by Abella Ward
Lena glanced at her son. "Actually—"
"Everything is fine," Wanda interrupted. She glared at Lena. The last thing she wanted was for people to feel sorry for her. Well, maybe not the last thing, but it was pretty high up there on the list. She set her drink down and grabbed Adam's hand, dragging him out onto the dancefloor before Lena could bring up her parents again.
Is my past coming back to haunt me? Am I ever going to be free from it?
"Ah, so you're going to dance with me, are you?" Adam said.
"Unless you don't want to, in which case I'm going to bed," Wanda replied, still glaring at Lena.
Adam's arms wrapped around her. "Not unless you're going to bring me with you."
Wanda suppressed a gasp as he pulled her against him. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. "Are you serious?"
He bent forward, his gaze on her mouth. Wanda's heart thudded against her chest, freezing. When their lips were just brushing, Adam paused. He stared into her eyes and she stared back. What was he waiting for? Her permission? Or…
She closed the distance between them. He gripped her firmly, drawing her closer. Wanda's eyes drifted closed, following his lead. So much for him getting bored with her… She deepened the kiss, heedless of their audience. It was better than anything she could have expected.
Maybe there was something to marrying the vampire king after all.
Chapter Five – Adam
Adam smiled as Wanda laid her head on his shoulder. Dawn was breaking in the east, bathing the land in the silver-gold light. He had been the only one to dance with the little human since midnight. He had certainly learned an important lesson from this. Demanding anything from Wanda wasn't going to work, especially when he ignored context. He had to make sure to ask for everything because, otherwise, she would do the opposite whether she wanted to or not.
When they got to her door, she kicked her feet, making him set her down, and yawned. "You're not going into my room, buster."
Adam grinned. He was energized from the dance and the frequent kisses he and Wanda had shared as they danced together. Everybody would be talking about those for a while. He would have loved to take it further and spend the whole day in her room. However, his human was clearly exhausted.
He brushed his lips across her forehead and nodded. "I'll see you later then."
Wanda smiled sleepily at him and waved as she entered her little studio apartment. Adam wanted so badly to follow her. Soon, he promised himself. As soon as she can tell me what she's so afraid of.
He still needed to talk to his mother about what she said that made Wanda look so panicked during the dance, but for the moment he headed towards his office. He hummed to himself, feeling as light as a cloud. Wanda was starting to trust him, and he was finding that he liked spending time with her. He had been thinking marriage would just be a convenience, but the way things were going, he was going to enjoy it.
His mood darkened rapidly when he got closer to his office. The sniveling weasel, Jonas, stood at the end of the corridor, talking with Christopher. Adam had just released the vampire from the dungeons, in part because Wanda still refused to name any punishment for him. He was supposed to have just left, though.
"What is going on here?" Adam demanded when he got closer.
Jonas jumped and winced. "My lord. I didn't… Ahem. I was just speaking with your brother here. I was hoping that I might have an audience with you."
"About what?"
"The human. Wanda. I recognize what I did was horrible. I was unfortunately not in my right mind and my judgment was not at its best." Jonas laughed, as though what he said was funny. Adam narrowed his eyes and waited for him to get to the relevant part. The other vampire paled. "Uh… Anyway, I think I ought to take her back with me to restore her to her family."
"Wanda isn't going anywhere with you. Get out of my palace before I have you thrown back into the dungeons."
"But my lord—"
"Now."
Adam glared at Jonas as he scurried away, then turned to Christopher. His brother looked bored. "What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing." Christopher flinched as Adam folded his arm. "Okay, maybe I owe him some money—"
"Christopher!" Adam grabbed his arm and dragged him into his office. He slammed the door behind them. "You owe that pathetic worm money?"
Christopher shifted from side to side and shrugged. "Only a little. Ten grand."
Adam resisted the urge to grab his brother and shake him. Of all the stupid things… "And when you were in Cabo? Were you getting high there, too?"
"High? What are you talking about?"
"You've been buying drugs from him!"
Christopher shook his head. "No. Never. I'm not a drug addict, Adam. Yeah, he offered once, but he hasn't ever since I threatened to bring a random raid down on his house. But a couple months ago, we went to a casino he owned, and I may have been on a bit of a losing streak. But come on, ten grand isn't that much. I'm just in a bit of a pinch right now that I didn't expect. If you spot me the money, I'll pay you back. You know I will. I always do."
Adam still scowled, but he nodded. The last thing he wanted was for his family to be indebted to the likes of Jonas in any way, shape or form. But hearing that he had backed off of Christopher when threatened with a raid on his house… It was a long shot, but maybe a raid would be worth it.
In the meantime, his brother's debt had to be paid.
"You'll pay me back by the end of the year," the king warned his brother. "Understood?"
"Yeah. I wouldn't have even brought it up, except, well..." Christopher didn't look any more comfortable despite that issue having been solved. "But hey, shouldn't you have talked to Wanda about going back with him to her parents? That's a choice she should make."
"He told her that I was going to kill her," Adam said shortly. "He terrifies her. That man isn't getting anywhere near her again."
***
A couple days passed with nothing exceptional happening except for the fact that Wanda had dinner with him each night. They had talked well into the night. He learned that she hadn't even finished elementary school and immediately hired a private tutor for her. She had clearly been embarrassed by her lack of education until he told her he was two hundred and sixty-eight before he learned how to read.
He found her in the library one day, returning a stack of books that he had suggested the previous day. They were all easy-reader chapter books but remained some of his favorite stories.
"Hey," he greeted her, bending down for a kiss. She pressed herself to her toes and closed the distance between them. "Returning these already? I guess you just couldn't get into them, huh?"
A faint blush rose in Wanda's cheeks and she shook her head. "Not exactly. I stayed up all night last night and I've read them all. I was just here looking for another stack. I've got a list of books that are a grade higher than my abilities right now, and I figure if I tackle them I'll improve faster than I would if I get comfortable at my current level."
Adam grinned. It was surprising to him how easily Wanda provoked this reaction. Just her presence calmed him, something that he wasn't sure how to take. Part of him said that he shouldn't be relying on her for mood stability, but, on the other hand, it was because he liked being around her so much. It was easy to forget about himself with her.
"Let me see your list." She handed it over. Adam glanced down it. "Hmmm… you know, I have a few of these in my private library."
Her eyes widened. "You have a private library too?"
Adam smirked. "Yep. This library is for anybody to get their grubby hands on books. I have my own stores so that people won't read while eating and get cheesy fingerprints all over my precious books. Come on."
He took her hand and pulled her from the library. Her small hand felt so right in his, squeezing back tightly, warm and comforting. The bright joy in her eyes made his heart skip a beat. She was so beautiful, so full of life and eager to learn everything tha
t the world had to offer. He was a lucky vampire to have met her – lucky that she spat in his face when they first met. That was how it all began, after all.
They reached his private library quickly. It was a fairly large room with a hearth on one wall, a bay window in another, and the other two lined with shelves. It was carpeted in pale yellow and adorned with Victorian-style furnishings.
"Wow," Wanda breathed as they entered. "All those books are yours?"
Adam nodded. "And you are free to take and read any of them as long as you promise not to read while eating, on the toilet, or in the bath."
"I promise." Wanda ran her fingers over the spines, eyes bright. "Lord of the Rings. It's on my list."
"Those are first edition copies."
"Shut up!" Wanda stared at him. "For real?"
Adam chuckled. "For real. And here are the Chronicles of Narnia and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
"Wow."
He watched her as she continued along. His mind drifted back to the morning after the dance. Was he wrong to have just sent off Jonas without even consulting her? Adam thought he knew what was best for her, but Jonas had picked her up off the streets. Didn't she deserve the right to decide for herself whether to be reunited with her family or not?
"Wanda…"
She turned to him with a smile.
"You know you're free to leave whenever you want, right? You're not a prisoner."
"Yes. I know that."
He glanced at his shoes briefly. "The other day Jonas stopped by. He… he wanted to take you back, to return to your family."
He wasn't expecting the blood to drain from her face. She sagged against the wall, her eyes widening. "Are you… Are you sending me back to them?"
Chapter Six – Wanda
Every cell in her body felt like it froze. She had gotten so comfortable here that it felt like she was never going to leave. But what if Adam had gotten bored with her? She had never kissed anybody before. What if he had decided that her lips were nothing special, that she was nothing special, and he didn't want her anymore?
She couldn’t go back. Not to the people who had sold her for cocaine. Had Lena told him that she found her parents? Did he want to make her give him answers about them? And what did Jonas want with her? He always told her she wasn't worth the trouble she caused him. If she went back, he'd kill her. He had made it clear that he had no qualms about it. Her stomach churned.
Adam brushed her hair from her face and let his fingers trail down her neck. When he reached her collarbone, she half-hoped, half-feared that he would lower her neckline to reveal the scars Jonas left on her. She bit her lip, shivering. He withdrew.
"I told you that you were free to leave whenever you wanted," he said, his voice softer than one would expect from a man as huge as he was. "That also means you can stay for as long as you want. I am not going to make you do anything you don't want, Wanda. But—"
"There shouldn't be a but," she interrupted, shaking her head
"But," Adam continued firmly. "I would like you to tell me why you're so scared of him. Jonas will never have you again. And your parents—"
"I don't have parents."
Adam opened his mouth, but before he could continue, his cell phone rang. Wanda sighed in relief. Yes, things were progressing between them, but she wasn't ready to share that part of her past yet. Perhaps she was being silly, but if the people who were supposed to love her could abandon her… he could, too, and she wasn't going to give him her past until she knew that wasn't going to happen.
"It's my mother," the king grumbled. "She needs me to sign off on something. Feel free to take whatever books you want."
Wanda nodded stiffly. Adam hesitated, then leaned close. Like always, he kept a small space between them for her to close. How he knew to do that, she didn't know. After he was gone, she sank into a chair and hid her face in her hands. She had to tell him – wanted to tell him. About her parents, and everything she knew about what Jonas was doing.
She just didn't know how.
***
Later that day, Wanda stretched out on her bed wearing nothing but a smile as she eagerly consumed a new story. She was so engrossed in the tale that it wasn't until Adam called her name that she realized he was just outside her door, knocking. Wanda put the book up and quickly threw on a robe before answering it.
"You missed dinner," Adam said, holding a plate of food. "Are you upset with me?"
Heat rushed to Wanda's cheeks. "No. I started reading after I took a shower and… well, I got distracted."
"Good. Or, perhaps, not good. You might be upset with me soon. We need to talk." His gaze traveled down her body and he frowned. "Perhaps you should dress first."
Wanda had a feeling she knew what he wanted to talk about and shook her head. If she needed an escape, saying she had to dress would make a good excuse. What she hadn't expected was Adam to just step into her room and close the door behind himself.
Wanda wrapped her arms around herself, narrowing her eyes at him. "You're being very rude."
"I need to know what Jonas did to make you fear him so much. And what your parents did. Mother told me that you looked like you were about the faint when she told you she tracked them down. You need to tell me the truth, Wanda. They didn't abandon you to the streets when you were a child, did they?"
"It's none of your business."
"Maybe not, but this thing with Jonas is. Wanda, if he did anything to you—"
She couldn’t talk about this, not right now. Desperate to make him stop asking her about this, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Adam started, and Wanda maintained her advantage. She made full body contact with him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Adam gripped her tightly, kissing her back. He lifted her from the ground and carried her swiftly to the bed. When he set her down, Wanda reached for the tie on her robe.
Adam caught her wrists, stopping her. He shook his head, eyes twinkling. "I wasn't born yesterday, my dear. I know when someone is trying to change the subject. Why don't you dress?"
She scowled. "If you can't handle me being naked, then leave."
The vampire shrugged. He picked her up again, cradling her in one arm, and threw back the blankets. He slid in with her and Wanda grinned. Maybe her plan was working after all. But he didn't kiss her again, only put his arms around her and drew her in close with her head on his chest. His skin was cool but not cold, and the soft thump of a heartbeat came from inside.
"You have a heartbeat?"
"Yes. All vampires do. Well, at least this type of vampire. There are different types… Like dogs. I'd be a St. Bernard, but there are pit bulls, Pomeranians, hellhounds… all kinds."
Maybe this could be her distraction. "How many kinds?"
"Many." He was silent for a moment. "I was born human. My father… My father was an evil man who would hurt my mother. When I was fifteen, I killed him. But she loved him, and I don't think she ever really forgave me for it."
Wanda listened to his steady breathing, holding her own breath. She knew that Adam liked to keep things private, and her heart pounded wildly. If he was trusting her with this… Was it his way of saying that she could trust him with her own broken past?
"A vampire turned me, Christopher, and Mother all at the same time to fight his war against the crusaders for him. I… I was his best warrior. I can't remember how many people I killed in that first war, and then after the next, I said no more and killed him… There was always another war. Always more blood to shed. Christopher… he was never a soldier. He had a wife, children. He outlived them all, and his grandchildren, great-grandchildren until they wanted nothing more to do with him. And Mother? When she looks at me, all she sees is the lives I've taken."
"But if it was in the war, you had no choice."
"Maybe. Or maybe it was just the easiest thing for me to do. They say I made a deal with the devil, you know. Sometimes I think that I must have."
Wanda shivered.
&nbs
p; Adam stroked her hair gently. "I've forgotten what it's like to be human. I forgot what it was like to be soft. I need someone who isn't afraid to put me in my place, even if I frighten them. I need someone who can stop me from becoming the devil."
His voice was heavy with emotion, and Wanda shivered again. He was bearing his soul to her, but she didn't know if she could do the same. She had spent so long fighting against any feeling or memory that made her weak. She turned her face into his chest.
"I first ran away when I was five," she blurted. "I lived on the streets for three months before the police found me and took me home. My parents made up a story about me staying with my grandmother, but they hadn't even noticed I was gone."
His hands were soft as they stroked her back, encouraging her to continue.
"The next time was when I was eleven. My mom noticed when I didn't clean the house after them. Then, when I was sixteen, I ran away again. That time Jonas found me. He took my back to my parents, and they were strung out of their heads. He promised them a steady supply of drugs if he could keep me. They agreed. I ran away from him once to go back to my parents. They sent me back."
Adam's arms trembled. She waited for him to speak, but he remained silent. Chewing her lip, Wanda looked up. The utter revulsion on his face made her flinch back from him.
"Adam?"
"I have to go," he said jerkily. "I… have to go."
He practically ran away. Wanda was left in the bed, alone, with a horrible well of emptiness rising in her. Now that he knew, he didn't want her. Nobody wanted her.
She collapsed into the pillows and burst into tears.
Chapter Seven – Adam
The custom-made punching bag that cost Adam over four thousand dollars split apart at the seams on the fifth blow. Sand and stuffing flew into the air, spilling over the floor. The king growled, yanking the whole thing from the ceiling. Steel chains snapped like rubber bands, and he screamed when he threw it across the room. There weren't enough things in this stupid gym that he could take his anger out on without destroying. Maybe he ought to move to Africa where he could pick a fight with an elephant when he was in these moods.
