Crimson Heart

Mardi Gras Publishing, LLC 133 Lake Front Dr. #204 Daphne, AL 36526 This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. ISBN-13 978-1-934329-27-6 ISBN-10 1-934329-27-4 Crimson Heart © 2007 by Sabrina Luna All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Cover art © 2007 by Stella Price For more variety in your reading selection, please visit www.mardigraspublishing.com

CRIMSON HEART BY SABRINA LUNA

CRIMSON HEART

SABRINA LUNA

CRIMSON HEART Do vampires dream? Alexander Rostova only knew that when he slept the sleep of the undead his mind was filled, consumed with vivid visions. They were visions of the past…his past. Both the good and the bad of his immortal existence melted together in an endless stream through his mind’s eye. However, Alexander felt the pang of loneliness this night more strongly than before. It was the evening before Valentine’s Day. A time of love, romance…and the bitter sting of Cupid’s arrow. The elders of Ordo Mortis had forewarned him. True love among their nocturnal kind was rare. As he settled down into his bed just before dawn, a dark, unbidden sense of uneasiness tugged at his heart. Natasha. Where was she now? It was the twenty-first century. Xander had left Europe a long time ago to explore the Americas. He recently found residence in a city known for its glitz, glamour and its ‘high life’…Las Vegas. Gambling all night took the bitter edge off his loneliness. Not to mention the steady stream of lovely ladies that attempted to seduce gamblers, like him. To Xander, these kinds of women were good for two things…hot sex and a fresh supply of blood. Still, in his heart of hearts, he missed his true love, his paramour. The crimson bond between Natasha and him still held tight after all these years. She consumed every fiber of his being. She was around, existing in immortality somewhere else. Maybe she was in China or England…or, perhaps, her homeland, Russia. Regretfully, he did not know.

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The satisfying warmth from his last feeding was still fresh in his veins. The woman was a dancer in one of the big, splashy Vegas shows. With blonde hair, blue eyes and the body of a Venus, she’d reminded him of Natasha. After the show, he wooed her with drinks, and then invited her back to his hotel suite. In the comfort of the expensive room, he seduced her with ease and managed to suckle a couple of pints of her crimson essence. The warmth of the showgirl’s blood was mingled with alcohol. The heady combination relaxed Alexander. However, this mortal woman was nothing more than a cocktail compared to his paramour. He let the showgirl sleep for a while after he’d fed, then woke her. “You have to go home now.” He smiled down at the dazed expression on her pretty young face. After she dressed, he walked her downstairs and sent her on her way. The blonde would be okay in the morning, he thought as the cab pulled from the curb. The only exception would be that she’d have a headache, but no memory or mark of his feeding. Being an immortal ‘upyr’ vampire had many gifts, but it also had curses too. Xander returned to his room. The sun had already begun to rise over the desert city of sin. He decided to retire to bed as the memories of Natasha stole over his soul. She made no secret of her love for him. She accepted him as an immortal upyr into her bedchamber and into her life. The youngest daughter of an aristocratic, yet financially impoverished Russian family, she was as strong-willed as she was beautiful. However, Natasha lived a sheltered life. Although she was well-mannered and educated, she longed to travel the world. Her family found her to be too high-spirited and sought to marry her off to better their financial status. Alexander remembered how he told her of his own travels and adventures as a vampire. Despite their nocturnal existence, the freedoms experienced by their kind were immeasurable. Natasha, he knew, wanted, longed for this type of life. Wanderlust filled her soul. She wanted a life of freedom and adventure. Desperately, she tried to coax him to give her the crimson kiss…the kiss of immortality.

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“Please, Xander, make me like you!” She pleaded. “I want to be with you forever, my prince.” My prince. The endearment stirred his heartstrings. Sometimes he felt so unworthy of her love, her affection that his soul ached. “’Tasha, my pet, you have been promised to another. Your family’s well-being depends upon you.” He protested. “Do you mean my upcoming marriage to Nicolai? It is arranged. I have no love for Nicolai. I am only a pawn. The marriage is only a business agreement between our families.” She gazed up at him with persuasive eyes. “Please, Alexander, take me away. Let me be with you, let me love you forever.” Being immortal, Alexander had made a solemn vow never to interfere in the destinies of mortals –be it monarchs or peasants. But Cupid’s arrow had pierced his heart and, after much deep thought, he finally decided to make the fair Natasha his forever on the evening before Saint Valentine’s Day. With a wide yawn, he slipped into the peaceful rest that only a vampire could know. The noise of the city below melted away and he drifted into the realm of dreams, recalling that fateful evening so long ago, so far, far away. **** A cold, wintry wind whipped around him. Alexander snuggled into his black wool cape. He stood on a stone balcony and gazed through a snow-covered window at a candlelit bedchamber. The roaring fire shed extra light into the room and added a special warm glow to the shapes on the other side of the glass. On the wall of the room, two shadows were silhouetted by the glow from the fireplace. As the interior of the bedchamber became clearer with his nighttime vision, he focused on the young woman. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed another girl dressed in servant’s attire. The girl left the room and closed the door behind her. The young woman was alone. She drew close to the hearth for warmth, rubbing her hands before the rich amber flames. As she angled her face toward the window, he caught a better glimpse of her delicate features in the soft, warm light. 3

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He stood, mesmerized by her beauty. “Natasha.” He whispered her name upon the frozen glass pane. It was late in the evening. Natasha was preparing for bed. In front of the blaze, she was dressed only in her lacy undergarments with a corset binding her torso and slimming her waist into an hourglass shape. How petite, how fragile she looked, he marveled with a mischievous grin. So innocently vulnerable, but Xander knew her well enough not to be deceived by her outward appearance.

Alexander was a bold contrast to Natasha’s delicate beauty. He had come dressed in stark black apparel, from the woolen cape around his neck to the tips of his leather boots. Blending with the shadows, he easily passed the armed guards. The men had been busy fondling and joking with a small party of comely women outside the main gate. Obviously, he mused with a smirk, Cupid’s arrow also speared some men to lust as easily as to love. He slipped by unnoticed despite his tall, sometimes menacing, stature. He was a former solider of a bloody battle where mortal leaders fought for power and control. Alexander was rewarded for his loyalty and his bravery by an elder of Ordo Mortis. Chosen from an unfortunate band of dying warriors, the elder had given him the crimson gift. The gift of immortality. So, unlike the familiar chronicles of folklore and legend, most upyrs were rarely deformed, grotesque or unclean. Quite the contrary, Xander kept himself well groomed. His mortal birth had bestowed him with high cheekbones and ruggedly handsome features. He had long hair with dark eyes to match. Amazingly, he still remained the same, even after several centuries of immortal existence. However, the bane of the crimson gift was seeking, pursing true love. Lovers came and went over time, but finding a true love, a special paramour to share a crimson bond with was a rarity. Alexander’s attention was once again drawn back to the lovely woman on the other side of the window. With delicate fingers, she reached up and pulled the pins that secured her hair, which she wore drawn up in a neat twist upon her head. She ran her 4

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fingers through her locks and tousled the tangled wisps of curls loose. Long, rich hair, the color of autumn wheat, cascaded down the back of her laced corset and draped down over her slim, white shoulders. Suddenly she stopped, frozen in mid-motion Natasha knew she was being watched. Alexander leaned out of the nighttime shadows, closer to the frosted pane. He waited in anticipation as she slowly turned toward the window. He smiled in through the snowy pane, his eyes met her gaze. Startled, her eyes widened. She pressed a hand to her breast, but she didn’t cry out. Her dismayed expression melted into a smile of pure, radiating joy. Natasha dashed to the window and tugged at the brass latch, which bolted it tight against the cold, windy night. A gush of warm air flowed out the open window, greeting him as she swung open the pane and ushered him into her bedchamber. No sooner than his boots lightly touched the wooden floor, Natasha’s thin arms encircled him and drew him to her in a welcoming embrace. “I knew you would come!” She whispered her voice breathless with excitement. “I knew you would come for tomorrow is Saint Valentine’s Day!” With a soft, amused chuckle, he wrapped his arms around her, marveling at her petite frame as he returned her embrace with a light hug. “How could I not come, my pet?” “Oh, you poor thing! Please come warm yourself by the fire.” She drew him toward the fire and removed his cold, wet cape from his shoulders. “I have no use for the warmth of fires, my dear.” He reminded her. “Only the warmth of your touch can ease the coldness of my timeless state.” Her bewildered expression made his heart flutter with mixed emotions. “How thoughtless of me!” she gasped. “Please forgive me.” She blushed and lowered her eyes in embarrassment. “Ah, ‘Tasha, there is no need to apologize. Besides, it is good to know that you care for me as if I were a mortal man.” He drew her chin up with his long fingers and gazed deep into her cornflower blue eyes. 5

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Natasha returned his smile. Within her face, Alexander sensed her love, her devotion to him. Yet, still, it amazed him she did not see him as a nocturnal creature that was feared by the superstitious villagers…a bloodthirsty upyr She was a tender, passionate beauty, he marveled, one who stirred the deeply rooted desire buried within his immortal soul. “Oh, Xander, I don’t want a mortal man. I want you.” She protested tenderly. Alexander gazed down into her face and cupped her flushed cheeks in his cool palms. “And I want…no, I need you too, Natasha.” He whispered. His voice held a bittersweet note of desperation and desire. A soft expression played over her face as he leaned in and captured her lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. The sensual heat of her mouth spread through him. It ignited his heart, soul and groin with an all consuming, passionate flame. Gently, she leaned back, pulling free from their kiss. Natasha then bit down, hard, upon her bottom lip. A small crimson dot formed on the soft, pink curve. There was a gleam in her eyes as she tilted her chin up and offered him a precious trinket of her love…her blood. A deep hunger filled his entire being as Alexander gazed down at the droplet upon her mouth. He could not resist, nor turn down her gift. “Oh Natasha, my love— She wrapped her arms around his neck and gently pulled him close Xander savored her blood upon his tongue as she pressed her lips to his once more. The crimson essence made her kiss taste like a forbidden fruit, ripe in the heat of passion. With a low moan, Natasha broke free from their kiss. “Please help me untie my corset, love.” She whispered with an urgent plea in her voice. Alexander’s eager fingers slid to her back and slowly began to unlace the tightly bound ribbons of her corset. Natasha’s breathing became heavier, deeper with each knot he unfurled. Her creamy breasts rose and fell with every heated breath. He knew her. She grew more and more aroused as he leaned in closer unbinding each knot. Her body gave off a rich,

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stirring scent of amber and musk. The utter ripeness of her entire being filled his senses and made him ache with hunger and desire. As the last of the ribbon came undone, Natasha gently laid a hand to his chest. Alexander easily slid the corset from around her torso and let it fall to the floor. She looked up at him and smiled. “Your heart, it beats so hard, so fast.” Her voice held a hint of awe and wonderment. “My heart beats because of you, ‘Tasha.” He smiled tenderly down at her. “Among our kind, our hearts do beat, but only with the life blood of others. However, if we go without consuming, without feeding, then our heart stops.” Natasha let out a startled gasp. “Would you die if your heart stopped, Xander?” He placed his hand over hers and shook his head. “No. An upyr’s heart stops only if he does not feed, then he becomes— He paused. Never in all his immortal existence had he imparted to anyone the darker, more sinister side of a upyr’s nature.

“H-he becomes what?” Natasha’s eyes widened. For the first time, since he’d revealed himself to her as an upyr, did he sense fear. Her fear. He held her hand more tightly, silently praying she would not pull away from him. “An upyr whose heart stops becomes a darker creature; an undead being with no soul and, therefore, becomes a rogue. He is forever damned and extremely dangerous.” Alexander explained in a gentle tone. “But you have nothing to fear from me, ‘Tasha. I feed regularly and I am consumed with love…love for you.” He felt her body tremble slightly as she drew a deep breath. “Are the rogue upyrs the ones the villagers speak of? Are they the hideous, evil creatures that stalk the night and kill children and cattle?” “Yes, I’m afraid so.” Alexander let out a heavy sigh. “The elders of my vampiric order have been around for centuries. They attempt to destroy any of our kind who have turned rogue.” He slowly brought her hand to his lips and brushed a tender,

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feathery kiss upon her fingers. “But I swear to you, Natasha, you are safe with me. Do you trust me, my paramour?” To his relief, a smile gradually replaced the worried expression on her lovely face. “Yes, my prince, I trust you and I love you too.” Unbridled joy swelled in his heart as he planted a light kiss upon her lips. “Now, where were we?” He winked as a mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. She stepped back from him, her eyes flickering in the golden glow of the fire lit room. Tugging at the sides of her undergarments, she shimmied her hips and slowly slipped the material from her waist to the floor. Gingerly, Natasha stepped out of the pile of pooled lace and stood before him naked. Alexander marveled at her beauty as his hot, lusty gaze swept over his lover’s bare feminine curves. “You are so beautiful.” He licked his lips in eager anticipation. Xander wanted to taste every inch of her lovely body. He reached for her, but she brushed his hand aside. “Patience, my prince.” She flashed him a sassy smile as she unfettered his shirt. Her fingers were warm, her touch gentle and unhurried. Tossing the shirt aside, she exposed his skin to the night air and leaned close to plant delicate, soft kisses over the expanse of his chest. Xander speared his fingers into the soft, ringlets of her hair as she sank down onto her knees in front of him. With the same graceful ease, she unfurled his trousers. His heart beat a rapid tattoo as her fingers encircled his cock and drew it into the velvety softness of her mouth. Her sensuous mouth moving over his cock quickened the fire in his veins. Heat swirled over his length under her moist tongue. It was enough to make the hunger of his vampiric nature stir deep inside him. He tossed back his head, drawing a ragged breath. Control. He willed himself as hunger and desire wagered a battle within his entire being. It was all just too much. Xander let out a low moan. “Ah, ‘Tasha! You’re torturing me!” Natasha slid his slickened cock from her lips. She gazed up at him with a twinkle in her eyes. “Oh really?” 8

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“Yesss!” He hissed like a snake. With a swift move, he swept her off her feet and carried her over to the large bed. “And now it’s your turn.” He smirked as he lowered her naked body onto the downy mattress. Alexander stood motionless for a moment by the bedside. He gazed down at her lovingly, mesmerized by his paramour’s beauty. The sensuous curves of her breasts rose and fell with every breath. Natasha’s creamy complexion glowed in the candle light, which accented her face’s angelic features. Her wheat-colored mane fanned out over the pillow like a golden halo. Natasha smiled up at him with her heart-shaped lips. “Come to bed.” She gently coaxed. The sweetness of her invitation tugged at his heart. Carnal desire also burned through Xander’s body. In wicked response, his thickened cock strained with desperation. He quickly discarded the remainder of his clothing and slid into the bed beside her. Scooping her into his arms, the heat of her body pressed against his cool skin. She was as warm as the candle’s flame and he, like a moth, was drawn to her with burning desire. Their lips came together in a passionate kiss. The taste of her mouth was like honey and as intoxicating as wine to his vampiric senses. His tongue flickered over her neck, tracing over the thin, delicate lines of her pulse. Tension tightened in his soul. Not now. He silently cautioned himself as he struggled to remain in control. He kissed his way down over her breasts. Natasha let out a low moan. “Oh yes!” She uttered, her voice low and raspy. Alexander flicked his tongue over a nipple. He drew its firm tip between his lips and slowly, sensually suckled. “Oh, you’re torturing me now.” Natasha squirmed in his embrace. Xander let go of her nipple with a gentle pop. He gazed into her eyes. Her blue eyes glimmered with arousal, mirroring his deeply seated emotions. “You’re so luscious.” He smiled. Natasha’s body shivered beneath him. Her seductive scent filled his senses. Sliding a hand down between his legs, she brushed his cock. “So are you, my prince.” She 9

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curled her fingers around the circumference of his erection. “And I want every inch of you.” He sensed her heightened anticipation mingled with her arousal. Alexander grinned. “Not yet.” He replied in a heated whisper. “I will take you when I’m ready.” Like a silken ghost, he smoothly glided down over her naked body and parted her legs. Natasha closed her eyes. She lay back onto the pillow, ready, eager to submit to his wicked whim. Alexander smelled her womanly scent--dark, rich musk with a hint of amber. It permeated his soul. Ringlets of golden, amber scented curls encircled the moist lips between her legs. Never, in all his immortality, had a woman so enticed him with her feminine charms. A low groan escaped from his lips as he lowered his head. Her body quivered as his mouth lightly brushed over her silken lips. “Oh God!” she whispered hotly. “Oh, Alexander!” Ever so gingerly, he ran his tongue over the velvety folds. He traced the contours of her sex. With a hiss of delight, Natasha sank her hands into his hair and held tight. Slick cream oozed from her as he heard the sounds of her ragged breathing. In the heat of passion, he lightly scrapped a fang over a soft fold. Natasha groaned as Xander swiped his tongue over the thin scratch. The aphrodisiac mixture of her feminine honey and the tang of her blood made his senses reel. He laved her sex, exploring every inch of her with his tongue, teeth and mouth until he sensed tension. The sweet tension that signaled her impending orgasm reverberated through her body. He slid a finger into the narrow, moist slit between her lips. The velvety walls of her sex welcomed his digit, gripping it tight. Natasha whimpered. Slowly, he moved his finger in and out of the moist slit as his tongue flickered over her berry-ripe clitoris. With a gasp, Natasha’s hips rose in response. The sound of her moans filled the room as Xander continued his sweet torture of her sex. Her tension rose higher and higher until she exhaled a low, deep groan of release. A strong surge rippled through her sex, through her body. Her fingers tightened in his hair as the orgasm washed over her. Xander held perfectly still until the last wave 10

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passed, and then, gingerly withdrew from her sex with a deep sigh of happiness. He glanced up to see his paramour’s naked body flushed with a rosy hue of color in the soft candlelight. As Natasha regained her composure, she slowly opened her eyes. A smile curled over her lips. “Mmm! That was incredible.” She purred like a cat as Alexander slid beside her. His ridged cock brushed her belly. “No, you’re incredible, ‘Tasha.” He replied in a low, husky whisper and pulled her into his arms. She abandoned herself to him. His tongue slowly began to trace over the veins in her neck. The scent of her rich blood filled his senses. Never, ever, in all his extraordinarily long existence had he wanted a woman like he did Natasha. Xander knew he wanted to make her his forever. He felt the warmth of her hand, the soothing stroke of her fingers as she touched his cock. Breaking their kiss, she gazed at him with lust in her eyes. “I want you inside of me.” The tender plea in her voice wrapped around his heart like raw silk. Xander raised his head from her neck and gazed into her eyes. He smiled. Her eyes were dilated, revealing her arousal in the soft glow of the room. He drew a ragged breath; his cock ached between his legs. With his vampiric senses, Xander felt the room shimmer with energy …a potent energy that seemed to swirl around their bodies. He rolled over and positioned himself between her legs. “I feel as if I am in a dream” He mused with a whisper and kissed her soft lips. Natasha moaned in response. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders. She drew him close. Her sweet surrender sharpened the heated desire coursing through him. He drew his cock to her moistened lips. The musky moisture of her sex spurred him on. She was slick and readily eager. Xander slid into her with one swift roll of his hips. He felt the passionate heat inside her body consume, envelope every inch of him.

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With a low, erotically-charged groan, Natasha wrapped her legs around his hips and drew him deeper into her fire. He gazed down into his paramour’s eyes. A smile curled over her lips. “Ah, you fill me with ecstasy, love.” She uttered in a ragged whisper, then, bit down upon her lip. Another crimson droplet surfaced on the dewy curve of her sensuous mouth. Xander kissed her, sucking away the drop of blood from her lips. The euphoric kiss burned from his lips straight through to his cock. His hips moved rhythmically into her. Natasha moaned as the dark crest of arousal began to descend upon her. He gazed into her face as her eyes shut tight. She surrendered to the passion of their embrace as he moved, striving toward release. Her legs locked tighter around his waist, her hands gripped his shoulders in desperation. He felt her move beneath him, in sync with the heat of their mutual desire as it spiraled out of control. The moment was near. Alexander leaned close to her face, his breath coming in hot pants as he spoke. “Natasha, will you be mine?” “Oh yesss!” She hissed on the edge of her own orgasm. “Yours forever, my, oh, my prince!” Her body went rigid beneath him. The white heat of her climax rippled through her body, through her sex and straight to his groin. With an animalistic groan, Alexander bared his fangs as he continued to ride her blissful waves. Her sex gripped his cock like a warm, friendly hand as he arched his mouth to her neck. The thin ribbons of blue veins pulsed beneath the surface of her fair skin.

“Mine forever.” He groaned. His cock exploded inside her. His fangs quickly sank into her neck. His cock had spurted its hot, milky seed deep inside her sex and then rested there. Xander moved his mouth against her neck, tasting the tangy nectar of her blood. Natasha gave a soft whimper and speared her fingers through his hair. In the back of his mind, he regretted causing her pain. She cradled his head to her neck. The loving gesture comforted him before he pulled away. 12

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Her skin was paler than usual. She stared up at him with glassy eyes. Mortis was upon her. His heart fluttered Alexander knew the exchange, the ‘kiss’ had to happen as soon as possible…or else. “Now, it’s your turn, my paramour.” He whispered. “You must drink from me now, without delay. Do you understand?” Her body shivered beneath him, but she gave a small nod. He knew she sensed it. Death was close, possibly lurking in the dark shadows of the bedchamber. Alexander held an index finger to his throat. Effortlessly, he drew his fingernail harshly over a vein. Sharp, jagged pain blurred his vision. He recalled the sensation of a knife’s blade from his mortal life. Then, the hot blood began to trickle down his throat. “Drink.” He bid in a hoarse whisper. Tenderly cupping the nape of her neck in his hand, Xander drew her up to the crimson slash. Natasha sealed the painful throb of the self-inflicted wound with her lips. Pain intermingled with pleasure. His inner vision was filled with flashes of color— bright crimson, splashes of purple and green. The energy surged in the air around them as a shiver of delight rippled through his body. She was a quick study, her mouth moving over his neck like a seasoned upyr. He lost consciousness for a moment in the sheer ecstasy of their souls melding together. Like a ghost of the past, he recalled what an elder of Ordo Mortis had told him many centuries before. “Be careful with whom you share the crimson kiss, Alexander. It is a ‘give and take’ of a very ancient alchemy. An alchemy that will bind your souls together…for all eternity.” Eternity. His heart fluttered, this time with sheer joy. Natasha would always be young, beautiful and forever his paramour. Alexander flashed his wide smile as she slowly moved away from his neck. Her eyes glowed with energy and her lips were stained dark crimson. It was blood. His blood. “How do you feel?” he asked. Natasha ran her tongue over her lips, wiping the bloody smear from her mouth. Then, she gazed into his eyes and laughed. 13

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A gust of wind blew open the bedchamber window with a loud clatter. The icy wind whipped through the room, snuffing out the candle and cast the room into cold darkness. **** Alexander awoke with a jolt. The room was dark around him. He was alone in his suite in Las Vegas. The dreamy laughter still haunted him like an unfriendly ghost of his past. It had been a century since Natasha left. Sadly, he realized that their vampiric existence had not curbed his paramour’s wanderlust. She longed to explore the world on her own…without him. “It’s not that I don’t love you, Xander. I just want some time alone. Please understand, my prince.” She pleaded. Although he didn’t understand why she wanted to travel without him, he’d never denied Natasha anything. He opened the blinds and gazed down at the city below. The lights of Vegas twinkled around him like diamonds against the darkening skyline. Xander felt the hum of the city in his veins. Natasha, his paramour, was out there somewhere. The world was a large place. However, he could still sense her. He gazed out into the western sky and placed a hand over his heart. Drawing a deep breath, he closed his eyes and turned inward. As he quieted his mind, he sensed the energy swirling around him. Listening, sensing with every fiber of his being, he reached out to her…wherever she may be. The soft thump of his heart was met by a faint echo. The echo of another heartbeat. The throbbing rhythm grew stronger beneath his hand. Natasha. Their two hearts still beat as one. Overcome with rapture, Xander sent out a plea on the pulsing waves of energy from his heart. “Please come back soon, my paramour. I miss you.” The deep throb of their mutual heartbeats consumed his senses. She was so far away, yet so close, he ached with longing.

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“I love you.” He added, then tuned into the crimson bond that held them together once more. The energy swirled, and then crackled. It was laughter. Her laughter pulsed through their crimson heart connection. “I love you, too.” Natasha’s message throbbed through his heart. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my prince. I promise I will return to you…soon. The End

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