Forbidden Touch (41 page)

This can't be. You can't be gone from me, Dane. I can't live like this. It hurts too much.

"Yes you can, Ciera," a voice said, and at first she thought it was Dane responding to her thoughts, but the voice was all wrong. She opened her eyes, and forced herself to look up.

Alino was standing about three feet in front of her, and anger filled her mind and body. She growled softly at him, as her protective instincts took over her. He was standing way to close for comfort. Absolutely no one was going to touch Dane.

"You are strong enough to withstand this agony, my child," Alino said as he looked down at her, sorrowfully.

Something flickered in Ciera's eyes as she remembered something. "You said that to me once before. You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? Didn't you!" Ciera screamed it at him, and he nodded once. "Why didn't you say anything? I could have made Dane stay away from here."

Alino shook his head slowly. "You know as well as I that Dane would not have let you come here without him. There was nothing even I could do to stop that."

Ciera closed her eyes and cried. Alino was right. Dane would have fought every vampire in the world to keep her safe. She clutched him tighter to her body, and realized that he was crumbling in her tight hold. She loosened her grip and looked at his face again. He didn't even look like Dane any longer.

"It was his destiny," Alino said, and her head shot up as her temper flared once more.

"His destiny was to be here with me," she growled.

Alino stared down at her. "I am sorry, Ciera, but his destiny was not to be with you, but to save you. He wanted only for you to live and be happy. He has fulfilled his task. I have known many centuries that this day would come. I thought that I would be better prepared for it." He sighed. "I was wrong."

Everyone watched as the King spoke to Ciera. Many were confused. He had never spoken so many words to one individual before now. The wind blowing through the trees and a police siren far off in the distance were the only noises heard. Every vampire that stood there had stopped their breathing, thinking that they would miss hearing something important, with the quiet inhale and exhale being pulled in and pushed out of their bodies.

Ciera stared up at him in confusion, but she didn't have to ask, Alino took another step forward, then bent to her level so she could see his face at a better angle.

"You are my daughter," Alino said quietly, and many gasps and hushed talking came from the crowd around them.

She blinked a few times. "You are not the vampire who turned me. I remember what he looked like."

"I am not the Rogue vampire that turned you, no. I am your biological father."

Her eyes got wide as fear consumed her. "No! I knew my father. You are not him, Alino."

The crowd's hushed tones turned louder when Ciera called the King by his first name. He didn't care seem to care what they were saying, and he didn't seem to care that she had said it.

"They were not your true parents. Your mother died during child birth, and I didn't want this life for you. I searched until I found a man and wife who I knew would love and protect you. They could not have children of their own, and they instantly fell in love with you. I thought that you would be safe, but even I have enemies. One of them found out about you, and instead of turning me into the Elders for falling in love with a human, he took you from that family and made you into what you are now, what I am. He knew that it would hurt me more. He had been in love with the same woman, and she had broken his heart by choosing me over him. He wanted revenge, and he got it. When I found out what he had done, I ripped him apart on my own. I have followed you all around the world trying to protect you. There were only a few people who knew that I am your father. Those few people were sworn to secrecy, and sworn to protect you. Dane was one of the few."

Ciera looked up and watched as Asabel, Nia, and Dante stepped forward. They all had tears in their eyes for Dane. Their mission was finally complete, but they were sad that they had to lose Dane to complete it. Alino glanced at them and nodded. He dropped his head and sighed. "Louis was an excellent blocker, and I didn't see what he had planned. I found out, after he went Rogue, that his brother was the vampire I killed long ago. He was watching me, and trying to figure out why I killed his brother. I went to my chambers one night and found that someone had been in my room. The photos of you were scattered all over my bed. The note he left said that he knew my secret. We did a count of all the vampires in the palace. Louis was missing."

Ciera was listening to him in bewilderment. She knew the King would not be telling her this if it were not the truth. But it was so surreal, that it was really hard for her to believe. She only nodded to let him know that she was following him, and he continued.

"I searched for him everywhere, with no luck in finding him. He was an extremely talented blocker, and he could move about during the day. Dante and Nia were the only two I had on you at the time, so I added Asabel and Dane to your security. I knew that Dane was going to fall in love with you, and I was all right with that. It meant that he would protect you even more." Alino looked up at Mitch, then back to Ciera. "I am assuming that thirty something years ago, Louis got a woman pregnant. If he sired a child, and then my child turned him into a vampire," he shrugged. "Well, with his skills, my skills, and your skills..." He looked back up to Mitch. "I assume you are one skillful vampire, Mitch. Your father brought you into this world to kill. He wanted you to kill me, but more importantly, he wanted you to kill Ciera first, to hurt me."

Alino moved to sit on the gravel directly in front of Ciera, then slowly took her hand off Dane's crumpled ruins, and just held it in his own. He smiled, and tears of joy filled his green eyes. "I have been waiting so long to be able to do this."

Ciera shook her head at him. "Why didn't you protect me yourself after I was turned into a vampess?"

He squeezed her hand in his. "Every time I would think about telling you the truth, I would get a bad vision. I knew that you would hate me. It wasn't until I touched your hand at Dante's, that I got a positive vision. I knew that I had to tell you now or never." He smiled. "You would have never met Mitch if I had done anything differently, Ciera. He is your Destiny. Dane wants you to be happy, don't forget him, but be happy."

She looked down at Dane in her arms. She closed her eyes and pictured Dane as he had been before all of this, whole and perfect and beautiful.

Dane smiled at her, and she frowned back. He touched her face, and his became solemn. "I love you, Ciera. I can't stand to see you so upset. I wanted to tell you so many times, but your daddy is a very scary vampire." He laughed lightly. "But on a serious note, Mitch is your soulmate. I don't want you lying around depressed all the time over me, when I know that you can live and be happy. I will be looking in on you from time to time, and it would make me happy if I could see that beautiful smile of yours when I do." He kissed her briefly on the mouth, and she tried to hold him to her but he pulled away. "Go, Ciera. Let them pick my brittle bones up off your lap, and go get the man of your dreams. He is waiting for you, my love. You promised to live for me … so live, baby."

"I love you, Dane." she whispered.

"I know you do, and that is why I am so happy. Now I want you to be happy. Promise me that you will find your happiness."

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "I promise."

"You promise what?" he asked, and she could tell by his voice that he was grinning.

She took a deep breath and
opened her eyes so she could see him smiling one last time. She smiled back at him. "I promise that I will be happy."

"Thank you. Tell me good-bye for now, Ciera. Know that I will always be with you. Ti amerὸ per sempre."

She wrapped her arms around his
neck and held him tight to her. "Good-bye for now, Dane. I will always love you, too."

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Epilogue

When Ciera opened her eyes again, Dane had been removed from her lap, and she was actually in the lap of someone else. They were riding in the back seat of a vehicle. She didn't recognize either of the two heads in front of her. One sniff of the man's skin let her know that Mitch was holding her. She closed her eyes and smiled, then sniffed again.

This was home to her. Wherever he went, she knew that she would follow. She opened her eyes again, and a giggle burst from her throat involuntarily.

Mitch went incredibly still beneath her.
"Ciera … are you all right?"

She sat up and looked at his face. He was so perfect in her eyes. She would always keep Dane in her heart, and take him with her wherever she went. But she knew now that even though Dane would always be in her heart, the whole thing belonged to Mitch. Mitch had tried to kill his own father to save Dane. It didn't matter that they had not gotten along before. They both had only one wish for her, and that was for her to be happy. Her smile spread even further. "I am perfectly fine. I have only just realized how happy I am. I love you."

He stared back at her in amazement. He had thought that she would have been grief stricken for weeks, or even months, over losing Dane. He knew that she had loved him, and after seeing the guy knock the hell out of Lazarus so she could get away, he knew that Dane had really loved her as well. It was a damn shame that Dane had to sacrifice himself. He couldn't even be happy the guy was dead.
Earlier tonight, he'd been plotting to beat the hell out of him. Now, he only wished that he had a chance to shake Dane's hand. As he looked at Ciera, he couldn't imagine how she could be happy. "I love you too, Ciera." His brow furrowed.

Ciera gave him a questioning look. "Are you having second thoughts about being with me?"

His heart started racing as panic began to set in. "No!" He hugged her tight to him, then brought her mouth to his. He kissed her long and deep. Her hands dove into his hair and she took and took from him, until he pulled her back. "God, I missed you. Your daddy doesn't happen to have any more enemies with grudges, does he?"

Ciera laughed. "I hope not. I am ready to relax for a long while. But we may need to ask him. I would like, very much, to be a little better prepared the next time around."

Mitch grinned like he knew a secret that she didn't.

"What?" she said.

"Your daddy wants me to live with him in Chicago awhile. He wants to help me with my skills. I have the option to accept an Elder position if I am interested."

Her face lit up. "That is great, Mitch!" She realized what that would mean. She wouldn't get to see him much if he lived in Chicago, with her living in Decatur. Her face fell, but he was still smiling brightly. "When are you leaving? I want to spend as much time with you as I can before you go. I know that this is important to you. I won't keep you from doing what you want. Even though I am going to miss you like crazy. Even though I will be very, very lonely. Even though it is a three hour drive to see you. That I will have to make every day, might I add …"

Mitch smiled as he kissed her again. When he pulled back, his eyes were dancing. "Do you actually think I would leave you for even one night?"

"But this is a really great opportunity, Mitch. You have no idea …"

He put his index finger to her lips, and laughed. "You are going with me. You are staying there with me forever, Ciera."

Her eyes filled with unshed tears. "You want me forever?"

"Do you have to ask that?" He kissed her briefly, then just held her against his body. She fit against him perfectly. He kissed the top of her head, then grunted in frustration as he thought of something.

She looked up at him. "What's wrong?" she asked, because she could tell that something was really troubling him.

He looked at her and smiled nervously. "I was only wondering … how vampires get married."

She laughed, and threw her arms around his neck. "My Father can marry us, Mitch."

He framed her face in his hands and kissed her passionately, then whispered, "Will you marry me ... now?"

"Now?" She gave him a curious look. "How am I going to marry you now, Mitch?"