Forever Love Ch. 04

Hi

I am back... but am not sure how long I can stay... My muse has taken a long vacation especially regarding Loving silver eyes but thankfully I was able to get this chapter out of her... and my editor InflamedSensuality was a big help... I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart.. J Please enjoy...and don't forget to rate, vote and comment!!!

Marie

* * *

As soon as she got into her room, she locked the door. Lisa would ask a lot of questions and since she had no money on her to pay for the cab, she had to ask Lisa for help but she was in no condition to answer anything.

The image of sharp nails slicing through his neck was still fresh in her mind. How could she ever forget that? She'd lost him forever and there was nothing she could do about it. She sunk into the carpet at the foot of her bed. Lelam Cardone had not only messed up her mind, he had messed up her life as well. Why? What could he possibly gain from her misery?

This was more than she could take... she felt sick from all the crying and her body trembled. She hated him, she hated him with all that she was and yet she couldn't stop herself from yearning for his touch. She couldn't stop herself from hoping he'd come and wrap her in his arms, telling her all that had happened was nothing but a nightmare.

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on the bed.

"Lelam Cardone, what have you done to me? I know I should hate you but why do I still want you?" she whispered out loud. She felt so lonely and there wasn't a single person she could relate to. She sighed as her mind replayed the moments she had spent with Alex. Memories were all she had. She sighed heavily as silent sobs shook her apart again. She was utterly alone in this world, no one would ever understand what had happened to her Alex and there was no one she could talk to so as to lighten the weight she had on her heart. Alex had died trying to save her and now she had to carry the burden of that truth all by herself.

"No... No don't..." she mumbled, trying to shout but she couldn't. "Please... I beg you stop!!" she tried to speak up again but in vain. That man had him by his throat and those talons looked even scarier. She knew what he was going to do, she'd seen it all before and she knew she wouldn't be able to save him.

She could see his back; his shirt was torn and covered in blood. He shouldn't die because of her. But the man who had him in that death grip had other plans. He threw him to the floor and raised his hand to kill him and that is when she saw the face.

"Alex!" she screamed as the talons shredded his skin into ribbons.

She crawled towards the unmoving body, knowing he was dead but still hoping... she reached out a hand to turn it over and when she did; it was not Alex who was lying in the pool of blood: it was Lelam.

She sat up shaking. She was crying uncontrollably. Seeing Lelam like that triggered something in her: a fear of losing him.

"Shhh... I am here..." he was beside her in a flash. Was she still dreaming? It had to be a dream. Why else would he be in her room?

"Marie, please don't cry..." he whispered holding her. She had wanted this consolation for so long... she wanted to hate him but the fear of losing him was greater than the feeling of hatred.

"No... no! He died because of you! I can't forgive you..." she sobbed, hitting his chest with her fists. Her soul yearned for him but how could she forget the death of her best friend?

"Marie, he is not dead... believe me! Hurting you in any way is the last thing I want to do please try to understand..." he replied, burying his face in her hair.

She couldn't say anything; she didn't know what to say. There was a genuine pain and regret in his voice and she wanted to believe him but she couldn't. She'd seen him die. She just sobbed against his chest; mixed feelings were overwhelming her. On one hand, she was crying for Alex but on the other hand, the tears were of joy. His hug suddenly made her feel like she had everything.

"I know I caused you a lot of pain in the past but believe me, I didn't mean to... I would rather die rather than cause you pain my little one..." he whispered.

She sighed. She was so tired of this.

"You should get back to sleep, you're still weak..." he continued laying her back on her bed and tucking her in.

"I don't want to fall asleep... I don't want to see all that again." She said in a small voice.

"Don't worry; I'll be here with you..." She'd been through a big trauma and he promised himself he'd do anything to get her out of it. When he moved to sit on her chair, she held his hand.

"Please, I don't want to go to sleep alone..."

He sighed. He didn't know if he could stop himself once he was in the same bed with her. He looked at the flimsy cotton shirt she was wearing and his body immediately reacted to what he saw. But he had to... she hardly knew him; no matter how he felt inside, he had to be patient. He nodded and got into bed with her. This was going to be a long night...

* * *

She stretched herself under the covers and froze when she felt a warm body beside her. She turned her head to look at his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful while he slept; he looked so different. The hard and uncaring face he usually wore was gone.

She couldn't stop herself from tracing a finger over those lips that had haunted her thoughts for so long.

Suddenly a hand snaked to grab her wrist and those eyes snapped open. She almost jumped off the bed if it weren't for his hands that kept her close to him. He kept on looking at her and smiling and finally he spoke.

"God, you're so beautiful," he whispered cupping her face with his other hand. She tried to look away blushing but he wouldn't have it.

He slowly pulled her towards him until their lips met. It was meant to be a chaste good morning kiss but as their mouth opened and their tongues met, it started heating up. Lelam knew that no matter how much he yearned for this, he had to stop.

When he broke the kiss, she was out of breath and panting. She looked into those hazel eyes, full of emotions and she knew she believed in him.

"I don't know why but I believe you. But is Alex really alive?"

"Yes, little one. Why would I ever lie to you?"

"I have to see him. I don't know why you say I can't see him now but he almost got killed saving me and he means a lot to me..." she said looking away. She felt somewhat guilty about telling him how much she cared for Alex.

"You've known him for very long, its natural for you to care for your friend." He replied as if he could read her thoughts.

"So does that mean I get to see him?" she asked; her face lighting up almost immediately.

He smiled, finally seeing her happy.

"Yes you can... but aren't you hungry?" he asked, still smiling.

She was about to deny when her tummy rumbled loudly and she blushed again. He laughed as he gave a small peck on her forehead and got off the bed. He was still fully dressed so he threw a towel at her. She smiled and walked towards the bathroom. Hmm... Breakfast and Lelam Cardon... interesting...

* * *

Lelam was pouring coffee when he felt another presence in the kitchen and he knew whom she was.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked from her bedroom door.

"I'm Lelam, nice to meet you..." he replied looking back at her and smiling.

"No, what are you doing in my house?" she asked again, visibly irritated.

"Uh... Lisa, he's here with me..." Marie chipped in from her room.

Lisa looked stunned. Her friend disappears for four whole days and then comes back as an emotional wreck and now after shutting herself in her room for two days; she suddenly had visitors staying over?

"Marie... you're getting me worried," she continued as she walked towards her friend. She still looked weak but there was a visible brightness on her face.

"It's okay Lisa, he's the one who took care of me..."

Lisa knew what she meant but still, she was worried.

"Breakfast anyone?" Lelam interrupted and the smell was mouth watering. Marie made her way to the table and Lisa followed. No matter how uncomfortable she was with Lelam around, she was hungry.

"Mmm... Bacon, toast and eggs!" Marie exclaimed clapping her hands... just the thing she'd been craving. She dug in as soon as she got on the chair and it was minutes before she realized Lelam only had a mug of coffee in front of him.

"Aren't you hungry?" she mentioned, her mouth full. It was a simple meal but it tasted so good.

"You go ahead, I need to make a call about the thing we were talking about..." he replied, his eyes twinkling. He could see her smile get wider but it also meant their secret would be out in the open. He hoped and prayed with everything he had for her to accept him. He excused himself and walked out of the house.

"Terrence, its time." He said after Terrence answered the call.

"Are you sure it's worth it? It would have been a lot easier if you had told her he was dead."

"Terrence, you know I can't lie to her or see her sad. She is worth everything..." he answered.

Terrence sighed. She was his mate and the mating thing they had was crazy. He just hoped she'd take it just as well as Lilliana had.

"Ok, I'll let him know. I'll see you later."

Lelam hung up with a heavy heart. Today was the first time he'd spent some time with her but this also could be the last they he'd ever see her. It made his soul ache but it was the truth and all he could do was hope.

* * *

"Alex, she will be here any minute..." Terrence said from the doorway while Alex paced around the room, still in his animal form. He looked at him and growled and continued with the pacing.

"You will have to face her, you will have to meet her... she is worried about you Alex."

He stopped and paused to phase back then hurriedly put on a pair of shorts and a shirt. They usually walked around naked because when they transformed, their clothes would be ripped into pieces but he was still new, he still felt kind of awkward walking around with no clothes on.

"I cannot see her like this; I am not the person she knew..."

"You still are the same person; you just have some added qualities in you. And I've told you everything about Lelam and Marie; she's bound to find out some day."

He very well remembered the discussion he had with his Alpha regarding Marie and her 'mate' Lelam. It had hurt him, she meant the world to him and though he tried a lot not to bring it up, it still hurt.

But he couldn't stand her being worried either. Would he be able to control his anger when he saw her with Lelam? He'd been the only reason she had to go through hell. According to what Terrence said, Lelam was innocent but... she had seen him die, how would he explain everything to her? He knew he was allowed to tell her the truth but how would she react? Would she accept him? Whatever happens, he would have to see her.

In ten minutes, he was looking out from the window at her. She was getting out of a car with another man he guessed to be Lelam. She looked so much thinner than the last time he saw her but she looked exited and once Luke -- one of the younglings -- showed her the direction of his cabin, she was running for the door. He smiled to himself and walked to the door and stood there with open arms as she ran to him.

"God, I was so scared, I missed you so much..." she gushed out as soon as she reached him and he crushed her in a big hug.

"I know... I am so sorry I couldn't do anything for you then..." he replied bitterly. Had that man done anything to her?

"Its ok Alex, I am fine now... I saw what he did to you, I'm just happy you're okay" she said looking into those blue-green eyes. The scene flashed across her mind again and she squeezed her eyes shut to push it away. It was all in the past. Alex was ok and that was all that mattered.

"But, how did you make it out alive?" she asked again, not sure if she wanted to know the answer...

"Terrence, Lelam's step-dad saved me..." he replied slowly like he was weighing the words he spoke.

"But how? Whatever I saw... that man literally ripped you apart..." she said, her eyes tearing up again.

"Shh... don't cry." He said, leading her inside and letting her sit on one of the huge armchairs.

"I'm ok now. It's a long story Marie and I'm not sure how you'll take it. You mean a lot to me and I don't want you to look at me like I'm insane or a freak..."

"Whatever it is that saved you, I want to know. I'd never judge you..."

He took a deep breath. This was supposed to be his biggest secret and she would be the only human to know this. "Marie... I'm- I'm a werewolf..." he said looking away from her. He didn't want to see the reaction that phrase made on her face.

There was silence for a moment. It couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds but to Alex, it felt like eternity.

Finally a small hand reached up to his face and made him look back into those chocolate colored eyes.

"If it is the truth, there's nothing to be ashamed of... I just am happy to be here with you, to be able to talk to you. No matter how you were saved, it would always feel like a blessing to me and no matter what you are, you'll always be Alex." She said looking straight into his soul.

The joy he felt was immense. He pulled her back into his arms in another crushing hug.

"But how does Lelam fit into all this? Why was that man after us?" She asked all of a sudden. But then she felt ashamed; she'd never given Lelam the chance to explain.

"Lelam... he is the single heir of a really big coven..." Alex trailed. He didn't know how much he was allowed to say. He knew he was her mate but still, he couldn't stop a selfish part of him from wishing she'd hate the vampire.

"Coven?" she asked pushing away, wanting to know more.

"Marie, Lelam is a vampire..."

She was stunned.

"A vamp- vampire?" she didn't know how to react. When Alex told her that he was a Werewolf, it had been difficult to believe but she'd known Alex for so long and she knew he'd never lie to her but Lelam was a stranger... no matter how safe she felt with him, she'd known him only for some weeks. She'd slept in the same bed with a vampire? She knew it was not fair to simply accept the changes in Alex and start feeling weird about Lelam but she couldn't help it. He was a vampire and vampires fed on humans... well according to the myths at least; that made a chill run down her spine.

"You okay?" Alex asked kneeling in front of her. She had suddenly gone still and he could sense that she was shocked.

"Umm... yes I am okay." She replied as normally as she could but her mind was full of questions.

Lelam had saved her and he'd been nothing but nice to her. She turned her head and looked outside. He was standing under a tree talking to some guy. Just look at him... she thought. He was huge; he looked dangerous... could she trust him? What if he had something to gain from all this? She didn't know a thing about vampires or covens or any of that shit but she had seen a vampire before and she had also seen what he could do... what if saving her and acting all nice was just a put up and there was something else to it?

She could trust Alex with blind faith and her heart was trying to tell her that she could do the same with Lelam but her mind was telling her something different. She could not trust Lelam Cardone. She'd been mentally as well as physically hurt and now she didn't want to get hurt again, in any way... she was going to stay as far away as possible from him.

"Alex... can we go someplace away from here? I-... I" she stammered. Everything around her was a swirling mess and suddenly her lungs seemed to disobey her.

"Marie..." Lelam was by her side in a moment but Alex stopped him.

"I think she needs to go back home," he said in a low voice. With that, he carried her and after giving a nod to his alpha, he ran off towards the road.