Omega’s Vampire Bodyguard
Tenebrae Brothers Book 2
Hawke Oakley
Contents
Hawke’s Newsletter
1. Caleb
2. Adriel
3. Caleb
4. Adriel
5. Caleb
6. Caleb
7. Adriel
8. Caleb
9. Adriel
10. Caleb
11. Adriel
12. Caleb
13. Adriel
14. Caleb
15. Caleb
16. Adriel
17. Caleb
18. Adriel
19. Caleb
20. Adriel
21. Caleb
22. Adriel
23. Epilogue: Caleb
Afterword
Also By Hawke Oakley
Copyright © 2019 by Hawke Oakley
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Designer: Cosmic Letterz
Created with Vellum
Hawke’s Newsletter
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1
Caleb
2 Months Ago...
Yesterday, I learned a lot of things.
One: vampires are real. No, that’s not a joke. They’re really out there. Trust me, it took me a while to accept the truth.
Two: my favorite author of all time? He is a vampire. The vampire romance novels he writes are totally based off personal experience.
Three: my older brother Benji was knocked up by a vampire, and he’s carrying a half-vampire child.
And last but not least, the vampire coven matriarch - the strongest, fastest and meanest vampire in the entire mansion - seriously wanted me dead.
I shuddered as the memory flashed before my eyes again. Since it happened, I could barely stop thinking about it. The intense, gutting horror of a real life vampire materializing out of thin air, fangs out and bloodlust in her eyes, the malicious intent seeping out of her like toxic haze.
Margaret. She had been the coven leader, as far as I understood, and was the most powerful vampire out of all of them. She had also been seconds from murdering me right there in the mansion’s dining hall when two other vampires - Adriel and Theo - saved me.
Well, more specifically, Adriel. He was the one who launched the counterattack, holding Margaret back and refusing to let her get near me. He saved my life.
My chest tightened in gratitude at the thought. Adriel and the others didn’t even know me, aside from my being Benji’s younger brother. They could have simply let me die. But they didn’t. They were good people. Good vampires. What a weird thing to say.
Things were changing. Not only was my entire worldview flipped upside down, but my life couldn’t go on like it did before. After Margaret’s attack, I wasn’t safe. She was still out there, and uneasy tension grew thick in the air. I knew Margaret was sick, and everybody seemed to think she was going to pass soon, but that didn’t help my anxiety. Hell, anyone would be anxious knowing a vampire wanted them dead.
But Pierce - Benji’s alpha vampire mate - had a plan. To ensure my safety, he kept me close at hand, allowing me to live rent-free on a fancy cottage on their property. In my case, being nearby was safer than being far away. It was a ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ kind of deal.
The best part of it? I had a bodyguard. Not just any regular human bodyguard, either.
An alpha vampire bodyguard.
Adriel himself. The oldest vampire brother..
When Pierce announced it, I could barely contain my excitement. Except for the whole vampire-matriarch-murder thing, everything was working out great. Pierce had paid for my entire expensive surgery months ago - one we couldn’t have even thought about affording otherwise - and basically saved my life. It was weird to think about the fact that I might not be alive right now if it weren’t for vampires. Without Pierce and Adriel, I might have been six feet under by now.
In any case, recovery from my surgery had gone well, and I could finally see my brother again. Plus I was going to be an uncle! On top of everything else, I was living alone with my favorite author of all time.
What could go wrong?
Well, I would find out soon enough.
After helping us move in, Pierce and the others left, leaving Adriel and I alone in the cottage foyer. The sudden gravity of it all hit me. I held my breath. Of course, as a vampire, Adriel didn’t breathe at all.
When I couldn’t hold it any more, I exhaled, trying to be quiet. I was aware of how loud it sounded in the otherwise silent hall.
Adriel’s unblinking eyes stared down at me, intelligent and powerful, like the way a wolf looks at a baby rabbit.
And then eats it, probably, I thought.
The idea made me chuckle nervously, and I said, “So, is this the part where you suck my blood?”
“No,” Adriel said simply.
My weak smile fell. “Oh.”
Guess he’s not really the joking type, I thought.
He stood unnaturally still. His silky black hair seemed to shine like raven feathers, even though we were indoors and the sun was down. I hadn’t seen any of the vampires here go outside in the daylight, so I assumed all the common knowledge about it being bad for vampires was true.
As if reading my mind, Adriel said, “Do not ask me if I glitter outside. I do not.”
I opened my mouth, then shut it. My cheeks were warm.
“If we touch sunlight, we burst into flames,” Adriel continued.
“Erm… Okay.” I averted my eyes, feeling embarrassed. “Sorry.”
“Hm.” Adriel turned around and strode down the hall with his long legs. “Come, Caleb. I’ll show you around.”
Not knowing what else to do, I followed him. I felt like a child obeying a teacher’s orders at school.
Adriel gestured to the living area, which was the only place I’d been already. A game console and controllers were scattered on the hardwood floor. Theo and I played earlier, but now that he was gone, I would probably have to play alone. I didn’t think present company had any interest in video games.
“Living room,” Adriel said. “Not quite as big as the one in the mansion, but decent enough for a cottage, I suppose.” He walked on. “The kitchen is on the right, here. Since I don’t consume human food, everything in the fridge and pantry is for you.”
“Oh,” I said. I threw the fridge door open and marvelled at how well stocked it was with fresh produce and meat. “You can’t even eat a little bit?”
“No.”
Testing my luck a little, I asked, “Well, what would happen if you did eat some?”
Adriel raised a thin black brow. “Are you going to attempt to poison me, or are you genuinely curious?”
“What? No, why would I do that?” I cried. “Hell, you’re protecting me, I don’t wanna poison you! Plus you’re my favorite author ever!”
With his arms crossed, Adriel tapped his finger a few times. “Hm. You’re simply curious, then.”
�
��Well, yeah.” I laughed nervously again. “I mean, I only know vampire stuff from your books, and pop culture in general, so I don’t know how much of it is true. But I guess you gave away the answer. You said it was poison.”
I thought I saw a tiny quirk at the edge of Adriel’s lips. “Smart human.” He beckoned me again. “Let me show you upstairs.”
I followed him quickly, feeling strangely pleased at hearing him call me smart. When we ascended the wood staircase, rooms stretched on either side of the hall.
“This is a pretty big cottage, isn’t it?” I said.
“By your standards, I’m sure it is,” Adriel said.
Is he… insulting me? “What’s that mean? By my standards?”
Adriel paused. “Pierce informed me of the state of your apartment.”
I felt a rush of embarrassment. Sure, my building wasn’t so nice, but…
“My apologies,” Adriel said. “I didn’t mean to insinuate anything rude. In any case, this is your home now.”
For the time being, I thought. Pierce told me I could stay here, but he probably didn’t mean forever. Who knows when he could change his mind?
“Caleb.”
Adriel was already halfway down the hall, and I rushed to catch up with him. I felt like an idiot for zoning out. I didn’t want to make Adriel think I was stupid.
“Sorry,” I said. Beside us was a closed door, which Adriel pushed open to reveal a spacious room with a large bed.
“This is one of the bedrooms,” Adriel told me.
“How many are there?” I asked.
“Three in total. One for each of Margaret’s children,” Adriel added the second part in a lower voice, and I felt sympathy for him. He was tasked with guarding me from his own mother. It couldn’t have been easy.
“She doesn’t have a room?” I dared to ask.
“No. She was never a big fan of the concept of staying at a cottage. She had it built after Theo’s turning for a place for the three of us to… bond.”
“This place looks pretty recent, and Theo seems around my age,” I commented.
“You’re correct,” Adriel confirmed. “It was built recently. We have the mansion to ourselves, so admittedly this place doesn’t see much activity. I suppose this way, it’s good for something after all.” Adriel looked at me. “What I mean is, enjoy it to your heart’s content.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
Whenever he looked me in the eyes like that, it seemed like my whole body temperature rose ten degrees. Thankfully, he turned his attention away and continued down the hall. I sighed and followed him.
“Two more bedrooms here,” Adriel told me, gesturing to both doors on opposite sides of the hall. “Plus a bathroom at the very end.” He turned around to face me again. “This is where you’ll be staying until further notice, so I suggest you make yourself at home. Any questions?”
“Uh…” With the way he stared intensely down at me, it was hard to think. “Which bedroom is mine?”
“Whichever you wish.”
That’s not helpful at all!
“Well,” I said, “which one do you like the most? You should pick that one, and I’ll pick a different one.”
Adriel stared at me like I was testing him somehow. Then he firmly shook his head. “You are the guest. You choose.”
I sighed. I hated being the center of attention and having everyone cater to my whims. It sounded like nice at first, but after my stint in the hospital, it felt suffocating - especially since the guy in front of me was my number one idol. He should have been giving me instructions, not the other way around. The last thing I wanted was to upset him. I wished he would just tell me what to do.
“Which one did you usually sleep in when you stayed here?” I asked, biting my lip.
Adriel shook his head again. “Nice try, smart human. But I won’t give anything away. Choose your room without my input.”
“Okay…” I shut my eyes, spun around in a circle and pointed at a random door. When I opened my eyes, I said, “That one.”
“Then it’s settled. You get the master bedroom.”
“What?” I squeaked. “No way! I didn’t even know there was a master bedroom! You should get it!”
There was a tiny smirk on Adriel’s lips, like I’d played right into his trap and he was smug about it. “No. You’re the guest, Caleb.” Before I could protest again, he placed his hand on the door to the left of mine. “Then I’ll assume this bedroom. I should be close enough to protect you, if necessary.”
Protect me. My heart skipped a beat. He’d already protected me once before, and now his whole life was dedicated to it, at least for the time being. It was still so hard to believe, but the weight of it began to settle.
A vampire was assigned to guard me from another vampire. It was a crazy idea, like one of the novels I liked to read. But this was real life, and as much as I wanted it, I got the feeling this wouldn’t have a picture perfect ending.
“You must be tired after everything that’s happened,” Adriel said.
I realized now just how close he was standing. I tilted my head back to gaze up at his tall form. His dark, unblinking eyes met mine with determination. He was only a foot away. If I wanted to, I could reach out and touch him. Him. My favorite author ever. My hero.
And a vampire.
“Caleb.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, I zoned out again. I guess I am pretty tired after all.”
“That’s understandable,” he said. “Go on and sleep. You’ll adjust quickly to the nocturnal schedule, just like your brother has.”
Right. I forgot Benji already knows all about vampire life. Despite loving my brother, I couldn’t deny that I felt a bit jealous. He had a rich and amazing vampire mate (as strange as that was to think), and a baby on the way. He was basically set for life. All I had was a crazy matriarch vampire who wanted my head on a stick, and another vampire who seemed to want nothing to do with me.
“Caleb,” Adriel repeated, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Er, sorry!”
“You’re distracted,” Adriel said. “Go on and rest. You need it.”
I guess I can’t argue with that. “Okay.”
Adriel nodded and waited for me to enter the bedroom, his eyes unblinking like a bird of prey.
With my hand on the doorknob, I paused. “Um… I guess it’s almost morning, so I shouldn’t say goodnight, right?”
A tiny flicker of humor crossed his face. “Goodnight is fine.” He paused, like he wanted to say something else but then thought better of it. “Goodnight, Caleb.”
And without waiting for my response, he strode away to his own room. My heart sank a little. I didn’t know what I was expecting - a kiss on the cheek or something? We barely knew each other, and he was being forced to guard me. I didn’t get the feeling he enthusiastically signed up for this of his own free will.
The only thing I could do now was sleep, so I undressed and got ready for bed. As I kicked my jeans off, something flew out of the pocket. I recognized the small square packet as a condom. I groaned, remembering when the hospital had given me a handful of them to me when I was discharged - customary for all omegas your age, just in case, Dr. Lopez had told me.
Yeah, right. As if I would ever have a need for them. I thought I’d tossed them all, but I guess I missed one. I was too exhausted to throw it out so I just stuffed it back in the pocket and forgot about it.
Since my mind was on that train of thought already, I remembered that I’d forgotten to pack any heat suppressants during the move. It wasn’t a big deal, since I could grab some from work, but it was just one more thing I had to worry about.
Feeling disappointed and tired, I flopped onto the bed.
Maybe this wasn’t going to be all fun and games after all.
2
Adriel
I was going to kill Pierce.
That was my first thought upon learning that I was being assigned to babysitting duty. Without consult
ing me prior, he thrust a huge responsibility upon me and just assumed I would be fine with it. Unlike my brother, who was apparently content to simply be a father, I had other aspirations. For one thing, I had a novel to finish writing - a highly anticipated novel, demanded by millions of worldwide fans.
And none of them even knew I was working on it.
At least Pierce had the decency to fetch my draft from my library for me.
The only one who did know about the new novel was Caleb. Benji, his older brother, had told him when he discovered the draft in my library. While I wasn’t angry with Benji, it was slightly irritating that Caleb knew, considering that he thought of himself as my number one fan.
And now I had to live with him. Joy.
Besides that, other issues weighed heavily on my mind, like my mother’s growing illness. Caleb would have been dead when she attacked him out of the blue if my brothers and I weren’t there.
I shuddered. Even though I didn’t want to babysit Caleb, the thought of losing him - of watching him be killed right in front of me, by my own mother, no less - was too horrifying to entertain.
It’s not forever, I told myself, repeating it like a mantra. I’d lived a long life, and this situation would only be a blip of time, something I’d forget a few hundred years later. This babysitting would only last until Margaret’s illness was cured, or when she passed away.
But with Margaret’s rapid spiral into madness, it appeared that the latter was the more reliable option.
Omega’s Vampire Bodyguard: Tenebrae Brothers Book 2 Page 1
