The Shadows Awaken (Guardians of the Night Book 1)

by Robyn Wideman

  Looking back at Jaden, Vladimir noted the guns. “You must be the American boyfriend. Serena warned me about you, but I didn’t listen. I thought for sure a third generation vampire would appreciate what we are trying to do here. You of all vampires should understand that we belong at the top of the food chain. We should be treated as gods. Why do you help the humans?”

  “It is a little late to be asking that,” said Jaden. “The minute you had my brother attacked you signed your own death warrant.”

  “Perhaps we can come to some sort of arra—”

  Jaden shot Vladimir in the forehead before he could finish the sentence. Walking up the vampire he placed two more of the silver bullets in the vampires chest. “Sorry, pal. Like I said. Don’t mess with family.”

  Jaden pulled out the phone in his pocket and hit speed dial. “Top floor is clean,” he said.

  …

  Serena looked up from her laptop when her office door opened and froze when she saw Jaden. She was shocked to see him standing in her doorway, although the sudden increase of her pulse told her she wasn’t entirely unhappy about his appearance. Still, it was a dangerous place for him to be. She jumped up from her desk and looked down the corridor quickly to see who else might have seen him. “What are you doing here? Are you crazy?” she said in a loud whisper.

  “The council sent killers after me and my brother. Surely you had to have known I would retaliate,” said Jaden.

  “There are too many of them here, even for you, Jaden. Please go. This is insanity.”

  “No,” he said, simply.

  “Jaden, please. Go before it’s too late!”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Serena. Not without you.”

  Serena’s shoulders dropped and the tension went out of her body. She had been worried about seeing Jaden again. Worried that when she did, it would be because he was there to take his revenge on her for her part in the council’s actions. The tone of his voice and the look on his face told Serena that her worries were unfounded. She wanted nothing more than to feel his arms wrapped around her, but now was neither the time nor the place.

  “But the council— “

  “I’ve already taken care of the council. You’re not the first person I visited, Serena. Vladimir is gone, and so are several others that I found.” He gestured towards her desk, spurring her into action. “Bring whatever files you have with you now, because in about five minutes, the CIA and British Secret Service are going to be raiding the building.”

  Serena moved quickly, walking to a painting on the wall behind her desk and removing it to reveal a wall safe. She opened the safe, pulled out a flash drive, and slipped it into her pocket. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said with a shrug.

  Jaden grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the elevator door. Serena was shocked to see bodies lying on the floor as they passed an office. Her office door had been closed, but the carnage Jaden had created without making any loud noises was scary. She looked through the glass window of Vladimir’s office. His body was sitting up in his chair while his head rested on the desk. She felt no remorse for his death. He had organized and plotted for hundreds of years to achieve his goal of creating a world where vampires would rule. Now that he was on the verge of success, his death seemed appropriate. The world might never fully recover from the council’s plot, but Vladimir would not be there to enjoy it.

  “Is this entire building vampires?” asked Jaden.

  Serena shook her head. “Only the top two floors. There are some vampires filling low level positions on lower floors, but the top two are all vampire. Did you kill anyone outside of the executive offices?”

  “No, only the ones you saw.”

  “There are probably another ten on the floor below. It’s mainly a computers area.”

  “Any humans on those floors?”

  “No,” said Serena. “Only vampires.”

  When the elevator doors opened to the lobby, two men in dark suits were standing there waiting for them. Jaden walked over to them.

  “Top two floors, no civilians are there. Ten or more in the computer areas.” Jaden said as he approached the men.

  The bald man on the right reached out and shook Jaden’s hand. “Thank you. There is a car outside that will take you to the hotel. The jet will be ready in a couple of hours. I am going to help clean up here and then I’ll meet you at the airstrip.”

  Serena was standing next to Jaden as he shook hands with the men. She was close enough to the two men to tell that they were both human. She knew by the way they’d both glanced at her sideways that if Jaden hadn't been holding her hand, they would’ve likely been taking her in or killing her outright. She kept her hand firmly in his.

  “Thank you, gentlemen. We’ll see you later,” said Jaden as they walked towards the car.

  The driver opened the back door of the sedan and they got in. Serena watched as more men in dark suits entered the lobby and started talking to the bald man.

  “I’m sorry if anyone else in there is your friend,” said Jaden.

  Serena shook her head. “The majority of them were loyal to Vladimir. Even if I had liked them, which I didn’t, they would want to avenge his death. But what happens after this? Only a fraction of the council is here.”

  “Most of the damage is done. Now it’s about survival. The CIA now knows who is behind the attacks. They will try and hunt down the remaining council members, but it won’t work. As chaos spreads, governments will fall and society will fall apart. Already nukes are being dropped. There are ones that even your council didn’t know about. The world is going to burn for a while. All we can do is try and survive.”

  “What about you and I?” Serena asked. “Can we survive the fact that I was on the council?” She’d thought she’d never see Jaden again and was afraid to hope for a reconciliation.

  Jaden ran his hand through her hair and pulled her towards him. He gently kissed her on the forehead. “I don’t give a damn about the council or the human wars. I’m tired of fighting. I want you.”

  Serena closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. She could hardly believe he’d managed to get to her and survive all the attacks. She’d hoped he would survive, but had never really believed that they would be able to be together again. The odds had seemed stacked against it.

  When they got to the hotel suite, Serena noted with minor amusement that the CIA had put them in an executive suite. She guessed helping to stop, or at least slow, the vampire council put Jaden in their good books. The room was modern and elegant. Thick, lush, cream-colored carpets with oak and glass furnishing gave the room a distinctive feel. Serena removed her jacket and walked over to the large oak desk. From there, she could see out into the city. London, unlike most major cities around the world, had not been hit hard by the wars. The council had thought it prudent to avoid having countries bomb their headquarters. In the end, it hadn’t mattered. Jaden and his CIA friends would do as much damage as any bomb.

  “Where are you taking me?” asked Serena.

  “If you want to come, I’m taking you back to America. I will return to make sure your council doesn’t try to kill my brother again. Vladimir wasn’t the only vampire that hates us, others will try.”

  Serena nodded. “It will take time for the council to reorganize. With Vladimir and Wu gone, there will be a power struggle. Also now that the apocalypse is under way, many of the council members will want to focus on their own interests. They will be focused on their own areas of the globe and less likely to care what happens elsewhere.”

  “What’s next in the council plans?” asked Jaden. He had a good idea of what the council had done and planned for the future, but Serena knew exactly what to expect. Now that he had her alone, he would finally know what the council had intended.

  “As of this morning, armies around the world started attacking oilfields and pipelines. Most of the world’s refineries have been destroyed already. Even America’s strategic reserves are being attacked. By
the end of the month, the world’s supply of fossil fuels will be almost zero. It will take years and years before oil and gas recover, if they can. Most vampires on the council agreed that destroying oil production would hurt human war efforts more than any other tactic. I doubt an oil refinery will be successfully built in the next hundred years.”

  Jaden shook his head. “The world is never going to be the same, but in some ways I can’t help but think maybe this isn’t as terrible as letting a nuclear war happen.”

  “It was wrong,” said Serena. “It took me a long time to truly see all that Vladimir had planned, and he isn’t even the worse of them. He was just the one with the plan. Now the others will be unleashed on the world.”

  “Whatever, we’ll deal with them as they come, together.” Jaden stared into her eyes.

  Serena smiled and gave him a come hither look. “I’d like that.”

  “I guess our days of jet-setting across the Atlantic are over,” said Jaden with a sigh as he joined Serena at the desk.

  “Yes, I’m afraid so.” Serena grabbed Jaden’s shirt and yanked on it, pulling him in so that he was standing between her legs as she sat on the edge of the desk. “I think you deserve a reward from rescuing me from my dreadful job.”

  “You think so?” asked Jaden as he leaned over and nuzzled her neck with his nose. His lips soon followed and traced a delicate pattern across her skin. His lips and tongue danced a wicked pattern from her collarbone to her ear lobe.

  “Hmmhmm,” moaned Serena as she enjoyed his teasing. Her hands ran up Jaden’s chest, enjoying the hard ripples of his well-toned chest under her fingers. “Yes, I think you deserve something special.”

  Jaden gazed into her eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Me,” said Serena with a naughty smile. Pushing Jaden away from the desk, she held onto his hips and used him for leverage as she lowered herself to the floor, kneeling before him. Sliding her hands from his hips, she grasped his belt and quickly removed it. Wasting no time, Serena undid his pants button and pulled them down until they were pooled at his ankles. She caressed the taut muscles of his legs as she slid her hands back up to take a hold of his briefs. With a swift pull, his underwear joined his pants. Jaden’s cock was already starting to rise to the occasion, and Serena licked her lips as she watched his cock swell with anticipation. Leaning forward, Serena ran her tongue along his length. She enjoyed hearing his groan of pleasure as he felt her tongue snaking its way from the base of his heavy balls to the tip. Serena flicked her tongue over the tip of his cock before letting it slide into her mouth. His now fully hard cock stretched her mouth open as she suckled on the tip, then she took him in deeper, until she could feel his hardness at the back of her throat. Serena pulled back until the tip of his cock almost escaped her mouth before plunging it back in again. Establishing a smooth rhythm, she sucked Jaden’s cock while her hands fondled and caressed his balls. She felt his hands running through her hair as she worked her magic. Soon Jaden’s hips started to flex, matching her pace. Jaden’s hands gently pushed against the back of Serena’s head while he fucked her mouth. She groaned against him. She loved it when he took control. She willingly let him set the pace, letting his hands guide her head, directing the worshipping of his cock. Jaden was pushing deeper and deeper, pushing against her throat. His thick cock threatened to choke her, but she forced herself to relax and let him work his cock in and out of her mouth. Serena looked up into Jaden’s eyes. He was staring down at her, spurred on by the passion in her eyes.

  Suddenly, Jaden pulled out of her mouth. Serena was disappointed. She enjoyed the taste and feel of him exploding in her mouth, but her disappointment was quickly forgotten when Jaden reached down, grabbed her arms, and lifted her up. He kissed her hard. His lips mashed against hers and his tongue forced its way into her receptive mouth. Serena’s tongue matched Jaden’s, twisting and dancing with his. Breaking the kiss, Jaden grabbed a handful of Serena’s hair and pulled back. Leaving her neck exposed for him to suck. Serena groaned in pleasure. As Jaden kissed her neck, he grabbed the collar of her shirt with both hands and ripped it open, sending buttons flying. Jaden freed his feet from the confines of his pants and underwear, flicking them away with one leg while his hands worked on undressing Serena. He pushed her back so that she was once again sitting on the desk. He gently pushed on her shoulders until she was lying on top of the desk. Lifting her feet off the ground, Jaden removed her heels and threw them across the room. He pushed her skirt up around her waist and pulled her panties off, flinging them in the same direction as the shoes. Jaden took her right foot and lifted it into the air. Rubbing his thumb over the bottom of her heel, he massaged her foot while staring into her eyes. Serena kept her eyes locked with his even as he started to kiss his way down her leg. When his kisses reached her inner thigh, he released her foot, letting his hands slide over the skin he had just finished touching as his lips worked closer to her core. When Jaden ran his tongue the length of her outer lips, Serena arched her back, closed her eyes, and let her head fall back. His tongue stroked her up and down, savoring the tangy taste of her juices. His mouth found her clit and he sucked on it as his fingers slid into her. Serena moaned and shook her head as Jaden tormented her with pleasure.

  Without warning, Jaden stood and flipped Serena over on the desk, her breasts pressing into its hard top. She instinctively spread her legs, willing Jaden to fill her need. She could feel Jaden’s cock as he rubbed it against her lips and clit. “Please,” Serena moaned, spreading her legs further and pushing herself against him.

  Jaden ignored her pleading and continued to tease her pussy with his hard cock.

  “Please, Jaden, fuck me,” begged Serena once more.

  With one smooth movement, Jaden thrust himself into her.

  Serena moaned with pleasure as Jaden fucked her. A deep shiver ran through her body as he pressed his hand against her back, pinning her to the desk as he pounded into her.

  “Harder,” pleaded Serena. “Fuck me harder.”

  Jaden, sensing Serena’s building orgasm, grabbed her hips and thrust hard. Abandoning his control, he pounded into her. His own orgasm was rapidly building. They came together in a violent explosion of primal lust.

  He collapsed on top of her, spent and panting, and didn’t move until their breathing had returned to normal. When she began to stir beneath him, he bit her lightly on the shoulder before standing up. Serena turned and faced him, smiling, and said, “Are we even now?”

  Jaden threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, I don’t think so. That may be suitable compensation for my having saved you from your job, but there’s still this mess of the apocalypse to clear up.” His tone grew serious. “The apocalypse that you helped set into motion, and the target on my brother and myself.”

  Serena dropped her eyes and nodded. “And how do I repay the damage for that?”

  “To start with, you come with me to America, like I said. I want you by my side so I know you are safe.” He lifted her chin with a finger to force her to look at him. “I need you by my side, Serena.”

  “And then what?”

  “And then we will figure out how to take down the rest of the council and put a stop to what’s been set into motion. You know the council’s plans, Serena, you have to help.”

  Serena was silent, and continued to hold his gaze, a stubborn look in her eyes. Jaden watched her in stubborn silence as well. He was glad he had her safe, and wanted to keep her so, but he needed her to take responsibility for what she had been a part of. She held her silence for long moments and then he saw the defiance go out of her eyes at the same time he felt the tension go out of her body. “Yes, Jaden, I will help,” she said with a sigh. “I’m not proud of what I’d become a part of. I will help.”

  Jaden felt the tension go out of him as well and he gathered Serena in his arms and kissed her forehead. Still uncomfortable with admitting how much she meant to him, Jaden hoped fruitlessly that she couldn’t hear the relieved
pounding of his heart as he buried his smile in her hair.

  60

  JESS AND ERICA

  “I live at the old farmhouse with my friend Carrie,” Moira said. “But I come over to the big house lots to help Dante, and sometimes Jeffery and I make cookies together.” She was seated next to Jess at the breakfast bar in the kitchen of the mansion. Fifteen minutes earlier, Jess had wandered down from her room in search of coffee. She’d found Moira sitting on a stool by herself, eating peanut butter toast. She introduced herself to the girl and was soon being filled in on the goings-on at Sanctuary through the eyes of the nine-year-old.

  “I’ll bet you make amazing cookies,” Jess said, smiling at the little girl’s enthusiasm.

  “Oh, yes. Chocolate chip are my specialty.” Moira popped the last piece of toast into her mouth and chased it down with a swallow of orange juice. She placed the juice glass on her empty plate, slid off the stool, and took her dishes over to the sink. “I have to go to my lessons now,” she said, turning back to Jess. “But maybe if Jeffery and I make cookies later, I can bring you some. Have a good day. I hope you like it here.” She whirled around on her heel and dashed out of the kitchen without waiting for an answer from Jess.

  “Thank you, Moira. I hope you have a good day as well,” Jess called after her, laughing.

  “Who’s Moira?” Mandy asked as she walked into the kitchen a moment later.

  “She’s that blur that probably just about knocked you over. She’s been living here since her parents and siblings died. She was telling me a bit about what it’s like here at Sanctuary. Erica has really created something amazing. Well, as told by a nine-year-old anyway.”

  “Why is she here? Did vampires kill her family?” Mandy asked. She took a mug off a shelf and poured herself a coffee before sitting next to Jess on the stool Moira had recently vacated.

  “Yes. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what happened. I didn’t want to pry too much. She came at the same time as her friend Carrie, whose husband was also killed by vampires.”