Adrian (The Dark Shadows Book 4)

by Ariel Marie

  “Thank you,” Angel gushed, trying not to down the blood in one gulp. Sip it slow, she thought to herself. The queen is watching.

  “Why the fear when you heard that Phaelyn and Adrian were Dark Shadow warriors?”

  Angel paused in drinking her blood, and stared down into her cup. She didn’t want to insult the queen, but she was in heaven right now. The thick coppery blood was of the best quality, and something she could never afford with what little money she made. It was almost as if the warm blood was fresh from the donor.

  “Jaxon and the other rogues always spoke of the Dark Shadows as the enemy, that the sole purpose of the Shadows was to hunt down rogues, and any vampires that were turned by a rogue.” Angel paused, keeping her eyes cast down at the table, unable to look at the queen. “And kill them,” she whispered, not knowing if this was their sick way of offering her a “last meal” before they did away with her.

  “Oh, my dear,” the queen murmured, sitting forward in her chair. “Rogues have been a thorn in our sides since the beginning of time. Yes, the Shadows were designed to hunt down rogues who are a threat. The Shadows’ ultimate mission is to protect the vampire nation, the humans, and even vampires like yourself. Humans who were turned against their will are to be protected also. The Shadows would never kill an innocent.” The queen reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “You, my dear, are an innocent.”

  Chapter 7

  Adrian

  Adrian’s throat constricted, listening to Angel’s story. His brothers, and other Shadow warriors came in and out of the room, while he stayed glued to the window, watching Angel in the room with his mother. He was mesmerized by her life’s story, and needed to hear everything.

  He had thought that Nicu would have sent Gadiel or Khalid in the room to question Angel. Their interrogation techniques were not for the faint of heart. He owed Nicu. Big time. Sending in their mother was smart. The queen loved her subjects, and would not harm a hair on Angel’s head. And in the short time that they were in the room together, she had gotten all the information about Angel that they needed.

  She was an innocent, but that didn’t explain why Jaxon was after her. The scraping sound of the chair grabbed Adrian’s attention. He saw his mother walk toward the door. He left the room he was in, and met her in the hallway.

  “She is free to go,” his mother said, shaking her head. “She has no clue why the rogue is after her.”

  “If Jaxon was after her, then there is a reason,” Adrian countered.

  There was no way he would just let her go home, not knowing if other rogues would be coming after her. If they attacked her in the middle of a busy nightclub, there was no telling what would happen while she was alone in her home.

  “See her home,” his mother reasoned. Her eyes, which were identical to his, held much concern. “She needs to get some rest. She has learned more about vampirism in the past hour than she has in her ten years as a vampire.”

  He nodded his head in understanding. He couldn’t imagine walking in Angel’s shoes. He was born a vampire, and was lucky enough to be surrounded by his parents, his three brothers, and his sister. He couldn’t imagine walking this earth alone.

  Footsteps echoed down the hallway. He turned to find Nicu, his eldest brother, and the leader of the Dark Shadows, walking toward them.

  “How is she?” Nicu asked their mother. She quickly brought Nicu up to speed. “Will you see her home, or should I have someone else do it?”

  “I will do it,” Adrian replied. No one would be taking her home but him. He needed to make sure that she would be safe. “How did it go with Jaxon?”

  “He tried to keep his information close to the vest, but Khalid was able to get what we needed,” Nicu said. “He confirmed what we already knew, that the necromancers are building a rogue army against us.”

  The ride to Angel’s apartment was silent. She seemed as if she was nervous to be alone with him. The only words spoken were her giving him directions to get to her apartment complex.

  “Turn here,” she directed. Her voice shook slightly, which confirmed her nervousness.

  He looked around the neighborhood and frowned. It was the worst part of town. He knew this from patrolling with the Shadows. The poorest souls lived in this crime-infested neighborhood. Angel shot him an anxious look when she saw the frown on his face.

  “It’s not that bad,” she said quietly, as if reading his mind. He parked the SUV in front of her building. “It’s really all I can afford.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said, not wanting to insult her.

  He cut the truck off and got out, jogging over to her side of the truck. He opened her door and helped her down. He glanced around the street, taking in a few humans loitering on the corner of the street. He didn’t feel any immediate threats, but he would have to stay on guard in this neighborhood.

  “You don’t have to see me inside,” she said, slowly backing up toward her building, clutching her heels in her hands. He looked down at her feet, and noticed that someone had given her a pair of flip-flops to wear home.

  “I wouldn’t be a gentlemen if I didn’t,” he joked. Placing his hand on her lower back, he guiding her into the building. With this neighborhood, there was no way he was letting her walk anywhere alone. “Before I leave, we need to talk.”

  She nodded, before she guided him to her first floor apartment. He frowned again, knowing that a single female living in a first floor apartment in a shady part of town was not safe.

  “It’s not much,” she said, turning the key in the lock. Her face flushed as she opened the door to her small unit. He was only being nice by calling it small.

  The apartment was open with her small kitchenette, living room and sleeping room, all in one room. A door that must lead to the bathroom was closed off to the side. He closed the door behind them.

  “Excuse me, I just want to get these clothes off of me,” she said, motioning down at herself. She still had on her clothes from last night. “Please, make yourself comfortable.” She pointed to the couch.

  “I’ll be fine,” he replied, sitting on the bumpy couch. He watched her grab a few things from her built-in dresser on the wall, before she disappeared into the bathroom.

  He let out a sigh, and looked around her space. He knew he was from wealth, being a vampire prince, and he would never look down on those less fortunate, but this was no way for a beautiful female to live. But, he did have to give it to her. Not too many people would have been able to survive what she had gone through.

  Her apartment was scarcely decorated, but clean and neat. She was right, it wasn’t much, but it did have a homey feel to it.

  His mate was tough. She was a fighter, and he already found himself connecting with her. He would just have to convince his little vampire that they were mates, and that she belonged to him. The sound of the shower came on, pulling him from his thoughts.

  His jeans suddenly became tight as he imagined what she would look like standing beneath the water, covered with soapsuds, while he caressed her naked flesh with his tongue. He imagined her head thrown back as he plunged into her tight folds.

  Sweat broke out on his brow. He stood up and began to pace the tiny room. It was too soon to make any moves on his tiny mate. They should spend time getting to know each other first. She was not some donor whom he could just fuck, and not have it mean anything.

  She was his fucking mate, and she deserved better.

  She deserved more than this small efficiency apartment, and she deserved more than working at a nightclub. She deserved the finer things in life that he could provide her.

  The shower continued to run in the bathroom, and the smell of lavender slowly filled the tiny apartment, causing his control to snap.

  He had to have her.

  His mate.

  He kicked off his shoes, pulled his shirt over his head, and quickly chucked his jeans. He hesitated on his boxer briefs, but decided to leave them on for the moment.
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br />   He walked over to the bathroom door, finding it unlocked. He opened the door and slowly walked into the decent size bathroom. He practically swallowed his tongue as he looked at the glass shower door. She stood beneath the showerhead, with her hands against the wall, letting the water run over her head, and down her curvy frame.

  His briefs drew tighter as he moved toward the shower.

  Fuck it! he thought. As he slid his briefs off, his cock sprung free and he stalked to shower door and opened it. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say a word as he stepped into the shower. He could feel his fangs descend as he tangled his hands into her silky hair. He bent down and slowly covered her mouth with his. She released a moan as she opened, and let him in to explore her mouth.

  He growled at the first taste of her. Her tongue met his in a seductive welcome, drawing him in. The kiss was smoldering, causing his desire for her to increase.

  She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and crushing her bountiful breasts to his chest. He angled his head and was pleased that she returned his kiss with a fever that let him know that he was not the only one feeling what was transpiring between them.

  Angel practically climbed him in her quest to get closer to him. Adrian hoisted her up, pinning her to the shower wall, as he continued to devour her. Her hands gripped his hair as she broke the kiss to stare up into his eyes.

  Her honey brown eyes were now vampire crimson, and a peek of her fangs beneath her lip had him wanting her to bite him.

  Do it.

  Something whispered in the back of his mind. He knew that they were moving too fast, but he didn’t care. She was his mate, and she was currently guiding his cock toward her slippery folds.

  She lifted up slightly, before bringing herself down, impaling herself on him, and snapped what little control he had left. He surged into her. He placed his hand on the wall as he held her up with his other one. The feel of her wrapped around him had him pounding away into her heat.

  “Angel.” Adrian moaned her name as he thrust deeper burying his head in the crook of her neck. He just couldn’t get close enough to her. Her body was curvy, wet, and soapy, and everything that he had imagined it would be. “You are my mate. You belong to me.”

  She instinctively turned her head, presenting her neck to him, and he did what fate wanted him to do. He took his time licking her neck, right over the plump artery, to prepare her for him. Her large artery pulsed as he sunk his fangs in deep.

  “Adrian,” she gasped. Her fingers tightened in his hair, holding him closer to her.

  Her coppery blood filled his mouth, and it was like nothing he had ever tasted before. It was addicting. It was the sweet taste of his mate, and as he took his last pull, she screamed. Her inner walls clamped tightly around him as he pounded into her, unable to stop. She was his. He needed to claim her for all eternity. He could feel his soul opening and accepting her. She was his mate.

  “Say it,” he demanded around his fangs. He needed to hear her say the words.

  “You are mine,” she gasped, as he thrusted harder, deeper, into her. “You belong to me.”

  She grabbed his wrist and bit down hard, drawing his blood into her. He shouted, as lightening coursed through his body. He pumped his release into her as she continued to feed from him.

  Her eyes locked with his and he wouldn’t dare look away. The need to watch her feed from him burned in his chest. She gently released his wrist and slowly licked it, not taking her eyes off him to seal the holes.

  His hips slowed down to a pause, before coming to a complete stop. His cock was nestled deep inside her, and he loved it. They were a perfect fit.

  He was home.

  His mate.

  He gripped her face in his hands and crushed his mouth to hers. She was now his, forever.

  Chapter 8

  Angel

  It had been a while since Angel had gotten uninterrupted sleep. Most nights in her neighborhood were filled with the sounds of gunshots, cars backfiring, a scream or two, and it would keep her up most of the time when she was not working. That was why she didn’t mind working at Temptress at night. She stretched and snuggled down deeper into the warm, solid wall of muscle that rested below her. She paused.

  Solid wall of muscle?

  Her eyes flew open, and she stared down at a perfectly sculpted chest, and took in the small sprinkle of light brown hair that was spattered across it. Her hand slid down along the ridges of his abdomen, stopping just at the edge of the blanket. She peeked beneath the blanket, finding him to be very naked.

  Aroused too.

  Her hand snapped the blanket down on his stomach which shook, as if he was holding back his laughter. She took another peek beneath the covers, her eyes widening at the size of his arousal beneath the blanket.

  Laughter finally escaped him. She took a deep breath as the memories began to surface. Adrian joining her in her shower, pressing her up against the wall, taking her blood, and her taking his. Once out of the shower, their lovemaking continued for hours, each of them claiming the other.

  Oh no.

  There was no way that he could be happy, mating with a turned vampire. She was confused at his laughter. She glanced at him and found him staring at her with bright eyes, lined with tears from laughing so hard.

  “Good evening,” Adrian said as she shifted off him. She went to move away, but he caught her. “Where are you going?” he asked, tucking her into his side.

  “Um, good evening,” Angel replied hesitantly. Looking over at the window, she saw that the sun had indeed went down. “Did we do what I think we did?” she whispered.

  He stared down at her for a moment, as if trying to get a read on her emotions. Panic filled her chest, and she was sure she was one second from losing it. She had completed the mating bond, with a prince.

  A freaking vampire prince!

  And not just any prince, but one of the Olaru heirs. The fucking vampire king’s son. Why wasn’t he acting pissed that he was mated to her?

  “Stop,” he demanded, turning on his side to look at her.

  Her small pullout couch was way too small for him. Adrian trying to lie comfortably in her bed would be comical, if she were in a laughing mood. With his height, she was sure that his long legs were hanging off the end.

  “Stop what?” she asked, confused.

  “You’re thinking too much,” he murmured, pushing her hair away from her face. “What is between us was destined by fate.”

  “Fate? But what if fate got us wrong?” she asked. Sitting up, she pushed her hair out of her face. She knew little of mating bonds, but she was not sure if the bond could be broken. “I am beneath you.”

  “No, you were beneath me this morning,” he joked, as he grabbed her and pulled her back to his chest.

  She adored the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her. Engulfed in his strong embrace, she felt protected, safe, as if she truly mattered in the world. She sniffed him, loving the scent of him. If it were ever decided to bottle his scent, she would be first in line to buy it in bulk.

  “You know what I meant,” she huffed as he squeezed her gently.

  She was trying to be serious, but she could tell he was trying to get her to laugh. He couldn’t seriously think that their mating was a good thing. She was not of noble status, and she was sure that his parents would want him to mate with someone at least near his social class.

  “From the moment I first saw you, I was instantly attracted to you,” he murmured in her ear. His deep voice had her clamping her legs shut, as her core began to tingle. “I wanted you.”

  “You couldn’t have.” She shook her head. Memories washed over her from that night, and it would forever be ingrained in her head. “You were too busy doing Mindy and Babs—”

  “And wishing it was you,” he cut her off.

  “What?” she exclaimed, looking at him over her shoulder. His ice blue eyes glanced down at her mouth, before making their way back to stare into hers.<
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  “Before I saw you, Vivian made the offer for entertainment for the night, and I accepted it, not knowing I was going to meet you. But once I laid eyes on you, it was you that I wanted. They were substitutes, and bad ones at that,” he said with a grimace, before his eyes suddenly became serious. “From this day forward, you are it for me.”

  She was rendered speechless as she stared into his eyes. Could he be serious? Could he really want someone like her?

  A turned vampire?

  A vampire not of noble birth?

  “Today, we’ll move you into the mansion,” he continued, glancing around at her small apartment. “One call, and we’ll have you moved today.”

  “What? I can’t just move into your family’s mansion!” Angel exclaimed. She sat up, wrapping the blanket around her naked self, as she stood up to pace the room. “This is all I have. It may not be much, but I finally have my own place. This apartment may be tiny, but every square inch of it is mine. Plus, we barely know each other.”

  “Fine,” he sat up, looking around the apartment. “I’ll move in here with you. We’ll need to get a bigger bed, since this one is way too small for me.”

  “What?” she screeched, halting her pacing to stare at him in disbelief.

  Adrian couldn’t be serious—him, a prince, would be willing to move into her little hole in the wall? He stood from the bed and walked toward her, unashamed of his naked body.

  He has no reason to be ashamed either, she thought, as her eyes traveled down to where his cock stood at attention. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him, as they greedily devoured him.

  Her gums burned and stretched as her incisors descended again. The moments from their lovemaking marathon surfaced in her mind. She could feel the moisture gather at her center as her eyes locked on his arousal, standing thick and proud away from his body.