Fifty-Eight

I didn’t think the movie and all the visual effects of it would hypnotize him, but it did. He glued his eyes to the screen, and his hand flew to the popcorn bowl in automatic mode. He resembled a kid fascinated by the big screen. It was endearing to see his reaction to something we took for granted every day in our lives.
Everything was happening too fast, and I didn’t have the chance to dwell in this whole craziness yet. To tell the truth, it scared me to even think about it. It was beyond my understanding, but what was there to understand? I’ve also been different my entire life. Was it so hard to believe that my bossy man was six hundred years old and no one less than Vlad?
We were linked, and I had all my nightmares and dreams as proof. Why was I so accepting of him? Not entirely, but my body and soul recognized him. More than ever Liz became stronger in me, and her memories were becoming my own, but my mind seemed to refuse something that my heart embraced with such tenderness. Why then?
I stared at him, not even paying attention to the movie anymore. He was beautiful inside and out, an honorable fighter, a loyal man in his beliefs. Ok, he was also a pain in the ass, short-tempered and domineering, but I could see on his face the lines of torture and suffering he had to endure all these centuries, starting on the day he was born. Everything was so foreign to him, and he was doing his best to get used to this new life, new manners, but I wasn’t sure if I was prepared to commit to him the way he wanted me to.
There was too much at stake. I found my biological father, and once more he had betrayed me! That asshole owed me answers. The reason that drove me to the agency was to get the training and necessary means to find everyone who had hurt me. Turns out they were looking for me all along, and they were the ones behind all this crap. I just didn’t get their reasons. I would not say I wanted revenge, but I had to resolve these issues before I laid out my life in his hands.
My foster father, that sleazeball who also put me through hell, had what he deserved. I tracked him down a few years back, and Shane helped me out. I wasn’t his only victim, and some money here and there put the police on his tail in no time. They arrested him, most of his victims came forward, and he got sentenced to life in prison, and believe me, since he got there, his life turned into a purgatory. I didn’t need to do anything against his wife, since life with a pedophile granted her a forever vacation in a loony bin. Part of my revenge was already taken care of.
I didn’t want to see Vlad hurt. If at least he listened to me. We had to talk, and if he didn’t agree to my terms, I would need to find my way around.
“Dragă?” He had his eyes fixed on me. I was so engrossed in my thoughts I didn’t listen to him calling me.
“Sorry! What did you say?”
“I asked, what’s wrong? You’re so far away.” His eyebrows drew together, waiting for my answer.
“Just thinking. Nothing to worry about!” I winked at him and changed the subject. “What do you think about yourself in the movie?” Yeah, teasing him was fun.
“He’s okay,” he muttered something under his breath and adopted a sullen look.
“I think he’s more than okay.” He sneered, and his eyes flickered golden with dark promises.
“Liz…” Was his only response.
“I like this caveman side of you, Grizzly. It gives me the hotties.” I bit on his jaw, and he gripped me harder by my waist, bringing me closer to him.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish the movie if you keep this up, Liz.” He warned me.
“You will…” Just like that, he was arguing with the character.
“No!” He was so adamant my eyes met him, questioning. “My father never gave us up, that was what they wanted us to believe, and no, I had never, never been a brother to this infidel. My brother, the cowardly traitor, was his closest friend, more than close, I should say.”
“You must have loved your brother dearly.”
“I did, and I tried to protect him as much as I could, but it was in vain. He betrayed me, he sold himself to them, and he didn’t care that they were the ones responsible for our misery.” The disgusting tone for being betrayed was there, raw in his voice. “He was my flesh and blood, and he betrayed me!” He closed his eyes as if the action could erase the memory from his mind. When the movie got louder, he stared at the screen again.
“Wow, I’ve never encountered such a creature in my life.”
“Of course not, Vlad. They don’t exist!” Then I silenced myself, staring at him and smirking. “At least I thought so, but after meeting you, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“Well, I’m not that ugly when my demon shows up… besides, he knows you have a kink for him...” A cocky smile danced on his lips.
“You’re right, I can’t wait for him to come out and play...” I whispered to him, nipping at his earlobe. His body reacted to my words instantly, and I saw him glinting in the back of those forest greens. “Behave yourself, little devil, we play later.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing, Liz.” A strained growl came out from his lips as he shivered under my hands.
“Would you make a deal with this beast?” I changed the subject, and the sparks of gold intensified in his green eyes. Not with the lust he was broadcasting before, but with a cunning pleasure.
“I will not lie to you, dragă. If this was possible back then, yes. I’d do it in a blink of an eye so I could have the pleasure to squash Mehmed like a bug.” He professed with authority and not a drop of shame in his semblance.
“I believe you would.” Resting my head on his chest, he enveloped me in his arms as I listened to the rhythm of his heart. We kept watching the movie until I heard soft laughter.
“Now I understand why you ask me if I can shape shift!” He looked at me and then back at the screen. “I wish I could do that. It would have helped me a lot, and I don’t burn in the sun. Why would I burn in the sun? I don’t understand!” He stood up and got closer to the screen, as if he could bring the movie to him.
“I know, right? Stupid legends, but wait, it gets better!” I couldn’t help but laugh. We were having such fun, and we needed that time to relax. Things were getting too harsh around us.
“Are you laughing at me, dragă?” His eyes bared at me, full of light and suspicion.
“Yes, I am. It’s fun to watch you all excited with the scenes, and you haven’t been at ease since you found me, Vlad.”
“I’m gonna teach you not to laugh at your master, disrespectful woman!” He came towards me, prowling like a jungle cat. My heart sped up in my chest like a racing car out of control on a rally. A shudder made its way down my spine and curled in my core.
How could that be possible? Would always be this way with him? Would I always have this exhilarating feeling in the pit of my stomach? I tried to rush away from him, but he pulled me to him in one swift movement, so fast when I saw he was already on top of me on the couch, ravishing my mouth. Gosh! I loved the sensations he could awaken in me, in my body. His lips were enough to set me on fire, but also scared me to death as he filled all the nooks and crannies of my soul.
“I don’t have a master, but I do have a bear.” With a wanton look on my face, I teased him.
“I’m no bear, dragă, bears you hug and sleep, I’m the devil who makes you scream my name like a chant every time I fuck you.”
“Such a fast learner, getting dirty, aren’t we?” For the first time in all the centuries I saw this man blush, and I didn’t know if I had embarrassed him or aroused to the point of fire burn on that skin, and yes, more and more old Liz was surfacing.
“Maybe we should finish the movie later!” He grunted in my neck while delivering soft bites.
“No, no, no! I want you to see it to the end. Let’s behave ourselves.” He sat up, bringing me to his lap, and his hand sneaked under my sweater. “Come on, behave, Grizzly! What do you think of his wife?” I asked, still kissing him.
“She’s fine, but she’s not you.” He brought me closer, and my breath hitched in my throat when his rough hand closed on me.
“Good answer…” I trailed off, but I wasn’t his only distraction. I giggled when the movie got his attention back, amazing him with the bat scenes at the end, until the part where his wife died. The turmoil of emotions cooking up in him like a boiling cauldron was palpable. Even the room seemed to expand.
“Vlad?” His eyes were glassy when he faced me, so I skipped the rest of the scene. “I’m here, I’m going nowhere this time.” His only reaction was to hold me tight. Little by little, the tension in the room gave way to excitement and anxiety. He pulled his lips back and bared his teeth when the fight between his sworn enemy and his character escalated.
He squirmed on the couch as if he was sitting on needles, and his eyes didn’t leave the screen, the fun part was listening to him advise and curse himself in the movie about the wrong moves he did while fighting his opponent, and I flew to the floor when this man jumped out of the couch as the final blow came and he saw the sultan on the ground.
“Ouch, Grizzly!”