Call Of The Dark

Lazarus continued, "This is what I have read about dragons. They will lay eggs in a place where no one can find them. Dragons don't lay eggs so easily. Birth amongst them is rare. And the eggs hatch only when the hatchling senses his or her rider is nearby. Until then they remain hidden from the world."

"Goddess!" She took a deep breath. "Will I be able to see her eggs?"

"I am afraid, Emma, but dragon mothers are too protective about their babies."

Suddenly, a heavy knock on the door disturbed them. Lazarus growled, hating the disturbance. Emma placed her hand on his and then her finger on her lips. He gritted his teeth and got up to open the door. The guards had parted their spears for Gladys.

"Lazarus!" Gladys said with a glint in her eyes. "When did you come?" she asked, trying to peep inside. "We've been worried. Where is Emma?"

He gave a long stare to Gladys and then stepped aside. "She is inside, healing from her injuries."

Gladys entered the room with a worried expression. "Injuries? What happened?" She crossed the floor with her gown billowing behind her in a hurry. "Emma, are you well? Do you want to see the healer?"

Emma glanced at Lazarus and then back at Gladys. "I am well, Gladys," she replied politely. "I tripped down the slope of a hill while coming to Wilyra."

"Oh gods!" Gladys rasped. She touched Emma's head and neck. "You don't have a fever, but I am sure you are nervous. I will send the healer."

"No!" Emma stopped her. "I am fine. Really. You don't have to worry so much."

"No!" she said. "I will send him and he is going to give you a potion so that you relax. I am sure the journey was tiresome." She looked at Lazarus with the same nervousness. "You should have been careful Lazarus," she chided him. "The soul casting ritual is in three days. We can't take chances!"

His hands curled up into tight fists, and he felt like ripping off her head, but he stayed quiet. It was important for the façade he and Emma were putting up.

Gladys turned to look back at Emma. "I don't want to make you feel bad Emma, but you know that you are very important for Maeve." Her gaze slid to Emma's neck, but a look of disappointment crossed her eyes when she saw that she was wearing a collared tunic that hid most of her skin. She really wanted to know if he had marked her. She inhaled deeply in order to smell him on her, but that too came clean. She picked up Emma's hand and a sudden jolt of electricity sizzled across Emma's fingers, making her shriek. "What the hell was that?" she asked, her eyes going wide.

"I don't know," Emma shrugged. "I think it is because of all the rough clothes I am wearing…"

"Oh yes! That could be the reason," Gladys replied. She brought her hand towards her neck to see whether she was marked, feigning that she wanted to check her temperature again, but as soon as she touched her skin over there, again a bolt of electricity sent her hand flying back. She shook her hand as her body felt as though it was burning. When she saw Emma, she found her watching her nonchalantly. Gladys shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. "You need to change your clothes."

"Yes…"

When Emma didn't speak further, Gladys took the hint that she had to leave. "I will send the healer with the potion!" she said and walked out of the room, giving a knowing glance to Lazarus.

He closed the door behind her and his brows creased. "Why is she hell bent on giving the potion to you?"

Emma got up but sat down all with a thump on the bed. Lazarus traced to her immediately and knelt in front of her. "Don't move," he said, holding her by her waist. "You are still weak."

She brought her hands to his cheek and caressed them with her thumbs. "You worry a lot." His eyes were duller than usual and there were dark circles beneath them. "You need to feed."

He shook his head. "I am fine. It is you who has to feed well and take care of yourself. The ritual is only three days from now and I want you to regain your strength as soon as possible." He curled his finger under her chin. "You have a lot to do."

Emma's cheeks heated. She leaned back and supported her body weight on her hands. "I have heard a rumor that vampire males love to have a lot of sex." She flicked her hair on purpose to the side and tipped her head to the side. Tapping her chin with her finger, she said, "Is that right?"

His chest vibrated with a delicious rumble. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. "I know what you are doing, love. You think I don't want to drink from you?"

"But you think that if you feed from me, you will end up hurting me, right?"

He took a deep breath in. "Tell me what would happen when a human male would hurt his girl during sex?"

She stared at him with disbelief in her eyes. How could he ask such a question? "It is going to be traumatic for the girl and—" she couldn't speak, clenching her thighs at the terrible thought. "Why are you asking such a question?"

"I don't want to hurt you. I want this experience to be a pleasure for both of us. I can easily inject my venom in you and drug you while I suck your blood. We vampires are designed to bewitch our prey into sucking blood. But I don't want to do that with my bride." For the first time in his life, he regretted being a vampire. If only he was a normal human male. He was not even a turned vampire, he was a pure-blooded vampire male and the strongest in the Lore. "You are so delicate that one wrong move from me would destroy you."