Fondness for an Ancient Warrior

Fondness for an Ancient Warrior Part 15

Chapter Fifteen

Sorry this took so long. I've been very sick for these past three weeks and didn't feel up to writing, but this is it, the last chapter in the story about an ancient vampire named Caius and his human, Illyana. I love happy endings. Sorry, Aro, they're not all that rare.

Caius never had to sleep. Illyana discovered that once she was made aware of his vampiric nature. Most of the time, he would lie in bed next to his mate, listening to her steady breathing while she slept. He might read in a half-light, or just enjoy being nestled against her. At times, he would go out to the barn to check on Monarch, but he was always back in bed before daylight. He never had to waste time sleeping, and that was something he looked forward to where Illyana was concerned. They would have plenty of time to spend together once she had gone through the change and they would finally be able to match up their day-to-day existence.

On the other hand, Caius knew how much Illyana treasured her humanity. He would never force the woman who proved savvy enough to win his heart and brave enough to accept his family on her own terms, to do anything she didn't want to do. As his mate, he knew eventually she would be ready and ask him to initiate the transformation. He only had to be patient.

When Illyana rolled over, she was now facing Caius. He leaned over to kiss her. "Wake up, my love. It's nearly 10:00 am." When she did nothing more than murmur and stretch, he kissed her neck, knowing placing his cold lips against her warm skin was enough to bring her from unconsciousness. It was mean of him, but if it woke her, it was worth her minor wrath.

It worked. Illyana opened her eyes as a cold shiver ran through her body. "Caius, why do we have to wake up so early? The sun is barely up."

"If you opened your eyes, you might see the sun better. Now get out of bed, Illyana. We have company coming."

Illyana thought of a more appealing distraction. She reached out for her mate, eager to prevent him from leaving the bed.

Caius groaned as soon as she began to touch him. She was working him into a frenzy of lust he had to tame or they might never be ready on time. He grabbed her hands and kissed one. "Please, Illyana, we have company coming in less then an hour."

"What company? Tell me it's not Aro!" she grumbled.

"No, it's not Aro." He left the bed, and standing at its side, looked down at the sleepy human.

All Illyana could see through half-open eyes was her naked mate, pale skin shimmering so beautifully in the mellow sunlight.

"If you're not going to make love with me, Caius, I'm going back to sleep."

He moved to the foot of the bed, and reaching down, pulled the sheet off his mate.

She only laughed low. "I'm used to being naked in bed, and in front of you." She curled up on her side, her arms hugging her pillow.

He began to tickle her feet, eliciting immediate shrieks. "Stop, Caius, stop!" She rolled off the bed onto the floor, then sat up, glaring at him "That was not fair. You know how ticklish I am."

"I could be torturing you instead," he said, his red eyes flashing dark. "I'm very good at it. A true artist, you could say."

"Idle threats, just idle threats," she replied, glaring up at him. "And stop trying to be scarier than you already are." She took his proffered hand and stood, running her fingers through her dark hair.

For his part, Caius had to ignore his mate's own nudity. There were other things he wanted to do besides await their special delivery, but this was a surprise for Illyana, and Caius knew she would be disappointed if she was not ready on time.