Blood Bound- Book 1 of the Bonded Series- Complete

Chapter 24

     He laid her down and with a simple motion of his wrist, stripped the both of them.  She giggled, obviously still getting use to some of the perks of vampirism.  “I say, rectify away.  There is nothing standing between us but air and opportunity.”

     He crawled in the bed beside of her, letting his hand run up the length of her leg, delighted with the little shudders she gave him from his touch alone.  From her leg, his light touch moved along the silky curve of her hip bone, up her side and underneath the swell of her breast.  A red flush, heated her cheeks, filling her face with new color.  

     “You are so beautiful,” he whispered against the skin at the crook of her neck.  Maneuvering himself around, he lifted his head and pushed his body up so that he was above her.  “So absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.  I waited so long for you my love, but now that I finally have you, I can definitely say that the wait was well worth it.  You are mine as I am yours.”

     Shelby shyly smiled up at him.  This connection that they had between them was nothing like she ever felt before.  It was strong and unyielding.  When she breathed, he breathed.  When her heart beat, his beat too.  They were two parts of one brought together out of tragedy and bound by blood.  “I am yours as you are mine,” she breathed out, repeating his words from earlier.

     Leaning over, he caught her mouth up in a passionate kiss and set out to take them across waters that had yet to be charted.

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     “Where is my son?”  Isabella demanded after stomping her way into Leo’s office.

     Ric looked up from where he just hung up the phone and frowned.  “His honeymoon,” he told her dryly.

     “No.” She placed her delicate hands on her hips.  “No, I refuse to believe that he took that mongrel on a.. a … honeymoon.”

     Ric looked up at her with a wry expression.  “Believe it or not honey, he did and that’s not even the worse of it.”

     Isabella stared back at Ric, her eyes narrowing in on him.  “What do you mean that’s not the worse of it?  How much worse can it get?  He’s bonded with a filthy human and  I can’t make him see reason.  His father would roll over in his grave if he knew about this.”

     “You're right, Mr. Risso would have none of this.  He would have gone straight to the root of the problem and exterminated it.”

     Isabella looked thoughtful.  “You know, you're right.  But when I tried that, Leo was there.  I don’t know what else to do.”

     “There is always the Council,” Ric pointed out.  “You know how they feel about humans and you know about the movement that Mr. Risso started to put them back where they belong.”

      She waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal.  “Yes, but they won’t bother themselves with one stupid human.  They would probably look down on us because we couldn’t get rid her of her ourselves.  This is something that we need to deal with- and the sooner it's handled, the better.”

     Ric sat forward, his elbows leaning on the desk.  “What if she’s part of the prophecy?”

     “She’s not part of the prophecy,” Isabella started and then stopped, turning to Ric.  “Oh my God, you don’t think she is, do you?”

     A smile curled up at the edge of his lips.  “Madam, I don’t think- I know.  She wears the witch’s consecration locket.”

     This was too much for Isabella to take in.  “I need to sit down.”  She walked over to the chair in the front of the desk and pristinely took a seat.  Bringing her fisted hand to her mouth, she glanced back at Ric.  “You know what this means.  We have to go to the Council.  She can’t be allowed to live.”

     Ric smiled again.  “Yes madame, I know this.  Will you take this before the Council?”

     Isabella abruptly stood up from her chair, her skirt swaying with the effort.  “Hell yes, I will.  Now, it’s not just my son who's at risk, but it’s our whole world.  I would be a traitor to our own society if I didn’t do something about this.”  She pivoted and headed for the door, only stopping when she put her hand on the knob.  “Ric?”

     “Yes madame.”

      “You do know where they are honeymooning at, right?”  Her nose lifted in disgust at the mere thought of her pure bred son consorting with a turned.

     “Of course madame.”  His own smile growing by the second.

     “Good,” she said.  “Don’t say anything to anyone until I get back, do you understand me Ric?”

     He obediently nodded his head.  “Yes madame.  My lips are sealed.”

     “I always did favor you Ric.  You were always so true to my husband.  I'm sure that he would be so happy with you, knowing all that you are doing for our kind.”

     “Thank you madame, that is great praise.”

     She let out a nostalgic breath and turned back around.  “Alright, that's enough,” she said haughtily.  “I’ve got a Council to call.  I’ll be back soon.”

     Ric watched as the decadent Mrs. Isabella Risso disappeared in a cloud of dust.  He should have thought of going to her in the first place.  Some of those Council members were being asses about the deal, worried about messing up the balance of fate.  Mrs. Risso knew how to gain attention.  She would make sure that what needed to be done, was handled.  He sat back in the chair and propped his legs up on the table.  There was nothing like a Vampiress on a mission and hell hath no fury on anyone who decides to get in her way.