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Stefan wasted no time rolling me to him and swallowing me into his arms. "I am happy being your last, vackra. Destiny works in mysterious ways."
Tears streamed from my eyes and the sheer force of my embrace would have staggered a human man as I hugged him tightly to me, unwilling to let him go.
He pried my arms away and pressed kisses into the crown of my forehead. The pads of his thumbs swiped at the tears that had escaped down my face. He wore his soft, unassuming smile. It was the smile I'd come to associate as my smile. It lacked the normal smugness and arrogance that many of his expressions held. No one else had seen this smile. Only me.
"They never will, vackra." Stefan murmured, burrowing his head against my breasts. My hands went into his hair, stroking my fingers through the thick hair. A deep purr of contentment rumbled in his chest at my loving attention.
"What happened after I was kicked out of the Council meeting?"
His voice sounded sleepy when he spoke. "My testimony was a mere formality. Anna was registered as my progeny. It was fine until I felt your fear."
"We both knew my father would approach me. I handled it the best I could." My hands continued their gentle caress, lightly scratching his scalp with my nails.
"You push him. If not for your shield you would be dead right now," Stefan sighed. He rested his chin on my chest, looking up at me with his sea blue eyes. They were filled with sorrow. Even my imagined death caused him pain. It completely filled our bond with grief.
"Things just got out of control. He pisses me off with his slick demeanor and fake concern. He had the balls to actually say he showed up to personally thank you for saving me.” I barked out a soft laugh. “I know his dirty secrets and he knows of my new abilities. We're at an impasse."
He moved from my arms to lay back against the pillows, considering my words. He rubbed his hand across his chin and his eyes slid closed.
"It is a tentative impasse at best. He is planning his next move. It is important now that we stay alert. Warn your brother. He may want to stay close by," Stefan’s eyes reopened and he simply watched me for a moment, before summoning me with his index finger. "Come here."
I crawled across the bed, letting him reach to place me on his lap, my bent legs straddling his hips. He smoothed my unruly hair away from my face, his fingers wandering down my neck to cup my breasts with his palms. Arching into his hands, I pressed my them deeper into his grasp. He smiled his quiet approval as his fingers rolled my nipples, tweaking them gently.
Tipping my head back under his expert touch, I sighed as his free hand ran a sensuous trail down my throat, between my breasts until he reached my abdomen. I didn't attempt to stop the whimper that fell from my lips as he gently touched me.
"It won't take long to find Nikolaus. I know he's next door with Anna. It's no secret. Lukas ‘who doesn't do monogamy' is off with Amir somewhere," I murmured. I ran my hands over the angular planes of his face, over the prominent arch of his cheekbones, the stubble of his jaw. He smiled under my caress, his deep set blue eyes closing in pleasure.
He craved my touch. Our bond vibrated with contentment as we sat in our loving embrace.
"Amir and Lukas have had an ongoing relationship for 100 years. Neither wants to give in to their feelings. Lukas lived a very oppressed life while human. Amir was a monk during his human life, a man of the cloth that faced religious opposition. It is against their nature to admit they love each other." His hands lowered to grip my hips, circling them with his long fingers. "I have watched them dance around their love for a century. Amir is focused on his political position. And Lukas is focused on himself. The circle continues..." Stefan's voice wandered off as his fingers continued to trace over my skin.
My fingers danced across the muscles of his shoulders. I'd listened to him describe Amir and Lukas' relationship with interest. "What about you?"
Stefan's eyes flickered up to meet mine. The previously happy bond between us filled with quiet apprehension. "What do you mean?"
I leaned forward until my breasts were pressed against his chest and my lips were at his throat. "Surely you didn't just have a relationship with Solveig. You were as guilty as dancing around love as Lukas and Amir."
"I was waiting for you when they were introduced. No other woman mattered at that point."
"But before..."I began softly.
"Is this a subject you truly want to discuss? Are you prepared to hear about how I viewed women prior to my vision of you?" Stefan's voice held a warning tone to it. "Are you positive you want to open a door that cannot be closed?"
Shaking my head, I rested my face against his chest. "No. There is a part of me that does, but then I'll be constantly comparing myself to every woman you've been with. It's not healthy."
Stefan closed his long arms around me, holding me against his broad chest. "Ah, Josephine. There is no one that could ever compare to you. No one has ever or will ever be capable of captivating my heart like you. It has always been you for me, even when I did not know it."
We lay together in silence. My heart had slowed to a slow cadence, barely beating.
“Your heart continues to beat slower and slower. Soon, it will cease to pulse,” Stefan whispered. His hands combed through the waves of my hair. “It will be bittersweet to not hear it. It is the first thing I hear when I awake and has lulled me to sleep every night since we met.”
My eyes grew heavy and the last thing I remembered was the comforting feel of his lips against my temple.
***
It must have been late morning when I awoke. Stefan’s presence in our bond was gone, the reassuring hum of his life force was gone from our tie. Letting out a strangled gasp, I struggled to sit up. The pain in my chest felt as if part of my heart had been ripped from my chest. Clutching my the covers to me, I groaned out in pain.
Anna’s voice startled me. “Stefan asked me to stay with you until you woke up. He had to attend to business with Amir.”
