Chapter Nine ~ Livi's Birthday

Marik's point of view

After telling Marcel, Ana and Livi what I was, they were surprisingly calm. I expected them to want to kill me, or at the very least keep me chained up, but Marcel removed my chains. Much to mine and Livi's amazement, he said that they had been waiting for over a decade for me to arrive. According to their Witch Oracle, I was to be their saviour from the Lycans. She told them that I could defeat any Lycan that came after the tribe, which I was fine doing, but that fact that someone had predicted me coming at all, was a shock to me.

They took me along to meet the old woman and she was over the moon to see me. Marcel told me that she had predicted a lot of things, but none had ever materialised, until now. She was overjoyed to see me and finally be recognised as predicting something correctly, instead of being seen as a just crazy old woman. She adored me and used any excuse she could to see me. She showed me her paintings and they were extremely lifelike. When she showed me the paints she'd made of me, I was taken aback by the resemblance. I went through her paintings and there were ones of my brother, some that look like the man my mother described as my father, dragons, wolves, angels and even Chryseis.

I was captivated by one particular picture. It was of the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen in my life. She wore strange clothes, but she was glorious. Long, light brown hair and a set of stunning blue eyes with a captivating white vortex within them. I asked the woman about her, but she told me that was a story for another lifetime. After meeting the old woman, I was introduced to the rest of the tribe, and at first, they were very of me. They eventually began to trust me and even honor me when I began slaying Lycans that came anywhere near the tribe. They had never felt so safe, and they soon ignored the fact that I wasn't quite human.

It had been nearly two years since I landed on their beach, and I was now lucky enough to call Cantiaci Britania my home. Living with the Canti tribe was all I'd hoped for and more. I commanded respect and had the love of a beautiful woman. Liviana had forgiven me my indiscretion, and soon we were courting. The woman was amazing, and how she kept up with me, I didn't know. When we were out on hunts, she held her own, and often killed the animal before I did. She had a way of throwing the spear right before I had a chance to annihilate my catch.

Tonight was her eighteenth year on this Earth, and I had something special planned for her. Hadriana and Marcellus helped me set up a special night for their daughter. We had a huge celebration planned, but I would sneak her away for a while during the festivities. I was nervous, I had it all planned out, but the thought of something going wrong loomed in my mind. I wanted it to be the best night of her life, one we could tell our children and grandchildren about. I couldn't wait to see her face when she saw what we'd set up.

Liviana's point of view

I'd had my dreaded bath and slipped into a gorgeous green dress. I sat in front of the fire to help dry my hair quicker, while my parents got ready. They had a birthday celebration for me every year, but this year was different, and I was actually excited about it for a change. This year I was already courting, so there would be no parading me around, trying to find me a husband. My family were happy with mine and Marik's relationship, and so was I. Well, there were a few things that could have been better, like the fact that he wouldn't sleep with me. He said that he wanted to wait until we were married, but he'd never shown any indication that he was going to propose any time soon.

The whole situation infuriated me, I wanted him more than anything, and the guy had made me wait nearly two years, and I was still waiting. I tried getting him drunk a few times to see if he would let loose, but I was always drunk way before he was. I ended up passed out with him looking after me. When I complained to my mother, she laughed and said that I should be grateful that I had a gentleman, and that the wait would make our first time, all that more special. But I'd gotten to the stage where I didn't care about all of that any more, I wanted Marik's hands, lips, and tongue all over me.

"Are you excited about tonight?" My father asked while entering the hut.

I glanced over at him and he looked so handsome.

"Yeah, I'm happy that we don't have any meetings with potential husbands," I replied with a side smirk.

My fathers rumbling chuckle filled the air, and I couldn't help but join him.

"What's tickled you two?" My mother asked while pulling open the curtain to her sleeping quarters.

I watched as my little brother Max ran out of the quarters and over to my father. He wrapped his arms around my father and asked,
"Can I go and find Juno?"

My father looked down at my brother and replied,
"Of course, I won't be long."

He ruffled Max's hair before letting him run out of the hut. My mother approached my father, pausing a few feet away from him to twirl around, showing off her beautiful golden dress. She looked incredible and I was in awe of her. My father held out his large hands for my mother and as she held onto them, he pulled her into his body. She giggled and when he covered her in tiny kisses, I couldn't help but smile. You could tell that they were as in love now, as they were when they met, and I hoped Marik and I could be the same when we were old.

My father waved at me before leaving the hut. This happened every year on my birthday, he would leave to finishing setting up, while my mother and I continued to get ready. We would then wait for him to return, and be escorted to the celebrations. My mother approached me while holding her hand out and twirling her finger, telling me to turn around. I spun around on the floor and brought my knees up to my chest. She knelt on the ground behind me and began to pull back two thick pieces of hair from the sides of my head. She secured them, then began to entwined them together to make a plait.

The rest of my hair was pretty much dry and she ran her fingers through it, teasing out my curls. They fell down my back and almost touched the floor. When I stood up, my curls rested just above my hips. It was glorious hair that I'd been lucky enough to inherit from my mother and grandmother, and I hoped to pass it down to my own daughter one day. We had finished getting ready and was patiently waiting for my father to arrive. We could hear deep-voiced talking and my tummy did summersaults when it heard Marik. I shot up out of my seat ready to charge at him, but my mother tapped on my arm and nodded towards my chair. I sat back down like instructed and waited for my Prince to arrive.

When he entered the hut, it felt like the air had just been sucked out of the room, the guy looked more delicious than I'd ever seen him before. It seemed like he'd managed to get a hold of some quality noble clothes, I didn't know how he'd managed it, but I didn't care, he looked incredible. I could tell that my cheeks were colored red with excitement, and I was only lucky it didn't show much, because I had slightly tanned skin like my father and not pale like my mother. He smiled at me and my bud buzzed. It began vibrating and pulsing with every inch of him that my eyes took in.

I couldn't believe that I was so lucky, the universe had sent me a God and he was all mine. I just needed to tie him down. If it was accepted for a woman to propose to a man, then I would have done it years ago. Probably even on the few days after he fell from the sky. He was every inch of perfection and I never wanted to let him go. My father and Marik bowed to us, which was our cue to rise from our seats and approach them. My mother reached my father and slipped her delicate hand through his arm. They turned and strode out of the hut.

Marik watched my fathers actions and copied them move for move. I smiled sweetly at him and put my hand through his arm too. He leaned in and kissed my cheek, and what I would have given to be able to twirl him around right then and there and smash my lips onto his. We had kissed before, but I'd get too carried away, and he would have to shift and run off into the woods. Now he kissed me less and less, and I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to throw the man onto my bed and have my wild way with him, but I couldn't.

I let out a soft sigh, causing him to turn me around. He searched my eyes and asked,
"What's the matter, Livi? Are you okay?"

I nodded my head and plastered a huge fake smile on my face.
"Yeah, I just find it a little stressful with all those eyes on me."

"Well, you might not have to put up with that for long."

"What? Why, what's happening?" I asked curiously.

"Now that's a secret, but I am sure tonight is going to be the best night of your life."

My heart skipped a beat and my bud pulsed. Was he finally going to be intimate with me? Oh dear God, that would be the best birthday present ever, I thought while he planted and sensual kiss onto my lips. I couldn't believe that this night could finally be the night that I got to lay with my Prince. He turned and strolled out of the hut with me pretty much floating on air beside him.