Bound in Darkness

by Nicole Edwards

Truth be told, he wasn’t sure where he found the restraint. For weeks now, his hunger for her had been growing. Not a steady rise, either. No, this was an insurmountable pressure that threatened to weaken the fault lines of their tremulous relationship. From what he gathered, Acadia saw herself as his nurse, provided for him when he was otherwise unable to provide for himself. She took care of him day and night, waiting on him, feeding him, bathing him.

  And here he was again, having used her body to provide his release. He’d been selfish in his taking of pleasure, and that was the only reason he’d offered to do the same for her.

  Okay, maybe not the only reason.

  However, he couldn’t help but think how she’d told him the Fae availed themselves to the angels in this manner. That bothered him more than anything, and he did not want her thinking he was taking because it was his due. No, what he wanted from her was more, yet he didn’t seem to know how to relay that.

  “Please stay,” he urged when he suspected she would get to her feet.

  “Are you sure?”

  He’d never been more sure of anything in his life. What it was about this female, he had no idea, but Kaj felt the connection between them. He’d sensed it the moment he’d opened his eyes all those weeks ago to find she was still with him, caring for him, healing him.

  “I’m sure. Just let me clean up first.”

  Acadia was immediately on her feet, her gown sliding back down to cover all that delectable skin. Kaj instantly wanted her to remove it so he could bask in her physical beauty for a while longer.

  Rather than insist, he forced himself to his feet, made his way to the bathroom. The pain that bloomed in his torso was a familiar one. Despite the weeks he’d been here, he had yet to heal. Acadia was right, with her blood in his veins, he should’ve been at full strength by now, probably even back out in the world, returning to his duties. Instead, he continued to suffer setbacks, the pain still an insistent reminder that he was injured, each night the idea of a full recovery eluding him.

  He shuffled his way to the sink, turned on the warm water, and grabbed a cloth from the shelf on the wall. He stared at himself in the mirror as he rinsed the remnants of his lust off his stomach. His mind drifted back to those few moments when he’d been at her vein, his body trembling with need, his cock throbbing with the urge to come. Kaj could still hear Acadia’s whispered words, her softly spoken commands. His body had belonged to her in those moments, and he wondered if she even realized it.

  “Are you okay?”

  Kaj’s eyes shifted upward, seeing Acadia behind him in the reflective glass. He nodded because that was what she expected. As for whether that was the truth, he didn’t know. Something told him he would never be okay. Not in any real sense of the word. Not after this … the time he’d spent with her.

  “May I assist you back to the bed?”

  He could see her eyes moving over him, observing. Kaj decided he liked the way she looked at him. There was a warmth in her gaze. Not only the heat of attraction. More. Deeper. As though she could see past the exterior to the male beneath.

  Flipping the water off, he tossed the cloth into the sink, then snagged the hand towel and dried himself. He felt as though he needed to shield his nakedness but he opted not to. His cock was still hard, still throbbing, but the damn thing didn’t lead him, so it wasn’t concerning. He could and would ignore it as he was apt to do around this female.

  “Come on.” Acadia held up her arm, allowed him to lean on her for stability.

  When he stepped into the room, he realized she’d changed the sheets on the bed and now both sides were turned down, the pillows fluffed and awaiting two heads to lie on them.

  “You still want me to stay?”

  The uncertainty in her tone had him pausing, turning to look at her. His eyes scanned her beautiful features.

  “Yes. Please.” Forever, if you wouldn’t mind. Thankfully, those last words were only in his head and he intended to keep them to himself.

  Acadia kindly assisted him to his side of the bed, offered her strength as he eased into it. The blankets were pulled over his hips before she made her way around to the other side.

  “Would you mind taking off the gown?”

  He hadn’t meant to say the words aloud, but once they were out there, it wasn’t like he could take them back.

  A soft smile pulled at her lips, and then she was working free the ties and buttons on the dress. He couldn’t help staring at her as she revealed herself.

  Once she was on the mattress, she slowly pulled the blankets up, covering her nakedness once more.

  “Would you mind lying with me?” he prompted, holding out his arm, urging her to move in close.

  The silk of her hair tickled his arm as she shifted, pressing against his side, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. His arm curled around her back, pulling her closer, her warmth the only thing he cared about.

  When Acadia rested her hand on his chest, Kaj placed his over it, wanting to hold her there, to ensure she didn’t slip away as he drifted off.

  And for the first time in years, he slept soundly.

  Chapter Twelve

  With the calendar rolling into March, Kaj was starting to get restless. More so than usual.

  He figured it had a lot to do with the fact he’d yet to fully integrate himself in the new role as Alpha of his race, choosing to come up with one excuse after another: Michael’s request for him to pledge his loyalty, the insistence that he resurrect the original vampire, the notion of his daughter mating that ancient fanged creature. All those weighed heavily on his mind, making it impossible to address the important issues facing his race.

  His main focus these past few days had been building his strength. When he wasn’t spending time in the gym, he was at Acadia’s vein, utilizing her blood for its potency. Not to mention, a reason to be in her presence. Though they had yet to consummate their newfound relationship, Kaj had been working in that direction. Albeit slower than he would’ve liked.

  But he wanted to think that things were looking up in all aspects of his world. Hence the reason he’d been summoned.

  Of course, he would’ve preferred his Fae had called for him, rather than Obsidian requesting his presence, but hey, he wasn’t going to bitch. Right now, he needed something to focus on, and the male’s current pet project was as good as any.

  When Obsidian finally offered up an invitation to the new training facility, Kaj had eagerly accepted. Why the male had been so secretive up to this point, he wasn’t sure, but he was eager to get a look-see and offer to contribute in any way necessary. Yes, another excuse to put off the inevitable. So what.

  Now, as Kaj stood within the walls of what looked to be nothing more than an enormous concrete box, he had to wonder what all the fuss was about.

  “This?” Kaj asked, peering over at Obsidian. “This is your idea of a training facility?”

  The great expanse before him was nothing more than stone and concrete at the moment. A section of the mountain that had been dredged out, shored up, and cemented in so that it resembled a usable, albeit uninspired space. Where were the walls? The equipment? The tools necessary to create the next generation of warriors?

  “Keep an open mind, vampire,” Obsidian quipped.

  Open mind. Right.

  “How big is it?” Kaj inquired.

  “Roughly ten acres,” the male answered. “So, in square feet, that’s…”

  “Four hundred thirty-five thousand, six hundred,” Blāz noted. “Give or take based on your ‘roughly.’”

  Obsidian smirked. “Exactly.”

  “So, what? Half the size of Angel Central?” Kaj teased.

  Obsidian smirked. “We do what we can.”

  Kaj studied the space. There were absolutely no windows because of its location within the mountain, which was crucial. No risk of attacks from the exterior, nor concerns they’d be incinerated by the sun by accident, something Kaj was all too familiar with after the
first shutter malfunction they’d encountered at the Lair. According to Blāz, they no longer had to worry, but Kaj was skeptical. Last thing he wanted was to wake up dead.

  Obsidian motioned him toward a table. “Miklós and Huracān finalized the blueprint early this morning. We are officially a go.”

  Kaj scanned the sheet of paper covering the entire table. From the looks of it, they’d thought of pretty much everything. Workout space, equipment and physical therapy rooms, a two-story weapons training area, mess hall, sleeping quarters with attached bathrooms, recreation room, separate locker rooms for males and females including shower stalls and changing areas. Plus a—

  “You’re putting a pool down here?”

  Obsidian grinned. “Of course. Olympic-sized with eight lanes. Pivotal to training, don’t you think?”

  Not quite the training Kaj had undergone, but hey, when there was no expense to be spared, he figured there was no need to go medieval.

  “Trainees will reside in the dorm.” Obsidian pointed to a section on the page. “We can house fifty trainees at a time.”

  “Fifty?”

  The male peered over at him. “Michael’s rather optimistic. I’d prefer we keep the classes to somewhere in the vicinity of twenty-five max. But the extra space will allow the graduates a place to reside.”

  As for the size of the classes, Kaj had to agree with him. When it came to building a powerful force, it wasn’t about quantity but rather quality.

  “We’ve also added classrooms, offices, and three gun ranges.”

  “What are your thoughts?” Kaj asked Mirakel, who was currently skimming the blueprint.

  The male looked up, neon blue eyes locking on Obsidian. “How long will it take to get it complete?”

  “We’ve opted to bring the trainees in now,” Obsidian explained, “put them to work. Time will be determined by their efforts.”

  Kaj chuckled. “Building character early. I like it.”

  “If all goes well, we’ll be up and running in four months. At least the basics, anyway.”

  If it were up to Michael, Kaj knew they would’ve chiseled that number down to four weeks, but the archangel was rather ambitious, wasn’t he?

  “I have five males and two females I’d like to bring in for the first class,” Mirakel told Obsidian.

  “Of course.” Obsidian glanced at Kaj. “I assume you’ve spoken with to Michael?”

  “Briefly.” Kaj had yet to follow up with his answer to the archangel’s request, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t thought about it endlessly. In fact, he could think of nothing else, including the long list of duties he was shirking as the Alpha.

  “Apollo and Amethyst plan to have a clinic put in down here. They’ll address any trainee injuries or illnesses here. No one will be permitted into either residence under any circumstance.”

  “What about meals?” Mirakel inquired.

  “They’ll have the equivalent of a mess hall. The trainees will be responsible for everything. Shifts will be outlined so they’re frequently alternating between cooking, cleaning, assisting in the clinic, as well as their required training classes. By the time they’ve completed the program, not only will they be capable to fight alongside the fiestreigh and the Zenith, they’ll be successful in taking care of themselves.”

  “What about recreation?” Blāz inquired. “Or is it all work and no play?”

  “You sound a lot like Apollo,” Obsidian teased. “And yes, they’ll have a rec room. Can’t expect them to be working twenty-four-seven.”

  As much as they would’ve liked to, no, it wasn’t feasible. Everyone needed time to decompress, and Kaj figured the schedules would be aligned accordingly.

  “And when they’ve completed their training, where will they reside?” Blāz asked.

  “I figure we’ll decide that once we’ve got a good read on their abilities.”

  Kaj agreed. No sense planning for the future until they knew what the future would look like.

  “If you’re in agreement,” Obsidian said as he turned to face Kaj, “I’ll let Michael know we’re ready to start assessing. Like you, I’m not simply accepting them into the program because they’ve been bred to be warriors. I’d appreciate your males’ help in weeding out those who don’t cut it.”

  “We’d be happy to,” Kaj noted.

  It made sense that he and Obsidian had become friends all those years ago. They had quite a bit in common, not to mention respect for each other. In this case, it was going to be absolutely necessary because two alpha males were going to butt heads when it came to final decisions. There was no getting around it.

  “Would you mind giving us a minute?” Kaj told the others.

  Once his males filed out of the space, Kaj tucked his hands in his pockets and began walking the length of the enormous area that would likely be the most state-of-the-art training facility to have ever graced Earth.

  “Michael came to see me a few weeks ago,” Kaj told Obsidian.

  “I heard.”

  He peered back at the angel. “Did he happen to mention what we discussed?”

  “No.” Obsidian began walking beside him. “It’s not my business, and I informed Michael as much. Told him if it’s regarding vampires, he’s to leave me out of it. If you choose to include me, I expect you’ll come to me.”

  Another reason Kaj respected the male so much.

  “Is there something you’d like me to know? Perhaps regarding Acadia?”

  That pulled Kaj up short. As far as he knew, Acadia had yet to talk to Obsidian. Though they’d interacted every day since their initial discussion regarding them feeding only from one another, she hadn’t yet mentioned speaking to Obsidian.

  “I’m not sure whether you’re aware that Acadia’s been with me since we were first sent down here,” Obsidian said, resuming his stroll. “Fifteen hundred years she’s been with us.”

  “I’m aware,” Kaj confirmed. “Believe it or not, I’ve learned quite a bit about Acadia during my time in her presence. The question is, are you aware of who she is?”

  “Regarding her position within the Fae?” Obsidian nodded. “Yes.”

  “Is she aware of it?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  Kaj figured as much although he wasn’t sure that was possible. Then again, there were a few anomalies regarding the stories of the Fae.

  “From my understanding,” Kaj continued, “Fae are ruled solely by their queen.”

  “That is correct. Back before they were cast out, their queen was responsible for the decisions affecting their race. They’ve never acknowledged a king, even if the female was mated.”

  “Which means, if the Fae are released from their servitude, she would move into the role, responsible for her race.” Or what was left of them, anyway.

  “Correct. She would be the sole ruler.”

  Which was not an issue as far as Kaj was concerned. He had no desire to be the ruler of the Fae. He had enough on his plate. However, he did believe that it made things a bit easier between them because that was the case.

  “What brings that up?” Obsidian inquired. “Them being released from their duties?”

  Great. This was the part he had least looked forward to. “Michael’s asked me to do something. In return, he’ll free the Fae from their responsibilities to you.”

  Another nod from the enormous angel. “Makes sense he would do that.”

  “He’s also asked that I pledge my loyalty to you,” Kaj said.

  Obsidian frowned. “In return, he’ll free the Fae?”

  “No. That’s a separate request. He merely asked that we align ourselves with you.”

  Obsidian stopped, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared back at him. “And what’s your opinion on the matter?”

  Kaj peered just beyond the angel. “It’s not a pledge I’m comfortable making. You’re talking about the whole of my race.” He cut his eyes to the male’s face. “Now, I’ll gladly fight alongside you, but it’s
imperative the vampire race stand alone. If I fall within your rule, they’ll have absolutely no respect for me as their leader.”

  “You’ve always been a proud species.” Obsidian grinned. “And I agree with you in that regard. Which is why I wish I’d known about this request before Michael made it.” The male’s dark eyebrows lowered, as did his voice. “Kaj, I’d be honored to have you at my side. I’m aware of Michael’s concerns regarding what’s coming. And while he believes the amsouelots are no longer in danger, I disagree. Lucifer’s not one to back down, even if he does have his eye on a different prize. But I do fully agree we’re stronger together.” He motioned toward the facility laid out before them. “Hence my decision to move forward. There are many things we can learn from one another, as can those who’ll be fighting when we’re long gone.”

  Despite the fact they were immortal, Kaj’s thinking was along the same lines of Obsidian’s. Because of their responsibilities, it was only fair to assume they would be taken out at some point. Just hopefully not for a couple more millennia.

  “It would be my honor to fight at your side, angel.” Kaj smirked. “You’re one of the few I trust implicitly.”

  “So you’ll move forward with me? Not behind me or in front. Beside. Together.”

  Kaj nodded. “Under one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Provided Acadia will have me, I fully intend to mate the female, and I’ll expect the boundaries to be respected by your males.”

  “I thought that was a done deal.”

  “Not quite. Unlike you and the humans, vampires don’t have predestined mates.”

  Obsidian nodded. “I’m all too familiar with mielix zan, Kaj. And I know you’ve imprinted on Acadia. I also know you’ve been holding back.”

  “True. But strong as I may be, I can’t defy it for much longer. And the last thing I want is to put your males in danger, but that’s what it’ll come to if I fully bond with the female.”

  A dark rumble came up from Obsidian’s chest. “Trust me, vampire. That’s the last thing I want, too.”

  “I need to speak with Michael,” Kaj told him. “There’s still the matter of his other request.”