“Come for me, Lorelei.” Her head landed against my shoulder, her mouth in a perfect circle with no sound escaping, her eyes tightly shut as her whole body shuddered with the force of her orgasm.
“So perfect. So beautiful. So mine.” I drew out her pleasure until she could barely stand. I dropped her wrists and banded my hand across her waist to keep her upright. She turned in my arms, blue eyes finally opened and stared at me in wonder. Leaning down, I kissed her lips lightly.
Her mind connected to mine as she tried to form words. The force of her desire caused me to pause. I needed to get myself back under control before this went further. Without words, I slid her clothes back on. First the shorts and then I pulled the shirt back over her head. She tilted her head in confusion and tried to touch my chest before I grasped her wrists in my hands.
“You need real food.” Still hoarse with unspent desire, my voice sounded gravelly. Hurt flashed across her face briefly before she just nodded at me and smoothed down her hair. Taking her hand in mine, I lead her into the kitchen at the other end of my flat, all the while cursing myself for taking advantage of her.
Chapter 15
Lorelei
Vincent sat me down on a barstool at the island of the kitchen. My brain was still trying to process what had happened in the hallway and then his abrupt change in behavior. His brow furrowed as he moved about the gourmet kitchen, pulling out various items from the refrigerator and pantry. My body was still wound up tighter than a string, humming with release and wanting more.
Clearing my throat, I said “What are you making?”
Distraction, that was key to keep my mind off how good his hands felt on me and how much I wanted to finish what we started.
Red eyes connected with mine, desire still plain to see in their depths. “Omelets.” He turned away and began to crack eggs in a glass bowl. His back was stiff, a grimace plastered over his handsome face. He shook his head and eggs started whirling in a flurry as he whipped them with a fork.
“Cheese and bacon okay?” He refused to meet my gaze.
“Fine.” I turned my head down and began to pick at my fingernails, avoiding looking at him. Vincent was such a mystery to me. One minute he is kissing me and the next he is making omelets as if I didn’t exist.
I noticed as he flinched at that last thought. “You are still messing around in my head, aren’t you?” My hands clenched into fists as I got to my feet to stand in front of him.
“You are basically shouting your thoughts at me. It is a bit hard to ignore them. We need to teach you to put up some mental barriers, it will help in the long run.” He set the bowl down and looked at me, sighing deeply.
“There are going to be a lot of things thrown at you in the next few days and you need to be prepared for them. People who want to take advantage of you, use you for your abilities. I am going to do everything that I can to stop that, but it means you need to listen to me and follow my instructions.” He settled his hands on my upper arms in a fierce grip, eyes roaming over my face as they pleaded with me.
“Someone needs to start explaining to me why I am so damned important that I have had to be watched my entire life.” My temper was starting to ramp up. It was something I had tried to keep under control for so long, it felt good to let some anger out. I pushed at the wall of his chest, getting him to release my arms. I turned and started pacing along the wall of cabinets.
Vincent rubbed a hand across his face, his expression pinched. “How about I finish making us breakfast? Then I can start explaining before we meet with Kaniul.”
My stomach chose that moment to growl fiercely, and I was surprised to feel a hunger for actual food rather than just blood. I clamped my hand over my belly. “I guess that is a yes.” I tried to force a smile. I had waited for the answers for twenty-one years, what was another few minutes?
“What can I help with?” I was rewarded with a small smile from his perfect lips.
“Grate the cheese,” he pointed to the block of cheese next to the grater.
“Aye, aye captain,” I joked. He shook his head and chuckled. Even the small sound of laughter was like music to my ears.
We finished preparing the meal in relative silence, an easy camaraderie forming as we moved through the kitchen. Plating the food, we sat down at the counter. I shoveled food inside my mouth, groaning at the taste of the eggs, meat and cheese. It had been so long since I had eaten actual food. It seemed in my new life, everything would be more intense. The colors were brighter, the sounds louder, my taste buds more aware. I could only imagine how much better sex would be after the hallway encounter.
I pushed away those thoughts as I felt heat creep up my face. “So, beginning?” Wiping my mouth with a napkin, I looked up into his two-tone eyes. Vincent had an unreadable expression on his face as he watched me intensely.
He didn’t speak, just continued to stare at me. “Or we can start with what I am, or was, before I was turned into a vampire?” I pushed away from the counter and moved to take my plate to the sink. He hadn’t touched his food, so I left it sitting there.
“That is a difficult question to answer.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose as if trying to stop a headache.
Leaning my hip on the side of the counter, I crossed my arms and gave him a dry look. “Try me. I think I can keep up. Or maybe you can start by telling me what ‘other’ you are?”
hHe let out a deep sigh. “That is another difficult question to answer, but let’s just leave it as this: I am the prince and leader of the demons.” His eyes began to swirl, his skin turned to a deep red as black horns appeared on his head.
The form that he had turned into when he tried to erase my memory in the dream that night before Kyara was killed. I dropped my eyes and shivered at the memory. Fingertips caressed my cheek, and he lifted my chin to meet his gaze. His face softened and his form returned to human. “You don’t know how much I regret that night, but it was necessary to keep your powers leashed. To keep you safe, hidden from those that would do you harm.” Dropping his hands in a flash, he turned and took a few bites of the food still on the plate.
“Okay, so beginning.” He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Long story short there were twelve archangels that ruled over the world, similar to Gods. A war started and they used humans as their weapons against each other. They were truly immortal and could not kill one another.”
“Several of the angels experimented with genetic mutations and the results were the creation of demons and vampires. My father, Azazel, was the first of the demons and Damius was the first of the vampires. The vampires and demons were at war, directed by the archangels to fight out their own personal vendettas against one another.”
“Why were the archangels at war with each other?” I asked curiously. “Aren’t angels supposed to be peaceful creatures of love?”
He laughed sardonically. “These angels are nothing like in the stories, trust me. They are violent, self-absorbed bastards who got bored with their unending immortality and decide to invent things to do and people to hurt.” Pain bled through in the tone of his voice, his jaw clenched as a memory flashed across his face.
“Anyway, five of the twelve original archangels decided that this war was becoming too bloody. The vampires and demons had already wiped out more than half of the human population at the time. They created the Nephilim. The Nephilim were unique because they were the true blood children of these archangels.”
He paused, getting up and moving to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. He tossed one to me, and I opened it and drank deeply. He continued. “The Nephilim had elemental affinities depending on which line they descended from: Earth, Water, Air, or Fire.”
“But didn’t you say there were five?”
Arching a brow at me, he said, “So impatient, little one. Would you let me finish?” His mouth tilted into a smirk.
“The unofficial leader of the archangels, Akakaios, was part of this group that sired Nephilim. His ch
ildren were gifted with all the elements, plus the ability to control the weather. Akakaios’ main source of power was electricity, so naturally, his children were more inclined toward lightning.”
“So, he is kind of like Zeus?”
“You do know most mythology has some element of truth in it, right? Someone sees something they can’t rationalize and so they create an outlandish story that makes it so their tiny brains can handle it,” he countered, waving his hand dismissing the statement.
“Although, unlike Zeus,” Vincent smirked at me. “He did not sire many children. There have only been records of five children sired by him, compared to the others who had dozens. The Nephilim were powerful. They were the only beings that could police the demons and vampires. They could keep them under control, their powers the perfect counterbalance to the universe.”
A few more bites of food were eaten, along with a long pull from a bottle of water. I watched in fascination as his muscular throat worked as he swallowed. Everything about this man. Demon, I corrected myself, screamed sex. Down girl. I had to get my errant hormones under control.
“Long story short, the demons and vampires realized that they were all just puppets and decided to revolt against the archangels that were holding their leashes. The Nephilim worked with each type of supernatural being to create accords of peace and together they formed a council. This council consisted of the most powerful of each faction to govern the supernatural and keep the secret of our world from the humans at all costs.”
“What caused them to stop the fighting?” Leaning forward, I rested my head on my open palm.
“I was trying to keep the story short, but it was really because of love. The Nephilim were cursed to only have one predestined mate, the other half to their soul, and the only ones that they could reproduce with. It was an addition from one of the other Angels to try to stop the Nephilim from growing too powerful or plentiful. Well, a Nephilim found their mate, and they just happened to be on the opposite side of the war. This Nephilim made her mate see that they were just pawns in a pointless war.”
Eyes narrowed, I studied him. He had obviously not wanted to discuss this part. The look on his face was almost pained as he recalled them. “So, were you a part of this war?”
“No, it ended just before I was born. Although I did experience some aftereffects.” He wouldn’t look at me now. Curious. I would have to piece together this part of the history.
“Together, the council and the Angels that wanted an end to the fighting, gathered their powers and imprisoned Xandrios. He was the leader of the resistance against the rest of the Angels and once he was out of the picture, the accords were put into place.”
“When did all this take place? Like before the dawn of time or some shit like that?”
He laughed. “Dawn of time? No, but it was a long time ago. I was born in what is considered about 500 BCE and—"
“Wait, wait, so you are saying you are like 2500 years old?” My mouth hung open in shock. I knew they were probably old, but I didn’t realize it would be that old.
A wry look came over his face and he nodded.
“Damn, you look good for an old man!” If there was one thing I was good at, it was making light of strange and awkward situations. The rich laugh that came out of his mouth was lyrical and soothing. It made laughter bubble out of me until tears gathered in the corners of my eyes.
Fire burned within his stare as he looked down at me, his body trapping mine against the counter. “It is good to know you find me attractive.” He paused, looking me up and down. “You are so beautiful when you laugh.” He inhaled the scent against my neck, causing a shiver to rack my body. Warm breath fanned against my skin as his nose skimmed along my cheek to my ear. Words in that strange language were whispered against my ear.
With a final nip to my ear lobe, he moved back to his seat at the counter. Eyes closing, I regained my composure as he began speaking again. “As I was saying,” there was that smirk with just a hint of fangs. “The majority of the fighting took place between 650 and 525 BCE. The accords were in 517 and if you want to get technical, I was born in 516 BCE.”
I couldn’t help the yawn that was wrenched out of me. “So apparently I still require sleep?” I said as I rubbed my eyes. My body was weary, still a bit sore and strung out. I was about to crash.
“Yes, but far less than before. You have been through a lot in the last few weeks. It is reasonable for your body to want to sleep now that you have been fed.” He stood again, “Let’s get you to bed.”
I nodded in agreement, too tired to even think about anything but sleep. I tried to stand and follow him as he moved toward the hallway, but my feet moved sluggishly and I tripped. Strong arms wrapped around me, and I was being carried to the room.
“I guess I didn’t realize how tired I really was,” I snuggled into his arms and nuzzled my nose against his chest. “I never thanked you for rescuing me. Thank you, Vincent.” I savored the sound of his name on my tongue as my eyes slid closed and peaceful sleep took over.
Chapter 16
Lorelei
I awoke on a scream, blackness surrounded me, nails clawing at my throat. The collar, I had to get the collar off. Desperation made me panic, and I thrashed around the bed. I couldn’t grasp what was real and what was still the terrible nightmare I was trapped in. Maniacal laughter echoed in my ears. A figure approached me and I lashed out, trying to keep them away from me.
“Lorelei, wake up!” Vincent pressed my hands into the sheets, trying to prevent my fingers from clawing at my skin. “You are safe, it was just a dream.” His voice was calm, soothing. His mind connected to mine, sending waves of reassuring energy.
“Theera, wake up please.”
The words whispered in my mind snapped me out of the dream and into the present. “Vincent.” His name was drawn out and low. My throat burned from screaming. Blood trickled from the wounds I’d scratched into my skin with my nails.
He released my wrists and sat up to gather me in his arms. “Shhh. It’s okay.” He rocked me back and forth, like a child. I hated this feeling of helplessness. I made a vow to myself to not give into the nightmares, to move forward.
Damn these tears flowing down my face. I buried my face into Vincent’s chest, trying to hide from the world, at least for a little while. He just held me, whispering softly in my ear, letting me cry. I don’t think that I had ever let myself just breakdown like this, much less twice in the last day. His familiar scent of leather and sandalwood calmed me.
“You are safe now, Theera. I won’t let them harm you anymore.” His soft accent was soothing. I knew in my heart that he would never let anything happen to me. Hands glided down my back in a comforting gesture as I blinked away the tears in my eyes.
“I’m fine now. Just going to take some time,” I whispered against his chest. My fingers slid along the bare skin of his powerful muscles, seeking comfort from the contact.
“We have all the time in the world, little one, we are immortal.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the joke. He lifted my chin to look into his eyes. “No turning away from me. You don’t need to hide anymore.” Lips placed a gentle kiss on my forehead as I smiled.
“I think I am ready to face the world today.” I pushed against his body as his arms left me. We both got to our feet.
His phone chimed, and he looked down at it. “Now, we need to get moving to meet Kaniul. He is waiting for us.”
“First, I should probably get you some real clothes. The shirt will work, but my workout shorts will make you stick out like a sore thumb.” His lips tilted into a smile, showing his perfect white teeth as his eyes sparkled. That smile had my stomach clenching as heat flooded my lower body. This man was gorgeous when he smiled.
“Where are we going?”
“To my club.”
I tilted my head back to look at him. “So, you have a club? Please tell me it isn’t one of those trendy hip hop techno places?” I scrunched
my face and stuck my tongue out.
Rich laughter filled my ears, causing a smile to wash over my face. “Not at all. I think you will like it based on your choice of t-shirts from my closet.” He recovered a bag from the doorway of the bedroom, “Here, this is much more appropriate attire.”
I looked inside the bag as he handed it to me. A pair of black pants with various buckles and straps and a dark red corset top with black criss crossed laces and spaghetti straps and a fishnet undershirt with long sleeves. It even had thumb holes. “I think I like it already,” I smiled up at him.
His lips curled up as he returned the smile. “I also found this.”
“My necklace!” I clutched my throat, and he held up the delicate ruby for me to see. I turned as he gestured to put it around my neck. “Thank you,” I whispered as my fingers touched it reverently. His hands lingered and traced my throat, causing goosebumps to ripple down my arms.
“Why don’t you shower and get changed? I am going to take a shower in the other bathroom.” His eyes took on a wicked gleam and I once again felt the heat creep up my neck to my face.
While I wasn’t a virgin, I wasn’t experienced by any stretch of the imagination. With the world of technology, when I had the urge I went to Tinder. Anonymity was always my main goal and relationships didn’t ever fit into that equation. Yet, the orgasm that he had given me yesterday was the first one I had in months, maybe even a year. I nibbled on my lip, thinking of how good his hands had felt on my body. How his tongue would feel even better.
“Make that a very cold shower,” he growled and started to walk away. “First thing to teach her is mental shields,” I heard him mutter to himself as he left the room.
Laughter bubbled out of me as I ogled his firm ass moving underneath the shorts he wore. His hands ran through his hair, the blonde strands looking even better in their mused state. “Stop snooping, stalker,” I shouted at his back and was rewarded with his middle finger.
Into The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy) Page 11
