Ancient Darkness (On HOLD)

Chapter Twelve - Immortal Mate

Lucian stared at the woman's bent head and wondered at her resistance to his simple offer. It had been many years since he had any contact with women, including those of Immortal birth. Men of their kind vastly outnumbered women and he found it difficult to look upon them whilst knowing that none were meant for him.

When a male found his mate it wasn't an instantaneous connection like in ridiculous novels but there were signs; no matter how deep the male had spiralled away from humanity, meeting his mate would allow for him to recognise his heart once more and the female would be drawn to him on the most elemental levels.

Lucian sighed, rubbing a hand down the side of his face. After twelve hundred years with most of that lived in darkness, he had never met anyone that made him feel as though there was light still left within the world.

"The clothes are nothing more than a simple offering. You will not be harmed."

"Yet," she added, her eyes lifting so that he could clearly see a number of gold specks swirling amongst the electric green. Her gaze was as wary as any cornered kitten and he imagined that anything would set her off.

It was curious, the way she had so managed to capture Owen's attention. Such a fragile and short-lived creature with no higher purpose than to litter her small space within the world with more unimportant clutter. She would exist for perhaps a hundred years, procreate and then mix with dust beneath the earth.

"Owen has no intentions of you being tortured or killed by us. He is simply confused by the way you display psychic abilities when none us have seen such a thing before in your species," Lucian murmured, placing the pile of simple clothing on the rug between them.

"Species," Her voice was almost non-existent as she repeated the word and his head tilted to the side as he also tasted the word, trying to understand why it bothered her.

"Yes, you might call us vampires but we are known as Immortals. I believe that you might have some questions," He wasn't quite sure why he had been the one to offer approaching her while the others finished their nightly tasks and ventured out once more to ensure their territory was secure.

Her laugh sounded rusty and broken as it escaped; he rubbed a hand across his chest as something clenched up at the disturbing noise.

"Why do you all think that I am a threat?"

He leaned back slightly, surprised that she wasn't more interested in the fact that he had just confirmed her fears that no one within the house was to be classified as human.

"You are something that we have not encountered before and you have managed to drift close to our home and stay in easy contact with the one that we treat as our leader. Would you not be suspicious of these facts?" His eyes drifted across the surface of her face, taking note of every line and curve.

She was beautiful, he thought with sudden surprise.

His closest brother, North, felt his unrestricted response and knocked politely upon the door to his mind, "Is all well, Lucian? Should we return to the house? If the female is giving you too much difficulty, throw her in the basement."

Luke found that he wanted to growl at the thought of treating her in such a manner but he suppressed the reaction, unnerved by the way his body curved forward as though protecting the female against attack, "Nothing is wrong, Brother. Continue on your flight."

"I've given you no reason to think of me as a threat to any of you and Owen was the one to seek me out after our first conversation," Her breath stuttered, "I'm here on holidays, for God's sake."

Lucian studied her and found nothing to indicate that she was trying to employ any kind of subterfuge, "Then you have nothing to worry about. Owen is not going to allow you to leave until we have completely confirmed your innocence though." He wasn't trying to be cruel - it was a simple fact that she wasn't going to leave their presence until she was deemed harmless.

"So you expect me to hole up with a bunch of bloodsuckers until you satisfy yourselves that I'm not lying?" Her teeth appeared to clench tightly as her bottom lip quivered slightly.

Another kick of his chest and Lucian jumped to his feet as he slowly backed away from her. Never in his life had he ran but the way that this woman affected him...he shook his head as he reached the door. In his long life he had experienced many new things, some pleasant, but this was enough to make him want to escape her presence and the house as he waited for his heart to stop racing and his mind to settle.

"Bloodsuckers we may be, Sang, but you are under the protection of the oldest and fairest of us all. We will try not to make this worse for you," He flicked his fingers at his untouched offering, "Please make yourself more comfortable and Owen will come for you before dawn."

He forced himself to calmly close the door behind him when all he wanted to do was rush. His friend and leader had tasked him with protecting and watching over the human and he would not forsake his duty no matter how unnerved he suddenly felt.