"Will you honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?"
"Yes," they both answered.
"Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, declare your consent before God and his church."
Addison passed her bouquet to the woman standing near them. She quickly grabbed Christian’s hands, his skin warm and soothing to the touch. He held hers with a firm, sure grasp that compensated for her weakness.
"I…Christian Vallore, take you…" He caught the great fear that resided in her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to hold back her happy tears. "Addison Collins, to be my wife."
His smile grew when he saw a few tears snake down her cheeks. His voice was calm and smooth, a hint of wickedness always present in his perfect expression. "I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life."
"I," Addison’s voice came out shaky and nervous, "I…Addison Collins…" She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. In her nervous state, she couldn’t remember what she was supposed to say next. "I…" Her fearful eyes looked at Christian for a few seconds, but he didn’t seem to mind her pause. He squeezed her hands and waited for her to speak. "I…"
"Take you." Christian’s voice was hushed as he guided her, the velvety tone making her swoon.
"Take you…Christian Vallore…" Her face filled with a giant smile when she found her words again, her cheeks reddening from her tears. "To be my husband. I…" She forgot what to say again and shook Christian’s hands, a begging expression in her tender eyes that made him laugh a little.
"I promise to be true to you."
"I promise to be true to you…" Addison giggled, biting her lip as she hesitated, her face feeling like it were on fire, "In sickness and health. I will love you for the rest of my life."
The priest smiled, speaking in a warm, friendly voice as he turned to Christian, "Christian, do you take Addison to be your wife?"
Christian’s voice was low, "I do."
The priest then turned to Addison, "Addison, do you take Christian to be your husband?"
Nodding her head quickly, Addison squeezed Christian’s hand as tightly as she could. "I do. I do."
The priest then spoke, "What God has joined, men must not divide."
Christian took the ring from the woman near him. He then turned to Addison, holding her left hand in both of his. "Addison," His giant smile forced him to bare his fangs, which were digging into his bottom lip slightly. "Take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity." He slid the band on her finger, his voice smooth and hushed, "In the name of the Father..."
Addison began to sob at his words, her face squished together tightly as she tried to hold back her tears but couldn’t. A small, hushed chuckle escaped Christian’s lips as he watched her.
"Christian," Addison’s voice was wet and thick with tears as she took the ring from the woman near them and quickly grabbed Christian’s left hand. "Take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness." She quickly slipped the band on his finger, watching it smoothly slide over his tanned fingers and rest above his knuckle. "Forever."
The priest said something more, but Addison had already jumped into Christian’s arms and kissed him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as tightly as she could get them.
"My love for you…" Speaking into her ear as she clung to him, Christian’s voice was soft, but every word was sharp and clear, "Is like the heavens, immeasurable and eternal. It will outlast the day and the night, the years and the centuries."
"You make a lovely couple." The priest chuckled as he put a calm hand on Christian’s shoulder, Addison releasing her hold. "I wish you and your new bride forever happiness as you go in peace and continue to serve our lord. God bless you both."
At those words, Addison glanced down for a few seconds, a quiver in her happy smile. It returned when Christian pulled on her hand, the pleasure in his face making her joyful too. They walked up the aisle together hand in hand, stopping to give kisses to each other halfway down.
* * * *
Christian quickly whisked her into the car and to a nearby hotel. It was the presidential suite and looked more like an apartment than a hotel room. He carried her inside like a normal groom would, doting on her and having a million giggles follow in their wake.
Setting her down on the bed, Christian smiled at her devilishly, a cat-like pose to his slightly arched body as he hovered over her. "Are you hungry, my love?"
"Yes." Addison nodded, still cringing a little at the sound of those words, but able to produce a tender smile.
"Then I shall get you something." Christian gave her a quick kiss and a gentle pat on the leg. "I will return shortly." He then jumped out a nearby window and disappeared.
That sick feeling returned in Addison’s stomach. That guilt of having to steal someone’s life to keep herself alive. Even though she had done it a million times, she always got nervous, a giant ball of anxiety welling in her empty belly before each feeding.
Christian hastily returned, his movement so swift and sudden it made her jump. "Here we go." Chuckling as he held onto a young woman who appeared to be in a trance, he walked her over to the bed where Addison was sitting. "A wedding present for my love."
"She’s…" Addison jumped when she saw the girl tremble under his hand, the terrified girl's eyes widening when she saw Addison. "Awake."
"Yes." Christian's grin grew tenfold when he sensed the great fear in Addison's tender voice, "I want you to taste the blood of the hunted. Fear in the blood makes it taste like the grandest cut of meat."
"I know," Addison glanced down and then back up at him as she scooted to the side of the bed and sat on the edge. "But I don’t want to hurt her. Can’t you just put her in a trance for me?"
"No." Christian let go of the girl, leaving her to stand alone. "Trust me, my love, once you taste her blood, you will not want it any other way." He pulled Addison to her feet, holding onto her possessively as he whispered in her ear, "Be a good girl and try it this way for me."
Addison looked at the frightened girl. She must have been barely eighteen. She looked lost, giant tears falling from her racooned eyes as she stared at them. The girl rubbed her arm nervously, her whole body shaking in fear.
"I can’t..." Addison bit her lip anxiously as Christian pushed her forward, holding her from behind and leading her closer to the girl. "I don’t want to hurt her."
"You will do it." Christian let go of Addison and walked over to the girl. He took hold of her waist and yanked her closer to him. "You take the first bite." Smiling devilishly at the girl in his arms, his intense hunger to consume her blood reflected in his sadistic features. His ego was feeding on the girl’s terror, with every whimper that escaped her lips, his grin grew slightly larger.
Addison's voice was so low it was barely audible as the next word slipped off her unwilling lips, "Okay." Addison walked reluctantly over to the girl, trying not to look her in the eyes. She opened her mouth and moved close to the girl’s neck but suddenly jerked backward when the girl spoke.
"Please don’t hurt me." Sobbing in Christian’s arms, the girl’s desperate eyes met with Addison’s. The intense fear reflected in them was heartbreaking and made Addison recoil. Addison’s lips trembled as she reached up and touched them with her fingers, a look of great guilt in her eyes.
"Bite her." Christian put his hand over the girl’s mouth, his anger over Addison’s hesitation making him rougher than necessary. His face contorted into a scowl as he spoke through gritted teeth, the young girl melting in his arms not able to stand on her own shaky legs. "Now."
Addison’s lip quivered as she gazed at the girl and then at Christian’s irritated eyes. She knew she had to obey him.
"Taste her." Christian pulled back some hair that hid the girl’s neck from view, as she tried desperately to escape from his arms. He didn’t budge, even with all her struggling, and had her pinned against his ch
est with a viselike grip.
Closing her eyes, Addison swiftly bit the girl’s neck, trying to complete the action before her conscience got the best of her again. The girl screamed but the sound was muffled by Christian’s hand as he bit the other side of her neck. Addison could feel the muscles in the girl’s neck tighten against her taunt lips but tried to block it out and continue to feed.
Christian was right, the blood did taste amazing, and though at first Addison was resisting the urge to feed, once she latched on she couldn't let go. Her vampire instincts had taken over, the wonderful taste teasing her tongue as she tried to devour every possible drop.
After several minutes, the girl’s body went limp in Christian’s arms. Addison pulled away, licking the blood off her lips, her eyelids still heavy from the pleasured state of feeding still pumping through her with every beat of her heart. She was calm as she watched him snap the girl’s neck and toss her to the floor, a numbness paralyzing her as she zoned out. The girl bled out on the plush white carpet, Christian tossing a blanket from the bed over her when he saw Addison's distant eyes fixate on the dead girl.
"Did you like it?" Christian wrapped his arms around Addison’s waist, his mood cheerful. He was still riding the high of feeding, making him feel invincible and full.
"Yes." Addison nodded but was avoiding his eyes as she forced a smile. She wanted to cry at her beastly act but was holding back.
"I love you, Addison." Christian pulled her tighter to him, kissing her as he gently guided her into a sitting position on the bed. He descended to his knees, his curious tongue licking the outer edges of her mouth in between kisses, trying to taste the remnants of blood on his lover’s lips.
His artful touches quickly erased all her negative thoughts, his warmth melting it all away. Being this close to him was like consuming a drug that made the whole world disappear, her only thought was of how to get closer to him.
Holding onto her shoulders as he kissed her, his lips were soft and light against hers. Her fingers rested gently against his tanned cheeks, her thumbs hiding behind his ears and dipping their tips in his dark hair.
He slowly slipped off his suit jacket, the light near the bed making Christian’s diamond cufflinks sparkle. Feeling his subtle movement, Addison kissed him harder, her breath deepening as she became drunk on his caresses.
She quickly began unbuttoning his dress shirt, a quickness in her actions that was not found in his. Letting his hands linger on her hips for a while, Christian knew his hesitation was driving her mad, and he loved every second of the tease. Getting annoyed when she fumbled with each button, her haste made the task harder than if she was taking her time. But Addison didn’t want to take her time. She could never be patient when under the influence of Christian’s kisses. She needed him, the close bond they shared like finding the missing piece that completed her—the piece she depended on like an addict needing their fix. He was her drug and like a seasoned dealer, he had made her completely dependent on him.
Christian’s sly smile peeked out between kisses, just the ends of his lips turning up as he rubbed his hands leisurely up and down her body. With every second they lingered there, Addison's annoyance grew and she became more and more aggressive in her actions. She tore off his shirt and tossed it to the floor before he had even attempted to undress her.
Her hands went to his, her fingers wrapping around them and yanking them forcefully off her hips. Christian didn’t fight her, letting her easily move them to where she wanted. She placed them on the back of her dress, forcing his fingers around it’s zipper and yanking it down in a quick, tense motion.
Instead of waiting for him to make a move, she pulled the garment down her shoulders and then quickly off her bare arms. It slipped past her hips and onto the floor, the silky fabric making a soft shushing noise before pooling around her feet in a puddle of cold, white silk.
Her fingers were still working on disrobing Christian as quickly as she could, unbuckling his belt and shoving his pants and boxers down forcefully. Once they hit the ground, his cool composure melted away.
Grabbing the sides of her face, there was great strength and intensity in his fingers. He pushed her onto to the bed, Addison tripping on her own two feet as she moved backward.
Her quick, aggressive actions were now out shadowed by his. He slammed her on the bed, his breath deepening as he kissed her breasts, igniting a few playful giggles from Addison as his heavy kisses tickled her skin.
His hands followed the outline of her abdomen and slid down her hips, his fingers hooking in the sides of her underwear. Twisting the fabric around his fingers in small circles, Christian pulled it tight against her skin. He could feel her squirm a little, her underwear’s band digging into her flesh. Reaching down to her hips, she pulled the material out of his grasp, alleviating some of the pain he was causing her.
Christian pushed her hands away and wrapped them around his neck instead. His fingers went back to her underwear, pulling it down forcefully and leaving it hanging around her knees.
Letting out a frisky giggle, she pushed on his shoulders and motioned for him to get off her. "Move."
"Move?" Christian laughed as he looked down at her, letting his nose rest against hers. His brow was lowered over his devilish eyes as he licked the tip of one of his fangs.
"Yes, move…" Narrowing her eyes on him, Addison was trying to keep up her very serious facial expression though she found it hard to. "Master Vallore."
The room was silent, the sound of Christian’s voice crisp and clear as he stared her down. "No…" There was a wicked defiance in his icy eyes, his dark lashes intensifying the only feature of his that Addison could see clearly. "Mistress Vallore."
"Let me on top," Digging her fingers into the skin of his bare shoulders, Addison pushed her face closer, her forehead now resting against his. "Or I will bite you, Master Vallore."
"Ooo…" Christian snickered, "I would enjoy that."
"Come on, move, Christian!" Playfully shoving him, Addison tried to push him off, but he had pinned her to the bed by her shoulders.
He chuckled at her stressed expression, Addison trying with all her might to budge him, but she couldn’t. He pretended to let one of her shoves loosen his grip, and she quickly jumped out from under him and took a perch on top of his bare hips.
She unsheathed her small set of fangs when she smiled. Her mouth was partially opened as she closed her eyes, feeling Christian slide inside her. The act made her giggle, Addison reaching forward and grabbing his hands.
"These go here." She placed his hands on her hips, Christian’s tongue sliding under one of his fangs as the pair stared into each other’s hungry eyes, the heat between them so intense both of their cheeks were slightly flushed. "And these..." Placing her index finger on his lips, Addison laughed as she pointed to her neck with the other hand, "Go here."
The arousal in Christian's eyes quickly melted when she began giving him instructions. He couldn't help but laugh at her playful gestures, laying his head back into the pillow as he closed his eyes and tried to cease his laughter. He then gazed up at Addison, who was now hovering close to his face. She was inspecting his expression with curious eyes, a playfulness in them that made them sparkle.
"And these." He squeezed her hips, his fingers digging into her skin and forcing a small yip to escape from her lips, "Need to do this." Thumping her bottom against him in a forceful bouncing motion, Christian gritted his teeth.
Taking his hint, she began to bounce on her own, wrinkling her nose up at him playfully as she pointed to her neck and leaned closer to him. He reached his hands around her back, rubbing the back of her shoulders as he kissed the tender flesh.
Addison’s excited giggles and faster motion made his kisses intensify, Christian nipping at her skin a few times but not biting her. She let out a few whines, his teasing driving her mad. He felt her body begin to shake and go limp against his, her thrusts slowing down as her head got fuzzy.
Taking
advantage of her temporary paralysis, he turned her over, sitting on top of her and finishing what she had started. He immediately bit her neck, Addison so out of it with pleasure, the only thing she could utter was a happy sigh as he drank from her.
He pulled away from her neck and quickly pushed her face into his own, his actions getting rougher and his plunges more intense. A growling noise escaped his lips as he felt her fangs pierce his skin. Christian closed his eyes, a giant smile on his face as a satisfied feeling of his own was released.
She pulled away from his neck slowly, her head hitting the pillow like a dead weight. A happy sigh escaped her lips, her soft fingers lightly caressing Christian’s cheek as she admired the beauty of her lover.
"Someone looks happy." Smiling down at her, he watched her eyelids become heavy, a look of pure love reflected in her tender expression. Reaching his hand down to her face, he slowly slid the back of it along her check. He leaned down and kissed her soft skin before moving off her and lying down behind her, taking her up in a relaxed embrace.
"Very happy." Addison cuddled deeper into her pillow, holding tightly to his arms. Christian rested his head on her shoulder, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips.
"I love you, Mistress Vallore." He leaned down and kissed her cheek once more, her body getting heavy and her breathing slowing under his hand. Even though she had fallen asleep before she could reply, Christian didn’t care because he already knew her response.
Chapter Eleven
The Calm
The move to Terrance was a great thing for Addison. She was allowed to go out alone, which improved her mood and put a smile back on her face. For the past six months, they had lived in a high-rise apartment that had a beautiful view of the big city. Christian owned the building so they had the best view and lived on the top floor. Addison liked the apartment much better than the old manor because it was smaller and more intimate.
She lived alone with Christian, Darien having his own apartment elsewhere in the building. The mood of the building was also much happier, the hustle and bustle making Addison dwell less on everything that had happened to her in the last two years. She was finally starting to fit in with the other vampires, and come to terms with who and what she was. Life was calmer now, and Addison loved it.
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