Chapter Twenty

The being sitting across from Joshua in the black stretch limo intimidated him, and caused fear to course through his veins, making his heart beat faster and his blood run quicker, sending off a sweet sent of the crimson liquid to the threatening vampire.

He had dared to step back onto their grounds, but he was ready to face any consequences that he had to to get back to Christabela. His words would have to be chosen wisely, for the fate of his life depended on the leader of the coven he so desperately wanted to be a part of.

"I love her with all of my heart and I simply want the chance to prove that to her. The choice of life I wanted to lead was given to me by Maharet and McKeer and she did not allow me to make that choice, she made it on her own and I have returned to voice my opinion."

Christopher's lips turned into a sly grin as Joshua finished his words and he glanced out the window seeing the castle approaching in the distance.

"You dare to stand against her, as well as us." he spoke, returning his gaze once again to the fear filled man.

"You are a brave soul to dare such a task. We as her coven will stand by any decision that she makes and you do understand you have put yourself in great danger? We will do whatever we must to protect her."

Joshua nodded his head slowly and knew, without a doubt, that Christopher would take him down in an instant without so much as a second thought.

"You saved me Joshua, you sent my father to the pits of hell, and you've certainly captured the heart of Bella, for that I will give you the opportunity to stand before her."

The car pulled to a stop in front of the castle and Joshua turned his gaze away from Christopher for one brief moment to watch as the door to the limo swung open and returned his gaze back to him as he finished his statement.

"If she wants you gone, then you will leave and not return UNLESS I or one of the ancients call upon you. Should you chose not to obey the second time, then this life time as you know it will end."

With that said Christopher stepped from the vehicle and made his way to the castle doors stepping into the foyer as they immediately opened upon his presence and turned to wait for Joshua to follow. Joshua immediately noticed the change in the castle from the air alone and followed closely behind Christopher letting his eyes dart from side to side expecting someone or something to jump out at him at any given moment. The feel of the castle was no longer cold and stale, but warmer and a feeling of closeness among those behind the large stone walls. They were no longer a group of people.....a coven of many....it was as if they had become one whole being and Joshua, who left as a friend to those there, now seemed to be an enemy and a threat to those hidden from him.

Lost in his thoughts as he watched the area around him, he ran into Christopher as he came to stop on the patio and turned, facing him, as he stumbled back away from him.

"My sister means the world to me and I won't see her hurting any longer. You are the one who has caused her so much pain, but I know that it was not intentional, Christabela is a stubborn one."

Joshua followed Christophers gaze as he turned his head toward the garden and sighed at Christabela sitting amongst the flowers in the moonlight.

"This is your last chance Joshua, go to her and tell her how much you lover her, if she turns you away, then i'm afraid you will have to go, but should she chose to embrace you, then we will all welcome you with open arms."

Joshua felt relief wash over him as he turned finding Christopher watching him, a soft smile forming across his face.

"Good luck to you Joshua."

He held his hand out offering a firm shake to him and pointed out across the grounds toward Christabela.

"Go to her."

With a nod, Joshua took in a nervous breath and stepped away from Christopher toward the steps that would lead him to the garden where his future awaited him.

"Hold it right there."

Joshua froze in his tracks as Lance stepped away from the darkened corner of the patio and allowed the light to graze down upon him and the stern look he held on the christian man. Thoughts of the first time he had ever met the man before him filtered through his head and he reached up, lightly touching his cheek where a slight scar still remained.

"You disobeyed this coven and stepped back into our world unwelcomed and for that alone I should stake you till your blood runs dry. You are lucky Christopher let you off with nothing more than a warning and took you at his side, for if it weren't for him you would have become a blood feast."

His eyes changed from green, to yellow, to red within a split second and Joshua braced himself, preparing for the rathe, as Lance moved closer to him putting them nose to nose.

"The pain she has suffered through since your leaving has been extremely hard on her and I don't like it one bit. She is very dear to me and I have loved her for a long time so take heed to my warning, if she does not approve of this return I will personally see to it that you leave here at once with a reminder of why you should never return. Do I make myself clear?"

Joshua swallowed uneasily and nodded his head in a slow rhythmic motion not daring to move his eyes away from him or make any sudden move that would upset the already angry vampire in any way. This man held hatred for him from day one and somehow Joshua knew that is was not Christopher that he would ever have to be afraid of, but the one in front of him who would always be close by watching him from the shadows.

He felt himself relax a bit as Christopher stepped up pushing Lance away from him and slipped his arm around the angry mans shoulder guiding him toward the double french doors that stood opened.

"The decision about Joshua is up to Christabela, not you. Let us go inside and leave the two alone to speak and decide on Joshua's fate."

The two vampires disappeared into the low lit castle leaving him alone with the rough task ahead of him and his silent prayers for her to hear him through.

The moonlight cascaded across her silky skin, setting off a warm glow, and his heart raced as he stepped from the patio and inched his way toward her, stopping just a few feet behind her, taking in her beauty. Never had he felt such strong feelings for someone in all his life and the thought of not being able to be with her frightened him to no end.

***

She knew he was there, she had sensed him the minute he stepped from the plane, and had hoped she had been wrong, but feeling him behind her, she knew she hadn't been and remained still, waiting for him to make some sort of move.

Hesitantly he reached his hand out to touch her, and quickly pulled it back as though he had been burned, taking a deep breath of the air that seemed to be closing in around him. She heard all of his thoughts as they raced through his mind and closed her eyes, speaking to relieve him of his misery.

"Why did you come back Joshua, when you were told I didn't want to see you?"

She knew his answer, had heard the conversation between him and Christopher, but she wanted to hear the words from him and she waited patiently for him to allow himself to be seen and heard.

He was startled when she spoke to him, but the short time he had spent with the coven he had learned that there was no hiding from them, they knew of mortals whereabouts no matter how hard you tried to hide from them.

"I only ask that you give me a chance to explain and not turn me away without really listening to what I have to say."

She opened her eyes and glanced up at him as he stepped around in front of her, nervously meeting her eyes.

"I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life and I want to be a part of you, I want to be your eternity and have a family with you. Give me that chance Christabela, please."

The pleading in his eyes was too much for her to bare as she looked away from him, standing to turn her back to him.

"You don't belong here Joshua, go home, and forget that you ever knew I existed, erase me from your memory and live your life the way it should be."

She felt the pain that stabbed at his heart, but refused to change her mind and allow herself to fall for him any harder than she already had. Turning him away was too much for her to bare, but feeling his pain as well was torture.

"I can't erase you from my memory, when my heart knows every detail about you."

Tears of blood fell down her cheeks and she tried to wipe them away before he stepped in front of her, trying to take her into his arms as she shoved him away, keeping her distance from him.

"NO JOSHUA. GO. And don't ever come back here."

She ran a short distance before her feet left the ground and in an instant she had disappeared completely from his site, leaving him alone and in tears in the garden. It was of no use, her mind had been set and no amount of begging or pleading would make her give in to him and he knew there was only one option left for him to try. If Maharet and the other ancients wouldn't help him then he would take his own life to keep from suffering from living without her.

@2004Lancesharmony