There Is No Me Beyond You

~39~

"... Samara... Oh Samara..."

I must have fallen asleep, surrounded by the warm bodies and soft fur of my wolves, and now I was dreaming.

"I couldn't find you... you were always with me... I thought I was too late, I thought you had left..."

I felt elated at hearing Vlad's voice. This was the first dream I had in a long while, a pleasant dream of him finally waking up.

"Samara..." His voice repeating my name followed by the touch of his arms lifting me off the floor this time, finally coaxed me into consciousness.

This can't be a dream... My breath hitched when my eyes bore into Vlad's smiling green orbs, as he carried me to my chamber. I was afraid to pronounce a word, or even breathe, convinced that he was an apparition produced by my despairing, overtired mind, which my slightest movement or sound would scare away, make dissipate like a dream, until he laid me on my bed and lay down next to me.

Then, drawing a deep, shaky breath even as my eyes welled with tears I clamped my hands around the fabric of his shirt to keep him at my side, and whispered, "You..."

"I'm back," he said, pushing a few strands of my unruly hair away from my face, drying my tears with a sheet. "I woke up and you were gone; I could not find you. You scared me."

"You have no idea how much you scared me... you slept for weeks... How are you feeling?" I breathed, pressing my hand to his chest, letting my fingers trace the scar I could feel through the white linen.

"I'm fine, I just... couldn't wake up." he said, smiling at me.

I knew that I should be careful, that he just woke up after weeks, but I couldn't help it. I laced my fingers through his hair and pulled him down, kissing him deeply, letting my hands stroll over his body, making sure that he was really there.

"I heard you talking to me sometimes." he said when we pulled away, wrapping me in a tight embrace. "All those things you said..."

I nodded. "They are all true. So much has happened since the fight... " Feeling his lips trail featherlight kisses down the column of my neck, I wished we could just forget about everything and everyone right now... But he needed to hear the latest news.

"You don't know that Radu is leaving in the morning. I have no idea what time it is, he might be gone already, but you should speak to him before he goes. Your son received a letter from the Council last night..." I said, voice faltering, as I felt his lips on my collar bone, his hand tugging at the laces of my shirt.

Vlad sighed. "I think you are right... I should talk to both of them."

He stood up, leaving me alone in the bed, making me panic.

"Don't go away! Send someone to fetch them, let them both come here but don't leave... Please..." I called, sitting up, ready to follow him, resolved not to leave him out of my sight.

"I'll never leave you again, my love, you mustn't worry," he said, kissing me before he walked to the door where he sent the Guard standing in the corridor for Junior and Radu, then disappeared towards his chamber to get dressed.

Right. Like not worrying is an option, being in love with you. I smiled at his retreating figure, thinking of all the occasions he had given me to worry since I found him last year, after centuries.

I drew the curtains all around my bed, leaving only a tiny gap, the moment I heard someone knocking on the door softly but impatiently, the sound followed by Vlad's approaching footsteps.

Snuggling among the pillows, pulling the covers up to my chin, I let the men's hushed voices reaching me from the library, echoing off the stone walls through the pre-dawn silence of the sleeping castle, lull me to sleep.