Infatuated (Unedited)

Epilogue

My hips moved skillfully to the rhythm of the slow song. It was one of my favorites. Smooth and sexy and the perfect one to bring this dance to the desired ending. Slowly I kept my eyes on my target easing toward him with purpose. A natural born seductress, he was going to be putty in my hands despite the attraction I felt the moment I came out and set eyes on him. No matter the power and authority I could sense in him, he was going to fall at my feet.

Approaching him I stopped just a few inches in front of him swaying my body and enjoying the way his dark brown eyes followed. More than anything I wanted to run my fingers through his long dark hair. Just as badly, I want to kiss those lips surrounded by a well groomed goatee. Words can't begin to explain this man before. The appeal of him, the allure killing me ever so softly inside.

A cool one-sided smile sent chills down my spine. He knew what he was doing to me.

"Come to me." That thick accent was all it took to break down the walls of my defense. The center of my body ached with a need to be touched, warmed, and called to him. My plans to seduce this man were falling by the waysides. I want to go to him. God knows I do, but I wasn't going to. This was my game and I'm determined not to lose.

Instead of closing the distance between us, I stood where I was, running my hands up and down my body, pulling the top of my costume off as I did. I watched his eyes burn with desire and knew the control was back in my hands. Turning my back to him I bent over to touch my feet then came back up slowly, watching him from over my shoulder. Yup, I had this man right where I wanted him. Or so I thought.

Tall dark and sexy stood easily towering over me, eyes narrowed. The moment his body touched mine, my mind was gone. All thoughts of getting him where I wanted faded and this dance was over. The rough prickling of his stubbled brushed against my neck. Then I felt the soft press of his lips on my rapidly beating pulse.

"The rules were, you're not allowed to touch." I whispered. A moan followed feeling the vibration of his voice against me.

"I can't help it. You alone are my weakness, Querida. Dancing like that doesn't help." He kissed me again making his way up to my ear.

"You know this means you're still in debt to me. I saved your life and in return you were supposed to let me have the night of my dreams. It's been six months," I pulled back then turned while holding a finger to the lips trying to coax me out of the clothes that remained, "and I've yet to complete this fantasy."

A sexy smile was his first answer, a light chuckle was the second, "That was not all my doing, mi amor. Your parents have unofficially adopted Roland, Clad, and Armand meaning our family time is last much longer. Then there is your Uncle and cousin...and also the fact that every time I get you alone something comes up. You and I have to convene with the other Council members or someone somewhere needs us for something. Anyway, how can you blame me for wanting you right away? I've waited centuries after all."

"Yeah, but you could wait another ten minutes." I teased trying to pull away from him. Nicolas pulled me back into his arms locking me there with a darkened look in his eyes.

"No, I can't. I lost you once and almost a second time to someone I thought I knew very well. I will risk nothing." he whispered against my chin, planting a firm kiss there between each word. "Nada, mi amor."

"Oh ok. Well that means no more strip shows for you then."

He halted my attempt to move away once more, "No, that just means your clothes need to come off faster."

I couldn't argue with that. He's right when he says that we're always needed. The deaths of three Council members left many openings that were in need of filling immediately. The higher ups that appoint people to the seats were immediately drawn to me when they learned of my background and bond with Nicolas. While I don't hold myself higher than anyone else I must admit that I've noticed special attention. Everyone seem to fear me just as the new humans filling the vacancies. With my father, Nicolas, and my best friend Adam along side me, I feel like they have nothing to worry about unless they have wolf blood. Why I thirst for that is still a mystery but in the months that've passed, I've learned to control it a little more. I've also come to realize that I'll never take on a wolf form like my father, but have picked up more of his traits. The need to hunt, be one with nature, and attraction to the full moon. To say that he was proud of me is putting it lightly. He and Nicolas have both had the pleasure of teaching me things. Nicolas always making it sexual by the end. I have no complaints at all until we're interrupted like he said.

He scooped me up in his arms, erasing all the thoughts previously on my mind granting me with the sweetest kiss. Never in my life have I felt so loved. So wanted by everyone around me. Even when I was taking off my clothes for a living and dancing to keep my lights on I didn't feel this wanted. Truly desired. The way his hands moved along my body, the way Nicolas held me tightly, I was where I wanted to be. Where I needed to be.

As he began to lay me back into the soft sheet of our bed, a hard knock on the door pulled a groan from deep in his chest.

"Every time. Every time. Whoever is on the other side of that door better be bleeding to death!" With much reluctance he pushed up off the bed storming over to the double doors. He yanked them open facing Roland with a glare to which he threw his hands up in mock surrender.

"I didn't want to interrupt you, trust me, but you have a visitor. Both of you." He glanced over Nicolas' shoulder directly at me then disappeared. Quickly, I dressed in a robe with a pair of Nicolas' sweat pants beneath it then joined him on the journey down the stairs. In the foyer a familiar woman waited with a bundle in her arms. As we stepped off the very last step she greeted us with a smile and a slight bow.

"You don't remember me do you?" No, not really so I shook my head. "Rita Stanley. You came to my library looking for the Golden Book of Kings."

"Oh! I sorry, but how did you find me? I don't remember telling you my name much less giving you an address I didn't live at when we met."

The smile she gave me was weird. Creepy in a way. "You don't remember a lot of things and it appears that you don't either." At the end her attention was directed at Nicolas with a brighter smile. Me being me, I looked to him for answers, finding him just as confused as I was.

"Lo siento, Ms. Stanley is it? I don't believe you and I ever met."

"Oh, but he have Nicolas. I bathed you, clothed you, hung fresh flowers over your bed to ward off nightmares, and even traveled by sea to remain by your side." His brows dropped over his eyes and the hand that was still holding on to mine gave a little squeeze as the woman that practically helped me figure out who I was walked up to him and caressed his cheek. "Look at my eyes and nothing more. This body, this name, and this voice you may not remember, but like your love, my eyes never changed."

Nicolas did exactly what she said. He gazed into her eyes long and hard before recognition registered on his face.

"Anna?" She answered with a smile caressing his cheek that he covered with his own hand. "How? Where...I mean when..."

"I've been in this body for quite some time now. I would have come to you immediately, but mi reina needed me more. I had to make sure my plans were not foiled by outsiders and that you found her when the time was right." The look she gave me was quick yet comforting in a strange way.

"That I found Rayne? You did this?"

The older woman shook her head slowly, never letting her smile leave us. "I did. You took in an old witch and treated her like family rather than the slave she was meant to be. You showed me more kindness than I could ever repay you for so I casted a spell looking deep into the future for a woman that could make you love again all on her own and placed your first love's spirit in her. Only her. I cannot tell you how pleased it makes me to see that your love for this one is true and much stronger than I ever envisioned. I made a promise to help you regain all that you once lost Nicolas," she uncovered the very book that opened the door for me, passed it to Nicolas then placed her hand on my stomach, "and soon that promise will come full circle."