Illusion (2 page)

"I am happy you are awake.  You were asleep for nine hours," Stefan said aloud, his eyes continuing their visual scrutiny of my body.  "How do you feel, vackra?"

How did I feel? Where do I begin? I’d just discovered that my birth father is a vampire and I woke up to see my vampire lover ready to kill another woman.  I think confused and overwhelmed were two words that best described how I felt at the moment.

"Weird and confused, almost like I’ve been asleep for too long.  I could really use a glass of water," I answered and rubbed my face with my hands again.

Stefan attempted to stand and I frantically grabbed his arms to stop him.  I didn't want him to leave me.  I was being irrational, scared that if he left the room I'd never see him again.  He focused on me with a look of confusion, his brow furrowing in concern as he read my mind.  My eyes traveled over his beautiful face as he leaned closer to me, his deep set, blue eyes uneasy over the plane of his high cheekbones.  His chiseled jaw tightened, the dark blond stubble on his face more noticeable than normal.

Stefan moved closer to me on the couch, his lips tickling my ear as he whispered to me.  "I am not going anywhere, Josephine.  Let me get you a glass of water.  I will be back in less than a minute."

He blurred away and disappeared out of the room.  He had barely left my field of vision before he'd returned with a crystal glass filled with water, kneeling down beside me and handing the water to me with a crooked smile, watching as I greedily drank the tepid water.

"Is there a reason why you are still here, Sofia?" Stefan questioned harshly without breaking our gaze.

I'd forgotten all about Sofia.  Glancing over Stefan's shoulder, I saw her lurking by the door, standing quietly against the wall.  I couldn't read her future or feel her emotions, but her body language was easy to decipher.  She stared at me with thinly veiled contempt and jealousy seemed to radiate off of her, filling the room with her resentment.

"I was just making sure Josie had recovered," Sofia muttered.  She flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms defensively.

"As you can see, Josephine is fine.  Leave us," Stefan commanded stiffly.

Sofia huffed and turned on her heel, leaving the room in a blur and slamming the door behind her.

"We are alone for the moment.  I missed you, vackra."

He took the glass from my hands and placed it on the small table beside of the couch.  His large hands gripped my face and his lips covered mine roughly, his tongue slipping into my mouth to entangle with my own.  I could feel my body responding to him as he pressed me back into the cushions.  His hands were everywhere, one slipping underneath my blouse while the other cupped my ass.  His thigh slipped between my legs, his fingers brushing across my nipples through the lacy fabric of my bra.

I pulled my mouth away from his, half-heartedly pushing against the solid wall of his chest.  “We can't do this here.  Stefan...”

His lips recaptured mine before I could say another word and I gave into the desperation of his kiss.  Desire coursed through my veins as I felt his agile fingers unbutton my jeans and quickly pull the zipper down.  Our eyes locked as he took one of my hands.  He rubbed it against the front of the soft denim, his cock hard and straining against the zipper.  His striking face stared back at me, his blue eyes pleading for my understanding.

“I need you.  Do not make me beg.”

The tortured moan that fell from my lips was all the answer he needed.  He worked quickly, slipping his hands into my panties.  His fingers rubbed urgently across my wet folds, letting two of them slip inside of me.  He began stroking and curling his fingers as I bucked against his hand.

I could never resist or deny him, I would gladly offer him whatever he needed or wanted.  I needed him just as much.

His mouth was demanding and eager, his hips bucking against mine as he deepened the kiss.  One of his hands threaded in my hair while the other kept up the rapid rhythm inside of me, his fingers relentless.  I’d started tugging on his zipper when Stefan’s cell phone chirped loudly.

With a growl of frustration, he pulled away from me and fished his phone from his pocket.  His face tensed and his eyes narrowed.

“What?”  I asked.  I watched as his shoulders tightened and when he turned to face me, his face was solemn.

“It appears that your father is eager to talk to you.”

I snorted and folded my arms across my chest.  “My father?!?  He’ll never be my father.  He watched me struggle with my abilities for years and did nothing to help me.  I have nothing to say to him.  I just want to leave.”

“Josephine,”  Stefan had just begun to speak when his cell phone twittered again, signaling another incoming text alert.  He glanced at the screen, saying nothing and simply handing me his phone.

Kian: Please bring my daughter to the fourth floor.

“Vackra, if you wish to leave, you must talk to him.  He will not let us leave unless you meet with him,” Stefan advised. 

I handed his phone back to him and frowned.  “So we’re unofficial captives until I give him what he wants? Let’s get this over with.”

“Josephine, this is the way this has to work.” He sounded frustrated.  “There is no other way.”

Scowling, I exhaled loudly.  “It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“I know.”  Stefan took my hand, leading us down the hall towards the elevator.  He pressed the up arrow on the panel and we waited as the doors slowly opened.  We stepped inside and he reached across to press the button for the fourth floor, watching in silence as the doors closed and the elevator began its ascent.

The doors parted and we walked into a dark, wood paneled room that was a living and office space.  On one side, two large couches faced each other in the living room.  The walls were lined with impressive artwork, most of which were probably priceless, one-of-a-kind masterpieces.  The other end of the room was centered around a large mahogany desk with two chairs at each corner.  My father sat behind the desk, silently observing us and rising to his feet to greet us.

“Stefan and Josephine.  Thank you for joining me.” Kian inclined his head in greeting.  He walked around the desk with outstretched hands as if to embrace me.  Shrinking back, I huddled against Stefan’s side.  My father dropped his hands and a wounded expression briefly darkened his face before a small, forced smile took its place.

“Stefan, thank you for bringing my daughter to see me before you left.  I would like to speak to her alone,” Kian said as he glanced between us both.  By his tone it was obvious they’d discussed this and it was an order, not a request.

“Vackra, I have no choice.  I will be close by, I promise,”
Stefan’s mental voice had a nervous edge to it.

Straightening my back, I pulled away from Stefan’s side to face my father.  I stared at him for a moment, my eyes flickering over him before I spoke.  “I would prefer for him to stay with me, Kian.”

He clasped his hands together in front of him before sitting down in one of the chairs that was in front of the massive desk.  “I would like to speak to you alone.  I understand your fear, Josephine.  I am your father and I assure you no harm will come to you.  Stefan, please leave us.”

Stefan’s sparkling blue eyes turned into icy glaciers as he inclined his head to my father.  He leaned and pressed a kiss to my forehead while his mental voice entered my thoughts. 
“I can hear you from the other floors.  If you need me, call for me.”

He left the room and I stood alone, facing the man that was my birth father.  His vivid red hair stood out in stark contrast to the paleness of his alabaster skin.  His attentive, green eyes seemed to take in my every movement.

“Josephine, please sit,” Kian said, gesturing to the chair opposite him.  Gingerly easing down on the edge of the seat, I swallowed nervously.  I’d waited for this moment my entire life, yet I couldn’t find it in myself to be happy.  Something about Kian made me uneasy.  He seemed too smooth and polished.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked as I tapped my fingers against the arms of the chair.  Raising an eyebrow in contempt, I struggled to keep my voice level.  “Now that you have and I know who you are, there’s really nothing else to say.  I’d like to leave with Stefan unless I’m a prisoner here.”

He crossed his legs and attempted to arrange his face into a gentle smile.  I noticed that the sentiment never reached his eyes.  “I can understand why you are angry with me.  All I ask is to speak to you for a moment.”

Sighing loudly, I stared down at the ornate rug for a moment before focusing back on my father.  Part of me wanted to just refuse and get up and leave.  Another part of me was interested as to what he had to say.  My curiosity won out over my stubbornness and I scooted back in the chair in surrender.  “Fine, Kian.  What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

My father leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his thighs.

“You are happy with Stefan.  I can feel the love between the two of you.  He had searched many years to find you, Josephine.  His fated mate.  It was interesting to watch him on his journey to find you,” Kian mused as he threaded his fingers together and a grin pulled at the corner of his lips.  “He never gave up on finding you.  Others would have grown tired of the constant searching, yet he never did.  It speaks of his character.”

Fuming, I felt my cheeks flush with anger as my mind absorbed his words.  If possible, I was more livid than before.  Not only did my father sit back and watch me struggle with my abilities, he let Stefan continue his search for me when he knew exactly where I was all along.  I could add these things to my growing list of reasons to be suspicious of my father.

“You knew all along that Stefan would be my mate?” I seethed.  The word “mate” felt odd saying it aloud for the first time.  “Why didn't you tell him where I was 10 years ago, Kian?  He spent so many years looking for me.  We wasted so much time.  It was time that we could have been together.”

He smiled softly, his green eyes gleaming.  “Josephine, you were not ready to meet him.  You would have barely been 18.”  Kian sat back in his chair.  “I understand your frustration.  It must seem unfair that you spent so many unhappy years alone, my dear.  I am sorry that you suffered.

He was sorry that I
suffered
?!  That's the only apology he was willing to offer after abandoning me as an infant to strangers?  “I can't discuss all of that with you right now, Kian.  It's too much to take in.  I'm tired and I just want to find Stefan so we can leave.  We can talk about this some other time.”

“Josephine, you have 28 years worth of questions.  When you are ready, we will talk.” He nodded in agreement and hesitated as if considering what to say next.  “I am pleased he found you.  You complete each other.”

Shrugging, I gripped the arms of the chair.  I was almost ready to stand when a thought occurred to me.  Kian was older than Stefan and it made me curious to discover what he knew about him.  “How long have you known Stefan?”

“I had not had the pleasure of meeting him until today.  However, I have known of Stefan for 875 years.  He was Steafedn Hlífsteinn when he captured the Board's attention, a young vampire with powerful abilities and strength.  Many years passed and his name changed with the times.  Hence we have the Stefan Lifsten you know today.”

 “Steafedn Hlífsteinn,” I repeated softly.  My tongue struggled over the syllables of his name.  “I feel horrible that I've never asked him these things.”

“Your love for him is new.  Eventually you would have asked.”

My father leaned over to softly stroke my cheek.  I unconsciously flinched at his touch, pressing my back deeper into the chair to put more distance between us.

“I do not mean to scare you, Josephine.”

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to smile.  “Tell me more about Stefan.”

“Stefan,” he said, tenting his fingers under his chin.  “He was remarkable as a human, a protector of his family.  He was fortunate and came from what would have been a wealthy family during his human life.  He had an extraordinary way of predicting the plans of his enemies.  Of course, we know why that is.” He raised an eyebrow, the red hair bright against the pallor of his face.  “Even his premonitions could not save him during his final human encounter.  He was fatally wounded in 1070.  If Solveig had not changed him, he would have bled to death on a cold spring night of that year.  Don’t you see, Josephine?  My dear, he died that night to be reborn for you.”

I let his words sink in for a moment.  Had fate intervened almost 1,000 years ago, sparing the man that would be my soul mate?  Listening to my father tell his story made me grasp the enormity of Stefan’s vision 200 years ago.  I attempted to swallow back the lump that had taken up residence in my throat, unable to control the hot tears that spilled from my eyes.

My father leaned forward again, only this time to offer me a crisp linen handkerchief.

“Thank you.”  I carefully took the tissue from him, dabbing at my eyes.  “Why did his maker choose to turn him?”

“Josephine,” he chided softly.  “Vampires are not different from humans.  We covet the exceptional and beautiful specimens, choosing to change those that will make excellent additions to our race.  We too believe in survival of the fittest.”