Taming an Immortal (updates)

I don't know what's wrong with lit recently. I've always had trouble uploading files and they come out unreadable to the webmasters so chapter 7 will have to wait until I'm back from Perth. Don't have my computer with me so can't edit and write. 

So sorry for the wait! 

Taming an Immortal Chapter 7 [delay and teaser]

Hi everyone,

So bad news - I just checked Lit today and Chapter 7 got REJECTED! There was an author's note at the end where I added that you can go to my blog if you wanted to see the family tree or the map of the story - and that is not allowed. I really wanted to have the story up this weekend!

Alas, it's going to take the mandatory 72 hours before it is up again, so I am so sorry for that. So in the meantime, here is a short scene from Chapter 7!

Rose shivered as the cold storm blew a gush of raindrops at her face when she woke up to close the windows. The howling wind was so strong that the wooden cabin shook at its base, sending Rose in a state of panic.

Kirke’s hut had once been damaged from a falling branch and she remembered crying as she tried to escape from her room. Rose only hoped that she wouldn’t be trapped underneath the rubble should the cabin collapse.

Curling her knees to her chest, Rose huddled on the floor beside her bed, rocking herself silently for comfort. She had her eyes shut tight and head burrowed between her knees when a loud banging sound came knocking on her door.

Her fingers trembled as the reached for the sword under her bed. Just who would be knocking at her door at this hour and in this weather?

Tiptoeing towards the door, she tried to peep in the cracks, hoping to get a glimpse of the stranger but all she could see was a looming shadow.

“Open the door Rose.”

That voice – it could only belong to one person.

When she unlocked the door, the wood flung open, threatening to break at its hinges from the force of the wind. But the sight of her dangerous visitor, dark and drenched was a more frightening sight.

“My Lord! You’re bleeding!” Rose pushed against the door with all her might, locking it against the brutal storm.

The Pureblood turned to his back and snorted. “It will heal.”

But Rose was already rushing to her medicine cabinet. “Take off your shirt. You’re crazy coming here in this weather!”

The handsome, chiselled face had his chin up arrogantly. Sometimes, Rose didn’t know why she bothered with him. He was the most frustrating male species she had ever met!

He simply stood in the middle of the room, glowering at her.

Seeing that he refused to remove his shirt, she picked up a pair of shears from her kit and looked up at him.

She waited three heartbeats before rushing to his back, slicing the material through. As the wet silk peeled away, Rose couldn’t help but stare at the Pureblood’s naked back – a sight she had never been given privy to until now. Rose understood the concession he was giving her.

Dragon wings etched on skin; alive at her touch, the lines twitching as she stroked the sensitive arcs. True enough, the gaping hole on one of his wings had already started to clot, forming a healing membrane around itself. But with the rain, she didn’t want to risk it. An infection could happen at any time and from her experience at Kirke’s, she knew that many wounded died from those more often than the wounds itself.

“You need to get dried,” she fussed, tugging the remainder of his shirt off his body, ignoring the lean, defined muscles exposed to her for the first time. It took every ounce of resistance in her to avoid touching him unnecessarily.

He accepted the towel from her, wiping his damp skin before using it to draw out the water in his hair.

Meanwhile, she returned her attention to his back, patting a dry towel on his skin to whisk away as much moisture as she could. With a small cloth, she then wiped the wounded area gently with a disinfecting medicine.

“You were fighting.” She concluded, noting the familiar marks made by a sword.

“You disapprove.” Not a question.

Rose didn’t need to ask who he was fighting with for she knew that was the reason why he came back for her. She only hoped that Marcela was not injured too badly. Mean as she was, the Pureblood was not cruel.

“I’ve placed a protective gauze over it, so don’t get it wet with your hair. Meanwhile, you should take off the rest of your clothes and dry off.” She had to leave. “I’ll see if I can find something for you to wear.”

His laboured breathing stilled suddenly; silvery eyes fixed on hers. “You have male clothes in this house? Why?”

Rose didn’t bother to reply, planning to barricade herself behind the bedroom door. She could already hear him coming for her, the streak of possessiveness evident in every step.

She had barely locked the door when he banged against it.

“Rose. Open the door before I break it down.” Such a calm voice that no doubt belonged to a very dangerous Vampire.

“Not until you stop and return to the living room. You’re in my house now so play by my rules.”

“Don’t push me,” he growled but Rose could hear retreating steps from her door. Glancing at her cupboards, she decided it was probably better to have a naked Vampire in her cabin than a featherless Drake in the morning.

A blanket would have to do.

Lord Etienne was pacing around her living room with only a towel wrapped around his waist; his long hair draped in front of his chest.

“I promise I won’t kill him,” he said when she threw the blanket at him.

“I am staying here out of a favour to a friend so you will not lay a hand on him.”

Silver eyes narrowed suspiciously at her. “Then why won’t you come home with me?” When she didn’t answer, he stopped prowling and stared at her. “Of course, if you’d rather I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out.”

He’d do it. She knew that for certain.

“Why did you come here my Lord? You could have come in the morning.”

He covered the distance between them in one stride. The heat was gone from his eyes; only a gentleness when he caressed her cheeks lightly with his knuckles. “Because I need you tonight.”

She didn’t expect that.

“My bed is not big enough for us,” she whispered.

“Then I will sit by your bed and watch you.”

For Lord Etienne, that would probably be his way of saying he missed her. Rose felt her own resolve fading. Wrapping her hands around him, she allowed the contact, feeling his body sagging against hers. Rose knew that he would continue to seek her, to find solace to the nightmares that plagued him even if he would someday be mated to someone else.

Taming an Immortal Updates Chapter 7-10

I've finally finished Chapter 8 and am fleshing out Chapters 9 and 10. It's a mess because I inserted new scenes in between and rewrote some earlier ideas I had of the ending. Initially, the story was meant to end by chapter 9 but is it just me or do I feel the characters need a bit more time and space to develop?

Thus the rewrite. Chapter 9 is currently so epic, I feel like I'm in some LOTR scene or something.

Battle scenes are not my favourite which is why I don't understand WHY my brain always gravitates towards stories that have such conflict in them. TAM was supposed to be a purely romantic, angsty, I love you but you don't love me kinda story but now it has evolved into an entire universe of its own! Lol.

Anyway, I'm updating because I think Chapters 8-10 are going to need a bit of time to stew as I'm writing it so fast that when I re-read them again, I can see the gaps. And if I can see them, then as readers, you will surely feel a bit lost.

I'll post Chapter 7 sometime next week and then 8,9 and 10 in June. Chapter 7 is full of the hot stuff by the way, so do look out for that! Meanwhile, here is a short scene from Chapter 7 that made me go 'awwww'.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Rose had rolled down from her bed, curling up into a cocoon as she always did as a child. Nesting her against his chest, he kept still, drawing the blanket over both of them to keep her warm.

It was only when she started to stir awake did he move to look down at her.

“You fell off your bed,” he whispered, nuzzling his face in her hair. “I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Are you comfortable my Lord?” she mumbled; eyes still closed with a sleepy drawl in her voice. “I have more blankets if you’re cold.”

He felt her body relaxing into sleep again.

“Rose?”

“Hmm?” One sleepy eye opened to look at him.

“When we are alone like this…” A warm hand stroking back her hair. “I want you to call me by my name.”

She nodded against his chest, a soft purr in her throat. “I love you Etienne…”

And then nothing, not even the booming thunder could wake her up.

Taming an Immortal -map of the three territories

Hi everyone,

So here is an image roughly of how the TAM 'world' looks like in my head. I drew it when I first started writing the story so I can visualise how the travel would be like. Hope it helps you guys too! It's not a complete map but I'll add it on one of the tabs and update it as the story progresses.

Chapter 6 is already up and I'm furiously writing chapters 8 and 9 to keep up with the posting. I hope you are enjoying the story and I do really hope to get more comments from people - I live for them! When you don't get paid, that's the only payment you can get I guess. :)

Taming an Immortal Ch 6 teasers

Chapter 5 is out and I've started editing Chapter 6 -one of my favourite chapters in this entire story - which you will find out when it's out!

And because I am evil, here is just a sneak of our protagonists' development. It's getting very difficult for me to keep Etienne in character but I think these small episodes where he loses control of his emotions are very poignant especially when it is only meant for Rose. :)

Chapter 6 should be up by this weekend!


***

Tonight, he had worn a robe of pure black silk; the contrast bringing out the silvery shine of his hair as they swayed in the soft breeze of the night. Rose reached out to catch a handful of his strands and watched as they slipped past her fingers.

“We will have another visitor in the morning,” he said, stopping to allow Rose better access to his hair. She knew this was the one privilege she had – the right to touch and play with a Pureblood’s status symbol as she wished.

“What is her name?”

“I do not care for that,” he admitted, looking down at her face. “What would you like me to do with her?”

Another concession. What was wrong with him? Didn’t he realise that this was not a choice she had to make?

“As you please my Lord,” she replied, biting back the rising anger in her voice.

Lord Etienne remained silent, continuing to walk in the darkness with her at his side. It was only when they reached his bonsai garden did he stop to look at her again.

“This cherry tree is very special to me.” He pointed to a tall blossoming tree surrounded by various shapes of bonsai. “My father and I planted the seed of this tree when I was four. It bloomed every year until the day he left this castle.”

His hands held her face gently, rubbing at her cheeks with his fingers. “I haven’t seen it bloom since, but yesterday I found this.” He took a small pink flower from his pocket and tucked it behind her ear.

Rose turned her face into his hand, leaning into the warmth of his body. How many more stolen moments like these did she have left?

“Look at me Rose,” he ordered; a finger tilting her chin to face him. “I will ask you one more time. What would you like me to do with her?”

“What I say shouldn’t matter my Lord… after all, I am only human and I have no right to counsel you.”

Bringing his lips to an inch away from hers, his throat growled low, almost into a purr. “What do you think you are to me then? A pet?”

Clenching her fist tight, she thumped them against his chest in anger. “It doesn’t matter! You know this won’t go anywhere. It cannot! You are a Pureblood Lord and I am a peasant girl. Even if you love me, mate me, raise a child with me, we both know that it is temporary. I will age and die and then you will mar–”

Her words died against the brutal onslaught of his kiss. His hands cradled her face tight, angling it to give his tongue more access to her mouth to draw hers out in a furious dance. Rose gave a hard shove, nails scratching him as she fought against his strong hold; but Lord Etienne was too strong.

When her body grew limp against his, he simply grabbed her by her thighs and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his body.

The sudden move caught her by surprise and Rose pulled away from the kiss; instinctively holding on to his neck for dear life, falling perfectly into his trap. Without warning, he pushed off from the ground, leaping up to the nearest branch above them and then higher and higher until they were under the stars.

“Why are we here?” she demanded, looking all the way down.

“I didn’t want to be disturbed.” His silvery eyes twinkled in the dark. “Here under the stars, is more…suitable for you than the mundane sheets.”

Rose found herself smiling despite being angry at him. That was as romantic as Lord Etienne could get.

“And what does my Lord have in mind?” 

Taming an Immortal Chapter 5

I have been editing and re-editing Chapter 5 for a week now - and it's giving me a headache. To help with the gaps from the previous chapters and to flow the story better, I've had to do a lot of fixing, which meant that later chapters also required some touch ups.

I'm not entirely happy with this chapter but since I'm not publishing it for a book [yet] and this is meant as a trial draft, I'll post it up soon so that you readers can enjoy the story as it is for now.

So while we wait for the usual 72 hours before the chapter goes live on Lit, here is a short peek at one of the most important points of tension that would follow through the next few chapters.

***

The ride home was a blur of movement, scent and heat. All she remembered after leaving Titus and the others was collapsing and feeling soft fur against her face –she barely got any sleep after tending to the children for two days straight. When she woke up, Lord Etienne was holding her in his arms; her head rested against his chest.

“You should wake up now,” he murmured into her hair. “I could hold you like this through the night… but there is a witch waiting outside my door.”

Rubbing her eyes, she tried to make sense of her surroundings - she had barely a minute before his study door flew open.

“My, my… I heard that my son had a human pet but I never thought those rumours were true!”

Rose saw the physical resemblance but apart from that, the two looked like they would rather kill than sit in the same room with each other.

“What are you doing here mother?” There was no joy nor heat in his voice. Lord Etienne simply kept a straight face for her benefit.

“Can’t a mother visit her son?” Lady Elisa purred but her attention was solely focused on Rose. Tracing a long claw over her face, the Pureblood then ran her fingers through Rose’s hair.  “What beautiful hair you have my darling. I can imagine it fanned out behind you when you sleep. Isn’t she a beauty Etienne?”

“Keep your hands to yourself if you treasure them.” It was a gentle reminder.

Elisa clutched her chest, in an exaggerated show of sorrow. “Why do you always hurt your mother so? I have but one son! And my only family has no regard for my well-being.”

“I will not repeat myself mother. If you have no business here, please see that you leave tonight.”

“I don’t know why I put up with this abuse!” she wailed. “After all the trouble I’ve gone to select your future wife, this is the thanks I get?”

Wife? Her eyes immediately snapped wide open. Lord Etienne on the other hand barely turned his head. He was leaning against the window, the wind blowing his silver hair back.

“Etienne? Are you listening to me?” When she received only a blank stare, Lady Elisa continued; her eyes flicking from her son then to Rose. “In sixty days, your father’s current hold on these lands will come to the table for inheritance, as is the mourning customs of our kind. I do not wish to remind you my son that you have a duty to your people and your lands.”

Lord Etienne made no comment, his silence fuel to her temper. “Etienne! I will not stand to tolerate this insolence! I will send a Pureblood woman every two weeks and by the end of the sixty days, you are ordered to choose one to be your wife!” She was almost screaming. “If not… well, you will know the consequences.”

“Thank you mother. I will have you escorted out now.” He grabbed his mother by her arm, ushering her towards the door. “Your speech is starting to bore me.”

Rose only heard unintelligible screams and growls from behind the door; catching a glimpse of the Queen Mother with her hair aflame before Lord Etienne closed the door behind him.

“Please excuse my mother. She has no manners.” He moved closer to touch her; knuckles grazing her cheeks lightly. “Pay no heed to what she says Rose.”

“But it is your duty my Lord. Don’t you love these lands?” Rose looked down on the floor. This had to be said. “Someday, I will die and when I do, you will be alone.”

Another gentle caress on her cheeks. “Don’t say that.”

“I only say what is true.” Rose struggled to pull back her tears but her eyes betrayed her; a drop trickling down her cheek. “I was foolish to dream that something could happen between us. That was the child’s wish - but the woman, this woman, only wishes for you to do what is right.”

“Rose…” He tried to hold her but she had enough. Pushing past him, she let herself out before he had a chance to catch up to her.

Flicking back her tears, Rose ran all the way down to her room, finding the darkest corner to hide and dropping to her knees as she poured her frustrations away.

Taming an Immortal revisions

So, I've been getting some very constructive feedback following Chapter 4 and I've had to pause writing the later chapters to go back and examine the gaps.

I do admit that I have a problem with pacing – often, I already have the story planned out in my head and as I rush to get from point A to point B, I often write too fast because in my head things are moving too slow. Ahah.

Well – though initially I had planned for TAM to be merely a short ‘stopover’ while I cure my writer’s block with WCTM, I think there is actual value in this story arc so I’ll pay a bit more attention to the gaps from henceforth.

I’m rewriting Chapter 5 to include a few more scenes to explain some of the gaps in the earlier chapters and I’m concurrently also adding more scenes to chapters 6, 7 and 8.

Hopefully I’ll be able to finish Chapter 5 by end of the week and it should be up by mid next week!

xoxo

Taming an Immortal updates

I'm very happy with the progress of the chapters so far. Am starting Chapter 9 today and re-editing chapter 4, so that should be within the week.

I've had great comments - mainly from Inuyasha fans but I have to say that even if you're not a fan, I think I've done a decent job of giving enough back story for you to appreciate the plot - which on its own has nothing to do with the anime.

As I go along, I see the subplots coming together for possible future continuation of the story, so if you have any favourite characters you'd like me to write about, please do write to me!

But for now, if you haven't guessed already who the characters are based on, here's a picture that I've blown up in my study room to inspire me. (Credits and thank you to the original artist for this!)

It's not a romantic picture per se but you can see the undercurrents in their face and the way they stand close, yet apart. His eyes are softened; almost sad when he looks at her while she has this hopeful look that is laced with sorrow. And yet, these are the only two in the world who accept each other as they are - she, the cast away orphan and him, the much feared demon lord (or in Totosai's words - evil incarnate).

It is the essence of their relationship. So poignant.

*sigh*

Okay I'm off to finish Chapter 9!