The Rose's Soul Ch. 04

Kara Stanislov watched as her son paced wildly in front of her.

"You knew this was going to happen when you relinquished your title to him," she said, "so why are you upset?"

Aleksandr whirled around and glared at her, only to shrink back when she returned. Even if he was her son, she would not tolerate disrespect.

She'd gotten enough of it from his father.

"Because I love her," he said. "Do you think if I knew she would be part of the sacrifice... that I would still give up my position? Do you know how long it took for me to track her down? Dima was clever... sticking her with Viktor. It was the last place I'd ever look."

"Why?" Kara asked.

"Because he loves her also," Aleksandr said. "We're more alike than we thought. Even if it meant putting her in a hellhole... to him it was still better than having her be with me. He's always been so fucking selfish!"

"Oh? And you aren't?" Kara asked, fury lacing her words. "Like you said, you two are more alike than you think. You both never think of anyone but yourself. Have you even considered Annika's feelings?"

"Her feelings are not important," he said. "Women never know-"

Kara stood up and slapped him across the face.

"Dima was right to take her away," she said. "He may be selfish, but he has a better understanding of women than you... or have you forgotten that Annika always liked him better than you?"

Aleksandr looked at her, shocked.

"She would always come here, bringing gifts for him... or just wanting to see him... she loved him. If her memories of her true self weren't repressed, who do you think she'd choose?"

She walked over to the door.

"I think you should look at yourself before judging Dima... maybe you'd see something."

She left, and Aleksandr just stood there, staring after her.

The sound of her fingers on the strings, and her hand expertly guiding the bow sent bolts of desire and admiration through him.

She was magnificent.

He focused his gaze on her, her eyes closed, her long burnt-sienna colored ponytail swung slightly as she swayed with the violin.

She was beautiful, wearing a sky blue muslin sundress and white flats. She seemed free, and her emotions were conveyed into her playing.

She was happy, and she was thanking him for it. He'd made her happy.

The thought made him proud.

The dress shifted, and he spied the upper mound of a mocha-colored breast... with a solitary mole adorning it. He inhaled sharply. Did that one mole have a twin?

Or was it all alone, yearning for the feeling of a man's touch, his mouth covering it...

"...you ok?" Annika asked.

He blinked.

"What?"

"Are you ok? You just blanked out on me."

If only you knew, he thought.

"I'm fine. I just got lost in thought. You are magnificent."

She blushed and turned her back to him. He stood and walked to her, and ran his fingers through her hair, making the thin rubber band fall out.

"Don't confine something this beautiful," he said. "Let it out."

Annika shivered as he ran his fingers through her hair, and moved away, much to his dismay.

"What are we going to do today?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Courting me was part of the deal. Where are you taking me?"

Dimitri smiled, and took a step closer to her.

"I can take you anywhere," he said. "From the dark depths of promiscuity to the shimmering heights of pure sexual bliss. Your choice."

Annika scoffed, and laughed.

"I mean a place that actually exists, Dimitri."

He pulled her into his arms and placed his lips at her ear.

"I wouldn't say it, if it didn't exist."

Annika gasped, and Dimitri pulled her against him. She expected him to kiss her passionately, but instead he planted a chaste kiss on her lips before releasing her.

"I can only have so much control, Annika," he said. "But I did accept your terms... and I still want to hear you beg."

Annika bit her lower lip and averted her gaze. She knew he just wanted to ease the mood... but it just couldn't happen. She recalled how she'd looked into his eyes just a few minutes ago, expecting the obvious... and him proving her wrong. That kiss, even though she didn't want it to, touched her heart.

"Annika?"

She blinked, and smiled at him.

"I will never beg," she said, "but you will."

A slow, seductive smile played upon his lips. "And if I beg now?"

"Haven't you been begging all this time?"

"Aren't you being vain, Annika?"

"Being vain again, aren't you Nika?"

She paused. He hadn't said that last comment. Where had that come from? And why... was she so sure that the statement... was once spoken by him?

Her eyes darted to his face again. Recognition flickered in his eyes, and then he spoke.

"Is something wrong, Annika?"

"Something's wrong, isn't it Nika?"

Annika's hand darted to her forehead, and her eyes closed. She was getting a headache. And where the hell were these things coming from? She opened her eyes and looked at Dimitri. The room spun.

"Annka?!"

"Nika!"

"I'm not Nika!!" she screamed, closing her eyes again. A stream of images played in her mind, moving too fast for her to recognize any. Her eyes flew open.

Dimitri held her in his arms, and she fought against him, tears streaming down her face.

"Who is Nika?!" she asked frantically. "Who- who am I?"

Dimitri held back the sob in his throat. She'd been like this before the last time he'd seen her. Her father had looked at him, hatred in his green eyes, and demand he return his daughter.

"But she is your daughter," he'd pleaded. "Your daughter is coming back."

Ivan Vladmiri spat on the ground.

"My daughter is human," he said, "not vampire. I will deny her everything. Now turn her back if you wish to remain in contact with her."

Tears streamed down his face as he touched his fingers to her head...

...and as he repeated the action, it seemed like he was going to cry again. But he wouldn't.

He'd promised her.

"Ivan, find my daughter."

Natalya banged her fist on her lover's desk.

"And do what?" Ivan asked. "Bring her home and tell her all about her lovely past? Have her take away Andrei's right?"

"Andrei's right?" Natalya sneered. "Annika is older than him. She is your firstborn. And she loves her current life. She wouldn't take Andrei's position."

Ivan stood up at once.

"And you think that's a solution?" he asked. "What about the coven? And the others? Do you think they'll approve?"

"You're such an asshole," Natalya shouted, hitting the desk again. "Annika was supposed to marry the leader of the Stanislov clan. You know that with one attack they can crush us. An alliance is what we need."

Ivan began to speak, but Natalya held up her hand.

"No," she said. "I know what you're going to say. The royal family doesn't have any daughters for Andrei to marry, and marrying Annika off to an underling would insult them."

She headed for the door.

"I don't care that Liliya is your favorite consort," she said. "But my daughter has her right also. Find her and return her to her human parents at least. And Ivan?"

"Yes?" he replied.

"If I do not know that she is safe, you are going to regret the day you killed my husband."

His hands were at her throat at an instant.

"You are a mere consort," he said. "One, I might add, that I haven't touched in a while. Would you like me to revoke your punishment?"

Natalya smiled.

"Punishment?" she asked smoothly. "I thought you were rewarding me? Oh well..."

His grip tightened, and he pressed his lips to hers.

"Don't test me, whore."

"Are you sure... you don't mean tease?"

He released his grip, and grazed his teeth against her neck. Much to her dismay, she shuddered with pleasure.

But then again, it was expected. It always started like this. It was how Annika came into being. And if she wasn't careful, another one would be on the way.

"Natalya..." Ivan's lust-filled voice shot common sense back into her brain. She couldn't do this.

One rake of her nails and he was on top of his desk, holding the side of his head, blood running down his hand. She licked the blood off of her nails.

"I told you on the day you sent away my daughter," she said, "do not touch me, you vile son-of-a-bitch."

And, with a regal turn of her head and sway of her hips, she left the room.