Chapter 4

DeClan, caught in the grips of a nightmare that had no end, tossed and turned tangled in the sheets and blankets, over and over again the small boy leapt at Leander trying to help his mother only to be thrown aside like a broken rag doll again and again, Leander's sneering vicious laughter ringing in his ears as he cried out. DeClan lashed out as Leander came at him again, somewhere in his nightmare he heard a woman's cry of pain, DeClan cried out to his mother "I'm here mother, I'll help you" enraged he struck at the hand on his arm trying to get to his mother. Trying to fight his way out of the nightmare he heard Zara's voice calling to him, he cried out "run Zara run away, I won't let him hurt you too, hide Zara" once again he threw Leander away from him with a shout of rage, he had to get to Zara. DeClan sat bolt upright, his chest heaving, a look of horror on his face, rubbing his hands across his face, he took deep gulping breaths, leaping out of the bed DeClan cried out "NO!" as he knelt by Zara, his tiny dragoness, "Zara ohhhhhh Zara what are you doing here, I've hurt you haven't I, let me help you Zara, don't cry little one." Zara gave a shaky smile "no I'm all right DeClan, you just scared me" DeClan groaned seeing the bruises all ready showing on her beautiful lavender body in the dawns light, Zara saw the bruises and the look on DeClan's face and quickly healed the hurts "there all better, DeClan are you all right? in my sleep I heard you crying out" DeClan sighed with a deep inner pain as he picked his little one up and cradled her against his chest "it was just a nightmare Zara" Zara purred soothingly against his cold skin "do you have them often?" DeClan took another deep breath sitting down on the edge of the bed "more often then I would like to admit, I was just to tired to avoid this one, you shouldn't have come little one, I could have hurt you badly." Zara touched his face softly "I couldn't NOT come to you DeClan" DeClan looked at the human Zara in his arms, her delicate gentle hand on his cheek, his eyes glittering he turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand, his own hands wrapping around her long hair as he slowly pulled her mouth towards his, with a groan of pleasure he kissed her, he felt her breath quicken as her breasts pressed against his bare chest, slowly he turned sideways and laid her back on the bed, her legs bent at the knee's over his hip and thigh. "Zara my Zara" he whispered against her moist kiss swollen lips, he felt her breath gasp into his mouth as his hand cupped her breast, as her nipple hardened under his touch he deepened the kiss, Zara her hands slipping into DeClan's hair pressed herself against him her breath coming in little pants, as his tongue eased between her lips she touched her tongue to his and heard his quick intake of breath. Zara her breath gasping, couldn't seem to get close enough, she wiggled and pressed, pulled at his hair with her hands, feeling the ache between her thighs and the growing spreading moisture between her legs, she felt her cheeks hot with her blushes but didn't care as she felt his hard shaft pressing against where she ached the most. Zara cried out as DeClan pulled away from her "ohhh please don't stop, please" she moaned, DeClan kissed her softly "easy little one I'm not stopping" he whispered against her lips as he quickly slipped off her nightgown, Zara gasped with a moan as she felt his naked body against hers, she looked at him with dark blue eyes almost black with desire as she purred, her body rubbing against his, her hands reaching, touching, caressing. DeClan his black eyes glinting like hot obsidian watched Zara's face as his hand slipped between her thighs and started to caress her sex, he groaned as he felt how wet and ready she was for him, he saw her eyes flare passionately as she thrust up her hips against his fingers, her moan of pleasure was a soft melody washing over him. Zara cried out as DeClan's mouth closed over her nipple, his tongue stroking and his mouth sucking deeply, her fingers tangled in his hair pressed him closer as she gasped and moaned, Zara shivered as the cool air touched her wet nipples when DeClan moved over her, his knees spreading her thighs wide, she panted and cried out his name rubbing as she tried to get close to him, her body on fire with her desire and need, she heard DeClan telling her to open her eyes and look at him, Zara looked up into his face to see his eyes smoldering with passion as he thrust into her, Zara's nails dug into his shoulders as she cried out, DeClan leaned down and kissed her deeply taking her cry of pain into his mouth "you are truly mine now little one, in body and heart." Once again DeClan brought Zara to writhing moaning passion, her cries of desire fueling his own moans of pleasure as he thrust into her faster and faster until he felt the shuddering, grasping, shivers of her release around his hard shaft, with a deep moan welling up from deep in his chest he let go filling her womb with his spurting hot seed. Zara her breasts heaving with each breath, her eyes closed tightly let out a long deep sigh of pleasure "Mmmmmmmm ohhh DeClan I never knew it was going to feel so wonderful." With a smile DeClan rolled to his side taking Zara with him, his hand gently trying to untangle her long hair from around them, softly he kissed her "it only gets better my beloved little one" Zara smiled "I'm still little aren't I, I probably only come up to the top of your chest" DeClan ran his tongue over her lips "both of you are perfect, more then I could ever have hoped for in that one glimpse I saw of your human, you have grown up to exceed all of my expectations, little one." Zara caressed his face softly "I'm glad, I wanted to be all I could for you" DeClan kissed her fingertips "be all that you can for yourself first Zara, always be true to yourself and you will be the very best you can be." With a frown DeClan looked out the window then at Zara "I doubt your parents know where you are little one, you must go home, after my meeting with Virlane this morning, I will come talk to your mama and papa." Zara didn't want to leave but knew she had too, she bit her lips for a moment as he withdrew from her body, DeClan angry with himself that this first time with his little one had to end so quickly, carefully pulled her nightdress over her head "take a long hot bath when you get home, it will help" with a slight smile he kissed her lips "wash your hair beloved, your virgins blood is all over it" Zara blushed bright red, DeClan held her in his arms tightly for a moment "no blushes little one, if we had the time I would wash it for you but morning comes to quickly." Zara with a look of regret blew DeClan a kiss then was gone. With a frown DeClan noticed just before she disappeared a trace of a lingering bruise on her cheek and jaw from his nightmare.

Alex and Laurel watched Zara all but float into the dining room for breakfast, Zara gave her mama and papa a glowing smile "it's a beautiful morning, isn't it" Laurel nodded "yes it's lovely out this morning, one last day of summer before fall arrives" Alex didn't take his eyes off Zara as she filled a plate and got a glass of milk then came to sit down. Zara glanced up at her papa "I thought I would go see Raimi and Crispin this morning for a little while then go on to Mar's" Zara glanced at her mama then back at her papa "is everything all right?" Alex slowly got up from his chair and walked over to Zara, tipping up her chin he looked at her closely "how did you get the bruises on your face Zara" he asked with a voice deadly calm and serious. Zara touched her cheek and looked to her mama, Laurel her voice filled with concern looked at Zara "we need to know Zara" Alex reached out and took Zara's hand as she put a fingertip to her lips, he could see the worry in her wide eyes "were you with DeClan? Zara" Zara nodded then said in a rush "he had a nightmare, papa a terrible nightmare I heard him cry out in his sleep and just went to see if he was all right, he didn't mean to hit me papa, he was still caught in his dreams, please papa you have to understand." As Alex strode out of the room Laurel called his name, with a snarl he turned "don't you dare ask me to be reasonable about this, he hit my daughter!" both Zara and Laurel heard the front door slam shut. "Mama, he didn't mean too, don't you understand he didn't mean too, he would never hurt me." Laurel looked at Zara "you may believe that but your father and I don't, he is a cold hard man Zara, I think you had better look past the emotions you feel for him and see him as he really is" Zara cried "your wrong mama, your so wrong, he just seems that way to protect himself, but you and papa don't want to see or understand him do you? all you can think about is protecting your baby, I'm not a baby anymore mama!" Laurel sighed as she heard Zara's bedroom door slam shut.

DeClan looked up from the plans he had drawn out for the garden, setting them down on a table he had set out in the yard, he watched Collin striding across the courtyard and through the gate. DeClan nodded "Virlane" Collin nodded back "DeClan" trying not to sigh DeClan showed Collin into the study "I understand you wanted to talk to me, would you care for a drink?" Collin shook his head "let's set aside the idle chit chat DeClan I'm here to make an offer for these buildings and property, name your price, I don't want you here, I don't want Leander any where near my family or my property, you destroy everything you touch, I want you gone!" DeClan leaned back against his desk "the property isn't for sale, I have no intentions of destroying anything, look around you Virlane, do you see anything dying? do you see shadows and darkness?" Collin shook his head "not yet but it's only a matter of time, you forget I've seen it before, I've seen how you Leander's destroy, maim, ruin, rape, everything in your path, get out DeClan, don't make me force you out!" DeClan snarled "don't compare me to Leander, I'm not leaving Virlane, this is my home, the home I plan on sharing with Zara, nothing is going to turn it into shadows" Collin snarled back "your going to let Zara near Leander, what kind of depraved bastard are you? you should have the decency to stay away from a young girl like Zara, what are you going to do? turn her into a frightened cowering creature like your mother? We all remember her showing up at gatherings whether she wanted to or not covered with bruises." DeClan pushed away from the desk "Leander and my mother are dead, he destroyed her, I killed him, I would never hurt Zara, I came here to get away from all that, I'm not going to do anything to your family or property Virlane" for a moment the sight of Zara with a bruise on her cheek and jaw and a tiny little Zara laying on the floor her lavender body bruised, tears in her eyes flashed through his mind. Collin stared at DeClan "you killed your own father? Leander was a cruel vicious old man but to kill your own flesh and blood, you must be worse then he ever could have been, get out DeClan before I destroy you for I shall, never doubt it." Both DeClan and Collin turned as the door to the study slammed open, "you son of a bitch, I'm going to kill you for striking my daughter" Alex snarled as he strode into the room throwing a punch that sent DeClan flying backwards across his desk.

Zara came running down the stairs hearing the front door slam, Mar came padding in with a scowl on his face "what's going on? why couldn't you send Alex to see DeClan?" he asked Laurel as she came running out of the dining room. "You sent Alex to DeClan's?" asked Laurel, her eyes wide, she put a trembling hand to her lips "DeClan will kill Alex, ohhhh Mar!" "Your wrong mama he wont hurt papa" Zara cried then disappeared. "Stop it papa, stop it" Zara screamed running over and grabbing her fathers arm as he went to hit DeClan again, she turned horror stricken eyes to Collin "why didn't you stop him?" Collin his eyes hard and cold looked at Zara "go home Zara" Zara dropped to her knees with a moan as she cradled a beaten DeClan against her chest, Zara ran her shaking hands over DeClan healing his cuts and bruises, wiping the blood from his face "ohhh DeClan, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Zara cried. DeClan slowly stood up, reaching down he lifted Zara to her feet "their right little one, it would seem that all I do is cause pain and hurt even when none was intended, it's best that I go, the fortress and everything in it are yours, they've always been in your name, tiny Zara Breeton" gently he touched the ruby heart nestled between her breasts, Zara cried out as she heard a tiny snap and a crack appeared across the center of the heart. Wildly Zara looked around at her papa and Collin then back to DeClan "don't go please don't go DeClan" she cried, DeClan softly touched her cheek one last time "you will be better off without me little one, the tiny one that I shall always love and adore" Zara screamed over and over again "don't leave me, please don't leave me DeClan" but he was gone. Zara stared at her papa and Collin "why, why did you do this to us? why?" Alex took a step towards Zara "don't come near me, don't ever come near me again, get out, get out of DeClan's house NOW!" Collin grabbed Alex arm "Zara we did what we thought best" Collin said in a calm voice as he and Alex watched Zara, her long hair swirling wildly around her body, her eyes wide and glazed, crackling static seemed to flow from all around her, slowly Zara raised her hand and pointed long fingers at her papa and Collin "be gone from my sight, never to enter these portals, never to set foot on this property again" her sad hollow voice rang out and they were gone.