by Ariel Marie
“You don’t get it, do you?” he murmured, pulling her flush to him. “You are mine, and I am yours. We have mated. Our souls are joined together—forever. Where you go, I go.”
Chapter 9
Adrian
He didn’t know who was more nervous right now, him or Angel. He had finally convinced her to move in with him and his family as a trial run. He had refused to pack up her tiny excuse of an apartment, and only agreed to bring a suitcase worth of belongings with her.
Angel was still not convinced that she could be his mate. Adrian knew that her teachings of the vampiric ways were spotted with holes, and he knew the best people to help would be his mother and sister.
“Are you sure that this will be okay?” Angel asked for the third time.
“I’m sure it’s okay,” he assured her. Adrian grabbed her hand, and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles. “You are my mate, and they will accept you.”
“Are you sure? I’m not a pure vampire,” she asked, her eyebrows drawn together.
He held back from rolling his eyes. It was starting to get on his nerves that she thought herself to be unworthy of him because she was not born a vampire. He knew he was going to have to do everything in his power to change her way of thinking.
Vampire society could go fuck themselves. He had found the mate that was destined for him, and he would fight anyone who would dare try to take her from him.
“I’m sure. My family is not like that,” he said with a small smile. “Plus, my sister’s mate is a turned vampire.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yes,” he nodded, glancing over at her for a second, before turning his eyes back to the road. “Nadira turned him during a life or death situation.”
That seemed to settle her down just a little, as she sat back in her seat in the SUV. He left out the part where he and his brothers had tried to keep their sister from him, not believing that she had truly found her destined mate in a human.
He wasn’t worried about his family. Now that they all had started finding their mates, he knew that they would accept Angel with open arms. It was the vampire council that he was worried about.
When Angel was in the shower, this time alone, he called his brother Nicu to tell him that he was bringing home his mate.
“What,” Nicu barked, answering his phone.
“It’s me,” Adrian said as he buttoned up his jeans.
“Why didn’t you come home?” his brother growled. “It was not your night off. Phaelyn had to patrol with Gadiel last night because you didn’t fucking—”
“I’ve found my mate,” he said, cutting off his brother. Nicu was silent. He looked down at his phone and saw that the line had not been disconnected. “Hello?”
“I’m here,” Nicu responded quietly, his anger seeming to disperse. “It’s the tiny vampire, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” Adrian confirmed, smiling into the phone.
“Have you two completed the bond?”
“Yes, we did,” Adrian smiled, thinking of the whole day spent in bed with his small mate. “I’m bringing her home.”
“Congratulations, brother,” Nicu said sincerely. “See you when you get here.”
He looked back at his beautiful mate as she stared out at the scenery, and he couldn’t wait to get to know her better. He could tell that underneath her shyness and uncertainty, lived a feisty vampire that was begging to be let out. He was just the person to help her get over her shyness, and let out that fiery attitude that he had seen flare up a few times in her eyes.
He glanced in the rearview mirror, and noticed a dark sedan following them at a distance. He didn’t want to alarm Angel, so he slowly increased his speed and began skillfully dodging cars in traffic. They were still about twenty minutes away from the Olaru family mansion.
Now that he was newly mated, he would be damned if he let anything happen to Angel. They were meant to spend an eternity together, and he’d make sure that they did.
The traffic began to disperse, and the car sped up, apparently sensing that Adrian had spotted them. He hit the phone button on the steering wheel, directing his phone to call his brother Nicu.
“Yeah,” Nicu answered. He was a man of few words, except for when he was cursing someone out.
“We’ve got a problem,” Adrian answered, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.
“What’s wrong?” Angel asked, turning around in her seat to look behind them.
“What’s going on?” Nicu ordered, his voice instantly changing to that of the leader of the Shadows.
“We got a tail,” Adrian announced. He glanced back and watched as the headlights drew closer.
“I’ve got your location on the GPS. Khalid and Viktor are a few blocks away from you. I’m texting Viktor your location now, and will send them to you.” The line went dead, but Adrian was confident his brother would take care of them.
“Why are they chasing us?” Angel shouted over the roar of the engine, as he punched his foot on the gas.
Any other day, he would confront the enemy without thinking twice. But tonight, his mate was with him, and he wouldn’t be taking any chances with her around. Another dark sedan appeared out of nowhere, as Adrian glanced at the mirror again.
“I don’t know,” he yelled back. The second car was faster, and pulled alongside Angel’s side of the truck. “Can you see them?”
She peered out the window and screamed, “Gun!” She ducked down in her seat, just as the window shattered from the spray of bullets. He swung the truck to the left, cursing as he ran up on the sidewalk, hitting signs and parking meters. He tried to spin the truck back onto the street, but the truck slammed into something unseen.
Dazed, he pushed the air bag out the way. He reached to the side of his jeans and pulled out one of the daggers he kept clipped to his belt, and used it to pop the airbag. Everything had happened so fast, that he didn’t even remember the bag deploying.
“Angel,” he yelled out, frantic. “Are you all right?” He smelled the slight tinge of blood in the air. Her blood.
“I’m okay,” she gasped. “I hit my head, but I think I’m okay.”
“We’ve got to move.” He turned around to see the two cars parked not too far from them. He watched as two figures got out of both vehicles. “Now!” he commanded sharply. He opened his door, and stepped out.
“My door is jammed,” she screamed, trying to use her shoulder to open it.
“Come out my side.” Glancing back, he saw that the figures were approaching fast.
She quickly climbed over the console and into his arms. They would have to run for it if they were going to get away. Normally, he wouldn’t hesitate to face an enemy in hand-to-hand combat. He was an Olaru, and an Olaru never backed down from a battle. He was a powerful vampire who could handle himself, but Angel was not a skilled warrior such as he. Her safety was of the utmost importance right now.
“Where the fuck are Khalid and Viktor,” he muttered. He pushed her in front of him as he tried to put distance in between them and their pursuers. He cursed, noticing her limp, and knew that they wouldn’t be able to use their vampire speed to get away. His mate was hurt, and she was trying to hide it from him. They would have to speak of this later.
“You have nowhere to go, Shadow,” a voice yelled out, advancing on them fast. Two more figures appeared out of an alley in front of them. He pushed Angel behind him and turned in a circle, finding them surrounded.
Rogues.
He growled as his fangs descended; the need to protect his mate was strong. She whimpered, pressing her face into his back. He could sense her pain through their newly formed bond. These fuckers would pay for hurting her.
“What do you want?” Adrian growled, continuing to turn in circles slowly, holding Angel behind him with one arm. He didn’t trust any of them with his back, and he knew he was going to have to make a stand and fight them off.
“Give us Angelina,” one ro
gue said. “She belongs with us.”
“Not happening,” he snapped. Hell would freeze over before he would ever hand over his mate. She didn’t belong with rogue vampires. The only vampire she belonged with was him.
“There are six of us to your one,” another said. “Do you honestly think you stand a chance?”
“She’s mine. You’re going to have to go through me to get to her,” he declared, just as a large SUV came careening down the road.
Finally.
Shots could be heard as the SUV came to a screeching halt, with Khalid hanging out the window. The rogues scattered as Khalid jumped out of the truck with his modified rifle in hand.
Adrian took advantage of the distraction and ran as fast as he could with the injured Angel trailing behind him. Just as he went to turn to pick her up, she let out a scream as one of the rogues tried to yank her from Adrian.
A red haze clouded his vision, as a rage like no other fought to get out. They would not take his mate from him. Using his vampiric speed, he attacked. Whipping Angel from the rogue, and shoved her behind him as he swung his fist, hearing the crunch as he connected with the rogue’s face. He quickly brandished his dagger and stabbed the rogue in the heart with the silver tip.
Shouting filled the air as his two Shadow brothers descended upon the rogues, making light work of them. Within minutes, the bodies of the rogues lay on the ground. He turned to find Angel sitting on the ground, leaning against a building.
“Angel,” he panted, rushing back to her side. “Baby, are you okay?”
Even in the dark, he could see how pale she had grown. He immediately scooped her up and held her close. His heart pounded in his chest at how close he had come to losing her, again. Sirens could be heard in the distance as he walked toward Khalid and Viktor’s truck.
“We have a few minutes until the human police show,” Viktor noted, his deep voice coming from behind Adrian as he gently lowered Angel into the back seat of their truck. “We’ve already called backup.”
“You know what to do when the police show up,” Adrian responded, snapping her seat belt in place. Her head lulled back onto the headrest. “Angel,” he murmured. He brushed her dark hair away from her forehead, finding an oozing gash in her hairline.
“I’m here,” she said softly, her eyes fluttering open.
“I need you to stay awake, babe,” he whispered, kissing her on her head. He felt the wetness of her precious blood on his lips. If he could kill all the rogues again, he would do it in an instant.
“I’m awake,” she murmured.
“She needs medical attention.” He turned to Viktor.
“You two go ahead. Backup should be here any minute. I can hold the human cops off a bit. Cooper just texted me that he’s on the way too. He heard the call come into the station,” Khalid said.
Adrian nodded, knowing that Cooper would take care of everything once he got here. Cooper, Nadira’s mate, was a detective for the local police department. When Nadira turned him, he instantly displayed the strength of an alpha vampire, like Adrian and his brothers.
Usually, it took newborn vampires months to gain control over their bodies and the urges to feed. But not Cooper. He was up and ready to fight, when he thought that Nadira was in harm’s way.
Since he proved that he had extreme control of himself, it was decided that he would stay on the local police force to be an informant for the Dark Shadows.
“Here, I’ll drive,” Viktor offered, jumping into the driver’s seat. Adrian ran to the other side of the truck and climbed into the back.
“Hold on, baby. We’ll be home soon,” he murmured, gathering her as close as he could.
Chapter 10
Adrian
Viktor drove like the gates of hell had opened up behind them. The truck jerked to a halt in the circle driveway at the base of the front steps of the Olaru mansion. Nicu, Teague, Nadira, and Anika stormed out of the front door. Adrian jumped out of the truck, turning to grab a barely conscious Angel.
“What happened?” Nadira asked, completely in her nurse mode. Nadira was the one vampire in their family that had healing powers, along with a nursing background. Her and Anika had gone to nursing school together, and both worked at the local supernatural hospital.
“She hit her head when the truck slammed into a damn fire hydrant,” he recounted, climbing the steps with Angel in his arms.
“Where are we?” Angel asked, her voice weak.
“My family’s home.” She closed her eyes, and gave a slight nod of her head. “Don’t go to sleep,” he reminded her. Even though she was a vampire, he knew that brain injuries could still be tricky until the vampire’s body healed itself.
“Let’s take her to the infirmary,” Anika said, directing the way.
“What happened?” Nicu snapped.
Adrian knew that his brother couldn’t stand for any woman to be hurt, especially one mated within his family. He knew that his brothers would protect his mate at all costs, as if she were theirs.
True fated mates were not that common, and the bond between two vampires was considered precious. It is said that if one mate were to die, the other would follow, usually from a broken heart.
“Rogues,” he hissed, pulling Angel closer as they ran down the stairs that led to the infirmary.
“They will pay,” Teague said from behind them.
“They certainly will,” Adrian agreed, as they burst through the infirmary’s door. Anika and Nadira immediately took control. The royal family’s physician was notified of the emergency, and was said to be on the way.
He laid Angel down gently on one of the infirmary cots. “Let go, baby, it’s okay,” he murmured as her arms tightened around his neck. She slowly pulled her arms away, then settled onto the bed.
“Give us a second to get these dirty clothes off of her,” Anika instructed. Nicu and Teague nodded, and stepped to the other side of the infirmary. “You too,” Anika coaxed, motioning for him to leave. She must have read the hesitation in his face, as hers softened. “It’ll be okay, Adrian. She’s in good hands. We just want to make her comfortable.”
He jerked his head in a nod as he stepped back. Anika smiled softly as she pulled the curtain, blocking his view of Angel. He could hear the soft voices of his sister and sister-in-law speaking to Angel. He stalked over to Nicu, determined to avenge his mate.
“The rogues need to be handled,” Adrian growled, swiping a hand across his face in frustration.
“I agree,” Teague acknowledged with a nod of his head.
“Were they after you, or were they after Angel?” Nicu asked, his eyes narrowed on the curtain that hid Angel.
“They tried to snatch Angel again,” he bit out. He wanted to hit something—no, kill something. Now.
“We need to find out why, and get to the bottom of it,” Nicu instructed, just as his phone rang. He walked away, answering the call.
The physician arrived within minutes, and immediately went behind the curtain to assess Angel. Adrian’s heart pounded hard as the sensation of her pain washed over him, as if he himself had hit his head. Their bond allowed him to feel her emotions, and he despised the fact that his mate was currently hurting. He paced back and forth as he waited for the doctor to finish.
“She’ll be okay,” Teague said quietly, his eyes following Adrian as he paced back and forth. “Congratulations on the mating. You didn’t waste any time, did you?” Teague barked a short laugh.
“Why wait?” Adrian said with a small smile. He was beyond pleased with his mate, and wouldn’t trade her for the world. “Where is Bella?” he asked, just now realizing that his other sister-in-law was not with them.
“Oh, you know how it is,” Teague joked. “Being a demigoddess, she can get called at any time for her job.”
Teague’s mate was the Goddess of Death. She was charged with making sure the dead were escorted to the proper place; Heaven, or one of the seven hells.
His eyes were again drawn back
to the other side of the room. Through the curtain, he could make out Anika and Nadira’s busy forms, moving around the room. He hated not knowing what was going on, and it was killing him. He needed to get to his mate, to comfort her, help ease her mind and pain. Hell, it would just make him feel better to visually see that she was okay.
Finally, the doctor pushed the curtain back and motioned for Adrian to come over. Anika brushed past him with a small smile. “She’ll be fine. She’s a fighter,” she whispered, patting him on the arm.
“Thanks, Anika,” he smiled, as she walked over to Teague.
“Adrian, I hear congratulations are in order,” Dr. Eugene Holinsky said, shaking Adrian’s hand.
“Thanks, Dr. Holinsky,” he beamed, as his eyes were drawn to Angel. Nadira sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand. His heart warmed, seeing that his little sister was already making an attempt to get to know his mate.
“She has a nasty bump on her head,” Dr. Holinsky started, “but she’ll be okay. Being a vampire saved her life. Had she been human, she would have had a nasty concussion. Her body has already started its own natural healing process.”
“So she’ll be okay,” he breathed. His eyes drifted back to Angel, who was staring at him with a soft smile.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” she said quietly.
“She might have a headache here and there, until she fully heals. Get her fresh blood, and she’ll be like new by tomorrow night.”
“Thank you, Dr. Holinsky,” Adrian said, shaking the physician’s hand again.
“Remember, my dear, rest for the next day or so,” the doctor said to Angel before leaving the room.
“Well, this wasn’t how I wanted to meet your family,” Angel groaned. He sat down on the bed next to her, as Nadira stood and moved to the foot of the bed.
“Nothing like making a grand entrance,” Nadira joked with a chuckle.
“It was very nice to meet you, Princess,” Angel said, returning the laugh.
