Joshua

In his mind he heard his name being called and turned to find Natasha standing behind him, her long hair flapping in the night breeze.

"She senses you, she's calling out to you. Answer her."

"I can't."

"ANSWER HER."

He sat down in the moist grass, wet from the dew, and sighed in frustration, closing his eyes, letting the images appear to him again. He was standing outside the church talking with Maharet when a movement in the distant caught his eyes, and he turned to find two figures standing side by side watching him, and he concentrated, straining to hear their conversation until their voices became clear to him.

"Take him Christabela, and you will be doomed to hell. He does not belong in our coven."

The visions became blurry, but he could still see the pain that clearly showed in her eyes.

"You walk this earth for me and me alone."

"But I love him."

The voices faded along with the image, but her last words continued to echo over and over in his mind, as he opened his eyes, looking up to Natasha, and stumbled as he stood, feeling his whole body grow weak.

"She loves me."

Natasha nodded as a weak smile grew across her face and reached out touching his cheek lightly.

"Go to her before it's too late. Only you can reach her."

He hugged her quickly and ran back into the castle and up the stairs stopping as he came face to face with Lance and Justin, their eyes red and the anger reaching his soul.

"You were warned." Lance growled, and reached out for Joshua, missing him as he dodged his grasp and ran the hallway in search of Christabela. His mind searched, seeking out her location and he felt himself lift from the ground as he quickly floated to the door at the end of the hallway and disappeared through the thick wood, away from the steaks that flew toward him and the two vampires that were quickly advancing on him.

He moved the heavy armoire with ease to the front of the door, blocking it and tested the powers he momentarily held, keeping Justin and Lance from getting inside. Turning from the door, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he found Christabela laying comfortable in the center of the four post bed sleeping heavily, and moved toward her, sitting down on the edge of the bed, gazing down at her beauty.

He had to do what he could to convince her he belonged, and with Lance and Justin hot on his trail he had little time to do so before they found a way to him. The powers he held for the next twenty four hours were uncertain to him and he knew the vampires were perfectly aware of that, with greater powers they could break him down and with only Natasha on his side they would turn him into a feeding frenzy and torture him to his death.

He listened closely to Justin and Lance as they struggled outside the door, desperately trying to break through his powers, and leaned down pressing his lips to her soft, silky ones, lightly moving his lips against hers and reaching out with his mind calling her name.

Someone was with her, she knew as well as the others did that a stranger had entered their world, only to her, he was no stranger. Natasha had left her open, allowing her to see all that was taking place and feeling Joshua as he drank her blood, witnessing each vision that flashed through his mind as he glimpsed into her life. He knew the truth now, knew the horrors Petradon had placed in her mind, knew the threats of her falling in love with him, and knew that she was, in fact, deeply in love with him, and was doing what she could to block that love.

His lips were soft and gentle and she allowed herself to awaken and respond to the soft touches he placed upon her. Her lips parted, shocking him, but his shock quickly faded to passion as her tongue slid between his lips and through his teeth grazing against his own.

She tasted sweet from the traces of blood that still lingered from her earlier feeding, and he tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss and allowed his trembling hand to touch the softness of her leg and find it's way to her thigh, stopping, feeling nervous about exploring any further.

Their lips parted and their eyes opened, gazing into the others, speaking to one another with silent words of love, as Lance's voice echoed through the room with promising threats of torture, and Joshua quickly pushed his fears to the side, moving both his hands under the hem of the t-shirt she wore, and slid his fingers under the waist of her panties, slowly sliding them down her

long, lean legs, pulling them free and tossing them to the floor.

Christopher moved quickly through the castle with McKeer and Maharet behind him, shoving past Justin and grabbing Natasha, pulling her from where she had been hidden in the corner from Lance's rage.

"What the hell have you done?" His voice boomed, and her eyes filled with fear as she looked around to all the vampires that began to gather around them, waiting on Christopher to give his orders of attack.

"She loves him Christopher, I only wanted him to see that before the two of them were lost forever. Don't deny them that love, Petradon has already taken so much from you, don't allow him to rewrite the books for her. They were meant to be together, don't stop them."

Lance moved to Natashas side, forcing her to look into his anger filled eyes, as the yellow grew stronger, turning into a crimson red.

"NEVER go against anyone in this coven again, you had NO right....."

"ENOUGH."

The vampires parted, allowing Laurent to pass through the crowd and to Natasha, pushing Lance away from her, and placing her hands on Natashas cheeks with a smile.

"This child did nothing wrong." she claimed, turning to the angry vampires lined around her. "I am the one who put the idea in her head, and I am the one who led her to those viles of blood. If any of you have a problem with that, then you face me, but you are to leave her alone. Is that understood? From this point on whatever happens between Christabela and Joshua is between the two of them, and NO ONE will interfere."

Silence remained heavy over the crowd and Lance nodded, allowing himself to relax, and his eyes to return to their normal green. Laurent had given a command, and though he knew he should follow it, his determination to end Joshua was stronger and he swore to get to him before Joshua could convince Christabela to embrace him.

Joshuas hands moved slowly with gentle ease, as he pulled the t-shirt Christabela wore up and over her head, and leaned back taking in the view of her beauty, completely naked before him.

He had dreamed of this moment for what had seemed to be an eternity to him and he ached to move slowly and enjoy every touch, every feel, and every breath that they shared, but time was of the essence, and he knew Lance was getting closer to getting through.

Her hands pulled at the cotton material of his t-shirt, gathering it into her fist, and pulling it over his head, tossing it to the pile of discarded clothes, and slid her fingers into the waist of his jeans pulling him with her as she leaned back onto the feathered mattress, allowing him to settle between her legs before pulling the button open and pushing down the zipper, releasing some of the restraint that was binding his growing erection.

His jeans were pushed down his legs and he rolled to his back next to her kicking them, along with his boxers, to the floor, and moved back, resting his weight on his arms as he settled back between her legs, gazing down into her eyes, burning a trail with his passion filled eyes to her lips, leaning down to capture them with his own.

His erection ached with more pain than he had ever known before and he felt as though he would burst when she grasped him in her hand and moved it in a slow, up and down motion, jerking him firmly, and pulling him toward her, spreading her legs, and opening herself up wider for his invasion.

She released her grip as the large tip pushed through her tight walls and he moaned, pulling his lips from hers, and burying his face against the softness of her neck, licking at the flesh through his mumbled words.

"Forgive me God....for I have sinned."

The velvety texture of her was so inviting, he continued pushing forward until his entire length was inside, and she panted, clawing her nails into his back, and wrapping her legs around his waist needing more of him. With slow rhythmic strokes, he withdrew from her completely, re-entering her again and again driving both of them closer to the edge.

Their bodies became drenched with sweat as he leaned down, nipping at the flesh of her neck, his voice strangled with the need to release.

"Now Christabela.......Do it....now."

She threw her head back, pressing it into the pillow, moaning, as his thrust became long and deep powerful strokes, and without warning she raised her head, biting into the protruding vein in the side of his neck, draining him of the blood that pumped through him fiercely from the flow of adrenaline. He waited till his body began to weaken, and bit into her neck, thrusting faster, and coming with a force that shook her completely, pushing her over the edge, causing her muscles to constrict, and joining him in their final ecstasy.

He collapsed on top of her and felt the rhythm of his heart beat slow, till it beat no more, and gasped for a breath of air, bringing him into his new life. He rolled to the side, laying next to her, and looked around the room seeing things differently for the first time, and feeling a complete calm wash over him.

Lance slid down the wall and dropped to the floor in a sitting position, gasping for air from exhaustion. He had felt everything Christabela had just experienced, and he let himself relax, giving up to the fight to get to Joshua. It was too late, Joshua belonged to the coven, but most of all he belonged to Christabela, and that now gave him title of Prince....a prince of darkness, and a prince of Christabelas heart, and he would never do anything to break her heart.

Laurent watched, along with the other vampires, as Lance rose from the floor and stood in front of Natasha pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly against his chest. His anger over Joshua had taken over him, and it wasn't till he felt the love that Christabela released for Joshua that he realised that he had been wrong in the things he had done.

He needed so badly to protect her, that he failed to realise he was keeping her from happiness and the one who could protect her the most, and came close to hurting the love of his life and his child.

"I am so sorry. I love you so much."

Natasha clung to him, silently accepting his apology as Laurent motioned the other vampires toward the stairs.

"Come, let us take in a nightcap before the sun breaks, and sleep comes upon us."

She glanced over her shoulder as she followed the coven down the stairs, and winked to Natasha as she smiled and winked back to her answering Lance's unspoken words as she descended the stairs.

"No Lance, now that Joshua is one of us, you will no longer feel her ecstasies with him again."

He frowned at Laurent's laughter and ducked away from Natasha with a pout as she slung her hand, hitting him in the arm.

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

He laughed and pulled her back into his arms kissing her softly on the tip of her nose.

"I do know that, and I'm sorry. It's just......."

She placed her finger to his lips and silenced him with a smile.

"Shhhh.....no need to explain, let's just let them be."

He kissed her lips and slid his arm around her waist, resting his hand gently against her tummy, and carefully helped her down the stairs where the others waited.

Joshua smiled and wrapped his arms around Christabelas waist, and buried his face in her neck signing contently at the feel of her lying in his arms.

"She's going to be beautiful you know?"

She smiled and slid her arms around his shoulders holding on to him tightly and enjoying pure happiness for the first time, silently thanking Natasha and Laurent for what they had done. For years she denied the fact that he was indeed the one chosen for her, and allowed her father to torture her with visions and threats of misery, and promises of a life in tortured hell, and fought against the love that was offered to her.

If not for Joshua's determination and the help of a new friend, she would have lost that happiness forever, but love brought him into her world and it was that love that would bind the two of them through eternity.