Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness) (17 page)
Read Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness) Online
Authors: Amanda J. Greene
Hadrian did not answer. He did not have to confirm what she could sense. Instinct told her a full moon would rise tonight. When it reached its peak, she would change. Her body would contort. Her muscles would tear, her bones would snap as the animal within her awakened.
“Oh, god,” she whispered on a shaking breath. Her pulse pounded like a drum in her ears, her anxiety deafening. “Will I become a jaguar?”
“I don’t believe so. Your witch DNA should prevent a complete transformation.”
“
Should
?” she asked. Her fingers trembled as she nervously played with her hair, twisting and braiding it.
“Last night, I did some research and found nothing of value. I spent nearly fifty years living amongst the various packs that inhabit Central and South America. I learned all that I could of shifter history, biology, physiology and anatomy. I studied their war prone and often war torn cultures. I observed behaviors, interactions, and ceremonies. Not once, in all the time I spent with the packs, did I hear of one such as you.”
Eva’s shoulders slumped. “Are you saying there has never been a half-breed like me?”
Should he share with Eva what the Shaw priestess had told him? All those like her had died, none surviving past the change, but she would be different. He would save her. He would share with her his blood, the vile essence of his soul, and bind her life force with his.
Hadrian felt his incisors sharpen. Running his tongue over them, he groaned. Eva’s blood, he would finally know the taste of Eva’s blood. He had spent countless hours imagining how sweet, how hot she would be.
“So there is no telling what will happen to me?”
Eva’s distressed, musical voice slapped him back to attention. “No,” he answered.
Fear’s icy grip claimed her. There was nothing worse than the unknown. Had there truly been no others like her? The Shaw lived in Europe while shifters were scattered about the Americas and Africa, with few remaining in Asia. It was highly unlikely the two would have ever crossed paths.
Or
, she thought with a horrified shuttered,
none had survived to complete maturity.
Lifting her chin, she used all the strength she had to combat her fear. Fate had dealt her another crap hand, but she would not fold.
She stepped back, breaking Hadrian’s hold on her. “I just need to know one thing. Could I die?”
Hadrian’s jaw clenched and she could hear his teeth grind together. His eyes flashed between turbulent red and deadly black as he grated, “I will not allow death to take you.”
Eva exhaled the breath she had not realized she had been holding. Swallowing hard, she fought the dread that threatened to choke her. Death was a possibility.
Silence pounded in her ears. She stood cemented to the floor. The stillness was deafening as realization seeped into her. Tonight, when the full moon rose, she could die, painful and bloody.
Hadrian watched Eva. Would she faint? Would she run? Would she ever break free of the trance that had settled over her? Her breathing was slow, shallow as she continued to stare, unseeing, unblinking. Gods, he wished he could hear her thoughts.
He hesitantly stepped closer. Instinct roared within him, demanding he take her in his arms, that he reassure her with gentle words. But he knew nothing of comforting others and touching her—
“Hadrian.” Her voice was low, barely a whisper.
He moved closer. He could feel the delicious heat of her body.
“When I transition…will you stay with me?”
Unable to resist, Hadrian gently brushed her hair from her face, the curls erotically slipping through his fingers.
“I vow, I will
not
leave you.”
“Thank you.”
Hadrian felt her shiver and steeled himself against the urge to pull her to him.
“I never thought I would die a virgin,” she sighed.
“You will not die,” he snapped.
The violent force of his voice shocked her.
“Did you hear me, Eva?” His fingers circled her wrist, bruising her. He pulled her to him, leaning over her, his lips a scant whisper from hers. “Death will not have you. Ever.”
“Okay,” she gasped, her fear, her anxiety of the coming night forgotten, replaced by undeniable need. God, she loved it when he was rough. Something dark within her reveled in it. “You’re right. No need to stress over something that may not happen.”
“That
will
not
happen,” he corrected.
Eva nodded. If Hadrian said she was not going to be shaking hands with the Grim Reaper tonight, then she would believe him.
“Put death from your mind,” he commanded. “All we must think on is whether you will turn jaguar or not. Until midnight, we will play the waiting game,” he added.
Laughter bubbled within her, destroying the glass cage of uncertainty and anger that surrounded her heart. She loved when Hadrian used modern phrases. It clashed with his old accent and regal demeanor.
Enchanting was the only word Hadrian could find to describe Eva’s laugh. He stood, spellbound. Damn, she was beautiful. Her eyes sparkled despite the fear that lurked in their amber depths. She was brave, willing and ready to face whatever came at her. Hadrian found himself wishing this strong and gorgeous woman could be his.
Eva wetted her perfect lips and Hadrian groaned. They were inviting—no, begging for a kiss and, sweet hell, he needed to sample her passion.
Unable to reign in his desire, he leaned into her, melding their bodies together. Her breasts pressed hard against his chest, her hips cradled his erection.
Delicious tension coiled through her and gathered at her center. She could sense his resolve weakening and she eagerly rubbed against him, her fingers ran up from his wrists, over the roped muscle of his arms, to his wide shoulders.
Her breath caught as his lips brushed hers. Not a kiss, but a tender caress. She trembled. Anticipation mounting, her pulse hammered in her ears, drowning out the world. All that existed was Hadrian. The betrayal of her mother was forgotten and the news of her impeding transformation became a faint memory.
Hadrian’s hands moved into her hair as his body enveloped her. His low, deep growl vibrated her chest and she would have swooned if he had not been holding her.
Digging her fingers into his shoulders, she rose to her tiptoes. Their lips brushed again. He groaned as she sighed. His grip tightened. A shot of lightening sprinted down her spine. She stroked his bottom lip with her tongue.
Hadrian whirled away and she stumbled back, hitting the table. His back was to her, his fists clenching at his sides. She could see the whites of his knuckles as his shoulders heaved.
Her hand shot to her mouth. Her lips tingled. Her body burned. Tears triggered by the sharp pain of inadequacy, the dull ache of disappointment. She wanted to scream. She wanted to hit him over the head with a very large, very heavy book—repeatedly!
“Why do you always pull away?” Eva demanded. “Is it because I’m a half-breed? I’m not good enough for you?”
“I care not of your parentage.”
And I’m not good enough for you,
he finished, his jaw clenched.
“Don’t lie!” Her words ended on a threatening growl. “What is wrong with me?”
“Nothing,” Hadrian snapped.
Eva roughly ran her hands through her hair, barely able to contain her disappointed anger and sexual frustration.
“I don’t understand. There has to be something for you to continue to shut me down.” She shook her head. Maybe his refusal was not personal. “Is it because I’m your ward?”
Hadrian cursed then said, “It isn’t proper for us to have sexual relations.”
Eva shrugged. She could not possibly care less about what was right. She existed alone on the fringes of otherworldly society, why should she care about what other’s thought? They would judge her and shun her for her birth, not her actions.
“It’s not as if the alpha would challenge you to a duel in order to defend my honor and I highly doubt he would demand you marry me.”
My father may have sent me here hoping Hadrian would kill me. Or he sent me here knowing I would transition and possibly–No, don’t you even dare finish that thought.
“It is not honorable,” he firmly stated. “You are my ward. As such, you have been placed in my charge. I will not use my position to take liberties—”
“Careful, your age is showing,” she chided. “And you shouldn’t feel as if you’re taking advantage of your sweetly innocent ward. Have you forgotten what I confessed last night? I want you. Since we met I’ve been practically throwing myself at you.”
Sweetly innocent
, her words sliced his heart like a samurai sword. She was an innocent, a virgin and he was a depraved monster who would do more than ravage her. Eva deserved better than that, more than what he could offer. She needed a man who would be kind and gentle to her, who would go slow and—His fangs lengthen. A murderous rage built like a firestorm within him as he thought of another touching her, making her cry out in pleasure.
Hadrian scrubbed his face with his hands, the stubble on his cheeks scratching his palms.
“Why don’t you want me?”
Hadrian’s gaze snapped to her. His lips pulled back from his fangs as he hissed, “How can you doubt I want you?” He advanced, his eyes narrowed. “You plague my every thought. I dream of touching you, of kissing you,” his cool fingers wrapped about her upper arm, his grip hard, “of claiming you in one position after another. Every cell within my body craves to possess you.”
Lust rolled off of him in violent waves. Eva was helpless against the tide. She was swept away by his seductively dark eyes and his velvet voice.
He tenderly brushed the back of his knuckles along her cheek. “So fragile. So mortal,” he sighed. “You set me ablaze, little one. Your vanilla scent haunts me, ever taunting, ever inviting.” He took in a deep breath and Eva’s knees went weak. “You bring the demon out of me, forcing me to fight for control, for my very sanity.” He released her, folding his arms over his chest, his shoulders slumping as if he were trying to shield himself. “Eva, you make me dangerous and I think–I know, making love to you would drive me insane.” He took another step back. “And I couldn’t bear it if I hurt you or…worse.”
The chilling sting of sadness pierced her heart. He was honestly afraid he would harm her, but she could prove to him he was not a beast.
“I want to be with you.”
Fathomless, obsidian eyes stared at her. They glowed with a demonic light. “You do not know what you want. If you knew me…”
“I know you want me as much as I want you.”
“Why?” His whisper was rough, his sharp, crudely intelligent, predatory stare challenging her. “Why do
you
want me?”
Chapter Seventeen
Words failed her as she gazed into his haunted obsidian eyes. She could see past Hadrian’s ruthless exterior and the evil the vampire cloaked itself in. She saw his vulnerability, his uncertainty, and his pain. She could see his soul. Beaten and bruised, a perfect match to hers.
Mine,
her instincts screamed.
He is mine.
She did not know how she knew Hadrian was hers. She did not understand where the compelling sensation came from. But she could feel it in her heart, in her soul that this dark vampire belonged to her and she had to have him. She needed to claim him and she would. Tonight. To hell with her transition and death be damned.
“There is something about you. About us.” She took a step toward him. Hadrian did not retreat, but his arms remained crossed, his expression stern, scrutinizing. “I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to you, consumed by my desire for you. I feel…I need you.” She nervously wet her lips. “When you touch me, the world falls away. It’s as if nothing exists except me and you.” She closed the space between them. He continued to stare her down. “Being with you feels right. It’s as if we were meant to be together.”
Hadrian was not the only one staggered by her confession.
He whispered her name on an exhale and lowered his arms. “The change could be affecting your emotions.”
Eva expected his analytical mind would come up with a rational explanation for her feelings. So, she decided to show him exactly what she meant.
“There is something happening between us. You must sense it too. Why do you fight it?”
Without warning, she rose to her tiptoes, her ballet flats slipped off her heels. She cupped his face and kissed him.
Hadrian was stunned, swept away by a torrent of sensation. She was kissing him. Her silken lips firmly pressed against his as if daring him to pull away. He was too shocked to move, to respond.
It had been centuries since he had felt another’s lips caress his. A kiss was an intimate act, a connection, a couple sharing their souls as their breath intertwined. But he had nothing to share.
He did not wrap his arms around her. He wasn’t even kissing her back. Hadrian stood like an ancient Roman statue, still and cold.
Eva stepped back, releasing him, ending the kiss. A red-hot blush burned her cheeks as she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears.
Epic fail.
She bit her lower lip, unable to look Hadrian in the eye. Anxiety fluttered like butterfly wings in her belly as her heart pounded. The word embarrassment did not even begin to describe how she felt. Eva risked a peek at him, glancing up at him from beneath her lashes. The hard look on Hadrian’s face did nothing to help her self-esteem. She had finally gained the courage to kiss him and he glared at her as if she had just committed the worst kind of sin against him.
Hadrian could not believe Eva had just kissed him. His lips tingled and his body burned. He wanted to snatch her to him, to feel her body pressed tightly to his. Most of all, he wanted to claim her mouth and swallow her gasps as he buried himself within her. His hands fisted at his side, his jaw clenched, his muscles tensed. He fought the overwhelming need to pull her to him, to lay claim to her lips, her body, her soul.
He could not have her. No matter how much he desired her, no matter how much she may want him, it was dangerous, and it was unwise. He had reasons, good reasons. So, why was his resolve weakening?
For the precious seconds her lips had caressed his, his feral, tattered soul had come to life. Unfamiliar emotions surged violently through him and wreaked havoc on his already chaotic mind. He was dazed, unable to process what was happening to him, unable to form a coherent thought past having Eva beneath him crying out in pleasure.
Eva took a step back, retreating, and his demon growled. Was she trying to get away from him? No. His heart slammed in his chest, his breaths came fast and hard. The little half-breed would not escape him. She had unchained his lust and now she would pay.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
Hadrian’s hand shot out, his fingers circling her wrist, he pulled her to him. They collided and with a deep, animalistic growl, Hadrian surrendered to his need, embracing his hunger. His resolve gone and his reasons forgotten, Hadrian captured her lips.
Eva gasped, overcome by his intensity, swept up in the torrent of his passion and need, which matched her own.
His teeth nipped at her bottom lip, demanding entrance. Eva complied and Hadrian swept his tongue inside, exploring, conquering. His fingers plowed through her hair. One hand cupped her nape as the other slid down her back to grip her hip.
Eva could not think as Hadrian continued to plunder her mouth, stealing her breath. He kissed her like a man about to meet the executioner.
Vanilla. She tasted so sweet. Her kiss was drugging, addicting and he knew he would never get enough. After this slight taste of heaven, he would never be able to deny her again. Divine. Eva was divine.
More,
the demon chanted and Hadrian would oblige. He would claim her. Tonight, Eva would be his.
A growl rumbled his chest; his hands slipped down to cup her ass. He drew her up his body and Eva wrapped her legs about his waist. His erection strained against his jeans. Eva rocked her hips, grinding herself against his solid, thick length.
Drowning, she was drowning. Eva’s fingers dug into his shoulders, desperately she clung to him. He would not pull away; he would not deny her this time. Hadrian, the dark king, would be hers.
Hadrian’s grip tightened on her and Eva felt the air whirl around them. Gravity shifted for a moment as the world around them plummeted into darkness. Peeking, she saw candles eagerly spark to life, dispelling the shadows. A cool breeze swept in through the open balcony windows, carrying the clean scent of freshly fallen snow and forest, but she did not feel the cold.
Hadrian broke the kiss and drifted his lips over her jaw, down the hollow of her throat before drawing his tongue up to her ear.
A shiver of pleasure ran through her to him like an electric shock.
His muscles were tight, his need for her a painful ache. His hunger raged. He felt the beast within roar and he knew he was rapidly approaching the point of no return.
Hadrian reluctantly set her on her feet. His entire body trembled as he battled to maintain control of his dangerous passion. He did not want to frighten her with his intensity or strength. She was so small, so fragile. He needed to be gentle even though the last thing he wanted was to be gentle. He wanted to throw her on the bed, tear her jeans from her limbs with his claws and thrust in deep and hard.
Eva stumbled back a step, the backs of her legs hitting the mattress. Was he going to disappear? Was he going to spout off his reasons as to why they should not sleep together? Panic rose in her throat. She would not let him deny them again. Never again.
“Eva,” he rasped. “Last chance.” He towered over her, a dark warrior king. Her dark warrior king. “I intend to have you.” He advanced, his movements smooth as if he were stalking prey, prepared to pounce if she tried to flee. But she wasn’t going anywhere besides his bed.
She stared up at him, her amber eyes swirling with desire and undeniable hunger. She ran her hands down his chest, over his flat belly to the hem of his black shirt. He allowed her to remove the garment. His hands fisted as he stood, waiting for to her speak.
Hadrian groaned as her tiny tongue caressed her bottom lip and growled as she tugged that same lip between her perfect white teeth. She lightly traced the lines of his muscled abdomen, then lower, her nails skimmed over his hipbones.
He caught her wrists, holding them away from him. His chest heaved as he sucked in breath after breath. The heady scent of arousal clouded the air. He was on the verge of oblivion. One more touch, one more kiss, hell, one more heated glance from her would send him into a frenzy. He was barely hanging on to the shreds of his sanity. If she did not leave now, there would be no turning back. He would not be able to let her go.
“No–escape,” he grated.
She slipped off her shoes and slid back onto the mattress, pulling him with her. Hadrian leaned over her, his large, powerful hands pressing into the blankets on either side of her.
“I will be gentle, I swear.”
Hadrian prayed to every god he could name that his words were true. He did not want to frighten her, but more importantly, he did not want to hurt her. His strength was immense and his vampiric urges demanding.
His eyes flickered to her throat, her rapidly beating pulse beckoning him for a taste. The demon snarled and his fangs lengthened.
“Hadrian,” she whispered, drawing his gaze to hers. His black as night eyes smoldered with need, insatiable hunger, and…possessiveness. A low growl slipped past her lips as waves of heat flooded through her. Eva gripped his biceps, her nails creating half-moon imprints on his pale skin. “I’ve waited too long and you’ve teased me too much. It ends now.”
With a hard tug, she pulled him down on top of her.
Hadrian claimed her lips once more. Her tongue met his thrust for thrust, fueling the inferno of need within him. There was a whole other world within their kiss. Heaven and hell, blissful torture and he never wanted it to end. His little half-breed had unleashed a demon that would take immense pleasure in devouring her.
The sound of tearing fabric kissed her ears as Hadrian ripped her sweater, revealing her black, silk bra. His hands made quick work of the button and zipper of her skinny jeans. He peeled the dark denim from her legs.
Never did his lips leave hers. He kissed her frantically, deeply. Need roared within her, making her blood burn, and her core ache for him. He was drugging her with lust, her body responding of it’s own accord. Her legs locked about his waist, her hips rolled, her back arched as her sensitive flesh brushed against his shaft and soft pleas fell from her lips. She wanted, no craved to feel his cock press against her. She gasped as she imagined the crown slipping over her clitoris.
Eva could not wait anymore. She tugged at the waistline of his jeans, her fingers fumbled with the button. Her breath caught when she managed to liberate the metal. She found the zipper, pinching it between her thumb and index. Eva began to draw it down. After all their “encounters” she suspected he went commando. Breaking the kiss, she leaned up and angled herself so she could watch his shaft spring free.
Hadrian caught her wrists and pinned her arms over her head. Too fast, this was moving too fast, spiraling out of control.
“Not yet,” he said when she turned her disappointed gaze up to him. “Now, be a good little girl and lace your fingers together.” She complied. “You will keep them there until I say otherwise.”
Closing her eyes, she bit her bottom lip and nodded.
This was completely out of character for him. True, he enjoyed being commanding in bed, but he also took and gave pleasure hard and fast. Making the act as impersonal as possible, but not with Eva. Never with Eva. He wanted to take his time with her. He wanted to savor every caress, every kiss, and every sigh that fell from her exquisite lips. For the first time in over a thousand years, he wanted to go slow, needed to go slow.
She had truly awakened him in more ways than one.
Hadrian stood and braced himself for his first view of her naked form. He had felt her body intimately pressed against his, he had cupped her breasts and stroked her sex, but he had never seen her completely bare.
The light of the candles caressed her body. Eva’s eyes remained closed as he studied her angelic face, his eyes pausing on her enticing lips. Her dark hair fanned across the mattress, the locks tousled. His gaze slowly traveled lower to the elegant curve of her neck. As his eyes skipped over her pulse his fangs sharpened. A groan ripped from his chest as his gaze fell to her high, full, breasts that were tipped with hard, dark rosy nipples. They beckoned him. His eyes continued lower, to her narrow ribcage, over her flat, trimmed belly, flaring hips and smooth thighs.
With trembling hands, he removed her red thong.
The sweetest of curses fell silently from his lips. His mind went blank at the first sight of her female flesh. Glistening petals. He traced her folds with the tip of his finger…wet, hot, and unbelievably soft.
He took in a shuddering breath.
Control. Maintain control. Do not hurt her. Do not frighten her.
Only pleasure.
His voice was wicked and rough, his accent thick as he whispered, “I am going to make you come until you can’t breathe.”
Hadrian hooked his hands beneath her knees and drew her to the edge of the bed.
Control.
He knelt, settling his upper body between her thighs.
Control.
He circled one taunt nipple with his tongue and smiled when she arched, begging for more.
Control.
Hadrian skimmed his fingers up the insides of her thighs, over her stomach to cup her breasts. They filled his palms, her stiff nipples sensually teasing his palms. He brushed light kisses over her chest, nibbled at her collarbone.