Thirty-Six

A death wind passed over me as I looked at them. Dad’s eyes flashed red with a fury I’d never thought to exist, and Vlad’s glinted golden, full of disappointment, and his demon stared back at me, furious. But then, a warm flush engulfed me, and my eyes darkened while hundreds of little flames ran crazed all over my body, making my skin scorching hot from head to toe, melting all the ice from before.
Another man stood facing me. His hair fell in soft waves to his shoulder, still long enough to tie behind his neck. My fingers tickled and had a mind of their own, wanting to touch and feel the softness in those strands. What to say about his beard, short boxed, giving me the hotties and filling my mind with lewd ideas. I was proud of myself for my taste in clothing for him. They just added to his wild beauty, even though I couldn’t wait to rip them off him. He was gorgeous.
“Vlad…” I whispered, and took my hand to my mouth in awe while my eyes drank him up.
“What are you doing here, punk!” Tony was the first to speak, pulling me back to earth, but he was the least of my problems.
“I’ve never understood what’s your problem with me, Tony?” Shane spat at him and my father shook his head, not taking his eyes off him.
“Alexandra, move away from this man, now!” He gritted out in a low growl, and everything around us vibrated with intensity. I looked at Shane and he had a smug face on.
“Listen, it’s better if you go now. We’ll talk later, ok.” I took hesitant steps away from Shane, shot him a glance, telling him not to go there and follow through with me, but it was the same as if I had asked him, ‘please do your shit.’
“There won’t be later!” It was Vlad’s only warning.
“You’re a grown woman, Alex. You can’t have your dad intimidate you like this.” I fixed my eyes on Vlad, who was barely holding himself in place.
“Please, Shane, you’re not helping, just go!”
“Didn’t you listen to my daughter, punk!?” he roared.
“I’m not afraid of you! We’re adults and did nothing wrong.” He provoked my father, and before I realised, a blur passed by me, taking him from my side and smashing him at the wall. I suppressed a scream when I heard the loud thud of his head on the concrete and Shane gasping for air. Vlad held him hanging by his neck.
“Maybe you should be afraid of me then.”
Even though he was in a life-threatening situation, Shane didn’t lose that smug smile, making matters worse. He wasn’t helpless; he had talents like me, stronger ones, but Vlad’s face was a mask of hatred, and I knew he would squash him like a bug if I didn’t act soon.
“Who do you think you are, asshole?” Shane spat at him.
“I’m her husband!” When Vlad spilled that shit, Shane’s eyes darkened to a stormy blue, getting me by surprise from the rage in them.
“No, you’re not! You’re an entitled bastard who happened in my life! I’ve had it!” I spat furiously. “Let go of him!” When he didn’t move, I tapped on my strength and pulled him by the back of his collar, holding him by the shoulders and sweeping my foot under his own, throwing him on his butt. Energy built around me. I grabbed Shane by his lapel, facing him. I was beyond pissed off.
“Get out, Shane! Get out!” I yelled at him, pushing him out of my way under Vlad’s appalled and hurt, watchful eyes. The ground wasn’t a place for him to be, and I felt my heart bleeding right there.
“I’ll talk to you later.” He left, but not before he stated every single word. He was looking for a fight, the asshole.
I looked at the two of them with disgust on my face. I had no words for them, so I turned on my heels and marched down the street, going to the park. To hell with those apes! I just heard dad’s mocking comment and laughter.
“You’ll have your hands full with this one, old friend.”
I didn’t even know where I was going, since I had no place to hide myself. My thoughts were a jumbled mess. I’ve never wanted or longed for someone this much. It was embarrassing, not to say scary. I’ve never felt this way with Shane, but I was sure it was the way he felt about me. I just couldn’t reciprocate his feelings, and I broke his heart, and without a stitch of shame I used him and I kept doing it.
Dad didn’t like him a bit, always saying there was something about him that didn’t sit well with him. He wasn’t someone one could trust, but I found nothing wrong with him. He had his flaws, but since we met, he treated me with nothing but care and also he never took away my choices.
Vlad was different. I saw the way he looked at me when he was on the floor, and I was fully aware I’m gonna pay the price, but he’s not my owner. This feeling is like a madness taking over my body and mind; he was everywhere, and I had no way out. I could feel his energy crawling all over me, getting under my skin, my flesh, taking over who I was until the point I couldn’t think anymore.
It scared me more than I was ready to admit, and to make things worse, we’ve just met! I know he’s not lying about who he was, and about my past lives, or how my soul recognizes him. I’ve had glimpses of that past, but it was ludicrous to think about. It only happened in fiction, not actual life.
And what to tell about the intensity of his touch? Fire licked my skin and coursed in my veins as my body’s temperature went up a few notches. Just thinking about him. I couldn’t resist that troubled and lost look in his eyes, the way he seemed to carry the weight of his sins on his shoulders. Deep down, it has always been this way from the beginning of time. Something in me cried out for him, and if I gave in, I would lose myself in the process.
I was so deep entrenched in my thoughts I didn’t feel him getting closer, just when he whisked me up, and I found myself against him and a tree in a far and dark corner of the woods.
“You’ve been a bad girl tonight, dragă. You betrayed my trust in you and made a fool of me,” he hissed in a strained whisper in my ears, his warm breath bathing my skin, sending uncontrollable shivers down my spine and curling in the pit of my stomach in a delicious, but painful way. I averted my face from him, tears burning in the back of my eyes as a lump of guilt clogged my throat, making me feel even worse.
“You made a fool of yourself, you don’t own me!” He was pressing me so hard, his chiseled body was crushing mine. My breasts ached against his chest and my nipples felt like pebbles scraping the fabric on my clothes. My mind screamed in outrage at my traitorous body. “Nothing happened.”
“It didn’t look like it. He had his hands all over you. I smelled his arousal and the waves of his lust hit me, driving my demon to the brink of insanity.”
His low growl by my ear just added to the arousal taking over my body. He was amplifying his emotions to hurt me, to make me feel guiltier than I already was.
“It’s not fair what you’re doing to me. I did nothing wrong. We were just talking.”
“No? You care for him, not just like a friend. I felt the waves of your worry and love for him!” My breath hitched in my lungs once his hand cupped my breast under my shirt, and if my tears were threatening to fall, they did. I couldn’t even trust my body. I closed my eyes, feeling the rough, possessive way he touched me and my walls clenched in need of him. He rubbed his freshly made beard up and down my neck, arousing my already flushed skin, as he knew what he was doing.
“Of course, we were together for three years. I care for him, but not the way you think. Please, stop it, Vlad.” I choked and my voice trembled. “It’s not fair.” But he wasn’t listening to me as he pressed his body even more into mine. I felt how hard he was against my stomach, grinding on me with no mercy. “Grizzly…” I moaned, bringing him closer to me, if that was possible.
“After tonight, dragă, I’m branding you mine forever, and no one, not even death, won’t dare to take you away from me ever again.” He took my mouth in a possessive and angry kiss, forcing himself through my lips, making its way in. I fought him hard, but he was relentless, and in the end, he won. I parted my lips to his merciless ones and let him explore every corner of my mouth, setting me ablaze. “You’ve always been mine.”