The 13th Witch

As Kassie opened the closet door to choose a gown for the dinner party, he walked up behind her and put his arms around her.  Then whispered against her ear, "We have some time before dinner my love, and I need you, so very badly right now."

Kassie turned around and looked into the eyes of her immortal lover, and saw the need blazing deep within them.  She wrapped her arms around him, and let him see and feel the need she also had for him.  When he brought his lips down upon hers in a searing, almost brutal kiss, she responded by digging her nails into his back and returning that kiss with equal passion.  His hands moved down her back, cupping her buttocks, then lifted her up.  She clung to him, digging her nails into his back even harder as she raised her legs and wrapped them around him.  He sucked her tongue into his mouth as he carried her to the bed.  When the back of his knees were against the bed he removed his mouth from hers and pulled her shirt up over her head.  He tossed the shirt to the floor, then reached behind her and unfastened her bra.  Kassie began unbuttoning his shirt as he tossed her bra over his shoulder.  As her nails brushed his bare skin, Drake closed his eyes and leaned his head back.  When the last button was unfastened she raised her hands to his shoulders, then pushed his shirt down his arms.  Once the shirt had slid off his arms and onto the bed, he raised his hands to her breasts and gently cupped them.  As his fingers began to softly tweak her nipples, he leaned forward and began to kiss her again.  Kassie wrapped her arms around him and let her hands roam up and down his broad back.

Drake shivered and moaned against her lips as her nails trailed down his bare skin.  Her softest touch sparked a fire in him that completely consumed him at times.  She was in his blood, under his skin, engraved in his heart and eternally on his mind.  He removed his hands from her breast and began unbuttoning her jeans.  His mouth moved to her ear, and he whispered, "I need you so.  I need to feel myself inside you right now.  And I need you by my side for the rest of eternity." As he pushed her jeans down he moved his head back, looked into her eyes and said, "I need you in a way no mortal man will ever need you.  I will love you, for all eternity.  And I will never let you go."  

As Kassie began unbuttoning his black silk pants she looked into his eyes, then took a deep breath and replied, "I need you too.  I will love you, for as long as you love, and are true to me."  As she pushed his pants down she gave a little grin and said, "But sometimes, you sound a lot like a stalker."

Drake's dark soul had brightened a little when Kassie had taken that deep breath and admitted her need for him.  He knew how hard it was for her to say those words.  Even her carefully phrased words of love had not dulled that brightness because he knew he would always love and be true to her.  He wrapped his arms around her, slid his hands down to her firm buttocks and lifted her again.  As Kassie wrapped her legs around him and he sat down on the bed he gave a dark chuckle and replied, "Baby, get a clue, you are in the arms of your eternal stalker.  Now be a good girl, slide those warm wet velvet walls of your around my Omnipotent cock, and fuck me like you really mean it."

As she slid down on him Kassie gave a throaty little laugh and replied, "My aren't we bossy!"  Then she moaned with pleasure as he slid deep inside her and whispered breathlessly, "Damn baby, you are so damn hard.  And feel so good inside me."

The feel of her sliding down onto him, combined with her breathless whisper made him even harder, and caused a moan of pleasure to escape his lips.  He wrapped his arms around her tightly and for a few moments just gently rocked back and forth.  His need for her was so strong right then he knew lasting any length of time would test even his willpower.  But, because he wanted to feel her pleasure as much as his own, he gathered that great willpower of his and loosened his hold on her. "Lean back a little baby." He whispered.  When she did he looked into her amber eyes as he cupped her breast in his hands and began to gently tweak her nipples.  She bit her lower lip, but kept her gaze locked on his as her body responded to him.  He could feel her warm wet velvet walls gently rippling along him as he lovingly rolled her nipples between his fingers.  He gave a throaty growl of pleasure when she moaned softly and pressed down harder against him.  "Lean back a little more my love.  I want to watch your face as I suck on your nipples."

Kassie leaned back a little more, closed her eyes and moaned as Drake's mouth closed over one nipple.  She could feel little tingles of pleasure traveling from her nipples all the way down to her vulva.  She felt Drake's hard shaft twitch from the ripples he was causing in her pussy as he gently worked one nipple between his teeth, and the other between his finger.  Then felt it jerk as she moaned softly and soaked his shaft with her juices.  When he switched his mouth to her other nipple she began to gently rock her butt back and forth.  The slight movement, combined with his mouth and fingers on her nipples felt so good she bit her lower lip again and gave a low throaty growl of pure pleasure.  When Drake began to move under her, and gently closed his teeth around her nipple Kassie gasped, and softly cried his true name once. He gave a deep throated growl, and thrust up hard under her.  She shuddered with pleasure, and pressed down against him as hard as she could. As they began to rock harder and faster together Drake removed his hands and mouth from her nipples.  He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close to him.  Kassie wrapped her arms tightly around him, and rocked harder against him.

As she dug her nails into his back, Drake growled with pleasure, scooted farther back on the bed, let himself fall backwards, then rolled over on top of her.  Kassie kept her arms and legs wrapped around him, and quickly picked up the hard and fast beat he was now rocking their world to.  Drake slipped his arms from underneath Kassie's back, braced himself on his elbows, and rocked harder against her.  He placed his mouth on hers and kissed her fiercely.   Kassie's head began to swim from the feelings he was arousing in her.  She could feel herself going to that place that only his touch could take her to.  It was a place where passion and love where all that she felt.  A place where all she wanted to do was lose herself in him.  That passionate place also terrified her because long ago, in another time and place, she had gone there in the arms of a mortal man who had wanted her only for the gift of eternal life she could give him.  Time had come full circle, and now it was she who was being offered the gift of eternal life.  

Drake knew the feelings and fears that were raging within her.  It would be so easy to take total control of her mind and forcibly lay all her fears to rest.  So terribly easy to remove his mouth from hers and plunge his fangs into her throat, and really begin the process that would make her his for all eternity.  To do that though would betray both the trust Kassie had given him, and The Magick.  Because he had vowed never to betray either again, he did not plunge his fangs into her throat like a part of him longed to do.  Instead, he paused his rocking motion for a moment, removed his lips from hers, lifted his head and gazed into her eyes, then said softy, "I'm not the man, or vampyre I once was Kassie. No more than you are the same High Priestess who gave that foolish man the gift of love you did.  I cannot change what I did in the past my love.  But I can, and will spend the rest of eternity happily atoning for what I did by loving, protecting, and being true to you. I will not ask you to trust me completely right now.  I understand I have to earn that trust over time.  But Kassie, will you love me, just a little right now?"

The witch who had once been a High Priestess gazed into the cobalt orbs of the creature she had given the gift of immortality to so long ago, and said very softly, "I do love you.  More than just a little right now."

A rare feeling of total happiness swept over him when he heard her words, and deep within his dark soul a tiny warm bright spark softly glowed just a little brighter.  He gazed down into her beloved amber eyes and said softly, "Your love means everything to me.  I will never, ever betray that love Kassie." Then he bent his handsome head again and captured her lips with his.  As he kissed her he began to rock against her to a slow and steady beat.  Kassie picked of that slow steady rhythm of love, and gently drew his tongue into her mouth.  He moaned as the tip of her tongue stroked the underside of his, then gave a deep low throated growl as Kassie sucked his tongue deep into her mouth, and quickened the beat of their rhythm of love.

The sound of that deep throated growl of pleasure caused Kassie to suck his tongue even harder, and thrust up hard against him.  Somehow saying those words to him had released something deep within her.  Her passion for him rose hot and vibrant to the surface.  She raised her legs higher, wrapped them more tightly around him, and dug her nails hard into his back.  She pushed aside all doubts and fears, and allowed the passion she felt for him sweep her away to that place only he could take her to.  No one else could take her breath away with his kisses the way he did.  No one else felt as good as he did inside her.  No one else could make her heart leap the way he could.  As she felt her inner walls contracting hard against his shaft in an orgasm that numbed her mind, she removed her mouth from his and whispered, "I love you, Drake Stone."

Drake growled again and shuddered as he plunged deep inside her.  One dark night she might cry out his true name thrice in ecstasy.  But what she was saying right now was that she loved him for who and what he had become.  As Drake recaptured her lips and drew her tongue inside his mouth he realized that as long as she loved him for who and what he had become, a part of him really didn't give a bat's bony butt if she ever thrice cried out that ancient name.  That named belonged to mortal man who had been too stupid to realize the true value of love.  For the most part, the beast that mortal man had become after receiving the gift of immortality had been tamed.  Except for how he dealt with his enemies, Drake Stone was a very civilized creature.

As he sucked Kassie's tongue inside his mouth, and drove himself harder and deeper inside her, the creature who was for the most part, very civilized, gave a deep throated growl that had just a hint of a howl in it.  His beloved amber eyed witch did bring out another type of beast in him at times like this.  One that enjoyed the feel of her nails digging so hard into his back as he buried himself up to his balls in her warm wet velvet walls.  It was a beast that also enjoyed the muted mewling sounds of pleasure coming from deep within her throat as he sucked her tongue and took her breath away.  When she shuddered with pleasure, and her nails broke the skin on his back, Drake released her tongue, tilted his head back and gave a growl that had a very definite hint of a howl in it.

The look on his face, and that growl with a very definite hint of a howl in it incited the beast in Kassie.  Her amber eyes had a glint of something very wild within them as she dug her nails in even harder, and rocked hard against her immortal lover.  Watching his face as he fought to control his passion further incited her.  She raked her nails down his back as she moved her hands down it, then grabbed his buttock and jerked them towards her.  Drake bared his fangs in a grimace of pure pleasure, mixed with a little pain, and shuddered in a way that made Kassie's eyes gleam wickedly.  She dug her nails into the firm flesh of his buttocks, and jerked him deeper into her again.  Had he been a mortal man, Drake would have been panting and gasping for air.  Instead, he was making a deep throated growling, almost howling sound as he bared his long fangs and threw his head back.  Seeing him like that caused Kassie to give a deep throated growl of her own that further raised the hackles of the beast between her legs.  

When he heard Kassie's growl, Drake tilted his head downward and gazed into the amber eyes of the witch he loved to distraction.  What he saw in those amber eyes would have taken his breath away had he been a mortal man.  His heart didn't skip a beat, but as he looked down into Kassie's eyes, his dark soul shuddered with pleasure.  After taking one look at what was in her eyes he threw his his back again and gritted his fangs as he continued to take long hard strokes.  Then he heard her ask, in a sultry growly voice that had a hint of a laughter in it, "Why are you staring at the ceiling my love?  Are you contemplating asking for God's help right now?"

Drake couldn't help but pause and laugh as he looked back down at her and said, "No you amber eyed little vixen.  I'm not contemplating doing that.  I am trying to make this moment of sublime pleasure last as long as possible. It's a little easier to do that if I don't look down and see your beautiful face, and what is in those amber eyes of yours right now."

Kassie grinned up at him and replied, "Well don't prolong it too long, remember, we have dinner guests arriving any moment."

As he threw his head back again and gazed up at the ceiling he took another long hard stroke that buried him up to his balls in her and replied, "They can wait.  If nothing else, we'll arrive just in time for dessert."

Kassie dug her nails into his buttocks harder, jerked him into her deeper and gasped, "Tsk, tsk my love it would be rather rude to do that."  Then she let one hand travel down his buttocks.

As Drake felt that one hand traveling downward he gritted his fangs harder and said, "Keep your dainty hand off my balls, you evil little wench.  I don't care how rude you think it is, I'm going to enjoy this as long as possible."

Kassie moved her hand back up his buttock, dug her nails in again and once more jerked him hard against her, then gave a growling gasp of pleasure as the tip of his shaft met her womb.

Drake felt her inner walls contracting hard around his shaft and her juices soaking it as she climaxed again.  The feel of her juices made him hungry to taste them.  In one fast movement he pushed himself off of her.  He glanced down at her surprised amber eyes, then grinned and scooted backwards.  Before she could ask him what he was doing, he lowered his head and plunged his tongue into her.  As she moaned with pleasure, he slid his hands under her buttocks and lifted them slightly.  A low growl of pleasure escaped his throat as the taste of her saturated his tongue.  He pressed his lips against her Pandora's box and sucked her sweet juices into his mouth.  The taste of them filled his mouth and made his head spin.

 He tilted her buttocks up a little more, and let the tips of his fangs barely pierce the soft skin his lips were pressed against.  Blood mingled with her juices and the combined taste was so very sweet he felt his Omnipotent cock jerk hard between his legs.  He almost gave in to the feeling of ecstasy, but he wanted that feeling prolonged just a little more.  He also wanted his shaft buried deep within the walls his tongue was currently licking when he finally allowed himself to climax.  He filled his mouth with her blood and juices, then raised head and scooted back up.  He raised Kassie's legs high, locked her ankles around his neck, and plunged his shaft deep inside her.

The Dark Lord of the vampyres tilted his head and growled with pleasure as he felt the toes of the witch he loved to distraction wiggling against the back of his head.  He picked up the beat hard and fast once more.  He held the taste of her in his mouth as he took twelve long hard strokes.  On the thirteenth stroke he swallowed that sweet taste, then opened his mouth, bared his fangs, and howled.

Kassie's mind and body shuddered as she felt his shaft jerking inside her, and heard his howl.  The orgasm she had with him was so intense that for a moment she felt as if her mind was melting down completely.  Suddenly she could feel him pushing his way inside her mind, thrusting his feelings and thoughts in it as hard as he was thrusting his hard shaft inside her body.  For a second her mind tried to resist that hard invasion.  Resistance was futile though, and soon her mind was overwhelmed by his passion for her.  She knew he could have easily taken control of her mind and made her feel anything he wanted to right then.  But what he was doing was taking control long enough to make Kassie understand how he felt about her, and what she did to his mind and body.  As his howl died out he withdrew from her mind.  He stayed inside her warm walls though.  Kassie watched his face as he fought the hunger that was already beginning to overwhelm him.  His face was still upturned towards the ceiling, his eyes closed, and fangs gritted as he battled the hunger.  Kassie caressed his buttocks softly and said, "Look at me."

Drake heard her words over the roar of the hunger building within him, and looked down at her.  He met her gaze, and for a brief moment the hunger building within him was overwhelmed by the love he saw reflected in her amber eyes.  There was no fear, or judgement in her steady gaze.  Only love and acceptance shone from those beautiful amber orbs of hers.  Her hands moved up his buttocks and along his back, then pulled his upper body down towards her.  Drake tried to resist because he did not want his fangs anywhere near her throat at that moment.  The arms that pulled him towards her though were surprisingly strong, and before he knew it, his body was against hers. Kassie's arms wrapped tightly around him and held him close to her.  Drake kept his head raised and as he looked into her eyes whispered, "You are holding a very dangerous beast right now my love.  A beast that as much as he loves you, cannot control the hunger much longer."

Kassie wrapped her arms more tightly around the beast and whispered, "I know what I am holding in my arms.  I also know whose blood the beasts craves most right now."  Then she smiled into the eyes of the beast, moved one hand to the back of his head, bared her throat to him and pulled his down.  He resisted at first.  The hunger so strong inside him he feared if he sank his fangs into her throat he would not remove them until it was too late.  The witch entangled her fingers in his hair and jerked his head down.  

Drake gave a deep throated growl and sank his fangs deep into her throat. His mind was spinning as much from what she had done, as from the exquisite taste of her blood flowing through his fangs.  He drank long and deep, then with a groan, jerked his head back, gazed into her eyes and said, "Let me go my love.  Unless you intend to take my hand and cross over to the dark side of immortality with me this night."  Kassie simply smiled at him, and Drake's eyes grew wide as he saw the small fangs that smiled uncovered.

Before her astonished immortal lover could say anything else Kassie replied, "Perhaps my love, I am already there."  Then before he could recover from the shock of what he was seeing and hearing, Kassie pulled his head down and sank her small fangs into his throat.  She took a deep drink from the throat of the beast, and heard him moan with pleasure as his blood flowed into her small fangs.  After a moment she removed her fangs from his throat, licked her lips, then as she gazed into his startled eyes laughed and said, "For all your great wisdom my love, you failed to realize that I began that journey the moment I called you back into my circle of life."

Drake blinked once then said, "But you are not a true vampyre!  Even if you did just grow fangs and willfully bite me!"

Kassie reached up and softly stroked the side of his face and said, "I will never be a true vampyre dear.  Not in the sense you mean.  You have always assumed that your powers could turn me into one.  But, the truth is my love, even if you bled me dry, then filled me with your blood, what would be created would not be the true vampyre you think.  Yours is the only blood I will ever crave.  As long as you love me and walk this earth though, so shall I.  This is the covenant I have chosen to make because if there ever comes a time that your love for me dies, or you no longer walk this earth, then I do not wish my feet to tread upon it for all eternity."

Drake grabbed Kassie's hand and kissed the palm of it, then replied, "My love for you will never die."  Drake paused for a moment, looked into her eyes and said, "You've known this all along.  And somehow managed to hide it from me."

Kassie returned his gaze and replied, "Yes I have known it all along.  I had to hide it from you until I knew how you would react."

Drake studied her thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "Fair enough.  I can understand you feeling the need to do that."  

Kassie smiled and said, "I am glad you understand my love.  Now I think we better get ready for dinner before the hunger begins to overwhelm you.  The small bite I took tonight will only take the edge off for a very short period of time."

Drake's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Your bite tonight is why I am suddenly not so overwhelmed with the hunger?"

Kassie nodded her head.  "Yes dear.  When I drew your blood into my fangs tonight, I drew some of the hunger from you.  Food, and later when you are well sated, a small amount of your blood will sate the hunger I now feel.  But, the blood lust will soon return full force in you."

Drake furrowed his brows for a moment, the suddenly grinned and said, "My beloved and ever surprising little witch, you have some explaining to do.  But, that can wait until after we have both sated our particular appetites."  He rolled off her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her off the bed with him as he rose from it.   As they walked toward the closet he chuckled and said, "Eternity with you is never going to be boring darling."

The amber eyed witch simply smiled, then leaned up and gave her Dark Lord of the vampyres a soft kiss on the cheek, then replied, "I'll do my very best not to bore you to death dear."  

When they reached the closet Drake let go of her hand, then lightly smacked her bare ass and said with a chuckle, "You are wicked little witch darling.  Now get that bare ass dressed, and let's go to dinner."

Kassie chose a simple yet elegant white sheath dress, a wide gold belt and a pair of high heeled burnished gold sandals.  From the lingerie shelf she chose white lace bra and panties and flesh toned thigh highs.

Drake watched her slipping the bra and panties on as he put on a pair of black silk pants.  Watching her slip into them gave him such a hard on, he had to be careful zipping his pants.  He was buttoning his blood red silk shirt as she slipped the dress over her head, then placed the belt around her slender waist.  She took the thigh highs and heels over to a chair sitting near the closet.  After sitting down she slid the thigh highs on over shapely legs, then slid her dainty feet into the sandals.  She turned the chair towards the make up table it was seated in front of.  She gave her face a light dusting of mineral powder, touched her cheeks with blush, applied eyeshadow and liner.  After painting her lips a pretty pink she ran a brush through her hair.  Drake grinned as she rose from the chair and walked towards him. "My dear, you look simply stunning."

Kassie placed her hand on the arm he held out when she reached him, and replied, "Well thank you darling. As always, you look elegantly handsome."

The dinner guests had just begun dessert when their host and hostess approached the dining room.  An awed silence descended upon the room as Kassie and Drake walked into the room.  The sight of the slender golden haired woman in white resting her hand on the arm of the tall dark haired man clad in red and black caused all eyes to widen, and a couple of mouths to drop open in amazement.  Drake had to suppress a dark chuckle, and Kassie a delighted giggle as one of the young men sitting at the table nearly dropped his dessert fork and thought to himself, "My God, it's like seeing Malibu Barbie hook up with Dracula."

By the time Drake's soft seductive voice, and Kassie's velvety southern drawl had bid them welcome, the guests were well on their way to being delightfully enchanted.  Shortly after drinking the toast proposed by Drake to the castle's original owner, they were totally mesmerized. As Drake took a sip from one of the guests, Kassie sat down in her chair, then removed the silver cover keeping her dinner warm.  She was ready for her dessert as Drake took his last sip from the guest seated to on her right.  Drake sat down beside her as she picked up her dessert fork.  He grinned, leaned over and kissed her quickly, then sat back up and snapped his fingers thrice.  By the third snap the guests were eating their desserts.  In between bites they enjoyed lively conversation led by Drake and Kassie.  When dessert was finished Drake and Kassie bid their guests farewell, and retired to their room.

Once they were comfortably seated on the couch in front of the fireplace Drake put his arm around Kassie and said, "Now tell me my beloved little witch, just exactly what is it you are right now?  And why can't I ever turn you into a vampyre?  I have turned other true witches into one of my kind with no problem."

Kassie leaned against him and replied, "I'll answer that last question first. Those other true witches weren't the one who broke the laws of Magick creating you dear.  As to exactly what am I right now?  Well I am as much of a vampyre as I'm ever going to be.  I possess all the powers you do.  And as long as you walk this earth, I will continue to possess them.  The main difference between what you are, and what I am, is that you must have human blood to survive, but I can't drink any blood but yours."

Drake studied Kassie thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "Can't?  Or won't?"

Kassie knew exactly what he meant, and answered, "Can't, my love.  You can never turn me into the independent Queen of the vampyres you want to because that is part of my penance for creating you in that other time and place."  Kassie paused and looked at Drake for a moment, then continued. "And perhaps it is as much a part of your penance as well.  The goal of that High Priestess who created you was never immortality.  That however, was the only goal of the mortal man that High Priestess broke the laws of Magick for.  What you must come to understand and accept is that the penance can never be done in full for either of us because that penance is as long lasting as the gift of immortality."

Drake thought about that for a moment, then gave a disgruntled sigh and said, "Well that sucks worse than I do."

Kassie laughed and replied, "Only from your current point of view my dear."  Then said more seriously, "I understand and have no problem with accepting it.  I hope in time, you will come to fully understand and accept it as well."

Drake snapped his fingers, stuck the eternal doobie that had appeared in them between Kassie's lips and said, "Oh I understand and accept it.  I just don't like it."

Kassie inhaled from the eternal doobie, removed it from her lips, then after exhaling said, "That's because you are an spoiled Omnipotent brat who has been used to getting your way for a very long time now."

Drake gave a haughty sniff and said, "I resemble that remark."

Kassie laughed and replied, "You certainly do darling."

As Kassie took another toke from the doobie Drake suddenly remembered something and said, "You mentioned earlier that food and my blood would relieve you of the hunger you felt from taking the edge off my post coitus blood lust.  You need to consume the second part of that equation while I am still fully sated from our dinner guests."

Kassie exhaled and replied, "That might be a good idea.  The hunger I feel is not anywhere near as overwhelming as the blood lust is for you.  But it is a nagging distraction I would be glad to be rid of right now."

Drake grinned rolled up his sleeve and said, "Let me see and feel your fangs baby."

Kassie rolled her amber eyes upward and replied, "You will enjoy this way too much."  Then she grinned and extended her fangs.

Drake grinned wickedly as watched her bare her small fangs, then reached down with his other hand, adjusted the front of his silk pants and replied, "Of course I am!"  As Kassie sank those small fangs into his wrist, he gave a soft moan of pleasure.  The sight and feel of her feeding from his wrist was inciting a perverse pleasure in him.  When she removed her fangs from his wrist he said, "Are you sure that was enough darling?"

Kassie grinned, licked her lips, retracted her fangs and said, "Yes you pervert, I'm sure that is enough."

Drake pouted and replied, "Drats.  I was really enjoying that.  And you could at least leave your fangs extended.  They are so adorably cute and sexy."

Kassie rolled her amber eyes again, then laughed and extended her fangs once more.

Drake grinned happily, then leaned over and kissed her, giving each of her fangs a gentle lick as they kissed.  

Kassie shivered with pleasure as his tongue caressed her fangs, then returned the favor, and gave both of his a slow lick.  After their lips finally parted, she snuggled up under his arm and quietly toked on the doobie while Drake stared into the flames.  

As he watched the flames dancing, Drake found that accepting what was, and wouldn't be, was surprisingly easy.  As long as he had Kassie's love, he had everything that was truly important to him.  It had taken him many centuries to understand that without love, immortality was a never ending curse.  Kassie had lifted that curse from him though.  

Kassie smiled as she picked up some of thoughts, then said softly, "No darling, you lifted the curse from yourself by loving me first in the form of what you thought was a mere mortal woman, then again by loving me for who and what I truly am."

Drake turned his head and gazed into the eyes of the witch he loved to distraction and replied, "No wonder your kind are called the Wise Ones."  Then he gathered her up in his arms and set her upon his lap.  As he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, he vowed never to forget the lesson of love he had learned.

As Kassie snuggled against him she prayed he would keep that vow and never betray her, or stop loving her.

Only time would tell if he would keep that vow.