Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness) (22 page)

He scooped her up and carried her to the shower. She welcomed the humidity and heat with a sigh. He slowly eased her under the rainfall. Eva let her head fall back, the water cascaded over her face and down her neck. Hadrian gently dropped her feet to the ground.

“Thank you,” she whispered, leaning her weight against him.

Titling her head back, she soaked her hair. Hadrian grabbed a shampoo bottle and washed her hair, massaging her scalp until she moaned. She tried to speak, but her voice failed, so she pointed to the conditioner. He lathered her unruly locks until they rinsed smooth, combing through the length with his fingers. She rinsed her hair as he took up a bar of soap and began to caress her skin, every curve, every dip, leaving nothing untouched. The water washed the suds away.

“Your shorts?” she asked, her voice cracking as she spoke.

He said nothing as he stared down at her. His gaze intense, his jaw set. Eva shrugged. She was in no mood to get frisky. She just wanted to see him naked, but this view would do. The soaked shorts molded to his body and she could see every line of his massive hard-on.

Hadrian shut the water off, stepped out and snatched a towel. He draped it over her shoulders, taking her up again, and returned her to the counter. He was careful drying her. Eva helped as best she could. She hated feeling helpless, but her limbs were like jelly and very uncooperative.

He brought her a second towel that she wrapped about her hair after he slipped the shirt over her head. Hadrian kicked the glass aside with his bare feet, clearing a space for her. Eva slid from the counter and stepped into the blue, flannel pajama pants.

“Do you know where the linens are kept?” he asked carrying her into the bathroom.

Eva nodded toward a tall cabinet beside the closet.

Hadrian placed her in the comfort of the armchair before the hearth. She watched him from her perch as he worked. He stripped the bed, balling the sweat soil sheets and tossing them over to the door. He quickly redressed the bed then came for her.

Eva pushed herself to her feet. Shaking out her hair, she dropped the towel beside the chair. Hadrian watched her with sharp eyes, studying her movements as she slowly crossed to the bed. She combed through her damp hair with her fingers, trying to appear casual, but her legs quaked and promptly gave out. He caught her then laid her down. Eva snuggled into the fresh satin with an appreciative sigh.

He frowned at her and she smiled. She knew this behavior was out character for him. She doubted he ever had to tend to someone, especially not a woman. He had been a warrior in his human life and aside from possibly dressing wounds; she doubted he had to for another.

She could not remember much of her transition. Her mind was clouded, her thoughts hazy. The pain she recalled with alarming clarity and—she swallowed hard—she had seen her mother. But Hadrian had brought her back. He had given her his blood. She buried her face in the pillow to hide her blush. She had liked it.

Why lie
, she thought.
I loved it.

She peeked up and found Hadrian kneeling, stoking a fire. Flames grew and danced, banishing the chill that hung in the room. His wet shorts hugged his hips and clung to his backside. He straightened as if he could feel her gaze upon him.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like hell,” she croaked.

His lips twitched at the corners, but he did not smile. He came to stand beside the bed. “You need to rest.” He drew the sheets up to her chin. “The pain will be gone when you wake, I promise.”

“How?”

He shrugged. “You are no longer mortal. Your body will heal.”

Eva sighed, thankful to know her arms and legs would be in working order soon. She hated feeling trapped and right now, her physical limitations were holding her captive.

“Thank you,” she tried to clear her throat and winced, “for staying with me.”

“I would never leave you,” he said, stroking his knuckles over her cheek.

Eva kissed his fingers. He abruptly dropped his hand, but she was too tired to care why at the moment. Sleep tugged at her mind and she no longer had the strength to fight it off.

The thick stone wall trembled when Hadrian slammed his bedchamber door closed. He needed to feed again. His body was not used to sharing blood and he could feel the fatigue of hunger begin to set in. He cringed as he thought of the bagged blood. He had hated it before and after tasting Eva…would he ever be able to stomach the vile contents again?

He crossed to the closet, bypassing the bathroom. He knew he should bathe properly, but he had no patience. Answers. He needed answers. Now.

Hadrian discarded the dripping shorts and donned a pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt. Deciding it would be best to hunt some game, he slipped on some socks before roughly tugging on his boots.

He stalked back into his room, throwing the balcony doors open with his mind.

Taking in a deep breath, he did his best to bury his frustration. He would not receive the answers he sought by tearing the meddling witch apart, though his fingers twitched with excitement at the thought.

“Witch!” he bellowed.

“No need to shout,” Silvie chided as she appeared on the balcony. Her scarlet robe whipped about her legs as her hood blew back, revealing his face. “Wow, this really is a beautiful view.”

Snowflakes caught in her long, black lashes. The witch was enchanting with her dark hair, smooth pale skin and ruby lips, but she was nothing compared his exotic Eva.

She is not mine. I cannot have her, even if she is my mate.

“You tricked me,” he snapped.

Silvie sighed and turned, reluctant to draw her gaze from the mesmerizing scene of pure snow, the crisp green forest, and the frosted lake. She was not surprised to find the king scowling. His glower was dark and menacing. She had seen worse.

“No tricks,” she said, entering the vampire’s lair. “I simply withheld a little information.”

“You knew what she was to me and yet you said nothing.”

Silvie did not even attempt to stop the sly smile that graced her lips. “Mate. She is your mate. Is the word so difficult to say? Or do you find it distasteful.”

“Witch,” he growled. A warning.

“Your Eva would have died if you had not bound her to yourself. I just failed to mention the only way you can bind someone to one such as you, a vampire, is if they are your intended, your other half.
Your soul mate.
Only mates can share this bond.” She held up her hand, preventing his next accusation. “I had to do it. The two of you were taking
forever
to get together.” Silvie shook her head. She pitied Eva because the stupid vampire had played hard to get. “I felt I needed to step in.”

Hadrian began to pace, needing some type of outlet for his frustration.

“This changes nothing.” He would still send Eva away.

“Oh, really?” She laughed. “This changes everything, Your Majesty. Or do you still believe you can allow her to leave?  That you can buy her a plane ticket and dump her at the airport without a second glance? Perhaps, you should speak with King Dorian first. He can share with you the mind numbing pain and heart wrenching loneliness that consumes you after being separated from your mate for long periods of time. He learned quickly after leaving Queen Victoria behind for a battle with the Red Order. You see, the Shaman crafted this spell, focusing on every detail.”
Intending to avoid this exact situation,
she thought. Her uncle was a crafty SOB planning everyone’s life, including hers.

Hadrian’s hand fisted as his eyes began to jump with angry flames.

“What are you really upset about?”

Silvie walked a slow circle around him, looking him up and down, inspecting him? No, reading him. Could the witch hear his thoughts? He doubted it but reinforced his barriers anyway.

“The demon.” She came to a stop just before him. “You don’t want to share. I would think being a twin you would have impeccable sharing skills.”

His jaw popped, his anger tipping over to rage.

“Oh, sorry. I forgot, touchy subject. I’ve got too many thoughts knocking around in my brain lately, hard to keep my ducks in row.”

Hadrian released an irritated sigh. The witch may be as crazy as he.

“A few months ago you were incapable of a normal, civilized, coherent conversation. You have made tremendous progress with rebuilding the wall between you and Imbrasus’s demon.”

His eyes narrowed to slits.

She smiled. “Yes. I know many secrets. Such as, you are not like the other vampires. You killed your maker in a very special way. He changed you on the night of a full moon. When he gave you his blood you transitioned instantly. You sank your fangs in deep, anchoring yourself to his wrist. Your claws were buried in his arm making it impossible for him to shake you free. And you bled him dry, consuming every last drop until his body fell to the cold sand beside you.”

Hadrian suppressed the curse that burned his tongue. Shivers raced along his spine, his demon howled, the sound echoed in his head. He had not thought of that night in centuries. Rage had taken root in his soul, fueling him to kill and dominate his prey—Imbrasus.

“Because you drained him and you were in mid-transition, instead of the curse creating a vampire to ravage your soul, you took Imbrasus’s demon. You house an original vampire, just like Sire Dimitri.”

Hadrian stumbled back, horrified, as if the witch had swung an executioner’s ax at him. How did she know? He had shared the facts of his change with no one. Not Dimitri or Dorian, not even Falcon. He intended to take this secret to hell with him.

“How do you know this?”

Silvie’s expression turned sullen. “The Shaman of our tribe is all knowing and he shared some of his memories with me.”

Hadrian slowly nodded as his brain kicked back into gear. Falcon always shared the latest gossip with him. Rumors circled that the Shaman was retiring, which meant he would no longer undergo reincarnation and would have to give his memories and powers to a successor. Instinct told him the chosen heir stood before him.

He cleared his throat, shoving his shock aside. He needed answers.

“Why did you not warn me of Eva?”

“I didn’t tell you Eva is your mate because you may have decided not to save her.”

Silvie’s confession stung. Would he have let Eva die? If she had, he could have joined her in death. He could have known peace and serenity in the afterlife. He could have cast off his demon, leaving it to burn in the eternal fires of hell.

“And now would probably be a good time to confirm that she will go into heat.”

Hadrian stopped, his eyes closed. A tortured groan escaped his lips.

“That was one of your questions, right? How does it work,” she tapped her chin, “Oh, right. Three days after the transition, a female will go into heat and her breeding cycles will follow every six months.”

He slowly nodded, fighting the erotic images that flooded his mind. Eva’s golden skin would be flush with desire, her eyes bright with need. He would palm her breasts as she rode him. Her back would arch as he pounded into her from behind. Her nails would score his back as he thrust into her.

No! He would do none of those things. One night, that is all. They could not risk being together again. He had nearly lost control. He had nearly bit her. He shuddered. Her blood had been heaven and would be mind numbing bliss if sweetened by her orgasms. His fangs exploded in his mouth, swelled. He hissed as it pressed against the zipper of his jeans.

Twenty-four hours of pleasure or, if he did not service her, she would experience twenty-four hours of hell. Females suffered excruciating pain if they did not have sex. Most compared it to that of their transition. He would have to restrain her. He could not have her escaping to town to prey on unsuspecting males. The drive to breed was overwhelming, all consuming, clouding the mind until the body reacted on pure instinct. But there was a drug that could dull the pain. How was he going to get it? Shifters were leery of vampires, thanks to Imbrasus.

“Let me guess, you are thinking about this,” Silvie said holding up a sealed, sterile bottle and capped syringe. She smiled at his frown and shrugged, “Magic. I abuse it, sue me.”

Hadrian’s jaw clenched. The witch came prepared. Suspicious. “You never cease to amaze.”

“This stuff is hard to come by. Not many shifter packs have the resources to make it.”

“Never once, in all the time I lived amongst the packs was I allowed to see it made or used. I learned from hearsay that unmated females found it useful and it loosens the tongue during interrogations. It must have been expensive.”

“It was granted to me after magical compensation was provided,” she answered.

“I know Shaw practices well,” Hadrian stated. “Gifts of this magnitude are never free.”

“If I recall my history lesson correctly, the Validus and the Shaw were not on friendly terms when you were last out and about.” She shrugged. “News flash, times have changed. We now seek to obtain and maintain peace with all vampire kind. Unfortunately, in this particular situation I do require a concession from you.”