Ravenous

Emma Westlake is engaged to a Duke, whom she does not want to marry. There are rumors circulating through the ton that the Duke is responsible for his wife’s death.

Feeling as if her life is in danger, Emma must flee to a castle near the sea to be a governess to two adoptive children. She is employed by a man who is eccentric. There are no mirrors in the home, and he is never about during daylight.

Gabriel Saxon-Worthington has no idea who this mystery woman is, save her name, Mercy, and the sudden impulse to sink his fangs into her.

They are both seduced by each other’s brand of secrecy and engage in an affair that could lead to a deadly end. Gabriel is a vampire with a lust for Mercy’s blood, but will they be able to find eternity together before the Duke discovers her, or will he remain Ravenous?!

Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves

Length: 25,299 words

RAVENOUS

Aubrey Brown

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

RAVENOUS

Copyright © 2013 by Aubrey Brown

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-596-9

First E-book Publication: March 2013

Cover design by Christine Kirchoff

All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

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DEDICATION

To my dear sister, Heather, and my wonderful friends, Charles and Gavin, your continued support and friendships mean the world to me.

RAVENOUS

AUBREY BROWN

Copyright © 2013

Chapter One

London, England; 1820

Her briny tears mixed with that of the unforgiving wind and rain, as her broken heart beat heavily inside of her breast. Her delicate skin burned with sadness as her face was marred by a quickening bruise. The beast she stole from her father’s stable was quickly paced and hearty.

Emma Amelia Westlake was fleeing her childhood home for that of strangers’. She heard rumor and gossip about the man who lived in the enormous castle close by the sea. It was a day and a night’s ride away from the baron’s estate, on the edge of a great hill, just outside of London. She also heard from her maid that the man known as the “‘reclusive earl”’ needed a governess, and recent events had forced Emma to find her own living, or she may have very well found her end.

She was the daughter of an opportunistic baron, who was obsessed with titles and wealth. Her older brother passed just last year from influenza before he was to marry the neighboring duke’s oldest spinster daughter, leaving the estate with no heir. Emma’s mother passed away during childbirth with her youngest sibling who also died minutes after her mother, which left Emma an only child and to marry.

She was on the precipice of turning her majority, when her father told her she was to marry the duke, the father of the daughter whom her brother was supposed to wed. She thought it a joke at first, but her father was in earnest and had made a bargain with the duke.

Emma rode hard and fast through the last length of the woods to the great castle. As she approached the crumbling structure, she felt her heart shudder in her chest. Her head felt weak and woolly, her body wracked with shivers from the cold rain. Her horse stopped and wobbled with exhaustion at the gates. The poor beast was covered in white sweat. She slid off her saddle and took two steps before she fainted into oblivion.

* * * *

Six months earlier, before Emma’s wedding.

“Your brother had passed, Emma. We must provide an heir and make a match of your marriage. Since the duke is widowed, you will marry him in six months’ time. We must have a proper courtship and an engagement announcement,” her father stated.

She sat shock still in her seat. She was to marry the duke? He was old, and he was as wide as he was tall. And he was mean, if the rumors held true. There was also gossip that his first wife could not provide him a son, only his one daughter, and that she met a terrible end at the duke’s hands. Emma was suddenly frightened and panic-stricken.

“Father, you must not mean I am to marry the duke of Greensburg? He is older than you are, and he is cruel.”

“Where have you heard such fodder? That is gossip and vicious blather, and you will do as you’re ordered,” he finalized.

Emma was about to speak again when a caller came to their door. It was the duke.

As the months passed so did her resolve to not do as she was bade by her father. The longer she was in her intended’s company, the more she believed the tales. Emma saw the evil in his eyes, the hard resolve of his tenor. His grasp upon her hand was unkind, and Emma could not help herself, she began to save her pin money and devise a plan.

* * * *

Two months later, before Emma’s wedding.

Emma sat at her dressing table, watching with unseeing eyes as her maid dressed her hair. Her heart felt dead inside of her chest. The previous evening she tried to talk to her father about her impending wedding and her honest dislike of the duke. Her father rebuffed her and sent her to her room. She cried herself to sleep that night and awoke with lifeless eyes, along with an empty soul. She knew in her spirit that her future husband was a cruel and vicious man. Her maid had spoken with some of his current servants and had been conveyed that he takes his maids by force and beats the children who live within his household.

Emma shivered with the thought of his brutality. Her maid saw her eyes and questioned her mistress. Emma began to feel impossible tears roll down her face as she spoke of her fears. Her maid looked sympathetic and asked her what she could sort out.

She had thought about her predicament for months, and had only one conclusion. She must run away and begin life anew in the working class. She felt a momentary pang, but she was a strong girl, she could live through anything, especially if it meant she did not have to marry the duke.

“I must run away, Lily,” Emma concluded.

“Oh, miss, must you?”

“Indeed, Lily. I cannot marry the man. He is evil, and I would rather live as a servant and be paid for my efforts than to bear his children year after year and suffer his cruelty.”

Her maid nodded her head but once and stated, “You will have to find employment far away from your father’s estate. You will have to disguise yourself, for you are very beautiful.”

Emma’s mind reeled. She never felt comparable to a great beauty. She had been the toast of her coming-out ball, but that had been one season ago, and she had received no proposals.

Seeming to guess Emma’s thoughts, Lily began again. “Miss, you must listen to what I have to say. I know about working with families, wives do not want beautiful, cultured girls in their employ. I hear many things through the other servants, and I will carefully find a possible post for you before your marriage.”

Emma felt grateful and nodded her head with tears streaking down her face.

One month passed with no word of possible employment far away from her father’s home. She was beginning to feel forlorn. The duke was becoming more forceful in his affections. He had seized her arm the other evening and attempted to walk her into a vacant room at a neighbor’s ball. Luckily, for Emma, another gentleman stopped his progress and engaged him in talk of investments. Being a crude subject for a lady with little knowledge, Emma could excuse herself.

She was able to breathe in a sigh of relief.

* * * *

Two nights before Emma’s wedding.

Emma sat in the parlor with her father and her fiancé. The men were finishing their port, and Emma felt her lip curl slightly at the sour smell emanating from her intended.

Her resolve to run away came into her mind twofold as she was unable to find a single employer matching her needs. Lily had been trying to help her secure employment, but none had arisen, and Emma felt desperate enough to speak with the duke this evening, and perceive if she could bargain her way out of the marriage.

The baron left the room for a moment to gather some papers needed for an investment. Emma sat still in her high-back chair as the duke looked upon her with lust in his eyes. She sat up a little straighter; she needed all of her strength.

“Your Grace, I thought perhaps we could speak upon our upcoming union?” she asked.

When the duke inclined his head, she continued on, “As you know, we are to be married in two days’ time. I must tell you that I am not entirely comfortable with the arrangement.” She stopped at the sudden glint in his eyes. He stood and paced slowly toward her.

Emma also stood and backed away until her spine hit the fireplace. He placed his hand upon her neck and leaned in deliberately.

He breathed into her ear, “You are mine, sweet Emma. From the first moment I saw you, I envisioned what your delectable body would look like after a sound beating. Molten with bruises in places I can only see, the excitement in your eyes as I take you and rip you apart from the inside out.”

Emma’s breath stopped short at his words. His hand upon her throat flexed slightly, so she could feel the pressure of his strength and the intent of his words. She tried to speak, but her voice was blocked by his big body pressed against her slight figure. His breath smelled foul, and his body odor brought tears to her eyes.

“You will marry me, Emma. You will give me sons, and you will endure what I have planned for you. I can already feel my prick inside of your cunt.”

Emma found the will to speak. “Your Grace…”

A stinging pain radiated across her face as his palm hit her cheek. “You will learn who your master is, girl, and you will keep your mouth shut!”

Her eye was on fire. She had never been hit before, and she at no time wanted to be hit again. She felt her whole face throb with pain, her head began to pound terribly, her throat ached, and her lungs were starved for air. A moment later her body was being shoved into a chair as she heard the door opening.

She was limp with confusion and paralyzed with fear. Her father entered, and the two men began to go through the paperwork without a thought to her presence.

After a time when she composed herself, she asked to be excused and quit the room. Her maid came upon her distressed mistress in her room and broke down in sobs with Emma.

“What am I to do, Lily? We have yet to find a permanent position for me, and I cannot marry that man. What we thought was the truth about him is true. He wishes to enslave me and to beat me. He was cruel and he nearly squeezed the life from my lungs. My father walked in and noticed nothing. I have tried everything, Lily,” Emma sobbed.

Seeing her mistress in anguish, Lily spoke, “Miss, I have heard a rumor only this day about an earl that has inherited two children, which need guidance. I hesitated to tell you of the position, because it is a report I heard from a maid in the Hinesburg home.”

Emma’s heart began to beat with excitement. This may be the answer to her prayers.

“However, miss, I heard he is reclusive, and that he is mad, you know, not quite right in his head. No one has seen him walk around during the day, and he is up all night. He has minimal servants, and the castle he lives in is old and in ill repair. The residence is a day and a night’s ride from here.”

Emma weighed her options. In her experience, rumors had been unfounded. However, talk of the duke was in truth. Being in misery, Emma asked, “He is looking for a governess for some adopted children?” At her maid’s nod, she went on, “And he is not married?”

“He has never been seen with a wife, miss. However, do you really feel as if you can flee this place and become a governess?”

“He struck me this evening and spoke of bruising my body and receiving pleasure from it.”

Thoughts flew through her head as she readied for bed. She would have to take a chance and dash to the earl’s castle and hope she gained employment.

She was the daughter of a baron, engaged to a duke, and she was ready to flee in hopes she could secure employment as a governess to an earl, who may very well be mad. Perhaps Emma was the insane one; however, she could not take the chance. She needed to try. She was to marry the duke the day after next. She would plan and pack tomorrow in secret. She could claim a headache and “rest” for her wedding. Emma was having many real headaches of late, sometimes crushing and debilitating. An actual sickness was beginning to form behind her eyes, and her stomach turned as she vomited into her chamber pot.

Emma did stay in bed the whole of the next day. Her headache was a reality. However, she moved about, gingerly, packing meager belongings into a bag. Most of her dresses were black and brown, suitable for mourning. Her brother’s death still pinched her breast and brought tears to her eyes. They were close during childhood. Being without their mother and having a heartless father made them rely on each other.

Finished with her task, she placed the dark sack underneath her bed and sat in a chair. She looked around the room and exhaled. She was escaping this evening. Emma had not told Lily, for she did not want the maid to have any real knowledge that she had fled to the castle. However, she could see genuine tears in her friend’s eyes.

That very evening after eating what her stomach could handle, she went to her room and waited for midnight. As the sun fell, and the moon rose, Emma’s heart and mind began to race. When the hour was upon her to leave, she crept through the hallway and out the servant’s entrance. She ran for the stable and picked one of her father’s best horses.

It had been some time since she had saddled her own horse. It took her but a few moments, and then she was riding into the night at a fast pace.

Chapter Two

He felt a presence at the gate before his butler came into view. The lord of the house threw a flame that sent candles flickering.

“George, there is a visitor at the gate. I feel the presence of a girl.”

Just as suddenly as he said it, he felt her heart slow and her mind close off.

The earl stood suddenly and said, “Are James and Rose in bed?”

At his butler’s nod, he disappeared into the night and landed at the girl’s side. Her body wracked with shivers, and her heart was out of rhythm. He looked to the base of her pale throat and saw blood run swiftly through her veins. Her heart was attempting to keep pace with her lungs. With a curse, he swiftly transported them into the castle, sending his thoughts forward to set fire to the hearth.

He kept her in his arms as he removed her dress, leaving her in a corset, shift, and stockings. He looked at the brown dress and saw that it was of simple design. However, the material was soft and supple and made with quality. This girl was not of the working class. Curious, he tried to see into her mind and found it was blocked. Confused, he felt his power wrap around his body as he probed deeply. Still he could not see into her thoughts.

George, bring me a blanket.

I will bring it presently, my lord.

He set her in his lap as he sat upon a chair and warmed her near the fire for a few moments. His butler brought in a warm blanket as requested. George quit the room without another word. He knew his master well, and had learned not to question.

As George left the room, he studied the strange girl. He moved her hair away from her face, and time seemed to stop. She was indeed pale, but her lips were full and her face slender. This slip of a girl was not precisely a girl. She was a woman. He felt something akin to warmth spread through his chest, which was odd since his heart stopped beating exactly two hundred years ago.

Gabriel Saxon-Worthington, the Earl Halverson, was born in the year 1620, to a very wealthy and prominent family in Ireland. He was reared by his Christian family and had believed in God until the year 1655 when a woman of nobility took him to her bed and changed him into the monster he was now.

Gabriel stared into the face of the pale woman and saw color return to her cheeks. He once again tried to read into her mind, but found his efforts blocked once more. He shifted her in his lap and found she was petite, but curvaceous. A puzzle was afoot here, and he wanted to know why this woman had run her horse through the rain only to end at a stranger’s home, a castle no less. This story was a mystery that needed to be solved.

* * * *

The morning of Emma’s wedding day showed bright and cheerful. Her father was waiting for her to come downstairs to break her fast and then dress, when an upstairs maid came running down the stairs.

“My lord, my lord, she is gone. Mistress Emma is gone.”

The baron sat stock still in his seat. Emma was gone? No it could not be.

“What do you mean she is gone? Go search the house for her, she must be here!”

He ran behind the maid and encountered Lily crying in Emma’s room. The sheets looked as if she never slept there. He threw open her bureau and found some of her dresses missing.

“Where is she? Where is my daughter?” he screamed.

“We do not know, my lord. She vanished.”

The baron ran down the stairs just as his valet came upon him, “My lord, one of your horses is missing. The stable-boy counted only eight this morning.”

His heart stopped inside of his chest. The duke was expecting his daughter to be at the church within a few hours.

“Search the grounds, she could not have gone far, go now!”

As his servants dispersed he sat heavily into his chair and worried his fingers into bleeding.

Hours passed, and there was no sign of Emma. Guests were gathering in the church, and the baron had to tell the duke that his bride was missing. He made his way to the church with a heavy heart.

As he entered he saw that guests were seated. The cream of the ton was seated with the duke standing at the back of the church.

“Your grace, we need to speak in private,” he said.

“Where is Emma, Westlake?”

“That is the matter of which we need to discuss,” he pleaded.

They walked into a dressing room, and the baron began. “Emma is missing. She was not found in her bed this morning. Some of her clothing is gone, and no one knows her whereabouts. I have had a search party and Bow Street Runners looking for her, however, she seems to have disappeared.”

The duke looked carefully neutral, but the feeling of mounting fury was in the air.

He backed Westlake into a wall and said, “Are you saying that my bride has run away from her own wedding?” At the baron’s nod, he continued. “And you say you have been searching for her all morning, why did you not come to me immediately? The whole of the ton is waiting for a wedding that is not to happen today.”

“Your Grace…”

The baron was stopped by the duke’s hand upon his neck. “You will find her, and you will bring her to me. I have made an investment in your so-called properties as well as others. You will either find her, or I will have you arrested for fraud and sent to debtor’s prison. You will eventually hang from the gallows for this. Do you understand? You will as well explain to everyone that Emma is very ill and must wait to be married until she is better. I shall hire my own searchers. They can be very persuasive.”

As the duke was speaking he was gradually tightening his grip upon Westlake’s throat. He was barely able to breathe. He now knew that Emma was right about the duke, but what could he do? He did not want to be hanged. So he nodded his head and expelled a breath once he was released. With fright, he ran from the room and headed toward the guests. He composed himself to speak. He was to start the search for Emma this very day.

* * * *

Early morning’s light shown bright into Emma’s tired eyes as she squinted against the harsh rays. She had a moment of panic when she realized she was in an unfamiliar room. Her heart sped, and her thoughts reeled. Moments later an older woman entered the room with a washing bowl, and one of her dresses ironed and ready to wear.

“Morning, miss, just a moment, and I will help ye wash and dress. George has asked that ye are to be directly taken into the parlor for an interview. My name is Anne.”

Emma’s mind rebelled against standing up to wash and dress. She was just able to keep from vomiting.

“Is there any advice you can give me about his lordship?” Emma asked.

The aging maid turned to her and stated, “He is the best employer I have ever had. Is that why ye are here then, for employment?”

“I heard word he may be seeking a governess?”

“Aye, he has two children who need attention. Master James and Lady Rose,” she muttered.

That statement, even given in a harsh grumbling tone, was reassuring. There was employment to be had here. When she saw the castle at first glance last evening, it looked foreboding, not at all the kind of place a gently bred woman would reside. It was the perfect domicile to hide from her father and the abusive duke.

Dressed and composed, Emma quit the room to follow Anne to the parlor, where the butler was waiting with tea. Emma had never thought she could or would be hungry again, but her stomach gave a protesting growl at the small fare on the tray.

“Anne, it would seem our guest is famished. Send a more robust meal from the kitchens.”

Surprised by his notice of her state, Emma was asked to be seated.

George was direct and quick to the point. “We are curious as to why a young lady would come upon our residence late at night, and during a summer storm?”

Emma was prepared with a story she thought upon for weeks.

“I heard of the need for a governess in this home, and I felt to hurry was of the essence since I have not been able to find employment with any families of nobility. You see once the lady of the house ascertains me, I am immediately judged and sent away. I am in need of employment and hoping to gain such with his lordship.”

Silence filled the room as a new tray was brought in with a few sandwiches and cut fruit. She looked upon the tray with longing, however, took proper bites in front of the butler.

“I see. There is a position of governess here. The children were left to Lord Halverson from a dear friend. The children have suffered greatly since the death of their parents. They are in need of a helping hand and teaching,” he said.

“Might you have references?”

Emma’s heart slowed. She had not thought of that. She was unfamiliar with the hiring process.

Emma knew she must have a struck look in her eyes at his question. He seemed to look more closely at her. She just hoped she had not given herself away.

“No matter, at the moment, we need someone to start immediately. The children are in the nursery. May I suggest you think upon lessons for today, and we will have you meet with them this evening? Please meet his lordship in the dining hall for supper this evening.”

At her affirmative nod, the butler left her to break her fast.

Emma sat in silence as she ate quickly, her mind in a whirl. She had gained employment to a man of which did not interview her for the post. It was in fact daylight, and his lordship was not about; the rumors of Lord Halverson’s absence during the daylight hours were indeed true. And then something struck her. The butler did not ask for her name.

* * * *

Gabriel was in a dead sleep. It was symptomatic of his kind. He slept during the daylight hours, to awaken as the sun closed over the horizon. He was never conscious of the happenings around his home, but today he felt a new presence. Vibrant and beautiful warmth in his home, he tried to reach out to the feeling, but found himself closed off. Frustration roiled through his body as he cursed his undead state. He had never been able to feel someone during the daylight hours, and he suddenly felt the need to claw his way to consciousness. This woman, of which he was sure George had taken care of, would be staying in his home. Feeling relaxed, he willed himself to a deeper sleep.

As night approached, Emma’s nerves were on end. She had thought over her lessons as a child, and had come up with some suitable instructions. The children were twins and were the age of nine, a boy and a girl, named James and Rose. Anne had warned her that they were spirited children. She could handle spirited children. Emma had given much of her time to the local orphanage. She was always able to keep a firm but loving hand upon them.

Emma approached the dining hall and found she was alone. She was about to turn around and leave when she bumped into George.

“Lord Halverson will be in shortly. Please sit and start your supper.”

“Will the children be joining us?” Emma asked.

“They have already eaten and have retired for the evening. His lordship wanted to speak with you before you meet them.” With that George quit the room.

Emma took a seat at a chair that was pulled out for her by a footman. She ate her primary course in silence. It was twenty minutes before Lord Halverson entered the room. The world spun, and Emma felt tingling begin at the base of her spine and then up to her woolly brain. He was the most handsome man she had ever encountered, even at court. He was tall and well built, not lean to say, and definitely not overweight. His hair was as black as midnight and his eyes were the color of deep chocolate. His skin was pale in color, adding a very interesting contrast to his dark hair and eyes. He was wearing a white linen shirt, a deep-burgundy waistcoat, a crisp cravat, a black double-breasted coat, and lastly, tight-fitting trousers that left little to her mind’s wondering.

“Are you well, miss?” A voice with a deep timbre suddenly clouded her foggy brain.

“I am, my lord.”

Gabriel was taken aback by her beauty. Color in her cheeks provided a delicious addition to her petite yet curvaceous body. Her hair was the color of the sun he missed so much, and her eyes were as blue as the clear sky. She was once again wearing a demure day dress in a dark color, however it did not detour his knowledge of what lied beneath the frock.

He took a seat next to hers and began, “May I have your name and where you hail from?”

“Mercy Goodwin, my Lord, and I come from Sussex,” she finished.

“Why have you come to my home? I have not properly advertised for a governess. Where did you hear of the position?”

There were so many questions, and this man was direct.

“I heard of the position from a passing stranger. I was in need of employment. I have no family left and need to make a living. When I heard of the possibility of gaining such a position, I had to take a chance. As I told your butler, noblewomen look upon me and make judgments,” she finished quietly. She hoped he took her word for truth. She needed to stay here. With his gaze upon her, she felt a pull toward his eyes, a pull she had never felt before.

Gabriel felt himself a man of good judgment. One did not live for two hundred years without becoming acute to those who lie. He searched her face and tried to feel her mind, but was blocked yet again. The wall in her brain was not as solid as it had been the other evening, he felt a slight tug against his powers, which was a sign her mind was opening. Plus, he noticed a bruise marring her delicate cheek, less so this evening, but it was still there.

Curious, he thought.

“George has warned you that you will be on a trial. However, you must sign some paperwork of nondisclosure. I am a very private man with many quizzical habits, you understand.”

Emma nodded her head in agreement. She was willing to sign anything as long as it garnered the position.

Fool, Gabriel screamed inside of his mind. This woman was hiding something. He could feel it. He should not make a decision based upon his love for puzzles and a beautiful face. Mercy Goodwin was the most attractive woman he had ever laid eyes upon. He felt his cock stir at the sight of her sitting in a dower dress. She should not have this kind of effect on him. Nevertheless, she had and did. He bargained with himself over the fact that James and Rose needed a guiding hand, and this woman was the only woman available.

“You shall start your duties in the morning. You are to see to the children’s lessons and be assured they are in bed at an early hour. I will not be in residence during the daytime. I will expect a full report on their progress every evening, is that understood?” he asked.

“Indeed, my lord. However, every evening…”

“Aye, you will meet me here every evening to tell me how my wards are faring.” At that statement, George walked into the room and filled a glass for him. It was a very bright-red liquid that looked to be wine, but was in fact cow’s blood.

“Are you finished?” Gabriel asked.

“Aye, my lord.”

“Then I suggest you retire to your room. Your duties will begin early tomorrow morning.”

With that said Emma quickly stood and quit the room. Butterflies flew vastly inside of her stomach at his person and his voice. Emma felt as if she was in very big trouble and was not sure as to why. She was undressed for bed, and another thought struck her. The house was completely devoid of mirrors. She was too ill earlier to notice. Now that was very odd indeed.

Chapter Three

Morning came quickly, and Emma was dressed and readied in the schoolroom for her charges. Two little people walked in and stopped at her presence, a small boy and an equally tiny girl. Both were of fair hair and skin. They looked at her as if she was a crazed monster ready to attack them. To put them both at ease, she stretched her arm out to their desks and said, “Sit please, let us get to know each other before we start our lessons.”

“We don’t want you here,” the little girl said.

“We don’t like governesses,” the boy whispered.

Willful children indeed. “Really, why, may I ask? One has to learn their cursive and history and languages if one would like to function within society. Would you both not like to marry and have a family?” she asked in wonder.

The children were silent for but a moment when the girl exclaimed, “We shall stay here with Uncle Gabriel forever! I don’t like boys either. Yuck.”

James stayed silent and stared at Emma in open admiration.

“All right, I now know you want to stay here with your uncle, but would you not like to make him happy? He wants you to learn everything you will need to know. He is paying me to make sure you learn correctly. You would not want to make him disappointed or sad would you?” Emma asked.

Rose stopped and thought for a moment. “I suppose not.”

“I like you…what is your name?” James asked.

“Miss Goodwin, and you are Master James and Lady Rose. Let us sit and begin our day. I will quiz you on what you should already know and see where we need to start. Is that agreeable to you both?”

As the children sat in their chairs, they nodded their heads, but Rose still held rebellion in her eyes. Emma could see she still had much work ahead of her with these two.

She then heard footsteps clear the hallway. It must have been George checking in on her. Rightly he could breathe a sigh of relief. She had these children well in hand.

At the end of the school day, Emma was ready to tear her hair out. These children had been neglecting their studies. There was much work to be done. However, she was up to the task. When the dinner hour struck the children were instructed to take their meal in their rooms. They looked heartbroken and lonely. Emma felt their pain, for her father had instructed her to eat in her room as well. She wanted to say something. However, she knew her place as hired help. There were boundaries one did not cross.

Emma walked to the dining hall much later in the evening after she saw to the children’s needs. They were in bed at a proper time, and Emma could relax a moment before she spoke with the earl. Her head began to pound slightly as she gasped for air. She had had these persistent headaches before and knew this one would last for hours.

She sat down in a seat and was surprised to see the earl walk in shortly behind her.

Gabriel had been standing at the door when she initially walked in. His ability to form into animals and mist was a gift and a curse. He floated high above the hallway as simple air. He saw through the wall as she touched her forehead and gasped. He tried once again to touch her mind and found it closed even tighter. It would seem that her headaches were stopping his ability to read her thoughts.

He formed into his natural state as he walked into the room. As they made eye contact, he felt a sizzle go through his veins. There was something about this woman, who set his blood afire.

He walked to his customary seat and watched as George poured his evening drink. “How are the children faring this day?

“We had a challenging day, the children are…” She stopped her sentence, feeling guilty. No one wanted to hear their children were struggling. In addition, she was afraid she was going to lose the contents in her stomach.

“Please go on. I understand that they are a handful, and they may need extra help. Before their parents died their father had expressed his dissatisfaction with their current governess. I am to guess that they are behind in their studies and need a helping hand?”

Gathering her strength she stated, “Indeed, my lord. They are in need of special attention. I believe we had an excellent start. However, it will take time.”

“Miss Goodwin, I am pleased to hear you have them in hand. They did not give you too much trouble today then?”

“They had a rough start. They believe they do not want to learn and to stay here with you forever. It was quite charming. They seem to really love you,” she said while ending on a small smile.

Gabriel realized he could get lost in her smile. She was a very attractive woman. He shook his head of such thoughts and sipped his drink. The blood this evening was from the local slaughterhouse. Gabriel rarely took blood from humans, save for once every six months. Over the years he learned how long he could go without fresh blood before his body began to protest. He had learned what he needed from William, the vampire that gave him a guiding hand after he was changed, the same man who betrayed his trust. William Arthur Huntington, son of a knight, was a man who craved being a true part of nobility. His father’s knighthood and small keep was pittance for what he really craved, money, a higher title, sex, and blood. Brought out from his musings by Mercy, he stilled his dark thoughts.

However, looking at the delicious creature seated next to him, he must say that his cock was as hard as his fangs. He felt the pinch of the extended teeth and willed them back. Gabriel found himself nodding in agreement to her words instead of responding. He did not want to frighten her with the monster he was.

Eventually, after some more inane conversation about the children’s education, he was able to ask her, “You said yesterday, that you heard of the post from a passing stranger in London. I know very few people in London. Do you recall the name of the person of whom you spoke with?”

Emma felt trapped. She did not want to divulge any information that could lead to him knowing about her past. He might send her away. He may decide she was unfit to teach his children. She must think quickly!

“I was passing through London, after I lost my mother and brother, looking for employment, when I overheard a conversation between two maids at the market. When I say I heard it from a stranger, it was a real stranger. As soon as I heard this news I came directly here. I realize it may seem incredible, and the story is fantastic, however, I came here in hopes the position was available.”

Gabriel examined her blue eyes and saw that she was in earnest. She may well not be telling him the whole truth, but she was in desperate need of employment. His long-ago-deceased heart pinched with yearning for this woman. He had lost his family when he was turned.

“I see, Miss Goodwin. You seem to have a firm grasp of the children. Thus far I am very gratified with their first day,” he said.

A small blush colored her cheeks at his compliment, and he found himself wanting more time with her. Simply, he wanted more of her.

As Emma lay upon her bed that night, she could not get her new employer out of her weary mind. He was purely the handsomest of men. She had made many acquaintances at court, and the noblemen of the ton could simply not compare to that of his lordship. If she were in her home in London, she would take an immediate liking to him. He would possibly ask her to dance and pay her compliments. Perhaps he would call upon her in her father’s home and take her for a morning ride through Hyde Park among the morning dew. He would court her with lovely flowers and words of sentiment.

Emma began to fantasize how it would be to have him hold her hand, to be in his arms, to feel his lips upon her cheek. She had never been kissed before. She could only imagine the warmth of his skin under her hands.

She began to tremble as images forbidden yet delicious entered her thoughts as she drifted off into slumber.

Gabriel sat in his office chair as he felt her presence. Her breathing was heavy and uneven. He felt her heartbeat race. Concern clouded his better judgment, and he disappeared into her room as simple mist. He hung over her bed as he noticed she was indeed in distress, but an entirely different kind. Mercy was mumbling his name repeatedly as she touched her breasts. She was in full sleep, which meant she was dreaming of him. He felt blood rush to his cock at the thought of her deriving pleasure from dreaming of him.

Gabriel knew if he tried to connect with her mind, he would find it closed. He told himself to leave and let Mercy sleep. He wanted to watch her. He felt a tenfold fool for the feeling.

He floated down to just a few inches above her prone body.

“Please, Lord Halverson. I need…” She did not know what she needed.

Gabriel shook with desire as he watched her hands go to her thrusting breasts. Her nipples below her night rail were pert and pebbled. She gasped as her own hands kneaded the yielding flesh. He dared not move from his vantage point. She sighed as she found her pointed nipples, erect and excited. A deep moan came from her throat as she repeated his name yet again.

She bucked against her hands, wanting more. Her fingers went to her shift and trailed the cloth up her supple thigh and to her belly. She was exposed from the waist down. Gabriel saw her glistening and wet on her curls guarding her sweet cunt.

“Oh, Gabriel, please touch me, and make love to me.”

He strained his body to not give into the need his cock was demanding. He was transfixed by the woman pleasuring herself below him. She was clearly having an erotic dream about him. He was fascinated by the idea that this woman, who was a stranger, should want him with the fierce longing that he shared.

Her finger entered her wet pussy to find a relief to the pressure that was building within her body.

Gabriel could feel the tension, and he could smell her initial cum from his vantage point. He felt his canines lengthen and blood flow over his tongue.

He could see that her breasts were swollen with hard, erected nipples. He wanted to touch her clitoris. It was wicked, but he was beyond coherent thought. He wanted to make her feel as if she were in Heaven. He would massage her breasts with tender care. She would be aching for something she could not identify. Light fingers would touch her curls. She would also be uncomfortably wet.

Emma had yet to awaken. She was repeating his name. She was reaching for something, and if he placed his hand on her pussy, she would buck her hips in excitement, and be able to grab onto her orgasm. She would be tight and swollen, ready to receive his cock.

Gabriel watched her slender hand begin to pump within her snatch. She had invaded too far, and her body flinched. His lordship would bet a month’s income that this woman was an innocent virgin. Having such knowledge brought heat within his chest and a calling from his cock.

He watched as her hand retreated. He knew she needed something she could never describe. She wanted him.

“Gabriel, please!”

Mercy was screaming for completion. He wanted to sink his cock and his fangs into her silky-smooth body. Gabriel was hungry for sex and hungry for blood. He finally materialized at her side when her eyes opened slightly.

“Mercy, please let me feed from you.” He was desperate for her.

The need to feed was upon him, and he could no longer deny himself the sweet blood.

With a delirious smile, Mercy opened her arms to him.

“I am ravenous for you,” he said.

“Please take whatever you need from me.”

She sighed as he kissed the side of her neck.

Gabriel moaned as her sweetness swept over his tongue. She was as delicious as any chocolate pastry. He had never fed from such a delectable creature.

He was sucking the side of her neck, and it brought forth an incredible amount of pleasure. She actually shuddered and closed her eyes to the delight that he filled her with. Her cum burst forth from her pussy, wetting her night rail, and then she swooned in his arms.

He finished feeding and sealed the puncture marks with his tongue. He looked at his Mercy and saw that she was shaking in the aftermath of another orgasm, one so powerful that she had fainted. The vampire’s kiss had always brought pleasure to the recipient, if the giver wanted it so. With a vile curse he left the room. He hoped Mercy would recall their encounter as a dream, for he did not want for her to know his secret.

Gabriel materialized back into his room and cursed himself. He was a cad and a fiend. Gabriel was the monster everyone knew him to be. However, he could not deny the taste of her blood. She was intoxicating, and he knew within himself that he would not be able to stop. He needed her. Gabriel looked to the clock and saw it was midnight. He had exactly six hours until sunrise. It was going to be a long evening. His hunger was satisfied, however, his cock was still erect.

Chapter Four

Days passed as the children worked toward catching up. Emma could have screamed at the resistance she found with Rose. James had no problem listening and taking direction, much to the mounting anger of his sister.

“James, why are you listening to her? We don’t want her here, remember?” she asked.

Emma waited for the little boy to reply. He was silent for but a moment when Emma took pity on him.

“Rose, perhaps your brother wants to learn. I am sure if you applied yourself you would also be eager to learn?”

“I don’t want to learn from you. I want my mummy and daddy to hire the governess,” she exclaimed.

Emma’s heart broke at the girl’s words. She was missing her parents.

“Please, Rose, come to me, and let us have a chat,” she asked.

The girl looked at her as if she was about to beat her into oblivion. Emma stretched her arms toward the child and waited. The girl sat in her lap, and Emma just held her. Sobs and tears began to wrack the tiny girl.

“Rose, my mother died years ago and my brother passed away almost a year ago. I have no one left in the world. And I must tell you that you are indeed lucky to have your uncle and your brother with you. I know that you miss your parents, but you must know that they are always with you in here,” Emma pointed toward her heart. “When they are with you in here, you are never alone. They are always looking down upon you and loving you.”

Rose turned her head and said, “Truly? How can I believe you?”

Emma internally sighed. She needed to speak with Lord Halverson.

Rose stood and ran from the room, taking James with her and knocking down a chair in the process.

Later that evening, Emma was nervous to speak with the earl. Not only was she upset over the episode with the children, but her dreams had become frequent and more sinful. She felt her body heat at the thought of her fantasies. She had never dreamt of being in anyone’s arms, much less a man who was a virtual stranger.

Gabriel entered the room and felt the tension. Mercy looked distressed, and he knew why. George told him of the episode during their lessons this day. He knew he was responsible for Rose’s lack of trust. Her parents were dead, and he was not about during the day to help them transition. In addition, he did not want to become close to the children. He lived past many friends and family. He did not want to fall in love only to lose them.

“I see you are nervous, Miss Goodwin. Tell me of your day.

Gathering up her strength, she said, “Rose and James are having a terrible time transitioning. There is only so much I can do. I think you need to be about to talk to them and help them during the daytime. I understand your time is restrictive and you are not around, however, they need family to help.”

Emma watched as his spine stiffened. She knew she was accusing him of not doing his duty by those children.

“I am not their blood relative. I was a friend to their parents. My daytime hours are mine and are used for work.” He spoke with a dark voice. “I hired you to handle and teach them. Was I in error? Do I need to find a new governess?”

Emma felt her spine stiffen in return. How dare he? He may not be their blood uncle, but he did have a duty to those children.

“I am sorry I spoke out of turn, my lord. However, they need you. It is my job to speak with you when the children are in distress. And I am telling you they are in need of you,” she retorted.

Her breasts were heaving with restrained anger. She knew it was not her place as governess. However, the noble woman came into her mind and wanted to be heard. This man may have eccentricities, but certain roles were taken when one was left with small children.

Emma knew he saw the spark of rebellion in her eyes and felt the room heat with passion and anger. He looked as if he wanted to take her over this table and make a sexual feast of her. As if he wanted to sink his cock into her hot, tight pussy, and show her he was her master. She could smell her preliminary cum in the air. She wanted him as he wanted her.

Her chest flushed at the look in his eyes. She could feel his heated stare through her dress. She felt exposed and vulnerable. As if she was lying in her bed and dreaming of his touch. Hours later, when she awoke in the morning, she could swear she felt his fingers on her clitoris. Which was mad of course, she could still smell her orgasm upon her own fingers.

“We will meet in my study to finish this discussion.” He stood and quit the room, expecting her to follow.

Emma gaped at his audacity. She knew she was hired help, but even her father did not talk to servants this way. Well, she supposed he didn’t. She had never seen her father interact with the staff. It was beneath him.

She stood and threw her napkin to her almost-full plate. She walked the length of the hallway and knocked upon the study door. Her walk gave her time to calm down and think rationally. It would not do to argue with his lordship. He may very well turn her out of the house that evening.

“Enter,” he simply said.

She opened the door and left it ajar. She still had her respectability to consider. She may be governess, but servants did have mouths, and word could possibly return to London, and that was a thought that sent shivers down her spine. Emma considered herself a strong woman. However, she needed to stay mindful of her situation.

“My lord, let me just express how sorry I am that I overstepped my boundaries…”

He held a hand into the air to stop her midstatement. “Apology noted, Miss Goodwin. You would do well to remember whose employ you are in.”

She once again felt her spine stiffen at the retort, but wisely kept her mouth closed.

“Indeed, my lord.”

“But you do not mean a word you say, do you, Miss Goodwin?”

Emma’s mouth opened up into an imitation of a fish. She wisely closed it and glared. This man was very perceptive.

“When I apologize, my lord, I usually mean what I say.”

“But?” he insisted.

“However, I do think you are not spending enough time with the children. Why can they not dine with you in the evenings? They can eat, and then after the meal you and I can talk about their progress,” she finished.

Gabriel looked to the woman in the room and saw that she was in earnest. She felt his presence in their lives would change their behavior. Perhaps it would, but he did not want attachments.

“If you believe their behavior will be cured by spending time in my company in the evenings, then we shall start tomorrow evening, but the days are my own, Miss Goodwin.” That last was said with finality.

It was a start, Emma thought.

“Thank you, my lord. I am sure they will be pleased to start dining with you. However, I think my company would inhibit your progress.”

Gabriel thought he must have not heard her correctly, but in the end he had. “Do you mean to say you will not dine with us?”

“I mean to say, I think you should spend time with the children without the aid of hired help,” she finished.

“No, that is unacceptable.” Something hard and hot spiraled through his chest at the thought of her wanting to spend time away from him. It was not a sentiment he was willing to examine, but nevertheless it was there. He came to her night after night and watched as she made love to herself. She did not know this, but he was affronted that she wanted to pull away from him.

“We will dine together and then we will put the children to bed jointly. Is that understood?”

“I really think…”

“You are not paid to think, you are paid to do a job of work. And you are overstepping your confines yet again!”

“I would not have to overstep if you saw to reason. These children need you,” she all but bellowed.

Gabriel set his drink down and stalked her to the wall; she stopped as her back hit the wood. His gaze delved into her bright-blue eyes and he felt the hunger rise up within him. He wanted her in his arms, his fingers pumping into her slippery pussy, her breasts wet with his tongue and teeth. This stranger of a woman raised a sexual hunger within him that was foreign, but needed assuaging. He could smell her initial cum in the air, her longing to connect to him in the most basic way.

He touched her hair with his hand and lowered his fingers to run along her jawline. She shivered not with fright, but with lust.

“Who are you, Mercy?”

And with that statement, he sealed his lips to hers. She tasted as he expected, simply delicious. He was ravenous for her. She was honey and sunshine, and she felt of silk. She was everything that he was not. And he wanted to gobble her up.

Emma felt his tongue invade her mouth, and she could not help but allow him entrance. He moaned at her acceptance. She knew this was wrong. She was his employee, but she could not help the heat that coursed through her veins and centered in her twat.  Her knees were weak and there was the uncomfortable feel of her swollen clitoris. She had a raging need for him to plunge his cock within her as she fingered her pussy.

“My lord…”

“Say my name. Call me Gabriel,” he stated.

They kissed a while longer until he moved his lips to her neck. She repeated his name, “Gabriel.”

He kissed her along her breast line. He wanted to move the blasted material of her dress out of his way. Instead, he scraped his teeth against her pale throat. She shivered in response.

Emma thought this was much better than any dream she had fantasized. He was holding her in his arms, he was kissing the life from her, and she was too enthralled to stop him. She would give him anything he wanted. She wanted the same things. She grasped onto his shoulders and dug her nails into his muscles to keep herself upright.

Gabriel gave a curse of frustration. Her breasts were confined by her proper dress. Insane with desire for her, he ripped the neckline open and exposed her naked breasts to the chilly night air. He moaned in gratification as her nipples pebbled. He rained kisses upon her teats as his hand made his way up her skirts to trip along her thigh.

“Please, please,” she moaned.

She must be mad to let this man touch her thus, but she wanted him. She felt her slit warm to his fingers. If she was not careful, she could fall in love with him. She certainly knew she wanted him. She weighed her options in her fogged brain. She was a gently bred lady, who escaped to work for a man who was perceived to be insane. However, she was willing to give her innocence to him without the benefit of marriage.

He came to her wet, hot pussy and groaned to feel she was ready to receive him. He wanted to throw her to the floor and take her upon the rug. He was crazed with lust for her body, and he knew instinctively she wanted his as well. He may not be able to read her mind, but a man knew when a woman wanted him.

He circled her clitoris, and she bucked her hips in need. She wanted to reach for his ballocks, but did not know how to touch him, to please him. He sensed her hesitation and said, “You want to touch my cock. I know you do, however, this is for you, let me please you.”

Emma nodded her head as he began to bring her to an agonizing orgasm. She was ravenous for his touch, his taste. She would have agreed to anything he suggested. She was limp with relief and slight frustration that he would not let her touch him.

Gabriel held her in his arms and felt, for the first time in a very long time, at peace. She brought calm to his life that he had never known, and he found he could relieve her lust without taking her blood, which made him happier tenfold.

Emma raised her eyes to his chocolate brown and moaned when he brought his glistening fingers up to his mouth and licked her cum from them. It was the most erotic action she had ever seen or imagined.

Gabriel smiled at Mercy’s reaction to his tasting of her pussy. She would be an explosive lover.

Chapter Five

When her trembling subsided, she started. “My lord…”

He stopped her with a finger and said, “You are about to tell me that the encounter was a mistake, but I must say I do not feel the same way, and neither should you. We are both adults needing companionship. I enjoy your company, Mercy. Do not spoil it by a postmortem,” he stated.

Emma knew he was right. Being upset by something they both wanted and needed was indeed silly. However, he was her employer. And she could smell herself on his fingers, which made her shake with more need. For Christ’s sake, she could smell her cum on his fingers!

He saw indecision waver in her mind and cursed his inability to read her thoughts. He needed to find out who this woman was and why she was different.

Emma felt a crushing headache coming on. She tried to stand, but found her knees buckle under her.

With an expletive, Gabriel picked her up and disappeared from the room. He rematerialized into Mercy’s room, and then removed Anne from the room.

She is sick, and I need to see to her, Anne.

Aye, my lord, I will be below stairs if ye need me.

“Mercy, Mercy!”

She was unresponsive and pale. He felt for her pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when he found her heart beating, but out of rhythm. Her lungs were trying to keep up with her blood flow. Mercy was sick, and he did not know why.

Gabriel moved her to the bed, and made a decision he knew he would probably someday regret. He bit into his wrist and fed her some of his blood. He knew he had healing properties inside of himself since he was never ill and could at no time die by any human illness. He hoped it would help her.

He would not cross her over to his kind. He would have to drain her of her fresh blood and replace it with that of his deceased blood. He had never let another drink from him, and he prayed to a God that he no longer believed existed to help his Mercy.

He drizzled a little from his wrist to her mouth. She gulped and gasped. Her body began to shake as Gabriel tried to keep her from falling off the bed. He did not hold on too tightly. He did not want to bruise her delicate skin.

The shaking stopped, and the pain seemed to leave her. She rested in a peaceful slumber that brought Gabriel relief. Her heart returned to normal beating, and he felt her mind open slightly, not enough to read any thoughts, but enough to know she was better.

* * * *

The Duke of Greensburg’s estate

His Grace the Duke of Greensburg sat in front of his fire as his eldest daughter held her chest in pain. The girl had become vocal this evening, and she needed to be taught a lesson in knowing her place.

“Leave the room, girl.” As he said it, she fled into the hallway.

The duke took a drink of his port and stared into the fire. It had been days and no sign of Emma. His hand flexed upon the glass until he heard it crack. He downed the rest of the contents and told himself he would find her and marry her and teach her a wife’s place, just as he taught all women to mind their places.

* * * *

The earl’s castle

Much later that night Emma awoke to the earl seated next to her bed. She sat up with a start, and realized any lingering pain from her head was gone, as a matter of fact. She felt alive and invigorated. Better than she had in years really.

“I see you are better, Mercy. You had me worried for a moment,” Gabriel stated.

“Aye, indeed, you did not have to wait in a seated chair, my lord.”

“Bollocks, Mercy. Do not act as if we have had nothing except a passing conversation. We made love in my office. I believe you may call me Gabriel now, at least in private. We need to discuss what happened here tonight and the night you came to my home.”

Emma was surprised by his tone and the vulgar language. She must have hurt his pride.

“I am sorry, Gabriel. I am new to all of this. I have never kissed or let a man touch me before this evening. I have had dreams, but they did not quite compare to the real intimacy.”

“You did not answer my question, tell me what happened tonight,” he insisted.

“I do not know, Gabriel. I have had these crushing headaches since my brother’s death. I supposed it was due to stress, but they have become increasingly worse. Last night was the second time I have fainted from one. It would seem after incredible exertion I get them,” she stated, coloring slightly at the comment.

Gabriel pointed at her head and said, “There is something wrong here. You have had these headaches for a year. That is not simple stress.”

“Tonight is different. I awoke in comfort and not in pain and despair. Perhaps they are becoming better?”

Gabriel said nothing, but knew it was his blood coursing through her veins that aided in her recovery.

“Please tell me who you are, Mercy. I want to help you. However, I cannot unless you tell me.”

She looked into his chocolate-brown eyes and quivered. She could not. “I cannot Gabriel. For it may bring danger.”

“If there is a danger to you, you must tell me. For if there is a danger to you, there is a danger to the children,” he added.

She knew all this. She also knew that this could not last. “I will leave tomorrow morning, my lord.”

“What!” he thundered. “You simply cannot leave your post. The children depend on you, and you have signed paperwork stating that you cannot leave unless I consent, and I will not offer my consent.”

She gaped at him. He could not be serious. “Pardon me, my lord. I cannot leave without your consent? I would never sign such a paper.”

“You did, in fact. George would be happy to show you,” he murmured.

She gasped at him. She was so happy to sign the papers, she had not read over them. Rebellion formed in her chest as she looked into his eyes.

“So we are once again employer and employee and not lovers. I do not have to divulge my past to you, and if you see fit you may dismiss me from my post, and I will find employment elsewhere.”

It was lie, but she could not involve him in her affairs. It would not end well, and he may send her back to her father’s care to marry the duke. She held her resolve as Gabriel stood and walked toward the door.

He stopped and stated with finality, “We will dine together and put the children in bed in cooperation. It is your job as the governess to see to the children’s needs.” With that said he walked out of the room.

Emma felt the tears roll down her cheeks before her face touched the pillow.

* * * *

Gabriel heard her tears fall silently. He nearly ran back to the room to take her into his arms, almost.

George, I want you to investigate our new governess. She states she is from Sussex. I do not entirely believe her tale.

Aye, my lord, I will contact Anthony. We shall have the information you seek presently.

Gabriel was so angry that he walked the hallways to his office. He took great satisfaction in slamming the door closed. He was frustrated, aroused, and hungry for blood. He checked the time and noted it was well past midnight. The sun would be rising shortly. He walked over to his glass and realized the blood had been sitting for too long. It had separated.

With an expletive, he willed himself to a local tavern. Gabriel stood in the shadows as a man and a prostitute came from the doorway, drunk and wobbly. Gabriel willed them to him, which was entirely easy since their minds were clouded already. He kept the man in a processed state as he took the woman into his arms and pricked the skin at the base of her neck. With his eyes flashing hellfire, he drank from her. She tasted of blood. However, it was tainted, as if her blood was bad. He backed away from her and took the man into his arms and ended with the same result.

Gabriel released them and found himself standing by the fire listening to Mercy’s even breathing. She was sleeping deeply. He willed himself back into her room and found himself floating above her prone body. Why did Mercy satisfy his hunger when another could not? He was in desperate need for her blood. He felt a raging lust for her body as well. He would not take from her this night. She was still healing. He floated through the hallway and back into his office, where he sat in his chair and listened to her deep, even breathing.

* * * *

Emma awoke the very next morning to no pain in her body, other than her broken heart. She felt that she was penetrating the rough exterior of her employer. However, she was wrong.

“We don’t want to learn our sums today!” Rose screeched.

Emma sighed internally. This child was the most infuriating girl she had ever met.

“Rose, please, dear, we must try to do our lessons for today. Perhaps we could move through this without a complaint?”

Rose sat in her seat, arms crossed, angry and petulant.

“If I were to tell you that you will be eating in the dining hall with your uncle, would that set you to rights?”

“Truly,” she said in wonder.

Her brother sat in his desk waiting for Emma’s reply. “Indeed, Rose. You and James are to be dining with your uncle every evening, provided you mind your manners and continue with your studies.”

At the announcement, Rose bent her head and counted sums, while James continued on. Emma felt immediate relief. She just hoped his lordship would keep his promise from late last night.

The day progressed quite a bit easier than it had since she took on this post. The children were in high spirits and eager to learn. Rose changed her manners as she worked harder than Emma had ever seen her. The day came to a close, and the children ran above stairs to rest and wash before dinner. With these new arrangements, the children would stay up one hour past their usual bedtime, which meant they needed to be on their best behavior.

As Emma made her way down to the dining hall, she met the children at the doorway.

“Now remember your manners and answer any questions your uncle may have.”

As they entered, they noticed the room was empty save some servants. She could see water begin to form at the back of Rose’s eyes. Emma looked to George, and he started toward the small group.

“Your uncle will be in momentarily.” He looked out the window and stated, “In precisely ten minutes.”

This calmed Rose and James was quiet as usual, so Emma tried to engage the boy in conversation. However, every time she spoke the boy tilted his head and lost focus. She stared at the boy and realized he had affection for her. She smiled and shook her head. She was certain it would pass as most adolescent likings did.

As soon as Emma had engaged Rose in topics of childhood games, his lordship entered the room. The children became deathly quiet in his presence. Emma could understand. He was very foreboding.

“Good evening, children. How fare your lessons for today?”

And so it went. The children answered his questions with fervor. Rose looked upon Gabriel as if he was God himself as James showed quiet respect.

“So are you happy with Miss Goodwin?” he asked.

Emma slowed her eating for she was ravenous as well as thirsty. She waited in quiet desperation as Rose and James sat completely still.

“Aye, Uncle, she is the best governess I have ever had,” James inserted with pure adoration written on his face.

Gabriel looked to the boy and felt a moment of jealousy. James was clearly infatuated with Mercy. He shook his head at the ridiculous thought. He had nothing to fear from his adoptive son. The boy was experiencing his first brush with finding a woman attractive.

“Very good, children, I am pleased to report that Miss Goodwin has had nothing but fantastic things to say about you as well. However, you must mind your manners and continue with your studies.”

“Miss Goodwin said if we were to continue with our work as completely as we have been, you will dine with us each night. Is this true?” Rose asked, hope shining in her eyes.

Gabriel looked to Emma, who colored under his gaze. The governess had been making bargains with the children.

“Indeed, Rose, certainly. Be mindful of that fact every day while you are in the schoolroom,” he stated.

“We shall, Uncle Gabriel. We shall,” James inserted.

And so the supper passed with no incident. The children were gay with glee that their reclusive uncle was dining with them. Emma was quiet during the meal, only stating quick yes-and-no answers. She could feel the heat of her employer’s gaze upon her body. Her betraying spine sent shivers of tiny pleasure through her system. Her dreams did not compare to his hot and lusty mouth. He was a masterful lover, who knew how to please his lady. Her body still slightly ached. She knew she was still a pure woman for she felt no pain, and she did not bleed after their encounter. She was a gently bred lady of a marriageable age.

As her mind wandered, supper had come to a halt; it was time for the children to retire to bed.

“Miss Goodwin, Uncle Gabriel has been trying to claim your attention for a while,” James stated.

“Oh dear, I apologize. I was lost in thought,” she replied.

“I wonder of what you were thinking?” Gabriel asked.

Emma refused to make eye contact with the devilish earl, lest she gave away her true feelings. She stated that they were to act in the capacity of employer and employee. She did not want to entice the earl with ideas, to the contrary. She needed the sanctuary of this position. She could not risk her father or the duke coming here.

The group stood and began the journey to the nursery. The children were immediately placed into sleepwear as the adults waited. When they retired to their beds and were given wishes of good sleep, the earl walked out of the room with Emma.

Chapter Six

Emma’s fast-paced walk was easily kept by Gabriel. It was as if the man floated on the very air. Feeling strange with extreme desire, she ignored the charming rogue.

“That was quite an evening, Mercy. I believe you may have the children well in hand even though you have them behaving by way of a slight manipulation,” he teased.

Sighing inwardly, Emma said, “I did not manipulate them. I explained that if they were to do good work you would dine with them. The arrangement was and still is if they are to behave, they may eat with you, if they misbehave, they will be sent to bed early without supper, is that not correct?” she asked.

Enlightenment came to the earl’s eyes at her words. “You are very clever, Mercy.”

“Please, address me by Miss Goodwin. As I stated last evening, we are employer and employee. No more intimacy shall pass between us while I am in your hire. It is best that way. We should have never engaged in any type of sexual activity together.”

Gabriel remained deathly silent as she came upon her door.

“Have a pleasant rest of your evening, my lord,” she stated as she opened her door.

As she went to walk through, he leaned in against her back, which made her shiver, and whispered, “Pleasant dreams, Miss Goodwin. I am sure I will have the enjoyable evening you wished for me.” With that said he let her cross the threshold and close the door.

She stayed her back against the cold hard wood. Emma fell in over her head. The earl was devastatingly handsome, and he seemed to find her attractive. She tasted desire at his lips, and she longed for more. Her heart beat quickly at the thought of his hands upon her breasts again. She quivered and moved into the room. She hoped she could sleep tonight without images of her employer touching her, bringing her to an incredible orgasm, tasting her cum upon his fingers.

Gabriel did not need to enter her room or read her thoughts to smell slippery cum. The lady may say she did not want his cock, but her twat defied her words. He felt the hunger rise inside of him as he made his way to his office.

As it went, Gabriel and Emma shared the evening meal with the children and subsequently placed them to bed each evening. He would walk her down the long hallway and bid her a good rest.

Emma closed her eyes and dreamed of her employer that night. Touching her, loving her, and bringing her to an orgasm. Each time she awoke she felt empty and bereft of company. As a few days and nights passed, Emma found herself forming feelings for Gabriel. Feelings that were akin to love. She denied herself and made excuses, but as she said good evening to Gabriel last evening, she almost asked him into her room for intercourse. Emma always promised herself she would wait for marriage as it was expected of her. However, she wanted a union of love and mutual trust, and she realized if she was willing to give her virginity to Gabriel, she was in love with him.

Gabriel sat at his desk and cursed himself a weak fool. He visited Mercy each night as she slept. He felt a rake and a cad for watching her as she brought herself to an explosive orgasm, spilling her cum on her night rail. His heart that no longer beat felt a tug at the thought of Mercy. He had never met anyone who made him act thus. He denied the idea that he could possibly be in love with her. He could at no time love a woman. He would not bring a human across to be the monster he knew he was. He had to stop this. He must stop this. She would only be hurt in the end, and he would be alone for all eternity.

That evening he did not go to her.

As she taught the children, she dreamed of Gabriel and his loving touch. Her heart warmed at the idea of children and marriage with Gabriel. She knew it was fanciful, but the dream was there nevertheless. She had to remind herself that she was his governess and employers rarely married their help.

* * * *

The duke sat upon his chair drinking a measure of scotch when a footman showed another man in.

“We have had no trace of her, your grace. It is as if she has vanished into a thin air. We have had men scouring the countryside for her. She has yet to be seen. Shall I move on to the servants?” the man asked.

The duke was prepared for this. “Indeed, find her maid and question her again, thoroughly. She must know where her mistress has gone. Find her by any means necessary.”

“What of her father?”

“I have his cooperation, and I believe he has no idea of where she had fled. He has more to lose if she does not marry me,” he stated.

“Very well, your grace.”

The man left the room leaving the duke to his drink and his thoughts.

* * * *

Gabriel was waking up from his death sleep as George walked in.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, George?” he asked.

“I have inquired about our governess and have yet to find anyone that knows of her existence. It is as if she was conjured by air, my lord. I have made contact with those I know in Sussex, and they have never heard of Mercy Goodwin, nor do they recognize her by description. I believe we have to take her story as fiction and move on to other contacts, sir.”

“Indeed, George, do whatever you can.”

“Aye, my lord, and I must say that the children are exuberant to eat with you this evening. They have a story of the house cat and a mouse they want to share with you,” George said with a twinkle in his eye.

Gabriel smiled with affection at the statement of the children. He had become accustomed to them, no longer feeling strange around the small people.

Gabriel stood and dressed for the evening meal. His mind raced to Mercy and heard her breathing and laughing with James and Rose. It felt almost domestic, and Gabriel shut his mind off to the noises. He and Mercy could never live as a family. He could not at any time give her children, and a young woman like Mercy deserved to have dozens of them. He could not watch as she grew old and succumbed to human death, and he would not cross her into the monster he was now.

Emma waited patiently with the children in the dining room waiting for his lordship. She felt her heart begin to race when he stepped into the room. He was as always breathtakingly handsome. His hair was slightly fussed by the wind, which aided him in a roguish look. Their eyes connected, and she could feel the spark from the tips of her toes to her hairline. This must be love.

As he sat, so the evening went. The children told him of what they learned today and of the mouse the cat had caught earlier. It was a joyful dinner full of laughter. She had never experienced so much merriment. It made her crave a family of her own. Two children much like James and Rose, and a husband who was handsome and loving. She smiled at her own thoughts when Gabriel looked upon her.

* * * *

She was beautiful, her hair, eyes, lips, and body. He craved her mouth as if she was made of sweets. He wanted to feel her orgasm around his cock, milking him of his cum. His body made demands of him that he could not possibly give. He cursed his own weakness and looked away from the tempting creature.

* * * *

As the meal came to an end, Gabriel and Emma attended to their nightly ritual, however, Emma felt something was amiss. Gabriel did not tease her. He kept his distance, trying not to touch her in the process of putting the children to sleep.

When they came upon her bedroom door she asked, “Is something amiss, my lord?”

“Not at all, Miss Goodwin,” he lied.

She bit her lip in worry, and he cursed her for biting that tempting plump lip. He wanted to bite her lip.

“Then I bid you a restful evening, my lord.” She began to close the door but stopped.

She looked into his eyes with want and temptation.

Gabriel said a vile curse and took her into his arms. He kissed her lips and tasted Heaven. He knew her body would be pliant in his arms, and she melted like chocolate into his mouth. She was perfection, and he could no longer deny himself. He knew if he took her, he would take all of her. He was desperate for her.

Emma moaned against his mouth and gave up to the rapture of the moment. She wanted this man. She loved him to distraction. It was odd to love a virtual stranger, to feel such emotion for a man she hardly knew, and the things she did know were mad. He at no time ate at supper. He was never about during the daylight hours, and the home was devoid of mirrors. Even knowing all, she still wanted this man. She would pay a high price for her lust, but she was willing to pay it.

She turned her body into the room, and Gabriel shut the door and backed her into the cold hard wood. He was unrelenting in his kiss; his hands turned to her breasts and molded her nipples into stiff points that made her center weep. She moved her hips upon his own and found supreme satisfaction in hearing him groan. She was tempting him every bit as much as he was her. She was going to give her innocence to this man, and she could not find it within herself to say no. She wanted him to breach her pussy and pump his cock into her until they were both replete.

Gabriel knew this would not end on a simple kiss. They would have sex this evening, and this would be the first time for Gabriel not being able to read the woman’s mind, give her the pleasure she sought before she could ask for it. It would be as if he was pumping into her pussy as a mortal once again.

“Before we continue, I must tell you this will not stop at a mere kiss. I want to make love to you, Mercy, complete love. I want to place my cock within your pussy, and make us both come.”

Emma wanted to hear him say her name, but stopped herself short of revealing all. She shivered at his naughty, vulgar words. She wanted him to take her pussy hard and quickly. She wanted to taste his cum upon her lips.

“Please take me, Gabriel.”

With that said, he took her mouth in a fevered kiss that could not be denied.

Chapter Seven

They clung together as if time could rip them from each other’s arms. He reluctantly let go of her lips to turn her away from him to unclasp the tiny buttons down her back. Gabriel found himself wanting to rip the garment from her body. However, he held himself back just enough to attend to the task.

As Emma waited for him to relieve her of her dress, she held her arms at her side even though they itched to touch his breeches where his cock stood out. When he finally removed the dress and the underlying corset and shift, she was completely bare to his gaze, save her stockings.

He looked at her small yet curvaceous body. She was perfection. She had plump, willing breasts that were creamy and topped with raspberry nipples. Her waist tapered into the juncture of her thighs. Her wet curls were covering a sweet cunt that almost brought Gabriel to his knees to taste her.

He moaned and reached for her. She held her hands up and said, “You must disrobe as well, my lord.”

Gabriel looked down at his fully attired clothing and smiled. He had never smiled during intercourse before. It was a pleasant change from his other armors. He attacked his cravat, removed his white linen shirt, and then removed his breeches and boots in one move. He could have willed his clothes off his body. However, Mercy did not know of his undead state.

Emma looked upon her lover in wonder. He had a broad chest, narrow hips, and his cock was monstrous. She had seen horses in her father’s stable before, however, they could not compare with that of Gabriel. His cock seemed to pulse under her stare. He was waiting and smiling at her open admiration.

“Does it not please you, my lady?”

“I am unsure, sir. Mayhap we should give it a go and see,” she said cheekily.

Gabriel laughed and reached for her. She shivered at his touch, when he brought her body to his. She felt his cock brush against her stomach. She felt empty as if she needed to be filled by him.

He kissed her deeply and hungrily. He placed his hands over her hips and carried her to her bed. He laid her upon the cool and crisp sheets. They both moaned as he came down to lie on top of her. The feeling of almost being one with her was incredible. He began to rotate her nipples into hard nubs that made her buck her hips in response. Her small hands traced the muscles of his chest in response. He was powerfully made. His skin was cool to her hot touch. His hands moved further down her body. He teased her belly button as his lips made their way to her bountiful breasts. He took one nipple into his mouth and feasted as his finger found her clitoris and her outer lips.

“Oh, God, please, Gabriel. I have dreamed about this for so long. You are teasing me.”

“I am teasing myself. I thought I could stay away from you, but you have bewitched me. I want to watch your face as you reach your orgasm. I want to feel you come around my cock. Please let me please you.”

As he said the words, he looked into her eyes and renewed his efforts to bring her to an orgasm. He placed his lips once again to her breasts. He felt his fangs descend. They always had when he was close to orgasm. He had never experienced such a fever with any other woman before. He was desperate to be inside of her tight, wet pussy. He renewed his efforts to bring her to completion. He massaged her twat and feasted upon her bountiful breasts. He was in such frenzy that he forgot his teeth, and they accidentally scraped her sensitive nipple, but instead of crying out in pain, she moaned in pleasure. Her passion almost brought him to his end, and he needed to bring her to her pinnacle.

Emma was out of breath. He was raising her up so very quickly, she did not know if she could survive. The reality of being made love to was better than her midnight dreams. His fingers made her feel full and wicked. He was a clever lover with even more intelligent hands. She was writhing toward something. She felt the base of her spine tingle, and the tingling traveled to her cunt and exploded onto his fingers.

Her pussy contracted around his fingers, and he nearly bit into her thigh. He could feel the blood pulse and pound into her twat, making him hungry. However, he could hold his hunger in check as she bucked onto his hand.

“Please, Gabriel, come to me and make me a woman.”

He could no longer deny himself the paradise that was her body. He slid to meet her mouth with his lips. He placed his swollen cock at her pussy and probed. She was slick and hot, perfectly ready for shagging. He slid inside of her inch by agonizing inch. He was careful not to hurt her. She was a virgin, and he wanted to make her first time a memorable one. It brought him great satisfaction to know he would be the primary.

She felt full and tight, but she wanted this, she wanted him inside of her filling her, making her his. She loved Gabriel. She wanted to be his for all of eternity. He hesitated, and then she felt a flash of pain. Emma yelped and was soothed by his kisses.

He hit her maidenhead and then pushed through, which in turn made her tear and bleed. The scent of blood filled the room. He growled, kissed her, and subsequently held still. “Are you all right?” he gasped out.

She tested her hips and felt the desire to move again inside of her. “Aye, please.”

He began to move against her. She was incredibly tight and wet, and he was ready to explode inside of her pussy. She had no idea how to move against him, but she did want to please him, so she bucked against his hips. She grasped his buttocks and rode the storm with him. She brought her nails up to his shoulders and scratched down his back in pleasure.

“Please, Gabriel, harder and faster…” she pleaded.

He looked into her eyes and took her hands and placed them above her head. He ground his hips into her and slammed inside. She gasped in delight as he moved strongly against her. His ballocks slapped against her arse, as he moved within her pussy. She felt her orgasm come swiftly and fiercely.

She was slick with sweat when she felt him come inside of her. He groaned and shook and then furthermore fell upon her. It was the most incredible encounter of her life. Her heart filled with love for this man. She gave her innocence to him. He gave her everything. She felt guilty that she had deceived Gabriel. Perhaps it was time to tell him the truth. However, she felt exhausted. She fought to keep her eyes open, but lost a losing battle as he soothed her bare back and crooned to her.

He felt her sleep after a while of soothing her. He moved from her and brought her body into his side. He felt real contentment for the first time in a century. Mercy felt perfect nestled next to his body. She felt as if she was born to be there. He began to feel very old and corrupt. He looked at his Mercy and guessed her age to be either nineteen or twenty. When he was brought across, he was five and thirty, already fifteen years older than his lover. He knew little about Mercy. She said she was from Sussex, but that was untrue. What was she hiding from or who? So many questions with no real answer. He debated the merits of asking her for the truth. They were now connected on a level of intimacy that went beyond employer and employee.

In the late hours of the night, they came together once more. It was slow and easy coitus that brought a sheen of tears to Emma’s eyes. This man was her one and only love. She could think of no other that could fill that description. She knew she would love him forever.

Gabriel moved from her just before dawn. He looked down at the perfection that was her body. He was pleased to know he could make love to her and not feed. He materialized clothing on his body and moved through the wall and walked through to his room. He hated to leave the welcoming warmth of her pussy and her bountiful breasts. He wanted to take her once again and bring forth an agonizing orgasm that would milk his cock of his cum. Lethargic and sated, he fell into a deep sleep that was haunted with images of such unbridled passion. He could not recall its’ equal.

* * * *

Duke Greensburg’s estate

Lily had been beaten to near death. She had not told the man that kidnapped her where Emma was. She knew if she did it would mean her death. The man backhanded her once more, and she gasped in pain as she felt the blood trickle from her lip.

“We have been at this all night, Lily. Tell me what I need to know, and I shall let you go.”

“I do not know what you want to know.”

“Aye, you do. Tell me, and we will end this,” he shouted.

Lily whimpered in pain as she firmed her lips in resolve.

* * * *

The earl’s castle

When Emma awoke the next morning, she was debilitated by a crushing headache.

She dressed carefully and met the children in the nursery. The day went by very slowly with both children showing genuine concern for her. She reveled in the love she felt for these children. In the short time she had been in residence here, she had come to love them dearly. As if they were always her children. Later that evening Emma could not take the pain anymore and spoke with George. She would not be attending supper this evening and told him not to send a tray up for her.

A few hours later a knock came to her door. Feeling as if she would vomit if she moved, she called out, “Come in.”

“George and Anne say you are having another headache that it is very terrible this evening,” Gabriel stated as he closed the door.

“Aye, it is much worse today than it ever has been. I thought that it was perhaps becoming better when I had not had a bout of pain in days. George gave me an elixir to cure it, but it has become worse.”

Gabriel knew that his blood must have worked out of her system, which meant that she needed to take his blood once again, but before he gave her any more of his blood, he must know who she was. Gabriel sat upon her bed next to her prone body. He clasped her hand and said, “I am to guess that we will not be engaging in any activities this evening that may cause you exertion?”

Emma pale lips cracked a small smile and said, “I suppose not. However, we probably should not engage in that particular activity until I know whether or not I am expecting.”

“Expecting? Expecting what I may ask?” He smiled.

“A baby, Gabriel, we had intercourse last evening.” She smiled in return.

Gabriel’s smile slipped, and Emma’s heart thumped heavily in her chest.

“I highly doubt that you are pregnant after one encounter.”

“I am sure you are right, but one can never be too careful,” she replied.

Gabriel stood and walked to the door and then suddenly turned around. He walked back to her bed and said, “The possibility of you falling pregnant is impossible.”

“Why is that, Gabriel?”

“I’m sterile, Mercy.”

Emma was shocked into stillness. He was sterile. Her moment of pleasure at the thought of having his baby fizzled.

“How do you know for sure, Gabriel? Have you had a doctor tell you thus?”

Gabriel stood and said, “That is personal, Mercy. And you need not know.”

“I need not know? You are speaking in riddles. Why can you not tell me?”

“Tell me who you really are, Mercy. You seem not to exist. No one knows who you are.”

For a moment, Emma did not know what he was speaking of, and then said, “You mean you have been asking about me?” Dawning horror came into her eyes. Her headache forgotten, she stood and wobbled. He put his hands out to steady her, but she stepped back. He felt her rebuff as if it was a physical slap. She looked ready to cry for a moment, but then she firmed her stance.

“You have been asking questions about me. Where exactly have you been asking pray tell?”

His own spine stiffened, and he said, “It is customary for an employer to check on references, even if the governess cannot provide any.”

“We made love in this bed, Gabriel. I believe we have moved on from the traditional employer-and-employee relationship.”

“We had sex, Miss Goodwin. You were hired here to do a job of work.”

Now true horror came into her eyes. “No, you must not mean that. We made love, we…”

But then she looked into his eyes and saw that they were dead of any emotion. He was fatally serious. Her heart crumbled all at once.

“I thought…”

“You thought?” he persisted.

She shook her head. She had thought, and now he had set her straight. Her heart shattered inside of her chest. If he wanted to know who she was, then she wanted to know who he was.

“Why are there no mirrors in this house, my lord? Why does no one see you during daylight hours? Why did you never advertise properly for a governess?”

“I will say it a final time, Miss Goodwin, you either tell me of who you are, or I will turn you out of this house tonight.”

Emma felt her heart stop dead in her chest. She looked into his once-warm eyes and saw only determination. He meant what he said.

“Miss Westlake, my name is Emma Westlake. I am the daughter of a baron.”

* * * *

Gabriel had thought of a hundred different scenarios, not one of them had been a daughter of a nobleman. However, to look at her now, he cursed himself a fool for not recognizing breeding when he came across it. She was perfect in speech and body. She all but screamed titled. He should have known, after two hundred years, he should have been able to tell the difference between the privileged and working class.

“Why are you here, Miss Westlake?” he all but bit out.

“I was promised to a duke…”

“And he was not to your higher standard tastes, so you fled your father’s home seeking adventure, with the ‘reclusive’ earl. Do you not think I have heard the rumors?”

“No, that is not what happened. I did not want to marry the man since he was twice my age and as big as he was tall.”

“He also had a wife who died from suspect circumstances. He…”

“I believe I have heard enough,” he sneered.

“You have not heard anything. You must understand that I at no time intentionally came here to fall for…the children, and I never thought we would begin a relationship,” she whispered.

“Let me relieve you of your guilt. There is no relationship, Miss Westlake. You will return to your duties as governess until I can find a replacement. I do not want a woman in my home that would trade her innocence for that of adventure and immaturity.”

Gabriel saw she was near crumpling down in tears, but he was undeterred. She came here to use him and his children.

“I made love with you last evening, because I fell in love with you the moment we met. I have not told you of my past, because I do not want to marry the duke,” she said.

“Many women will tell lies in order to secure a place to live. I am not easily swayed by beauty.”

He readied his heart for the pain that would try to intrude. She lied to him, and she used him. He felt rage bore through his undead soul at the woman standing in front of him. He was furious that her mind was blocked to him. He was angry that he had been taken in, and he lastly knew he needed to remove himself from her company before she convinced him otherwise. She was clearly an accomplished liar.

“You will not believe a word I say, will you?” she finally stated.

As an answer he walked through the door and out into the hallway.

* * * *

That was the moment when Emma truly felt her headache. She then lay down upon her bed and closed her eyes, hoping oblivion would take her into a place where Gabriel loved her, and she was healthy.

Chapter Eight

The Duke of Greensburg’s estate

“The maid would not tell us where your intended is, your grace, however, there is word that a man at Whites was asking about the identity of a girl fitting Emma’s description.”

The duke came from his thoughts and said, “Where is she?”

“A day and a night’s ride from here. I have my men leaving forthwith. They are riding the fastest horses available,” he stated.

“Bring her to me.”

As the man left the duke for the first time in weeks he relaxed and began to plan for Emma’s arrival.

* * * *

The earl’s castle

She walked into the nursery room to find the children engaged in practicing their penmanship. Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of them. She grew to love them so much. She wiped her face and then sat at her desk.

A while later Emma suggested that they go for a walk through the gardens. The children seemed to agree with the idea. The siblings played and laughed their way through the lush foliage and then back into the house for lunch. After the meal was finished, they went back to their studies until Emma called a halt for them to rest and wash up for supper with their uncle. Since Gabriel and she had said everything that needed to be said the night before, Emma opted to stay in her room that night, refusing the tray given to her. She was beyond tired and overly sick with heartache. Her mind seemed to scream at her. The headaches were worse than ever, and they were persistent.

* * * *

Gabriel sat at the table with the children and tried not to notice the governess was missing.

“Uncle Gabriel, Miss Goodwin was sick all day with a headache; she even left the room a few times to be ill in a chamber pot. Is she dying?” asked Rose.

Gabriel was struck by the child’s words. “I do not believe so, Rose. She is just sick. It will pass.”

However, the words rung hollow to him as he continued to listen to their day’s lessons. As the meal came to a close, he could not help seeking Emma out. He listened for her breathing and found she was gasping. Protecting his heart, he materialized as mist above her bed. She had fallen asleep in her day dress, hair still in pins. He looked at her face and found she was as pale as the night she had come here. He did not want to care about her. He did not want to help her. She had lied to him and betrayed him. With his long-ago-deceased heart in his chest, he quit the room and put her out of his mind.

* * * *

The next day was Emma’s day off from the children. She was given one day a week to herself, and generally, she spent the day with the children. However, she was still feeling unwell, so she stayed in her room for the whole of the day. She heard the children scamper around and wished she was well enough to play with them. She napped on and off. A tray was brought up to her with soup upon it. However, she could not seem to even look at the food. Her vision was weak, and she was becoming worried.

As the evening came she felt well enough to stand and move toward the window. She needed fresh air. When that proved to not be enough, she carefully moved down the stairs and into the garden where a bench was set out for tired guests. She tried to fill her lungs with air. However, she coughed.

Gabriel felt Emma leave the house. He had just placed the children into their beds as he looked out the window and watched as she moved slowly to the bench. Before he knew what he was doing, he moved outside and began to walk toward her. For a moment, he saw her stiffen and then relax her shoulders.

Emma heard someone walking toward her. For a moment, she was worried that it was a stranger, but when she looked up, she saw it was Gabriel. Her shoulders relaxed a measure. He was not the first person she wanted to see, however, he was better than a stranger.

“What are you doing out here, my lord? Are the children well?” she asked.

“As well as can be expected, they missed your company today,” he stated.

“I do not feel well today, my lord,” she whispered. It was as if her own voice hurt her to speak.

“I see,” he replied.

“It is not as if we need to make pleasantries, my lord. I will return to my room and rest for the children tomorrow. I bid you a good night.”

As she stood she did so with a slight wobble to her body. He felt a compulsion to stand and help her. However, he knew if he were to try she would rebuff him.

Emma walked to her room and cried at each step. It was truly over. She had hoped he would come to her and understand why she lied and why she ran from her arranged marriage. Her time here would be short, for he was replacing her. She wished she could replace him in her heart, but Emma knew she would go to her grave loving a man she did not know.

Gabriel sat under the stars and wished it was sunlight. Since he was turned, he missed the feel of warmth upon his face. Recently he thought he had found that with Mercy, or Emma. He was very happy that he had found out what kind of woman she was before he became too involved with her.

* * * *

As morning rose, Emma found herself feeling slightly better, enough that she could teach the children and not leave the room to be sick. Her vision was still not quite right, but she muddled through it. The children asked her if she was feeling better, and their genuine concern touched her heart. However, it was clear to Emma that Gabriel had not told them they were to be getting a new governess.

“Will you be dining with us this evening, Miss Goodwin? We have missed your company,” James stated.

“Aye, please, Miss Goodwin, you must,” Rose seconded.

It broke Emma’s heart at the idea these children missed her, so she decided to put away her own feelings and focus on theirs. “Indeed I will.” She smiled.

As the lessons ended Emma sent the children to rest and prepare for supper. Emma’s head was still aching, and her throat felt scratchy. She decided that perhaps leaving the house for a moment would help her. The fresh air the previous evening had done wonders for her sleep.

Emma moved about the garden in a slow fashion. It was a warm day with a brilliant sun. She turned her face to the rays and felt contentment for the first time. That was when she heard a branch snap behind her. She started to stand but was knocked over the head, felt pain, and then oblivion came.

* * * *

Gabriel came into the dining room where the children sat in their seats with tears in their eyes.

“What has you both in sadness?” he asked with genuine concern. He had poured himself a glass of blood, since George seemed to be missing.

“Miss Goodwin promised to eat the evening meal with us,” Rose whispered.

“I am sure she is still unwell, children. Let us eat and we shall say good-night to her later,” Gabriel stated.

The meal was consumed in near silence. The children were clearly upset, and Gabriel felt white-hot anger. He could not feel Emma in residence. The meal seemed to last for eternity. When they finished the children could barely keep their eyes open.

George ran into the room and said, “May I speak with you, my lord?”

“Indeed, excuse us, children.” He looked to a footman and nodded toward Rose and James.

Gabriel left the room with George at his heels. When they turned a corner, they both stopped.

“I hear that Miss Westlake has left the estate, George.”

“She has indeed. We thought she may have left to find other employment. However, her dresses and belongings are still in her room, as well as the fact that her horse is still in the stable.”

Confused, Gabriel searched his mind to feel Emma, when nothing came to him. He raced to her room, where her clothes were indeed still hanging.

“Where was she last seen, and why was I not immediately informed?” Gabriel asked.

“When the children went for their rests, we searched the castle and could not find any indication of where she had gone. We thought she was still about, sir, we…”

Gabriel thought quickly. “She may have gone to the gardens. She seems to have taken a liking to strolling in there.”

As he said the words, he disappeared into the night only to find the bench empty. That was when the smell of blood hit his senses.

He moved to the spot from which the smell was emanating. He leaned down and felt the small pool. It was still fresh. He knew it was her blood before he smelled it and then tasted it. He looked upon the ground and noticed that the dirt had two sets of footprints, one that was minuscule and delicate, the other, big and booted. They were a man’s footprints. There had been a struggle, and Emma was dragged off.

Gabriel’s heart contracted at the scene; she had been abducted, perhaps her story of the duke had been in truth, and now she was gone, and because he could not read her thoughts, he could not track her. George finally made his way outside.

“George, she was taken; I cannot sense her nor hear her,” he stated.

“What shall we do, my lord?”

* * * *

The napper’s carriage

Emma was in a dream in which she did not want to awaken from. Gabriel was holding her in his arms. He was making love to her, speaking words of vows and sentiment. He loved her and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. He was there with her, keeping her close holding her safe. She reveled in him. She loved him and forgave him. No matter the fact that he was sterile, they would make a family with Rose and James.

* * * *

The earl’s castle

Whoever had taken Emma was shrewd and left no clues behind of who they were. He cursed his inability to feel her presence. He was angry that he had not listened to her before she was abducted. She tried to tell him she fled her father’s home because she was in fear of her life, that the duke’s first wife was dead for mysterious reasons. Perhaps the person who had taken her was working for the duke. She was sick, her headaches becoming worse. Gabriel felt panic and pain all the way down to his bones.

She stated she was the daughter of a baron, and her accent was clean and cultured. He cursed when he felt the sun rising. His body screamed for the sleep of his kind.

He looked to George and said, “She said she was the daughter of a baron, intended for a duke. I believe she is from London. Go there now as fast as you can, this evening. I will follow you. We have to find her.”

With that said he fled to the bottom of the house.

* * * *

The napper’s carriage

Emma awoke with a jolt. She opened her eyes and cursed at the pain she felt there. She tried to move her hands to cover her eyes. However, they were bound behind her back. She carefully opened her eyes and made contact with two men with covered faces in a small carriage. She moaned when the jostling continued. She felt she was very near losing her stomach contents.

“Who are you and why have you taken me?”

The men stared on, not answering either of her questions.

“I see. You must be in the employ of the duke,” she stated.

Her body quivered at the thought of being taken back to him. She knew their reunion would not be one of joy. He had warned her that she knew what would happen if she did not keep her place. She thought of Gabriel and could have wept. She would never see him again. He was angry with her, and he would probably at no time want to try to find her. He may believe she left, because she was a normal woman of the ton. Her heart turned over in her chest. He would never know she loved him eternally, and would always hold him in her heart.

Oh, Gabriel.

Gabriel heard Emma’s whisper to him in his sleep. He tried to claw back to wakefulness. He was finally feeling her presence.

Emma! Emma!

Emma felt as if Gabriel was by her side comforting her, but she was in a moving carriage and being fanciful.

“I will not submit to your employer. I will defy him at every turn. I would rather die than be married to a murderer,” she said with a voice that was surprisingly strong.

“You may die for your words, my lady.” And with that said he knocked her once again unconscious.

Gabriel heard a scream and then felt nothing but darkness. He was aware that sunset was to be in a few hours. He just hoped Emma would survive until he found her.

* * * *

The earl’s castle

Gabriel felt himself wake to the setting sun. He moved quickly out of his place of rest and felt for George.

George! George!

I am here, my lord! I have been riding on horseback since this morning, and have yet to locate your mistress. I am sorry, sir. I owe you so much…

Gabriel followed the sound of George’s voice and materialized as mist by his side within a few minutes.

Gabriel found George riding horseback, hell-bent for London.

Gabriel grabbed George’s shoulder and was able to transport himself and the beast to the heart of London. George was bent over sick in the corner between two buildings. The transport of a mortal by way of vampire was sickening to humans.

“Are you well, George?” Gabriel was intensely alert trying to feel for Emma.

“I will be, my lord,” George stated.

After a moment, he righted himself, and they began to walk.

“I don’t think they have made it this far, my lord. We should inquire as to whom Emma’s father is. He may have an idea of where our lady is,” George suggested.

“Indeed, George. Thank you for helping me in this endeavor,” he replied.

“Pleasantries aside, my lord, I owe you a life debt, for without you, I would have died on that battlefield. May I speak freely, sir?”

“You need not ask me, George, and you do not owe me a damn thing. I saved your life. It was the right thing to do. I was fighting exactly alongside you,” he replied gruffly.

“You saved many men that night, my lord. That is why you gained the title of earl. The Queen was indeed pleased,” George answered.

“That infernal title, all the wealth in the world and still everyone is concerned with titles. I hope to live a few more decades and then pass the title onto James.”

They walked briskly to a gambling hell on Fleet Street. The men here were drunk and bigger gossipers than their wives.

* * * *

The Duke of Greensburg’s estate

Emma felt her body being moved from the carriage and flung over a bulky shoulder. She moaned in protest, but could not open her eyes. She was beyond any pain she had ever felt in her life. Images of the children and Gabriel flashed through her mind. She prayed that whoever took her left the family alone. She felt tears slide down her face at the thought of never seeing them again. She loved them so dearly that she thanked God she met them at all. Whatever trials that awaited her, she would remember that she had once glimpsed Heaven.

She felt her body being lowered into a chair, and then bound. She was too weak to speak, so she let the exhaustion overtake her.

Chapter Nine

Fleet Street

Gabriel sat down in a chair and felt around the room for random thoughts and feelings. The room was very loud with verbal chatter as well as mental. George brought them both a glass of wine, that he held in his hand, and Gabriel ignored. The room was very loud, and the stench of alcohol and tobacco was overpowering. It had been a very long time since Gabriel had been in an establishment such as this. His prenatural powers were being flooded with too many thoughts and too many smells.

Emma slowly opened her eyes to a room that was filled with darkness. She moaned as she felt the pain radiating from her head. She tried to move her feet, but she was tied to a chair. She tried to look around the room, but her vision was terrible.

“I see you are awake, Emma?”

She knew that awful, scratchy voice. It was attached to the most hideous man God had ever created. She looked to where the voice seemed to be coming from. She saw a spark light the air with fire, and cigar smoke started swirling around a very pudgy and grotesque face. Emma had nightmares of that face. This man was His Grace the Duke of Greensburg, her jilted intended. She moaned in recognition and saw him smiling as he smoked his fat cigar.

Trying to keep her sickness at bay, she said, “I see you have found me, Your Grace.”

“I have indeed, Emma, and now I will teach you what it means to be my wife and your place within our marriage.”

He stood and walked slowly over to where she was tied down. Emma jolted in her seat when his knees bumped against her chair.

“I see the men I hired already beat you into submission. No matter, I will enjoy seeing you bruise in places only I can see.”

Emma felt her spine stiffen as he raised his hand. She felt the sting across her face as if he slashed her with a knife.

Her lips began to trickle blood onto her chin, but she held her screams at bay. She knew that he derived pleasure from seeing her weak and hearing her beg.

The duke firmed his lips and tipped her chair over onto the floor, hitting the side of her head upon the hard wood. He kicked her side, and she felt pain come from her lungs and a sickening crunch. She was barely able to breathe, but yet again she kept silent. The pain was intense. She felt as if she may faint once more. She closed her eyes as she felt pulsing shards roll through her head.

He beat her relentlessly, to the point of which the chair was broken into pieces, and she was near death. She began to moan, and the duke proceeded to chuckle. He had finally gotten the reaction he sought.

“You are just as your maid, Lily. She, too, eventually screamed!”

Before she fainted her mind shrieked, Gabriel!

* * * *

Gabriel heard Emma cry out his name. Without hesitation, he followed the scream into the night, with George at his side. They disappeared from the gambling hell without a care for who saw them. He materialized in front of a grand home that was devoid of any light. He stalked the outside of the residence, realizing he could not enter without being invited. George, knowing the problem, stalked up the stairs and banged upon the door.

When it was flung open by another butler, George announced, “I know you have her in there! I know you have her in there!”

He was shouting to the Heavens, and the man grabbed George by the lapels and forced him inside.

You may enter, my lord.

Gabriel smiled at the old man. He was brilliant. He was able to materialize into the home and dispatch the butler.

“I can no longer hear her.” Gabriel stayed for a moment to sense another heartbeat. When it came he heard distinctly two. One was shuddered, the other was wild and out of rhythm. He left George to set the door to rights. As he moved to the room, he heard laughing and moaning. When he was in the room, rage took him over as he saw the scene of a man beating his Emma.

He had the man by the shoulders before he could lay another hand upon her already-still body. He threw the obese man across the room and felt a stab of pleasure as he heard him grunt. Gabriel kneeled at Emma’s side and could feel a fluttering pulse. She was unconscious and bleeding profusely, and for the first time in his life, he could smell the blood, but did not feel hunger, his emotions at her state were much worse.

The man he threw grunted as he sat up. Blind with fury, Gabriel walked over to the man and said with fangs elongated, “Are you the duke?”

When the man stared at Gabriel in terror, unable to answer, he shook him until his front teeth clacked together in affirmation.

“Hear me now, duke, if you ever come near Emma again, I will kill you slowly and painfully,” he stated.

“Gabriel, Gabriel,” Emma whispered.

Gabriel threw the man to the floor and ran over to his Emma.

“I am here, sweet, talk to me,” Gabriel insisted.

George entered the room right behind him, detaining the duke with a booted foot.

“Gabriel, you’re here. I dreamed you would come for me, perhaps I am dreaming now,” she whispered with her lips trembling and bleeding.

Gabriel kept the tears at bay and answered her, “I came for you, never doubt that I would. I am taking you away from here. Back home where you belong. I must first take care of His Grace.”

“Gabriel, please…do not harm him. They will come after you. They may hang you for killing a nobleman. Flee this place and leave. I do not want to see you find your end by a rope or a gun,” she pleaded.

Such bravery, such beauty from this woman, how could he have ever doubted her? She was worried for him and his family, even though killing this man would end her nightmare.

“I will not leave you here, do you understand me?” he bellowed.

Gabriel stood and stated, “You are lucky, duke. Hear me now. If you ever seek Emma out, I will bring you a slow death.”

Emma sighed and closed her eyes. Gabriel picked Emma up into his arms and transported the three back to the castle. It took but a few moments, but he sent his thoughts forward. The candles were burning brightly, just as was the metal tub full of warm water.

Gabriel stripped Emma’s sodden clothing from her and vowed she would be protected and taken care of until the end of her time on this earth. When she was naked, he placed her into the tub to wash the blood from her bruised body. He looked at her pulse point and noted it was still weak. Her mouth and face and neck were so swollen he doubted she would be able to drink from him.

George knocked upon the door and brought in her night clothes. Gabriel dressed her and placed her upon the bed.

“Can you do anything for her, my lord?”

“If you are asking whether I will cross her, no, I will not suffer her being the monster I am, to have no choice to live for eternity. We will care for her as if I had no powers at all,” Gabriel firmed.

“She loves you, sir. Perhaps she would want to join you in living death?”

“No, George, we will wait.”

As the hours passed so did Gabriel’s patience. He wanted her to wake. He felt the early sun rise come upon him, but instead of moving below, he crawled into bed with Emma.

I am to sleep with her, George. Please keep the rest of the servants from this room. Only you may enter.

Aye, my lord, it shall be done.

With that reassurance, Gabriel fell into the sleep of his own kind.

When Gabriel awoke the next evening, Emma was still unconscious. He knew in his heart she would sleep for a very long time. She had been beaten and broken. He sat up and focused on her heartbeat. It was still weak, maybe weaker. Gabriel felt fear hit his mind for the first time. Her heart was becoming weaker.

He bit into his wrist and felt his blood flow over his teeth. He then placed his arm over her mouth. Some trickled onto her tongue. He massaged her throat, and hoped she would swallow. After a time, with severe frustration, her body convulsed with shudders that indicated her blood was mixing with his. When she stopped moving, Gabriel sighed. He heard her heart beat back into rhythm. She was still bruised and swollen. However, his blood had healing agents within it that would heal her swiftly.

Gabriel shook his head. He had promised himself he would give her a choice, a choice she never had before.

Chapter Ten

A day later Emma opened her eyes to see Gabriel sitting in the chair beside her bed. It must be nighttime, for the room was dark save for the burning candles.

“Gabriel,” she whispered.

“Emma, you had the whole household worried for you, are you all right?”

“Aye, but how am I here?”

“George and I brought you home. Do you not remember what happened the other evening?”

“I do, however, how are we here if we were in London just last night?”

And for the first time she sat up and felt her face. It was not swollen and her lips were not cut. She moved her body experimentally and felt no pain.

“Gabriel, what has happened? Please tell me how we are here and how I am healed.”

Gabriel had not thought she would notice she was all but healed, but ever his Emma, she was observant.

“You do not want to know, sweet, just be happy you are here and with your family,” Gabriel soothed.

“Gabriel, you know the truth of my life, please tell me how it is possible we are here, and I am healed. You say we are to be a family. There should be no secrets. You must know that I love you no matter what.”

“I wonder if I were to tell you that you would still love me. Perhaps the truth of my life will send you running off into the dead of night never to return.”

“What are you saying, Gabriel?”

“I am not human, Emma. I am immortal, do you understand what that means?” he asked.

“You are saying…” She stopped with a puzzled look upon her face.

“I drink human blood to survive. I cannot die by human illness. I was born two hundred years ago,” he reaffirmed.

She stared at him in sudden understanding. “You are a vampire.”

He firmed his lips and grunted, “Aye.”

Emma had read lore when she was a small child about the undead that walked the earth feasting on the blood of the living.

“You survive on human blood?”

He gave her a curt nod. His body stance spoke of tension waiting for her to come to a conclusion.

“How had you come to this affliction, Gabriel?”

“In the year of 1620 a woman of nobility took me to her bed. I was turning five and thirty, and my father was demanding that I marry. We were not titled, and he felt our extreme wealth would attract a daughter of a nobleman. So I went on a drunken rampage of spirits, and gambling. She came upon me in a moment of weakness, and I was angry that my father wanted me to marry a woman who was a stranger, so I took her to bed, and then I awoke in a pine box below the ground. I was hungry and desperate for blood. I was alone, so I fled to England from Ireland. A while later I joined her Queen’s army in war. I saved many a young man’s life, and the King rewarded me with this infernal title. The rest you know, Emma.”

He fell silent, and Emma’s heart broke for him. He never asked for this, just as she never asked to be born to a baron, who would bargain her for a higher title and money. She grasped his hand, and he gaped at her.

“Gabriel, you never asked for this, just as I never asked to be married to a man who wanted to beat me for his pleasure and then eventually kill me. I love you, Gabriel, no matter your trials, we will see to them together.”

“You are not of this world, Emma. You cannot mean you still want me after I have told you I am a vampire, and that I feast on human blood.”

“You saved me, Gabriel, and it sounds as if you need some saving as well. You say you were five and thirty when you became undead? You do not look a day over thirty.”

“It is a side effect of the healing agents within my blood. I have looked thus since I was crossed.”

Emma held dawning horror in her eyes. She would continue to age, and he would not. Furthermore, another thought came to her. She was healed by his blood, which meant she must have drunk from him. Funnily enough the idea was not at all repulsive. This was Gabriel, her lover, her life.

“I will age as you stay young,” she stated.

“Indeed, but we will be together as you and I wish, we will raise the children as our own and revel in the time we do have,” he said.

She shook her head and grasped his shoulders. “No, Gabriel. I will age, and you will not. I will eventually die, while you live.”

“I will not let you suffer as I have. I am a monster, Emma. I am, at this moment trying to decide if you’re staying, here is what is best for you, but I cannot seem to give you up.”

“Gabriel…”

“This discussion is at an end.”

He disappeared into the air, and Emma was shocked for a moment and then angry. He left the room, just left without any further discussion.

* * * *

As the days passed Gabriel avoided the issue of crossing Emma. She did not realize what she was asking. She was blinded by love and the appeal of the undead. If he crossed her, she may not be able to adjust to life as a vampire. It was the only way.

He made love to her late at night and fled to his chamber just before sunrise. He reveled in her sweetness and light. Gabriel was worried she would lose all of her qualities if she lived as he did.

Emma was frustrated. Her lover and partner refused to speak of the issue. He was acting completely unreasonable. She wanted to share eternity with him. Did he not understand that?

She taught the children and slept with her employer at night. She felt a fallen woman in love with a man whom she could not reach.

Emma began to feel sick again. This time the headaches would simply not go away. The days passed into weeks, and she lost weight. Her clothing no longer fit her slender frame. Gabriel felt severe concern for Emma. She was very ill.

He brought a physician to see her, and he had no answers. He left a tonic for her consumption and recommended rest. With Emma resting in her room, Gabriel walked to his office in anger. In the two hundred years, he had been walking this earth medical science had yet to find an answer for illness.

“My lord, I have your drink,” George interrupted.

“Thank you, George.” He sipped the blood and felt the warmth fill his veins.

“I see our lady is still ill and becoming more unwell.”

“Do not tell me I should cross her again. I will not have her live the life of a monster. She is too delightful, with joy and love.”

“May I speak freely, my lord?”

“Aye, you may.”

“Would you prefer to watch her die in pain than to live a life of the same joy and happiness you find within her? Do you not feel you are the identical person you were when you were changed? You have saved countless lives. You are acting like a father to James and Rose, even when you protested their coming to live with you. Our mistress is dying, my lord. Even I do not need powers of the undead to see she will perish soon. Her headaches persist. She suffers from not being able to eat. I fear if she dies now, you will regret your decision later. Let her have what she craves most, eternity with her soul mate.”

Gabriel took in what George was saying and felt tears slide down his face. For the first time in centuries, he felt less a monster and more a man in love. Could he watch Emma die? Could he live without her? She seemed to want to spend her life with him as he was. The children loved her, he loved her, and it was clear the servants loved her. His heart, long ago dead, began to shake inside of his chest at the thought of her dying.

A moment later the decision was taken entirely out of his hands. He felt Emma’s heart stop completely. In a panic, he came upon her bed and shook her slight body. She was unresponsive and pale.

“Emma! Emma!”

He prayed he had not waited too long. He bit into her delicate neck and sucked her life force from her body. Her heart shuddered and tried to beat, but was once again stopped. He drained her of blood, he then slashed at his own wrists and poured the liquid into her mouth and hoped she received enough to replace her mortal blood. As he began to feel weak, he stopped feeding her and waited.

“Emma, please come back to me,” he cried.

He pressed his hand against her heart that beat no more. He came too late.

With a sorrow born from his own stupidity, he left the room. He walked to the children’s nursery and felt their little hearts beat in unison. He fisted his hand in anger and disappeared into his room below the house. He wanted to seek the sun, to find oblivion with Emma, but he could not. The children needed him. He would have to live eternity with the knowledge that he denied himself a life with Emma.

For a while, he sat upon his bed with tears freely flowing down his face. He heard the door open and did not raise his head. He was in no mood for company. However, he did not hear another heartbeat in the room, more of a presence of his own kind.

Gabriel looked up to the person standing in his room, and it was an angel, a vision to his eyes. It was his Emma walking toward him. She was smiling and kneeling at his feet. His blood had restored her flesh and her vitality.

“My lord, why are you weeping?” she asked.

“I thought I had lost you, Emma. Are you here with me now or am I dreaming?”

He touched her hands and then hair and lastly her lips. She felt real.

“I am here with you, my love. I will always be here with you.”

He felt supreme joy at her words coursed through his veins. She was as he was, but she was the same woman he fell in love with.

He stood and embraced her in a fierce hug. “You are not unhappy you are now as am I? I did not want this for you, Emma. However, I find I cannot live without you.”

“I feel wonderful, Gabriel. I have never felt so much in all of my life. I am so very happy we will share eternity together.”

“The nights will be ours. The days, however, will be to sleep. We will have to make other arrangements for our children.”

“Our children, that sounds wonderful.”

“You will be unable to produce any children of your own, Emma. Will you be satisfied with James and Rose?”

“We already have the perfect family, Gabriel. I have no desire to have children of my own. However, I do think you are right we will need a new governess,” she stated with a smile of pure joy.

“Indeed, you are right. You really should start interviewing right away,” he replied.

She held herself away from her lover and stated, “I should interview, my lord? That is the job of a lady of the house. A wife you could say.”

“Are you saying you want to be my wife, dear lady?” he teased.

She smacked his chest and said, “I am not saying any such thing. I am pointing out the fact that interviewing servants falls to a wife and…”

Gabriel placed his fingers upon her lips and said, “Will you marry me, Emma? Will you be my wife for all eternity? Will you share in the good times and in the bad, and help me raise James and Rose? Will you love me as much as I love you?”

“Can you not read my thoughts, my lord? Of course, I will. I will love you for all eternity.”

And with vows said in the bottom of a crumbling castle by the sea, a pair of soul mates sealed their promises for an eternity.

A time later Gabriel moved her lips from his own and said, “You need to feed, sweetings.”

“Can I not have blood from the slaughterhouse as you do?”

“No, love, you must have human blood. You are a young fledging. You need to replace your blood with the warmth of a person.”

He saw hesitation in his fiancée’s eyes. He knew she would someday drink from a human, but for tonight he could help her.

“I will return presently, my dear.”

And with that said, he disappeared out of the room. A short time later he returned, having drunk from two humans. He felt extremely full, but he also knew she would feed much from him this night, and he needed the extra blood not to weaken.

“Come to me, Emma.”

He held out his arms to her, but she hesitated yet again; it would seem he would have to seduce her into drinking from him. Every young vampire fed during orgasm. The need to feed and coming were tied together.

He walked to his beloved and began to kiss her neck. She sighed in pleasure at her acceptance.

Cold air suddenly hit Emma’s skin. Looking confused, she thought, How did that happen?

It is of our kind to be able to manipulate light, air, clothing, and water. We may also change into mist and animals. As time goes on, I will teach you everything you must know.

It was strange yet comforting to hear his thoughts, feel his emotions through her own mind.

As they kissed she felt his clothing melt away until there was nothing between them. It was erotic to feel him against her. Her prenatural senses were in tune with every stimulus. She could hear everything. She felt more. It felt as if they were connected through their souls.

She felt heaviness in her cunt that needed relief. She wanted his cock inside of her pussy. She was desperate to taste him everywhere, which gave her courage to move down his torso and on her knees in front of him.

With his hands shaking, Emma took his erection inside of her hot, wet mouth. She moaned at the exotic flavors she found at the tip of his penis. She suckled as if he was a particularly sweet confection.

He held off for as long as he could, and when he felt ready to come, he moved her body back up to his and willed them to the bed.

He kissed her breasts and then moved down to her slightly rounded tummy. Her belly button was especially ticklish. She laughed and in turn made him fill with mirth. He had never had a lover who brought joy and laughter into his life. Where he was fortunate enough to have Emma in his arms, he knew all too well he could have lost her.

Feeling possessive to a killing degree, he held her tightly in his arms. No longer mindful he would hurt her or bruise her. He found her lips once again and kissed her deeply. She reached for his cock, but was preempted by Gabriel moving down her body.

He opened her wet, glistening pussy and found her deliciously slick. He craved her scent and her cum. So he placed his lips upon her clitoris and licked her into frenzy.

Her head writhed back and forth on his pillow as she screamed, “Gabriel, Gabriel, please…”

He knew she was close. He could feel her orgasm coming as if it were his own. He had never made love with that of his own kind. It was calming that she could read his thoughts and know he was pleased.

He thundered up her body and slid his cock easily into her pussy.

* * * *

She gasped at the connection and began to grind her hips against his. His pelvic bone was hitting her clitoris in just the correct spot. She was shaking. She felt him in her mind and answered his desires as if they were her own.

Their sexual intercourse previously had been wonderful, but this was a benediction. It was as if they were in complete unison with one another. Her feet began to tingle, just as she felt his ballocks rear up.

They came as one complete person. Her pussy bathing his cock in her cum, and robbing him of his, he felt her fangs pierce the side of his neck, which made his orgasm explode inside of her. He bathed her womb with his cum. He had never felt anything close to the same in his life.

It was exquisite. He had never before let anyone feed from him, and he wondered if it was the vampire’s kiss she had given him or the fact that he loved her with everything he was and would be.

* * * *

Emma came in a rush and felt her teeth extend and then sink into Gabriel’s neck. His blood tasted warm, from his earlier feeding. It was delicious. Simply, the best liquid she ever had. It tasted like Gabriel, sweet. She was ravenous for his taste. She reveled in the process. She suckled his neck until she was replete, and he slumped down to her breasts.

“Are you all right, my darling?” she asked.

After a moment, he looked into her eyes and smiled as he said, “More than all right, my dear. I love you so much. I will spend eternity showing you how much. I do not want to wait to marry you. I shall procure a special license for us, and we can be wedded within a few days.”

And with that said, sleep claimed them as the sun rose into the sky.

Epilogue

The night of their wedding came quickly as the couple wanted to seal their commitment in front of God and their children. A fresh governess had been hired, a kindly widow from the village, that the children took an immediate liking to. James and Rose were flourishing under the love of their new family. George was given the title godfather. Emma thought there was a romance blooming between the new governess and George for they were spending a fair amount of time in each other’s company.

Emma heard through gossip as only servants did, that her father had been tried for fraud, and he had fled to America. Emma felt a momentary pang, but reminded herself that her father deserved worse. He was never a real father to her and was willing to sell her into a marriage that would have surely found her death.

Emma dressed into her beautiful wedding finery made of lace and silks. She had also chosen a seductive trousseau that would undoubtedly bring Gabriel to his knees and use his teeth to rip the garment from her body. He told her that she was a vision that brought tears to her earl’s eyes. Emma knew life had changed greatly since she had introduced him to the people living in the village below. He was a well-liked man now and she was glad she had been able to help him cross that bridge.

So as the moon stood high in the black sky, they wed each other for all time. Their family was complete, and they could not have been happier. However, Gabriel saw a mist outside of the estate, and he felt the presence of an old friend who was now a foe. He did not want to excite his bride, so he said his vows, and kissed her passionately. Soon, conversely, William would have to be dealt with.

He was a constant reminder of another life, another time, and Gabriel yearned to start afresh, create the family Emma wanted. Yes, William would be set to rights.

Gabriel felt pride in his new bride. She had taken to life as a vampire without a misstep. She flawlessly made the transition, save her hesitation on her first night as the undead. She was incredible, and she was his. He now knew why he had been changed; he was made for Emma and Emma for him.

As they made love that evening, they came together slowly and beautifully. When their orgasm was reached, he took her blood into his mouth and gave her an orgasm that almost made her faint with pleasure. As soon as she stopped shaking, she felt him pump his cock once and subsequently twice into her twat, and then he thundered cum into her womb. She later bit into his neck and he into hers, which enhanced their mutual orgasm. The taste of blood flowed onto her tongue. It tasted of ambrosia for it was Gabriel’s blood. With their immortal vows sealed with blood, they came together with tears in their eyes.

“I felt a presence outside of the castle tonight. Another of our kind, older and stronger.” Emma tensed.

“His name is William, and he is of no consequence. I am not sure how he found me, for I have not seen him in over a century. Do not worry, dear heart, I will keep you safe. I will keep our children safe,” he vowed.

Feeling warm and content, Emma snuggled closer to her husband and said, “I love you, Gabriel. I will love you for all time.”

“And I you dear, Emma, you are my life, my wife, and my love.”

THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aubrey Brown was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has had a passion for writing for as long as she can remember. She is married to her high school sweetheart and has one incredible son.  She is a firm believer there is a happily ever after for anyone who has the courage and conviction to reach for it.

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