Moon Broken

by H. D. Gordon

  “I made this for you,” he said, and paused before adding, “but there is absolutely no obligation to wear it.”

  I could feel his attention on me and it made me want to squirm, but I was busy staring down at the stone in my hand. Power radiated out of it and into my palm, up my arm and across my chest, reaching every part of me and making me tingle with warmth.

  I recognized the magic in the stone instantly as Adriel’s. The amulet had the exact same feeling as the one that always hung around him, like a magical essence, or an enchanted aura.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  My brow lifted as he shifted on his feet. It was a small movement, but with the preternaturally relaxed and still manner I was used to from him, it seemed symbolically larger. If I didn’t know better, I might think Adriel was nervous.

  If that were so, that made two of us.

  “It’s infused with protection magic,” Adriel told me. “It will stop others from using any kind of magic on you.”

  “Oh,” I said, surprised. “Thank you.”

  Adriel was watching me closely, his handsome face a mask of perfect angles and lines. “If you choose to wear it,” he continued, “Ryker will no longer be able to reach you in your dreams.”

  “Oh,” I said again, wishing I could find more words and failing.

  Adriel shifted once more on his feet. Just a tiny movement, but a tell, nonetheless.

  “You’ll also be connected to me,” he added. “Because it’s my magic, if you wear it, I’ll be aware of you and you of me all the time.”

  Silence held between us as I stared down at the scarlet stone in my hand, as its essence washed over me.

  When the quiet held long enough, Adriel said, “It’s totally up to you. Again, there is no obligation to wear it, and no one else knows about it, so no one will judge you if you choose not to, and I’ll understand if you don’t.”

  Pulling my eyes away from the necklace, I looked up at Adriel. “When did you make this?” I asked.

  He shrugged, slipping his hands into the pockets of his black pants. “After our talk last night at the Erl Queen’s castle,” he said.

  My throat felt tight, and my chest hurt as though my broken heart was attempting to stitch itself back together with a blunt needle and a strand of scarlet thread. I knew good and well that every bit of magic Adriel used took a toll on him, and despite the fact that he’d known he’d have to use an enormous amount in the fight with the Hounds, he’d spared a bit to make this amulet for me.

  With this realization, stupid tears tried to burn my eyes again, but I swallowed them back.

  “Thank you,” I told him, and slipped the necklace over my head.

  25

  Standing over by the fireplace, Adriel’s red eyes followed my every move as I hung the amulet around my neck.

  The silver chain was cool against my skin, and the stone itself came to rest between the swells of my breasts, where it pulsed ever so gently with the powerful magic that it had been infused with.

  Adriel’s magic.

  My tongue darted out and ran over my lips as I watched Adriel, and he watched me. He stood so immobile, his face so serene and inscrutable that one could easily mistake him for a piece of artwork, something that was created by a master of design, a genius of beauty.

  The small room was warm, or maybe I was the source of the heat. I found myself wanting to remove the dress I was wearing, but I could scarcely breathe when Adriel was looking at me as he was now. Even weakened from a huge expenditure of magic, his effect was still potent. Silence hung between us a moment, the crackling of the wood in the fireplace and the rapid beating of my own heart the only sounds.

  Adriel’s head tilted and a lock of his ebony hair fell across his forehead. “Are you nervous?” he asked, reclaiming his seat in the leather chair. He angled himself so that he could see the fire and me.

  I had to swallow before I could respond. “A little,” I admitted.

  Adriel rested back in the chair, his posture composed but relaxed. His scarlet gaze ran the length of me, and I could swear I felt it move over every inch, lingering on my chest, where the red amulet glowed.

  “Why?” he asked.

  Though this one word was spoken in the same smooth and easy tone he always used, I got the feeling that the answer to this question meant something to him, and I hoped I wasn’t mistaken.

  “You make me nervous,” I said, and licked my lips again.

  Adriel sat as still as a statue, but one dark brow went up. “Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?” he asked.

  It took me a moment to digest this question, to recognize that I felt horrible that this would be his first assumption. But now that I thought about it, of course this would be his first assumption. I’d said horrible things to him. I’d called him a monster, a bastard, and had even insisted that I hated him. As I stood there with all of these things ramming into my consciousness, I got the urge to run away again.

  Adriel thought he made me nervous because I was afraid of him, which meant he thought that at least some part of me still believed him to be a monster. And, here I was, thinking about how he might react if I kissed him. It was a wonder that he didn’t hate me.

  I had to push this line of thought away. My throat was getting tight again. And Adriel was still waiting for an answer.

  I took a few steps toward him, and his eyes followed me. “No,” I said, “I’m not afraid you’ll hurt me, Adriel…” I released a shaky breath and pressed on, gathering my courage around me. “In fact, of all the males I’ve ever known in my life, I feel the safest with you… I trust you.”

  It was a bit of a struggle to draw air as I waited for Adriel to respond. He was silent for so long that I almost wasn’t sure if he’d heard me, but he was still watching me from his spot in the chair, the flames of the fire flickering across his beautiful face.

  I couldn’t stand it anymore. I bit my lip. “Please say something,” I said, and the words came out in a whisper. If he didn’t say something soon, I was almost positive I would just curl up in a ball and die in this spot.

  One side of Adriel’s mouth pulled up in his usual half smile. His hands were folded neatly in his lap, but he opened them to me now. “Will you sit with me?” he asked.

  I swear I almost collapsed with relief.

  But I’d already cried in front of him more than once, and I wanted to maintain some shred of dignity, so despite the fact that my stomach was doing veritable flips, I made myself walk slowly over to him.

  I paused when I reached the spot just before his chair. His head tilted back so that he could look up at me, and once more, I got the urge to run my hands through his thick, ebony hair, to use it to pull him toward me.

  Adriel’s scarlet gaze rested on my chest again, and I saw a rare flash of his fangs as he stared at the amulet he’d given me. I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, if he liked to see his necklace lying so near my heart, but did not trust my voice to speak.

  Slowly, his hands came up and gripped my waist, and I allowed Adriel to pull me down to him. I wrapped my arm around his neck for purchase and swung my legs over his, trying not to sigh audibly as the potency of his powerful presence washed over me.

  When the scent of soap and peppermint filled my nose, I felt my tongue dart out over my lips again involuntarily.

  I felt very much like a Wolf in that moment—a Wolf that might devour him whole.

  Adriel’s arms tightened around my waist a fraction, and I saw that he was watching my mouth rather intently. This close, I could see the brown beneath the red of his eyes, framed so perfectly behind those thick, black lashes.

  Now my stomach was not just flipping, it was flickering with heat to match that of the blazing fire beside us.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked, resisting the urge to let my hands roam over his hard body, and ignoring the breathy sound of my own voice.

  Adriel chuckled, and his abs flexed beneath me with the movement. “I’ve been better
,” he admitted. His eyes met mine, pulling away from the amulet with what seemed some effort. “And how are you feeling, Rukiya dearest?”

  I shifted a little on his lap, and felt an impressive part of him stiffen a touch beneath me. I swallowed again. Hard.

  “Safe,” I said, feeling bold enough to let my hand come up and trace the perfect line of his chin. My heart skipped a beat when Adriel didn’t move to stop me. “And grateful.”

  I shifted again, and the length beneath me went hard as a rock. I resisted the urge to reach down and take it into my hand. Instead, I said, “I think I can make you feel better.”

  Adriel’s dark brows shot up, his handsome face clearly surprised. “Is that so?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, I think so.”

  Adriel’s voice was low now, any deeper and it might have been a growl. His strong hands tightened at my waist. “And how would you do that, Rukiya, my dear?”

  My heart was racing, but I tilted my head to the side and pushed my dark hair back over my shoulder, offering him my neck. This was a clearly submissive posture for a Wolf, and we both knew it. It was not a pose I could ever remember willingly taking.

  “You can drink from me,” I said, forcing the words out before I could lose my nerve. “I read in one of those books that Vampires can drink supernatural blood to speed the healing process, and since you’re part Vamp, I figured it might work for you, too.”

  I waited, but when Adriel made no move to take me up on the offer. I turned my head again so that I could look at him.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Is it Asha? Are you two… together?”

  Adriel looked surprised by this question. “Not at all,” he said, his scarlet eyes locked on my lips. “Asha is like a sister to me, and besides that, she doesn’t like males.”

  “Oh,” I said, more relieved than I would ever admit. “What is it, then? Will it not work?”

  He was still hard beneath me, his hands still gripping my waist, but he sat utterly still, his beautiful face perplexed. “Oh, it would work,” he said. “But, no, thank you.”

  If someone had given me the option to die right then and there, I might have taken it. I pulled back from him a little, and was only slightly relieved when his hold on me tightened, keeping me where I was on his lap.

  “Why not?” I asked, fearing the answer but needing to hear it, nonetheless.

  “Because you’ve been hurt very recently,” Adriel said gently, pulling his eyes away from my exposed neck and meeting my gaze, “and I don’t want to take advantage of that.”

  I released a slow breath, trying to conceal my relief and likely failing. “Adriel,” I said, “You’ve been hurt very recently, too. I’m pretty sure that right now, I’m the one trying to take advantage of you… So are you going to let me?”

  In answer, Adriel reached up and brushed my hair aside, gently tilting my head so that I once more offered him my neck. His warm breath brushed the skin there and made a shiver run down my back.

  His lips hovered just over my skin when he said, “Rukiya, my dear, you can take advantage of me whenever you want.”

  He pulled back a little, and I almost moaned at the retreat. I wiggled my hips again and was rewarded with a low growl that vibrated in his chest.

  “Do you remember when we first met?” he asked.

  I nodded. I could feel his scarlet gaze roaming over me. His cool hands slipped beneath the hem of my dress to rest on my thighs, but did not travel any further.

  “Do you remember when I bought Goldie before that bastard Hound Mekhi could, and I said that I’d always had a thing for redheads?”

  It was funny, because I actually did remember this. I remembered it because I’d been so utterly horrified by the thought of such a monster owning Goldie. I nodded again, because I was afraid words might betray my shame.

  “Well, I lied,” Adriel said in that low, smooth voice. “I’ve always had a thing for brunettes… Particularly brunettes who risk their own lives in the pursuit of saving others.”

  My heart was thundering in my chest, my body practically on fire in the spots where he touched me. No longer able to stand it, I laced my hands through the hair on the back of his head and pulled him toward me.

  His sharp fangs sank deeply into my neck an instant later, and after a flash of pain, ecstasy flooded my body. My muscles went slack as I melted into him. My hand wandered down and found its way between us, and I gripped him in my palm and stroked once slowly, and then again.

  Adriel groaned against my neck. “Rukiya,” he mumbled, his fangs retracting from my skin and his voice rougher than I’d ever heard it. He tried to pull back, but I used my other hand to hold his mouth to my neck again, refusing to let him go.

  Already some color had returned to his cheeks, but I wasn’t done with him yet.

  Not by a long shot.

  26

  With a deep chuckle, I felt his fangs enter me again and did nothing to suppress the moan of pleasure that slipped past my lips.

  I began stroking him once more, and the hands that were on my thighs traveled up to brush the sides of my breasts, thumbs working in slow circles.

  He was still drinking from me when his strong hands gripped my bottom, and he stood, making me wrap my legs around him as that impressive part of him pressed insistently against the flat muscles of my stomach.

  Adriel carried me over to the bed, fangs still inside me, mouth still pressed firmly against my neck, ecstasy still ruling my body. My eyes slipped closed, my most intimate part tingling with anticipation.

  When he laid me back gently on the bed, hovering over me, I realized that this was the part in all of my sexual escapades where I usually flipped the male I was with over on his back so that I could take the dominant position. Even with Ryker, I had never allowed him control, had never let him be on top for longer than an instant.

  But as Adriel lowered me to the bed, his lean, hard body held so close to mine, I made no move to switch the position. I knew very well that if I wanted to, he would let me. Adriel was chivalrous enough that he would lie perfectly still if that’s what I required of him.

  But for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel the need to force a male’s submission during intimacy. Whereas I’d always secretly cowered a little under the pure physical power of my male counterparts, I felt utterly safe lying beneath Adriel.

  The ironic thing was, with his unique blood, his physical power was far greater than any other male’s I’d ever encountered, and yet, I trusted his dominance completely.

  When he withdrew from my neck, bracing his muscular arms on either side of me to hold up his weight, I saw that a bit of my blood stained his lips.

  “Is this okay?” he asked.

  No male had ever taken the time to ask that before, and it meant more to me than I could even voice in the moment. So, in answer, I lifted myself up from the bed so that I could slide my dress off over my head. Adriel’s scarlet eyes focused on my perky breasts, the red amulet balanced neatly between them. His head drifted down to my right side, and his tongue flicked out and brushed my sensitive nipple, making me arch my back, my body urging him onward.

  I reached between us again so that I could grab him, but his hands found my wrists and gently pinned them to the bed on either side of my head. The position was utterly vulnerable, and yet, amazingly, it felt good.

  No, it felt great.

  Adriel clicked his wicked tongue at me. “You made me feel better,” he said, his lips moving against the very tip of my nipple as he spoke. “Now let me make you feel better.”

  He released my hands a moment later, moving them to his head so that I could slip my fingers into his thick hair as he lowered himself down my body.

  I lifted my head from the pillow to see him there, his mouth so close to the most sensitive part of me, and squealed a little with surprise when Adriel snapped his fingers and my lacy underwear disappeared completely. I felt his warm breath brush me down there as he chuckled at my reactio
n.

  Then his mouth closed around me, his deft tongue making circles and causing me to release my hold on his head for fear I might hurt him. I took to gripping the life out of the bed sheets instead.

  When his name escaped my mouth a moment later, I wondered at how no male had ever made me call out his name, had never touched or tasted me like this, as I never would have allowed it. Normally, I would flip him onto his back and have my way with him, satisfying myself as I saw fit… But this was different. This was beyond anything I’d ever experienced. I wasn’t sure I would ever stop wanting Adriel’s wicked mouth on me.

  Much too soon, my body exploded with pleasure. My legs trembled where they were spread around Adriel’s head, but he only wrapped his strong arms around my thighs and ventured in deeper, wringing every bit out of me until I could barely breathe, until I screamed his name rather than just speaking it.

  After this, Adriel pulled the blanket over us, coming back up to the top of the bed and settling in beside me. I had no problem returning the favor, but he took my wandering hand and rested it on his wide, muscular chest, where his heart was racing below. With his other hand, he pulled me toward him.

  “Rest now, Rukiya dearest,” Adriel whispered. “You’ve had a long day.”

  I would have protested, but after what had just happened, my muscles felt like jelly and I was relaxed enough that I wasn’t sure I’d ever move again. So I rested my head atop Adriel’s chest and listened to the steady rhythm of his heart.

  Adriel held me close, his amulet around my neck and my body aligned with his, and with a feeling of complete and utter safety, I fell into a sleep so deep that even dreams would not dare disturb it.

  When I awoke, Adriel was not in the bed by my side.

  I lifted my head and glanced around the room, blinking until my vision cleared. The flames in the fireplace had diminished to embers, and Adriel was not sitting in the lone chair beside it.