Keegan and Flanna Ch. 02

"I see," Keegan answered with a sinister smile. He suddenly broke into a fit of laughter and pulled his wife into his arms. "We will win, my love. For we have Gabriel's son."

Flanna's eyes grew wide with shock as she looked at the blonde man in front of her. "Then we should kill him now."

"Kill him?" Duana asked, her voice thick with concern. "I told him he would not die. You said he was special."

Michael watched the scene unfold as Keegan stepped forth and gripped his neck. He was lifted high into the air and shaken like a ragdoll. "Do you see Gabriel? I have your spawn. You and that vile Miranda are now going to watch me possess him. He will become one of us and for that you will have to destroy him."

Flanna's expression changed to pure wonder as she watched her husband drop the mortal to the ground. Michael landed on his splinted arm, the wood broke free and he gripped it tight within his grasp. Duana watched in horror as her father lunged at Michael and suddenly stilled. Keegan staggered back, his chest oozing the blood of his life from the stake that was protruding from it. Michael didn't understand what had happened. It all had been over in a blink. He staggered to his feet and watched the woman Flanna rush to her mate's side. "Keegan " she screamed, not believing that she was losing her mate.

"Hawthorn? On my ship?" he cursed and looked at the splintered wood, that had made up the cast on Michael's arm. "You are Gabriel's son. Only his son could hide the scent from me. . ."

The split had never been removed from Michael's arm when he boarded the ship. The group of ruffians that had kidnaped him, sold him, and eventually lost their lives for their greed had used the tree of the Hawthorn to set his broken bones. Michael's gaze flew to Duana's and he knew from her face that she was in a state of confusion. She turned toward the stairs and screamed for Law. He was there at her side before her words cleared her throat.

Law rushed to his father's side and held him close. "Who?" he asked. His eyes searching his father's face and then his mother's. Their minds were to clouded with sorrow and he watched his father's hand lift to stroke Flanna's red locks.

"I have never loved one such as you. You are my life, my heart, my soul."

"Keegan," Flanna cried and buried her head in his neck. She rocked him back and forth, until she felt his body arch in her hands and slowly begin to shake as if his soul were trying to break free. His skin burned and she released him. His body continued vibrating until it suddenly broke into a million pieces and shattered beams of red flames from every pore. He was gone just as quickly as the crimson embers had appeared. "NO " Flanna screamed and beat her hands on the deck of the ship.

Duana read her mother's thoughts and ran to Michael's side. "Mother, he had no clue. His mind is confused. Father . . .is wrong this is not Gabriel's son. Please . . ."

Flanna sneered back at her daughter, advancing slowly as Duana pushed Michael behind her. "He is Gabriel's son. He hid the scent of the wood and brought death to your father's house. You shield the enemy my daughter, now stand aside."

Law rose up and his eyes grew red. He shifted into a wolf and began to sniff out his prey's weakest point. His lips pulled back in a snarl and his nails clicked on the floor. "Why do you protect him?" his thought entered Duana's.

"He is special. We must not do this. Please. . .it was not intentional." She wasn't sure why she wanted to protect this human, perhaps it was because he had been the first to ever feel her thoughts since Rachel and she could sense in him a goodness that she had only sensed in Rachel. "Law, back away."

He stopped and stared at her.

Michael felt the side of the ship and quickly glanced behind him. The ocean waves licked the sides of the ship and he knew where his destiny was heading. Someone needed to explain to him what was going on and that woman was the one pressing her backside against him. He grabbed her waist and threw himself over the edge of the ship.

Duana screamed. The noise was echoed by Flanna and followed by Law's growl. Law changed back to his vampire shape and grabbed his mother as she attempted to jump in after her daughter. Heads were seen bobbing several times and then no more. Flanna collapsed in her son's arms and felt her world shift. Law watched in disbelief as the wind continued to push them toward the New World.

What stayed on Law's mind months later, as he sat in the home his parents had purchased long before their voyage began, was how the wind never let up and allowed them to reach the New World ahead of schedule. It was as if they were being pushed away from the site where his sister and the mortal Michael had drowned.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun was setting against the rolling waves of the deep blue sea. Michael wondered when she'd come out of the cave. It had taken months for her to heal. The burns and blisters of the sun had covered almost every inch of her flesh. That was when he had made the conscious choice to save Duana's life. As they floated in the ocean, he bit into his own flesh, tearing open a wound and then placing his arm over her parched lips. In time he watched her skin become fuller, though the blisters still appeared. She drifted in and out of consciousness during the three days they floated in the ocean, their only aid coming from a floating piece of wood that Michael suspected had come from some island miles away. When Michael had given up all hope of survival, he spotted an island and offered up thanks to Heaven.

As he pushed the small 'raft' of discarded wood he felt empowered and when they reached the sandy shore he was surprised to find he was not exhausted, but still had stamina to carry Duana into the thick foliage of the island's habitat. He'd left her there, searched for water and food, eventually he found both and gave more of his blood to the woman who had not yet woken up. A second day passed on the island and then another. In time Michael expanded his exploration of the land and discovered a cave. By now Duana's skin was swollen and her blisters were oozing puss.

Michael remembered the stories his mother Ann had told him concerning vampires; he knew Duana needed darkness. The cave he found soon became their home. Weeks passed as he offered her his arm every night and every morning. At first she was barely able to lap at his self-inflicted wounds, but as time moved on she grew stronger. The first night he knew she would survive was the first night she had almost drained him. He'd come to her, offering his arm and he cried out from her stinging lash. It was the first time he'd seen her fingernails change into talons since she suckled from the young slave Rachel's arm.

Her mouth latched onto his wound and she drank deep his offering. He grew weak, eventually falling to the ground and silently pleading for her to stop. Her hungry fog lifted and she heard his thoughts, quickly released him and began to offer apologies until her eyes released the tears they'd been holding back. They'd become friends after that. He'd search for food during the day; at night he would spend a few hours with her and then retire to the darkness of the cave where he would sleep, until his body was ready to begin another day.

He felt her before she spoke and once more he was amazed by the pull she held over him. "You have something on your mind?" he asked, though never turning around.

Duana smiled and settled down beside him. "Just the usual ones about how long we have been here. . .If we will ever leave?"

Michael lay back on the sand and stared into the sky, the sun had disappeared and now the stars were popping out a little at a time. "We will. I can feel it."

"How?"

"I don't know. It is just there, a sense that we'll be found. I've had this feeling ever since I was a small child. Ann, the woman I call mother, called it a gift from God. I knew when I was in trouble, when the branch of a tree I was on was about to crack, or when Ann had been hurt and needed me. We never lacked for anything, just like we aren't lacking here either. I've never struggled to find water or food to keep me strong, so I could help you grow stronger too."

Duana touched his arm. "Remember long ago, I told you, you were special. It is something that is a part of you. You too are a legend. You were spoken of as a great enemy. A man that would destroy my family, my people."

"I didn't mean to. . ."

His words were cut off, but the firm squeeze she placed on his arm. "I know you did not mean to kill my father."

She touched his lips. "Shh. . .I know this. But it was foretold. It is said that Gabriel's son will hunt down all of us that do not seek to live within the laws that are dictated to us. Laws of humanity and kindness. We are to seek out partners, mortals that will willingly love us and allow us to drink from them. To not let greed overwhelm us."

"This Gabriel. . .he was your father's brother? And Miranda. . .your mother's slave? Her pet?"

"Yes," Duana answered. "Miranda was brought to my mother as a temporary slave. She had spirit and that intrigued my mother. Flanna had always led her sisters. She was the head of the family, though each one was special it was still her responsibility to control their well fare. My mother enjoyed the fight of breaking Miranda's will. . .in the end though my mother lost that battle. Miranda lived to give birth to the one man that was destined to destroy her family. . .You."

Michael rolled to his side and pulled her down to the sand to lay beside him. "I will not kill again, Duana. You are my friend and they are the ones you love. I promise you."

She touched his cheek and ran her fingers over his lips. "Do not make promises you can not keep."

He felt the heat of her touch, though her skin had always seemed cool, with exception to the days she had been covered in blisters. His eyes gazed into hers and he read her thoughts. She too felt the power in the caress and she trembled. She pulled away and lay on her back. "What did you do today?"

He smirked and resumed his position on the sand and tucked his hands behind his head. "I was wondering when you would ask that. I did nothing. I was lazy today."

"You?"

"Yes. I had a feeling that I needed to relax and allow myself to just feel our island. I explored a few new places and discovered a few new plants, but all in all, my dear Duana, I . . .did. . .nothing."

She giggled and her laughter enriched his world. Michael had developed a friendship with the woman, who he'd learned, was just a few months older than him. He rolled back to his side, this time though his hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her toward him. The frayed fabric of her thin chemise, her gown long gone the first day they were at sea, was still too much for him to take and he gathered it up in a clenched fist. His eyes looked into hers and he noted the flecks of gold, red, and liquid black that seemed to blend together and spark with need.

He too felt a need, one that he was sure mirrored hers. His mouth moved over her lips and his tongue swept across the twin petals. When she moaned, her lips parted and he took advantage of it, invading the sweet space. His fingers released the bundled fabric and snaked down her thigh, lifting it slightly so he could knead the flesh.

Long ago he'd abandoned his shirt, tore away most of the material of his leggings to resplint his arm, that too was healed and now he had no aches or pains that deterred him from searching every inch of Duana's cool skin.

Their lips parted and she whimpered. "Michael, please don't stop."

He smiled down on her and kissed her again, his hand moving constantly over her leg muscles. When he parted from her dancing tongue it was to nuzzle her neck and whisper, "I want to see all of you. Touch all of you. Taste all of you."

He had never felt such desire for another being. He had never lain with a woman, but now he acted on instinct wanting to please her the way the men in the village spoke of the women they bedded. He parted her thighs with his hand and slipped his palm up her right leg. "May I?" he asked.

Duana shook her head yes and then spoke the word. Michael didn't know how long he'd wanted her, perhaps it had been the first day he awoke on the ship and noticed her raven strands gracing her heart-shaped features. Either way, he was lost to her and her allowance to his touch was all he needed to fulfill his desires. His fingers moved higher and tangled in the curls of her sex. He rubbed gently with the pads of each digit, watching her eyes flare with desire.

"Michael," she muttered and her fingers buried in the sand. Her eyes blinked several times and when he teased the strip of flesh that was at the top of her sex, she growled and for a moment, fangs she never used appeared. She closed her mouth, worried he would abandon his search, once he remembered what she was. She was either blessed or cursed with the blood of two different breeds of vampires moving through her. She could survive sunlight, but did not tolerate it well. Her preference for drawing blood was through the use of her talons, and not the fangs she worried Michael would find disgusting.

Michael felt her tense and then he sensed her sudden worry. He wasn't sure what it was, so he teased her clit until she was melting into the sand and coaxing him one with mews and pleas for more. He slid his tongue over her neck and bit the flesh gently. She trembled and he felt a hint of her juices slip onto his fingers. He smirked and moved the moist digits down her slit and between her thick lips. She lifted her ass and his pointer finger found a wet home to play in.

"Duana, you are so hot inside. Amazing," he said, before grazing her jaw. "Sit up my beauty. Sit up so you can show yourself to me."

Duana did as he requested. His finger still moved inside her, seeking a place to explore and memorize. As he did, the chemise fluttered to the sandy floor and she dropped back to join it. Duana too had rid herself of most of her clothing; time had torn and tattered the fabric she'd been wearing when Michael pulled her from the ship. Now she was bare to him and she never felt more comfortable in the presence of another. Her hands moved over his arms and she slid them down to each wrists. She brought one to her mouth and she licked it with her tongue.

"Taste me," Michael growled, his need to watch her drink was now a thrill that pulsated through him.

She looked at him, unsure of his meaning until he ran his fingers over her lips.

"I have seen them. Use them. Feel the passion that rolls through me from your touch."

Duana's lips shook and she opened her mouth. Her canine teeth grew and became the points of death that reached out for life. She bent her head to his wrist and slipped her fangs into his skin. Both she and her brother shared traits of both parents and though she preferred to pierce with her fingers, she did as her friend and soon-to-be lover had asked. She bit down, drinking in the heated core of his essence and loving the taste. Duana took a sample and allowed herself to feel it thicken in her veins. Her sex tingled and she drank more, until she was hungry for him and the need to possess him became a need she had to have fulfilled.

Releasing his flesh she stared back at him, the red satin dripped from her lips. Michael grabbed her hair and dragged her toward him. He washed her lips; her fangs sampled him again. He pulled away and growled against her mouth. "Woman, I need to have you."

She gasped and slipped her fingers down his spine and over the extended muscle that was pressing against his breeches. "I give myself to you," she hissed and tore at the ties that kept him caged.

He stood up and removed his torn slacks, then grabbed her knees and spread her legs open. The moon was high and the stars were shining brightly. There was a roll of thunder coming from the distance, but it went unheeded. He gazed down on her and felt himself give in to the obvious. He lowered himself to her frame; his sex pressed against the opening that was glistening with the juices he would one day drink from, yet never find relief. Placing his mouth against her lips he whispered his confession and then thrust inside her.

Duana's mind was pulled from the words of love he'd spoken to the pain of his claiming of her. Her cry filled the air and he pushed his tongue into her mouth swallowing the sound. In his mind he swore to her that the pain would end and in time she would feel a well of euphoria flowing through her.

Michael held himself still and then when he felt and sensed her comfort return he began the slow, torturous motion of prolonging his need. He pulled out and then slid back in. Each time he did he felt the skin of his shaft roll over the head of his cock. Her inner muscles worked him as if they knew he belonged there. He felt like a key being accepted into a most precious box that only he would feed from. "Duana," he groaned. His pace quickened and when he felt her hands moved to his hips and press encouragingly for more, he increased the strength of each thrust.

"Yes, my love. Harder. . . more . . .please give me more," she whimpered.

Her hands could not stay still, moving from his hips, to his ass, and then up his back to grab his arms and dig her talons into him. She felt the droplets of blood flow down his arms and she hungered for the chance to drink from him again. His taste was one she would never have enough of. She could lick and lavish him until she felt drunk and then she still would want more.

His cock ached; his balls felt tight and he could almost see the blood pumping into his shaft, keeping him thick for both their pleasure. He stared down at her, urging her to ride the threatening climax that was forcing them to lose their breath. It kept them both bordering on an edge of reason.

"Let go," he growled and felt her answer in the heat of her juices. She suddenly erupted all over him. "Oh Duana. . . my Love. . ." He shot his seed into her, his balls finally losing the war and seeking the welcoming home of the woman he loved. He covered her fleshy surfaces and continued thrusting until he was empty.

She pulled his face back to hers and she sucked on his lip. Her voice released a whimpered, "I love you."

He rolled to his back and carried her with him. She lay over him, her black hair a curtain that blocked out the light. Only her sparkling eyes, that glittered with red and gold, could he make out, but it was enough. He ran his fingers over her cheeks and then cupped her chin. "I love you, my beautiful vampiress." He coaxed her to him and kissed her again.

It would be many hours before he carried her sexually exhausted body to the caves and another month before a merchant vessel passed close enough to the island that Duana sensed that she could reach the men on board. Her musical melody pulled Michael from his slumber and when she ended her play of music and spells of charm, he awoke to the feminine touch of his woman's lips upon his sex. She loved him and then explained how she charmed the crew and then when she safely hid herself and Michael she'd released her spell and ended her melody.

Three months later they sailed through a large river and soon were anchored along the shores of New Netherland. They slipped off the ship the first night it docked.