Loving you Forever

He carefully approached her, not wanting to startle her any more than she already had been in the last few hours. The thunder storm that ragged around them was not doing anything to help her frayed nerves he was sure. The lightening lit up the sky completely, giving the world an eerie glow for a second before plunging the world back into darkness. Her blonde locks would shine in those seconds, making her seem even more the beauty that she was, but sometimes failed to see. He had never meant to fall in love with her. Love was not something he had felt necessary for his existence up until now but he was glad he had waited almost three lifetimes for her. He sat down next to her slowly, trying again to not frighten her, and he was also unsure if she would even want his presence. She did not even flinch, almost as if she had known he was coming. She closed the small distance between their bodies by leaning her head against his shoulder. He changed their positions by wrapping his arm around her waist causing her head to fall to his chest. "Why did you not tell me sooner? Have I not proven my loyalty to you? My love?" She said suddenly, her voice full of confusion and hurt, but there was a hidden conviction lacing her words. "I was afraid." He answered honestly, a new concept for him, "I was afraid that you would leave me when you found out what I was. I am not a good man Caroline. I do not deserve you or your love." "Both of those things are something I have the right to decide for myself. You cannot dictate what things I do and do not get to know about you. If you truly love me, like you claim to do, then there should be no secrets between us." She said and pulled away from him, turning her body so she was facing him, though she could not see his face in the blackness. He could see her face clearly though, despite the darkness that surrounded them, and could see the determination that graced her every feature, "You are right. I should not have treated you as I did. Please believe me when I say it was not because I do not trust you, or do not love you. It had everything to do with my own insecurities….things have happened to me in the past that…..have affected my ability to…." "Let someone in completely?" She suggested, her face full of understanding and warmth, but her eyes remained set and determined. "Yes." He said firmly, his mood changing instantly as he realized he was being too vulnerable, showing too much weakness. "Do not do that Nikolas!" She yelled at him, grabbing his hand, and he could feel the warm metal that laced her ring against his flesh, "You are not allowed to shut off your emotions around me. Do not think you are the only one who has even been hurt by someone that is supposed to love them, do you forget where and in what situation you found me?" He had not forgotten, he was sure that image of her when he first saw her would remain seared in his mind forever. A Few Months Earlier He wasn't in the bottom neighborhoods yet, the walk through the districts was slow but always good for entertainment. He loved listening to men cheat on their wives, fully unaware that their own wives were cheating on them as well. Nik had helped a few of them himself, but never for anything more than a single roll in the sheets. He did not love these women, all of them were too shallow and deceitful for his liking. They reminded him of Tatia, for that he loved to take out some frustration directed at the long dead b***h on them, only for them to forget him in the morning. He stopped as he heard a rather large crash come from the estate on his left, Winslet, was engraved on the iron gate. He hid in the shadow of a large tree as the gate slowly opened and a beautiful blond woman walked through it, her dark cloak bellowing around her. "You cannot leave!" He heard an angry male voice say as it followed her out into the street. The man to whom the voice belonged was young, around 25 maybe, with dark hair. A second man with a limp followed slowly, obviously older, probably closer to 60, his light hair already going gray. "I will not stay here and have the two of you decide my life for me. Three times was enough pain to bare and I will not suffer through it again. I do not think my body could handle it again, and I know my sanity could not." She yelled, turning like a swift cat to look at the two men. Nik guessed the younger one was her husband, a gold ring shined on her hand, and the other was a father to one of them. "It is your duty as a wife to provide for your husband." The older man spoke, talking down to her as if she was a child having a tantrum, not a woman fighting for her voice. That made Nik believe it was her father, not the husband's. "And it is his duty as my husband to respect the vows we said before God, but I do not see him listening, so why should I?" She fought back, and Nik loved the strength and power she held. He was sure he had never seen a more intriguing woman before. Women did not say things like this, especially not the ones of her high station. It made him feel very interested, wishing he could see what else this woman was passionate about. "I am your husband and you will not speak to me like this!" The man yelled and ran up to her, backhanding her across the cheek before gripping her arm tightly, "Now, get back into that house and stay in your room. I will come to you later and you will be appreciative of me, is that understood?" It took all of Nik' resolve to stay hidden and remain out of the conflict; he wanted to snap the man's neck for daring to raise a hand to such a unique creature. He watched as she slowly raised her head and looked at her husband, her words and voice were timid, "Of course Andrew, I do not know what came over me." "You are grieving my dear. It is understandable to be upset after such horrible events as those you have suffered the past year." The elder man said, coming up so she could loop her hand around his elbow, "You will see daughter, everything will turn out right eventually, do not fear." "Oh, I do not fear for anything Father." She answered sweetly. Nik wondered if she would kill the man tonight when he came to her bed chamber but did not think she was that kind of woman. Also, the thought of that man touching her at all made his skin crawl with jealousy and rage. The urge to protect her and make her his was running through him like a fox during a hunting party, fast and full out. He had not felt such strong feelings for a complete stranger in his entire life, but he didn't want to stop them once they had started. He needed a plan and it would take time, but he also needed to keep that awful man from touching her again. It occurred to Nik as he approached the door that he did not even know the name of the woman he was so enamored with, and let out a low chuckle at the thought as he rang the bell. A manservant answered and was quickly dispatched to retrieve the man of the house, Andrew Winslet, for an important guest. The man was clearly still upset and held a glass of liquor in his hand as he appeared in the doorway, "And you are?" "Lord Nikolas Plantagenet, I have come to tell you something of grave importance, may I come in?" He asked, keeping his voice low and conspiratorial. "Of course my lord." Andrew said and stepped aside to allow him entrance, grimacing a bit when he saw the look on Nik' face, "What is this about?" "Only," He narrowed his eyes with Andrew's, keeping their gazes locked together, "You will never touch your wife again, not in anger or passion. You find that if you touch her that it pains you terribly, as if you were burned. And, you will forget that I was ever here." "I am sorry sir, you are who again?" Andrew asked, his voice faded and his eyes gazed. "No one of importance." Nik answered with a smirk and, as an afterthought, asked, "What is your wife's name?" "Caroline." He replied, the compulsion still having a hold of him. "Excellent." Nik commented before disappearing into the darkness. She kept ringing her hands in the skirt of her dress as she listened to the constant nagging brought on by her father and husband. "Caroline, you cannot do this. You need to do your duties as a wife." Her father, Lord William Gibson, said his voice stern and forceful. Nearing 60, his light hair had started to turn grey but his blue eyes were as clear as ever. He was stern and held firm in his beliefs, but Caroline never doubted that her father loved her. "I have done my duty as a wife, three times! You have no idea how painful it is and I will not go through that pain again!" She yelled jumping to her feet and staring definitely at her father and husband. "You will not speak to me like this!" Andrew yelled back, taking a step toward her, but she knew he would not dare touch her with her father present. Andrew had dark hair and brown, non-interesting eyes. His father had died two years earlier, leaving him the Lord Winslet, and giving him many expectations to fulfill. Andrew had two younger brothers, both married and with children. Children was what they were fighting about, children was what they were always fighting about. "You will give me a son!" "I have already given you one! It is not my fault that he…." Caroline started to respond but felt the tears start to flood her eyes. She turned and ran out of the room, heading straight to the front door, quickly grabbing her cloak has she ran by. She needed fresh air, she needed to get away from the two men that demanded too much of her. Caroline did not bother to close the door behind her, she knew that they would follow, neither ever really listened to her wishes. She made it just outside the gate of the estate when she heard the door slam and heard her husband's angry voice, "You cannot leave!" "I will not stay here and have the two of you decide my life for me. Three times was enough pain to bare and I will not suffer through it again. I do not think my body could handle it again, and I know my sanity could not." She yelled, turning swiftly to look at the two men standing behind her. "It is your duty as a wife to provide for your husband." Her father spoke, talking to her like he had when she younger, throwing unnecessary tantrums because of a toy or some other such thing. It made her even angrier than she was already. "And it is his duty as my husband to respect the vows we said before God, but I do not see him listening, so why should I?" She fought back, glaring at her husband with unshielded eyes displaying her rage. Letting him know that she knew all about his little affairs. "I am your husband and you will not speak to me like this!" Andrew yelled and ran up to her, backhanding her across the cheek before gripping her arm tightly, she was sure there would be bruises, "Now, get back into that house and stay in your room. I will come to you later and you will be appreciative of me, is that understood?" Caroline slowly raised her head and looked at her husband, her eyes holding all the previous anger plus some more, but also the shock from the hit, she had been sure that her father's presence would have prevented it. Caroline knew what to say to calm him down, so in a voice that seemed weakened and apologetic she said, "Of course Andrew, I do not know what came over me." "You are grieving my dear. It is understandable to be upset after such horrible events as those you have suffered the past year." Her father said, coming up to loop her hand around his elbow, giving the hand a sweet squeeze as she did, "You will see daughter, everything will turn out right eventually, do not fear." "I do not fear for anything Father." She answered sweetly, her eyes glaring at the back of her husband's head as they walked slowly back into the grand house. She was debating using that knife under her mattress if he came to visit her tonight.