Heya dear readers!

Here's the new chapter for all of you to enjoy ;) Hopefully!

On a side note: people have been asking me to read their stories. I would LOVE to do just that but I sometimes can't look it up immediately and then seem to forget or can't find the comment with the tittle of the story any longer... >.

My apologies if you send me a request and I haven't read and commented yet!

I'd like to ask those who already send a request to do it again but in a personal message if that's possible? And of course to anyone who hasn't done so yet but would like me to, send a personal message and I'll be able to find it!

Thank you to all those who fanned and voted.

Lot's of love,

Robin

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When we arrived there were no other cars outside but when Nathaniel tugged me with him into the house I heard Hayden's laughter coming from the living. His high pitched voice was shortly joined with a lower musical voice.

'Is that?' I heard Jaden ask from behind me, he sounded utterly surprised. He was bringing up the rear from our small group.

'Seratin?' said Missy, sounding equally surprised. Did that man never laugh or something? Was that why they were surprised? It wasn't that strange now was it?

Nathaniel looked at me with one imperial eyebrow arched, 'You want to check on Hayden?' He completely ignored the others and pulled me into the living without another word and without waiting for my answer.

He knew me too well I guess.

In the living I could see Hayden sitting on the floor in front of the couch, holding a game controller while Seratin was sitting just behind him. He was also holding a game controller and he looked mighty uncomfortable about it.

But it was also clear that his features had softened a degree and that he was looking warmly at my baby brother. His stern mouth pulling up in the corners as if he was itching to smile...

Seratin spotted us first and he immediately stood up and did that strange salute again towards Nathaniel. Touching his heart with his fist and then pressing his knuckles against his forehead. 'My Lord.'

Hayden exclaimed: 'Hey! Look what you did...Now we died!'

I expected Seratin to ignore that and remain the cold, practical man I'd seen that morning but I saw his features twitch again as if he wanted to smile. 'Sorry Spiderman... Your sister is back home.'

Spiderman? He'd even given my brother a nickname? Wow that was unexpected...

Hayden jumped up as he finally noticed us in the doorway. 'Amil!' he screamed happily as he rushed over to tackle my legs into a tight hug. 'I love my bodyguard! He's really cool Amely!'

I just had to laugh as I patted his hair, 'I'm glad you like him Giant. Did you behave? You didn't give him any trouble did you?'

Surprisingly it was Seratin who replied, 'Not at all Miss Taylor. He's been great.' He said it in that stern and solemn voice that only sounded a little friendly because he talked in such a musical way...

'See, he's safe and sound a ghrá mo chroí. I told you he'd be. Now come with me,' said Nathaniel although the last bit was an order that he clearly meant to be obeyed.

My first reaction was to dug my heels in, 'What for?'

'We had a deal Amelia,' he replied. With his hand he ruffled Hayden's hair and then he asked: 'Did you do as I told you kid?'

Hayden nodded enthusiastically, 'Yeah I did. Amsie you should go with him. He really needs you to I think...'

I sighed, sometimes it was really annoying to have semi telepathic, empath for a brother. But I wondered what Nathaniel had asked him to do.

'Fine, but remember Jake and I have a say in Deidre's protection. I want to know what you did to ensure her safety first!' I felt bad that I didn't trust his word about this but he really seemed to hate her so I had to make sure.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes and a low growl emitted from his chest, 'I send Sammuel to collect her.'

I stepped away from him so I could face him and planted my hands firmly on my hips to give him my opinion on that. But before I could Jake spoke up: 'That's the best he can do at present Amy... Sammuel is one of Nate's most trusted people.'

I was shocked by how tired and weak Jake sounded, hadn't Nathaniel healed him? As I looked passed my mate I realized Jaden was holding him up as if he couldn't stand on his own.

'If you say so Jake, maybe you should go to bed? You look terrible...' Everyone, except maybe Hayden, heard my unspoken question.

'Healing takes a lot of power Ams, not just from me but from the person I heal too. Which is why I want you to go to bed NOW.' Nathaniel said, his voice turning firm on the last word.

I wanted to protest again but I knew we had a deal so I nodded my head and allowed him to pick me up in his arms and carry me up the stairs. It was much faster this way, it took him barely two seconds to get from the living to his bedroom.

I wasn't tired at all though... I felt alive inside, maybe a little in shock over what had happened today but I didn't feel tired. Not the way Jake had looked at all.

Nathaniel gently put me down on the wide bed and immediately started pulling my shoes off as if I couldn't do that myself. I took over and then took off my coat as well and tossed that to the floor, 'Happy now?'

He frowned for a moment, 'A ghrá mo chroí... aren't you tired?'

I shook my head, 'Not at all... Is it okay if I take shower? There's blood on my clothes and me, again.'

He nodded, his stormy eyes were dark but I knew it wasn't from lust this or anger this time. He looked rather frustrated instead.

As I got up off the bed and made my way over to the closet to grab new clean clothes he stopped me. 'I'd really feel better if you went to bed after the shower though. You might not feel tired now but in a little while...'

I could tell how worried he was and I knew he still felt guilty that he wasn't there on time to save me himself so I nodded. 'I don't think I will but... I could do with some cuddling in bed? While we watch a movie maybe?'

He arched one perfectly sculptured eyebrow as if he found the thought amusing but then he nodded. 'Very well, if you leave the door open,' he pointed to the bathroom door.

'Again?' I muttered even as I allowed him to hand me a shirt of his to wear as PJ's later on. 'Yes, I don't want to barge down my own door if you faint...' he replied with a look on my face that told me he wasn't pleased at all with this arrangement.

'Fine, I'll leave it unlocked... No peeking though!' I felt my cheeks heat up at the thought and then I remembered how I'd been teasing him all morning. Missy had been right, that was fun... But I wasn't sure if I'd actually would have won that battle.

At the door he stopped me again and this time when I looked up to see that his irises had turned completely black I knew it was in fact lust. I could tell by the way his movements had become more fluid, seductive.

He knew he was in control of the situation this time.

'You weren't being nice this morning a ghrá mo chroí... In fact you were being a little mean. Don't even think for a minute that I forgot how you teased me, barring me from touching you...' he said, his Irish accent thick as he stroked a thumb across my cheek gently.

Suppressing a shiver I whispered: 'It's your own fault, if you'd listened to me in the first place it wouldn't have happened.'

'Two can play this game Ams...' he said, it was a sensual promise that somehow made my body tighten in anticipation. 'If you want someone to wash your back... Let me know,' and with those parting words he softly pushed me into the bathroom and shut the door on me.

A little dazed I stepped further into the bathroom, my heartbeat was hammering in my chest again and I knew he could hear that. Boy did that suck... Missy told me he could even tell when I was turned on because he could smell it.

It was so unfair!

I stripped quickly and then hopped into the shower, hoping I could forget about him for a moment. The scalding hot water helped relax my body but it did nothing to keep me from remembering the way he'd looked at me as he offered to wash my back.

I was seriously tempted to take him up on that offer, the way I was feeling now...

Worse was that I could hear him chuckle in the other room. Really, really embarrassing, I was the one who'd been trying to tempt HIM all morning and because of Devon's stupid attack he'd caved... Not because he wanted me so badly but because he wanted to make sure I was safe.

Okay if I thought about that that was kind of sweet.

But it wasn't fair that he totally turned it around now and all with a look and a few words! Why did he have so much power over my body?

Since I was done showering and had done pretty much everything else I could think off to delay going back out there I decided there was only one thing I could do. I had to act like he didn't affect me and flirt right back.

I couldn't show him how much he got to me, even though he could hear my heartbeat and smell my hormones or something...

So I ignored my sweats that I usually wore as pajama bottoms and only shrugged on the shirt he'd handed me. I knew he liked my legs because of the way he'd looked at them when I slept here the first night.

As I opened the door I took a deep breath and plastered a smile to my face, one I hoped looked a little seductive. With slow, easy strides I walked into the room to Nathaniel who was sprawled out on the big soft bed.

My heart jumped in my throat as I noted that he wasn't wearing a shirt and that only those low riding sweats he wore to bed clung to his hips. I don't think he was even trying to be seductive right now...

He was frowning at the television as he pressed buttons on the remote, trying to get something with the sound adjusted. Several leather cases lay on the bed that obviously each held at least fifty DVDs.

I'd only taken two steps when he looked up and smiled at me, letting his eyes drift down my legs and back up again slowly. 'Ran out of things to do in there a ghrá mo chroí?' he said huskily, a smoldering look in his eyes as they darkened just the tiniest bit.

I couldn't stop the blush from rising to my cheeks as I shrugged, then flipped my nearly dry hair over my shoulder. 'I guess, what are you doing?' I nodded in the direction of the TV on which he was still scrolling through menu's I didn't even know existed.

Nathaniel raised his free hand and gestured me to come closer, 'I never used the TV in my room before. Since vampire hearing is so sensitive I have to adjust some things so it doesn't hurt.'

I frowned, watching TV could actually hurt his ears?

I climbed onto the bed but didn't move to curl up against him the way he wanted me too. Instead I grabbed one of the DVD folders and started flipping through it.

'Did you pick a movie? Or do I get to pick?' I asked him while I looked. This folder contained all kinds of new and old action movies and as I switched it for another I realized that one contained mostly horror. The third folder was mostly romance... I doubted Nathaniel wanted to watch one of those.

'You can pick a ghrá mo chroí, I don't intend to pay much attention to the screen,' he said. As I looked up I realized he was smirking at me as if he had something devious planned.

With a shiver I ripped a DVD out of the folder closest to me and handed it to him, 'Let's watch this one then.'

He didn't comment on my choice when I realized it was some kind of low budget action movie I'd never heard of. He just got up, flipped it into the DVD player and then deposited the folders on the dresser against the wall.

As he returned to the bed I could see that the sweats had slipped just a little more to show me that trail of dark hairs leading down beneath the waistband. The way his muscles rippled as he sat down on the bed beside me...

He didn't comment either on the way I must have been ogling him but simply pulled the duvet back so I could climb under it with him. Then he pulled me flush against him so my head was resting on his chest and his left arm was wrapped around me tightly. His hand resting on my hip right at the edge of the shirt.

I tried to pay attention to the movie the best I could, really I did! But Nathaniel was making it near impossible...

His hand started out on my hip, where he rubbed me with his fingers in teasing circles. It started out with his hand on top of my shirt but he'd trailed his fingers lower and then slipped his hand back up underneath it.

He'd tugged my leg up so it was pulled across his lap and he took advantage of that by running his fingers across skin right at the edge of my panties. The first time he did it I'd let out an involuntary moan and then I'd raked my nails across his chest: 'Stop that! I'm trying to watch this.'

His response was a low chuckle that made his chest vibrate gently against mine. Raking my nails over his chest didn't even help, in fact he seemed to like it. He'd not once looked at the screen, his eyes had been focused intently on me the whole time. Every time I'd looked up to scowl at him he'd smirked.

The movie had been on for about twenty minutes now and I had absolutely no clue what it was about. It was getting really, really frustrating. So I turned to him with a full glare.

'Nathaniel!'

'Yes a ghrá mo chroí?' he said, one eyebrow raised in question. He knew very well what was wrong, judged by the smirk, but of course he would tease me by forcing me to admit his actions were affecting me.

'I'm trying to watch this movie!' I replied, whispering fiercely.

'So?' the insolent man returned.

'So stop that!' I grabbed his hand and roughly pulled it up so he couldn't touch skin any longer. Instead it now lay on the curve of my waist, just above my hip, but safely on the outside of the shirt.

Satisfied that he couldn't distract me any longer I turned back to watching the screen. Only to jerk away from Nathaniel in shock when I felt his other hand stroke across the skin of the leg he'd pulled across his, partially in his lap.

Even before I could focus on him to glare; the first hand slipped just a little higher to stroke the underside of my breast with his warm thumb. A hot pulse of pleasure and anticipation shot through my body and his satisfied smile told me he knew.

I wanted to yell at him for that but then I wondered, why was I even protesting? I'd already forced him to protect Deidre and I needed very badly to be close to him after the shock of this afternoon.

Changing tactics completely I melted into him as I brought my arm up to tug his face closer, pulling him in for a kiss. Moaning when he fiercely kissed back, tugging me into his lap completely.

When we came up for air he smirked, 'I thought you wanted to watch the movie?'

Growling I said: 'I changed my mind.'

Chuckling he pulled me back against him to kiss me hard and so well that my mind spun. My hands stroked across the well-defined muscles of his chest and shoulders, marveling at the hard yet soft feel of him alive against my skin.

In return Nathaniel easily undid the buttons on the shirt and then peeled it off me before I could even consider stopping him. Rolling with me so that his heavy weight was pressed on top of me in the most delicious way.

'You're so beautiful a rún,' he whispered huskily as he trailed hot kisses down my throat. Grazing the skin with his fangs before teasingly nibbling on my collarbone.

He slid down my body until he could lap at the slopes of my breasts, his body cradled between my legs. I let out a shocked moan when he took one taut peek into his mouth, my body flushed and my heartbeat a tattoo against my ribcage.

His hot breath filtered over the sensitive skin as he growled, 'I really wish I could mark you. It would be so much safer...'

A little delirious from the pleasure he'd just inflicted I moaned: 'Why don't you?' I knew I wanted to spend eternity with him, despite his possessiveness and dominance. It sounded like a good idea if Devon would leave me alone then.

I couldn't allow others to get hurt to protect me... Even if Devon had been a coward and attacked Jake four against one. He had no honor.

'You're not ready a ghrá mo chroí. You said so yourself last night,' he replied and there was no accusation in his voice. Just a longing as if he really couldn't wait to mark me his.

I focused on his stormy eyes as he balanced himself on his arms just above me, keeping most of his weight off my body. 'What do you mean? We never even mentioned the marks.' I couldn't keep the confusion off my face.

He leaned forward to give me another teasing lick across an overly sensitive nipple. 'You said you weren't ready for sex a rún...' he explained rather huskily.

It clicked in my head: 'To mark each other we have to sleep together?' Is that why he wanted so badly to mark me or was it just because he wanted to keep the wolves away from me.

'Sleeping will be the last thing we'd do Ams,' he said with a smirk. I frowned at his bad innuendo, 'Is that all we have to do? Or is there more to it?' I tugged at his dark hair softly to stop him from licking my chest again and he groaned.

'A ghrá mo chroí...' he said pulling back to loosen my grip so he could return his attention to the breast he'd tried to lick. When that didn't work he lifted one large hand to tease me with instead...

At the touch of his skilled fingers I stopped pulling him away and allowed him to lavish all the attention he wanted to give on me. Pleasure shooting through me at every touch he gave me, I felt like floating.

When he returned to my lips to kiss me I eagerly returned it, 'Do I get to pet you now? You promised I could Saturday remember?'

Nathaniel chuckled then rolled over so he was on his back beside me, 'I'm all yours Amelia.' He gave me a slow, lazy smile that reminded me of a predator completely relaxed. Yet completely wild and untamed at the same time. Dangerous.

I sat up so I could look down at him, allowing myself to feast my eyes on his body. Running my fingers gently across his skin, he felt hard underneath my fingers but his skin was smooth. There were a few scars, each of them faint though as if very old.

They looked like burn marks but I supposed that wasn't strange, since he said he'd been a smith as a human. I had noticed before that his hands, although big and strong had scars on the knuckles as well. They were the hands of someone used to working with them.

'The marking process?' I prompted him to answer my earlier question as I stroked my fingers across the hard planes of his stomach.

'There's a ritual to it...' Nathaniel murmured, his eyes closed as he leaned back against the pillows so I could satisfy my curiosity. 'It's in your hands mostly, to prevent matings against the will of the female.

An ancient spell of sorts that we recite, it's not the words that matter though but the magic it conjures that binds us together. We each have to decide on the spot we wish to mark our partner and touch it with our lips while we hold the one hand to our hearts.'

He shivered when I stroked across the trail of hairs leading down underneath the waistband of his pants. 'Don't tease a ghrá mo chroí...' his eyes were focused on my face now and he wore a softer smile as if he liked my curiosity.