Into The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy)

by Jenn D. Young

  I sighed, realizing that line of thought was futile at this point. I lifted her and settled her body in front of me. I leaned against the headboard, my legs on either side of her hips. Feeding from the wrist would be best this time around. Leaning her head against my shoulder, her face was serene. Peaceful in her slumber. I traced my fingers over her cheek, savoring the feel of her soft skin against mine. The wounds on her neck were vicious, and I hoped they would heal with the feeding.

  I bit deep into the vein on my wrist and opened her mouth as my blood trickled down her throat. I stroked her neck to help her swallow. After a few moments, her mind slowly reached out to mine, her curiosity piqued by my nearness. As her body started to heal itself, her mind did as well. I heard the questions racing through her mind. I smiled, she was always too quick to catch on.

  What happened to me?

  What am I drinking? Oh no, this is blood, I’m a vampire.

  Pain, collar, burning. Can’t use my powers. But I don’t feel anything around my neck anymore.

  This tastes so much better than anything that crazy Antoinette gave me. I think it is making me high. It just tastes so good.

  Vincent…

  She made a low sound in her throat, somewhere between a moan and a growl. Her hands gripped my wrist desperately as her fangs pierced my flesh. I shuddered, a fire igniting within my body as she took deep pulls of my blood into her mouth. Never had I let someone feed directly from my vein. The feeling was euphoric, a growl escaped, and I slid my free hand around to splay across her stomach. She arched into my touch, her sounds of pleasure echoing mine.

  “That’s it, Lorelei, keep feeding.” My voice was a husky whisper as my thumb traced a pattern over her skin.

  Nothing had ever felt more right in my life.

  Lorelei

  I couldn’t stop myself as I swallowed deeply from the vein beneath my fangs. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted in my life. I felt the strong arm band across my waist and a warm, hard body at my back. My mind was calm, reassurance flooding me, urging me to continue to feed and get strong. That presence, the voice. With a rush, everything came back to me.

  Antionette and her collar.

  Kristoff and his minions.

  Vincent.

  I removed my fangs, my tongue lapped at the excess blood while the wound knit itself back together. His hand trailed down my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. He touched my mind gently, giving me a mental nudge as if to announce his presence. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back into the crook of his neck, taking in the scent that could only be his.

  “Please tell me I’m not dreaming right now.” His arms tightened around me for reassurance. I nuzzled my nose against his skin and felt the jolt that caused his body to shudder. I turned in his arms, resting my hands against the wall of his chest and curled my fingers in the fabric of his shirt. I tried not to think about the lab and just stay in the moment. I would not give into weakness.

  “It is not weakness, Lorelei, and you are not dreaming.”

  I didn’t want to look up. It was all too surreal.

  His fingers softly stroked my cheek before lifting my chin to look into his eyes. Red and black swirled together as those eyes held me captive. The classic features of his face looked like they were carved from marble, high cheekbones, strong jawline and a straight nose. His lips were full and the only softness on his face.

  It felt like it was the first time I really looked at him. My other memories of him were hazy, vague. His features had been blurred, but now I gazed upon him with open eyes and an open mind. I blinked several times, trying to clear my thoughts. “You are really here,” I whispered.

  How many times had I dreamed of this moment? I had begun to believe that he was just a figment of my imagination. The inventing of a traumatized child. Yet, here he was, right in front of my eyes.

  “I am, Theera.” Fingertips traced a pattern down my face and settled on my neck. His thumb moved back and forth along my jaw. My eyes drifted to his lips as my own parted and fangs descended. I felt the blood moving in his veins calling to me on a primal level.

  “Vincent.” My voice was husky with unfulfilled desire. My hands hesitated as I lifted them to touch his face. He watched my movements carefully, his mouth parted in a slight smirk showing me his double fangs.

  A memory of a dream flashed in my mind. It was the first time I saw his fangs. I smiled to myself at my boldness then. Yet, now when I knew this was real, I couldn’t bring myself to touch his skin.

  His hand pressed mine to the side of his face, the contact against my skin sending a shiver down my arm. Emotions were wreaking havoc within me. Every nerve ending was alive again as my body healed itself using Vincent’s blood. His light touch on my skin was overwhelming. I wanted to scream for more.

  “As much as I would love to hear you scream in pleasure from my touch, it would be better if you were naked.” My eyes drifted from his eyes and focused on his lips as he said the words. Heat pooled in my lower half and I felt the flush move up my neck to my cheeks.

  “Ah, this color is lovely on you.” He danced his fingers over my cheeks, deepening the color staining them.

  “It isn’t very nice to read other people’s minds.” It came out as a husky whisper.

  Where were these thoughts coming from? I had always been attracted to Vincent but being in his presence overwhelmed me. It was as if all my repressed desire surged forward. The erotic fantasies playing in my head made moisture pool between my thighs as I imagined our bodies entwined together. I physically ached to feel his hands on my skin.

  His low growl indicated he was not done snooping around my brain. Hands slid to my waist, and I was suddenly on my back, my legs wrapped around his lean hips. “Playing. With. Fire.” He emphasized each word with a subtle shift of his body to show me he was just as aroused as I was. His fingers, tipped with sharp claws, gripped my thighs tightly.

  As quickly as he rolled me over, his weight left my body. I mourned the loss of his heat and nearness the moment he left me.

  “I’m not taking advantage of this situation. Although I would like to, this is not the time.” My acute hearing picked up his low voice. My head hit the pillow beneath me, and I let out a frustrated sigh. He responded with another growl. I sat up on my elbows and pinned him with a look.

  He leaned against the bedroom door, his legs crossed at the ankles looking relaxed and the opposite of my frazzled mood. His eyes were blazing, red swallowing all black, the intensity in complete contrast to his otherwise nonchalant posture.

  “Bathroom is through there.” With a nod of his head he indicated the door on the other end of the room. “Why don’t you take a relaxing shower or bath? I have a few things that require my attention. Feel free to take anything you want from the closet.”

  Feet planted back on the hardwood floors, I nodded without looking up at him. I was on edge and confused, but my body was on fire. It felt so alive it ached. My senses overwhelmed me. The bright lights The feel of the bedding under my fingers. The cool wood of the floor against my bare feet. The smell that was uniquely Vincent.

  “Breathe, Theera,” he said, still in his relaxed position in the doorway. “Relax for a bit and I will explain everything.” His voice was rough, another sign of his control slipping. His eyes pleaded with me to listen to his words. A wave of sorrow washed over me before it turned to a calming energy. I knew he was just as affected by this as I was.

  “The water will calm you. Trust me.” He turned and walked away, leaving me to my thoughts.

  Wincing at his abrupt absence, I made my way to the enormous ensuite bathroom and turned the light on. Double sinks were encased in a blue gray granite and black cabinets, the floors were a white marble laid in a fishbone pattern accented with black squares. The walk-in shower could easily fit 5 people in its enclosure with jets pointing in every direction and a circular rainfall feature in the center. The large clawfoot bathtub screamed my name—it was centered in th
e middle of the wall with a high back and modern fixtures with a handheld water wand.

  In my curiosity, I explored the vanity cabinets and different products contained within. There were several bottles of expensive shampoo and conditioner that smelled of coconuts and strawberries. I selected a lavender scented bath oil and turned on the tap to the large tub.

  As I waited for the tub to fill with water, I peeled my clothes from my body and took inventory of my skin. It seemed that Vincent’s blood had healed the wounds caused by Kristoff and Antionette aside from the damage on my neck. Although the brand marks had healed some, they still scarred in a macabre pattern of raised whorls. Swallowing deeply, I ran my fingers along them as I leaned to investigate my reflection in the mirror.

  Phantom pain haunted me as my eyes roamed over the brand. Squeezing my eyes together tightly, I hoped they would heal, and I wouldn’t be left with the horrific scars. Turning away with disgust, I sank into the tub filled with scalding hot water. My muscles started to relax and I sighed deeply, leaning my head against the white porcelain. I knew that Vincent was feeding me calming waves of energy, our connection stronger than anything I had ever felt.

  Even with the energy and the relaxing water, the memories of my time with Antionette haunted me. I didn’t even know how long I was kept a prisoner, it felt like an eternity and a blink of an eye all at the same time. My hands clenched at my neck and I felt the tears flow down my face. I needed to feel and express my grief or I knew I would never let it go. I brought my knees up beneath my chin and curled into myself as my sobs grew louder. I hated this display of weakness, this breakdown.

  As my tears dried, and the sobs quieted, my emotions fully under control once again, my mother’s familiar words played in my head once again, “Get up and fly on, my angel.”

  I would pick myself up and fly on, as I always had.

  Chapter 14

  Vincent

  I left the room and forced myself down the hallway to my office. The expression on her face as I walked away sent a piercing pain straight through my heart. My hands were tipped in sharp black claws as I felt my demon explode in response to the combination of sexual and emotional energy. I made sure to sever the connection in my mind to Lorelei before smashing my fist into the wall.

  I watched in sick fascination as the blood dripped down my knuckles and the wound healed. The heightened energy in the air started to release as I absorbed it. Most demons absorbed energy through drinking blood, but I was able to do so simply by absorbing the energy from the source. The excess energy I absorbed from Lorelei refueled me after feeding her and sent me to new heights. I had never felt this powerful before. I closed my eyes and regained my human form.

  My control firmly reestablished, I tentatively reconnected with Lorelei. Clenching my jaw, I opened myself to her emotions so that I could feed positive energy back into her consciousness. The sound of her sobs and the depth of her despair caused me to wince in pain.

  Too long had I closed myself off to this level of emotions. They were close to overwhelming me. After millennia of existence, one learned to turn off certain feelings in order to move through the years with sanity intact. The depth of feelings that she was stirring within me caused my legendary control to slip further and further away. Soon it would shatter and I shuddered to think what the end result would be.

  She needed training for what was to come. I would have to give her space to heal and to learn her abilities. We would also need to figure out how she was turned into a vampire and how that was going to play out with her nature.

  Theera, it will get better, trust me.

  I felt her cries start to slow and a calmness settle within her. A smile tilted my lips. She was always so resilient and bounced back from whatever life had decided to throw at her.

  Pulling out my phone, I unlocked the screen and typed a message to Kaniul. He was the only one that I could work with to train her properly. The council would use her to their purposes, her compulsion would be a powerful tool that they would not be able to resist exploiting. Not to mention when her other Nephilim abilities started to manifest, things would get dicey.

  The wards that Morgana had put into place sealing her powers were crumbling, and soon her powers would be unleashed. We had to be in a position to teach her to control them immediately.

  Me: Meet me tomorrow sunset at my office at the club. We will start to train.

  Kaniul: Will do. How is she?

  Me: About as well as can be expected. I am letting her decompress then will start explaining things.

  Kaniul: Everything?

  I sighed, knowing what he meant, but I was not about to go there.

  Me: Not that, she needs to focus on controlling her abilities before we go down that road.

  Kaniul: See you tomorrow.

  I could see the look on the prophet’s face, a smug smile slanting his features. He was probably enjoying my torment right about now, knowing how I would be suffering being in her presence without being able to act upon my instincts. He had, of course, foreseen all of this. He was Lorelei’s uncle and together we had been protecting her from the moment she was born.

  Cocking my head, I heard the bedroom door open and Lorelei walking down the hallway. I stepped out to greet her. She was stunning even in the simplest of clothing. Her dark hair was wet and was pulled over one shoulder, falling in soft waves. The wounds on her neck were starting to heal nicely, there would be minimal scarring thanks to my powerful blood healing her. Her skin was still slightly pink from the water and her face had softened. The pale blue of her eyes were ringed in red from crying, but she was holding herself together with her head held high.

  The fact that she had dressed herself in my clothes made my inner demon roar with pride. She had selected a pair of athletic shorts and a shirt with the logo of one of my favorite German metal bands. I smiled internally. She always did have great taste in music. Every part inside of me wanted to scream mine.

  I needed to calm down that voice immediately. Lorelei needed to be brought into this world first. She didn’t need me staking my claim on her so quickly.

  “I’m ready for you to tell me what is going on and why you have been stalking me all these years.” Her voice was strong and the tilt of her mouth told me this was her attempt at lightening the mood.

  A small chuckle left my throat as I smiled at her. “How about we get you something to eat and we can start at the beginning?”

  Her eyes immediately locked onto my neck and she licked her lips as her eyes brightened in hunger. My body hardened painfully as I saw the tips of her fangs peak out over her parted lips. “I meant real food, not blood.” My voice was rough as I couldn’t bring my eyes from her mouth.

  I swallowed as I continued. “Your body will require both blood and food to function properly and to maintain your strength and abilities.”

  Now she was biting her lip. The rich aroma of blood filled the air as her fang nicked open a wound.

  “Fuck.” My growl filled the silence as I closed the gap between us. One hand fisted in her hair as I brought her lips to mine. The small droplet of her essence flooded my senses, making me groan in pleasure at her taste. With a hand on the small of her back, I brought her soft curves against my body as my mouth ravaged hers. Our tongues clashed as I aligned her head at the angle I desired.

  Her moans had my blood on fire and my cock was harder than a rock as I ground it into her belly. Her hands slid from my chest up my shoulders to my hair. I growled as she pulled at the blonde strands. In the back of my mind, I knew I needed to put a stop to this before it got out of hand, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull away from her tempting body and frenzied responses.

  My lips blazed a trail down her neck as I palmed her breast. Her back arched into my hand as I pinched her nipple between my thumb and forefinger. Tiny fingernails dug into my shoulders as her cries intensified. Backing her into the wall, I nipped at the column of her throat with my fangs, careful not to pierce her skin,
and I ground my hips into hers.

  “Vincent.” My name was long and drawn out on a moan as my hand slipped under her shirt to touch bare skin. Everything about her body was soft. I wanted to explore every curve with my hands and then retrace them with my tongue.

  “Please.” I was powerless to resist her pleas. I ripped the shirt off over her head and dropped it to the floor. Her eyes glazed over with pleasure as she bit her lip. I smiled and sealed my mouth over hers, my tongue soothing the damage her fangs had done for a second time.

  “Your blood is the most delicious thing that I have ever tasted.” The words were uttered in my native language against her lips, plump and swollen from my kisses. Her responding groan was music to my ears. My tongue traced a circle over her areola before I took the pebbled nipple between my teeth and tugged. Energy rolled from her body in waves and I drank greedily as my hands heightened her arousal even further.

  I growled deeply as my fingers traced along her spine to the swell of her bottom. She was doing nothing to stop me. Every action, every moan encouraged me to go further. Move faster. I slid the shorts down her legs to pool at her feet. Her blue eyes glowed in the soft light as my fingers glided up her thighs to her slit. I saw her head tilt back and a low groan escaped as I traced her entrance.

  “So wet for me, Theera.” I couldn’t keep the demon out of my voice as my thumb brushed her clit and circled lightly. Her scent was intoxicating, her essence spiking higher in response to mine. My tongue traced the shell of her ear as I continued to whisper soft words against her skin.

  Hands sought to remove my clothes, and I quickly spun her and trapped her against the wall, pressing my chest to her back and gathering her wrists in one hand to secure them above her head. “No touching me yet.” My fangs nipped at her ear. I slid one finger inside her hot pussy and groaned, feeling how she clenched around the digit.

  “So tight.” Her hips bucked and the soft globes of her ass rubbed against my hard cock. I growled and inserted another finger, thumb still circling the center of her pleasure. My fingers slid in and out of her, maintaining a steady rhythm while I pressed against her clit.