BOOK FOUR in THE GUARDIAN'S SERIES
Book One: A Guardian's Touch, Book Two: A Guardian's Love, Book Three: A Guardian's Passion
Disclaimer See Part 1
Feedback: Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, so feel free to drop a line or two at steinwillard80@gmail.com .
PART THREE
Chapter 5
The forest was alive with night sounds, a familiar orchestra to her ears as she slowly glided forward purposefully. She knew where she was going, a few miles away she could hear a young deer walking through the forest. Using preternatural speed she came to a halt a few feet away from the deer. It wasn't aware of the predator yet since its head was turned away from her as it munched on the soft sweet grass. The deer suddenly lifted its head.
There was someone else in the forest with them.
Spooked by the foreign smell of the intruders, the deer dashed off and Clarissa grabbed an overhead tree branch and effortlessly hoisted herself into the thick leafy cover of the tree. Three men came crashing through the trees. They were all dressed in black and were carrying cameras around their necks. Paparazzi . They came to stand under the tree she was hiding in and one of the men lit up a cigarette. She silently parted the leaves so she could have a clear view of them.
“Are you sure we're not lost ? It feels like we've been walking in circles for hours.” The man with the cigarette was saying. The second man was clutching a flashlight which he used to read the wrinkled map in his hand. The third man swathed at an insect, cursing under his breath.
“Greta assured me that the castle wasn't far from the village. I will kill the bitch if she has sent me on a wild goose chase.” He grabbed the map from the other man and squinted at it.
“Is this really worth it? What do we hope to find there ? A couple of models in skimpy clothing ? That won't sell well.” The man with the flash light mumbled.
“You forget about Jessica Milroy, the horny photographer,” the man mumbled and blew out a cloud of smoke. At the mention of Jessica's name, Clarissa's ears peaked. “The StarMaker was voted the newsmaker of the year last year when her longtime partner dumped her. Heard her girlfriend walked in on her and found her giving it to a young model in their bed. Kinky, don't you think.”
The other men laughed and Clarissa felt her anger rising slowly. They were callously making money out of the heartache of Jessica.
“She hasn't been seen with anyone for the past year and some say she's still trying to get her ex back.”
“That woman was born horny and one of these days she'll surely be found with her hand in the cookie jar. Mark my words. What else is there to do at a remote location with a dozen beautiful sexy girls than to explore the talent?”
The man with the flashlight chuckled.
“You're right. People would love to know what she's been up to since her break-up.” He pointed the flashlight in front of him. “Let's keep moving guys. This place is rather spooky.”
They slowly moved on and Clarissa silently began to stalk them. They were trespassing and that made them fair game. She will later filter through the information she'd overheard about Jessica.
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She groggily lifted her head before throwing it back with a sigh. The muted soft rustling underneath her head made her sit up quickly and look around . The stables? What was she doing in…?
Then it all flashed by and a small smile formed on her face. Her mystery woman showed up again and they literally had a roll in the hay. She lifted the jacket and her smile widened. Yep, she was stark naked and her body was tingling in places she didn't even know she had muscles.
She glanced at the space next to her. Where did she disappear to? She quickly got dressed and left the stables. If she was really lucky she would reach her room without bumping into anyone. Using the shadows she crept through the garden around the patio and into the house. The hallway was empty and with a sigh she walked to her door.
She'd just touched her doorknob when the door opposite her room opened and Greta stepped out dressed in the skimpiest of nightdresses she'd ever seen. The redhead stood with one hand pressed against the doorframe and the other placed over her heart and a coy smile on her lips.
“I feel so embarrassed to admit it but Howie has been telling us all these ghost stories about this place tonight and I can't seem to sleep. I'm really scared.” She looked behind her as if scared of something in her room. “Would you mind if I visited with you for a while, please?”
Jessica stared at the skimpy nightdress. Greta was not going to give up easily. She had obviously heard about her escapades with the models and wanted to make the list too. She slowly looked down the corridor and then back at Greta. This time there was a predatory look in Greta's eyes.
“I promise to slip out discreetly later.” Even her voice sounded seductive now and Jessica looked down the corridor again. She didn't want to sound like an ogre and tell the girl to get over herself and go to her room but she also didn't want to put herself in a situation from where rumors could later originate.
She pushed her fingers through her hair and then it struck her. They could sit outside and talk for a while, the cool night air was sure to cool the horny Russian's ardor.
“I was just going to get a jacket and go sit outside. If you like you can join me,” she said pleasantly and almost laughed at the sour expression that crossed Greta's beautiful face. It was quickly replaced by an irritated look.
“Isn't it too cold outside? The cold chased us all in earlier.” She came closer and picked something from the photographer's hair, holding it up.
When Jessica saw the piece of straw, she smiled innocently into Greta's frowning eyes.
“I've been checking out the stables earlier. There are some spectacular animals here.” She stepped away from Greta. “As I said I was going to sit outside for a while. Feel free to join me.” She opened her door and was just about to close it behind her when Greta forced her way into the room. From the determined look on her face, Jessica knew that the girl has reached her quota of rejection for one night and was probably going to lash out at her. Instead, Greta pushed the door closed behind her and jumped her.
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With an angry growl, Clarissa reared her head back from where it was buried in the man's neck, her lips stained with his blood. Greta! Does the woman have no shame? She felt her beast roaring in jealousy at the thought of another woman touching what was hers. But first she needed to clean up the scene.
She had ambushed the men a few minutes ago and had taken a little blood from each of them. She stared deeply into their eyes as she altered their memories. With a quick snap of her fingers , all three slumped against the tree and slid down into sitting positions, snoring softly.
With an angry growl she took three quick steps and took to the sky in the form of a dusty white owl. She soared over the tree tops and increased her speed until the castle came into view. She picked a dark shadowed part of the garden to shape shift back to her human form and dissolved immediately afterwards. She made a quick stop in the kitchen, before making her way to Jessica's bedroom.
Outside the photographer's room, she took a few minutes to gather herself and to bring her anger under control. She slowly pushed the door open and the picture that greeted her eyes made her bristle with fresh anger.
Greta was straddling Jessica, her hands holding Jessica's head immobile while she was kissing her. Her initial reaction was to grab the woman by the neck and throw her across the room but a violent reaction such as that would only arouse Jessica's suspicions.
Instead she slammed the bottle of wine on the dressing table and dropped the rest of the foot items on the floor. The sound of the bottle hitting the wooden table made the two women on the bed jerk away from each other and as angry as she was, Clarissa was more surprised by the panic she saw in Jessica's eyes. Greta on the other hand had a smug look on her face as she slowly climbed off Jessica to come and stand before her.
Clarissa clenched her jaws shut to prevent her fangs from slipping out. She stared at the woman for a while before pointing to the door.
“Get out,” she instructed calmly but her eyes stared right through the girl, into her mind. She had planned this. After leaving the two of them earlier, she had called her paparazzi friends and had set up this little scene; convinced that her friends were already at the castle, ready to photograph her little love scene with Jessica.
Renewed anger made her plant a hallucination in Greta's head of a vicious bloodthirsty wolf chasing her in the dark dense forest surrounding the castle. She saw Greta's eyes widen and her face turning as white as a sheet as she looked around her and started to kick out at the wolf snapping at her heels. When her feeble attempts to scare off the beast didn't work, she thought of the only other option open to her and she ran out of the room and down the corridor as if the hounds of hell were behind her. The illusion will disappear after a few minutes, leaving Greta with the solemn resolve to never ever touch drugs again. She deserved it, Clarissa thought maliciously.
She walked over to the door and slammed it shut. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Jessica jump at the sound. When she turned it was to find Jessica staring at her with the same stricken look on her face as when she entered a few minutes ago.
“I didn't think you would come back. Where did you disappear to?” Jessica asked softly and Clarissa could detect the guilt she was trying to hide. Why did she feel guilty when it wasn't her fault?
“I heard your stomach growl while you were sleeping and had gone to find you something to eat for when you woke up. But I wasn't expecting to find you gone from the stables and in bed with another woman.” She reached for the bottle and started to uncork it, her brown eyes resting on Jessica who was fidgeting with her hands.
“She ambushed me. I didn't invite her in nor did I kiss her back.” There was defiance in the husky voice but still the guilty sensation lingered and it puzzled her further. She poured two glasses of wine and bend down to pick up the cheese and grapes she'd brought with her.
“I believe you but why do you appear so guilty?” She handed a glass to the woman sitting on the bed. Jessica took a long sip, then another until she tipped the glass and drained it. Pulling a face, she handed the empty glass back to Clarissa. Just when she had given up on getting an answer, Jessica lifted her head.
“I lost the woman I love because she found me in bed with another woman.” There was no bitterness as she said it, just deep heart wrenching despair. Clarissa held out a piece of cheese and Jessica took it and started to nibble on it. When she looked up, she saw the pain in the grey eyes. “When you came in earlier I just relived the moment and I guess I still feel guilty almost a year later.” She popped the last piece of cheese in her mouth and reached for her refilled glass of wine. “Can we talk about something else, please?” Clarissa nodded and took a sip of her wine. She saw Jessica look up with a quizzical look on her face. “By the way, what did you do to Greta to make her act funny and then run out of the room?”
Shrugging, she took another sip from her glass and frowned.
“Her pupils looked dilated to me. Maybe she used something before ambushing you. She did act funny, now that you mention it.” As she was talking, her brown eyes were carefully studying Jessica over the brim of the glass. Yes, you did notice she was acting weird when she tried to seduce you , she planted the thought in Jessica's mind and she saw realization dawn in the grey eyes. She felt slightly guilty for the blatant manipulation of Jessica mind but it needed to be done, she justified her action.
“She never struck me as a girl who would use drugs but then one never knows.” The grey eyes in turn studied her. “Why are you standing so far from me?”
Clarissa came to sit next to her on the bed but still didn't touch her. There was something she had to ask her even if she was terrified of the answer. She took a sip from her glass again and placed the half-empty glass on the nightstand. She could feel Jessica's eyes on her as she prepared herself mentally for what she was about to ask.
“Why are you sleeping with me if you're in love with another woman?”
The question was unexpected given the topic they were discussing just a minute ago. She saw Jessica stiffen and her hand jerked, spilling a few drops of wine on her hand.
“What…Why…” She took a deep breath. “Why are you asking me that?”
Clarissa shrugged, portraying a picture of cool nonchalance but inside she felt as if her heart was going to bang right out of her chest.
“Why not? We are both unattached and having such a wonderful time together. What if by some strange twist of fate, we were to fall in love.”
This time Clarissa saw Jessica's hand starting to shake. It was so bad that she had to reach over and take the glass from her hand to prevent her from staining the bedding. The grey eyes lifted and Clarissa read the answer in the grey depths. Her heart come to a screeching halt.
“We should never allow that to happen. I…I don't think I'm capable of ever loving another woman.” The stricken look was back in her eyes. “As you said before, we are both unattached and are having a nice time. Why would we want to spoil it with something as complicated as…as love or whatever emotions goes with it?”
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Jessica was trying to be as gentle as she could be but she saw the wounded look that crossed the brown eyes briefly. Was it already too late, she wondered. Did Clarissa already cross the line? Why else did she have that possessive look on her face when she chased Greta from the room? Oh hell, what to do if it was the case? The sex was great between them and after having been celibate for eleven months, the sexual promise mixed with the mysterious charm of Rissa was difficult to resist in the end. But love was not an emotion she thought she was going to explore again anytime soon. She reached out her hand and placed it on Rissa's arm.
“I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.”
The brown eyes were unreadable as they looked back at her and Jessica felt the distance between them starting to grow. Clarissa slowly came to her feet and walked over to where the bottle was and refilled her glass.
“I'm afraid it might be too late.” The brown eyes were dark. “ I've never approached anyone for sex before. I just felt a strange attraction to you and thought that one night together would cure me of my curiosity. But when I rose today I thought about you and knew that I had to see you again.” She took a gulp from her glass and Jessica was surprised to see the usually calm woman's hand tremble slightly. “I wanted to kill Greta for having put her hands on you. Also when you confessed your love for another woman just now, it made me realize that maybe I unwittingly might have broken the unspoken rules of our liaison.” She drained the glass and placed it gently on the dressing table before walking to the door. “I need to go now, goodbye.”
And then she was gone.
Everything had happened so quickly that Jessica was still sitting there on the bed staring at the door a few seconds after it had closed behind Rissa. What to do now? She raked her fingers through her hair and exhaled loudly. She really liked Rissa and they were good together but she still wasn't ready for another relationship, not while she was still hurting inside. She needed to prove to herself and to Gabriella that she wasn't the sex-crazed womanizer that the press made her out to be.
She walked over to where the wine bottle was and grabbing it by the neck brought it to her lips.
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Chapter 6
It felt good to feel the wind blowing through her hair as she sped through the darkness. After leaving Jessica's room, she'd gone outside and just ran. She didn't care that there was just a few more hours left before dawn, all she wanted was just to run and run until the dull ache in her chest disappeared.
First it was Trinity who rejected her love and now Jessica too had rebuffed her. She picked up more speed and slipped through the trees at a dizzying speed. When she eventually came to a stop, she blinked and was surprised to find that she'd been crying. She reached up and stared at the red stains on her fingertips. She grimaced at the sight.
With the typical arrogance of her species, she'd ridiculed Trinity for falling in love with a human, never thinking that she would ever find herself in the same boat. Not that she loved Jessica; maybe not yet, but she was starting to think of her as hers. Hers alone to touch. She fell to her knees and pushed her hands into the soggy earth. Jessica had just been a distraction. She was ready now.
She slowly looked up at the tombstones before her. At last she would be reunited with her parents. She scanned the horizon. Only a few more hours and then she would be free. She bowed her head and felt more wetness on her cheeks. What was the purpose of her having lived for 400 years? She'd achieved nothing, except for the fortune that Tristan had kept hidden deep in the ground underneath the dungeon. She discovered it purely by accident when she was digging a lair for herself. Tristan had counted on living a very long destructive life judging from the size of the treasure.
The wind suddenly turned and with it came a scent that made her jerk to her feet. She scanned the area. The shadows around her shifted and a dark shape formed.
“What are you doing here?” she asked sharply. The shadow stepped forward and she tensed, ready for battle.
“I've sensed your turmoil. I'm here to help.”
“I don't need your help. Now please leave me alone.” She needed no help doing what she'd set out to do. The newcomer's eyes didn't leave her for a second.
“I just want to talk then.”
“And I'm not in a mood to talk to you or anyone for that matter.”
The dark head cocked to one side.
“I will not let you go through with it, you know.”
Clarissa felt her fangs lengthen and she crouched into a battle stance. How dare this person decide for her? Her hands morphed into claws.
“You can try.”
The challenge didn't go unnoticed and the newcomer took another step forward and with a simple flick of the hand, Clarissa felt a paralyzing clutch which rendered her whole body motionless. She tried to shake the feeling off but the hold was too strong.
“I apologize for having to do that but I do not want to engage in battle with you. You are an exceptional being and you can be a great asset to our cause.”
“Who says I want to be part of your cause?” She tried to lift her hand using her great strength but the vice-like invisible grip didn't budge.
“You are what you are for a reason.” The newcomer glided forward. “You didn't succumb to the lure of bloodlust when held captive and showed great restraint even tonight when you hunted the three men in the forest. You are truly exceptional. Allow me to help you unlock your true potential.”
“What potential? An endless existence of loneliness?”
A soft dark chuckle sounded.
“You will not be alone forever. I can smell the scent of your destiny on you now. Just open your heart and mind to the opportunity of true love.”
Clarissa closed her eyes for a few seconds. The months spent here at Cleaver Keep had isolated her from any other form of life as she'd spent most of her time at the graveyard amongst the dead. It had helped her prepare for what she wanted to do. Was she strong enough to try and live again? Was it true? Could she find true love again? Could Jessica one day change her determination to never love again and maybe come to love her?
She opened her eyes and saw the answer in the deep dark depths. Maybe it was worth a try. Maybe all Jessica needed was a little nudge. She felt her heart clench at the thought of the grey eyes one day looking at her with bold desire and her hands touching her with infinite tenderness and urgency. She had to be honest with herself too. Since the first time her lips brushed against Jessica's, a slight doubt had settled in her heart. Dying didn't seem such an attractive option anymore. She wanted to have more nights like that; more memories like those. But she was scared; she was terrified of hoping and being disappointed.
“What if it never happens?”
Jonas Beydrenoff shrugged his massive shoulders, his dark eyes smiling.
“I'm never wrong.” He lifted his hand and Clarissa felt the invisible shackles fall away. “Now, come. This will be the first day of a great life for you. The others are awaiting your return.”
Clarissa felt her heart jerk. The others? Even though she was thousands of kilometers from them they'd been aware of her struggles. She'd never really been alone. Jonas stepped closer still, his huge frame dwarfing hers.
“Are you ready?” He held out his hand and she stared at it for a while before placing her hand in his large one.
“Yes.” Without looking back, she walked with Jonas and disappeared into the shadows.
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The empty wine bottle fell out of her hand and rolled over the carpet-covered floor coming to a stop a few meters away. Jessica registered the sound of the bottle hitting the floor but her grey eyes just stared straight ahead of her. Hours had gone since Rissa left and still she just sat there staring into the cold fireplace. How could two nights of passion make her doubt in her decision to never allow another woman to get too close to her again? For eleven solid months she'd never been tempted to break her own vow, until tonight…
After Gabriella had left her standing there in the green room at the Woman's World studio; she'd sat there in stunned silence long after she had left with her new partner, tortured by flashbacks of the years they had spent together. She'd cursed herself over and over again for not practicing enough restrain where other women were concerned. The saddest part was that she hadn't even enjoy having affairs but nevertheless she had them; many of them. Screwing that model in their bed was the last straw. Gabriella hadn't deserved to find out that way. Her sleazy alter ego and the life it led was never suppose to touch the wholesome loving union she had with Gabriella.
Oh, Gaby!
Her heart still ached when she thought about her. She'd paid the highest price ever for her stupidity but with it came the realization that she had to stop and take stock of her life. She'd finally gotten her life back on track but with one major drawback. Fear . She was afraid to open up again but she was more terrified of reverting to the person she was eleven months ago.
And then comes this mysterious woman who turned her life upside down. She inhaled deeply. She can't remember ever having felt so free since her break-up and somehow she believed it had a lot to do with Rissa's refreshing honesty and her child-like wonderment when they were making love. Jessica smiled at the memory. It was very endearing.
She rubbed over her eyes and came to her feet. It was almost daybreak and they had another hectic schedule for today. She needed to lie down for a while.
She had barely closed her eyes when Howard banged on the door.
“Jess, you need to wake up. We have a situation.”
Blinking a few times to get rid of the blurriness, she sat up and groaned. It felt as though someone had taken a sledgehammer to her head. She stumbled over to the door and found Howard standing there with a worried expression on his face.
“What's wrong?” she barked and Howard jump slightly.
“It's Greta. We found her sleeping outside in the garden.”
She frowned and rubbed her temples to ease the throbbing pain there.
“Where is she now?”
“The other girls took her to her room and we called the village doctor to do a check-up on her.”
Then she remembered the events of a few hours ago and she glanced at her watch.
“Good. Please get her agency on the line for me.” What a way to start the day. She took a quick shower and popped into Greta's room to see how she was doing. She was shocked to see the state in which the girl was in . She was as white as a sheet and sat cowering in a corner. She waited with her until the doctor came and was relieved when he gave her a clean bill of health. As she saw the doctor off at the door, she heard hurried footsteps coming towards her. Without turning around she spoke.
“What is it this time, Howard.”
“The land overseer caught three men snooping around in the forest and called the police . ” Howard said out of breath.
“And why does that concern us?”
“The men had lots of photographic equipment with them.”
Jessica spun around. Paparazzi . How the hell did they know where to find them? She rubbed her temples again.
“Please get me a couple of aspirins Howard and tell the overseer to lay a charge of trespassing. That should serve as a warning for them.”
She looked at her watch, it wasn't even eight yet and already she had had a day from hell. She prayed that it didn't get any worse but it did. An unexpected power failure had them rushing to the village to buy a generator, which by the time they had connected, the power came back on again and the shoot was delayed by three hours.
The night didn't fare any better, Rissa didn't show up even though she waited until midnight.
She fell asleep with her fingers still crossed. Her dreams were haunted by a tall blonde with dark chocolate brown eyes and cute dimples.