Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness)

by Amanda J. Greene

  Hadrian took in a deep breath, branding her scent into his memory. His fangs dripped in anticipation.

  “Please.”

  “Please, what, my sweet?”

  Eva’s growl made him smile. Hadrian skimmed his fingers over her breasts, pinching her nipples before running his hands down her sides to grip her hips, pinning her to the bed.

  “Control,” he whispered, too softly for Eva to hear. Hadrian lowered his head. “Is this what you want?” He stroked her with his tongue and groaned.

  Eva shuddered. Her breath seized as her muscles tightened and her heart pounded out of control. He circled her clitoris with his velvet tongue before capturing it with his lips, suckling her relentlessly. He heard her breath catch, felt her muscles tense, and tasted her orgasm. She screamed and Hadrian grew more forceful. He licked at her. His tongue thrusting into her again and again her honey filled his mouth. Her hips rocked, riding his mouth as she would soon ride his cock.

  He growled. He had never tasted anything as sweet as this woman. His woman. His Eva. She was all warm vanilla, delicious and dangerously addictive. Another of her orgasms drenched his tongue. Her body convulsed and his name echoed through the halls.

  His instincts roared as the world around him fell into darkness. Eva whimpered, her head thrashing against the pillows, her muscles tensed, strained with orgasm after orgasm. Hadrian groaned low in his throat, the sound rough, primal.

  He was mindless. Insatiable flames of passion consumed him. He was dieing to be inside her, but she needed to be ready for his invasion.

  Hadrian skimmed his hand over her thigh, pushed past her folds, and buried a finger inside her. Eva bowed, her hands gripping and tearing the sheets. He continued to work her clitoris with his tongue. Inserting another finger, he began pumping in and out.

  “Again, Eva,” his growled.

  He drove into her, a fast, hard rhythm, his fingers curling upward and spreading as he thrust. Her knees fell open wide as moans slipped from her lips. Eva fought for air. The firestorm of pleasure became unbearable.

  “I’m–Yes, H–Hadrian. I’m going to…” Her words ended on a scream of ecstasy as her orgasm claimed her. Frenzied with pleasure, she gripped at his shoulders. Her muscles clenched around his fingers, gripping him so tightly he nearly came in his jeans.

  Hadrian pushed to his feet. He could take the torture no longer. He had to be inside her. Now. He tore at his zipper and stepped free of the rough, confining fabric.

  He came down, his slim hips settling between her thighs. He supported his weight with his arms, his hands pressing into the mattress on either side of her head. It took every ounce of his strength to resist from thrusting into her, savagely claiming her innocence.

  “Please,” she whispered, her throat was rough from cries of pleasure.

  Their gaze met and held. She was trembling beneath him, sated yet desire still glittered in those amber orbs. Her passion and hunger mirrored his own, matching his need. He peered down at her in awe. She was ready, willing, and demanding more.

  She arched her back. The head of his cock brushed over her folds, slipping over her swollen, sensitive clitoris. Hadrian suppressed a shudder as her moan kissed his ears.

  “Eva,” he whispered. An ache. Yes, an ache. He ached for her. His body, his fangs, his heart, even his tattered soul ached for her.

  Hadrian pressed a kiss to her temple as he rotated his hips, rocking his long shaft against her. “I’m going to be inside you.”

  Eva struggled for breath, anticipation pounding through her veins as flames of need devoured them.

  He pressed forward, working the crown of his cock into her. Eva gave a short, stunned sigh as he slowly entered her, stretching her.

  “Gods, Eva,” Hadrian moaned. She was slick with need, hot, tight silk.

  Mine. He inched in further. Claim. His fangs throbbed in his mouth, her rapid heartbeat a flawless melody. Take. He could feel the darkness rising within him. He wanted to mark her, to score her perfect as silk skin with his razor like fangs. He wanted to spill his seed deep within her as he savagely fed, tearing at her throat.

  Hadrian stilled. Closing his eyes, he battled his violent urges. This was not about him or his demon. This was for Eva. Only Eva.

  “Is something wrong?”

  Her soft voice drew him back, smoothing away his worries, his doubts, calming his beast.

  “No.”

  “Good.” She wrapped her arms about his neck. “No escape,” she said, her breath brushing over his lips.

  He took her mouth, their kiss long and slow. He savored the feel, the taste, and the beautiful new, frightening sensations that spread through his chest, warming him, heating his cold heart and damaged soul.

  There would be no escape for either of them. Clenching his jaw, he thrust forward, swift, hard, deep. Hadrian’s harsh growl was drowned by Eva’s cry of pained pleasure.

  “Oh, gods,” he exhaled as he trembled.

  Perfection. He knew she would feel this way. Exquisitely tight and hell fire hot—Heaven.

  “I know what you mean,” she whispered.

  He slowly withdrew, inch by inch, then thrust in again, hitting the top of her sex.

  Gentle. Control, he chanted as he gritted his teeth.

  Eva’s head fell back, her hands slipped from his neck to his biceps. Her nails carving into his hard muscle as he found a torturous rhythm. She writhed beneath him, her hips rocking to meet his slow, measured thrusts. His body quaked as he battled against his instamatics to feed, to mark her, to…dominate.

  His fangs pulsed as his gaze dropped to her throat. He could hear her heart beating. The sound of her blood rushing through her veins was deafening. The sent of her sex, her arousal, their combined lust filled burned his lungs like thick, black smoke. Her blood would be rich and thick with her pleasure, sweetly erotic. A simple taste would only drive him over the edge.

  Focus. He needed to focus. Hadrian’s heart slammed against his chest, matching the frantic rhythm of Eva’s. Catching her jaw, he held her still. Look at me,” he commanded. Pure, ethereal, molten amber, her eyes swirled with need.

  Eva struggled to keep her eyes open, the pleasure was drugging, demanding. Hadrian’s intense, dark eyes smoldered with untamed need and wild hunger. Yet, he resisted his cravings. He fought for her, to be gentle, patient. She brushed the tips of her fingers along his jaw. He turned toward her, pressing his lips against her palm and Eva felt her heart melt.

  Focusing on Eva, he watched as her pleasure mounted. Her eyes glazed over, losing focus. Her cheeks flushed, her lips parted, her sighs and moans a soothing symphony to his tattered soul.

  Yes, he nearly shouted as her back arched, her breasts thrusting upward, her nipples abrading his chest. His name was strangled whisper as she came, her body rippled around him, her heat gripping him tightly.

  Glorious, he thought.

  His trusts quickened.

  Again. He needed to feel her climax again. He bent his head and captured a rosy nipple. He licked, he suckled, he grazed hard bud with the tip of his fangs. He drew his tongue down the valley of her breasts before kissing is way to her other nipple.

  Eva gripped the back of his head, holding him to her. “Harder,” she moaned.

  A dangerous thrill danced down his spine as he complied. His hips began to pound against her, hard. His body raged for release, a terrible need only she could fill. He was soaring as her body clenched around him. Her head thrashed as another orgasm slammed into her. Her hot sheath tightened, demanding. He thrust, helpless against the onslaught of emotion and exquisite sensation that pounded through him. Wild. Uninhibited. Urgent. His body took hers, claimed hers, a demanding possessions.

  White hot lightning arced and snapped between them, the friction building and building, tension winding.

  The world fragmented around them and faded into nothing, time was lost and reality was nonexistent as their passion exploded. They soared, falling into the warmth of perfect ecst
asy together. A shocked, blissful roar tore from his chest, hot seed jetted from him. Spasms wracked his body as his orgasm went on and on, filling her, spilling to her thighs.

  At last, Hadrian’s arms gave out and he collapsed, his heavy frame shaking the bed. He lay beside her, his chest heavy, his heart matching the frantic pace of hers.

  As the last quake of pleasure left his body, bloodlust slammed into him. The need pumped through his veins, thick lava. His nails turned into talons, tearing the sheets, his vision went red. He tried to swallow, but his throat was like sandpaper, raw.

  Hadrian’s gaze swept over Eva’s body. Virgin’s blood smeared the apex of her thighs. The scent was maddening, mouthwatering, irresistible. It called to him, beckoning the demon that prowled the darkness of his mind. Heat engulfed him; suddenly his skin was too tight. His vision blurred before all went red.

  Eva tensed, sensing the change in Hadrian. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. His face was pale, too pale. Red devoured his pupils, bleeding to consume his black rises, seeping into the white until they glowed like the fires of hell, jumping with greedy flames.

  “Hadrian, what’s wrong?”

  She reached for him, her fingers brushing his shoulder.

  He violently flinched as if her touch were a searing brand, charring his flesh. He slid from the bed with a predatory grace, his demonic gaze locked on her. His muscles strained and shook as he fought to hold himself back. She could see every vein, every line and hollow of his body. Shadows sliced across his face, his eyes burning like hot coals in the darkness.

  His lips curled back revealing long, lethal fangs. The sound of Eva’s blood rushing, ebbing and flowing, flourishing with life, taunted him.

  “Eva.” Her name a strangled whisper.

  “Hadrian, what can I do?”

  “Can’t—” He wrapped his arms about his middle as he heaved, nothing came up. He had not fed.

  Attack. Feed. Claim her.

  He stumbled back. The demon’s screams, piercing, his skull pounded, his lips were dry, cracked. The scent of sex and blood burned his nose and settled in his lungs like a bunch of needles.

  “I have…to go.” His words broke on an agonized moan, his body convulsed.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hadrian materialized in the kitchen, the small action draining the energy of his exhausted body. He staggered, almost blind, his hands outstretched, his bare feet slapping the cold tile. He could scent the blood within the refrigerator. His stomach rolled with disgust even as thirst scorched his throat.

  He lurched forward, his clawed fingers splayed across the surface of the hidden refrigerator. Its façade blending with the line of pristine, white cabinets. Throwing open the door, he snatched a bag of blood. His fangs ripped into the plastic, freeing the crimson liquid. At once the rush hit him, seeping into his starved cells. Images of Eva assailed him, sweeping him away. Her cries of ecstasy still rang in his ears, the heat of her body still clung to him and the intoxicating scent of her arousal drowned his senses.

  Hadrian tore into a second bag. Eva, he could see her beneath him. Her face flushed with pleasure, her eyes sparkling with desire for him, only him. Her lips parted as she gasped for precious air, her climax claiming her. She had thrown her head back in sweet abandon as her body convulsed around him, drawing on him, milking him.

  He groaned low in his throat as he reached for another bag allowing the second to join the first, empty on the floor.

  The demon howled for Eva. Enraged. Craving. Her. Only her. Only Eva.

  The chilled blood settled like a rock in his stomach as the tangy flavor of plastic filled his mouth.

  One taste, the vampire pleaded, just one taste of heaven, of Eva.

  Hadrian growled, forcing himself to swallow the repugnant blood.

  The demon railed even as his hunger ebbed. Hadrian raised a shaking hand to grab another sack of blood. More, he needed more. He needed Eva. He needed her soft touch, the soothing sound of her voice, the warmth of her soul.

  When he released the last drained bag, he stumbled back. His legs buckled, but he caught himself, clutching the edge of the marble countertop.

  His teeth gnashed together as is chest pumped, frantically drawing in unnecessary breath as he waited for the crazed hunger to wane. His muscles began to relax and his fangs slowly retreated. He could feel every cell in his body swell with life as the nourishing blood flowed through his system.

  He cursed himself for being a selfish idiot. He should have known better. He had told himself he would feed regularly, a lie. He had intended to keep his bloodlust at bay while Eva resided within the fortress, but a part of him still refused to drink. He had no longer enjoyed the act of feeding, had only taken sustenance when it was vital he do so. He loathed the contact required to take directly from the source, from humans. It was too intimate. Sinking his fangs into a bag of blood was just as revolting. But deprivation only breeds destruction.

  Power coursed through him like lightning, as he grew stronger. The demanding storm of hunger faded as a hurricane of overwhelming, unidentifiable emotion tore through him. His body pulsed, his heart thundered, and his soul…he could feel his soul. For the first time in centuries, he could feel the flutter of life within his chest, warming his heart. The broken pieces of his soul blazed, the heat so intense as they began to weld together.

  Eva. She had somehow triggered this change within him.

  What did it mean?

  For hundreds of years he had existed void of all real emotion, knowing his soul was damaged. He had known no love, no true joy, only anger, sorrow and guilt, the demon’s favorites. But Eva made him feel everything in a flood. Even hope, a sensation he believed he would never know again. And rightly so, he did not deserve love or happiness, especially not hope.

  His heart ached and swelled as his soul burgeoned with life and a strange, euphoric sense of contentment settled over him.

  Gods, what was happening?

  The lights suddenly flipped on, sending him reeling back. He buried his claws in the smooth, polished surface of the counter. His vision blurred as bright colors burst all around him. Hissing, he raised a hand to shield his sensitive eyes.

  “Hadrian?” Falcon called from the doorway.

  Hadrian muttered a curse when the knight rushed forward. He knew he looked like hell: naked, his face smeared with blood.

  “My Latin is rusty, but I’m not a snake born of a whoring bitch,” Falcon said with a light laugh. “You look terrible.”

  Prying back one finger at a time, Hadrian removed his hand. He blinked trying to clear his vision.

  “This is the last place I thought I would find you, especially in this condition.”

  Hadrian scowled.

  “Here.” Falcon unzipped the duffle bag he carried and tossed Hadrian a pair of loose workout shorts.

  Hadrian caught the clothing on reflex alone, his vision still blurred. His claws retreated and he leaned his weight against the cabinets behind him, his legs still weak.

  Falcon glanced about. “Is Eva with you?”

  “No.”

  He ignored the knight’s frown and stepped into the shorts.

  “Where is she?” Falcon demanded, his tone harsh, all humor gone.

  Against his will, Hadrian’s senses sought Eva. He found her easily.

  “I believe she is heading towards her room,” he answered as nonchalantly as possible, even though he longed to flash to her. Was she going to shower? He longed to join her. Or was she going to change and search for him. He felt a twinge of heat rise in his cheeks. He had ruined her clothes.

  “What happened?”

  Hadrian growled, the demon not liking Falcon’s accusatory tone.

  “That does not concern you.”

  “You spelt with her.”

  Hadrian said nothing as his fingers skimmed over the counter, searching for a towel. When he found one, he wiped the blood from his mouth.

  “For god sake, Hadrian, she is
mortal.”

  “The girl is unharmed, if that is what worries you.” Folding the now ruined cloth, Hadrian straightened, his now sound and strong body. “I’m not a total beast.” His words, spoken in defense, suddenly struck him as truth. He had managed to be gentle, to hold himself back, to deny his very nature for Eva, for her pleasure. He had not ravished her, though he could not deny he still wanted to devour the sweet half-breed.

  Falcon rubbed his nape. “I didn’t say that you were. It’s just, well, I’ve known you for so long. You aren’t exactly known for…I mean,” he sighed, “shit.”

  Hadrian held up a hand, stopping his friend. He knew what Falcon was trying to say, he was not known for being a tender lover. “People can change.”

  Falcon’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, people can change.”

  Hadrian shrugged off Falcon’s implication and pushed the secret, blood stocked refrigerator closed, the door seamlessly blending with the cabinets.

  She swooped down to collect the empty bags of blood. Popping open the lid of the trashcan, he tossed them inside, concealing the evidence of his frenzied feeding.

  His senses strayed again, finding Eva still in her room.

  “Eva’s scent.”

  Hadrian frowned as Falcon’s words cut into his thoughts. He shook himself. How long had the knight been speaking? What had he said? Eva’s scent, he had followed her scent to the kitchen, he thought.

  “The car is packed and the main house is awaiting our arrival,” Falcon continued.

  “Miss Maldonado will not be joining you,” Hadrian said.

  “Listen, Hadrian, I understand there is…something happening between you two, but you must think of her safety.”

  “I am,” he stated as he walked down the length of the cabinets to the main fridge. His fingers wrapped about the stainless steel handle, with a simple tug, the bright light within flashed on, momentarily burning his eyes. Squinting, he scanned the contents. Various deli meats and cheese rested in drawers below a shelf of plastic and glass containers. The chef they had hired only came to the castle once a week. She kept the kitchen stocked and prepared complete meals for Eva.