Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) Read online

  Arielle smiled and hugged her friends. “Nothing is wrong,” she lied. “By the way, thanks for the compliment.” She feigned displeasure at Gabrielle.

  A small smile quirked Troy’s lips and Gabrielle snorted. “I was just kidding.”

  Sebastian and Troy exchanged meaningful glances as they made their way to their first class. Sebastian remained absorbed in his thoughts through the duration of the lecture. The black car had darkened his mood. He was sure that Jorrit’s men were close. His hands tightened into fists and he felt anger rippling through his body.

  Arielle slightly turned and checked out his profile, instinctively knowing that something tormented him. She leaned closer and tugged on his sleeve, but he was lost in thought, his expression mysterious, deadpan, and unreadable. A wave of unease coursed through her body and her throat went suddenly dry. This was worse than she thought. What in bloody hell is going on? She reached over and grasped his hand in hers, pressing her right leg tightly against his left. He then turned and, raising an eyebrow, he let his emerald eyes burn into hers, causing Arielle’s lips to purse, wondering what his expression meant. She suppressed her wild thoughts and gave him a soft smile. His lips curved with longing and her body sank as a sigh of relief escaped her lips. “Are you all right?” she whispered.

  He nodded and stared into her eyes, his expression draped in apology. His hand curled around hers and his warmth enveloped her. He realized that all the negative thoughts about Jorrit’s goons were weighing him down, overwhelming his mind with an uncomfortable sensation. He needed to snap out of it. He took a deep breath, gave her a soft smile, and pressed her hand affectionately before turning and fixing his gaze on the professor standing at the podium.

  Arielle had missed the last part of the chemistry lecture, but she was sure that Sebastian hadn’t heard a single word of it. Not that he needed to hear it. He knew the subject better than the professor. He had attended this type of class many times in his five hundred plus years on this planet. But she needed him to snap out of his sullen mood.

  At the end of the lecture, they stayed back, waiting for the others to walk out. His intense gaze roamed over her, and his lips lifted. Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you even think for a moment that I’m happy with your rubbish explanation that there is nothing going on in there,” she said and pointed to his head.

  Sebastian’s eyes widened, mirth emanating in his gaze, and his face lit up like the summer sky. “Rubbish? Did you say rubbish?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I said, and don’t make me laugh.” She wrapped her arms around herself and tried hard to suppress a giggle.

  “I thought we moved passed this, love.”

  “You may have moved past it; I’m still waiting for an explanation.”

  Sebastian chuckled softly. She was not going to give up. He adored her relentlessness. She was going to hound him until she was satisfied with his answer.

  “Let’s go. We are the last people left in here,” he mentioned quietly. Professor Colt Allworth was watching them indiscreetly. As an immortal, he was able to hear every word spoken.

  She continued chatting, utterly amusing him. “I’m truly sorry that I can’t read your thoughts.”

  He smiled at her. “Why is that so important?”

  Arielle sighed. “Because you are notorious for keeping secrets.”

  Sebastian stood up and reached for her hand. “Let’s go. Professor Allworth is watching us.”

  She tilted her head back and peered up at him. “And what if he is?”

  “Arielle, he’s an immortal; he can hear a pin drop from miles away. Do you want to discuss your issues right here?”

  Her eyes widened and her gaze immediately moved down to Professor Allworth’s desk. He was gazing up, his expression that of amusement. Arielle flushed, and taking Sebastian’s hand, she rose to her feet, and they hurried out of the auditorium.

  When outside, he draped his arm around Arielle’s shoulder and pulled her toward the Pavilion, where they met Eva, Ian, Lauren, and Paul. They fell into feverish chatting, trying to make plans for the weekend, while waiting for Gabrielle and Troy to finish their class.

  Students clustered the grounds of the university each day and today was not any different. They gathered at the auditoriums, the library, the hallways, and the Pavilion. People were busy talking, laughing, and rushing across campus to their next destination. Others were just relaxing while waiting for their next class. It would be easy to hide among all of those bodies and faces, to disappear in the throng. Sebastian used his immortal abilities to scan the large groups and spent a short second on each face, scrutinizing their next move or thought. He couldn’t find anything that spoke of danger, and he smiled, obviously relieved.

  Chapter 3

  AFTER ANOTHER WEEK of their usual routine, Arielle was quite fed up with Sebastian’s secrets. She was going to resolve her unanswered questions. While driving toward campus, Arielle noticed the strange flash in Sebastian’s eyes and the tightness on his face. She stared at him for a long moment with pure curiosity. This was going to be the right moment to find out what has been eating him up for the past two weeks. “What’s wrong?” she asked, nudging him softly.

  It took a few minutes before her question sank into his mind. He immediately forced a smile and, taking her hand, he brought it up to his lips and kissed each fingertip tenderly. His jaw muscle twitched and his voice came out a bit edgy. “Nothing, baby, just work.”

  She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “You know, Sebastian, I’m getting pretty sick of the same bloody stupid answer.”

  Sebastian tried hard to suppress his disconcerting emotions. He knew that this duel of conversation with Arielle could go on for a very long time, or at least until she was satisfied with the answers. He successfully forced a serene expression over his face. Glancing over at Arielle, he let the corners of his lips elevate into a warm smile. “Don’t you trust me?”

  “It’s not a matter of trusting you, Sebastian. It’s your expression that worries me. You had the same expression on your face last week, and when I asked you, I receive the same answer. I’m not an idiot and you are being quite obtuse. I know you better than you think I do, so come out with it!”

  The tone of her voice made him chuckle. She was human, but she was a force to reckon with. She literally took his breath away and she was right. She knew him better than anyone else. But he couldn’t let her know of the danger that was lurking around them.

  He wasn’t worried about himself or the other immortals. However, he was very worried about her, Gabrielle, Paul, and their families. He would have to resolve this situation and soon. For now, he had to make up a story, and it had to be a good one. “I’m worried about our company’s future.”

  “Why? Did something happen in Brussels?”

  “Dylan rang while I was in Brussels and he said that the Russian goons have come up with a new device to infiltrate our company’s secret documents.”

  “What are you going to do? You’re an immortal, for Lord’s sake.”

  “Arielle, I know how eager you have been to find out what’s going on, and all I’m trying to do is to protect you. Troy, Nathan, and I are working hard to find out where they plan to strike first and discover the details of their plan. The company buildings and laboratories are global, therefore vulnerable. We have to stop them before they strike and we have to be smart about it. The outcome could be disastrous if those documents fall in the hands of dangerous people like this group.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Absolutely not.” Sebastian noticed that Arielle had accepted his explanation. She fell quiet, having nothing more to say. He checked out her profile and couldn’t help feeling quite uncomfortable for not telling her the whole truth. She was sitting motionless, focused somewhere out in the distance. He reached over, took her hand in his, and pressed it softly.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, I just wish I could help.” She wa
s keeping her voice light, despite the fact that she was a bit anxious.

  In class, Arielle was busy taking notes and following the lecture. Sebastian gave in to the overwhelming rage. Jorrit’s guys were taking their time. This long torturous wait was not something he was familiar with. Anger had settled deep into his bones and he wanted to have this over with.

  On Friday morning while in the shower, Sebastian thought for a moment that it might have been a good idea to go into the office for a little while. His eyes fell on Arielle, still standing very close to him, letting the warm water engulf her body. Her eyes were closed and a beautiful smile spread across her face. His eyes followed the rapid movement of the water in clear wonder. It touched her long, silky hair and glided over her curves like a secret trespasser caressing her thighs. After finally touching her pink painted toenails, it disappeared into the drain.

  He watched her for a while and it looked like a ritual of some sort. His mouth went dry and his arms ached for her. Mesmerized, he reached over and pulled her in his embrace. His mouth came down on hers in clear longing. Her eyes snapped open, but shortly, she gave into the heat of the kiss and melted against the wonderful wall of muscles that enveloped her. Standing too close to her burning desire, he immediately knew that he wasn’t going to go anywhere; he’d stay with her until everything had been resolved and she was safe.

  He licked the droplets from her lips and held her tight. “How you can drive me crazy by just standing there I will never understand.” He gave his head a soft shake and chuckled inexplicably. They were lost in each other, enveloped by deep desire and sizzling passion.

  “We have to get ready for class,” he murmured.

  She giggled with pleasure. “I don’t think I want to go to class today.”

  “Arielle, it is rather late to be making such a momentous decision. You can’t miss the test. It will count for a large portion of your grade.”

  She wrinkled her nose and pressed her lips together glumly. “Oh, very well. You know how to spoil a great time.”

  Sebastian chuckled blissfully, cupped her face, and settled his lips to explore. Warm, tender, sweet, extraordinary. Oh! Lord, I’d rather take her to bed than to class. Reluctantly, he drew back and heard her sudden intake of breath. He pulled her tenderly out of the shower and wrapped her in a huge bath towel. He loved her powerfully, unconditionally. She stirred emotions in him that he never knew he possessed. She had to be the most passionately alive human being he ever encountered. He adored her and she was in danger. Too many people wanted to destroy him and she had become the target to their endeavors.

  While getting ready for class, they fell into a pleasant conversation. She was leaning over, adjusting her Nike laces, when his next question hit her like a ton of bricks.

  “Have you seen that black Mercedes lately?”

  She jerked her gaze from her shoe to Sebastian, and her smile slipped. For a short moment, she couldn’t move. Where did that come from? Why would he even ask a question like that? “What?” she squeaked. Silence fell over the room while she stood there stunned and studied his face. She noticed the same tension that she had seen plaguing him for the past two weeks.

  She had pushed the fact that something was terribly wrong into a far corner of her mind, and now was the perfect time to bring all the questions back and make him fess up to the truth. Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. Anger flared and stripped her self-control. “So you lied…you lied…you lied!” she shouted, the blood draining from her face. “You made up rubbish about Dylan and the Mafia and the company. You’re hiding something from me, Sebastian.”

  His eyes widened in unmitigated surprise. He opened his mouth and closed it again.

  “What in bloody hell is really going on?” she continued, clenching her fist to her side.

  Sebastian stared at her, utterly astonished at her outburst. Of course, nobody had ever accused him of being a liar. As an immortal, he couldn’t lie. He could only give a different explanation of the issue in hand. The fact that Dylan had cautioned him about the Mafia goons, that they were after his company, and that they were going to do everything in their power to achieve their goal, all that was true. He merely left out a small detail, because he didn’t want to frighten her. Jorrit’s goons were going to try to use her as bargaining chip to accomplish what they needed from him. So she was in grave danger.

  Another long moment of silence passed before he finally spoke. “I have no idea what you are talking about?”

  Arielle stood up, and their gaze locked. She saw a bewildered shadow flash across his eyes and she felt a piercing twinge of remorse coursing through her. She didn’t have to yell at him in such a harsh manner. Her words came out with more anger than she had intended. She sighed, exhausted from trying to learn the facts. This had been going on for two bloody weeks.

  “Arielle, you know that I can’t lie, so please have faith in me. I have my reasons for not giving you all the facts, and if you love me, you’ll have to trust me. Can you do that?”

  She rose from the bed and gazed at him across the room. “I’m sorry, Sebastian. I’m just worried that something is going on, and as usual, you keep me in the dark. I’m a strong person, in case you haven’t noticed. You just have to trust me and give me a chance.” And if this doesn’t have something to do with me, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.

  Sebastian raised his brows, all pretend innocence and shock. “Why, Arielle, I do trust you. This has to do with both of us. It is our company in danger and, therefore, we are in danger.” He didn’t like arguing with her. He pushed away from the dresser--his eyes warm, loving--and slowly closed the distance between them. His shirt was still unbuttoned, exposing his beautiful muscled chest. He was stunningly handsome and she swallowed past the lump that lodged in her throat. Her eyes roamed over him, desire settling, drinking him in. He was now towering over her, and her mouth went dry, utterly transfixed by his nearness. Placing a finger under her chin, he lifted her face up to his, his lids half-mast. Lowering his head, he brushed her lips with his gently. “I do trust you, my love. Please put your clothes on; we’ll be late for class.” He lifted his eyes from her lips and the corners of his mouth kicked up.

  She fixed him with a firm expression on her face. “You are not going to tell me, are you?”

  “No,” he replied, a smile playing on his lips. “I have said all that I am going to say. And you have to accept it.”

  She scoffed at his reply. She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off by lifting his index finger and pressing it against her lips. “Go—get—ready.” His voice was gentle, not annoyed. The composed gaze in his emerald eyes resigned her to the fact that this conversation was over. After several seconds of silence, he released her reluctantly. She frowned and, shaking her head in exasperation, she turned and stormed into the bathroom.

  “This conversation is far from over,” she mumbled, shutting the door behind her. She heard his soft chuckle.

  As they drove on, heading for campus, the silence in the car fell thick and intense. Arielle was pouting. Reaching out, he clasped her hand and pressed it softly. “I wish that you’d stop being mad.”

  She sighed and kept her eyes on the road. “I’m not mad.”

  “Funny way to show it.”

  “Sebastian, stop.”

  “I will when you stop acting like you are right now.”

  “And I will stop when you start including me in your troubles, which apparently you’re not doing right now,” she snapped.

  “Arielle, you shouldn’t be so quick to judge me. I’m trying to keep you safe and happy. That’s all I’m trying to do.” He pulled her hand to his mouth and pressed feather kisses against her knuckles.

  “Fine,” she said petulantly, unable to prevent mockery from touching the tone of her voice.

  Sebastian’s jaw tensed. A sinking sensation gripped him. What the devil is she thinking? I absolutely cannot, and will not, divulge all the grim details about the danger that is about
to be thrust upon us. He was sure that he would be able to take care of all the problems that came along and avoid putting additional anxiety and discomfort on Arielle. He was going to keep her safe, but in the meantime, he hated to see her troubled and worried. He shook his head and muttered his exasperation in that immortal way that she was never able to follow.

  Silence stretched. She felt the weight of his gaze on her, but she turned away, resting her head against the headrest.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” She fell silent again, her thoughts churning wildly. Oh, how I wish that I could read his thoughts. She knew it was an outlandish thought that would go unsatisfied, but she could dream. She released a soft sigh and closed her eyes.

  Sebastian’s mobile ringing broke the silence. He let go of her hand and hit the accept button on the screen.

  “Hello,” he answered blankly.

  “Sebastian, it’s Nathan. I have the report that you asked for.”

  “Hi, Nathan, I’m in the car with Arielle, going to class. I was planning on coming to the office later this afternoon. Is it urgent?”

  “No, it’ll keep.”

  “Fine. Thanks, Nathan.”

  He pressed the disconnect button, set the mobile back down on the hand rest, and clasped her hand gently once again. He didn’t miss that the tightness in her lips increased.

  “What?”

  She glanced at him, eyes narrowed to slits. “I’m bloody sick and tired of being kept in the dark.” There, I told him.

  His eyes widened. “What the devil are you talking about?” he asked. She could hear the surprise in his voice.

  “Um,” she started to say, but she stopped. She just stared at him.

  “What?” he pressed on.

  “What did Nathan want?”

  He didn’t answer right away. The question clearly surprised him. He shook his head in exasperation. “Is this really about Nathan’s call or is there something else that’s bothering you?”