Loving you Forever

Chapter 3

Caroline couldn't help glance at the Lord Nikolas every now and then, his eyes seemed to train on her and it was a bit of surprise, no one ever looked at her in such ways.

"Bekah, why does your brother keep watching me? Am I doing something wrong?" She asked her friend, doing her best to avoid going toward the area where her husband was socializing and drinking.

"Just ignore him Care, he likes looking at pretty things. Even ones he knows he can't have." Rebekah said, sending a glare at her brother, a not uncommon occurrence Caroline had noticed.

"Well, thank you for that round about compliment at least." Caroline replied with a laugh, and she finished off her glass, "I am going to get another refreshment, care to join me?"

"I would love to but I think I have to dance with a few of these young men. After all, this party is in my honor." Rebekah said, smirking as she accepted a dance offer from the son of duke.

Caroline had made it about seven feet when a voice behind her said, "May I have this dance?"

She turned around slowly, and said with a smile, "I guess you may my lord."

She placed her hand in his and he spun them onto the dance floor. His hand gracefully fell onto her waist and they moved with prefect unison to the music.

"Are you enjoying the party?" He asked, his voice low but inviting.

"Yes, it is the best I have been to in a long time my lord." Caroline answered, smiling at him as they danced.

"You and my sister seem to be rather close, I wonder why it is I have never heard her mention you before." He said, wondering if she would share with him what he was sure his sister would not.

"That would be a question for your sister." Caroline promptly answered, trying to not let her racing heart take control of her. His eyes were so inviting and the feeling of his hand on her waist was giving her butterflies.

"Do I make you nervous my lady?" He asked, his voice laced with a teasing tone.

"Which answer would please you more my lord? I have noticed your eyes following me all night, and I cannot put my finger on the reason why. I am a married woman and I do not take others into my bed. So if all you wish is to have my body, this dance will be the closest you shall ever come to it." Caroline told him, her voice full of conviction.

"You are a very unexpected, yet intriguing woman Lady Caroline. I can see why my sister wishes to keep you to herself." Nik responded, and pulled away so he could bow as the song ended.

Caroline curtsied in return and as she stood back up said, "Thank you for the dance my lord. I very much enjoyed it." She winked at him before walking away, she tried to get her breathing under control but all she could think about was his eyes looking into hers.

Late that evening, or early that morning, as the last of the guests were leaving Rebekah stormed up to her brother, "Please do not do what I think you are going to do."

"Do tell me what you think I am planning to do dear sister." Nik inquired, smirking at her outrage.

"Leave Caroline alone, she is much too sweet to be brought in and destroyed by our way of life." Rebekah explained, "And do not try to deny it, I saw the way you looked at her and danced with her. The latter of which did not go unnoticed by her husband, who is not an understanding man."

"I have already taken action against that fool." Nik informed her, barely containing his anger, "How is it that you know the Lady Caroline? I have never heard you mention her and you two seemed very close."

"There are some aspects of my life that I wish to keep private from you Nik, and my relationship with Caroline is one of them. She is my dearest friend, the only one I have ever really had in almost three centuries of life. Do not take her away from me to satisfy some selfish need of yours." Rebekah demanded, her voice laced with fear that he would do just that.

"Selfish need of mine? Is not keeping her to yourself also selfish? Why not share sister?" Nik teased, already knowing the answer.

"We do not share well Nik, neither of us do. I am asking you, please, do not do anything to harm Caroline. She lost a great deal in the plague that raged earlier in the year, she doesn't need any more pain. I want you to promise me that you will not harm her Nik." Rebekah said, half pleading, half demanding.

"I will not hurt your friend Bekah, you have my word." He told her and kissed the top of her head before walking back into the house.

Why would I ever hurt such a stunning creature? Rebekah thinks so little of me at times, and I am sure Edward and Raymondare the same way. He huffed at his thoughts, they always brought about bad moods. He just wanted his family to love him, like he felt he deserved, but that was never going to happen, he could see that now. No, if he wanted a family, he would need to make one, and he a good idea as to where to start.

Nik knew that what he was doing was completely wrong, he should not be standing over her sleeping form, wishing to wake her and make her his in every sense of the word. He did not think she would approve of his presence though. She had very much enjoyed their dance, he could hear it in her heartbeat and the carefree smile that had graced her face. Her words had been respectful but teasing at the same time. He could tell that she had no desire to disrespect her honor by slipping into bed with him though.

Nik stilled as she let out a pleased sigh and rolled onto her other side, now facing him and her loose blond hair covering her cheek. He gently pushed it aside, allowing him a full view of peaceful and beautiful features. His curiosity got the best of him, and he slipped inside her dream. He was pleasantly surprised that it was him she was dreaming about, and couldn't help but a change a few of the minor details.

A sharp noise as someone ran into the wall woke him from his trance and reminded him of his true purpose here tonight. A quiet voice followed the sound, "M'lord, please, allow me to assist you to bed." Nik recognized it as the voice of the butler that opened the door for him a few days earlier.

"I do not need your assist…assist…help George!" Andrew yelled and ran into another object, "Go away!"

Nik heard the receding footsteps of the butler as Andrew's grew closer and stopped outside the door to Caroline's chambers. A moment passed and Nik waited on the other side of the door but Andrew's footsteps started again and he heard a door open further down the hall. Nik smirked as he left Caroline's bedroom and slowly stalked to the door still open from where his prey had entered.

He had it all planned perfectly, an accident would befall Andrew Winslet, named for his father, and a poor excuse of a lord and husband he was. Andrew being drunk did nothing to hinder his plans, in fact, it made it all so much easier. The butler would confirm that Andrew had too much to drink and could not get to his room without running into things. Nik regretted that he could not just tare Andrew limb from limb but that would not allow his plan to be set in motion.

"Hello Andrew." Nik said, his voice low and menacing, the smirk still firmly on his lips.

"Lord Nikolas?" Andrew stuttered after a stumbled turn to look at the man that addressed him from the doorway. They had met briefly at the party earlier.

"Nothing personal mate, you just have something I want." Nik said slowly, closing the door behind him and walking at a steady pace toward Andrew, making sure that his eyes started to take on their true appearance.

"I….you can have it…..whatever it is…just leave." Andrew replied, taking a step back with each word until running into the window frame.

"You do not even care what it is? Take a guess." Nik commanded, stepping closer with a predatory pace.

"I….my money." He guessed, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"So very wrong, mate. I want the most beautiful thing you have in your possession, though it is not really yours, as she belongs to herself." Nik told him, now only a few feet away.

"What?" Andrew asked, his voice suddenly returned at the anger he felt for the woman in question, "You mean my wife? That is what you are after? That pain in my side is worth nothing, certainty not this amount of trouble at least." Andrew stumbled again and then said, "I remember you from the ball, my lord. You were getting much too friendly with her."

"You should be much more appreciative of what you have, I know I will be when she is mine." Nik informed him and was now only a few inches away, his teeth itching to destroy the man's neck.

Andrew's blood was pumping so gloriously beneath the surface and he dug his teeth in, enjoying the feel of the blood as it flowed into his mouth. He drank until he could feel Andrew's pulse weaken and the man start to go limp. Nik pulled away and Andrew slumped to the ground, holding his neck weakly.

"Unfortunately, I cannot just let you bleed to death slowly." Nik whispered and grabbed Andrew's head forcing him to his feet before thrusting it into the banister on the bed. He allowed Andrew to limply fall to the floor, pleased that he had killed the man. He sighed as he saw the punctures on the side of Andrew's neck but figured no one would notice those or at least no one would question them.

He stopped himself from walking back into Caroline's room, the weakness he felt around her was confusing and at times frustrating. He smirked again at the thought of the dead man a few rooms away and could not wait until the sleeping woman on the other side of the door was sleeping in his bed.