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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 FIVE

Ok now Celeste knew Kyrian and Amanda had a beautiful home but, by Gods, it was a huge palace!!! She stood outside the iron gate awestruck by the dominance of the 18th century Victorian home. Dreamily she fantasized for a moment about the old-english interior decorations. Warm country-colourfull pillows and drapes, wooden oak carvings... A house like this just longed for classy-interior!!!
Tabitha and Valerius came up behind her, startling her. “Amazing isn’t it?” Tabby asked.
“Yes it is!!!”
“Wait till you see inside...” Valerius said “You’ll be surprised even more!”

The three of them walked up the driveway and even before they rang the doorbell the door opened up and a happy chatter came their way. They were the last one’s to arrive. The guys were going to see the American Football-team play.Marissa was running around anxiously as she knew she and her babybrother Ashleagh were spending the night at Amanda’s parents.

Still in shock as to what she saw inside, modern-furniture, no white and pastel country colours, no the opposite!!! And what was up with all the vampire things? The coffin-coffeetable, vampire tringlets what an odd combination...
As soon as Celeste sat down Marissa hopped on her lap and began chatting away relaxing her instantly. Amanda said “Marissa, come on stop taking up Celeste!”
“No, it’s alright Amanda.” Celeste said while watching the girl with the blonde curls and blue eyes giving Celeste a big smile talking on about her day at school and her best friend Simi.
Within the hour Amanda’s parents had come and left with the kids, they had drinks, laughs, the guys left and now finally the girls could go on their way. How strange Celeste felt, normally she had to get to know people to feel at ease, had to spend some time with them to feel at home but these people made her feel as if she rightfully belonged here. She had to get used to the feeling a bit.
She listened to the girls chatting and even though with the age of 28 she was the youngest there, she didn’t feel she was treated as such.

They went to Café du Monde for a nice dinner, nothing fancy, even though they had massive amounts of money to spend they didn’t act as such and Celeste was somehow relieved that they were this down to earth. Not the Mardi-grass type of gothic people who would normally come to Selena’s shop. The vampire wannabe’s or the Buffy-Slayer type of girls. She knew there were more people like herself, the type that was interested in the paranormal in a normal way. When they sat down at the restaurant and after they’d ordered they got down to girl-talk. Alpha Males, they all had a passion about books, the historical romances, the rogues who fall in love... Karen Marie Moning being the one they all thoroughly enjoyed. They all talked about their favorite Highlander and giggles and fantasy’s were shared. Celeste said “Well you all did a very good job though in finding your own ‘Highlander’ where did you all meet? And is there a brother laying around somewhere...”
Grace laughed “We all met in various ways, you know mine all too well...”
“Yes I do, Julian is a great teachor! At first I had to say it was a bit awkward knowing what he was before he met you and then standing in front of me in the Classic course... I mean if you think about it.... But he’s great, always ready with a helping hand.”
The others looked at Celeste as if she was saying something totally out of context.
Selena asked “That’s it?”
Celeste looked her way “Ehh yeah, what else is there to say? He’s a genuinely nice man. I don’t know him all too well but what else should I say?”
“How about he’s gorgeous, I mean I love my Bill but ohh my, Julian is sinfully beautiful.” Selena said still awestruck by Celeste.
“I’ll give him gorgeous, yes, but no nothing more...”
“Unbelievable.” Selena said.

Amanda took Celeste in for a while “No not unbelievable, she’s got googling eyes for someone else...”
Celeste blushed when Amanda totally out of the blue had her pinned with her back to the wall and all eyes focussed on her. She felt deep blushes come to her cheeks, and suddenly very aware of the fact that it was warm sitting next to the radiator...

Sunshine giggled “Oh my god Amanda I think you’re spot on! Come on girl spill the beans.... and no more of that has someone got a brother-thing, who is it? Do we know him, is he from around???”
“I ehhh.... Well it’s....” Celeste knew she couldn’t dodge the subject so she had to say something “I don’t know who he is. I only saw him briefly down Bourban Street a few weeks back nothing more. Haven’t seen him since – apart from in my dreams – but I can’t get him out of my mind.”
“What does he look like? Maybe we’ve seen him, or heck maybe we know who he is?” Tabitha said always in for matching couples.
Celeste sighed dreamily “Like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Talking about Alpha Males.... he is one to the core! But not for someone who looks like me.”
“Hey!” Bride said “Don’t let me hear that, look at my Vane.... If there’s love it doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah but Vane is not of this world!” Celeste said “He’s one in a billion who just love chubby girls....!”

It was as if she knew Vane had not been off this world....

Vane’s one of the were-hunters who resides in New Orleans. Were-Hunters were created when Lycaon, an ancient Greek king, unknowingly married an apollite. When the king realized what she was, he also realized that their two sons would follow in their mother’s footsteps and die horribly at age twenty seven. To prevent this from happening, the king captured Apollites and began experimenting on them. He magically spliced their life forces with those of various animals to create half-bred beings: arcadians, those wich held human hearts and shapeshifting abilities and Katagaria those who had an animal heart and could become human. When the Greek Fates saw this, they were angered that he would dare to try to go against them. They demanded he’d kill his sons and all the others he had created. When refused, his punishment ruled that the two species would always war against eachother. Vane was a distant-decendent from Lycaon and an Arcadian with wolf-heart, Bride knew this ofcourse, as well as the other girls but Celeste didn’t know.

After dinner they went to see a movie and after the movie they were on their way to sanctuary. They had a great table just overlooking the dance-floor and on a floor up a few steps. The guys were back from their footbal-game and were playing a game of pool while having a beer. Selena said dreamily “Celeste how you can’t drewl over a guy like Julian beats me... I mean look at him...”
Celeste laid her hand gently on Grace’s arm as to comfort her that it wasn’t meant like that and Grace smiled thankfully at her. Celeste nearly felt the pain inside Grace, knowing Selena didn’t do it intentionally, Grace knew Selena never would do anything to hurt her, but it was still hard to get used to.
Selena said “So Celeste, please tell us all about your dream man, I’m in the mood for nice storytelling...”
Grace said “Lena no, give it a rest, if she wanted to tell us she already would have...”
“It’s okay Grace, there are no juicy details, just a kiss that’s all. Ok it was the best one I’ve ever had, not that I’m that experienced, but I know it’ll be hard to top it...”

There was this loud tune playing somewhere in between middle and hard-rock when the music stopped and Lynard Skynards ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ started. Celeste was looking toward the dancefloor with her chin leaning on her left hand when she felt her head nodding along the song she loved. Then out of the blue she felt like time stood still, there in the middle of the crowd was this nearly 7 feet tall man – the man of her dreams – he was here, now, why oh no why? Was he for real or did all the talking about him tonight made her see things. She followed him with his eyes and when he looked their way her head slipped from her hand her chin nearly bumping on the table, making the other girls giggle and curious what made her do that. The other girls knew Acheron well and knew whenever he entered the Sanctuary ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ would start playing to alert the Daimons and Apollyte that Acheron was inside. The Sanctuary was a safe-haven for those who were otherworldly. Here they could mingle in with humans without being judged. As long as they followed the rules. The Sanctuary was run by a Bear-Were-Hunter family the Peltiers and they had their standards up high.

Amanda asked what was going on and when Celeste’s jaw nearly dropped when Acheron came walking their way, the girls obviously thought it was his looks she’s was completely in shock over.

Acheron went to Sanctuary to seek out Julian who he wanted to speak in person to about the Dream-Hunters he inquired about, he saw the girls sitting there and had the urge to go to say hi to them first. He hadn’t recognized Celeste as she was sitting at the back of their group and when he saw her he felt a jolt of joy and something like tingling in his stomach. His eyes were locked to hers and instead of standing at the head of the table he walked to her.

Was she dreaming? Was this really happening or was she going to make a fool out of herself? Was he really here, she didn’t dare to ask the other girls who seem to think things were still normal. She was so up in her thoughts that she didn’t hear them say hi to Acheron at all. She just had to know he was here for real. When he stood in front of her she laid her hand against his cheek, she felt whiskers.... Did this mean he was for real?

He closed his eyes to feel the soft touch of her hand on his face, turned his head and gave her palm a kiss laying his own hand over hers to keep it there a little while longer. The shock of the similarity to her dream came to her and she to her own amazement pulled back and ran off.

Oh my god, he knew, did he have the same dream as her? What was going on, this was not normal, hell no, this was paranormal at the least!!! She didn’t know what to feel, joy, scared, confused, she was all. He seemed to remember her, he seemed to have, dare she say, a longing look in his eyes? Eyes.... no not his eyes, he was wearing sunglasses, who on earth was wearing sunglasses in a bar in the middle of the night? Ohh no she did make a fool of herself, did she nodd off or something, then woke up in a frenzy and ran off??? She wanted to go back but was to embarressed.

Grace followed her outside after sending Acheron a questioning look. “Celeste wait up...”
Celeste stopped running and Grace stood still next to her “Come on Celeste talk to me. What’s going on?”
“He was real right? I’m not dreaming, I didn’t just make a big fool out of myself right?”
Grace said “Anyone not noticing Ash is making a fool of herself...”
“Ash?” Celeste asked, was that his name? Did Grace know him? If so, was this the Ash Julian phoned, about her dream? And if he remembered the dream, she made a fool of herself even more...

“Yes, the guy in the bar...”
“So I didn’t nodd off and dream he was there?”
“No, Celeste, what’s going on.”
“The ‘Ash’ you are talking about is the man I’ve been having dreams about...”
Grace fell silent. Pieces of the puzzle came into place for her now. Not the part where she could explain the alive-like dreams but Celeste leaving in a panic. She remembered very well how she handled Julian popping out of his book into her livingroom – naked at that – not at all!!!!, in fact she tripped and fell over. Celeste handled it mildly better than her, she was still standing on her feet.
“Sweety there’s nothing to be embaressed about. The girls all had their share of weirdness about them, they’ll understand, come back in, to at least get your things and finish your drink?”
Celeste doubted in what to do but Grace already was walking toward the entrance and she followed, not completely sure why but she did.

Once back with the girls Ash was no longer with them but up with the guys and the girls acted as if nothing happened. Amanda however did have a questioning look in her eyes as she knew Ash better than the others, she knew things haven’t been the same, he hadn’t been the same. The look in his eyes changed when Kyrian and herself were hugging or just even being together, was this the confusion she felt going on inside Ash, was there more to it. She felt the pain he felt when Celeste fled from him. How she wished she could get a clearer view on things.
Sunshine asked nearly whispering to Celeste “What was going on?”
“Girls sorry for running off like that, it’s just, well he, him, I mean Ash. He was the one I’ve been having dreams about... And the thing with the hand... well it was part of that dream, except the other way around and....”
“Say no more,” Tabby said “Girl we understand. In fact all of us say I for being jealous that you could touch Ash like that... Normally he’s the not getting close, gone quick kinda guy...”
She blushed at the fact that this in fact did happen, where from did she get the guts to touch him like that? She wanted to say she was sorry for dashing off like that. “I’ll be back in a sec girls.”
She walked up the stairs towards where he was and halfway up the stairs he met her while going down. “Hey listen, I’m sorry for running off like that it’s just, I was confused and all sorts of things at the same time and...”
“Shhh, what’s your name?”
“Celeste...” she looked confused and he felt he needed to explain himself “Celeste... hi I’m Ac- Ash, I at least wanted to get acquinted before I did this...” He pulled her in his arms and gave her a hungering kiss. She leaned against the arm-rest for support, his tongue demanded response and pulling her close so she could feel just how much he wanted her, needed her, making her blush even more with every touch of him. Once the longing was lessened, his kiss went more gentle trying not to bruise her lips even more. His hand supported her neck and his fingers hooked into her hair. She let out a soft moan, not realizing it was hers and his lips turned into a cheeky grin while still kissing her. He enjoyed this… way to much for his own goodness, he still had a job to do but found it very difficult to let go at this point.

The girls as well as the guys stood awestruck, was this Ash... the infamous Acheron Parthenopaeus? Kyrian said “I’ve known Ash for over 2000 years now, and not once have I seen him kiss someone? Heck I even thought he never had sex...”
“If he’s just in it for the sex I’ll put a stop to it, she a student of mine!” Julian said protectively not connecting the dots yet but surely Grace would fill in the blanks later on.
Amanda said “Well I’ll be d...”
And Bride couldn’t help herself saying “It’s about bloody time!”
All the girls looked amazed at her. “Well it is isn’t it. I’ve never seen him taken any interest in a girl, he’s what over 11 thousand years old, maybe he’s finally growing up....”
The girls laughed at that and then their eyes went to Ash and Celeste again, they couldn’t help themselves.

He rested his head against hers and whispered “I have to go and do a job, but I’ll be around...”
A sudden sadness fell over her, she didn’t want him to leave, she wanted him here, just here, nowhere else. He felt the panic inside her and wished he could do something to ease her restless feeling. He took off his shades (girls and guys even more in shock, Ash taking of his sunglasses in public.... most hadn’t even seen him without...) she again saw his eyes, a warm glow of hazelgreen with golden sparks. He kissed her again, eyes open and hers captured in his, and she knew he would be back. She didn’t know when, she didn’t like him leaving, but she knew he’d be back.
He left her standing on the stairs knowing she watched his every step till he was out the door so he wasn’t able to flash out but he didn’t mind. Before he went through the door he looked back, sunglasses on but she knew he was looking at her.
How long she stood there, she had no idea but Amanda took her by the arm and guided her to the rest of the group, giving the guys a glance as in to say she didn’t know what was going on either. Before Amanda went to get Celeste, they all had decided to not ask questions and leave things be but when Celeste sat down all girls asked questions at the same time, getting an agitated look from Amanda “Girls...!”
“Sorry,” Selena said “It’s just, we never saw Ash kiss someone before... and oh yeah if I smoked I would light a sigaret right now...”

When Celeste came home she just didn’t know what to think. So Ash kissed her ‘whoopy’, ok, it was a mindblowing kiss and her heart started beating faster when she thought about it, she still got weak in the knees but what did it mean? Apparantly there was something inside him that obviously made him want to kiss her but it told her nothing more. What would he want with the likes of her? They couldn’t come more plain and simple. But by Gods, he had felt like heaven on earth when he took her in his arms and his lips touched hers.
He reaked power, strength, raw eminating sex!

She could still see everybody making way for him when he had entered the club. True to say he was a bit scarry. He had this ‘don’t screw with me because I will take you on’ aura around him and honestly that was all she had on her mind-sort to speak.
She blushed at the thought.

She wanted him in her bed.
Hot and naked!
Oh dear, she was so in trouble! With no idea how to contact him and no idea when she would see him again she had to sober up and live her life like she was used to and not let her heart get in the mix because that was the last thing she was willing to give away...