Omega’s Vampire Bodyguard: Tenebrae Brothers Book 2

by Oakley, Hawke

  I grasped his shoulder and made him look up at me. “Listen, Benj. I’ll be honest. It did suck for a while. I missed you like crazy, and not knowing where you were or what was happening with you… That was even worse.”

  He frowned deeper with guilt.

  “But I know now. I get it, and it’s fine,” I said. “I promise.”

  Benji hugged me, careful not to squash the baby.

  “No more keeping shit from each other, okay?” Benji said.

  The image of Adriel and I flashed into my mind. The night of passionate, hot sex. Then it disappeared like a puff of smoke.

  It’s not lying if he didn’t ask about it, I thought. It was a one-time deal. It won’t ever happen again.

  “Agreed,” I said.

  “By the way, what happened with your pills?” Benji asked.

  “Huh? Oh - the heat suppressants?” I said. “I grabbed some from the store.”

  Benji looked relieved. “Oh, good. So it stopped, then?” He sniffed the air a bit and I blushed.

  “Cut it out!”

  “Sorry,” he said. “I can smell the remnants of it on you, is all. It must just be the hormones trickling away because you took the suppressants.”

  “Yeah,” I said, feeling an inkling of dread in the pit of my stomach.

  “Anyway, I’ll let you go now,” Benji said, then he winked. “You must wanna go hang out with Adriel some more.”

  I decided now was not the time to lay out my whole set of issues. On the scale of things, my brother having to drink blood for his unborn child was more important than my roommate drama.

  “Yeah,” I said with a small laugh. “It’s been pretty wild so far.”

  Benji quirked a brow, and for a panicked moment I thought he would press the issue, but he dropped it. “Okay. See you, Cale.”

  I caught up with Adriel at the front door and we made our way back to the cottage. He caught my eye and held it.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” he said quietly. “Except that you lied to your brother.”

  My skin prickled with discomfort. “About what?”

  Adriel unlocked the door and pushed it open. “About wanting to be here with me.”

  I stood in the threshold, staring at him. My mouth hung open stupidly but I didn’t know what to say. There were too many things to say and I was afraid I’d choke on my own tongue if I even tried to speak.

  Why is he acting this way? I thought. It’s almost as if -

  The thought hit me like a truck.

  Adriel continued to stare at me with dark, unblinking eyes that were intense, full of pressure. Then, slowly, he turned and left, disappearing into the darkness of the stairwell.

  A predator cornering its prey and then simply walking away.

  It dawned on me, so painfully obvious, that I felt like an idiot for not noticing sooner.

  Adriel was trying to push me away on purpose.

  * * *

  As soon as I realized that truth, my mind raced with questions - the most important of all being, why?

  If he was pushing me away, there had to be a reason. He’d always been a bit cold and awkward to be around, in that intelligent-tormented-artist type of way, but nothing like this before. Something must have changed.

  I rewound my thoughts, playing events over in my mind, trying to figure it out.

  This started the night we had sex, I thought. The night before that happened, he protected me from that robber. He put his arm around me when I was scared. He was kind and sympathetic to me during my heat, and even had sex with me to sate the urges.

  The change had to have occurred then. I felt incredibly smug for figuring it out. Adriel thought he was so smart, but I could see through him like glass.

  I was halfway to storming up to his room and knocking on the door, demanding answers, when I realized how brash I was being.

  What was I going to do? Just demand he tell me the truth?

  Yes, I thought with determination. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.

  His door was closed. I raised my fist and banged on it a few times. Only then did the cold dread hit me. Not only was I about to confront my idol, but I was confronting an extremely powerful alpha vampire.

  We had sex the other night, and he didn’t kill me, so I’m sure it’ll be fine, I thought hesitantly.

  Adriel opened the door in one quick movement. His arms were crossed. “What is it?”

  I forced myself to meet his eyes. They glinted like obsidian.

  “Tell me honestly. Don’t hold anything back,” I said to him.

  Adriel stared at me, as tall and unmoving as an obelisk.

  “That’s what you told me. Earlier. That night we had sex,” I continued. “Those were your words.”

  His eyes widened for a moment. He spoke calmly. “Yes, I did say that.”

  “So why…” Anxiety gripped me. I’d wanted to know the answer desperately just seconds ago, but now I was afraid. Terrified. “Why aren’t you telling me the truth now?”

  Adriel uncrossed his arms, letting them settle at his sides. When he took a step closer to me, I backed up.

  “Did you know,” Adriel began in a quiet voice, “that a human has never stood up to me this way before?”

  A lump caught in my throat. He took a long stride closer to me, and I backed away again. The force of his intimidating aura flooded the hallway, and I suddenly felt very small and insignificant.

  “Answer me, Caleb,” Adriel demanded.

  “No, I - I didn’t know that,” I mumbled. My nerve dissolved. I was a squashable bug under his burning, unreadable gaze.

  “You knew I wanted to be left alone,” Adriel said, “and yet you stormed up here, full of yourself, and demanded my attention. Did you not?”

  I began to tremble. “Yes.”

  In that moment, I was more afraid of Adriel than I’d ever been of Margaret. My body froze, unable to move except for backing myself up against the wall with no way of escape.

  Am I going to die here?

  Adriel’s arms shot out on either side of me, effectively caging me against the wall. I whimpered. As he towered over me, a smirk appeared on his lips.

  “Humans are so predictable,” he said.

  I swallowed loudly.

  “But…”

  Then Adriel did something I didn’t expect. He gently cupped my face, lifted it, and pressed his lips to mine.

  I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. All I knew was the euphoric feel of Adriel’s mouth against my own. Blood rushed to my head, turning my cheeks hot and my mind hazy.

  When he pulled away, he was smiling. “But you, Caleb, are not.”

  “I’m not?” I repeated in a high-pitched voice.

  “No.” Adriel rubbed his thumb across my cheek. “You are a lot of things, but predictable isn’t one of them. And that intrigues me about you. It pulls me in.” He paused. “And at times, it frightens me.”

  “Why?” I almost laughed. “What do you have to be scared of? I can’t do anything to you.” I lifted my arms to prove how uselessly they dangled in the air.

  “Not physically,” he said. He lifted his finger and pressed to his temple. “But here.” Then he placed his finger on my collarbone and trailed down to where my heart beat inside my ribs. “And here.”

  My mind was hazy with too many emotions swirling at once. My heartbeat fluttered beneath his touch.

  “Adriel,” I murmured.

  “You know,” he began. “I said you couldn’t do anything to me physically. But that wasn’t entirely correct, either. You couldn’t fight me off, no. That’s a given.” He leaned in closer to my ear. “But that night we were intimate… You did things to me no one else has ever done.”

  My frame shook in a full-body tremble, and a jolt of pleasure ran down my spine.

  Was this conversation really happening? Or was I in a lust-fuelled dream?

  Adriel’s hands rested on my hips, holding me in place. I tried not to shiver fro
m excitement and confusion and blossoming arousal, but I couldn’t help it.

  This is not a dream.

  Suddenly, Adriel let go and backed off. Disappointment flooded me.

  “That is the reason why,” he said.

  I’d forgotten the question already. “Why what?” I demanded.

  “Why I’ve been acting so strange.” He glanced to the wall with a flash of guilt in his eyes. “So uncomfortable, and frankly rude.”

  “Why you’ve been pushing me away,” I confirmed.

  Adriel nodded. “Yes.”

  “So you don’t hate me,” I said, “and you actually like being with me.”

  “Yes,” Adriel said slowly, like he was admitting it to himself.

  I laughed, but it wasn’t a happy one. It was desperate and tired. “Then - why? I still don’t get it. All you do is give me mixed signals, Adriel. It’s driving me crazy. You like me, but you push me away. You fuck me, then you don’t talk to me for days.”

  Adriel winced. His voice was genuinely pained. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

  The dam of emotions shattered. “Then why did you do it?”

  Adriel whirled towards me with an expression I’d never seen in his eyes before and cried, “Because I am afraid.”

  11

  Adriel

  I’d spoken the words and there was no taking them back.

  Instantly, Caleb’s expression changed. It softened, and the bitterness and confusion faded away.

  “But… What are you afraid of?” he asked quietly.

  I shut my eyes, blocking everything out for just a moment. I needed time to compose myself. This wasn’t like me. I was supposed to be collected and articulate, not a babbling emotional mess.

  “I’m afraid of the intensity of my feelings,” I finally said. “And you are the source of that conflict.”

  Caleb glanced over his shoulder. “Uh… You’re talking to me, right? Not to some invisible person around here?”

  I didn’t even have the heart to tease him right now. “No. I’m talking to you, Caleb Foster.”

  “Oh.” He stared at the floor. “I, um, don’t know how to respond to that.”

  “You don’t have to,” I said. “It just needed to be said.”

  The words settled heavily in the air. Part of me regretted spilling them, but knowing they were off my chest was admittedly a relief. The lingering uncertainty was the worst part about this whole situation. The urge to flee nagged at me like an animal gnawing my ankles, but that would only make everything worse.

  No, I couldn’t run anymore. The damage had been done and I had to live with the consequences.

  “I’m sorry if I made things uncomfortable,” I said stiffly.

  “No, it’s fine,” Caleb replied. “I’m glad I know.”

  My legs itched to leave. I stared at my bedroom door, just a few strides away. So close to safety, and to avoiding this conversation.

  To my surprise, Caleb grabbed my arm.

  “No,” he said. “Don’t leave. Don’t even think about it.”

  I raised my brows. “You’re giving me orders now?”

  A small grin tugged at his lips. “Yeah. Since you keep trying to run away from me, I’m gonna keep you under control.”

  I laughed. “I see. What is your plan, omega? To keep me here by force?”

  I wriggled my wrist in his grasp to tease him, but not enough to break it free.

  “No,” Caleb said. “But I have another way to make sure you won’t leave.”

  Caleb’s hand left my wrist and found my hip. It trailed lower and towards the center until he was palming my cock through my pants.

  “Caleb,” I said.

  He hesitated and lifted his hand. “If you don’t want me to, I’ll stop.”

  “It’s not that,” I admitted.

  “Then what?” he asked gently.

  I put my hands on his shoulders. “I don’t want to run away from this anymore. From you.”

  Caleb blinked, then said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Then don’t.”

  “I’m afraid of losing you,” I murmured.

  “I’m stuck here with you, remember?” he said with a grin. “I can’t go anywhere. And I’m not going to sneak off again like last time.”

  “Not in that sense,” I said. “I…” My head ached and I pressed a finger to my temple. “I don’t know. The feeling is so intense, not like anything I’ve experienced before.”

  Caleb paused, then carefully asked, “Adriel. Um, I don’t mean to be rude, but... have you ever been in love before?”

  I stopped. My mind drew a blank. There were snatches of memories, some brighter than others, some too hazy to recall.

  “Before I turned, I had a relationship with a man,” I said. The memory trickled back slowly, like honey poured through a filter. “It was sexual in nature.”

  “How long ago was it?” Caleb asked.

  I shook my head. “Decades. Lifetimes ago. I can barely recall his name.”

  “But did you love him?”

  Truthfully, I couldn’t remember. No strong feelings emerged either way. All that came back to me was the memory of sex.

  “I don’t think so,” I admitted.

  “No one else?” Caleb pressed.

  “No.”

  “Oh.”

  “What about yourself?” I asked, crossing my arms. “You’re old enough to have had a lover or two.”

  Caleb blushed. “Maybe for sex, yeah, but not anyone I actually loved. I mean, maybe I thought I did in the moment, but it never lasted. And that was a long time ago. For me at least, maybe not for a vampire.”

  “I see.”

  Caleb fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “Do you think you’re in love with me?”

  I looked into his eyes and answered honestly, “I might be.”

  Caleb smiled, soft and gentle. “I think I might be, too. But only if you stop running away from me.”

  Caleb closed the space between us. This time, it was my back against the wall as Caleb pressed his body to mine. Though his heat had passed, he still radiated warmth.

  His heat ended quite early, didn’t it? I thought.

  But I was quickly pulled out of my thoughts as Caleb’s hand drifted back towards its previous position at the front of my pants. I let myself relax, and my worries melted away.

  His hand teased my half-hard cock into fullness. His small hands stroked and rubbed me until my erection strained against the confines of my pants.

  “That was fast,” Caleb teased. “Have you been pent up since we fucked, or something?”

  I shot him a glare and he laughed.

  “Get back to work, omega,” I grumbled.

  He scowled and lightly pinched my dick. “Be nice or I won’t suck you off.”

  I shuddered. “Fine.”

  He smirked and began to undo my zipper. I stood still for him, letting him undress me until my pants pooled at my ankles. It felt raw and urgent, like we were two crazed teenagers instead of adult men. For too long I thought myself above this type of thing, but now that I was living in the moment, I liked it.

  As Caleb brought my cock free and wrapped his fingers around it, I pet his hair encouragingly.

  “Is this okay?” he asked. His voice cracked with arousal.

  “Yes,” I said. “You look very good down there.” Caleb blushed fiercely and I chuckled. “You said I had to be nice. You didn’t say I couldn’t tease you.”

  He rolled his eyes, still blushing like mad. “I like the dirty talk. Like last time.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I promised.

  Caleb slowly got to his knees. His breath ghosted across my sensitive skin and I shuddered. A thrum of anticipation and need coursed through my blood. Every inch of me felt intensely electrified on another level, one that masturbating never reached.

  My fingers curled into Caleb’s hair as he pressed his soft lips to the head of my cock. His gentle breaths drove me wild. He
moved so horribly, deliciously slowly. When his lips finally parted to allow me in, I shut my eyes and saw stars. We’d barely begun and I was already lost in a daze of pleasure.

  Tiny muffled noises spilled out from Caleb as he took my cock deeper into his mouth.

  I resisted the urge to twist my fingers in his hair and push his head closer. Arousal coiled inside me, burning hot. Caleb’s tongue poked out and licked the underside of my shaft. All I could bear to do was throw my head against the wall and hiss with pleasure.

  “You look so hot right now,” Caleb murmured, his lips brushing against me as he spoke.

  I growled. “Get back to sucking my cock, omega.”

  Caleb blushed deeply and let out a small yelp of surprise. Instantly, his lips wrapped around my cock again.

  He likes dirty talk, does he?

  I tilted my head to get a view of Caleb’s lower half. Sure enough, his own dick was fully hard. Both of his hands were too busy with my body to touch himself.

  “Stand still, slut,” I ordered.

  Caleb grunted in acknowledgment.

  Carefully, I maneuvered my leg out towards Caleb. I rested most of my weight against the wall to keep myself steady. Caleb’s eyes glanced curiously at me but he didn’t stop blowing me.

  Then, with utmost care, I pressed the tip of my leather boot to Caleb’s hard cock.

  He gasped around my skin. “Oh!”

  “Do you like that?” I asked.

  His eyes went wide and he nodded frantically. “Yes. Uhh. A lot.”

  I smirked and gently rubbed my boot up and down his shaft. He melted into a whimpering pile beneath the touch.

  “Oh, that’s… Adriel, that feels good,” he murmured. His entire face was red.

  “Excellent.” I took his face in my hand, stroking his cheek with my thumb. “Now get back to it.”

  “Yes,” he said before throwing himself back on my cock. He moaned something around my flesh that sounded like, “Fuck.”

  A ripple of pleasure shot up my spine and I couldn’t contain my own moan. My mind was blank except for the sensation of overwhelming lust. With Caleb’s hot mouth on my cock, I could barely remember my own name.

  He sucked and licked, pausing once in a while to breathe, and a few times he dared to graze his teeth against me. Even though I guessed he was looking for a mild verbal punishment, I let him get away with it because it felt so good.