Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5) (4 page)

BOOK: Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5)
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Eva frowned. She reached out and took Arielle's hand. “Arielle, do you trust my visions?”

Arielle eyebrows shot up. “Of course! I have always trusted in your visions,” she admitted, looking bewildered.

“My visions as an immortal are much stronger than they were
when I was a human,” Eva said softly. “I am very accurate, and I can tell you that I see absolutely nothing bad in the near future. Your
aura is completely clear, and there is no danger lurking around the corner.” She smiled and grabbed Arielle’s arm gently, giving her a soft shake
and making her smile back at her. “I’m sure whoever he is, he’s not
here to harm you.”

Arielle took a deep breath and then drop her head in a nod.
“Sorry,
Eva, you can’t blame me, considering my dreadful history with
Annabel,” she said ruefully.

 

 

 

Chapter 3

 

THEY WALKED TOWARD
the parking lot and saw Ian and
Sebastian
standing by the cars, waiting patiently. Both seemed to notice
Arielle’s apprehension.

“Hi, baby… Are you all right?” Sebastian asked. He reached out and pulled her into his embrace. His voice was filled with concern.

“I’m fine…” her voice trailed off. His arms gave her the security and warmth she needed. He was her private sanctuary. She pulled
herself closer and Sebastian nuzzled her hair. Eva and Ian locked themselves in a hot kiss, and then climbed into their car quickly.
They waved goodbye and drove away.

 

 

The ride home was filled with a pleasant silence. When they did
speak, their conversation was light. Arielle thought about
mentioning Christian but decided against it. She gasped silently, remembering the girl addressing him with the name Christian, which was also the name of Sebastian's father
.
She now knew her stalker's name. She pondered why nobody else seemed worried.

She felt Sebastian's hand pressing on hers and suddenly became aware of his penetrating gaze. She averted her eyes from the road and found Sebastian watching her carefully. He took a deep breath and tilted his head to the side. His eyes narrowed.

“Something wrong?” he asked worriedly.

She shook her head, but her mouth pressed into a straight line.

“Well, what is it?” he pressed on.

She opened her mouth to reply but shut it again. She wanted to talk about Christian but had decided against it.

“Do I need to remove that necklace?” Sebastian asked, clearly frustrated.

Arielle paused, surprised by his statement. “No, no, you don’t have to do that. I was just thinking about all the homework I have for
this evening,” she lied. “I will not be able to take a walk on the
beach, and that makes me sad.”

He bit back a smile, clearly pleased with her reply, and pulled
her close. He pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

“That works for me too. I’m meeting with Troy this evening to discuss business. We’ll take that walk tomorrow night. Can I have a rain check?” She smiled and nodded in agreement.

 

 

Arielle spent the entire week buried in books, but she made sure not to neglect Sebastian, having once made her schoolwork a priority over her fiancé and nearly losing him in the process. He was the most important person in her life, and she would never again make
the mistake she made last semester. They had found a perfect balance between school and personal life, and Arielle was
determined to maintain it. Though there were times he cheated by using his mind-
blowing skills of seduction, completely disarming her and making her forget all about books. She loved her life with Sebastian; she
wouldn’t change a thing.

A couple of days later, their group was in the cafeteria pavilion enjoying a break between classes when Eva showed Arielle a picture of her and Ian in Italy. Arielle’s lips parted to ask a question but
remained parted as her eyes met a pair of clear blue eyes. She froze instantly. Christian, her stalker, was making his way into the
cafeteria.
Instinctively, she moved her hand to her neck and clenched her
necklace.
He followed the move, flashing an instantaneous smile. She remained very still as she felt a tightness in her chest. Her eyes
followed him as he turned and briefly looked at her one more time, making her face turn a pale white. Eva was watching her carefully as Arielle lifted her finger without moving her hand from her lap and pointed carefully in Christian's direction.

Sebastian was engaged in conversation with Paul. Ian was
having
an animated talk with Loren, making her laugh. Nobody but Eva noticed a thing. Eva nodded softly to Arielle. She stood up and
walked
into the cafeteria. Arielle’s lips caught between her teeth. She was
anxious about what Eva would discover.

She was startled to hear Sebastian ask if anyone needed anything
to drink. They all motioned no, and he walked in the cafeteria followed by Loren. That seemed a bit strange to her, but she didn't
give it much mind. Paul came and took the chair next to Arielle with a wide smile on his face. She was happy to talk with him. She loved Paul dearly and didn't see him as much as she once did.

“How is it going with Loren?” she asked, smiling broadly.

“Oh, Arielle, she is just amazing. I’m crazy about her. I’ve
decided
to propose on Christmas day, and I hope she will say yes.” He
looked so happy and so in love that all she could do was smile.

“Paul, I think that’s wonderful. I’m sure she will say yes because I know that she’s in love with you.”

Paul smiled. “I’ve never met anyone so passionate, so amazing,
and so incredible...” He shook his head as he tried to find the right
words to describe Loren. Arielle chuckled. She was intimately
familiar with the amazing ability possessed by limitless love.

“I know exactly what you’re trying to say, and I couldn’t be happier for you,” she said. “I think that Loren is the perfect girl for you. She is absolutely gorgeous.” They laughed joyfully.

“You will always be my best friend,” he whispered. She smiled with pleasure as she pressed his hand affectionately.

Arielle did wonder how all the issues with immortality would play out with Paul, but right now she was more interested in her stalker.

 

 

Eva walked in the cafeteria and scanned the room until she located Christian. He was sitting with a female student at the far
corner of the cafeteria. There were trays of food in front of them, but they didn’t
seem interested in eating. Sensing her gaze, he looked up and gave her a quick look. He immediately averted his gaze back to the girl sitting across from him. The strange flash in his eyes didn’t escape
Eva though.
She was completely aware that he was avoiding her gaze. Her
interest peaked. She was only a few feet away when a strong hand wrapping around her arm startled her. She was pulled back gently and turned
around to find Sebastian and Loren. Eva wore a stunned look on her face.

“Don’t do that, Eva,” Sebastian said softly.

“What’s going on?” she asked with wide eyes.

“Don’t go near Christian
,
don’t talk with him. Pretend he doesn’t
exist. Troy’s best friends that you met in St. Jean de Luz called to let
us know that Annabel is planning another attack against Arielle. Christian is here to protect her, and that is why she sees him
wherever she goes. He is familiar with all the people in Annabel’s circle and he would be the only one to see them coming.”

“But…but why don’t you tell Arielle? She is completely freaked out.”

“Eva, he mustn’t be linked to our group under any
circumstances. This way his protection will be solid. You must understand that the
person she sends will be watching us and trying to get to Arielle
when we aren’t there. They don’t know anything about Christian, so he is
perfect for the job,” Sebastian whispered. “Troy, Ian, Loren, and I are completely aware of Christian. We were going to talk to you this
evening.
I don’t want Arielle to know because I want her to act normal.”
Sebastian
took a deep breath and stopped talking, waiting for Eva’s reaction. Eva was glancing back and forth between Loren and Sebastian in
disbelief.

“But she thinks that he’s a stalker.” Her voice came out at a high pitch.

Sebastian and Loren couldn’t hold back laughter. “A stalker?”
Sebastian was laughing so hard some of the students stared. Eva and Loren turned and walked back with Sebastian on their heels. Eva fought to hold back her own laughter.

Arielle watched the three of them come back. They were talking in that special way that exists between immortals. Their lips were
moving so fast that she was sure they could discuss a whole book's worth of information in a millisecond, but humans nearby would never hear a
word. She chuckled under her breath as Sebastian's stunning
emerald eyes rested on hers. His sculpted body moved towards her, making her shiver in excitement. She lost her train of thought.

A smile of ultimate satisfaction spread across his face. Arielle knew that he could read her well enough to sense the effect his
presence was having on her. He took the chair next to her. He became engrossed in a conversation with Alex and Damien about sports while Ian pulled Eva close to him. Arielle didn’t get a chance to talk with Eva.

Did she talk with Christian? And if so, what did he say?
Arielle wondered. She looked across the table and Eva smiled, her
composure unruffled. She took a sip of her soda, and returned Eva's quizzical look, tapping her fingers on the table uneasily.

“So…?” Arielle asked impatiently, keeping her voice down.

Eva leaned over the table and whispered, “I didn’t get the chance to talk with him.”

“Why not?”

“Arielle, he was busy with his girlfriend or whoever she is. I didn’t want to intrude, but please trust me, there is nothing to worry about.”

Arielle stifled a frustrated sigh. “Honestly,” she grumbled, and leaned back, closing her eyes in restlessness. When she opened them again, she fell into Sebastian’s scorching emerald gaze. His lips were lifted into an amazing smile that took her breath away.

“Something on your mind, love?” he asked sweetly.

“No, just thinking about our next class,” she said, and smiled back.

 

 

They had a couple of afternoon classes, and then they were on their way home. Arielle remained silent during the drive, thinking
about Eva and Christian. She wasn’t sure why she was obsessing about this
guy; perhaps it was that Christian showed up practically everywhere she went. Maybe it was just a simple coincidence and nothing more, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something about him was
odd.

By now, Arielle was familiar with the nature of an immortal. She was absolutely sure that she was looking at one in Christian. Was he following her? Was he watching her? Why was he trying to appear like he was not looking at her? And why was he pretending like she didn’t exist when she was sure he was aware of her presence? Arielle knew there was no chance of getting Sebastian to understand how
worried she was. She had tried to tell him about Christian before and he brushed the issue off. That wasn’t like Sebastian. Usually he was the one overreacting about her safety, so why the indifference now? Her thoughts revolved ceaselessly, compelled by ambiguity. She
frowned deeply.

Sebastian’s voice startled her. “What are you thinking?” She
didn’t respond to his question until he tugged her hand lightly, making her look at him.

“What?” she stammered, raising a curious eyebrow.

“What are you thinking?” he repeated.

“Oh, nothing…” she said, smiling softly.

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Nothing? How can that be possible? You’ve been frowning since we left the campus.”

She drew in a deep breath and replied, “I was just thinking
about school.”

Sebastian dropped the subject. He pulled her closer and brushed her lips with his. “Remember that I love you,” he murmured against
her lips. Arielle shook her head. Glancing up, she fell into the
warmth of his amazing emerald eyes. She blinked breathlessly and leaned in to press her lips to his. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

 

 

The sun was setting when they pulled into the garage. Sebastian came around to help her as he always did. He pulled her into his
arms and crushed her lips beneath his. Arielle closed her eyes and moaned blissfully. His mouth was hot and exciting, and his
immortal scent intoxicated her with desire. She sighed as she moved into him and exhaled in anticipation. He watched her intently, quietly, with a soft inviting look in his eyes. She tried to keep her heartbeat steady as she took deep breaths.

BOOK: Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5)
13.36Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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