Colder
Chapter 10

Jasper led me toward the stairs with Warren and Solen trailing behind us. I clutched his hand in my own, relishing the warmth of his skin against mine. I’d missed that warmth so much in the short time we’d been apart. I never wanted to let go of him again. He stopped short at the bottom of the stairs and I glanced up into his staggeringly handsome face to see it alight with surprise that slowly twisted into worry. I followed his gaze to the top of the stairs.

She was the most astonishingly beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my entire life and my heart instantly began thudding in my chest. Her pearl white skin glowed faintly under the lights. Her silky, raven black hair fell in waves to her waist and was perfectly offset by her pouty blood-red lips and lilac coloured eyes. She was wearing a red corset style tank-top that perfectly matched the colouring on her lips and fingernails and a floor length cotton black skirt. Her eyes were shadowed with smoke that made the stark white skin of her lovely oval face, with its small upturned nose, stand out even more. She looked seductive and dangerous, just like you would expect from a vampire. When she flashed a pearly smile at Jasper as she walked gracefully down the stairs, I was surprised to not see a pair of fangs poking out from behind her lips. I felt Jasper instantly stiffen beside me, his grip flexing in my hand.

Why is he so tense? Who is this gorgeous woman and why hadn’t Jasper mentioned her before? I would have asked him but I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. Suddenly she was standing on her tip toes in front of him, blowing a kiss beside each of his cheeks.

““Jazper, I am zo glad you are back. I have mizzed you. ” She said in a breathy whisper and the sound of her voice made my heart stop. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it all came out in a loud whoosh. She seemed to speak very good English but she had this unbelievably sexy European accent that I couldn’t quite place.

Jasper cleared his throat and I turned to stare at him. “It’s always lovely to see you, Lily. I would have returned sooner but I have a guest that I didn’t exactly intend on bringing back with me.” He gave me a sidelong glance and I grinned proudly at him. I certainly wasn’t going to be leaving any time soon and he would just have to get used to that.

Lily’s laughter was high and musical as she patted Jasper’s shoulder, “I knew you couldn’t rezist bringing her back vith you.” She moved past him toward me and I hear Jasper sigh. She reached out and took my hand, cradling it in both of hers. Her skin was ice cold and a shiver ran down my spine. Her luscious lips turned up into a smile and I was mesmerized. There was something unusual about her eyes, besides the obvious purple colour. The ring around the outside of her iris was flecked with dark green. “It iz a pleasure to meet you. I am Lily Dragan. I underztand that you are the von who haz svept my brother off hiz feet, as they say?” she asked me politely.

I tried to speak but what came out was a voice that was not my own. It was high-pitched, nervous and squeaky, like a teenage boy during puberty. “Amelia. N-Nice to m-meet you.” I manged to stutter. Instantly I was mad at myself for becoming so entranced by this woman. I hated when I got so nervous I started to stutter. Why couldn’t I have better control over my nerves like Jasper? Nothing ever bothered him. Oh no. Jasper would be able to feel my nerves. Oh, this was worse than I thought! I was utterly mortified that he could feel everything I was feeling right now.

I heard a low groan coming from Jasper and Lily turned towards him, her bottom lip sticking out in a childishly, “You know I can’t help it, Jazper.” She pouted.

The corners of Jasper’s mouth turned up in an apologetic smile, “Yes, I know. I just wish I’d had a moment to prepare Amelia for you.” My mouth fell open and I stared at him in horror as my worst fears bubbled to the surface. Surely, Jasper had no intention of staying with me when a woman as incredibly beautiful as Lily was here. He must have been planning on breaking it to me gently, hoping to lessen the pain such a blow would cause. I couldn’t blame him though…she was perfect and I was just a human. Maybe he’d offer me to her for lunch, at least then I wouldn’t have to bear living my life without him and the pain of knowing he was with her.

Lily saw the look of horror and anguish on my face and laughed that same trilling and melodic laugh as before. ““It iz not vhat you think, Amelia. You zee, as Jazper here iz able to feel the emotions ov others. I am able to hypnotize them, but it’s something I have only limited control over. It’s more like an aura of influenze zurrounds me and makes people vant to give in to me. It is alzo vhat makes me zo unnaturally beautiful… and that iz vhy you feel the vay you do right now.” She smiled reassuringly at me and again I could see her perfect teeth. “It vill pass as you grow more uzed to my prezence.”

I swallowed hard and nodded, still embarrassingly unable to speak which caused my chees to flush bright red. I still couldn’t believe Jasper had never mentioned that he had another sister, especially one as perfect as Lily. I felt Jasper’s arm slide around my shoulder and his breath was warm on my ear, “Don’t worry, Lily doesn’t bite.”

An impish grin crossed Lily’s face, “Much.” She winked teasingly at me.

Warren’s thunderous laughter echoed through the house, “Alright. I think that’s enough teasing, Amelia. Poor girl is probably terrified of us now.”

Warren’s voice brought me back to my sense. Terrified? No I wasn’t terrified, I was shocked, amazed, in awe and a little annoyed at Jasper but I wasn’t terrified. I stood a little taller, squaring my shoulders as I fought to control my breathing and regain my composure. “No, I could never be terrified of you.” My heart just didn’t want to stop thundering in my chest but at least my voice sounded confident. Jasper squeezed me a little tighter and I felt his warmth sink into me and a wave of calm washed over me. I turned to face Lily, “That is an interesting accent, Lily. May I ask where you are from?”

Once more her musical laugh echoed through the room, “Vhy, Transylvania Darling! Izn’t it vonderful?” a wide grin slowly crept across her face. Once more shock overcame me and I leaned against Jasper for support, unsure of how to respond to that. Was she teasing me? Did vampires REALLY come from Transylvania? No way... that was just too cliché! But then again until a couple of months ago I didn’t even think vampires existed.

Jasper felt my body slump against him and he held me closer, “Ok I think that is enough shocking, Amelia for today. If her heart starts beating any faster she’ll have a heart attack and I’d rather that lovely heart of hers remain beating.” He supported my weight against him as he pulled me beside him up the stairs.

Lily called out, her voice thick and pouting, “Aww, Jazper you are no fun!” I heard all three of the other vampire’s laughter ring out just as we rounded the corner at the top of the stairs and Jasper opened the nearest door, pulling me into the room with him.

“Do you regret saying yes? When Warren offered to save your life?” I asked seriously. I nuzzled my face into Jasper’s neck as he stroked my shoulder softly.

A happy smile overtook his face, “Not at all. He has given me a truly amazing life. He has made things possible for me that I never imagined in my wildest dreams. For all the… consequences that come with being what I am. I wouldn’t have wanted my life to end any other way. I was made a demon, but I can’t help but love it, almost as much as I hate it. I certainly wouldn’t have given up the chance for this moment, right now, for any of it.” He looked down at me as he spoke, his eyes glittering in the soft light of the bedside lamp.

I sat up and kneeled on the bed in front of him, straddling his lap, his hands went instinctively to my hips, holding me there. I gave him a soft kiss and looked into the depths of his stunning Amethyst Seas, “Jasper,” my voice in a solemn whisper, “I want to have that same truly amazing life with you. I don’t want it to end, not while I have a choice. You are my end and my beginning. I love you, Jasper. Don’t make me live without you. The only heaven I will ever want is right here on earth with you. You are taking nothing from me, I am offering myself to you.” my voice trembled and my eyes filled with tears, “Please… Just… let me give you my life.” Tears streamed down my cheeks as I stared pleadingly into Jasper’s incredible eyes.

Jasper stared at me, his face a mixture of disbelief and amazement. He sat still as a statue for a good five minutes. His hands still on my hips, just staring at me in shock as I cried.

“Jasper…” I begged, “Say something.” My face twisted in pain as I choked back a sob.

Finally Jasper moved, he sat up straighter and placed one hand on the small of my back. He tugged my hips closer to him and looked seriously into my eyes, “Marry me.” His request came out in a breathy rush, “Marry me and I swear we will face Judgement Day together. I’ll give you everything you want… I can’t refuse your heart’s desire, no matter how selfish that makes me. If it will make you happy…it’s yours.” His free hand moved upward and he brushed my cheek tenderly with the backs of his fingers, tracing the line of my cheekbones.

My eyes opened in shock as the realization of what he was saying hit me and my mouth opened to answer, “Are you kidding me?” I reached for the hand that was brushing against my cool skin and clasped it in mine, holding his palm against my cheek. A feeling of warmth tingled from the bottom of my toes and moved up radiating out the top of my head. “Of course I’ll marry you! If you’re willing to make me a vampire too, I’d marry you tomorrow!” I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my mouth happily to his.

He laughed into the kiss and laid back onto the bed, pulling me down with him as we kissed. “Well it doesn’t have to be tomorrow if you wanted to maybe have an actual wedding.” He pulled back from the kiss and grinned at me.

“Wait, “I said curiously, “We can have an actual wedding? That’s not… against the rules or anything?” A look of hope flashed across my face and Jasper laughed louder, shaking his head.

“No.” he said between laughs, “it’s not against any rules. Just keep me out of the sunlight and there is nothing wrong with it at all.” He wriggled out from under me and turned over to the other side of the bed, “Speaking of rules…” He trailed off as he pulled open the drawer of his bedside table and handed me a tiny black box, open in the palm of my hand. There in the centre of the box was an elegant silver band with a blood red ruby cut in a rhombus shape and set in the centre of the ring with small clusters of diamonds on each side. “I believe tradition dictates you have a ring.”

My jaw hit the floor as I stared at the magnificent piece of jewellery. I’d never been one to wear jewellery but this ring was exactly right for me, small, elegant and didn’t have the typical diamond as the main stone. “Where did you get that…?” I whispered, my throat dry from all the gasping in surprise I’d been doing today.

Jasper chuckled at this as he took the ring from its box and slipped it onto the proper finger on my left hand.

His darkness seeped into my fading light.

For the first time in her life, she had jewellery. She felt the weight of it around her neck and on her finger. For the first time, she truly felt like a grown woman instead of a child. She suddenly had a burning desire to go buy a pretty little jewellery box to hold the pretty little tokens of his love, safely inside.

Jasper lifted me off the ground and carried me, across the threshold into the little stone cottage. The light from the desert sunset bathed Jasper in its warm glow, making his skin skimmer with a fiery rainbow of colour. He led me through the cottage, and I barely noticed the rooms we passed through, I was completely lost in those striking violet eyes. When we reached the bedroom, I finally looked around and my breath caught in my throat. The room was breathtaking. The walls were the same burnt sienna colour as the distant sandstone formations you could see through the large French doors that opened out into the desert. The doors and two windows on either side of the bed were wide open and framed in flowing, white chiffon curtains that billowed into the room with the desert breeze. The large canopied bed was covered in a white silk comforter, with matching pillows. Each post of the canopy had the same chiffon drapes, reaching the floor and blowing in the breeze. The bright reds, golds and oranges of the sunset reflected off the white silk and made the bed look for all the world like it was on fire, just like Jasper’s skin.

He walked over to the bed and set me down in the middle of the bed. Pulling his shirt over his head, leaving his chest bare and glowing in the sunset. He moved onto the bed, his body covering mine. His cool lips pressed against my mouth and I melted into the kiss, certain that I had died and gone to heaven. He pushed my hands above my head as his lips trailed kisses along my jaw and down my neck. His fingers grazed slowly, softly down the sides of my body to my hips and tugged me closer to him. I closed my eyes and relished the feel of his fingers as they began to deftly pry open the buttons of my blouse, tugging it out of the band of my skirt. My blouse fell to the sides and he pulled back, his eyes roaming over my bare torso. I saw him swallow and I knew, he was just as nervous as I was.

I reached up with one hand, leaving the other where he had placed it, and ran my fingers through his hair and cupping his cheek softly. “You’re beautiful.” He whispered as he gazed into my eyes.

I let my fingers trace the shifting patterns of embers on his neck and down his chest. “You’re stunning.” I whispered back. His head bent down and he kissed me again, more passionately this time. His lips parted and I returned the deep kiss with equal enthusiasm and desire. His hands slid up my thighs, pushing my skirt up to my waist and pulling my hips tight against his own. I moaned softly into his mouth as I let the passion and heat of the moment carry me into bliss.

My eyes filled with tears and I blinked them away rapidly, turning my head away from him before he could see my weakness, “Life is only worth living if somebody is loving you. I love you. I want to make your life, our lives together, worth something for the rest of eternity.”

Jasper reached towards me, one finger brushing away a stray tear that leaked down my cheek. He shook his head, his eyes set with hard determination, and “I can’t, Amelia! I won’t. I don’t know what comes after this life but I do know that I am damned. And I won’t damn you to the same fate I have. I will protect you. I will give you every chance to get to Heaven.”

I reached over and took Jasper’s face gently in my hands, “You don’t see it do you?” I said, “Don’t you understand that, for me… Heaven is a place on earth, right here with you.” She sighed softly and looked into his eyes, speaking in a low whisper, “They say that the world is built for two. I never used to believe that but from what I’ve seen and experienced of love in these past few months I know now… That it’s absolutely true. This world was built for you and me. Without you, there is nothing left for me.”

John Legend – All of Me - Wedding Song.