Page 49 of Luca’s Magic Embrace

Samantha hadn’t told her parents about her vampire lover or her newly-acquired magic. Her parents could be quite reserved and she thought it best to tell them in person. Ringing her mother, she simply told her that she’d fallen in love with a wonderful man, they were engaged and she was moving to New Orleans. Happy for Samantha, they’d congratulated her and told her they were anxious to meet him. She laughed when she hung up the phone, thinking about how that get together would go. Hi Mom and Dad. Meet Luca, my fiancé. He’s a vampire. And oh by the way, I’m a witch now. Yeah, I’ve given up computers and can make fire with my hands.

She hadn’t really given up computers. Kade had offered her a job working in Issacson Securities in the technology division. She agreed to do it part time, given her new responsibilities and training at the coven. Xavier, Chief Information Officer and fellow geek, would be her new boss. They got along really well, and she was looking forward to starting her new career once she moved. Having already given notice at her old job, she arranged for movers to pack and bring her belongings to her new home.

Her home. Luca’s home. Their home. At first, she’d thought it would be strange moving into his lovely Garden District mansion, already furnished. But Luca insisted they redesign the interior together. He desperately wanted, not just a menagerie of precious collectibles, but a warm loving space. A home they’d built together with love.

Sometimes Samantha was amazed at her gentle giant. There was no doubt that Luca could be a dominant, impressive man, especially in the bedroom. Yet time and time again, he’d shown Samantha his tender heart, caring for her like no other man had ever done. She loved him back with every ounce of her being.

That morning, she’d made plans for a dinner party with Luca’s close friends and a few of her sisters from the coven, to celebrate their engagement. Samantha had even coaxed a reluctant Dominique into coming over, promising she’d find a willing human donor who’d be interested in taking care of her specific nutritional needs. Acquiescing to Luca’s demand for peace, Dominique had agreed to call a truce, especially after hearing of their engagement and that they’d be co-workers. Samantha apologized for what she’d done to her even though she still had no memories of silvering her.

Even though Luca insisted she hire a caterer for the event, Samantha planned on making a few of the dishes herself. She’d always loved to cook, but had never had the time or anyone to cook for when she was single. She knew vampires didn’t eat much, but planned on donating any leftover food to a local shelter immediately afterwards. Her aunt had given her the recipe for homemade bread, so she was busy kneading the dough when Luca walked up behind her and kissed her neck.

“Hey there, home early today?” she asked, enjoying the feel of his chest against her back.

“Yeah. Now that I’ve gotten things under control again at the office, I can work from home like I usually do. Besides, I thought I’d see if you needed any help today,” he offered. “I can’t tell you how delightfully strange it is to see a hot woman in my kitchen rolling dough in her hands. Once upon a time, I thought I’d be alone forever. Now here I am, wishing I was that dough.”

“You’re sweet. Let me wash my hands, and I’ll see what I can do. I’d much rather be running my hands over your body than playing with bread.” She winked. “Besides, there’s not much I really have to do to get ready.”

“I’m gonna go downstairs, take a shower and wait for you. Don’t want to interrupt you, or I won’t get to taste that secret recipe you’ve been hiding. Did I ever tell you how much I love hot buns?”

His double entendre wasn’t lost on her. “Well I have some hot ones with your name on them. Just give me a minute, and I’ll be down to join you,” she promised.

Luca turned to look at her and noticed her cheeks were dreadfully pale. “Hey, you okay? You look as white as a ghost. I wish you’d let the caterers do everything. Come rest with me before the party,” he pleaded.

“I promise I’m fine. I’m just a little tired from all our non-stop, mind-blowing sex. Now go on. Shoo. I’ll be down soon. I promise.”

Reluctantly, Luca went downstairs, but something was bothering him about the way she looked. She hadn’t seemed tired but then again, he’d been gone all morning. Maybe she’d been out in the garden earlier and the late summer heat had gotten to her.

Samantha watched him go downstairs. The truth was that she hadn’t been feeling well, but her optimistic spirit kept her going. She was so excited about the party that she wasn’t about to let a little lightheadedness ruin it. A few times during the morning she’d needed to sit down from the dizziness. Normally not one to feel faint, she chalked it up to the intense sessions she’d been having with Ilsbeth.

Every day, Samantha spent several hours training and testing her powers. She’d learned how to better control her call on the elements, no longer afraid that she’d mistakenly set fire to something. Instead of spouting in tongues with little understanding, she had started studying Latin and other foreign languages used in the spells. Ilsbeth had given her the responsibility of shoring up the coven’s digital library and website after she’d been able to breach its security. Reorganizing the database gave Samantha the opportunity to sift through and learn everything important to being a sister within the coven. She’d committed to learning the craft and actually found herself having fun every time she mastered a new skill.

Patting the dough one last time with oil, she covered the bowl to give it time to rise. After washing her hands, she dried them and decided to join Luca. Maybe he was right. Maybe she just needed a nap before the party.

Halfway down the stairs, her vision started to blur slightly as a wave of nausea rolled over her. Grabbing the railing, she steadied herself. A few more steps and she reasoned that she could make it over to the sofa. By the time she reached the landing, she could no longer stand. A tunnel of black enclosed her as she fell to the ground.

Luca took a hot leisurely shower, hoping Samantha would take it easy. He knew she was looking forward to celebrating their engagement, as was he. But he was worried she’d been overdoing it with all her training at the coven and then insisting that she had to cook at least one dish for the party. He would have been happy with just champagne, but had given in to her desire to create a more human-like affair that would allow her to meet his friends. It was also an opportunity to do something wonderfully normal, given all the nasty supernatural events that had preceded tonight’s festivities.

But Luca worried that Samantha’s usually fair skin looked a lighter shade of pale. Despite her best attempts to hide it from him, he could sense she was suffering from malaise. It didn’t make sense. He was very careful with their blood exchanges, ensuring that he never drank too much from her and that she’d always drank his in return. Energizing and virile, his blood should have had her blushing pink with vitality.

Deciding to surprise her he lit the candles in their room, turned on soft music and lay naked on the bed, awaiting her presence. Fifteen minutes went by before he lost all patience. Annoyed, his worry rose yet again. Stubborn woman, must still be cooking when she doesn’t need to do that. What she needs to do is rest.

Sliding on a robe, he exited the bedroom and spotted Samantha lying still on the floor. He felt a surge of an emotion he’d long forgotten, terror. Had she fallen down the stairs? Was she alive? He breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her normal heartbeat. Rushing to her side, he scooped her up into his arms. “Samantha, darlin’. Come on baby. Please wake up,” he begged.

Slowly Samantha’s eyes fluttered open. “Ummm….what happened? How’d I get here?”

“Dear Goddess, I’m so glad you’re awake. What happened? Are you in pain? I’m calling a doctor.” He knew doctors existed who served supernaturals. Kade had called for one who’d checked him out after he’d been kidnapped. He reached for his phone and frantically flipped through his contacts list looking for the number.

“No, Luca. I don’t need a doctor. Please just call Ilsbeth; she can look at my aura. I think it must be the magic. Something’s wrong. I’ve been using a lot of energy when I’ve been training. I told you it was exhausting. I just need to close my eyes and rest,” she insisted.

There was no way in hell he was letting a witch diagnose his wife-to-be. Sure, he’d call her, but he was also calling the doctor. “Okay, stay here. I’m going to go get your robe, a glass of water and make the call. Don’t move,” he ordered.

After calling both the doctor and Ilsbeth, he phoned Sydney and Kade to ask them to come over. They waited outside his front door for the doctor to arrive. Within thirty minutes, Kade escorted the doctor downstairs. Luca was surprised to see how young the woman doctor was, given that he had no recollection of her from when he’d been ill.

She extended her hand. “Good day, I’m Dr. Sweeney. Do you think we could move the patient into the bedroom so I could take a closer look at her?”

“Certainly.” Luca gently cradled a sleeping Samantha in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and pulled a sheet up over her.

Ilsbeth poked her head into the bedroom, having come in late. “May I stay, Luca?” she asked quietly.