Reckless Abandon - The Secrets of Avelina Chronicles 2

20: Aubrey

Aubrey was more than happy at the feast that night, to celebrate her engagement to the soldier. She didn't care that she didn't know his name, she was having such a happy time. Edward had made an appearance for two minutes, looking very rough and old despite his young years. She knew Walter's hold on him wouldn't be easy to break, but she decided to think on happier things. She was getting married and everyone she knew and loved was celebrating with her.

Of course, Celia wasn't quite so happy ever since her husband, Randall had scolded her for her actions towards the soldier, pretending to be Aubrey and trying to seduce him. She had been threatened with a permanent separation. Which on the Island meant that instead of divorcing her, he would treat her as a traitor and have her sent to the dungeons. She would be a prisoner unless she repented and being the coward she was, she lied through her teeth and apologized Not that anyone believed her.

But although Aubrey was happy, her soldier fiancé was not. He couldn't believe his luck, in suffering a wound and being taken in by people he didn't know, only to fall in love with a young woman he would never have met without being injured. Yet, he didn't know his own name, his people or whether he was able to provide a decent life for his new wife-to-be. All he had to go on was the fact that he was a soldier and, therefore, had some money.

He watched his future wife dancing with man after man that wasn't him, enjoying herself and laughing while the festivities went on hour after hour. The jealousy was welling up within him. Once already someone had tried to prevent him from being with Aubrey, it would not happen again.

Pretending to cut in on her dance with Randall, the soldier took her hand and danced her to the edge of the room, where he stopped dancing and led her along the corridor in secret. Aubrey didn't know where they were going or what they were doing, but she followed him with a nervous smile until they reached her chamber. Before the door had been closed behind them, the soldier took her into his arms and kissed her deeply. For a moment, Aubrey reveled in the sudden need for privacy and passion. But when her fiancé began lovingly kissing her neck and undoing the lacing at the back of her dress, she smiled and gently pulled back from his embrace.

"My love, do not hasten towards that which we are not permitted." She smiled, wondering why she had cursed herself to living on the Island. She had always been an old fashioned girl, wanting to wait until she was married before enjoying a love life. Now that she was there with her fiancé, she rather wished they were back home, in Avelina where she could let him have his way. The soldier smiled and caressed her face tenderly, his eyes darkening with desire as he looked at her. Aubrey felt almost embarrassed by how much he seemed to love her. When he kissed her again, very gently, she was tempted to give in to him. She made one last, feeble attempt to delay his passions with propriety.

"We cannot! We are not yet married." She whispered, reminding him of the reasons they weren't supposed to share the things he wanted at that moment. But even though she put forth a valid case, the soldier addressed her seriously, trying to remind her that once she was his wife, propriety would have no hold over them or their decisions.

"I do not care. My darling, I need you desperately. I cannot be without you any longer. Soon my love, we will be married. I will know who I am, we will have children and be as one forever." He promised her, in such a way that Aubrey really couldn't believe her luck. How had she managed to find a man like him, who loved her as he did and thought of nothing other than being true to her and making sure that she never doubted his feelings?

He smiled again as he lifted his tunic over his head and drew her back into his arms. With light, playful kisses he backed her towards the bed and started undressing her. Aubrey had never been treated in such a fashion. No-one had ever looked at her as he did, ever touched her as tenderly or adoringly as he did. She had never been kissed in the way he kissed her, not even by human or vampire boys back in Avelina when she was a teenager.