Tainted

Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER 12| TAINTED
Birthday

Valentina's hand was placed on my cheek and her thumb softly moved along the lines of my jaw. Her eyes were the first thing that mine had searched for. For the first time, I saw her in clarity. Her spirit shimmered around her like a ray of sunlight and each stroke of her thumb left a warm sensation behind in its path and her scent filled my nostrils heavenly.

Without thought, I raised my hand to her face and pulled her into a deep kiss. The urge was primal. She didn't pull away. She sunk herself into me wrapping her fingers in my hair and her breast pressed against my chest. Her lips and breath were sweet on mine. I pressed my palm to the small of her back and without hesitation, I pulled her underneath me, so I was on top of her looking down at her. "Happy birthday indeed," I smiled. I mimicked her movements as before and smooth my thumb over her bottom lip.

She didn't say anything. She just stared into my eyes with this satisfied gaze. She reached her hand up to my cheek and she squinted. Her forehead had creased a little in the middle of her eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" I had asked with sincerity.

"I can't hear your thoughts. Did you already put up a mental block to keep me out?" She had asked suddenly.

"You know I'd never" I smiled kissing her forehead. "I don't know how to do that though." I was wondering how she could invade inside of my head previously. "Can you teach me how to let you in? Or is it a gift of yours?"

"It's for mated couples it's deeper than marriage. It's a pure bond, and of course, I'll teach you. However, before we get to learn that I must advise my father you're now up. He has been worried about you. Honestly, you're the second vampire to be known to transition the way of the 19th year. You and one of the originals. We only heard about what the possibilities were, but no other family has been so careless to need to send a baby off." She said with a worried expression. "Do you feel you any different?"

Words couldn't even explain how different I felt. When my spirit was forced out my body there was a shift in me. The mist had given me reason and clarity for this world, and I had felt a change. There was an unexplainable sensation in the pit of my chest. It was if a piece of me were missing and was replaced with a small cold hole. With that feeling, I knew that the mist wasn't going to leave me. That he had paired itself with me.

I gave her a cool expression on my face, "Yes I do feel different. How long was I out though? You said it was my birthday," I asked changing the subject.

"Shortly after I left to the Northern Mountains according to my father. I didn't arrive back until yesterday morning. He said you had fallen out while you were in a meeting with him, and he tried to wake you, but your body was so stiff and hot. You just started to cool down around dawn today. I can only assume that was the change we were expecting. But in total it was three days." She replied.

"Wow, I was really out," I said in shock, "It didn't feel like I was that long. What happened to Arianna? Did my parents ever show up either?" I asked wondering about them. She had told me my mom transformation would have been done today as well. I hadn't forgotten about her through all the madness of the last week.

"Mark and Martha should be arriving when dawn breaks again. Arianna is on her way back to the portal for their arrival. You must stay in here though. Every one of our house servants is up working and no one knows you're here other than my father and Head Maiden Elaine."

I had moved from over her to laying down next to her in the bed. I hadn't really noticed where I was because I was wrapped up in her presence. It looked like I was in a grand bedroom that was laced in deep colors. The walls were a red brick that leads up to a balcony in the back of the room. There were two other doors that most likely led to a closet and bathroom. The bed we had laid in were soft as clouds with an abundance of pillows with a thick red comforter that we laid on top of. It was framed with dark oak with a curtain behind the headboard.