A Beautiful Sacrifice

Chapter Thirty One

Like sliver orbs the women walked forward. Set in a formation tight knit their procession was slow and paced. It was captivating in its grace and carried a calm tranquillity that soothed anyone in their path. With only their undergarments that had been pulled tighter in following the lead of Lily, they looked slightly wanton as they did unattainable. Perttu with Lily as his mate saw none of them as he did Lily. He saw their beauty but it was only his mate he felt himself drawn to. Glad the vampire charm was not touching he breathed deep and looked longingly in her eyes. Hers were star struck.

“Lily.” He began. He needed to explain it all to her but she held up her hand, her index finger in particular and she placed it at the side of his mouth – away from the disjointed jaw and fangs.

                She closed her eyes as she felt his skin. Smooth, just as before. She had wondered if he would feel the same now he was in this form. Overjoyed with relief she merely shook her head. It was a minute before she could form the words.

“It no longer matters. You are hurt. Badly.” His shoulder was pouring with blood, his side also and she saw scorch marks on his body from where sparks had nicked him.

“I will be alright.”

“The moon is still out. It will be for a while.”

“It will be covered in minutes.”

“Then let us do what you can not. Let us as women spend these minutes keeping them in line and then when you are stronger you and your men can take over.”

                He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t shouting at him. Why she stood there still and looked at him as if he were gold.

“I don’t want you in danger.”

“Look at us Perttu. I am in no danger. They won’t dare to attack their own dreams.”

                His pause seemed to last hours as she waited for his permission. She could practically hear the heaving of his chest as he breathed hard and long trying to regain his breath and not let her captivating scent take it from him again.

“Don’t strike at them, the illusion will fade. Let them touch you, only when the clouds are covering the moon. When the spell is broken because you hurt them, then we will step in. Captivate them, get close to them. We will finish it off but you need to hold them still. Don’t fear them touching you, you’ll wound them grievously. Don’t touch your own skin; the blades hurt you as well as anyone else.”

“You trust me to help you? You willingly let the women help you men?”

“The danger is not as great as I thought it would be. You can do what we can’t.”

                She looked up at and smiled. That glistening smile nearly undid him and he felt himself getting tense as he had to exercise upmost restraint.

“Perttu?” She got his attention again for it had wandered into looking at her body. His eyes snapped back to hers.

“Sorry. Yes?”

“This trust we have in this moment. This understanding that there are limits but there are ways to aid each other and the conversation we have just had – I want that to stay in our relationship. I want to be included.”

“I promise. I ‘m so sorry for lying. For not telling you.”

“Never mind, the hounds are getting restless. I have to go.”

                He did hear the low growls that were rumbling lowly through the field. They had been captivated by the beauty but, as short as their conversation had been, it was too long to the hounds who were starting to think the pretty women were figments of their imagination and getting restless as the spell was wavering.