"When it came time to let her go, I couldn't do it.  She liked what she was.  I was the one who sought 
mortality and death not her.  The part of me that loved her once couldn't let her go. She thought it was 
because I still loved her.  It was because of what we once shared I  couldn't let her die.  My heart belongs to 
Natalie.  No  one else--and will in this life and the next if she will have me."  Nick got up off the ground 
slowly.  "I'm no one's master as you are no longer mine.  She needs you as a friend and so do I!  
My  Father died in 1126, you are my oldest friend and I would like to keep it that way."

LaCroix turned toward Nick, his face as unreadable as usual and brushed the dirt off his jacket.  "Damn you 
Nicholas,I shall miss you when you are gone!"  He turned to look at Demetrie trying to escape.  "I shall return 
him to Divinia. I assume you do not need my help in this matter with the good Doctor?"

"I ll take care of it!"  Nick smiled as LaCroix picked Demetrie up by the collar and flew off into the night.
Anger flared again as Nick's eyes turned from gold to red and he pitched himself into the night toward Eric and 
his beloved Natalie.

------------------------------

Natalie awoke slowly not moving until she was certain of being alone.  The cavern was small and dank with a 
candle burning slowly on the north wall.  Water trickled in the back of the cave giving off an eerie sound as a 
shadow appeared on the adjacent wall as she set up.  Her arms and legs were not tied which she found strange, 
when the memories of the dark vampire came crashing back.  He stood before her now as she tried to focus in the 
dim light.

"You carry his blood, yet your heart still beats!   What are you?"  He bent down to look into Natalie s eyes.  
"You are exactly as Janette described you!  No wonder she hates you so."

"Well, the feelings are mutual I assure you  Mr. ----?"

"Chavelier! But you can call me Eric!"  He circled the room inspecting the candle and the cavern as if the 
first time almost nervous around Natalie.

Puzzled by his actions  "Your nervous!  Why?"

Eric turned to her.  "I'd expected to hate you immediately until I tasted your blood."  Natalie looked at the 
cut on her wrist from the car accident.  "But you have your doubts as much as I.  We are two of a kind you and 
I.  I could feel your love for him and the doubts, but they don t consume you!  How is this possible?"

Natalie rose to her feet and stood in front of  him  "Because deep in my heart, I know he loves me!"  She 
looked into Eric troubled heart.  "He has risked everything to be with me, even losing me.  I called him 
selfish earlier this evening.  I was wrong.  I realize that now.  He saved Janette because he once loved her 
and could not bear to see her suffer that what she feared most.  He would not cross me because he loved me 
enough not to condemn me to life he hated and I could not stand.  He was willing to die to be with me if that s 
what it took and he did.  We have been given a second chance at loving each other and maybe you and Janette can 
too if your honest with each other."  Natalie touched Eric's arm and looked in his eyes as a single blood tear 
escaped his eye.  She touched it and brought it to her lips letting herself feel what he was and  his emotion. 
 She offered him her wrist.  "Feel what it is I'm talking about Eric and you will know what I say is true!"

He touched her wrists gently  "You would trust me not to drain you after all that I have done!" He looked 
incredulously at her.

"It will ease you pain.  But I think only Nick's blood will soothe your soul!"

Nick appeared in the doorway in full vampire mode watching Natalie offer herself to Eric.  Pain as if she had 
put a stake through his heart stopped him cold in his tracks.  She had offered herself to him, a stranger, a 
man bent on killing her and himself.  He felt betrayed.  He would have rather been dead than watch this but the 
part that trusted her made him listen.  He finally understood what she felt about Janette and how he had hurt 
her.  His eyes returned to normal and he stood silently waiting for Eric's decision.

"You offer me a gift I cannot accept, but you have given me hope that there can be a future for Janette and 
myself.  I thank you for that."  He sensed Nick behind him.  Odd he could not feel him any sooner than that, 
then he realized why. He was like her!  He turned to face Nick expecting him to attack when he sees him 
standing quietly waiting.  "How long have you been standing there?"

Nick walked into the cavern never taking his eyes off  Natalie.  He came to her side and placed his arm around 
her waist waiting to see her response.  She turned to him and folded her body into his and welcomed  his 
embrace.  He held her closely burying his head in her hair and then released her.  Pulling a knife from his 
pocket Nick held out his wrist and sliced it deeply offering it to Eric.  "It's time to put your soul at ease, 
so you can go on with your life and Janette too!"  Eric took Nick's wrist and drank slowly for a few minutes 
and then stopped. 

"A part of  her will always love you and I think you as well.  But it's not the kind of love you and Natalie 
share.  I see that now and possibly I can learn to live with it.  I envy you de Brabant because you have found 
what all men seek.  A soulmate for all eternity.  I wish you well."  And he was gone into the night leaving 
Nick and Nat standing side by side in the cavern.

"I now know how you felt when you saw Janette and I together that day.  When you offered yourself to him I 
thought you had put a stake through my heart.  I will never do that to you again.  I swear it!"  He whispered 
gently in her ear as he feathered kisses down her neck.  He stopped long enough to look into her eyes for 
acceptance which he found readily and she kissed him passionately running her hand around his neck and into his 
hair.

"I want you Nick, right here, right now! So you had better tell me now if you can't finish what we're about to 
start here."  He responded by picking her up and carrying her back to the entrance of the cave where a blanket 
lay and placed her carefully onto it followed by himself.  He kissed her deeply know holding back nothing as he 
ran his hand up her thigh touching her gently through the pantyhose.  He let his hand roam her belly as he 
mouth assaulted hers with such passion she wanted it to never stop.  A groan escaped her lips as her removed 
her bra and panties placing kisses down her neck to her nipples.  He sucked gently until she thought she would 
go insane with need.  His hand never stopped caressing her thighs until he found her sweet wet spot gently 
easing his finger inside her.  She grabbed his shirt ripping it off to feel his cool skin against her breast as 
he moved inside her.  He took his lips away from her long enough for her   to see his blue eyes with gold fleck 
appearing.  She took her hands and placed them on his face and made him look at her.  "We can do this TOGETHER Nick!  Let the man love me first and then the vampire.  I need both."  She reached her hands down to unzip his pants and encircled  his erect manhood as he groaned with pleasure.  He arose from her as she whimpered "No Nick don't leave me like this!"  He jerked her to her feet and completely undressed her and himself picking her up and sliding her down his naked hard body.  She straddled him putting her legs around his thighs as he eased himself into her welcome core capturing her lips with his.  He slide into her slowly as his tongue began to caress her mouth with a sensual onslaught bringing her closer to insanity.  He laid them both back on the blanket in one swift movement as he began to move inside her.  Natalie ran her hand down his back to his 
buttock unable to get enough of him.  She moved with him bringing them both closer and closer to what they both 
sought.  He couldn't get enough of her.  Her warmth, her soul, he wanted to bury himself in her forever until 
he felt her start to come to him.  He thought he would go insane with pleasure, she arched toward him offering 
her body and neck to him as both man and vampire.  He plunged into taking her all to the core until she 
screamed his name over and over again.  He felt himself lose control as his fang dropped and he continued to 
plunge into her.  He needed her beyond all reason as he exploded inside her screaming her name at his release.

Natalie held him close as they both tried to regain control. She forced him to look at her.  When he met her 
gaze those blue pools gazed back at her and she smiled.  He traced her face with his fingertips lightly 
touching her lips and she drew his fingers into her mouth and sucked gently.  "No let me taste you and feel 
everything you feel."  Her fangs dropped for the first time as he offered her his neck and she drank slowly 
savoring the warmth and love she felt from him.  As she pulled away her eyes returned to normal and she offered 
herself to him.  His kissed her lips and then her neck and then drank slowly until they were both satisfied.  
Raising up on his elbows he played with her hair as she smiled back at him running her hands over  his naked 
body.  

"You had better stop that or we won't leave this cave all day!" He touched her cheek then gently kissed her.  

"A promise I will hold you to-Nick Knight when the bed is a little softer?"  Her laughter reached her eyes and 
his heart.

"I will never hurt you again Natalie!  You have my heart and my soul for as long as you want them.  My body to 
if it interest you?"  He ran his cool fingers down her naked thigh with a wicked grin.

"I will take them all Nicholas de Brabant-for all eternity- and I will hold you to that promise for as long as 
their is a breath of life in me and thereafter."  She looked at the entrance to the mine trying to judge the 
time before sunrise.  "We had better hurry if you don't want to ride in the trunk again!"  He got up and 
dressed her and himself with vampire speed.

"You want to fly or ride?"  He looked into her eyes looking for more than a simple answer.  She wrapped her 
arms around his neck and smiled.

"You fly, I'll ride!"  As she jumped into his arms and the flew off into the night.


The End.

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