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Awareness came back to me gradually, like slowly pulling a curtain away from the haze that had draped over my mind. Flashes of memories and impressions flashed like a slide show: startling red hair and green eyes like my own, laughter, blond hair and overwhelming anxiety.
The last thing I could recall seeing was his desperate blue eyes boring into my own. Now they taunt me as I remain locked in the darkness that holds me as its unwilling prisoner.
I could sense his presence in the back of my psyche, a constant hum that reassured me that all wasn't lost. My desire to know he was real and not a figment of my imagination forced me to fight to follow him out of the safety of my mind, back into the reality of the unknown. His lilting voice and cool touch the only thing that seemed tangible. He'd been an illusion in my dreams before, but he was real.
He had to be real. Everything hadn't been a dream. I had to find him to reassure myself that he did exist.
Breaking free from the shadows, I rubbed my hand across my eyes. Staring at the ceiling, I took a few deep breaths and reality fell over me like a bucket of ice water, making everything fall into place. It was all real. The fear, the confusion, my vampire father and Stefan.
Stefan!
Managing to pull myself up into a sitting position, my eyes darted around the room in search of him. I choked back a startled breath when I saw him. He had his long arm extended, holding Sofia by the throat, his normally handsome face twisted in rage as his large hand tightened around the female vampire's neck. Her feet dangled off the floor helplessly and her long fingernails scratched feebly at his hand as she struggled against him.
"You will do no such thing, Sofia. One more word from you and I will end you. Are we clear?" Stefan hissed, his voice filled with venom.
Sofia managed to nod as fear flickered across her beautiful features.
What had I missed after I blacked out?
"Stefan," I whimpered, my voice sounding hoarse and weak as I called out for him. I watched as Stefan's head turned slightly to focus on me, relief relaxing the harsh expression on his face. He immediately released his hold on Sofia's neck, causing her to fall in a heap on the wood floor.
He blurred to my side, crushing me to his chest in a tight embrace. I managed to wrap my arms around his neck, burying my nose against his chest. I inhaled the familiar smell of him: sandalwood and home. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I was with him. Home. Safe. Real.
"Josephine," he murmured, his breath cool against my hair. He pulled away slightly and his blue eyes swept over my face. The hands that had gripped Sofia's throat in anger moments ago were gentle as they traveled down the side of my face. He lowered his lips to press them tenderly against mine in a soft kiss. The familiar need for him ignited like a flame inside of me, my body recognizing the feel of his muscular, hard body against my own and wanting to reclaim it as mine.
"How long was I out? And why were you choking Sofia? Did I miss some kind of vampire throw down?"
I felt his mouth curl into a smile against my lips, and he leaned back to brush my hair away from my face. His mental voice was sharp as it entered my thoughts. "It is vampire bullshit. Sofia overstepped her boundaries. It is nothing you need to worry about. "
Narrowing my eyes, I wasn't sure if I totally believed him. I'd only seen the end of their "discussion" and it seemed like there was more to it than Sofia sticking her nose where it didn't belong.
"I am happy you are awake. You were asleep for nine hours," Stefan said aloud, his eyes continuing their visual scrutiny of my body. "How do you feel, vackra?"
How did I feel? Where do I begin? I'd just discovered that my birth father is a vampire and I woke up to see my vampire lover ready to kill another woman. I think confused and overwhelmed were two words that best described how I felt at the moment.
"Weird and confused, almost like I've been asleep for too long. I could really use a glass of water," I answered and rubbed my face with my hands again.
Stefan attempted to stand and I frantically grabbed his arms to stop him. I didn't want him to leave me. I was being irrational, scared that if he left the room I'd never see him again. He focused on me with a look of confusion, his brow furrowing in concern as he read my mind. My eyes traveled over his beautiful face as he leaned closer to me, his deep set, blue eyes uneasy over the plane of his high cheekbones. His chiseled jaw tightened, the dark blond stubble on his face more noticeable than normal.
Stefan moved closer to me on the couch, his lips tickling my ear as he whispered to me. "I am not going anywhere, Josephine. Let me get you a glass of water. I will be back in less than a minute. "
He blurred away and disappeared out of the room. He had barely left my field of vision before he'd returned with a crystal glass filled with water, kneeling down beside me and handing the water to me with a crooked smile, watching as I greedily drank the tepid water.
"Is there a reason why you are still here, Sofia?" Stefan questioned harshly without breaking our gaze.
I'd forgotten all about Sofia. Glancing over Stefan's shoulder, I saw her lurking by the door, standing quietly against the wall. I couldn't read her future or feel her emotions, but her body language was easy to decipher. She stared at me with thinly veiled contempt and jealousy seemed to radiate off of her, filling the room with her resentment.
"I was just making sure Josie had recovered," Sofia muttered. She flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms defensively.
"As you can see, Josephine is fine. Leave us," Stefan commanded stiffly.
Sofia huffed and turned on her heel, leaving the room in a blur and slamming the door behind her.
"We are alone for the moment. I missed you, vackra. "
He took the glass from my hands and placed it on the small table beside of the couch. His large hands gripped my face and his lips covered mine roughly, his tongue slipping into my mouth to entangle with my own. I could feel my body responding to him as he pressed me back into the cushions. His hands were everywhere, one slipping underneath my blouse while the other cupped my ass. His thigh slipped between my legs, his fingers brushing across my nipples through the lacy fabric of my bra.
I pulled my mouth away from his, half-heartedly pushing against the solid wall of his chest. "We can't do this here. Stefan. . . "
