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Crave the Night by Natascha (formerly known as: Ashleagh )

This is a story based upon the Dark Hunter series written by Sherrilyn Kenyon with Acheron Parthenopaeus as main hero. The other Dark Hunters as well as affiliated characters might show up as the story writes out.
Because this story is a Fanfiction which came from my own imagination whilst reading on in this series, note that it is in no way affiliated to Sherrilyn Kenyon. Please be warned again, that this might show spoilers to the actual series but it can also follow a different path to the storylines.

This FanFic as it's written is copyright protected to Natascha apart from the pieces taken from the series as well as the characters and series idea, those are registered adn copyright protected by Sherrilyn Kenyon!!!

HAPPY READINGS,
Natascha
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CHAPTER THREE

Ever since she walked home from Bride Kattalakis-McTierny's shop on Bourban Street she felt strange. Formilliar with the term psychic awareness, she often stopped by Selena's shop and had met Grace and Julian Alexander there. She had learned their amazing story of how they met. She truly believed in soulmates, the whole destined to be together kinda thing and knew it's a love so strong and so very rare that it was only meant for a rare few people, she didn't consider herself that lucky. Recently she decided to take a mythological course at Tulane University with Grace's husband, as she found her life being a bit boring with her 9-5 job at Laurens Law Firm. As an Office Manager she worked most of her hours inside her own office by herself. The trust they had given her she held dear as she truly enjoyed working for Bill and his father. They had been the only few people in her life who had faith in her, who appreciated her for who she was.


The core of her being was a creative person, a few of her embroidery pieces were up for sell in Selena's shop and the jewellery she made was up for sell in Bride's shop. She didn't make a lot of money on it but the money she did make she saw as pocketmoney, to splash out on things she didn't need but wanted anyway. The standard working hours and steady job balanced her life out, but lately for some reason she often found herself daydreaming about a time long gone, and she had her paths crossed with documentaries about Greek Gods and Goddesses and more from that time period. When she told Selena that the other day, she suggested Julian Alexanders classic course at Tulane University. And she didn't sit still after that, she had signed up on the course and her first class was in the morning. Bill, her direct boss, had given her the opportunity to do so on advice of his wife Lanie and he had learned throughout their years together to follow those advises. He also noticed that in the 6 years Celeste Brionagh had never taken a sick day, and whenever necessary she worked in late without complaining so he thought it only fair to give her something in return for her loyalty to the company.

Celeste had been out shopping for a nice fountain-pen (and ofcourse ended up with a silly cartoon figurine on it), pencils, notepads and to pick up the required books which Julian conveniently had left at Selena's shop. After going back home she walked through Bourban Street and got a vibe, not a scary vibe but a warm sense of completeness. A sudden feeling of being whole. The only thing she could think of was that it was the universe agreeing with her that she was taking the right path in life. Suddenly a scent of, dare she say 'Nikos' eau de toilette, entered her nostrills and made her glance up from underneath her cap to see who this godly scent belonged to. All she saw was this large Alpha-male and her reflection in his RayBan-sunglasses. Long ago she had learned that those kind of men weren't interested in the likes of her. Just as Bride she was a size 18 and eventhough she always dressed nice and according to fashion she accepted the way she looked looked (well ok not today, she still wore her trainingstrousers on with the word gorgeous printed on her butt, and a momoo-saurus sweatshirt, but she didn’t anticipathe seeing such a gorgeous thing walk around in New Orleans…), not to say she was happy about it but it no longer bothered her, people should take her as she was, but she new a guy like that was not for her 'Wow look at those legs,' legs that were tightly wrapped in leather pants ~ not those cheap nock-offs, no; the custom made one's ~ he didn't seem to notice her. 'owh baby,' could somebody turn the thermostat down?! Where was Winter when you needed it? Would his butt be as nice as she thought it would be? With leather pants like that, could a girl all do but not look back and see for herself?

She looked.
'Hell yeah, even better!'
Stop it Celeste, before you'll drewl all over Bourban Street and follow him like a stalking 'George Clooney-wife wannabe'. All her senses had fired up, but she quickly sobered again and focussed on the road ahead... She had a nice evening in planned that night. Dinner, a bath and reading up on tomorrows classes. It had been a while since she last had taken a course of any kind at the university, but she liked being prepaired.

She had only set one foot inside her large 4-room apartment when she was greeted by Luna, her 2 year old cat who always came to greet her at the door. And as always she babbled on about her day. It had become a habit of her to do so and Luna seemed to love it. Ever since one of her favorite series on TV; Charmed had mentioned that pets were formilliars in other words animal-guides there to protect their owners, she could all but wonder if it was true. And she'd swear that, in fact when she was talking to her cat, she listened and had a look in her eyes as if she understood everything she said. Maybe that was the reason why she chose a female-cat as well.... You never know who you undress for in the bathroom right?!

After dinner Celeste took her long longed for bath, made herself a cup of tea, got distracted by Jillian Cormack, her friend from Ireland and who lived in Seattle. They swopped local gossips for an hour or so and with an "I'll see you soon...'they hung up. The whole time Luna slept in her lap. Suddenly she remembered her tea-bag still in her tea-mug in the kitchen 'Bogger' when she checked it, it was darker than coffee and cold as ice-tea. As she was walking around the kitchen she felt restless, looking around the living room and hearing the wind outside, she figured that her restlessness was brought on by the weather change from summer to fall. Instead fo reading up on her new course she decided to snuggle up in bed with Kinley MacGregor 'Master of Desire'. With her reading glasses on the tip of her nose, and just the bedlight on she leaned into her pillow and motioned to Luna to come lay on the bed too.
After not even 20 minutes reading, she fell asleep and dreamt of things that weren't real in this world, things that made the legend of Dracula seem like a fairytale. It was all very real and made her wake up feeling a bit scared, full of emotions.

Still very early in the morning she got up and decided to have breakfast at Café du Monde. After checking her bookbag and making sure she had all she needed for classes, she went on her way. Down the street she bought the 'New Orleans-daily' at a newsstand, had her breakfast and at precisely 9 o'clock she sat herself down in the lecture-room. She heard the chitchats of her fellowclassmates and realized most of them were woman and started wondering why. Maybe it was something spiritual going on, women all over New Orleans were haveing dreams about Mythological Times.... All up in her thoughts she didn't notice the classmates were going silent and a door closing until she heard a warm deep voice say "Goodmorning, welcome to your first class in the Classic course 101. I'm professor Julian Alexander, your guide through the past.

"Celeste looked up and saw this 6'4" attractive male dressed in a tailor-made suit, with a voice that send chills down her spine. That, combined with the fact she knew he was a sex-slave for 2000 years and rescued from the book 7 years ago by Grace made her face blush. 'Get yourself together girl!'
A few of her classmates pointed at her and giggled. A chubby girl with a crush on her teachor...
Class was great, Julian made it seem so simple. Had vivid stories with such detail that it made her feel she relived everything he said. After the 3 hours class Julian said "Celeste Brionagh? Could you stay for a minute?"
Celeste looked surprised, but complied to his wishes. She noticed the look on the other girls faces and was wondering why the jealousy. Julian is married, and happily at that! When the classroom was empty Julian sat down next to her, taking her in for a moment and finally said "Selene told me about why you wanted to take this course."
Celeste looked puzzled "Ehm, I'm not sure..."
"Selene was kind enough to elaborate me about the dreams you've been having..."Julian said "She told me about it because I know a bit more about these 'magical' things than the average human being, and thought you might need a hand with figuring things out..."
"Oh I see, it just seemed so real to me, it got me interested in the "Myths" that's all."

"I got a feeling there's more to it than just that, but we'll leave it at this. Just know, if there's something you want to now, I'm here for you."
"Selena made you say so right?"
"No..." he said giving her a wink "Grace said I'll sleep on the sofa if I didn't treat you as a special student..."
Celeste smiled "Thanks but I don't need special treatment." She picked up her books and turned around "That whole longing, pining looks from female students... is that part of a remainder of your curse?"
Julian was caught off guard by that question "How did you know about that?"
"Selena and Grace told me when I met your wife at Selena's shop a few weeks ago. She's lovely."Celeste said thinking before she spoke the next words hoping he would pick them up the right way "And eventhough you're a gorgeous man... Forgive my directness... I don't fully understand why I'm not affected by it."
"What do you mean?"
"Like I said, you are good looking but other than that... nothing..." she said feeling awkward about it "Anyway, I have to go. Bill's expecting me in the office in an hour."
"Ok well, I'll see what I can find out and see you next week."
"Same time, same place..." Celeste walked out off the lecture room and left Julian behind wondering on what was going on. He called for his mother Aphrodite, who appeared in a whirl of sparkling light "My darling son, you called for me?"
He had to give his mother credit for knowing how to make an appearance, he knew it was worthless explaining that while being in a public place she shouldn't do all that but she would propably be arrogant in saying that she is a goddess and wouldn't appear in the human realm any other way, she should be acknowledged as such. That it wasn't her fault the human race forgot about the gods and goddesses. He quickly explained what happened and what Celeste had said about the curse.
"By the Fates, no 'hello mother nice to see you, how are you - kiss...' " Aphrodite said dramatically with a small pouting bottom-lip.
Julian obliged to the familliar customary and eventhough he himself was a half-God and his mother the Aphrodite, Goddess of love, they both couldn't figure it out. Aphrodite left with the promise to check and see if she could find out what the Three Fates had in mind for this.

Julian went home to Grace, being relieved that the area where they lived in New Orleans was fully restorated after the storm Katrina floaded the lower parts of the city over 2 years ago. With help of friends and governments all over the world the city finally looked like it's original self more and more each day. Eventhough he had only lived in this lifetime for 7 years, to him it already felt more his home than what he was used to before he got cursed inside a scroll by his brother Priapus.
When he sat down with Grace and coffee in the livingroom he asked what she thought and knew about Celeste.
Grace said "All I know is that there's something otherwordly about her. When you look in her eyes you can see a wisdom that's long forgotten and a strength that's unmeasureable. She gives Selena a run for her money with her profound replies. "I trust her."
He looked at his wife who never seem to amaze him, but yet amazes him everytime "I felt the same thing. Mum is looking into it as well."
"You spoke with Aphrodite?"
"Yeah. Her special "curse" on me, didn't seem to work on Celeste. I quote: 'eventhough I was a gorgeous man, she was not affected by it'."
Julian said with a smirk on his face "And that makes her the first one I know."
"I'm liking her even more now!!" Grace said.
Julian knew how at first Grace had problems with the fact every female who noticed Julian would instantly drewl all over his feet in awe. A little curse Aphrodite putt on her son to keep him near her but drew them apart instead. Grace always had to be careful with whom she grew close to and give her friendship to.
Maybe times started changing, or maybe it had to do with what Selena laid out in her cards when Tabitha was in the shop yesterday. What if the Gods are slipping under pressure of these stars alligning, end of the world-thing? Maybe rumors weren't rumours after all? Nostradamus did see sort of a third World War coming, which would affect the whole world. If they translated it wrong and this was the thing he foresaw, shouldn't the world be in upheaval about it?
Grace explained her concerning thoughts to Julian who smiled and kissed her passionately. "I love you, you know that?!" He said "Let's waith and see what my mum can find out on the other side and not pull a Tabby-tantrum just yet."