Arielle Immortal Awakening (19 page)

“Yes, I know what you are thinking,” he said. His eyes were staring at her with utter awareness.

“If you can read my mind, why did you ask me all those questions at the beach? Why do you keep asking me if I love you and if I want to be with you?” she asked. She was furious. He looked completely unfazed by the anger in her voice.

“I wanted to get the answers from your lips, not from inside your head,” he said simply.

“What about using my love of
Pride and Prejudice?”
she asked, in sheer frustration. “You knew my feelings about that book and you used them to deceive me.” She turned away from him, seething. She was furious and deeply embarrassed.

“I knew all of that,” he said. “But I didn’t try to deceive you. The book
is
my favorite too, and I
have
felt like Darcy ever since I met you. There is one more thing that you need to know about me,” he said. “Immortals can’t lie.” His voice was firm and steady.

“Well, how did you become an immortal? How did this happen?”

“I have been told that you become immortal when you are dying, and you are in the stage between earthbound and crossing to the other side. Someone is there to give you the gift— if you want to call it that— of immortality. I think I know who did this for me, but I’m not sure. And I’m not ready to tell you that right now.” He paused before going on. “I realized that I was immortal as the time went by and I remained young and unchanged as others got older. I don’t understand the purpose of my existence as an immortal on this earth, and there is no one to enlighten me. I would love to know who the first immortal was and where he or she came from, but I have never been able to get an answer to my question. Nobody seems to know.”

He was now shaking his head. He looked so worried and sad.

“I know the next question will sound a little silly,” she said. “But what do you eat?”

“I can eat everything you eat, but I prefer a particular drink that has been passed down through the centuries to the immortals to give our bodies strength and provide the energy we require to survive.”

“What is it?”

“It is a red salve,” he said.

“Where do you get it?”

“I’m not ready to discuss this right now either.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Arielle, immortals belong to a secret society that is bound by a code called The Rule,” he explained. He paused for a short moment as if he was trying to decide if he should go on. Finally he continued. “The details of the salve and its source are a secret that is provided to each immortal and it’s to remain a secret. I hope you can accept that.”

She was not sure she was ready to accept any of this, but she went on asking questions. Maybe she was trying to reach a point at which something would start making sense to her.

“So you live forever? And nobody can ever harm you?”

“I do have eternal life,” he said. “And it’s very hard to hurt me, but it’s not impossible.”

“What do you mean?”

“There are a couple of ways I can be hurt, but I’d rather not talk about something so morbid right now.”

“How have you been able to keep busy all these years? Or should I say centuries?”

“I have been very involved in the family business. I’m the only heir to what my father created. I have attended practically every university around the world and have studied every possible course ever offered. I hold multiple degrees and I have lived in most parts of the world. I have learned many languages, I have read myriad books, and I have listened to thousands of recordings. I love sports and I am a passionate horseback rider. I still get bored and try to find new things to do.” He chuckled under his breath and his voice changed to a soft whisper as he added, “Immortality is something that was very hard to accept, Arielle. It is very difficult to live with. I had to move from place to place as people around me started to get older and they started to notice that I wasn’t changing.” She was beginning to feel sad for him, and she reached out to take his hand.

“Have you ever made friends with mortals?” she asked. “Have you ever dated a mortal?”

“I stopped making mortal friends or getting close to them. It was hard to see them get sick or die. I didn’t like the constant pain of losing someone I cared about. It was hard moving away all the time. As the years went by, it all became routine, but it never stopped making me sad. You are the only mortal I have ever wanted to be with. And actually, you are the only woman I have ever loved.”

“Are there many like you?” she asked.

“Yes, there are many. One of them is Annabel. This is why I’m trying to tell you that it’s not easy to get rid of her; she can show up any time and any place she likes. She isn’t ready to give me up even though we have been apart for more than five hundred years.”

Arielle wasn’t sure what to do with all this information. She felt overwhelmed, but she still loved Sebastian just as much as she had before she knew any of this.

“Sebastian, you can read my mind, so I’m sure you know that I’m completely and utterly in love with you. But I’m also very worried about this relationship. The fact that you can see my thoughts also makes me very uncomfortable,” she added.

She looked out the window again and wrapped her hands around her body as she felt a cold wave of fear sweep over her. she thought. His voice was low as he responded to her. She could feel him standing behind her but not touching her.

“I think you know just about everything there is to know about me now,” he said. “Now you can decide if you want to be with me or if you want to walk away.” His voice was full of sadness. He paused and then added, “I love you, Arielle. And I know that I’ve been looking for you all my long life. I’ll never hurt you or let anyone else hurt you. I hope you’ll try to understand and accept who I am, and what I am, and that you will not leave me.”

His voice was breaking as he continued, “I know that I can’t live without you, but if you decide to walk away because you can’t accept me, I’ll not stop you. I love you, and I think I have loved you all my life – even before I knew you.”

Arielle’s heart was pounding in her chest and she was trying to breathe normally. She walked out onto the balcony and felt the wind brush her face. It was twilight, and in the distance the daylight was giving way to the night-lights of the city.

Chapter 15

A
s Arielle stood on the balcony, grappling with the meaning of all she had just heard, she was sure he was standing in the same place unmoved, watching her, giving her time to take in and understand all she was dealing with.

There is a lot to understand here, but one thing I know is that I can’t walk away, no matter how bad this whole thing seems to be right now
, she thought.
God, I love him
!

She turned around and looked back at him, looked into his beautiful green eyes, and once again she lost her train of thought. He was now releasing on her all the power he held in his gorgeous eyes.

She gasped for breath, something she now understood to be a normal reaction from looking into his eyes. Then she felt herself falling. She never saw him move, but his strong arms wrapped around her, holding her steady in a muscular embrace, stopping her from hitting the floor.

Her eyes were full of tears, and she finally realized that she was crying. She was actually crying because she couldn’t fathom all that she now knew about him. How could this ever work? He had eternal life and she didn’t. She would get old while he stayed young and beautiful forever.

He had lived for almost five centuries on this earth - he had had a long time to learn to live with whatever this was, or whoever he was, but she had had only a few minutes to try to understand what had been literally impossible just months ago.

She pulled away from him as soon as the dazzling wore off, and she saw the disappointment in his face. But this was a lot for her to take in. She was thinking that the best thing would be for her to go home. She was sure he knew what she was thinking, and that was even more difficult to accept. She didn’t seem to want to get away from him. She was waiting for him to make the next move, and then he did.

He encircled her with his arms and pulled her tightly against his chest. He put his finger under her chin and tipped her face up. Her lips were pressed together from the stress and anguish over Sebastian’s revelations. He bent down and covered her mouth with his, his tongue parting her lips, thirsty for a loving response. His mouth was moist and hot, and she couldn’t help but give in to the most amazing feeling, the hottest passion she had ever felt, which hit her body like an overwhelming wave of emotion that seized her very soul. Pulling back he slid his hand along her back and pulled her even closer. She stopped breathing as the heat of his gaze and the feel of his perfect body against hers made her tremble with anticipation.

“Sebastian, you can read my mind, so I don’t need to tell you that I love you with all my body and soul,” she whispered breathlessly against his lips.

How can I ever live without him? There is no human being that can ever make me feel the way he does,
she thought. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they stayed there, just holding each other for a long time, and she knew that this was where she wanted to be forever.

“Arielle, I can’t bear the thought of losing you,” she heard his magical voice whisper in her ear. “I want you here in my arms, where you belong for all eternity. Am I forgiven for all the things you thought I might have done this last month?”

She pressed her lips together, put her hands against his chest and pushed him away softly. He immediately moved.

“Am I forgiven?” he asked again.

“Yes, you are forgiven,” she said. “But it will take time for me to understand and accept everything you have just told me.”

He lifted her face to his again.

“I know this is a lot for you to absorb, Arielle,” he said. “But I know how to wait. I have been looking for you for more than five centuries, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep you right here in my arms.” A beautiful smile curved his perfect lips, and his gaze was soft. “If you really want to leave right now I’ll take you home,” he said, “but I hope you will stay here with me.”

She leaned in and kissed him softly, showing him that she wasn’t going anywhere. She closed her eyes and tried to fill her lungs with some fresh air as she heard him whisper, “I don’t think I can be without you any longer. I’m not sure what is happening to me, but I have to see you to be able to breathe.”

Now the feeling that she was living a dream grew even stronger. She was afraid to close her eyes, thinking that when she opened them all of this would be gone, including her beautiful dream, Sebastian.

His next question took her by surprise.

“So, how did you like the house in St. Jean de Luz?” he asked. She stared at him, instantly remembering her last visit. Her delight was palpable.

“Oh! I think it was the most amazing place I have ever seen,” she said. “I would love to go back there someday. But not with Annabel there, of course.” She chuckled softly as she added the last thought.

“Is this really something you would like to do?” he asked.

“Yes. I would like to find out everything behind such a beautiful place. I want to know about all those people in the paintings. It must be amazing to be able to trace your family back for centuries. I can’t go any further back than my grandmother,” she laughed. “And I want to know about the ladies of that house. There must be legends attached to such a great house. Was Annabel the lady of the house at one point in time?”

“No! She was never the lady of the Gaulle estate. She was out of my life centuries before I moved to St. Jean de Luz. I’m telling you, Arielle, she is the most dreadful nightmare. A nightmare that will not go away.”

The thought of Annabel made her shiver.

“I’d love to take you there,” he said. “But we need to talk more about Annabel. We can do it tonight or this weekend. I’ll be here through the weekend, and I want to be with you. Is this is something you’d like to do?”

“Yes,” she said softly.

“Arielle, I want to be close to you so I can see you every day.”

Her heart was overwhelmed with happiness but she didn’t say anything.

“Do you want me to be close to you?” he murmured.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. She gazed up into his emerald eyes and, setting her mouth to his, she tasted his passion in that intoxicating immortal scent. He succumbed to her burning desire and moaned blissfully.

“I never want you to go away,” she said. “And I know you can read my mind, so you know it’s true.”

He ran his finger along the side of her neck, up to her jaw and around her lips, leaving a hot, burning sensation trailing on her skin.

“I am so glad to hear that,” he whispered.

His eyes were warm and inviting, and she stopped breathing as he set his mouth on hers once again. His arms tightened around her waist, and the kiss deepened to a more passionate, more desperate, more scorching level. He led her to the sofa and she shivered in his arms. They stayed in each other’s arms for a long while without saying anything more about immortality, or about Annabel.

It was close to midnight when she decided to leave. She would have loved to spend the night with him, but she didn’t think that was the right thing to do. He drove her home slowly, holding her hand. She knew he was happy, and she also knew that she would love him for eternity. The enormity of that word—especially now, given what she had learned about Sebastian - made her chuckle.

Back at her parents’ house, Sebastian held the car door open for her and she stepped out. He pulled her up and into his arms, and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. His lips move against hers, and his tongue found hers in a devouring kiss. A low moan escaped her and Sebastian felt it deep in his bones.

“I love you, Arielle,” he half-moaned. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

Then he walked her to her car and took her in his arms once more. She shuddered in his embrace and this time his kiss sparked fire in her body. Would she ever stop feeling this way each time she found herself in his arms? She was hoping the answer would be no, never!

She drove back to her flat overwhelmed. She paused at the door for a short moment and, taking a deep breath, she walked inside. She looked around the living room and the kitchen area, and listened for any sounds coming from the bedrooms, but there was complete silence. She let out a breath of relief; Eva and Gabrielle were not home as of yet. She really didn’t feel much like talking tonight, she just wanted to go into her room and close the door. She needed to sort out her thoughts in complete seclusion. She took a quick shower, and, taking her journal from the desk drawer, she climbed into bed. She pushed the pillows against the headboard to support her back and settled down, eager to pour her thoughts onto the vacant pages.

September 3rd

I am sure that I have found the man that fits the image etched in my very soul. I have fallen profoundly and irrevocably in love with Sebastian, and nothing will deter me from being with him. His revelation was unquestionably frightening, but my need for him is truly beyond my control. I can’t lie: I’m terrified of his immortal world, and I’ve no idea how dangerous of a journey this will be. But I’m intensely curious to see it through. I’m ready to embark on this new path of my life, to hold his hand and walk next to him no matter what. I’ve discovered to my dismay that nothing matters to me but being in his arms. I’m somewhat relieved that I know the truth about his true identity, and now I’m filled with anticipation of the next step in our relationship. I’m sure that my love for him demands that I embrace every aspect of his life, even eternity. This was a significant day for me, and I can’t imagine what tomorrow might bring. It’s hard to believe that Sebastian had died centuries ago. He is warm, loving and more alive than any other living human being I know. His timeless existence is what I have now embraced and I’m anxious to find out where we go from here. I love him deeply and I pray that our lives remain interwoven—for eternity.

Arielle put the journal away, and sliding under the covers, she closed her eyes in sheer bliss.
Eternity!
she thought to herself and chuckled.
What an amazing word!
His face was now a permanently etched in her mind. She smiled wide, remembering the feel of his body against hers and tensing as heat rippled through her again. She hugged her pillow tight and, drawing in a deep breath, she let sleep claim her.

Sebastian drove away with a heavy heart. He didn’t want to go to the hotel alone. He didn’t want to be away from her. He wanted to be able to touch her and hold her. He felt the world melting around him whenever she was close, as if everything inside of him was being shaken loose. He felt like nothing could ever keep them apart. The heat he felt every time their bodies touched was like nothing he had ever felt before. Every time he kissed her he wanted to devour her mouth and suck all the sweetness out of it. Her body seemed to fit perfectly against his, and the sugariness of her lips seemed to unravel new feelings in him and challenge the control he thought he had over himself.

His feelings were making him dizzy, and the pleasure he felt was incredible. He wanted to be with her and protect her from anything that might make her sad. He wanted to make her happy, to make her want no other man but him, forever. He knew he couldn’t live without her anymore.

He arrived at the hotel, and after taking a shower, he got into bed. He wished he had the ability to dream. He knew that if only he could dream, he would have spent the whole night dreaming of her. He could hardly wait for tomorrow to look into her beautiful blue eyes, those eyes that had mesmerized him from the very first moment.

Tomorrow they had to talk about Annabel. He knew it would not be long before Annabel was following him again. How he hated her! The very thought of her made him furious.

He stared into space, Arielle on his mind and in his heart, and shortly after that he fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the sun rose slowly over the small hills and the leaves on the trees rustled gently in the light breeze. Sebastian opened his eyes and felt completely happy. He was going to be with her again. How could one person make him feel so incredibly amazing? She had bewitched him and he was happy to yield to that feeling.

He took some salve out of his suitcase and made himself a full glass. He drank it slowly as he gazed out the balcony door facing the park and beyond to the wonderful blue ocean.

Now he thought of her again. Her eyes were the exact color of the ocean he was looking at. She was graceful and her hair looked like soft silk under the sunlight. He would love to run down to the beach holding her hand, feeling the damp grass beneath his feet until they reached the warm sand.