Benjamin Read online

  Everyone closed their eyes and did as instructed. There was a change in the temperature in the room causing them to open their eyes to look around. A line of angels appeared out of the shadows, startling them.

  “Do not be afraid.” Everyone around the table stopped what they were doing and stared. They introduced themselves to be the Angel Council. “You have one amongst you that has the angel blood that you need to eliminate the vampire,” the one that looked like their leader said. “We felt the presence and are here to show you who has angel blood.”

  The angel walked directly to Sabrina. “You have the golden aura of an angel around you. You are the one that carries the angel blood. Your blood is a potent binding agent for the witch's spell to infuse it to the silver blade.”

  “I couldn’t possibly be an angel, my mother said there was no angel in our family tree. I’m an ordinary bear shifter,” Sabrina said as she tried to figure out what was happening. She glanced at the angels curiously.

  “Centuries ago, shifters and angels walked together on Earth. Some even became mates. That is how you have angel blood in your veins as well as your shifter spirit animal,” the lead angel said.

  “Can you help us defeat Pickens?” Sabrina asked.

  “We can only give you the tools you need. God gave you free will, it is up to you how to use them,” the lead angel began. “Since the beginning of man, creatures have wreaked havoc on the Earth. It started with the strigoi, then the changelings, various demons, and spirits.”

  “Take this book written by the archangels. It has everything you need to know,” said another angel as she handed over an ancient and beautiful book to Sabrina.

  Sabrina gently accepted the book. She briefly looked down to admire the designs.

  “Goddess, grant that the angel blood that flows through Sabrina Hurst will overthrow the vampire monster Pickens who is destroying the peace of shifters. As it pleases the Almighty,” the angels prayed together just before they disappeared.

  Everyone gathered around her to see the book. Sabrina carefully opened the book; then she let out a frustrated sigh.

  “This is not in English. How am I supposed to read it?” Sabrina stated.

  “Neculai, can you translate this?” asked Andrei.

  “I believe I can,” said Neculai. “I will need just a few minutes to be sure.”

  Sabrina gladly handed it over to Neculai. They all had faith that he would be able to translate the book.

  “Don’t worry about the whole book for now. Just translate what we need to know to eliminate Pickens,” Sabrina said.

  “Sure, no problem,” Neculai said as he began skimming the book as he walked back to his chair. “This has been written in Enochian— the language of angels. There are translators and guides all over the internet.”

  ●●●

  The chef brought dinner of Sarmale. Benjamin read the latest transcribed pages of the book that Neculai had translated while the staff cleaned up the office. He was hoping that the book the Angel Council left them would tell them how to separate the angel blood from Sabrina’s regular blood as well as what spell to use to infuse the silver blade with the angel blood.

  “Here is the last of the translated pages,” Neculai said.

  Benjamin looked up. “Thank you, Neculai, for all your hard work. We would have been in a bind if you had not been able to translate the pages you did.”

  “Anytime. So glad to be able to put my skills to use,” Neculai said.

  Daria, Vanda, Willa, Andrei, Dorin, and Geofri followed Neculai as he left the office and then the villa. They would return tomorrow to cast the spells needed on the silver blade.

  Chapter 4

  The sunrise was a breathtaking display of radiant colors. Bright streaks of red, pink, and orange slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of the night sky. The sky resembled a prism, all the colors blended perfectly into each other. The sun itself was peeking out of the horizon, and its brilliant rays already shined brightly and began to warm the air. The trees rustled gently in the morning breeze. He breathed in deeply. A new day had begun. To Benjamin, this meant a new beginning was possible, and possibilities meant hope.

  Benjamin looked around him, awaiting the arrival of the group from yesterday. Waiting was easier for him than Sabrina. He had lots of practice from his days fishing as a bear. She would come up with a million different “what if” scenarios and need feedback on every single one.

  The main floor, bisected by a hall and stairs, contained the parlor on the southern side. The cream-colored walls complimented the dark walnut flooring. The accent pieces were green and blue. An antique couch stood on the opposite side of the windows on the hand-woven rug in a delicate green that was in front of the ashen fireplace, accompanied by luxurious velvet and bronze wing chairs. Rich velvet curtains reminded Benjamin of moss. He reached his hand out to the fabric, noticing how the light poured through every open space between fibers. The material was warm beneath his fingers, and when the sun flooded the room, he felt a little of those golden rays soak into his skin. He could smell the roses just outside the open window; a smile spread over his face.

  The doorbell chimed just as the clock struck ten o’clock. He greeted Geofri and the others as they made their way into the house. He showed them to the parlor where Sabrina waited and excused himself for a few minutes. By the time Benjamin assigned the enforcers to their posts, everyone was seated in the room.

  Distant voices greeted Sabrina’s ears. She stood when Geofri and the others entered the parlor. After exchanging greetings, they sat down on the chairs surrounding the sofa.

  “We would like to give you a gift, cousin,” Geofri said, handing Sabrina a large, wooden box he carried.

  Sabrina opened the box and gasped in amazement. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

  Sabrina stood and weighed the sword in her right hand, slashing it delicately at the air with a novice-like apprehension. The handle of the sword was bound with black leather, the hilt decorated yet understated, and the blade was long. Below the ebony handle was an eleven-inch blade sharp enough to break the skin on the lightest contact. She knew little about swords.

  “Legend has it that this sword has been made from pieces of five famous swords from world history. These pieces were placed in a mold and had molten sterling silver poured into it to make the finest sword in history,” Andrei said.

  “The swords are legendary. The first piece came from the sword that was manufactured for Tomoyuki Yamashita by Fujiwara Kanenaga between 1640 and 1680. The second came from Napoleon’s Sword. The third, Tizona, was a sword that was used by El Cid. The fourth piece came from the Sword of Mercy that once belonged to Edward the Confessor. The final sword piece came from Charlemagne— the King of the Franks in 768. Joyeuse was Charlemagne’s personal sword,” Willa said.

  “Any pressure and it will be through the muscle and hitting white bone,” Dorin said.

  “The bladesmith used the traditional Chinese method of five plate construction called wumei, two more soft plates being used at the central ridge. The outer metals protected the inner blade pieces. Silver is way too soft to be a powerful sword, but combine the silver with your angel blood, and it becomes stronger than any sword,” Willa said.

  “Thank you so much,” Sabrina said, tears in her eyes.

  After a late lunch, Geofri and his group left, wishing them safe travels and good luck in stopping Pickens. Benjamin and Sabrina went to town to visit a couple of attractions before they flew back to America in the morning.

  Sabrina was disappointed that they were leaving early and would not be able to attend the Annual Wood Road Festival and the Dairy Fair that celebrates and promotes the old field occupations. Folk artisans, livestock breeders, small local producers, traditional dishes made on the spot, and the folk show make this event an attraction for thousands of people.

  Sabrina had taken many photos of Câmpulung Moldovenesc and the surrounding area. They were not digital photos, but 35 m
m. Photography was a new hobby of hers. She couldn’t wait to get back home and develop them.

  ●●●

  While he was busy, Sabrina took the opportunity to put on her sexiest black underwear and the perfume she knew would drive him wild.

  He entered the room and moved over to her, lightly kissing the top of her head, taking in the seductive scent that was his wife.

  “How about you bend over? I want to taste you everywhere.”

  She grinned and obliged, standing and turning slowly, drawing the movement out, teasing him.

  Sabrina watched him through the mirror on the wall as he knelt behind her and pressed his face into her, giving her body and most secret parts light kisses and teasing flicks of the tongue. The sensations paired with the visual was mesmerizing; she could see his cock twitch as he licked and sucked everywhere, he pleased.

  He pulled back and smirked at her through the mirror, his face right next to her ass, making small circles with his fingers, teasing {insert asshole euphemism here}. “Play with yourself, show me what you want me to do,” he said

  “I’ve never done it before.”

  “Let me help you,” he asked, taking her hand and guiding it to her clit.

  She grinned. “That’d be wonderful!”

  He smiled back at her and then pressed his face back into her. He found her swollen little hole with his tongue, and reached up and pushed his fingers into her pussy.

  It felt even better to have his hot, wet tongue licking at her and to feel his nose and chin wedged between her cheeks. She’d never thought of her ass as being a sexy place at all, but now that his face was pressing right into it and he was tonguing her, she was so turned on that her juices were flowing freely.

  She opened her legs wider and bent forward slightly so he could get his tongue farther into her hole. She looked down and saw that he was jerking his cock just as fast as his other hand was pumping in and out of her. Seeing him so turned on, she let herself go.

  Benjamin moved and pulled Sabrina gently onto the bed. Then he positioned himself between her legs his tongue sought out her clit. The minute his tongue rubbed against it and he began to suck and pull on it, an orgasm rolled through her. He took quick, little nibbles of her clit, drawing loud moans from deep inside her. Benjamin pulled her down closer so he could suck her lips and probe her with two fingers while he stroked his shaft. Within minutes, Sabrina was wiggling and breathing heavier, moaning as she came closer to another orgasm. She clamped her thighs tightly around his head as she came hard against his mouth and fingers.

  Getting on her knees before him, she took his throbbing cock between her warm hands and started a slow massage, sucking the drop of salty precum from his tip. Benjamin thrust his hips forward, forcing himself deep into her mouth. Sabrina sucked and licked his dick eagerly. She loved giving him blow jobs. The power that she had over him when she took him into her mouth was an aphrodisiac. She looked up directly into his eyes as he fucked her mouth. She felt his cock grow even harder as he moved deeper into her throat.

  His increasingly ragged breath told her how close to coming he was. She gave one last, long lick from his balls to the tip of his cock and wrapped her mouth around his cock and sucked hard until her cheeks cave in. She felt his balls tightening just before his seed hit the back of her throat. After swallowing it all, she crawled up his body and nibbled at his lips.

  Benjamin turned her over and helped Sabrina onto all fours. Kneeling behind her, he jammed his cock roughly into her swollen pussy. He slammed in and out of her quickly. She pushed back to meet his thrusts when he reached under and stroked her clit between his fingers, his balls slapping hard against her ass. She felt his body tense behind her and Sabrina’s orgasm hit her so forcefully that she let an animal scream loose.

  Benjamin went into the bathroom to clean up. He returned with a warm washcloth to clean up Sabrina, then dried her off. He crawled back into bed after tossing the washcloth and towel into the hamper. Holding each other, they drifted off to sleep.

  ●●●

  The airplane felt like home to Benjamin, he’d flown so often. He could curl up and sleep as quickly as dozing on the couch. Even as the engines turned, his brain relaxed into dreaming mode, there were thousands of miles to go, and all he had to do was let this technological bird fly him there.

  Reclining in the chair, Sabrina stretched her hand out to the window, feeling the coolness of the glass. It was as if she could reach right through and touch the clouds. As the jazz music played, the miles passed, the same as in any other airplane, but this was their private jet and it would never be just any other plane.

  As the wing sliced through the clouds, Sabrina watched the clouds pool around the mountains, slightly changing from pearl white to red-orange, catching the last rays of the setting sun. The aerial view of Earth is a map without borders; greens and blues under the swirling clouds.

  The woman placed a small tray onto the table. Sabrina said, “thank you,” and carefully peeled off the layer of shiny aluminum foil covering the meal to retain heat. Pasta— which looked delicious— covered by a smooth sauce and parmesan. Benjamin’s stomach growled as he came from the bedroom. As he sat, the airplane shuddered as they hit some turbulence and the food jostled in its tray.

  From the window of the plane, the wing engine was semi-illuminated, the lower half shining around the rim, the upper half several shades darker. As the plane dipped, the line between shadow and light moved, and all the while, Sabrina listened to the hum of the rotors. She looked forward to snoozing curled up beside Benjamin.

  The aerial view the next morning was spread beneath them. A network of roads and rail sprawled below, mazes of cul-de-sacs, houses like the tiny models on an architect’s street plan. Sabrina could pick out the expanses of green, clean rectangular parks and lakes shimmering like oval face mirrors as she got dressed.

  Breakfast was on the table when she entered the dining section. Sabrina chose the strawberry yogurt and granola parfaits and the mini breakfast— hash browns, one egg, and a slice of toast with coffee laced with French vanilla creamer. The men enjoyed fried egg sandwiches, three-egg omelets with cheese and peppers, smoked trout, potatoes with bacon, and sausage.

  The small conference room was filled with perhaps ten intent individuals, standing and sitting, some taking notes, others with buried faces in computer screens. The large table was covered with books and plans, the tall, glass-fronted bookcases with keys in the locks, the high desk for writing while standing up, all indicated continuous, varied, and orderly activity.

  “Dylan has maintained the closest surveillance of Pickens and his army. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of minor attacks have been committed throughout Colorado shifter communities,” Marek explained.

  “We hacked into everything we could. We took files from colleges, corporations, and libraries. It was easy most of the time. People were not creative with their passwords. Some used ‘password’ others their pets’ or wife’s name,” Dylan said through the video connection.

  “We must prevent further attacks. Everyone must reinforce their borders,” Benjamin said. “Have them contact their nearest witch covens for protection spells.”

  “What we need is a plan to take out Pickens, but let’s give it until tomorrow to clear our minds,” Corbin said through the conference call speakers.

  It was late when their plane landed. The drivers stood by the vehicles with doors opened ready to take them back to Estes Park. Sabrina had fallen asleep shortly after they headed for home. Benjamin shook her shoulder lightly, waking her when they arrived. Benjamin and Sabrina headed directly to their bedroom to sleep. Tomorrow would begin endless meetings to take care of the clan as well as devising a plan to get rid of Pickens and his army.

  ●●●

  Sabrina was finishing getting dinner ready when someone knocked on the door. She was a bit surprised to see Mira standing there. She didn’t invite her in, hoping
that Mira would say her peace quickly and then leave.

  Mira Hunsinger was a difficult person to forget. She was always in someone’s business. She had her sights on mating with Benjamin and becoming the alpha female. When Benjamin brought Sabrina home, that didn’t stop her plans. For years now, she’d been plotting to get rid of Sabrina. Sabrina long ago gave up the idea of trying to be Mira’s friend, now she did her best to avoid her.

  “What do you want, Mira? Benjamin should be home any minute,” Sabrina said as she looked at her watch. She hoped that nothing would delay him tonight.

  “Sorry to hear about your recent troubles,” Mira said, but Sabrina could hear the lies in her tone.

  “Troubles?”

  “It must be very hard for Ben.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sabrina replied, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.

  Little “accidents” happened to Sabrina whenever Mira was around, but she had no proof it was her. Over the years, there were taunts and threats. Never anything that made Sabrina concerned enough to tell Benjamin. She was the female alpha and had to stand her ground. Sabrina had told her several times over the years that she was a loathsome creature and that she wasn’t deserving of being loved.

  “Do you know how I felt when Ben introduced you as his mate?”

  “Go away.”

  “Think about it. I felt as though my world was snatched away from me,” Mira continued as she moved closer to Sabrina.

  “Please, leave me alone.”

  “Soon.”

  Sabrina watched as Mira started to leave, but she paused and turned to face Sabrina again.

  “Do you know what it’s like to really hurt?” Mira asked as she began to walk back towards Sabrina. “To hurt so much that it takes all of your energy just to get out of bed in the morning.”

  “Go away.”

  “This is your fault. Things would have been different if Benjamin chose me as his mate.”

  “You need professional help.”