talk about it. It would just smile and tell him it would sort itself out in good time. Still Cullen's mood was tense as he watched Janick frown as Emily got steadily closer to his little group of followers. He was so intent on watching Janick that he didn't spot Elizabeth flounce into the room. It was Liam's groan which caught his attention.

"That's trouble, if I ever did see it," his friend muttered darkly.

Cullen stifled a groan as he saw Elizabeth approach. She looked stunningly beautiful as always and her eyes had more of a hint of trouble in them.

"So where is your wife, Cullen?" she said haughtily the moment she reached him. "I hear she had been raised to royalty. I wish to speak with this Princess." She made the word Princess sound like it was a dirty word.

The room instantly went silent.

"Have a care how you speak, Elizabeth," Cullen said coldly, his face set in a hard mask. "I will not have a bad word said against my wife. You would do well not to anger me."

"So this is the infamous Elizabeth," Emily said brightly, coming up behind the blonde vampire. She walked around the woman slowly, raking her with her violet eyes. She wasn't surprised to find she hated the woman on sight. She had been responsible for so much heartache in Cullen's life.

"Whatever were you thinking, husband?" Emily suddenly laughed. "It must have been like lying beside an icicle when you were married to her."

Elizabeth hissed. "We never had any problems in the bedroom," she said frostily, running her eyes insultingly over the little redhead before her. "I see your taste did not improve any, Cullen," she drawled.

"Oh, such vitriol," Emily chuckled. "I'm mortally wounded, Elizabeth," she said mockingly. "I do believe I may even tear up. No, doesn't look like that will happen after all."

The blond vampire glared at her. "There is nothing sadder than someone finding themselves so amusing whilst others are merely bored," she said drolly.

"Actually there is something sadder," Emily countered with a smile. "The sight of a pathetic, jealous woman who now realises what a fool she has been but, sadly, can do nothing to correct her mistake."

"The only mistake being made here is that my kind is allowing a little jumped up nobody to rule over them. Royalty is a birthright and you are less than six month's born to this life while others have lived for millennia. It is the travesty!" Elizabeth hissed.

"Please, feel free to petition the King," Emily said dangerously quietly. "You have my blessing to do so."

"I don't need your blessing to do anything," Elizabeth spat. "I do not recognise you as my ruler."

She spun suddenly to look around the room. "Surely there are other's here who see this as the travesty it is. Stand and speak!" she caught Janick's eyes.

"You, Janick," she said. "I know this is not sitting well on you. If enough of us denounce her then the King will have to listen to us."

Emily held her breath and put a calming hand on both Liam and Cullen's arms as they jumped up enraged. The room was deathly silent as heads turned to Janick.

"My king has proclaimed her his Granddaughter," the dark haired vampire finally said. "He has always ruled wisely. I accept his decision."

Emily breathed out slowly as she felt the moment of crisis pass and Cullen and Liam relaxed and slowly sat back down.

"That's right, Cullen, sit back down like the good little pet you are," Elizabeth hissed venomously. "You always were weak and pathetic. It was why I left you. I couldn't stand your little puppy dog eyes following me everywhere."

Emily felt a rage take hold of her like none she had ever experienced before. An enraged growl roared passed her lips and she lifted Elizabeth by her throat and brought her crashing down on top of one of the coffee tables.

A stunned silence filled the room as Emily held the other woman pinned down on the table, her face a mask of fury.

"The next time you open your mouth and speak to my husband I will hold you down and cut your tongue out," she said icily. "I hope I am making myself perfectly clear here, Elizabeth, because this is the one and only warning you are going to get from me. If you cannot learn to hold your tongue then I will teach you how to."

Elizabeth stared up at the little woman, fear in her eyes. She was so strong and the expression on her face was terrifying to behold.

Emily released her and stood straight. "You may get up now," she said in a bored tone.

Elizabeth struggled to her feet, trying to keep as much of her composure as she could.

"My husband and I tend to spend most nights here so I suggest you frequent one of the other establishments in the city when you visit, Elizabeth," Emily said quietly. "Perhaps for the next century or so at least. If you find that you have a brain in your pretty little blonde head and you teach yourself to curb your acid tongue, you may return here sooner. Don't try to deceive me though. I will know if you do."

"Yes, Highness," Elizabeth finally said in a voice that shook slightly. She slowly backed away until she was far enough from Emily's reach that she felt safe to turn and flee the room.

Cullen stared at Emily in shock. He was totally stunned by what he had just witnessed. His sweet little Emily had just turned into an extremely dangerous woman. He struggled to reconcile this new side to his wife from the one he knew.

"I know that look, husband," Emily sighed softly inside his mind. "How long can I expect to receive the silent treatment this time?"

"You think to make a joke of this?" Cullen snapped. You think attacking another person and threatening to cut their tongue out is a laughing matter?"

"She challenged me!" Emily snapped back. "Right here, she called an open challenge against me and then attacked you when it failed. Was I supposed to just stand there and let her get away with it?"

"The Emily I know and love wouldn't have dealt with it the way you just did," Cullen spat furiously.

"It was your Princess who dealt with it, Cullen, not your wife. Sometimes they have to be a separate entity."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he said ominously.

Emily watched Cullen walk away and stifled a sigh. Their private conversation had lasted mere seconds. Liam raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes. Conversation had begun again in the room and the staff was clearing up the broken glass from the coffee table.

Emily sighed and turned to look at Janick. He was watching her, though the black look was not as conspicuous as it usually was. Instead she saw a hint of curiosity in his gaze. She walked towards him slowly, his followers parting to allow her access to their leader.

"Would you walk with me, Janick?" Emily asked quietly, inclining her head respectively.

"Yes, Highness," he finally said, his expression guarded.

Emily could feel all eyes on them as she walked slowly from the room, Janick at her side.

"I had not thought we would have something in common, Janick," Emily finally said.

"Neither would I, Highness," he answered honestly.

"I know you have little love for me, Janick," Emily said quietly. "But you have a deep abiding love for our nation. Which is what I was alluding to just now. You had the perfect opportunity to make your stand against me without being the open instigator and yet you publicly endorsed me because it would mean going against our King."

"The King has ruled wisely for millennia, Highness," Janick answered. "I may not always agree with his decisions, but he is my ruler and I must accede to his wisdom."

Emily paused as they entered the meeting room. It was deserted. She began walking again until she was in the centre of the room. Janick followed her a few steps behind.

"I can hardly believe less than a year has passed since I stood here in this room and had but a moment to choose between my love and the vampire nation," she said introspectively. "Such a terrible choice. Which one to break, my husband's heart or the vampire nation?"

"You do not seem to have suffered too greatly from that decision, Highness," Janick said, his tinge of contempt in his tone.
Emily arched an eyebrow at him.

"Do you really think so, Janick?" she asked softly. "Still to this day I suffer the repercussions of my actions. Have you ever truly loved someone, Janick? Loved them so badly that your heart beats in time with theirs? Loved them so blindly that your every thought, your every emotion revolved around them?"

"No, Highness," he said quietly.

"That is how I love my Cullen," she breathed softly. "He is my reason for existing. What I did to him that day nearly destroyed him. Not many know this, not even the King, but his rage and pain and grief overcame him that day and he almost broke my wrist and I had to have four stitches in my head."

She saw shock flit across his face.

"Oh, it was entirely accidental," she said with a slight smile. "He had no concept of what he had done at the time. I hid the knowledge from him, knowing he would find it impossible to forgive himself."

She sighed and looked around the room slowly.

"I went to him daily, standing before him, demanding he see me whilst he coldly refused to acknowledge me. Each day my heart broke more and more as the very reason for my existence turned colder towards me. I was losing all hope when finally Elizabeth came and Cullen saw something which made him bend just a little. It may be hard for you to believe after today, Janick, but I am immeasurably grateful to Elizabeth."

"It was an interesting display of gratitude, Highness," Janick said dryly and Emily laughed.

"Suffice it to say, my husband did come home to me eventually though I spent many days consoling him as the grief of his actions overcame him. I thought he may never recover from the unintentional harm he did to me. The level of pain and suffering he endured because of first Elizabeth's betrayal of him, and then mine. is something I struggle to live with daily even now."

Emily sighed sadly and ran a tired hand through her hair.

"And now my husband is once more disappointed in my actions. Again, Elizabeth is somewhere in the mix. The repercussions of my choice to save the vampire nation rumbles on and still I have not yet managed to achieve the goal I have set for myself. So you see, Janick, I have suffered most grievously for my decision and I still continue to suffer for it."

He stared at her intently, his expression thoughtful. She watched him, wondering what he was thinking.

"And yet you would do it all over again, even knowing what the outcome would be," Janick finally said softly.

"In a heartbeat," Emily whispered sadly.

"Because you love our nation as much, if not more, than I do," Janick breathed, his expression suddenly awed.

Emily nodded silently.

"Highness, I am ashamed," Janick finally whispered, his expression anguished. "I have allowed my fear of change to cloud my judgement and done you a massive injustice. Please forgive me, my Princess." He bowed low as he spoke.

"There is nothing to forgive, Janick," she said softly. "You did what you did out of love for your nation, not personal gain. Please rise."

"How can one so young, even in human years, be so wise?" he asked his voice full of awe.

Emily laughed. "I have many older, wiser heads around me who never cease chattering in my ear," she chuckled. "Their wisdom is a great asset to have as I learn how to be worthy enough to rule our people."

"That always concerned me, Highness," Janick admitted. "How the very best of us seemed to surround you and yet I saw you as a threat to us. I could never understand it until now. They were so much wiser than I."

"They each bring something unique into my life," Emily said after a brief pause. "As a whole they are invaluable to me. I cannot lead wisely without good counsellors to keep me on the right path. I have room for one more, Janick," she added with a smile.

He stared at her in astonishment. "Me, Highness?!" he gasped. "You would seek counsel from me after all I have done to undermine you?"

"I would seek counsel from you because of your wisdom and deep abiding love for our nation, Janick," Emily sighed softly. "Our nation will thrive if we work together instead of against each other. Our goal is the same."

She watched as the last lingering spark of doubt faded from his eyes and he suddenly smiled a beautiful smile. "I would like that, my Princess," he said softly.

"Will you be my friend, Janick?" she asked softly, her eyes warm.

"It would be my honour to name the Princess of Vampires as among my closest friends," Janick smiled.

"Good, I'm glad we've got that settled," Emily smiled brightly at him. She threaded her arm around his and began walking again, back the way they'd come.

After a brief hesitation at her unexpected familiarity and quick change of mood, Janick chuckled and laid his hand over hers where it rested on his arm.

"So, Janick, what thing do you miss most?" Emily asked lightly. "I find as I talk with our people that they lament the loss of activities or some traditions which have fallen along the wayside as the centuries have rolled past."

He thought for a moment and then smiled.

"Chess, Highness," he sighed. "We used to have chess tournaments once a month but it has been over four centuries since the last one."

"Chess!" Emily exclaimed, her eyes alight with joy. "I love chess! I used to play it all the time when I was at university. I had to stop though because I kept beating everyone. I was the undefeated champion for three years in a row."

Janick looked at her in surprise. "It seems we have something else in common, my Princess," he said dryly. "I would not have imagined you for a chess champion though."

"Why not? Chess is about logic and patterns as well as strategy. I thrive on logic and patterns. It is easy to work out someone's strategy. After a few times watching them play I can easily discern the pattern they follow."

"Perhaps we could pit our wits against each other one day soon?" Janick smiled as they entered the common room again.

"Even after I've just told you I am undefeated?" Emily teased laughingly, aware that the entire room was watching them.

Janick laughed too. "Ah, but I had not yet told you that I am also undefeated. For over a decade!"

 Emily shook her head smiling. "But you will most likely let me win as I am your Princess," she said waggling a finger at him.

"I have a reputation to uphold," he said indignantly. "I fully intend to wipe the floor with you, Highness."

She stepped back, stuck her hands on her hips and threw her head back laughing loudly. "Bring it on, Janick! Name the time and place and we will see who wipes the floor with whom."

Cullen had stomped off to their room after his argument with Emily. He was incensed at the way she had handled the situation with Elizabeth. She was changing and he didn't like what she was changing into one little bit. He smarted at the way she had slapped him down. At least she hadn't done it publicly this time. It still didn't make the way she so easily dismissed his feelings any more palatable.

He paced around the room and then walked back to the common room again. He carefully smoothed his expression before he went back in. There was no sign of his wife. Cullen plopped down on the sofa beside Liam.

"Where's Emily?" he asked.

"She went for a walk with Janick earlier," Liam replied, sipping from a glass of wine.

"She what?" Cullen hissed through clenched teeth, his body tensing. "You let her leave with him!?"

Liam looked at him in surprise. "Why would I have stopped her?" he asked puzzled.

"Are you bloody blind, Liam?" Cullen spat. "Have you seen the way he looks at Emily?"

"Calm down, Cullen," Liam said firmly. "People are starting to look over and yes, I have seen the way Janick looks at Emily. It's slightly concerning I agree but not dangerously so. Janick would never do anything to harm her."

"I'm glad you're so blasé with my wife's safety," Cullen said darkly. "Forgive me if I don't share your sentiments."

"Oh, you're so concerned about Emily you walked out on her after she was challenged publicly by your first wife," Liam countered angrily. "Most husbands would have supported their wives but not you Cullen, you have to have a temper tantrum because Emily did what she had to do to assert her authority."

"She threatened to cut out Elizabeth's bloody tongue, Liam. Is that the Emily you know? Because I sure as hell don't recognise the woman who said that."

"Words, Cullen," Liam growled in anger. "Your wife is very skilled with words. It's a pity you're too pigheaded to think clearly when Elizabeth is around."

Cullen stared at him in shock. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he said in a dangerous voice.

"What do you think they saw here today?" Liam said harshly, his voice low as he gestured towards the room. "They saw their Princess publicly challenged by her husband's first wife. They saw her defend her position and also her husband when that bitch attacked you with her sharp tongue. They saw her husband walk out on her, the implication strong that he was displeased with her treatment of his first wife. What do you think they make of all that, Cullen? Who do you think was the greatest danger to Emily's position here this day?"

Liam threw himself back against the sofa, his expression dark and angry.

Cullen sat there mutely for a while, a frown on his face. "It wouldn't have mattered who she had said it to," he finally said, his voice cold and hard.

"It's just a pity it was your ex-wife," Liam retorted his anger still strong. "How much longer are you going to let that woman come between you, Cullen? If you want to end your marriage to Emily then just tell her and be done with it. She has already held your hand once through your insecurities over what Elizabeth did to you. Do you expect her to do it again knowing that half this room probably thinks you're still in love with that cold hearted bitch?"

"I do not want to end my marriage and I am not still in love with Elizabeth," Cullen spat furiously.

"You could have fooled me," Liam snapped. "If you can't support Emily in all she has to do to save our people then let her go. Don't be a millstone around her neck. She, at least, understands that hard decisions must be made sometimes for the greater good. Something you've failed to comprehend completely."

Liam sat forward again, his eyes hard as he glared at his friend.

"That girl would cut her own heart out if it was required of her to save our people, Cullen," he said angrily. " She did so on the day of her trial and she is constantly doing so. She may be your wife but she is also our Princess. I can't even begin to comprehend how difficult that duel life must be for her to cope with. And to have a petulant, selfish husband on top of it all. It's a wonder she is doing as well as she is!"

"Do you think I don't know the sacrifices she's willing to make?" Cullen snapped. "I've lived through what she's willing to do and believe me it was no picnic, Liam. Try understanding how it feels to know that the woman you love so much, who you can't stand the thought of being apart from, would casually break your heart again if it was for the good of our people."

"Never causally, Cullen," Liam said, suddenly sounding very old and very tired.

"She'd still do it though," Cullen hissed, his voice full of pain.

"If you cannot love and accept the Princess of Vampires, Cullen, then you cannot love Emily," Liam sighed softly. "I know you do love her, it is plain for everyone to see but somewhere deep inside you the betrayal of Elizabeth still lurks. You do not trust your wife, Cullen. You do not believe in her. Which is why you struggle so with the Princess. If you cannot give Emily your unconditional love, trust and belief in her, then you must let her go. You must sacrifice your heart for the good of our people."

Cullen stared at his friend, a tortured expression on his face. Was what Liam said true? Were his demons still deep somewhere inside him? Did he lack the trust and belief in Emily that she so badly needed from him?

The sound of his wife's laughter caught his attention. His head turned as did Liam's as Emily walked into the room, arm in arm with Janick. They were laughing at something Janick had just said. He watched Emily's eyes sparkle as she bantered playfully with the ancient vampire.

"I never thought I'd ever see that," Liam breathed, his voice full of awe. "Our Princess works her magic once more."

Cullen stared at his wife and he saw the truth in Liam's words. There was a part of her which he just couldn't deal with. The part which asked her to sacrifice her own happiness for the greater good. Despite telling her time and time again to follow her instincts, to rely on her deadly intuition to guide her path, Cullen mistrusted that part of her. He knew it was selfish of him to do so but he couldn't help himself.

His wife turned and looked at him, as if sensing his gaze on her. She stared at him for a moment and then he saw the light slowly go out of her eyes. She still smiled but her soul was suddenly lost somewhere deep inside her.

Emily turned and looked at Cullen. His beautiful face was so conflicted as he watched her. She stared into his eyes and saw the inner conflict within him. He was struggling so hard with something, something which would have devastating consequences for her. Her intuition flashed suddenly, causing deep despair to roll over her in waves.

Emily felt the life suddenly drained right out of her. Cullen was leaving her again. She was certain of it even if he hadn't consciously made the decision yet. It would appear that Elizabeth had won again. The balance to the heartache she was about to face was the unity of her people. Janick's acceptance of her was the last hurdle to be breached. It came at the cost of her happiness. And Cullen's.

She knew he loved her. He adored Emily, the sweet, feisty human woman who had appeared in his life so unexpectedly, showing him what true love really was. It was his Princess he couldn't accept. The things she had to do for the good of all.

Emily's heart broke soundlessly as she continued to look into Cullen's eyes. Why did they have to pay this awful price? It just wasn't fair.

"Is there something wrong, my Princess," Janick asked, his voice concerned.

Emily looked away from Cullen. She smiled sadly at the dark haired vampire. "It's just my heart breaking once more, my friend," she said softly. "Nothing I am not accustomed to. We will have our match soon, yes?" she added touching him lightly on his arm.

Janick frowned down at his little Princess. She had looked so fierce earlier. Now she looked so fragile, so delicate and tragic.
"The man is a fool," he finally said, his voice rough with emotion.

Emily smiled wanly and walked towards the door leading to the private quarters. A second later, Cullen rose and followed her.

"When are you leaving?" she asked quietly when Cullen closed the door behind him.

"Emily," he said softly, his voice pained.

"I understand, Cullen," she sighed sadly.

"You do? Because I sure as hell don't," Cullen said, suddenly feeling incredibly angry. "Why don't you fight as hard for us as you do for everyone else, Emily? Am I not worth the effort?"

She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "It's not me who won't fight for us, Cullen, it's you," she said quietly. "You just can't let go of the past. It doesn't matter how hard I try to heal you from the pain Elizabeth caused, you still cling onto it desperately. You refuse to accept what's right in front of you as you stubbornly hold onto your insecurities. What more can I do?"

"Give this up," he suddenly yelled. "Walk away from this place with me forever right this very minute. Choose us, Emily!"

"You would condemn your own people for the sake of your own happiness, Cullen?" she sighed softly. "Would we survive together if I did as you ask of me?"

"No," he whispered hoarsely. He raked his hand through his hair and then moved to sit on the bed.

"I love you, Emily," he said desperately, fear and pain in his voice.

"Not enough to accept me as I am, Cullen," Emily said sadly. "Not enough to put Elizabeth behind you. Tell me which bothered you more today. The fact that I threatened to cut out someone's tongue or the fact that it was Elizabeth's tongue?"

Cullen stared at her in shock. Did she really believe that he still had feelings for his first wife?

"I don't love Elizabeth anymore, Emily," he ground out hoarsely.

"Maybe not," she said. "But you still care enough about her that my threat to her caused you to come to a crisis decision about our marriage. About our life together. Perhaps that is why you can't believe in me, Cullen. You have demons to exercise which I can't help you with. I've tried so hard but I've failed miserably."

"I don't want to be apart from you, Emily," he whispered in anguish.

"But you can't stay with me either, I know," she said softly. She sat down beside him and held him close. His hold on her was full of desperation as they both tried to deny what was happening.

"Go, Cullen," Emily finally said, her voice bleak. "I will stay here if you have no objections. You can stay at the apartment while you decide what you want to do."

Cullen gripped her tighter, not ready to let go of his beautiful wife just yet.

"It's probably just as well we never found the time to look for a house together," she said ironically. "Saves some time consuming legal matters to be taken care of."

Cullen slowly released her and dropped his head into his hands.

Emily stroked his head gently. "Come home when you've worked out your demons, my love," she whispered sadly. "I will be waiting for you no matter how long it takes."

She stood and left him in the room. She managed to hold her tears at bay until she reached the meeting room. She ran up the steps of the dais and through the door to the small ante chamber the King used when he was visiting. She locked the door behind her and then slid down the wall sobbing. She'd lost her love again and this time she had no idea if he would ever come back to her.


 To be continued....

The car wound its way along the road, passing the boundary to the Hanlon Pack, its speed never wavering despite Rhianna spotting the grouping of wolves fanned out along the treeline. Her mind acknowledged they were there, but it was a fleeting recognition, her thoughts far away on another continent. There was an ache so strong in her heart that threatened to consume her, and that was all she could focus on at the moment, so the wolves were dismissed from her mind.
She could feel Caleb’s eyes on her, was aware that her silence concerned him, and yet, she couldn’t open her mouth to speak, couldn’t put into words the terror that was infusing her soul. She knew if she said the words it would somehow make them real. She couldn’t bear for them to be real, her heart would surely shatter into a million pieces if they were. So she remained silent, and bottled up her emotions with a ruthless iron will. She would not speak of it…she couldn’t.
She could feel Caleb’s gaze drifting to her rigid form once again, and knew he wanted to reach out and break through the wall she had built around herself. Her beautiful mate would want to tell her everything would be okay, but they both knew he wasn’t entirely certain it would be.
Had it really only been a couple of hours since they had first received the telephone call to meet Rafe in the early hours of the morning? It felt as if days had passed, what with everything that had happened. Closing her eyes, Rhianna tried to block out everything, tried to hold onto her composure and not lose control. She had to remain strong. She couldn’t be weak right now and yet her heart was silently breaking.
“Gard…please answer me…please…”
*****
Caleb’s eyes flickered towards his mate again, and he bit back the automatic words of comfort that sprang to his lips. How could he ease Rhianna’s pain when he didn’t know if everything would be okay? He prayed that it would be but they had insufficient evidence of what had occurred over in Europe.  His eidetic memory replayed the sequence of events over the last few hours as he drove the car as if on auto-pilot.
He had awakened to the sound of Rhianna’s cell phone ringing, and listened to her muted conversation with her brother.
“What’s happened? Why do you want us to come over, Rafe?”
There was a pause as she listened to his response, her brow furrowing in a frown before she sighed and agreed they would meet him shortly.
“He’s being very Alpha this morning. He won’t say what’s wrong until we get there.”
“Must be pack orientated otherwise he would have told us.” Caleb had answered as he’d risen from their bed, dressing as quickly as his mate and heading downstairs with her.
They hadn’t conversed in the car ride over to the Armand-Hanlon pack, both lost in their own speculative thoughts of why Rafe wanted to talk to them. It had to be serious otherwise it would have waited until the morning. Was it something Vârcolac oriented or was it something to do with Reasa? Deep down they boy had known there were a myriad of reasons why the Alpha required their presence so it was pointless to speculate until they spoke with him.
Neither of them had imagined it would be what was finally revealed. They hadn’t even considered checking down their Triumvirate bond for Gard’s presence. How could they have imagined it? Gard was the oldest vampire in existence, over six thousand years old. His mate, Sarayne, was the first and oldest Vârcolac, a hybrid child of vampire and Were, and over three thousand years old. It was unthinkable that anything could have bested these two powerful individuals but something had, and now they were missing.
Rhianna’s distraught expression at hearing the news had been expected as she tested the link between herself and her brother from another time and found only silence. Her startled exclamation, her terrified eyes, had been enough to have Caleb reaching for his mate and pulling her close.
The last time she had lost a brother, or thought she had, Rhianna had closed off and turned inward to escape her grief. He couldn’t allow her to do that again. He had to protect her as best he could because she was his mate, the very reason he breathed. Even as his own heart was heavy with sorrow over what may have befallen Gard and Rayne, he had to be strong for his Annie until they knew for certain what had transpired in Europe.
The information had barely had time to sink in before a pack alert suddenly went out, signalling they were under attack. Everyone had reacted as one, moving to protect the pack as their top priority. Caleb and Rhianna had heeded the call too. The pack was their family and they would protect it at all costs.
All thoughts of Gard and Rayne’s disappearance had taken a back seat while the pack fended off the assault of the European vampires. Rhianna had immediately gone to Thereasa’s aid, sinking to the ground beside Liam as he cradled his dying mate. Beside him, Cassia had her arms around Pietro, the vampire coated in Reasa’s blood, confusion on his scarred face.
“She threw herself in front of me,” Pietro kept muttering, disbelief in his voice.” Why would she do that? She had to know the bullets would kill her – she’s human now!”
Cassia quiet voice murmured soothingly to her mate, her gaze never leaving the dying woman.
All around were the sounds of screaming and fighting, but to the group kneeling on the forest floor there was only Reasa, and the sound of Liam’s pleas. His frantic eyes searched wildly, finding the one person he sought. “Help her, Annie. Help her. Make her wake up again...please.”
 “Oh, Liam...I wish I could, sweetheart. I truly do...”
“She’s there, Annie, I can feel her still there,” he wept, his eyes pleading with her. “I can feel her in there, she isn’t gone.”
Then Mallen had appeared, pushing through the group. “Let me through,” he ordered, as he pulled open his medical bag. “If Liam says she’s there then I’m not going to argue with him, not after he just brought six seemingly dead vampires back to life. So, I’ll work on the physical side and you can do your mental shit. Come on, people, we don’t have a lot of time here.” His stoic pragmatism seemed to shake off some of the stunned grief they were experiencing and the group parted to give them room…
As events moved around them, the barest change in posture was enough to tell Caleb that his Annie had ceded control to the inner soul the resided within her – to the vampire Queen Anakatrine, and he automatically slipped into his role of protector, guarding the three crucial elements to Thereasa’s possible survival.
He’d had no idea if they could pull the woman back from the brink of death, but he would give them every opportunity to do so. He had learned long ago not to doubt Anakatrine’s resolve when she wished something to happen. If she had decided today was not Reasa’s day to die, then he expected that would be the case.
The fighting had been over by the time Rhianna had slumped tiredly into his waiting arms, the vampire queen once more withdrawn, a healthy pallor beginning to suffuse Reasa’s pale cheeks.
“Thank you! Thank you!” Liam’s grateful words gushed forth as he cradled his mate carefully, watching the wounds heal miraculously on her body.
Rhianna had yawned, snuggling against his chest as Liam dragged his gaze from his mate to look at them. “Thereasa saved her three souls. Her penance is over.” Her lavender gaze connected with the Vârcolac, a happy smile gracing her face. “Anakatrine returned Reasa’s immortality, Liam. She will heal herself in good time now, though it would probably be more comfortable if she wasn’t left lying on the forest floor while she did.”
A hush had fallen over the clearing, all eyes staring at them. “Do you mean it, Annie?” Liam whispered, hope in his voice. “Reasa is a vampire once more?”
Her smile had widened if that was possible as she rose to her feet with Caleb at her side. “She is a vampire once more,” she agreed placing a hand on his shoulder. “Take her home now, Liam. Cassia, take Pietro home too. There has been enough drama this night. Let’s care for those we can and find a way to help those we can’t.”
Caleb had gathered her to his side, knowing her thoughts were travelling back to Europe and to what could have happened to her brother and his mate. The rest of the pack wasn’t aware of that turn of events as yet, and it appeared they would try to limit that knowledge to those who needed to know for the time being.
“Back to Rafe’s?” he’d asked, but she’d shaken her head as she looked at her brother. The Alpha’s attention was on his pack at the moment, and the ones he could do something to help.
“Tomorrow,” she’d answered, her heart heavy as her eyes turned to stare off into the distance. “Be safe,” she whispered for only Caleb to hear. “Be safe, brother of my heart. Your work here is not yet done.”
*****
Now they were almost home and Caleb wanted to curse out loud. Now that the adrenaline had receded, it gave Rhianna time to digest the news they’d learned just prior to the attack, and her reaction was what he had both expected and dreaded.
Caleb cast another sideways glance at Rhianna, his concern increasing as he searched her blank expression. He knew what was going through her mind, and he wanted to do something, say something that would alleviate the morbid thoughts she was no doubt thinking. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, taking a deep breath as he tried to find some words of comfort. “Annie, they will be okay.”
Haunted lavender eyes turned to meet his and then she looked away again, staring vacantly out the windscreen as he pulled into the driveway of their home. “I can’t feel him, Caleb. I should be able to sense him but there is just a blank area where Gard has always been.”
He knew what she meant; he could detect no sign of her brother down their Triumvirate bond. Always before the three of them had been linked, they carried the souls of the vampire Queen and King, and Gard was their third, the Queen’s Guardian. Caleb had tested that link and found only Rhianna on the other end, but that didn’t mean that the worst had happened. It couldn’t, because he didn’t think Rhianna could cope with the loss of her brother from another time.
He could remember every moment of when he had first met his beautiful mate. She had been human then, and grieving for the loss of her brother Rafe whom she had believed was dead. She’d had no knowledge then of a world where vampire and Weres existed. She had believed she had lost Rafe forever and her grief had been absolute.
However, fate had stepped in showing her a world where her brother now lived as a Were shifter and her lover was an Ancient vampire. She had accepted these things in her stride, her love for the two most important men in her life making acceptance a simple matter for her. Then fate had stepped in once more, awakening the spirit of a long-dead vampire queen within Rhianna, and reuniting her with her beloved brother and Guardian, Gard. The same brother who was now missing somewhere in Europe along with his mate Sarayne.
Caleb knew that his Annie loved Gard with the same passion that she loved Rafe. There was no distinction between the two of them in her mind, no matter that Gard had lived over six thousand years and his blood kin was the vampire queen residing in her soul. If she lost Gard…if the unspeakable had happened and he no longer walked the planet…Caleb didn’t know how she would react to that loss. All he knew was she needed him to be strong for her, and he would do his utmost to be there for her.
He parked the car close to the front door, walking around it to open her door when she didn’t move. “Come on, Annie.” Holding out his hand he waited for her to acknowledge him, waiting a full five minutes before he reached in and took her hand. “Let’s go inside, love.”
She appeared to shake herself from her reverie, her troubled gaze searching his face for a moment before she allowed him to help her out of the car. “She’s so silent too. It’s eerie how absent she feels as well, Caleb.”
He knew who she was referring to, and he took a moment to turn his thoughts inward, to the soul that nestled inside his head. “Callain?”
There was a brief pause and then the deep voice of the vampire King whispered through his mind and sent a shiver down his spine. “Leave her, Caleb. Let her come to terms with what she’s heard. If she reacts out of emotion…well, let’s just say we don’t want her to do that. Comfort Annie as best you can. If Anakatrine reacts negatively, be prepared to cede control to me so I might temper her rage. She can be formidable when she is hurting. I don’t want anyone to be hurt because she is lashing out in grief. Take respite that she is thinking this turn of events through.”
The other presence vanished as quickly as he appeared, and Caleb sighed as he pulled Rhianna into his embrace, his need to protect his mate paramount. “Callain says it’s best to allow Anakatrine to come to terms with things and we shouldn’t prod her until she is ready to speak to us. For now, we are on our own and it is our actions that we need to determine.”
She nodded against his wide chest, pressing her small frame into his arms as if she was trying to climb into his very skin. “Do you think….do you think they’re…?”
Caleb cursed as her voice broke, and a loud sob wracked her body, shock and grief finally breaking through the fragile control she’d held on her emotions. His beautiful mate gave her heart unreservedly, and that meant when things went wrong, it shattered so very easily.
Sweeping Rhianna into his arms, he strode into the house, and headed straight upstairs to their room. She needed to feel safe and there was no safer place she felt than in their room. She also needed to rest, because no doubt there would a lot asked of her in the days to come. “No I don’t believe that, and I won’t until I see evidence to the contrary,” he growled, lowering his mate onto their bed and curling his big body around hers protectively.
“They’re not dead, Annie. I refuse to believe that. Gard and Rayne have lived far too long to be easily subdued. Something has happened, and while I don’t know what that something is, I am certain they are still alive somewhere in Europe. When we return to the pack tomorrow we will formulate a plan to find them. Until then, try to sleep, love. I know it will be difficult but we need to be rested and prepared for whatever tomorrow will bring.”
Caleb expected her to fight him, but instead she cuddled close and closed her eyes, as if she wanted the oblivion of sleep to claim her so she wasn’t imagining all kinds of nightmares of what may have happened in Europe. The shivering of her body was the only indication that she still wept silent tears for Gard and Rayne, and he held her close until those tremors finally stilled and she fell into a fitful sleep.
When he was certain she was truly asleep, he rose from the bed and tucked the covers around her body. Then he left the room, pulling his cell phone from his jeans pocket and hitting the first speed dial number.
“What’s wrong?” a male voice growled down the phone as it was answered. “I presume it’s something of biblical proportions seeing as you’re waking me at this ungodly hour.”
The irritated response brought a half smile to Caleb’s lips. If there was one thing he could always count on, no matter what shit was hitting the fan Demetri Bozic would never change. “I need you over here right now,” he answered. “We’ve lost contact with Gard and Rayne, and there was a vampire attack on the Armand-Hanlon pack tonight.”
“I’ll be there in ten,” Demetri answered, hanging up as soon as he’d finished speaking.
Caleb hadn’t expected any less from his closest friend. When things went to hell, Demetri was the vampire you wanted to have at your back, and Caleb knew he would always come at a moment’s call. Before Rhianna, Demetri had been the only constant in his life. They had remained close despite finding their mates and Caleb coming to terms with the fact he carried the vampire King’s soul within his mind.
Now he began making some coffee, changing his mind and grabbing a bottle of red wine and two glasses. He was sitting in the near dark in his living room when his front door opened, the light from the hallway illuminating the other male even though Caleb didn’t need it to see his friend.
It was obvious Demetri had been sleeping when he’d called him, his thick, black hair was rumpled as if he’d just run his fingers through it rather than a brush. It was loose around his shoulders, his back T-shirt and jeans making him look every inch the lethal predator that he was. Green eyes searched and found Caleb sitting in the dark, and Demetri entered the room to take the armchair across from his friend, his hand reaching for the waiting glass of wine on the table at the side.
He didn’t speak as he took a drink from his glass, his beautiful face devoid of all expression as he waited for Caleb to speak.
“I’m glad you came alone,” Caleb finally said, sipping from his own glass. “I hope Mara wasn’t too annoyed at me calling you away.”
Demetri’s expression softened, as it always did when his wife was mentioned. Gone was the deadly predator and in its place was a husband very much in love with his mate. He only relaxed this way when surrounded by those he truly trusted, and it made him even more devastating to look at when his eyes glowed with such love for Mara. “She said to tell you that if this is something that impacts on the Council then you’d better let her know because there was enough grumblings from the other members that you keep them out of the loop the last time.”
Caleb wasn’t surprised at that and nodded his agreement. The vampire council had only just learned that there was a poison out there that could kill vampires by destroying their regenerative abilities. They had still to update them about finding an antidote and discussing a way forward that all vampires could receive an inoculation to mute the threat from Europe. Too much had happened in too short a period of time. It was hard keeping up with events.
Caleb’s thoughts were on Gard and Rayne though. A slow burning fury was bubbling up inside that someone had dared laid hands on the emissaries he’d sent to Europe to find out what the fuck was going on over there. He had yet to make a call to Joshua for an update. He wanted to have something concrete in place to tell Rhianna when she woke, so that his mate would know events were in motion to find them and bring them home.
“Tell me about the attack,” Demetri said when his friend remained silent. “Was anyone hurt? Is Pietro okay?”
“Reasa was badly injured but is recovering. Pietro was involved but apparently Reasa threw herself in front of a poisoned bullet to save his life. I don’t think it even crossed her mind that as he was mated with Cassia now and had been taking her blood that he was most probably already immune to the poison. She just reacted and in that reaction almost died. Anakatrine returned her immortality back to her.”
Demetri’s expression turned surprised as he listened to the news, a trace of unease in his eyes. “Caleb, don’t take this the wrong way but that freaks me the fuck out the way Anakatrine just takes and gives back vampire immortality as if it’s a common day occurrence. We need to make sure this knowledge never comes to the Council’s attention, our friends excluded of course. If the others found out…well I don’t want to think how they would react to Annie if they knew what she was capable of.”
The low growl from his friend was expected. “If they come anywhere near her I will rip the lot of them to pieces!”
His fierce expression brought a half smile to Demetri’s face. “I would be right there with you, my friend, as would Alexei, Andrei, Mara and Stephan to name but a few. No one will ever lay one finger on our Annie. This is not like the past when Anakatrine and Callain stood alone against the first Council. Events will not play out as they did then. You have my word on that.”
His friend’s reassurance appeared to mollify Caleb for the moment, and he sighed and ran a hand through his tousled hair. “The attack was from the European vampires. They were all killed with the exception of the leader, Michael, who appears to have gotten away. We need a search of the city and eyes and ears on all ways out of the country. I want him…and preferably alive. I have questions only he can answer.”
Demetri nodded his agreement. “I will get on that as soon as we’re finished here. What about Gard and Rayne? How the hell could someone catch them unawares, Caleb? They’re two of the oldest living beings to walk this planet. Did you speak with Joshua?” He was partial to the blond European vampire who had helped him save Pietro’s life a few months ago. If anyone could help ferret out what had happened to the missing couple then Joshua should be able to.
Caleb swallowed back his wine and poured another glass, replenishing Demetri’s at the same time. “I’m going to call him shortly. There hasn’t been any time yet. I wanted to speak to you first.” His expression when troubled when he met his friend’s intent gaze. “I’m between a rock and hard place here, Demetri. My gut reaction is to send you and some others across to Europe to find out what happened but I can’t afford to lose any more key personnel when we still don’t know what we’re dealing with there. If I don’t send someone then Annie’s going to insist that she goes and I can’t let that happen.”
“She’ll invoke the vampire Queen to overrule you,” Demetri growled, displeasure crossing his face at the thought. “You won’t be able to argue with her.”
“Agreed,” Caleb sighed, weary resignation crossing his face. “Callain will though, so if it comes to that I’m going to have no choice but to let those two fight it out and hope he has enough influence over Anakatrine to make her see sense. I can’t lose Annie, Demetri. I will do whatever I must to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
Demetri rose, finishing his glass of wine and setting it down on the table. “The best thing we can do is have some answers for her when she wakes and we’re not going to have that by sitting here talking all night. While you talk to Joshua, I’ll see about trying to track down this Michael character. I take it the twins are sticking close to the pack at the moment? Will Nors and Freya be available to assist or does Rafe need them too?”
“I’ll talk to Rafe and get him to free up the Erikssons. He has enough muscle with the twins staying close to the pack. Truth be told, I want Freya and Nors trying to track down Michael. They have a particularly vested interest in hunting him down as Liam’s mate was the target of his attack. By the time you get home, they should already have been alerted to the fact you’ll be calling.”
Caleb felt better now he had a plan of action in place. For too long now they had been reacting to whatever was thrown at them from Europe. It felt better to be in control, to at least be doing something. As Demetri headed out he picked up his cell phone and placed a call to Rafe first. He would speak to Joshua afterwards, once Demetri had the tools that he needed to perform his task.
*****
“Freya? Where the hell are you?”
Dayton’s sleepy mental contact brought a smile to the tall, beautiful vampire as she wove her way through the houses in the compound on her way towards her brother’s house. She had thought she would have had more time before he woke but it appeared her mate was far too sensitive to her absence. She couldn’t deny the bubble of satisfaction that welled up inside her. It was good he noticed she was gone, even if it meant he would be unhappy that she was. “Caleb needs Nors and I to try to follow Michael’s trail into the city. He has requested Rafe to release us from pack security for now and our Alpha has agreed.”
“What? You didn’t think this was important enough to wake me? Wait up, I will come with you.”
There was mild reproof in his voice and it made her smile widen. She adored his over protectiveness, even when it was unwarranted. It was a sign that he loved her, not that she needed any signs of that. He’d spent the last twenty five years proving how much he did, and she was a lucky woman to have a mate so loving.
The only sadness she felt at his words was the very faint trace of concern she detected that he tried so hard to mask. Even after all this time there was a lingering shadow in his mind that he might one day lose her as he lost his first mate Faith. She supposed it would always be there, and she could understand why. While it had been a tragic event in Dayton’s life, it had shaped him to be the man he was today. Faith deserved to have her place in his heart and his memories. She would never take that from him and she would accept his over protectiveness because he needed to take care of her, whether she required it or not.
“I would prefer one of us to remain with our daughter, Dayton, just in case anyone is foolhardy enough to try a second assault on the pack. Michael is a vampire and therefore it’s logical that vampires will have a better chance of tracking him down as we can anticipate better how he thinks. Nors will be with me so no harm will come to me.”
For a long moment her words were greeted with silence, and then a resigned sigh echoed through her mind.
“And this has nothing to do with the fact that Michael hurt Reasa and in doing so, Liam? There isn’t a smidgeon of revenge in the beautiful mind of yours, is there, my love?”
Freya laughed softly, the sound causing her brother to turn around from where he was kissing Ashleigh goodbye at their front door. She had reached their house and was walking towards the couple as she answered him. “Of course it does, my mate, as you very well know.”
It was her turn to have a small amount of reproof in her mental voice that he would actually question that. “No one touches my family and lives to tell the tale. I offered Reasa sanctuary in our home and I let her, and Liam, down. I will not let either of them down again. Michael must pay for his transgressions, Dayton. It cannot be any other way.”
Her mate sighed softly, and then sent a pulse of love down their mate bond. “Fine, I will stay with Elina. Just don’t do anything reckless, Freya. We need you home with us, safe and sound.”
“As if,” was her droll response, sending him her own love and reassurance. “Keep our bed warm for me, lover. I will return soon.”
Freya broke off her conversation, smiling at the blonde wolf who had come to be as dear to her heart as her brother. “Are you giving Nors as difficult a time as Dayton is giving me?”
Ashleigh’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she shook her head. “I’ve long since learned that I am wasting my breath when it comes to this mate of mine. Bear with Dayton; he will reach that point eventually.”
Freya’s expression clearly indicated that she doubted that very much but she smiled at the other woman. “How is Reasa? Has she recovered?”
“I presume so though it’s hard to tell since Liam locked them in his room the instant Mallen gave her the all clear.”
There was quiet amusement in Ashleigh’s tone and Freya was pleased to see that she was coming to accept Reasa into their family. It would have made things challenging if she had continued to resist her son mating with the woman who had initially come over from Europe to assassinate him. It was good that they would have the best of starts to their life together with the blonde wolf’s acceptance.
“The sooner we get this over with the sooner we will be home,” Nors pointed out, dropping a quick kiss on his mate’s lips before turning to his sister. “Do you want to start at the attack point?”
“That makes sense,” Freya answered, waiting until Ashleigh had headed back inside the house and the door closed securely behind her. “You will have to take the lead, Nors. I cannot trust myself not to take Michael’s head if I get my hands on him and that will only irritate Rafe as our instructions are to bring him back alive. I can do without another lecture on what it means to be pack.”
Her brother smiled, quickly tying his long auburn locks back on a ponytail at his nape. Freya’s resigned tone about pack etiquette always made him smile, as well as earned her his pride. His beautiful sister had come such a long way in the last quarter of a century, though she hadn’t lost sight of her limitations. Realistically, he should have been the one concerned about possibly losing control as it was his son and his mate who had been hurt by Michael’s actions. However, he had spent all his life being the reasonable one, always looking out for Freya, that it was second nature that she would turn to him when she was worried about being able to maintain control.
“Dead vampires tell no tales, Freya, and we need Michael to be singing like a canary. Try to keep that in the forefront of your mind just in case you do come face to face with him, and I am not there to intervene.”
She rolled her eyes at him, stretching her arms above her head to loosen some of the tension in her shoulders. “Singing like a canary? Where do you get your vernacular from? Actually, don’t answer that, I’ve heard how most of the pack speak. I swear you grow more like a wolf every day, brother mine.”
“Something you might benefit from,” he countered as he turned in the direction where the assault had happened only hours before. “Come on, I want to get this over with so I can get back into bed with my mate.”
“Lead on, then, and I will dutifully follow.” Freya couldn’t hide her amusement as he snorted loudly and then took off into the trees. She also couldn’t deny the bubble of excitement that was starting to infuse her. It had been a long time since she had not only been on a sanctioned hunt, but also spent any alone time with her brother. It felt as if the years had suddenly rolled back and it was just the Erikssons against the world. She hadn’t realised how much she had missed it.
Smiling she took off after Nors, vanishing into the thick treeline surrounding the main pack compound. Her vampiric senses kicked into gear instantly, as she focused on the task at hand. In less than ten seconds, she had caught up with her brother and was fanning out on his left side, immediately falling into old habits of when they had hunted together in the past. Freya took a wide circle towards the attack point just outside their boundary line, meeting up with Nors as he circled in from the right.
“He headed that way,” Nors growled, wrinkling his nose at the confusing scents all around them.
“You’re sure?” Freya wasn’t really questioning her brother. He wasn’t usually wrong about things but the area had already been sanitised and the vampire bodies burnt. There was still the lingering scent of death all around them, mixed in with the many packs scents of everyone involved. It wasn’t unreasonable to double check they were picking up the correct scent.
“Positive…he has a rather unique… odour.”
Freya backtracked over Nors’ trail until she picked up what he meant. “There’s something very wrong with him,” she commented, her tone conversational despite the fact she was wrinkling her nose at the smell.
“I guess we’ll find out what when we catch up with him,” her brother answered. “Let’s find where he went to ground…”
*****
Michael sat in the library of the safe house waiting for Candrea to arrive. He had placed a light in the window as she had instructed him when they’d first met, but his patience was wearing thin as he waited. The abduction of Reasa couldn’t have gone more horribly wrong…well he supposed it could have, he could have been killed along with the rest of the team he’d taken with him.
One moment he had been in a position of absolute power and the next, wolves and ancient vampires had descended on them on masse and retreat had been the only option. He needed to talk to Candrea. He needed an exit strategy back to Europe. Though he hated to admit it, he needed the other vampire to give him some advice on how he could present this failure to him.
Michael was afraid to report back to their Master just yet. Hiswrath could be a terrible thing, and the blond vampire was in no doubt that the Master would not be happy to learn that he’d failed to neutralise Thereasa, and had learned nothing of worth from the aborted attack. Perhaps Candrea would have some way of dressing it up so it didn’t appear to be such an abject failure. If only the stupid slattern would get his message and show her face at the safe house!
“Michael, your agitation is a palpable thing. Tell me what has transpired.”
Cold slivers of dread trickled down his spine as his Master’s voice rebounded through his chaotic thoughts. “Master…Master, we were ambushed. The ancient vampires arrived with their wolf pets and slaughtered everyone.”
Heavy disapproval flooded his mind, so thick he could almost reach out and touch it psychically. A split second later, pain exploded inside his mind, sending Michael crashing to the flood clutching his head in agony.
“Be still! Be silent!”
The order was inescapable, and Michael strove to obey even as tears streamed from his eyes. He had disappointed his Master. It was only fitting that he be punished for his failure. He could feel him scything through his thoughts, ripping the knowledge directly from his weak mind. The pain was agonising, Michael’s body bowing up in a razor sharp needles appeared to rasp over every inch of his body. He tried to protect himself, to dull the agony, but there was no hiding from the Master.
“Imbecile. Fool. I should never have honoured you with this task. You have nothing to show for your time here, Michael. I was already aware that the pack would be heavily defended from my other sources. Your failure cannot be tolerated; you know that, don’t you?”
“Please…Master…please! I live only to serve you. I am sorry! I will do better next time. Please, Master…please let me serve...” Michael let out an agonised scream as a shaft of pure malevolence seared through his already bruised mind. The scream cut off to a muted wail, the last semblance of any rationality cruelly extinguished with a mere thought.
“Candrea…clean up this filth…”
The female vampire was just approaching the safe house, the contact from the Master so unexpected she almost drove off the road into a ditch. As it was, she pulled over in the dark, taking a moment to catch her breath. It took all of her mental skills to hide her instant irritation from the powerful mind still lurking within hers. He never stopped to consider that whomever he was contacting may need to be in full control of their faculties. It was little things like that which chafed at her soul, and was probably one of the reasons she had survived so long in servitude to him.
He burnt out weaker minds at an exponential rate. As soon as she had met Michael, she had known that the blond vampire wouldn’t last much longer. He was already too far gone in his subservience, too eager to please the powerful mind that ruled so many. She wasn’t the least surprised that she would be cleaning up yet another of his victims. It wouldn’t be the first time and she doubted it would be the last.
About to start the car again to carry on her journey, something halted her hand as she went to turn the key. She had always had what she laughingly termed her early warning system. It wasn’t a power as such, not like some of the powers others she knew had. It was more of a sixth sense that warned her when she was about to walk into danger. It served her well this time, as less than a minute later her enhanced vision picked up movement at the edge of the forest up ahead, and two figures broke the treeline.
Nors and Freya Eriksson. Just seeing them together was enough to send a shiver down Candrea’s spine. Only a complete fool failed to fear the Ancient siblings, and a fool was something that she wasn’t. Holding her breath, she watched the duo cross the empty road up ahead, their destination clear. They were headed towards the safe house. They must have tracked Michael!
How long had it been since she’d been there? Would they be able to pick up her scent from her earlier visit? It had been a few days so most likely any trace scent that may still be there would be well diluted by the many male vampires who had been residing in the house up until the attack. One thing was certain though, she couldn’t obey the Master and clean up his mess now. She wouldn’t be able to account for her presence there.
Finally turning the key in the ignition when the Erikssons vanished from sight, Candrea  quickly turned the car around and headed back the way she had just come. She hoped Michael’s mind was completely destroyed as she anticipated it would be, but she wasn’t overly concerned if there was still a spark of sanity remaining. She had been well disguised when she had met with the blond vampire. Even if he could give a description of her, it would point in the completely wrong direction. She was safe for now, but she would be on high alert going forward. If the others found out about her…well nothing would save her skin if that truth came out.
*****
Nors and Freya entered the silent house, turning unerringly towards the sitting room the second they slipped inside. Walking purposefully into the room, they stopped just inside the doorway, a sound of disgust uttering from Freya’s lips as her gaze connected with the curled up body lying on the floor.
One glance was all it took to tell them that Michael’s mind had been irretrievably shattered. His pale eyes stared vacantly ahead, and flecks of spittle oozed from the side of his mouth. Dried blood encrusted his lips where his fangs had pierced his flesh, the wicked looking teeth still embedded there. Whatever had been left of Michael’s sanity was long gone and it took a moment for the two Ancients to process what they were seeing.
“His mind is completely destroyed.” Freya pointed out the obvious, a frown marring her exquisite features. “That must have taken extraordinary power. No vampire would willingly allow another to mess inside their heads.”
“Except for Liam and Reasa,” her brother countered, referring to his son and his mate, and their ability to dream walk. “Does this mean we have another dream walker out there somewhere? Possibly someone from Europe?”
Freya pursed her lips, moving over to the window to stare down at the lit lamp languishing on a table against the wall. “Old abilities are being resurrected. I would not be surprised to learn our enemies have this talent. All the more reason for us to determine if any others have the skillset and to have them trained as soon as possible.”
Her frown deepened and then she looked back over her shoulder. “This is a message, this light before the window. Michael was signalling someone that he wanted to meet.”
Nors raised an eyebrow, his expression doubtful. “It’s a lamp on a table, Freya. I swear you see conspiracies everywhere.”
“There is no seating close to this lamp. It provides no direct illumination for anything. Its purpose isn’t beneficial as a light source therefore it can only be a beacon of some kind, a message to someone outside that they are being called. Laugh at me if you wish, Nors, but I am sure on this. This lamp is a call for someone to come to the house.”
Her brother didn’t argue with her, it was foolish to do so when she was so certain. Instead, he nodded his head in agreement and headed back out of the living room. “You check inside the house, I’ll do a sweep of the grounds.” He didn’t wait for her acknowledgement. They had hunted together for over two thousand years and each knew the other’s habits.
Nors circled the property and surrounding trees in a tight arc and then three times more in every increasing arcs. He returned to the house when he was certain that the area was completely secure. Freya was just returning up from the basement, her body language alert but relaxed.
“There’s no one outside,” Nors reported. “I take it the house is secure too?”
“I scented the vampires who attacked the pack but no others. I’ve checked the house four times and there are no concealed panels to be found. The only person here is the living corpse in the living room.”
Her brother frowned, his gaze drifting towards the front door. “Perhaps if we had been a little slower at tracking Michael we might have found out who he was meeting.”
Freya shrugged, her movement an elegant tilt of her shoulders. “Or perhaps whoever he was meeting was here already and that is why his mind has been destroyed.” She didn’t truly believe that. If his co-conspirator had been here they would have cleaned up the mess before leaving. No, it was likely as Nors said, they had arrived before Michael’s visitor had.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Calm green eyes met her brother’s intent gaze.
“The European vampires have a spy among us,” Nors answered, his expression hardening as he uttered the words. Just the thought that one of their own could be responsible for what was happening was enough to send him into a fury like no other. His sister’s deceptively calm expression didn’t hide her own inner fury from him either.
“When I find whoever it is, they will scream for mercy,” Freya promised.
“I think there will be a long queue for that, sister mine,” Nors replied, a cold smile crossing his face. “Come, there is nothing of worth to be learned here now. Let’s clean up the mess and report back to Rafe. I want to get home to my mate as I am sure do you.”
Without another spoken word, the siblings worked together, lifting Michael’s limp body and ignoring his pathetic gurgling as they headed upstairs and into the first available bathroom. Staring down at him for a long moment, Nors nodded his head in his sister’s direction and she elongated her talons and knelt down beside the bath.
Smoothing back his hair from his brow, Freya closed Michael’s sightless eyes and then sliced her talons across his throat. She pressed hard and deep, scything ruthlessly until his head detached and she let it rest beside his torso. The deed was almost done, well the first part was. Now she had to dismember the body and dispose of it. They also needed to sanitise the house.
Nors left Freya to complete her job, finding as many natural accelerants as he could in the house. There would be sufficient to cover all traces of Michael’s origins and most likely burn the entire house down to the ground if the fire department didn’t arrive too quickly. It was most important to ensure Michael’s remains were obliterated so they would ensure that before the left.
Barely an hour since they’d left the pack, Nors and Freya Eriksson stood hidden within the treeline watching the house burn in a raging inferno. In the distance they could hear the first sounds of emergency vehicles rushing to the scene, but they were unconcerned by the clamour. The area had been fully sanitised and the human world would be oblivious to what had occurred inside the house. Turning as one, they melted into the darkness, returning home to report to their Alpha.
To be continued…

Prologue

Gone!
One word. One thought.
Shards of glass scything along every nerve ending.
GONE!

The little boy sat up in his bed, tears filling his eyes as he reached out with his telepathic voice. “Mother? Father?” He paused, held his breath, waited for the inevitable response, but silence greeted him, the rustle of the leaves outside his bedroom window the only sound in the physical world.
However, it was the psychic plane he was focused on, the place where theyalways were, the place that reminded him he was never alone. His parents were the only real anchor he had ever known, and he relied on them much more than they could ever have known. Even in the bleakest of moments when he had feared for his very sanity, he could always come to this special place in his mind, where he was safe in their love and support.
Now the chill wind of emptiness graced the mental room he had conjured up in his mind. Always before when he visited, he was wrapped up in the safety and warmth of a little boy’s bedroom, his parents reading to him, his mother stroking his head as the rich timbre of his father’s voice rumbled of castles and dragons, knights and princesses. Now it will completely dark, no warmth, no love, no light to pull him out of the burgeoning terror that was threatening to overwhelm him.
“Mother! Answer me! Father! Where are you?” His tears spilled over, soaking his cheeks as he waited for a response that he was quickly coming to realise would not be forthcoming. “SPEAK TO ME! ANSWER ME! Please, Mommy! Please, Daddy. I promise I will be good. I promise!
The darkness seemed to grow ever darker. The silence became more oppressive. They didn’t answer him. Mommy didn’t send her love and cuddles down their familial bond. Daddy didn’t tickle his tummy until he was squealing with laughter, trying to get away but not wanting the fun to end. He was alone, all by himself. A little boy who had never grown up because he didn’t know how to, and now he was alone. His parents were GONE!
Surfacing from his mental reverie, he threw himself from his bed, staggering as his inner child tried to take in the adult legs beneath him. His body had grown but his inner self never had. Not the precious, good part of himself that had survived the beast within. His legs buckled and he fell to the ground, throwing his hands out to halt his fall. The tears coursed down his cheeks, his heart hammered with terror, as he reached out with his psychic mind once more.
“Mommy!”
“Daddy!”
“Please…!”
“I am here,”a voice whispered through his mind. Cold, detached, familiar.
It wasn’t his parents but it was something he knew. Something he could cling to as he realised that his outward projections were rebounding back inside his head, and his words weren’t reaching their intended targets.
“Stop it! Let me reach them! What are you doing? I want my Mommy and Daddy!”
“They are not there, Kothari. You know that so why reach? All you will do is alert the Others to the fact you’re aware they’re gone. You know what They will do, don’t you? They will surround you, overwhelm you, stop Us from doing what we must. Hush now, and listen to me. I have never steered you wrong before.”
The voice was compelling, so much so, that he stilled where he was, resting on his hands and knees on the floor, his head bowed as his tears flowed. The voice knew him, had been with him most of his life. It had helped him before when his emotions had become too much to bear. It had protected him, as his parents had. He should listen to it, he should hear what it had to say.
“Who are you?”
At first the voice didn’t answer, and he was about to ask the question again but then there was a loud sigh inside his mind.
“You know me, Kothari. You have always known me.”
The moment’s lessening of his fear quickly ebbed as realisation dawned. Kothari sobbed loudly, lowering himself to the floor and cradling his head in his hands. “No! You hurt my Angel! You burned down the trees and singed the grass with flames of gold. You are the monster inside, the one Mommy and Daddy said I mustn’t listen to. Go away! Leave me alone! Mommy! Daddy! Rafe! Kallum! Somebody help me!”
Cold laughter filled his mind, amusement and derision all joined into one. “They cannot help you, Kothi. I am in control now. I have placed mental blocks around your mind so strong that if anyone tries to reach you, they will find you peacefully asleep. I am the only one who can help you. I am the only one who can find out what happened to Our parents.”
No! There was one other, someone who would come if he called, if he could break through the blocks. “Dara! Hear me! Please help me, Dara! Please!”
“She can’t help you. She can’t hear you. There is only me, Kothi. Accept it!”
Sobbing profusely, he curled up into a ball, helpless against the strong will that controlled his childlike mind. He pushed, he snarled, he tried to force out the other persona but he was too weak. He had always been too weak. Finally, he gave up, his tired mind too exhausted to try any further.
“Good!” the voice breathed out, satisfaction in that one word. “Sleep now, Kothari, son of Gard and Sarayne. Be at rest and allow me to lead the hunt to find out what has happened to Our parents. You are too soft to do what is necessary. Those who have harmed them need Justice, and for that they require me. For I am Justice, and I am Retribution. I am Death and I am Destruction. The world will swim in the blood of all those who have caused harm to Our parents. Be it directly or indirectly, all who are responsible will know my name is Agony!”

Chapter 15: Throw Back Thursday.


Emily perched on the left arm of the throne. It was very wide so it was quite a comfortable seat.
 
"Does the royal bottom require a cushion?" Alexander quipped, his eyes dancing with laughter.

"The royal bottom is perfectly comfortable, thank you, Grandfather," Emily laughed gaily.

"I take it your muttering means you do not wish a throne?" Alexander asked.

"No thank you, Grandfather," she said pertly. "Cullen's too big to sit on the arm of a throne and I prefer to sit with him."

Alexander threw back his head and roared with laughter again. "So did your husband beat you soundly for your misbehaviour the last time we met, child?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Worse, Grandfather, he gave me the silent treatment."

Alexander quirked an eyebrow in surprise. "And the silent treatment was worse, why?"

"It lasted almost five month's, Grandfather," Emily sighed. "And he evicted me from our home too. In fact, it has only been in the last week or so that he has deigned to speak to me. He's very stubborn." She smiled lovingly at Cullen as she spoke. She saw his lips quirk in a little smile as his eyes promised her retribution later.

"And how did you manage to tame his stubbornness, child?" Alexander smiled.

"I let him win, Grandfather," she said softly. "It was the only way to make him see that the prize for winning was not what he really wanted."

Alexander was intrigued by the look that passed between Emily and Cullen as she spoke. "What was your prize, Cullen?" he asked curiously.

"Eternity without your Granddaughter, Sire," Cullen said quietly, his eyes fixed on Emily's.

"Not a prize I would be happy to win either, Cullen," The King said soberly.

"Not a prize I could live with, Sire," Cullen agreed.

"I'm glad to hear it," Alexander sighed. "It would have grieved me greatly if my little Emily was so distraught she refused to come to us."

The mood was sombre for a moment and then Alexander smiled another beautiful smile.

"Is your little human friend here, child?" he asked suddenly. "Little Alice with the dark haired beauty which you thought I did not notice the last time we met in this room."

"She is, Sire," Emily smiled waving at Alice who flushed red but waved back. "She is to be married to Dorian," Emily said happily. "Soon I will have a sister to complete my family."

"Who is the human male beside her, Granddaughter?" Alexander asked, looking at Anton.

Emily laughed gaily and ran down the steps to hug her brother. "This is Anton, Grandfather," she sighed happily. "He is my human brother."

The King rose and walked down the steps. He looked at Anton closely.

"He doesn't look anything like you," he said in a loud stage whisper causing Emily to peal with laughter at the shocked expression on her brother's face. He was so bewildered by everything going on.

"That's because he's my half brother. He takes after our father but I favour my mother. He's very loving and protective though."

The King inclined his head to Anton. "Thank you for taking such good care of our little Emily, Anton," he said with a soft smile. "We will do our very best to take as good a care of her as you have."

Anton could only stare and nod dumbly. The vampire standing in front of him literally oozed power. It was almost overpowering yet Emily laughed and teased him and called him Grandfather as if she had known him all her life. He knew it was something to do with her taking the King's blood but he didn't understand it.

"I guess it's time to do the boring bit now," Alexander sighed with a wink at Emily.

"Will you be long imparting your words of wisdom, Grandfather?" She asked as she walked beside him back to his throne.

He laughed as he sat down. "Do you have other plans which I am impinging on, little one? Do you chafe to be away from me so you do not have to sit for up to four hours in silence waiting for me to speak?"

"It's my coming out celebration, Grandfather," she smiled. "Sitting in silence is not on the top of my 'to do' list. Though I will if you require it of me."

"What would you rather do, child?"

"Dance and sing and laugh and kiss my husband," she said gaily, smiling at Cullen who was watching her with a rapt expression on his face.

Alexander raised an eyebrow at her. "It has been almost a millennia since there was last dancing in this room," he said quietly., his expression thoughtful.

"You've sat here in silence for almost a millennia?" Emily exclaimed totally stunned. She stared around the room at all the faces turned toward them. "Seriously? A millennia without dancing and laughter?"

She walked down the steps and came to stand in the spot she had stood in all those month's ago. Silent tears fell down her face as she turned to look at the King.

"Why are you weeping, Granddaughter?" Alexander asked softly, his expression pained as he leaned forward in his throne.

"I weep for all the joy that has been lost to my people for almost a millennia," she said sadly.

She looked around the room again. "I know you each must have laughed and danced with the ones you love in your private lives. But to come together here for a millennia and never know that joy as a nation? It's so unbearably wrong! It's so incredibly tragic! Oh, Cullen, I can't bear it," she cried, flying across the room and throwing herself into his arms.

Cullen wrapped his arms around his weeping wife. He held her close and murmured soft words of comfort as she wept for their people, for the awful stagnation their nation was in. He stroked her hair gently, soothing her as best he could while the King watched them, his expression still pained.

The King finally turned to his people as his Granddaughter sobbed in her husband's arms.

"There weeps an angel who's heart breaks for all we have lost as a people," he said quietly. "We should all be weeping for what we have lost only there is not one among us, myself included, who realised we had lost anything at all. Times must change or no amount of ceremony or royalty will be able to hold us together as a people. We must look to our little angel for guidance. If we fail to do so, we are lost."

Emily hiccupped and scrubbed at her face. She watched the King sit back in his throne, his face pensive.

"Have you finished, Grandfather?" she asked quietly.

"I fear I am at a loss for words this night, child," he said thoughtfully, "When I looked at you all those months ago I knew in my heart that we needed you badly, Emily. I am just beginning to realise how badly and I am shaken to the core that I have been such a terrible King to my people that I have let such things come to pass, under my watch."

"Rubbish!" Emily snorted.

Alexander blinked in surprise. "Rubbish," he repeated his tone astounded.

Hugo growled under his breath and Emily rounded on him.

"Never mind growling at me," she said tartly, walking back up the steps. "It must be getting right up your nose that you have to even acknowledge me. You were more than happy to look at me as if I were a piece of dirt the last time we met."

Hugo flushed and inclined his head. "My sincerest apologies, Highness," he said respectively and she saw Philip's lips twitch as he tried to hide a smile.

"Yes rubbish, Grandfather," she continued perching back on the arm of his throne. "You've been an excellent King and will be for many more millennia to come. There may have been one or two little things you didn't get quite right but everyone makes mistakes, even Kings. The best thing about mistakes is they can be easily fixed as long as you're willing to try."

Alexander stared at his little Granddaughter. "You go from tears to smiles in less than five seconds flat," he finally said, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Well, up until tonight I'd always found that life was too short to wallow in self pity," she quipped impishly. "It might take me a few centuries to outgrow that."

The King smiled and his pensive mood lifted as she smiled radiantly down at him.

"So, are we having a ball tonight, Granddaughter?" he asked.

"If you have no other words of wisdom to impart, Grandfather," she laughed.

Alexander laughed. "Let the festivities begin then," he announced.

Emily jumped up and nodded to Chris who ran to the sound area with CDs in his hand. She skipped across to her friends and family. "You guys are going to have to help me out here," she whispered.

The sound of music suddenly filled the room and it was a haunting love song which Chris had chosen for the first track to play.

Emily turned to Cullen, her eyes shining brightly. "Will you dance with me, my husband?" she asked softly.

"It will be my pleasure, my wife," Cullen smiled, taking her in his arms and whirling her around the room in time to the melody.

Emily laughed as Cullen spun her around endlessly. She was aware of Alice and Dorian dancing too and then slowly other vampire couples took to the floor and began to dance.

Chris carefully orchestrated the music so that it was more traditional waltzes and tangos at the start of the evening, music which most of the assembled vampires would be more comfortable with.

As the room came alive with talking and laughter, he increased the tempo slowly until he was playing more upbeat music and there were still plenty of vampires on the dance floor.

Emily laughed gaily as she danced with Cullen and then Alice. She danced with Anton and then Dorian and not to be outdone, Liam kept her on the dance floor for two dances in a row.

A slight hush fell over the room when Emily climbed the steps and held her hand out to the King when a haunting waltz came on.

"Will you dance with me, my King?" she asked softly.

"It would be my honour, my Princess," Alexander answered quietly and took her hand and led her onto the dance floor.

The other dancers left the floor and all watched spellbound as their King and their Princess twirled elegantly across the floor.

Their grace and beauty was joyous to behold as they danced.

Alexander smiled down into his Granddaughter's radiant face and couldn't remember a time when he had felt so alive, so carefree. He glided gracefully across the floor with the tiny woman matching his steps in perfect harmony until the music ended.

There was silence in the room as Chris held off putting another track on.

Tears of joy ran down King Alexander's face as he slowly released Emily and brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it reverently.

"Thank you for the greatest gift I have ever been given in my entire long lived life, Emily," he said softly. "The gift of true joy and true happiness."

"Thank you for allowing me to bestow the gift upon you, my King," Emily smiled. "You are one excellent dancer," she added with an impish grin. "You should do it more often, Grandfather."

Alexander burst out laughing and shook his head. "You are quite incorrigible, do you know that?" he asked as he escorted her back over to Cullen.

"My husband was only just telling me that last night, Highness," she laughed happily.

Cullen chuckled as she snuggled into his arms, a thoughtful expression her face as she watched the King return to his throne.

"What are you cooking up in that beautiful little head of yours?" he asked quietly.

"I was just thinking my Grandfather is a very lonely man," she sighed contently. "I think I may have to do something about that."

"Emily, you can't go around playing matchmaker to the King of Vampires," Cullen groaned softly.

"Oh, can't I?" she laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she gazed up at her beautiful husband.

He groaned again and brought his mouth to her, unable to resist her. He kissed her deeply, moulding her body to his. He finally raised his head and his eyes were shining with love.

"I suppose I'm going to have to give up telling you that you can't do something," he said, his voice warm and loving.

"Now you're learning, my darling," she whispered and reached up to kiss him again.

"Are you happy, my Emily?" Cullen asked, nuzzling against her neck.

"Blissfully," she sighed happily.

"You've brought us alive, tonight," Cullen smiled, looking out at the room and the watching his people dance and laugh, as a collective group for the first time in such a long time.

"And I've only just started," she said softly.

The night was a huge success. Granted there were a few dark faces around the room but overall everyone seemed to have a good time. The King left after having a quiet word with Emily in private. Whatever he had said made her smile happily.

"Are you ready to go home, love?" Cullen asked, lightly trailing a finger down her jaw.

"Let's stay here tonight," Emily sighed. "Let Anton have the apartment to himself."

"Oh, good," her husband laughed, his eyes twinkling devilishly.

"What?" she asked smiling at him.

"You'll find out," he winked and pulled her across the room to let Anton know he would be going home alone.

Emily smiled at her brother's flushed face. He really was having a great time once he'd gotten over his awe of the whole experience. He was locked in very animated conversation with a very beautiful, brunette haired, vampire whom she had seen around but didn't know her to talk to her.

"Em, come say hi to Charlotte," Anton called.

The woman was a young vampire and she flushed and jumped up when she saw her Princess approaching. She bowed deeply and Emily fought down a groan. All this bowing malarkey was taking some getting used to.

"Please Charlotte, rise," she said with a soft smile to take the slight edge out of the tone of her voice . "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It is my honour, my Princess," the woman said respectively.

"Oh, come on, it's only Em," Anton laughed. He'd had a couple of drinks and Emily smiled fondly at him.

"She is my Princess, Anton," Charlotte said shocked. "I do not have the luxury of a familial bond with her as you do. I must show my respect."

"Charlotte, relax," Emily smiled gently. "I will not take offence, young one. I am new to all this myself. I know how confusing it can be trying to find your place in the larger scheme of things. Please sit and enjoy yourself."

Charlotte sat back down but still appeared unsure of how to act. Emily tugged lightly at Cullen's hand and he sat down beside the other couple as she did.

"You look like you're having a good time, big brother," she said with a fond smile. "We are going to stay in our room here tonight so you will need to find your own way home. I hope that won't be a problem."

"I am your Big brother, Em," Anton laughed. "Which means I've been taking care of myself for a lot longer than you have. I think I can make it home in one piece."

"I could escort him for you, my Princess," Charlotte offered quietly.

Emily laughed as she saw her brother's eyes light up at the thought.

"You might get more than you bargained for if you do that, Charlotte," she said.

Charlotte looked at Anton and then she blushed. "Or I may get exactly what I bargained for," she smiled and then gasped as she realised she'd actually said that out aloud.

Emily laughed and touched the other woman lightly on her arm. "Have fun," she said and winked at Charlotte.

The other woman tensed for a moment and then she relaxed and smiled shyly at her.

Emily decided that she liked this young vampire a lot. And Anton could do a lot worse. "I'll see you tomorrow, Anton," she smiled giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Night, baby girl," he said. "You really were glorious tonight, Em. You made me so proud to be your brother."

"As I am proud to be your sister, Anton. Love you," she called over her shoulder as Cullen led her away.

"All this bowing is driving me nuts, Cullen," she said tiredly as they made their way to their room.

He slid his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his side. "You'll get used to it , love."

"That's if I don't make it an offence to bow to me," she laughed as Cullen closed the door behind them and locked it.

"I somehow think Alexander will find that to be one step too far," Cullen chuckled, coming up behind her and unlacing the back of her dress. "Oh, and speaking of Alexander. You were very naughty tonight, my wife."

He spun her around and pushed the dress from her shoulders watching her body being revealed as the dress slid to the floor.

"Was I?" Emily laughed innocently, stepping out of the dress and kicking off her sandals.

Cullen took his shirt off and slid off his trousers. "Very bad," he nodded with a huge smile. "You were having way too much fun telling tales about me to Alexander."

"My King asked me a question," she giggled. "It was my duty to answer him."

"You didn't have to take such pleasure in doing so, Emily," Cullen said, moving towards her. "What were your saying about being naughty and needing to be punished last night?"

Emily laughed and spun away from him. She flew around the room but she was new to this speed thing and she overbalanced when she tried to change direction too fast and fell onto the bed.

Cullen was on her in a fraction of a second. He pinned her struggling body underneath his and stared down into her laughing face. "Punishment time, my Princess," he growled and flipped her over and stripped off her panties in almost the same movement.

Emily shrieked with laughter as he brought his hand down on her backside with a stinging slap. Cullen spanked her until her laughter faded and she began to moan with pleasure. He brought his mouth to her heated skin and feathered light kisses over her abused flesh.

Emily moaned at the sweet pleasure coursing through her. Who would have thought being spanked could be so erotic? She twisted sharply, taking him by surprise and Cullen's next kiss landed between her thighs.

Cullen groaned when she moved suddenly and his mouth was tasting her sweet nectar when he'd least expected it. He growled and pushed her legs apart, opening her up to him. He licked slowly along her silky folds, tasting her arousal and eagerly searching for more.

Emily moaned and pushed her body against his mouth. His hot tongue dipped deep inside her and he began to stroke it in and out of her body, licking deeply to tease her juices out. She dug her fingers into his hair and held him to her pussy, moving her body against his face, begging him silently to pleasure her.

Cullen was intoxicated by her sweet taste. His mouth became rougher and he brought his fingers to push deep into her. He gloried in the lack of restraint he could use, now she was no longer so fragile. His fingers sawed in and out of her sweet body roughly as he sucked her hard clit into his mouth, grazing his teeth along it as he laved it with his tongue.

Emily was going crazy with the pleasure Cullen was giving her. She bucked wildly and cried out as he pushed her relentlessly toward her orgasm. He stopped before she reached it and laughed when she cried out in frustration. She flipped him over onto his back and impaled herself on his rigid cock. She ground herself desperately against him as he filled her so completely.

"That's it, my Princess," Cullen groaned, his eyes glittering with his need for her. "Ride me hard. Take your pleasure."

Emily growled deeply and began sliding up and down his cock, her head thrown back, her long red curls brushing his thighs as she moved.

Cullen watched his wife ride him and his heart thundered at the sexy sight she presented. She was truly breathtaking. Her face was flushed with passion and her lips slightly parted as she moved wildly upon his cock. He gripped her tiny waist and began moving her body, lowering her hard onto his cock as he thrust hard inside her.

Emily thought she would die with pleasure when Cullen took over the tempo of their lovemaking. He was taking her so hard and fast and she was loving every second of it. She dropped her head forward and founding him watching her intently, the wild passion of his gaze making her moan with pleasure.

Cullen growled and moved, flipping her over. They fell off the bed and landed on the floor, Emily laughing as he landed on top of her. He thrust into her hard and she moaned as her husband continued to take her where they'd landed.

The carpet was rough against her back but it only heightened the ferocity of their love making. Emily suddenly reared up and pushed him away from her, springing to her feet. "If you want me, you have to work for it, Cullen," she said throatily and then dashed away.

"Witch!" Cullen growled, grabbing her ankle as she went to speed past him. He pulled hard and she toppled off balance, falling against vanity table. Cullen was on his feet before she could regain her balance. He swept away the items on the table and lifted her onto it, sliding inside her as he did.

Emily groaned as Cullen began moving hard and fast deep inside her. Her husband was taking her on the vanity table now. It was just so erotic. She could see them in the mirror, their sweat slickened, bodies stunning beautiful as they ground against each other with a desperate need.

"Watch us, Emily," Cullen growled breathlessly. "See the beauty that is our love." He kissed her desperately and then turned her head to the mirror.

Their eyes locked in their reflections as Cullen thrust hard into her and she bucked up to meet his every movement. Their movements became more frantic and they were kissing desperately, tongues joining deep inside Emily's mouth.

Emily could wait not longer. Her need was intense. She dug her nails sharply into Cullen ass. "Now, Cullen," she demanded hoarsely against his mouth. "Make me come now."

Cullen growled and thrust into her so hard and so fast that he thought they'd break the table. His beautiful Emily was crying out in pleasure as he took her so hard that she was coming over and over again on his throbbing cock. Her tight tunnel clenched around his cock and he roared as his hot seed erupted from his balls as white, hot pleasure coursed through him
"Emily," he groaned as he bucked against her and heard her cry out once more and shudder beneath him. His upper body fell on top of her and his head ended up against her breasts. He looked at their reflection in the mirror and he couldn't ever remember seeing a sight that equalled the beauty of their joined bodies, slickened with sweat as they trembled in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

Cullen took a deep breath and stood up, pulling her with him. She wrapped her legs around her waist to keep their bodies joined a little longer. He carried her over to the bed and fell onto it so they were lying on their sides.

"God, you're amazing," Cullen sighed as his heart began to slowly calm down.

"We're amazing," Emily laughed, leaning up and resting her head on her hand. Her other hand ran over his chest as she watched his face intently.

"I agree," Cullen smiled, taking her hand and moving it down his body until she was cupping his flaccid cock gently, rubbing slowly in circular motions. "That feels good," Cullen sighed. He lay there a moment longer and then brought her hand to his mouth so he could kiss it.

"What did Alexander say to you when he was leaving?" he asked curiously.

"He was asking me if I had consulted my intuition about something we had discussed privately earlier." Emily answered.

"And had you?" Cullen asked.

"No," she smiled, her eyes dancing.

Cullen flipped her until she was on her back and he was leaning over her. "Where you not the one swearing at a roomful of vampires earlier tonight about prevarication?" he chuckled, massaging a breast in his large hand.

"I believe I was," Emily laughed. "They were really annoying me."

"As you are beginning to annoy me," Cullen growled with mock anger. "Are you going to tell me about it, my Emily?"

She closed her eyes and thought about her question. She waited for a sign and then she smiled and opened her eyes. "Sorry, had to consult my intuition first," she giggled and then gasped as he tweaked her nipple hard.

She stared deep into his golden brown eyes, her beautiful husband. She wondered how he would react to her question and felt nerves flutter in the pit of her stomach.

"Whatever, if you want to ask me, just ask it, Emily," he smiled gently at her.

"Will you drink of my blood, Cullen?" Emily said softly.

Cullen's heart missed a few beats when he heard her question. He stared into his beautiful wife's face seeing the nervousness in her eyes as she waited for an answer from him. "I would gladly drink of your blood, my sweet Emily," he whispered huskily, his eyes glowing with love and anticipation.

"You know it would be permanent, the link between us," Emily said breathlessly as his eyes shone with happiness.

"I know, love and I want that so badly," Cullen whispered. "But only if you're really sure that this is the right thing to do, Emily."

"I'm sure, Cullen," she smiled. "My intuition tells me it's the right. Even if it told me it was wrong I would still want it. I need it, Cullen."

His eyes flared with emotion and he ground his mouth against hers.

"Now, Emily?" he asked against his lips. "Can I taste you now, my love?"

"Yes," she moaned as she felt him harden again. She spread her legs and reached down to take his cock in her hand. She moved him to her opening as he groaned and moved his mouth down to her breast.

Cullen thrust into her at the same moment he bit into her breast. He sucked her sweet blood deep into his mouth as he began to move slowly inside her hot body.

Emily moaned in ecstasy and bucked up against him. Her hands were on his hips and she urged him on as he suckled at her breast. She felt him close the wound and then take her nipple in his mouth. He began to lave the hard peak with his tongue, all the while thrusting deep into her pussy.

"Cullen!" Emily moaned deep inside his head. "You feel so good deep inside me."

Cullen cried out in ecstasy as he heard her in his mind. He began thrusting deep and hard inside her, his mouth rough as he moved from one breast to the other, feasting on her sweet flesh.

"Emily," he whispered inside her head. "You taste so sweet, my love. I could feast at your beautiful breasts for hours."

"Cullen!" Emily cried out loudly thrusting against him as he continued to ravish her tortured nipples with his lips and tongue, all the while taking her with hard, deep strokes of his cock.

Cullen was so consumed with need. The new, increased intimacy between them was a powerful aphrodisiac. He slid away from her and knelt on the floor beside the bed.

"Come to me, my Princess," he said hoarsely.

Emily slid from the bed to come stand before him. He parted her legs wide and then slid between them, his mouth coming to her aching pussy. His tongue dipped deep inside her and she moaned deeply.

"That's it, Emily," Cullen groaned. "Grind your sweet body against my mouth. Take your pleasure from my tongue."

Emily cried out and dug her fingers into his thick hair. Her thighs trembled as he held her hips tightly and licked eagerly at her wet pussy. If she had thought he had feasted on her breasts it was nothing compared to the way he feasted on her hot aching pussy. The level of their lovemaking was more intense than it had ever been before. There was a hot earthiness to it as Cullen's tongue dipped endlessly inside her and his words in her mind became cruder which only served to excite her more.

"Fuck my mouth, Emily," he chanted. "Ride my tongue hard. Take your sweet pleasure so I can drink your hot juices when you come on my face."

"Oh, fuck!" Emily screamed as his words drove her wild and her body began to shake uncontrollably. She frantically bucked against his hot tongue, her hands pulling tightly at his hair as she came hard against his mouth and he licked and sucked ravenously as he drank her sweet juices deep down his throat. She would have fallen if he had not held her up.

Cullen let her fall to the floor in front of him. Her beautiful face was flushed with pleasure, her lips parted as she stared at him with her lovely violet eyes shining with passion and love. He leaned towards her and kissed her slowly, rubbing her scent on her lips. His eyes darkened when she moaned and licked her taste from his lips.

He rose to stand before her and threaded his hands into her thick curls. Her hot little mouth open and slid slowly down his throbbing cock. Cullen trembled and hissed out a long deep breath as she engulfed him. Her tongue began to lick the length of his cock as she moved her head up and down in long, slow strokes.

"Your turn," Emily sighed in pleasure as she began to pleasure him with her mouth.

Each time Emily slid down his cock, she took more of him inside her sweet mouth. Cullen could feel the head of his cock touching the back of her throat with each thrust and he groaned deeply each time at the hot pleasure which coursed through his body. He cried out when her next downward movement had him breaching the back of her throat to slide down deeply.

Cullen froze as he tried to take in the incredible pleasure he was feeling as he slid into Emily's throat. As vampires, they didn't need to breathe, they did so because it was how they scented things. His stillness and cock was not harming her in anyway.

"Take my mouth, Cullen, " Emily moaned in his head. "Fuck me hard deep down my throat. I want to taste your hot seed in my mouth."

Cullen growled hoarsely and began to fuck her hot mouth hard and fast. He slid deep down her throat with every thrust and she urged him on by digging her nails sharply into his ass.

"Harder, Faster," Emily chanted. "Fuck my throat, Cullen. Come in my mouth!"

Cullen was out of control. Her earthy chants were driving him mad with the need to come. He bucked wildly down her throat, feeling the blood boil in his balls and the first hot sticky fluid start to erupt from the head of his cock. He roared in ecstasy and pulled out of her throat so his hot come spurted into her eager mouth. He shook and cried out over and over again as Emily sucked and swallowed his seed.

Cullen dropped back down to his knees. He took her mouth desperately with his, licking and tasting his tangy release on her lips. He couldn't get enough of his hot little wife. She was a Goddess. She was his Princess. Finally he pulled away and looked at her, his eyes shining brightly. "You have the sexiest, most talented mouth in the world, wife," he laughed.

Emily laughed and licked her lips. She rubbed her body against his. "I think I might have some stiff competition from you, husband," she said saucily, her eyes glowing.

Cullen laughed and rose, picking her up as he did so. He pulled her onto the bed beside him and dragged the covers over them. He lay on his side, stroking the curls away from her face, his gold brown eyes so loving and tender as they stared into hers.

"Eternity isn't long enough to be with you, Emily," he said quietly. "Each day I learn something new about you. I'm constantly surprised by what you're going to do or say next."

"I surprise even myself sometimes," Emily smiled. "I'd never even imagined I would do what I just did with you. I'd have done it a lot sooner if I'd known what I was missing," she added with a chuckle, though she blushed slightly.

"Don't be embarrassed, love," Cullen said softly. "There are so many different moods to lovemaking. Sometimes, it sweet and tender and loving. Other times, it's hot and earthy and intense. Never hold back what you're feeling, Emily. Surrender to the mood and take the pleasure that's waiting for you."

She smiled at him. "Oh, I intend to, husband," she said with a lustful leer."

Cullen roared with laughter. "I bet you will," he sighed, pulling her close to him.

"Goodnight, my Princess," he whispered softly.

"Good night, my husband," she whispered back.


To be continued....

Chapter 14: Throw Back Thursday.


Anton arrived on the Wednesday and everyone was back at the apartment that night for a relaxed night in. Anton had pulled Cullen aside and quizzed him about the change. His brother in laws answers seemed to satisfy him that his sister was not in any danger.

Alice got her long lunch and was slightly tipsy when they got back to the office. Dorian had proposed properly the night before and she was wearing a shiny engagement ring and was slightly over excited as only Alice could be.

Thursday night, Emily and Anton went out for dinner. Emily savoured every mouthful of the beautiful meal. It was the last time she would eat food and she wanted to relish the experience.

Anton had brought over some old family albums and Cullen had sat watching the siblings sitting on the floor as they poured over the old photographs laughing at old memories of friends and relatives who had come and gone in their lives.

"Would you ever consider the change, Anton?" Emily finally asked the question she had been wanting to ask her brother for so long.

"If you'd asked me that last week, baby girl, I would have quite categorically have said no," Anton sighed softly. "Now it's not something I'm eager to do but I am not as opposed to the idea as I once was. The thought of me growing old while you remain as you are is sad, Em. Sad because I know you will have to watch me die knowing that you'll live on well past my death."

"That's not the right reason for wanting to go through the change, Anton," Emily smiled. "I know I am letting myself in for a lot of grief as I lose the ones I love when their lifetimes are over. I've accepted that as one of drawbacks of changing. Don't base your decision on me, big brother. If you do ever decide to change, do it because it is right for you."

"You practising your royal wisdom on me, Em?" Anton chuckled and ruffled her curls affectionately. "One of the drawbacks," he mused. "What's another drawback?"

"No mochas," Emily grouched, reaching for her cup of coffee and savouring the wonderful taste.

Cullen and Anton burst out laughing.

"You can still drink coffee if you want, love," Cullen chuckled. "You just might not like the taste anymore."

"If it tastes like crap then there is no point in drinking it," she said tartly but she smiled to let him know that she was being humorous.

Anton retired to bed and Emily and Cullen followed him not long after.

Cullen pulled her into his arms and made, long, slow, passionate love to her until she was biting into his shoulder to muffled her cries of pleasure so her brother wouldn't hear.

"It's times like this I miss the house," she giggled when they lay together afterwards, their bodies spent.

"Let's go house shopping next week then," Cullen said softly. "Just don't be thinking you can use a royal decree to get your own way," he tagged on, slapping her backside playfully.

Emily giggled again and wiggled her backside against his hand. "That felt nice," she laughed. "Maybe I will be naughty sometime so you'll have to punish me with a spanking."

Cullen fought to muffle the sounds of his laughter. "You are incorrigible, wife," he finally said when he had stopped laughing, his eyes shining with love.

"But you love me," she quipped with a laugh, her face glowing with happiness.

"I do that, my Emily," he sighed holding her tightly. "Now go to sleep, minx! You have a big day ahead tomorrow and it would not be fitting for the Royal Princess to have dark circles under her eyes on the evening of her rebirth."

Sighing contently Emily settled down in his arms and went to sleep.

Emily was surprised to find that she wasn't the least bit nervous the following morning.

Dorian and Alice arrived early, Alice with a giant mocha in her hand.

"You're the best, Alice," Emily laughed sipping from the cup and closing her eyes in pleasure.

"Are you ready, Emily?" Cullen asked, his eyes shining with excitement and love.

"I'm ready, Cullen," she smiled, standing on her tip toes so she could give him a quick kiss and then drinking from her cardboard cup again.

The ride to Karpathia's didn't take long. Emily rushed ahead so she could give Liam a big hug. The club was very quiet as most of the vampires were at work but Alice's brother Chris was there along with some of his friends.

Emily gave Chris a kiss on his cheek and thanked him for coming. The young vampire smiled at her fondly.

"You saved Alice," he smiled. "And you're the best thing that's ever happened to our kind, even if some of the more ancient of us don't quite know it yet. It is my honour to be here with you, Emily."

Emily hugged Alice next and wiped away the little frown on her forehead.

"It'll be fine, little Alice," she smiled gently. "I can't wait for you to make your change too. I think I'll call you my sister in waiting," she laughed. "I am waiting impatiently for you to join my family, my dearest friend."

She turned to Dorian and hugged him fiercely. "If something goes wrong, keep him safe, Dorian," she whispered quietly against his ear. She kept her voice as low as possible.

Dorian nodded imperceptibly and kissed her on the head. "I love you, Emily," he smiled fondly, his hand lightly brushing her cheek.

Emily shot a quick glance at Cullen but his face was relaxed. She didn't think he had heard her brief exchange with Dorian.

Liam stepped up next for his fierce hug and he kissed her head as Dorian had. "You are going to be glorious, little Emily," he sighed softly.

Finally Emily turned to her brother who was watching her with anxious eyes. She stared at him uncertainly.

"Promise me you will still love me afterwards," she whispered tearfully.

"Always, baby girl," he whispered, his own eyes moist with tears. He held his arms out to her and she clung onto him desperately.

"I love you so much, Anton," she said softly. "I couldn't bear it if you found me too different after the change that you couldn't bear to be near me."

"You will be glorious as Liam said," Anton smiled, his eyes warm with his love for her. "Don't second guess yourself, Em. You know in your heart this is right. I will always love you no matter what. I will always be here for you no matter what. No tears, baby girl." He gently wiped the tears from her face and then kissed her gently on the lips.

Cullen moved to take her in his arms and give her a quick hug. She looked around her friends and family one last time with her human eyes and then she let him lead her down the long hallway to their room.

The room had been tidied since the last time they were here together on their wedding day but Cullen had left the delicate white swathes of material in place. He locked the door behind them and then turned her in his arms and kissed her slowly.

"I love you, my Emily," he whispered softly as he slowly peeled the clothes from her body.

He helped her into a long, white, silk nightgown and led her to the bed. He picked her up and laid her gently on the centre of the bed. He then placed the King's vial on the bedside table and undressed and lay down beside her.

Are you frightened, Emily?" he asked gently, stroking her face tenderly.

"No," she whispered reaching up to trace his cheekbone lightly with a finger.

He kissed her again, softly and gently. His mouth moved from her lips to trail along her jaw line and then down to the curve of her neck. He feathered light kisses along her shoulder until she moaned softly.

His fangs elongated as his mouth moved up to the spot in her neck where her pulse throbbed wildly as her heartbeat increased in anticipation of what was to come.

Cullen bit into her soft flesh, holding her tightly as she gasped and her body bucked up against his. His fangs punctured her jugular vein and her sweet blood pulsed into his waiting mouth.

Cullen drew deeply on her precious life's blood, drinking her sweet essence. He heard Emily sigh with pleasure as her endorphins kicked in. He sucked hard, pulling more and more of her blood inside him. She tasted so good, so sweet and vital.

Emily moaned as she felt Cullen's mouth tugging urgently at her neck. The feeling of pleasure that washed over her was intense as he drank deeply and groaned softly against her neck. She held his head to her as he drank more and more from her.

She sighed happily as her eyes grew heavy and she began to feel light headed and sleepy. Her hands didn't hold him so tightly anymore. She was vaguely aware of them falling away from Cullen. She tried to open her eyes but they felt so heavy. Still Cullen drank from her neck.

Cullen drank until he felt Emily go limp in his grasp. He quickly closed the puncture wounds and then sat up. He ripped a gaping hole in his wrist and prised open Emily's mouth. He held his wrist to her lips and let his blood drip down her throat. He stroked her throat gently until she automatically swallowed.

He had to reopen his wound when it healed. He dripped more of his blood into Emily's open mouth until finally enough had poured into her that she unconsciously began to seek his blood on her own.

Cullen had to reopen the wound a third time but this time it stayed open as Emily's sweet mouth latched onto his wrist as she began to suckled against him, drinking down his blood.

Emily suckled for what felt like an age and then she was still again. Cullen watched her anxiously for a moment and then began to relax. The change was coming over his sweet Emily. Already her hair looked more red, more curly, more vibrant. Her beauty seemed to deepen as he watched. It was as if her beautiful face had been hidden by a thin veil which was suddenly being removed.

Cullen reached for the Kings vial and poured the liquid into Emily's mouth. She swallowed and then moaned low in her throat as the power and knowledge of over four millennia settled upon her. Satisfied that all was well, Cullen lay down beside his wife and pulled her gently into his arms.

Emily slowly came awake. She lay still with her eyes closed and listened to the sounds around her. She could clearly hear the hum of conversation in the main club room and also the sounds of traffic and music outside in the street below. Cullen's heart sounded so loud as it thumped heavily in his chest. She smiled slowly and heard him gasp beside her.

"Emily?" Cullen breathed softly.

"I can hear everything. Cullen," she said with a huge smile.

Her eyes slowly opened and Cullen forgot how to breath as he stared into the deep violet depths of her beautiful eyes.

"Dear God, you are glorious!" he exclaimed in shock.

Emily laughed a delighted laugh and sat up quickly to look around the room. "Everything looks so much more vibrant," she said. "Everything is so beautiful. Why didn't you tell me it was like this, Cullen? I would have changed so much sooner if I'd known."

Cullen chuckled at her delight. He laughed harder as she suddenly flew up from the bed and whizzed around the room.

Naturally, to him, her speed seemed normal but to a human she would have been practically invisible.

"This is so amazing!" she cried excitedly finally bouncing back onto the bed beside him. "Oh, thank you, Cullen," she sighed hugging him happily.

"Thank you for joining with me, my Emily," he whispered softly, kissing her tenderly.

"What is this awful hunger I'm feeling?" she suddenly asked pulling back from him with a confused expression on her face.

"I believe it is customary to awaken famished after the change," Cullen laughed reaching over to the bedside table and holding a glass out to her.

The sweet scent coming from the glass made Emily's mouth water. She drank the cold, thick liquid down in one go and then held the glass out to her husband. "More, please," she said smiling. "Who would have thought that blood could taste so delicious."

She drained three glasses before she felt satisfied. "Will I always drink that much?" she asked curiously.

"Maybe for the first month or so," Cullen answered with a smile. "After that you will probably be able to get by with just one glass a day."

"Don't know why I was so worried about never drinking coffee again," she laughed. "The alternative is so much better."

Cullen laughed at her delighted expression. It seemed that his Emily was adapting well to the change. No revulsion at having to live off human blood as some changelings felt when they were newly born to this world.

"What about the other thing?" he asked softly. "Alexander's blood inside you."

"It's amazing, Cullen," she said raptly. "I feel like I know everything there is to know. Every moment of Alexander's existence is somewhere inside my head, just waiting for me to call up the memory. I feel strong and powerful but kind and compassionate too."

"Everything a Princess of Vampires should be," he whispered, his voice full of awe at the splendour of his beautiful wife.

She regarded him intently, her lips curved into a glorious smile. "Cullen," she sighed. "I know there is going to have to be some pomp and ceremony sometimes now that I am royal but please, not from you, my love. Keep me firmly grounded on what is right."

"I'll be by your side always, my wife," Cullen smiled happily. "You won't need me to keep you grounded, love. You will know the right thing to do."

She hugged him tightly and gave him a loving kiss. "I love you, my sweet Cullen," she whispered against his lips.

"I love you, my sweet Emily," he smiled. "Are you ready to go introduce yourself to your loyal subjects?"

"Yes," she cried jumping up and running to the garment bag which held her coming out gown.

Cullen dressed quickly and then laced the back of the dress for her and ran a comb through her tumbled curls.

"Do you think Anton will be all right?" Emily asked him quietly.

"He will adore you as always, Emily," Cullen sighed softly, pulling her head against his chest and running a soothing hand down her back. He held her at arms length and smiled his beautiful smile. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she smiled back and let him lead her out the room.

"They're coming," Dorian said loudly and a hush fell over the crowded room.

The main club room was packed with vampires, all wanting to get the first look at their new Princess. Alice, Anton and Liam stood at Dorian's side, closest to the door the couple would come through as they were the family of the new Princess.

The silence in the room was palpable as the door slowly opened and Cullen stepped through first pulling Emily behind him, with an indulgent smile on his face, as she suddenly appeared nervous and tried to hang back.

There was a collective gasp in the room when Emily appeared. She was so radiant, so stunning, that even the most disgruntled of the ancient vampires couldn't contain their gasps at her beauty.

Emily's eyes automatically sought her brother's. The shock on his face was intense. His eyes were bewildered by what he was seeing. Her fear began to grow and she felt moisture gather in her eyes as she anxiously searched his face.

"Anton?" she whispered, a hint of a plea in her voice.

The shock receded from his expression and his face broke into a huge smile. "Baby girl," he said softly and she was running into his arms and hugging him tightly, mindful of the fact that she was so much stronger now.

"I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you, Em," Anton whispered. "You surpass glorious, baby girl."

She laughed shakily and stepped away from him. Suddenly Alice and Liam and Dorian were surrounding her, fighting to get in the first hug and kiss and she was laughing in delight as their enthusiastic greetings lifted her heart and she felt she could take on the whole world single-handedly.

Finally Emily turned to face the gathered vampires. One by one they began to bow low before her, Chris being the first to pay his respects. She was astounded when her family bowed too, Cullen included.

Emily stared at them and wiggled a finger at Cullen for help, hoping he would see it as his head was bowed. He was instantly at her side.

"They won't rise until you tell them to," he said softly for her ears only.

"Please rise," she called quietly and sighed with relief as they all did so instantly. Bloody pomp and ceremony, she thought crossly but kept her expression clear of her inner feelings.

Emily smiled and slowly circled the room, trying to meet the eyes of everyone there to gauge how they really felt about her.

Most seemed curious though there were a few closed expressions from some of the more ancient vampires. She sighed inwardly. It was to be expected.

She finally returned to Cullen's side and then she just seemed to know what she must now do. She dropped into a deep curtsey and bowed her head.

"I ask your leave that I may serve you to the best of my ability," she said softly.

The room was deathly silent as she spoke and then a slow hand clap rang out within the room. It was quickly taken up and before a matter of seconds had passed, every vampire in the room was joining in.

She rose slowly and as she completed the movement the hand clap stopped.

"All hail the Princess Emily," Liam called and a loud cheer echoed through the room.

Emily's eyes shone with joy as her new people accepted her into their ranks.

"That's enough pomp and ceremony for me for one day," she said impishly. "Let's celebrate."

Laughter broke out around the room and the atmosphere relaxed immediately.

"Deftly done, Granddaughter," Alexander said inside her mind. "I knew I had made the right choice."

"Grandfather," Emily exclaimed in delight. "I can hear you in my head!"

"You share my blood now, child. We will be able to communicate like this from now on. It is a perk between the ruler and his heir," the King told her "Other vampires can use this skill at a more rudimentary level but they must share their blood and keep up the blood sharing for it to stay in place. I believe Cullen and Dorian do it sometimes when they have the need."

"I thought I saw those two having some kind of private conversation once when I first met them," Emily laughed. "I haven't noticed it for a long time though."

"Perhaps Dorian does not wish to be inside Cullen's mind anymore now that you are his wife," Alexander chuckled. "I imagine Cullen's thoughts can be pretty entertaining now."

"Grandfather, you are naughty," Emily giggled.

"You can share this kind of bond with Cullen, child," Alexander said softly. "If he drinks of your blood. It will be a permanent thing so think long and hard before you do so. Sometimes a husband becomes angry with his wife no matter how much he adores her. I imagine it would be most awkward if you both knew what the other was thinking at times like those."

"I will seek my intuition's guidance before I proceed," Emily smiled.

"Spoken wisely, my Granddaughter," Alexander said his voice full of approval. "I come, Emily. I would gaze on the face of our salvation so I may weep with joy at your coming to us. Prepare them for my arrival. I am less than an hour away."

"Yes, Grandfather," Emily said and then she felt his absence from her mind.

The whole conversation had probably taken less that a few seconds but Emily saw Cullen raise a questioning eyebrow at her.

She smiled and moved into his arms, feeling safe and content in his embrace.

"Alexander?" Cullen asked bending his head so his words were for her ears only.

Emily nodded and smiled. "He's on his way. I'm supposed to prepare everyone, whatever that means."

"If you announce his coming everyone else with know what to do," Cullen chuckled.

She sighed and kissed him and then turned to the room again.

"I'm afraid I have to call time out on the lack of pomp and ceremony," she said with a small smile. "The King is on his way."

A murmur went around the room and then people began to move away.

"Where is everyone going?" Emily asked, pulling out of Cullen's arms.

"To the meeting chamber, my Princess," an ancient vampire said as they all halted at her words.

"Why?" she asked with some confusion.

"That is where the King's throne is, Highness," the same elder spoke.

"What is your name?" Emily enquired politely. "Forgive me but I do not believe we have been introduced before today."

The ancient vampire bowed low, his blond hair flowing forward. "I am Lucien, Highness."

"Tell me, Lucien. Do you never greet the King in this room?"

Lucien took her question as permission to rise. "There is no throne here, Highness," he said as if that answered her question.

Emily smiled patiently. "I can see that, Lucien," she said softly. "But there must be at least a hundred vampires in this room. Surely it would be a simple matter to transfer the King's throne here?"

Lucien looked scandalised by her suggestion. He quickly schooled his expression as everyone in the room looked at them.

"Highness, the King is always greeted in the meeting chamber."

"Because the throne is there," she finished his sentence for him.

He smiled warmly, pleased to have the matter settled.

"That has to be the stupidest reason for doing something I have ever heard," Emily said, her voice full of vexation. "I cannot believe that no one in this room has never considered picking up the damned throne and bringing it in here. Is the bloody thing bolted to the floor?"

A startled gasp when round the room and over a hundred faces stared at her in shock. Emily turned to look at her family and all but Cullen wore the same expression. Her husband was trying to hide a smile behind his hand.

"My Princess, I fear the King would be most surprised to find his throne missing from it's customary spot," Cullen said smoothly, his eyes twinkling with laughter.

Emily took his hint and smiled around the room and inclined her head towards Lucien.

"My apologies, Lucien," she said warmly. "You grace me with the answers I require and I take my vexation out on you. I will speak to the King about this matter when he arrives. I would not want him to vexed by the unexpected disappearance of his throne."

The room relaxed and Lucien even managed some warmth in his eyes when he met hers.

"So, what happens in the meeting room, apart from putting me on trial for witchcraft?" Emily asked next and another blond, ancient vampire stepped forward as Lucien gratefully stepped back.

"I am Marcus, Highness," the vampire said with a respectful bow. "It is customary for the King to impart his words of wisdom when we gather in the meeting room."

"And I am sure they are very wise words," Emily smiled. "And then what?"

"I do not understand, Highness," Marcus said puzzled.

"Once the King has imparted his wisdom, what happens next?" Emily tried again, struggling to keep what she hoped was a benign smile on her face. She was started to get annoyed at having to repeat herself.

Marcus looked uncomfortable. "That is all, Highness."

"How long does the King usually stay for?" Emily asked, already dreading the answer.

"Sometimes it is but an hour, Highness. This night I suspect it will be longer as he has a new Granddaughter to get acquainted with. Perhaps three or four hours." Marcus answered.

Emily couldn't stop a look of horror crossing her face. "The King is going to speak for three or four hours?" she cried.

"Oh, no, Highness," Marcus said hurriedly, upset with himself for causing her displeasure. "His Majesty is brief with his words."

"So what does everyone do when the King has said his brief words," she sighed, suddenly feeling very weary."

"We wait, Highness," Marcus answered.

"For what?" Emily said trying not to clench her teeth.

"For the King to speak once more," Marcus said as if it was the most normal occurrence in the world.

Emily groaned and rolled her eyes. "Dear God, do you all take lessons in prevarication?" she muttered in frustration. "Why do I have to drag everything out of you, sentence by sentence?"

Marcus went to speak but she held up her hand. "It was a rhetorical question, Marcus," she sighed. She turned to Cullen.

"So if I'm understanding this correctly, The King is going to arrive, go to the meeting room because his throne is there, sit on it, talk for a brief moment and then everyone is going to sit in silence for three to four hours just in case the King decides to speak again?"

Put like that, Cullen could see how ridiculous it sounded and yet, they had always done things that way. He struggled not to laugh at the look of complete horror on Emily's face.

"My Princess's grasp of the ceremony is most perceptive," Cullen said formerly, trying to keep a straight face.

"Cullen, I'm going to die of boredom!" Emily practically wailed. "Seriously, no talking? No laughing? No music or dancing or anything? Just silence?"

"Just silence, my love," Cullen answered and this time he did burst out laughing when he saw her expression. God help them all because his beautiful wife was now seriously pissed off.

"I'm not having it," she said firmly. "I am not sitting in a bloody silent room for up to four hours on my coming out night, bored to bloody tears. It's not on!"

"Me, neither," Alice muttered under her breath and then froze as all eyes turned to her. She shrunk back behind Dorian.

"Right! This is how it's going to be," Emily said loudly. "I'm going to ask some more questions and the first one of you who starts bloody prevaricating is going to really make me very angry."

She glared around the room to make sure she was getting her point across. The vampires appeared stunned by her volatility.

"Is the meeting chamber equipped to play music and if so, do we have any music here?" Emily asked. She sighed with relief when Chris stepped forward. Finally someone who could string a whole paragraph together.

"I believe the meeting chamber has been used for balls in the past, Highness," he said quickly. "It has a very good sound system and there is some music readily available but it is not very current."

"Thank you, Chris," Emily smiled happily. "That's how you answer a question," she said to the rest of the room, and was rewarded with a smattering of chuckles.

"Do you or your friends have anything current here?" she asked Chris.

"I think we can cobble something up, Highness."

"Great, hop to it then," she smiled. She turned to the rest of the room again.

"Look, I know you're all used to doing things in a set way," she said with a conciliatory note in her voice. "But this is my coming out celebration and I don't want to be bored to death during it. So, you can keep the throne in the meeting room and we will all listen most intently and respectively when the King graces us with his wisdom. After that we're going to have a party.

That's music, laughter, dancing, even some smooching with your loved ones if you have any with you. A good old fashioned party."

"What if the King objects?" Marcus asked when the silence stretched on after she had finished speaking.

"Then I guess I'm going to be bored to death," Emily grimaced but her intuition was telling her that this was the right thing to do, so she didn't anticipate that happening. "Let's go people, the King will be here imminently."

Cullen had tears in his eyes he was laughing so hard as his little wife shooed the stunned vampires out of the room. "Oh, Emily, you are priceless!" he laughed, wiping at the tears rolling down his face.

Emily shook her head at him and looked at Dorian and Liam. "I can't believe you three just go along with this madness," she said shocked.

"Me, neither," Alice laughed. "Talk about outdated and boring." She stressed the word boring, smiling up at Dorian as she did so.

"That is the very reason we need you so badly," Liam smiled at Emily. "I never realised how ridiculous it all was until you laid it out like that."

"Same here," Dorian said, pulling Alice close to his side. "Still, there are going to be some pretty disgruntled vampires in that room. They really don't like change."

"Well they're just going to have to live with it," Emily said tartly. "Come on, we'd better go in.

Ten minutes later King Alexander arrived at Karpathia's. Emily was sitting closest to the door he would enter the meeting chamber by. Cullen, Liam, Dorian, Alice and Anton were all sitting to the left of her.

The room was thick with tension and she was receiving some pretty black looks from some of the older vampires across the room. They weren't very happy with her.

She was slightly surprised to see Marcus smile at her quite warmly. And more surprised when Lucien did too. The two blond vampires appeared to be coming round to her, despite her being rather short with them. Or maybe it was because she had been short with them. They would respect that type of behaviour from their ruling class.

Suddenly Philip and Hugo entered the room and stood on either side of the door. Hugo banged his sceptre sharply on the floor and Philip called out "His Majesty, King Alexander."

The King strode into the room and Emily was once more struck by how he reminded her slightly of Cullen. She had been quite terrified the first time she had met him but this time she felt joy lift her heart when he appeared. The whole room rose and bowed lowed, Emily included.

"Have you been causing havoc already, Granddaughter?" Alexander said in her head but his voice was amused. "I could cut the tension in this room with a knife."

"I merely pointed out some stupidity, Grandfather," Emily said warmly. "I may have sworn a few times when I did so though," she admitted sheepishly.

Alexander roared with laughter. "Oh, Emily you are going to be such a treat to get to know, child."

"All rise," Philip intoned and everyone sat back down and turned their gaze to the King.

"It is with gladness that I come once more into your presence," Alexander said formerly, a beautiful smile on his face and his gaze warm as he looked around the room. "My heart is joyful that I come to greet the birth of my Granddaughter. Emily, my child, come greet me so I may gaze at your splendour."

Emily rose and walked up the steps to stand before him. She smiled raptly at him and his own smile was equally as radiant.

A tear gathered in Alexander's eye and slowly rolled down one perfect cheek. He wiped it away gently, gazing at the wetness on his hand. "So it seems I do weep with joy at the beauty that has graced us this day with her presence among us." He sounded slightly surprised that he had wept.

"As long as it is joy, Your Highness, and not disappointment, then my heart sings," Emily said softly, her eyes glowing.

"It is indeed joy, Granddaughter," Alexander sighed. "How could anyone look upon such glory and splendour and not feel joy?"

"Try asking them to move a throne," Emily quipped impishly. "That gets a completely different reaction."

Alexander stared at her in surprise and then smiled gently at her. "And why would you feel the need to move my throne, Granddaughter?" he asked quizzically.

"It was more the need for my bottom to be sitting comfortably on a leather sofa if I was to endure up to four hours of silence whilst I was waiting for you to impart some words of wisdom, Grandfather," Emily said, rolling her eyes as she spoke.

The room went deathly silent and then Alexander threw his head back and roared loudly with laughter.

"And your solution to such an untenable proposition was to remove my throne to a more convenient room?" he asked once he had stopped laughing, his eyes twinkling.

"The common room is much warmer and more comfortable, Grandfather," Emily sighed. "The seating is less formal but more relaxing and there is waiting staff should one wish something to drink. It seemed a logical proposition to me."

"Your logic seems sound, child," Alexander smiled. "Though I am guessing your suggestion was not received very favourably."

Emily smiled. "I probably had more chance of one of them attempting to bring me the moon," she said in agreement with him.

Alexander laughed again. "Let it be known henceforth, that should my Granddaughter require my throne to be situated elsewhere then her wishes are to be carried out with all due haste," Alexander said loudly. "Just don't have me facing the wall with my back to the room, child," he added with another laugh. "Oh, and let me know you've moved it so I enter the correct room."

Emily laughed delightedly and was pleased to hear some laughter within the room.

"So, Granddaughter, do you wish to evict me from my throne this instant?"

"No, Highness," she smiled. "I accepted the wisdom of my husband that I should follow tradition in this instance until I had time to discuss it with you. We're here for the night."

She was getting tired standing in front of him with her back to the room. She needed to see the reactions to the banter between her and the King.

"May I please sit, Grandfather?" she asked with a smile.

He looked around with a small frown. "Where, child?" he asked. "I must see about having a second throne installed."

"Perish the thought!" Emily said through clenched teeth. "The arm of your throne will suffice if it is not taking too much of a liberty, Highness."

"Please, take whatever liberties you see fit to," Alexander laughed, waving a hand.


To be continued....

Chapter 13: Throw Back Thursday.
 
Emily slowly opened her eyes and felt her heart soar when she saw Cullen lying sleeping beside her. She gently stroked his hair away from his face and he stirred slightly but didn't waken.

She wondered when he'd finally fallen asleep. She had woken up just after one in the morning, needing a drink, and he had been awake, lying watching her sleep. He had fetched her a glass of water and then had gathered her back into his embrace, stroking her hair until she fell back asleep.

Smiling, she slid quietly from the bed and went to make herself a coffee, quietly closing the bedroom door behind her so as not to disturb him. She looked at the clock and saw it was just after nine.

Grabbing her coffee she sat down on the sofa and called Dorian.

"Hey, love," Dorian said cheerily. "When are you coming home? Alice and I are missing you so much."

"I'm home, Dorian. I got back last night," Emily said sipping her coffee.

"I take it you're coming into the office?" he asked. "It's safe. Cullen hasn't shown up or called in yet. I think he might be having a 'duvet day.'"

"That's why I'm calling," she replied. "I won't be coming in today and neither will Cullen."

She heard Dorian suck in a sharp breath. "You mean?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, Dorian," Emily smiled. "He called last night and came round. We did a lot of talking, or I should say, he talked and I listened. It was pretty hard on Cullen. He's really been through the wringer and needs some serious tender, loving care which is what I intend to give him today."

"Thank God for that!" Dorian said, his voice thick with relief. "I was getting so worried, Emily. I really thought he was going to destroy himself. Nothing Liam or I said seemed to get through to him. How did you finally manage it?"

"It wasn't me, it was Elizabeth showing up that cracked his shell. I can't believe that woman actually did us a favour, though I'm sure that was not her intention."

"Liam said that Cullen reacted strangely to her appearance," Dorian mused. "I didn't think to ask him about it. I just thought it was the same old history and feelings involved."

"I think it was the contrast between her and myself that finally registered with him," Emily said. "It started him thinking and sent him down a pretty painful path. He came out at the right place though. That's all I care about. He's come home."

"I'm so glad, love," Dorian sighed. "You two were meant to be together. If you couldn't make it then there would be no hope for the rest of us. Use your own judgement, Emily. Take as much time as you both need. We can manage fine without you. Don't bring Cullen back until he's fully healed."

"I won't, Dorian," Emily said. "Talk soon."

She hung up and then went to fix herself some breakfast. Nothing but pop tarts in the cupboard, she groaned. Oh well, it would just have to do. She could go shopping later.

She had just finished breakfast when the bedroom door flew open and Cullen was standing there, his face still sleepy. He relaxed when he saw her.

"I woke up alone and thought I had dreamt everything," he said quietly.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "No dream, I'm still here," she smiled, kissing him lightly on the chest. "Come on, back to bed. You didn't sleep enough last night. I've called Dorian and told him you won't be in."

She pulled him down onto the bed beside her.

"I bet Dorian was surprised," Cullen smiled, pulling her against him so her head was resting on his chest.

"Extremely relieved was more like it," she said softly. "You had him and Liam really worried. Not to mention me."

"I was a total ass," he groaned, kissing the top of her head, unable to believe his good fortune at having her in his arms.

"Not arguing with you there," Emily said teasingly. "But you're my total ass and I'm pretty partial to you so I suppose that's all the matters."

She leaned up so she could stare into his golden, brown eyes. She smoothed the slight frown on his forehead with a gentle touch of her fingers.

"No more recriminations, Cullen," she told him softly. "Leave the past where it belongs, in the past. Today, let's just get to know each other again, my love."

She leaned forward and kissed him. She felt his hands tighten around her and then he groaned softly and his mouth opened under hers and she deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue erotically against his.

"I want you, Cullen," she breathed huskily against his mouth. "Make love to me."

Cullen groaned loudly and tugged at her nightdress. It ripped in his hands and he tore it from her body. "Emily," he groaned, his lips trailing fire down her throat to her breasts. "I've dreamed of being with you like this night after night. I've missed your sweet body so much."

His mouth found her nipple and he sucked it deep into his mouth as his fingers rolled her other nipple roughly.

Emily moaned and thrust her breast up to his mouth, her fingers threading in his thick hair to hold him to her. "Cullen," she moaned throatily. "I need you so much."

She cried out as his mouth moved feverishly over her skin until he was parting her thighs and his tongue was roughly licking between her legs, tasting her as if he was starving. He drank greedily of her sweet nectar, his fingers joining his questing mouth to push deep inside her as he sucked her clit into his mouth, his tongue laving the hard nub as he suckled.

Emily was frantic with need as he tortured her with his hands and mouth, pushing her towards her orgasm and then slowing down again, only to push her once more.

"Cullen, please," she moaned and this time he didn't stop. He lapped at her roughly and thrust his fingers deep inside her, pushing her over the precipice until she was crying out and shuddering beneath him as waves of exquisite pleasure rolled over her.

Cullen moved up her body until he was looming over her. He pushed his cock deep inside her. Her hot, tight tunnel surrounded his aching hardness and he cried out in pleasure as he was once more joined with the woman he loved. He smothered her mouth with kisses as he began to move deep inside her, taking her with long slow strokes.

He worshipped her with his mouth and hands and body, trying to pour every ounce of the love he had for her into that one sweet moment. His hands came to her hips and he pulled her harder against his body as he thrust into her. He needed to be deeper within her sweet body.

Emily gripped his shoulders hard as Cullen took her with long, hard strokes. The ferocity of his lovemaking was intoxicating. His body strained with need and she matched him stroke for stroke as he pushed deep into her body.

Cullen groaned her name over and over as they moved against each other. The intensity of their lovemaking had them panting hard. He ran his hands over her sweat slickened skin, trying to touch her everywhere at once.

"Cullen," Emily moaned desperately. "Take me. Make me yours." She urged him on with her hands and her cries and the desperate movements of her body against his.

His control snapped and he was thrusting into her hard and fast. Emily was crying out over and over as they took each other desperately, needing the healing power of their physical love to bind them together.

"Cullen!" Emily screamed as she came in a torrent of white, hot pleasure, her body shaking wildly as she cried her pleasure over and over.

Cullen roared his release, jerking against her desperately as his bathed her insides with his hot sticky seed. His body shook with the intensity of his pleasure and he had to fight not to collapse completely on top of her.

He rolled onto his side, taking her with him, their bodies still locked together. Breathing raggedly, they lay there with their eyes closed, feeling the aftershocks of their pleasure slowly start to subside.

"I love you," Cullen whispered, his shaky hand smoothing her tumbled curls back from her face.

"I love you," Emily whispered back, her trembling hand stroking against his sweat slickened chest.

She felt him slip from her body and sighed softly. She moved closer to him so she could kiss and lick his chest all over. "I'm not letting you out of this bed all day," she growled laughingly.

"You'll have no arguments from me, wife," he laughed happily.

She raised her head to look at him, her eyes glowing with love. "I may need to amend that," she chuckled. "I'll need food at some point and the cupboards are bare."

"Whatever you want, love," Cullen smiled. "I'm at your disposal."

"I like the sound of that," she laughed, stretching languidly against him.

His smiling face turned serious, his gaze deep and intense. "When you drink from the vial it will always be the case, Emily. You will be my Princess and your every wish will be my command."

"I'm not drinking from the vial, Cullen," Emily said quietly, her face as sober as his.

"Why ever not?" he asked, his voice full of surprise.

"The only thing I want to be is your wife, Cullen," she sighed. "I don't want power over you or anyone else. Alexander will just have to find someone else to be his heir."

"It's you we need, love," Cullen said after a moment's pause. "You were meant to come to us so that we would remember our humanity. We need your generous loving heart, your compassion and empathy and your unfailing ability to know the right course of action to take. Don't let my petty jealousy and insecurity stop you from doing what is right. Trust your instincts, love, as I do."

Emily searched his eyes intently, trying to see any doubt in them. All she saw was a deep love for her and a sincerity that he believed every word of what he had just said.

"I'll not risk our happiness for anything, Cullen," she said quietly. "If you have even the tiniest fraction of doubt in your heart then tell me. We've suffered so much. I will not let anything tear us apart again."

"I have no doubts, love," he whispered. "You are my wife and soon you will be my Princess. One day you will be my Queen and I glory at the honour of being at your side throughout it all. This is why you came to me, Emily. This is why you came to us. It is right."

"Oh, Cullen, I love you," she sighed and kissed him gently. "I will need your love and guidance to help me every step of the way."

"You'll have it, my Emily," he said softly. "Always."

She hugged him tight to her as her mind whirled at the enormity of the life in front of her.

"There is still the question of the change," Cullen said after a while. "Have you decided when it will be?"

"If you did it now I wouldn't have to get up and go buy food," Emily chuckled. "I'm just kidding," she laughed harder when Cullen's head snapped up in surprise.

"Soon, love," she said when she finally stopped laughing. "I think a few more days of eating coconut macaroons and drinking mochas is on the agenda first."

"Just tell me when it feels right, love," Cullen smiled. "You'll know the right time."

"Does it hurt?" Emily asked.

"I don't believe so," he answered. "I can't remember when it happened to me but I have talked to others that remember their change. You simply go to sleep and awaken changed. You usually sleep about the same amount of time as you would for a normal night's rest. Nothing too traumatic."

"I will need to drink your blood, won't I? she asked.

"Yes, love," Cullen said softly. "I must drink your blood until it is almost gone and you are a hair's breadth away from death. Then I drip my blood into your mouth until you gain sufficient strength to drink from me on your own. Your body will know when it has had enough to complete the change. You will go to sleep and awake reborn."

"It doesn't sound so bad," she smiled, cuddling into his body.

She yawned and then giggled. "I can't believe I'm still sleepy. I slept for hours last night. Unlike someone else I know," she said disapprovingly.

"What can I say?" Cullen smiled. "I just couldn't stop looking at you, love, and thinking I had to be the luckiest man alive on the planet to be given another chance with the most beautiful woman in the world."

He stroked her hair, his arms tight around her. "I want to sell the house, Emily," he finally said.

"Where did that come from?" she asked in surprise, sitting up and looking down at him.

He sat up too and leaned forward resting his head on his knees. "It won't matter how hard I clean that room, Emily. I will always see and smell your blood in it. I'll always here the cruel words I said to you there. I just can't live it that house anymore."

"Okay," she said softly. "We can stay here for a while until we decide if we want to buy somewhere else. I quite like the idea of us buying a home together." She kissed his shoulder and ran her hand soothingly over his back.

"Thank you," Cullen said quietly turning his head to look at her.

She smiled at him and gently stroked his hair. "Whatever you need to do to help heal your pain just tell me. Dorian has refused to let you come back to work until you're fully healed. I'm in total agreement with him. If we have to stay here for weeks on end, talking and loving, then that's what we'll do, Cullen. If you need to sell the house, then goodbye house. Whatever you need, my love."

He closed his eyes and tears began to flow. Emily knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around him, whispering soothing words of love as he released more of his pent up pain.

"Let it all out, Cullen," she whispered. "Forgive yourself, love. Everything is in the past now. Release the pain and let me soothe it away. You're safe with me, love. You're home now and everything is going to be all right."

She pulled him down to the bed and held him tight against her as his tears finally began to ebb and he fell into an exhausted sleep. She kissed his head lightly and then slipped from the bed.

Dressing, she decided to nip out and get some food while he slept. She left a note in case he woke while she was gone and then hurried to the closest shop so she could be back as quickly as possible.

He was still sleeping when Emily returned to the apartment. She fixed herself some lunch and ate it quickly. She frowned at the bedroom door while she ate. Cullen's pain and guilt was running deeper than she had imagined. She wondered just how long it would take for him to let it all go and accept that the past was now dead and buried.

She called Dorian to update him. She told him that it was unlikely they would be back in the office tomorrow as it seemed Cullen needed more time to heal. Dorian again told her to take all the time that they needed.

It was another three days before Emily felt sure that Cullen had dealt with all of his pain and guilt. The days and nights had been spent making love, talking quietly and Emily holding him as he wept.

Finally a day passed with no tears and lots of love and laughter. Emily's heart soared when she saw Cullen's eyes full of life, with no more brooding sadness in them. He was healed and was once more her strong, vibrant husband.

"Work tomorrow," she said when they were lying in bed that night.

"Work tomorrow," he agreed, kissing her slowly. "Loving tonight," he added, his hand stroking down her body.

"Loving tonight," she laughed breathlessly as his kiss deepened and she closed her eyes and let him take her to paradise and back again.

Dorian was talking to Beth when the elevator pinged open and Cullen and Emily arrived in the office on Friday morning. One look at Cullen's face was enough to bring a smile of joy to Dorian's. He looked so rested, so carefree, so in love with his beautiful wife beside him.

"Welcome back, Cullen," Dorian said warmly, giving his friend a hug.

"It's good to be back," Cullen smiled happily, catching Emily's hand as she went to walk away. He kissed it softly, his mouth brushing her wedding and engagement rings.

"Work!" Emily said with mock severity. "You've been laying in bed all week while poor Dorian has been slaving away. Go earn your crust of bread, husband!"

"Yes, my Princess," Cullen laughed with a mock bow.

Dorian silently mouthed a heartfelt thank you to Emily. She smiled radiantly at him and nodded, before heading down to her office.

Alice was ecstatic to have her back and so happy that Cullen and Emily were back together.

Emily called Anton, thankfully he hadn't gone to bed yet. She filled him in with everything that happened and he was as relieved as her friend's that everything had turned out fine.

"Anton, I've decided to do the change," she told her brother softly. "It is going to be next week. Can you come over?"

"Of course I will, baby girl," he replied immediately.

"There's a lot of sleeping involved in it," she explained. "I was thinking that I could go to dinner with you the night before, just the two of us. I want to spend some human time with you beforehand. Then the following morning Cullen can do it and I'll sleep during the day and wake that night changed."

"Have you picked an exact date?" Anton asked.

"Not yet, I've not even told Cullen this. I wanted to speak to you first just in case there was any last minute issues you might have had."

"Em, I support you all the way, baby sister. You know that."

"Thanks Anton," she smiled. "I'll give you forty eight notice so you have time to get here."

Emily called Cullen, Dorian and Alice to the Boardroom.

They arrived with curious expressions.

Emily sat down with Cullen at her side. He took her hand in his and held it gently, his thumb stroking rhythmically against her.

"I've decided to do the change next week," she announced with a big smile.

Cullen's face broke into a beautiful smile and Alice gasped in shock . Dorian smiled happily at her.

"Are you sure, Emily?" Cullen asked quietly, joy shining clearly in his eyes.

Emily smiled back at him, her violet eyes amused. "Totally, Cullen. I want to be vampire as soon as possible so I can kick your butt the next time you give me grief," she chuckled.

He laughed and hugged her tightly.

"We will be so blessed to have you, Emily," Dorian said fondly.

"Are you scared?" Alice asked at the same time Dorian spoke and they all laughed.

"No, I'm not scared, Alice," Emily smiled. "I'm excited. A whole new chapter of my life is about to begin."

"I hope I'm as brave as you are when I decide to do the change," Alice said quietly.

Dorian's head turned sharply and he stared at her open-mouthed. "You want to become one of us?" he asked softly.

"It's about time you got around to marrying the girl anyway," Emily said with a big smile before Alice had a chance to answer him. "You did decide you were going to at our wedding, didn't you?"

Dorian's head now turned to her, his blond hair flying as he turned so swiftly, and his expression was even more shocked. "How did you know that?" he gasped.

"I saw your face, Dorian," Emily laughed. "It's very expressive when you don't realise someone is watching. You looked at Alice as if you'd just received a huge shock and then you smiled so beautifully. I knew what it meant."

Alice was sitting there staring at Dorian with her mouth hanging open.

"You want to marry me?" she squeaked and then took a deep breath before continuing. "You've know it since the wedding and you didn't say anything?"

Dorian groaned and then burst out laughing. "Yes, Alice, I want to marry you, my love. And yes, I have known it since the wedding. I was waiting for the right moment to ask and then everything got so crazy between Cullen and Emily so I decided to wait until everything was sorted out. Remember I said to you that we would talk about the future once things calmed down?"

Alice nodded and then she smiled happily. "You want to marry me," she breathed softly and moved to sit in his lap.

"You want to change and be with me forever?" Dorian asked quietly, his face glowing with love for his little woman.

"Oh, yes, Dorian," Alice cried happily. "Yes to marrying you and yes to being with you forever and ever."

Dorian kissed her thoroughly and hugged her tightly. "I promise I'll ask you to marry me properly, my Alice," he sighed against her mouth.

Cullen leaned forward and kissed Emily lightly on the lips. "Congratulations from us anyway," he smiled at the other couple.

"Now, back to my plans," Emily said with a loving smile for her friends. "I was thinking next Friday. I want to do it Karpathia's, Cullen, in our special room. Will that be okay?"

"Anything you want, my love," he smiled. "Just tell me and I'll make it happen."

She raised his hand and kissed it lightly. "I've called Anton and given him a head's up that it will be sometime next week. Alice, I'd like to have lunch with you on Thursday, just us two girls."

"Can we have a long one, with lots of alcohol to celebrate?" the little dark haired woman asked impishly.

Emily laughed, "A little alcohol," she replied, her eyes twinkling. "I want to spend Thursday night with Anton," she continued. "I thought we could go out to dinner together and talk about life and our family and such things. Then I want to do the change on Friday morning at Karpathia's so that I will awaken Friday night and all my friends will be waiting to greet me."

Cullen smiled at her, his face glowing with love. "Sounds perfect, love," he said softly. "Have you decided when you will use the King's vial?"

Emily nodded, her eyes intent on his. "I had originally thought that I would wait a while until I got used to the change but that doesn't feel right, Cullen. It has to be the same time as the change. I will go to sleep a human and wake up a Princess."

"It might be a lot to take in," he said.

Emily knew his caution was out of concern for her and nothing else. "I think that's why I need to do it that way," she said softly. "If I spend too much time learning to be a vampire before I drink from the vial then I'll maybe fall into too many old ways which are not in the best interest of our kind. Doing it at the same time as the change will mean that I'll still be myself and I'll approach things differently."

Cullen nodded his understanding and pulled her into his arms for a tight hug.

"Our kind will not know what's hit them," Dorian laughed with a shake of his head.

"They haven't known what's hit them since the first moment I brought my sweet Emily to Karpathia's for the very first time," Cullen chuckled.

The time leading up to the change passed in a whirl of activity. Alice helped Emily pick out a Regency styled dress for her coming out night. It was made of silk and flowed to the floor with an empire bodice which was beaded with lace to match the little lace half sleeves which just covered her shoulders.

Emily couldn't decide which colour to have it so she eventually asked Cullen's opinion. He smiled and said deep purple which was the colour Emily had been swaying towards anyway. The dress was just right for the occasion, it harked back to centuries past which many of the older vampires could relate to whilst regency styled clothing was back in vogue at the moment so the younger vampire could also relate.


To be continued....