"Julian..." Bonnie moaned in her fitful sleep. He gripped her hand tightly between both of his and stared at her exhausted face.
It had taken so long for her to fall asleep. Julian couldn't stand to see her like this. He leaned forward until his forehead rested against her stomache and sighed.
The witchs had decided to use wooded scalpals for the C-section Bonnie was having in a few hours. If not, she would heal too quickly to get the baby out. The only problem with that was of course, the chance of her dying from wood poisoning during, or after the operation.
Julian closed his eyes against the possibility. He just couldn't imagine losing her again.
********
"Sir?" One of Hunter'a guards slipped into the office to address him stiffly.
"What is it?" Hunter was lounging in the middle of the couch with a sleeping Diana curled up against his side, tucked under his arm. Stasy had left about an hour earlier, after sensing he was somewhat intruding.
"Sylvia has come to report." The guard was absolutely expressionless as he announced the arrival of one of Hunter's newest spies.
"I'll be with her in a moment. Get the bar to send up some water for my companion here."
The guard nodded stiffly and left as silent as he had arrived. Hunter got up slowly, trying not to awaken Diana as he did so, and settled her so she was lying full-length along the black couch.
Her white dress and paleness was a shock against the dark leather, and he paused to simply gaze upon her. Something stirred deep within him. He shook it away angrily. There was no way he would fall for another witch. Look at what the last one had done, even after she had married him.
Hunter turned from Diana, and walked out.
************
"Julian?" Bonnie sighed, wincing in pain as she woke. She smiled at him, even though he was hurting her stomache by sleeping on it like that.
"Julian, wake up." She ran a hand through his short soft white hair, and tried to tug lightly on his ear to wake him.
"Bonnie, Bonnie, are you okay?" Julian woke swiftly and lifted his head to look at her worriedly, "Do you need anything? I'll call the nurse." He stood quickly to call for help when he felt her small hand tugging at his to make him sit down again.
"I'm okay, well, not really, but I don't need anything. Just stay with me, Julian."
"Of course, Baby." Julian smiled tenderly down at her and stroked the bright wet curls off of her forehead.
"I remember the first time I saw you..." She smiled sleepily up at him around the thought that had come to her as she had watched him.
"Ah, yes. In all my naked glory. Of course you would remember that. You really are quite a shameless woman. Absolutely scandalous, you know." He grinned at her soft laughter.
"No, you bunny. Before we actually met... in my dreams.... where you told me how to bring you to me..."
"Aha! You were dreaming about me before we had even met. I love it!" His heart lightened as her laughter sounded again.
"Why do I put up with you?" She put her hand up to pull him down to her by the back of his neck. As their lips met, he smiled.
"That's why you put up with me." He said pulling away slightly. She grinned tiredly and shifted over in the bed uncomfortably so he could lay beside her. "Tell me more about your dreams..."
"Hmmm.... You just like hearing about yourself."
"I know." He wrapped his arms around her and they stayed that way until long after Bonnie had fallen back to sleep.
***********
"Delos is actually alive?" Outside, Hunter was incredibly calm, with a somewhat carefree attitude. Inside though, was a whole other story. Shock at what he was hearing was prevalent in his mind at that moment.
"Yes." Sylvia Weald replied triumphantly.
"What of Chervil?"
"He was staked in 1703 during a duel. His son, Tormentil, has just died recently, about 3 years ago. There's more. Delos has the blue fire, he is a Wild Power."
"Amazing. I suppose he's the 'one from the land of kings long forgotten'." Hunter mused to himself.
"Excuse me?" Sylvia blinked in confusion.
"Nothing."
"And you still agree to my price for this information?" Sylvia's eyes gleamed as she voiced her thoughts.
"Don't worry. We shall leave for Washington in about a week's time." Hunter got up to leave, ignoring her on his way out.
He made his way to the stairs, and was halfway up them before he noticed Diana standing silently at the top watching him.
"Diana..." He grinned up at her and continued up until he was a step away from her. He put out a hand to stroke down the side of her face. Diana sighed, and moved closer to him before reaching up and to grasp his hand away from her, and backing up.
"Hunter, what is going on? You know as well as I that this is more than physical lust."
"No, it isn't. I want you Diana. I want you more than any other woman I have ever encountered. You know how much I want you. And I know you want me." Hunter stepped up so they were about an inch apart and stared down at her.
"I know exactly what I feel. And it's more than wanting you." She stepped back once more and glared up at him.
"So? That doesn't mean that I care anything for you." He glared back and took a step forward.
"You're so full of it! I've been in your mind, I know exactly what you feel!" Diana's eyes filled with tears as she yelled. She swiped at them roughly with a hand before side stepping him and raced down the stairs to the club below.
Hunter spun to watch her descent, sighing as she left his sight. His shoulders slumped as he turned away, and walked the rest of the way to his office that she had vacated.
************
Diana sat in her window, gazing at the full moon above. She had not felt well enough to go through a coven meeting, and had stayed home. Two days had gone by, and she still had not heard from, or seen him.
Her eyes felt dry, which they were. They were dried out. She had no more tears which she was able to shed. Her face was momentarily cloaked in darkness as clouds obscured the brightness of the moon.
As the darkness passed, she saw a figure under her window on the beach gazing up at her. Her eyes squinted to catch a better look, and as the clouds passed completely, her heart leapt with joy.
She spun from the window and raced down the stairs, and out to the beach to throw herself in Hunter's arms.
"You were right." He said softly into her hair as he held her tightly. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again." Diana smiled into his neck as she heard his softly spoken words.
To Be Continued...
