Embrace The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 3)

by Jenn D. Young

  My eyebrows arched in surprise. “When have I ever gone charging off into a situation?”

  He chuckled, the sound warm and rich. It sent warmth throughout my body as his humor washed over me. “You always speak your mind.” His hand glided down my cheek as his eyes roamed over my face. “It could get you into trouble one day. Think before acting.”

  I huffed and pushed at the solid wall of his chest, trying to get him off me. “Get off me you big oaf, if that’s the way you’re going to talk to me.” Mock sincerity rang in my voice. I tried my best to be serious, but I failed and burst into laughter at his bewildered expression.

  “You’re going to get it.” The threat lingered in the air as heat grew behind his eyes. “But first I’m sure you want to shower. I said I’d take care of you, so that’s what I’m going to do.” He sprang to his feet with all the grace of a big cat and held out a long-fingered hand for me to take.

  Placing my hand in his, I let him help me into a sitting position. My legs swung over the side of the bed and I tilted my head to stare up into his beautiful eyes. That gorgeous smile was still etched across his perfect lips. He bent down and scooped me up into his arms. With an excited giggle, I clung to his neck and placed open mouth kisses up his neck to his ear.

  “We aren’t going to make it into the shower if you keep doing that,” Vincent growled as his arms tightened around me.

  “Mmm,” I hummed. “I want to get clean, but then I want you to make me very dirty again.”

  “Fuck, Lorelei. You’re killing me.”

  He set me down on the marble surface of the countertop and quickly stripped away my tattered clothing. His eyes were alight with lust and hunger as he caressed me with his gaze. I was utterly lost in him. I didn’t care what I had just gone through. Didn’t care that I had been tortured and abused.

  With him, everything was back to being perfect.

  He stepped away from me and turned the water in the shower on. After making sure it was the perfect temperature, he padded on silent feet to stand before me. His lips parted and his tongue flicked out to moisten them slowly, driving me wild with the force of my need for this man.

  “Shower first. Then more.” His words hung heavy in the air with their implied promise.

  I nibbled on my bottom lip, feeling my fangs sink into the tender flesh. With careful, unhurried movements, Vincent pulled off his dusty and torn clothes, carelessly tossed them to the side until he stood before me naked. I greedily took in the sight of his bare form, raking my eyes over his tattooed, muscular chest down to his tight abs and the swell of his rapidly growing erection.

  My mouth watered, wanting more of him. My entire body ached with the intensity of my desire. My neck was still on fire, the burns from the collar barely healed. I needed to feed and replenish my strength, but my need for my mate’s body and our connection was more powerful. It demanded that I take his blood and his cock and leave him drained.

  “Theera,” he clucked his tongue, clicking it against the roof of his mouth in a chiding gesture. “Clean. Then dirty. Remember?”

  “Right,” I replied on a shaky exhale. No. I wanted him now. I didn’t care about anything else.

  “Good.” He smiled and wedged himself between my thighs. “Now, in the shower you go.” He bent slightly to wrap his arms around my waist and pulled me over his shoulder to carry into the steaming water.

  “Vincent,” I squealed and thumped on his back. “Put me down!”

  He chuckled and dropped me onto the large stone bench in the walk-in shower. “I put you down.” He shrugged with the damned smirk on his face. “Now I’m going to get you clean.”

  “Yes, please.” I tipped my head back when he pulled the showerhead off the holder and wet my hair. I moaned in pleasure as the hot water cascaded down my body. He took great care to wash my hair, his fingers massaging my scalp as he worked the shampoo into the strands. I savored the sensations, absorbing his touch as we reconnected.

  I leaned back into his powerful body. The undeniable evidence of his desire for me pressed into my skin. I couldn’t help myself as I reached back and wrapped my hand around his thick cock, pumping up and down. The water and residual soap making my movements smooth and unhurried.

  Vincent pulled my hand from his shaft. Cupping my cheek in the palm of his hand, he turned my face up toward him. “Stand,” he growled, lust making his voice rough and edgy.

  I immediately followed his growled command and rose to my feet. I breathed out his name as my arms reached up to grip his shoulders. His touch set me on fire. The feel of his skin, the way his cock pressed against me. The heat of his gaze as it burned through me. It was all too much. I needed him.

  “That’s right, Theera,” he moved the spray of water to fall over my back. “Lean on me. Take my strength.”

  My fangs ached, itching to pierce his flesh and take his rich blood. My stomach cramped with pangs of hunger as my eyes narrowed in on the pulse pounding steadily beneath the tan skin of his neck. Water droplets beaded along his throat and traveled in rivulets down his strong chest. Gods, I was dying for him.

  “Vincent, I need you now.” My voice was little more than a husky moan, my words thick with desire. “Please let me feed.”

  Vincent’s smile widened and he pulled my body flush against his. I felt the hard ridge of his cock pressed against my soft belly. I bit back another moan as my breasts pressed into his chest. “Not yet, Theera,” he answered with a devilish grin. “You’re clean. Now I will make you dirty again. In our bed.”

  15

  Vincent

  Fuck. Lorelei was so utterly perfect as I lifted her into my arms and set her feet gently down on the plush rug in front of the shower. I grabbed a fluffy towel from the rack and glided it over her body. I palmed her breasts and slid my hands down, cupping her mound. Teasing her into a frenzied pitch before I bent my head and pressed my lips to hers.

  Her answering moans were music to my ears. Her fingers tangled in my wet hair as she returned my kiss with a fierce passion. It was all tongues, lips, and teeth as we poured out our passion and need for each other.

  “Take me to bed,” Lorelei drew back a fraction of an inch and breathed the words against my lips. My hands drifted down her perfect skin to wrap around the firm globes of her ass. This woman. My perfect mate responded in just the right way. Her thighs parted and she wrapped her legs around my waist.

  My mouth moved down her throat, nipping and sucking her skin before I walked us slowly back into the bedroom. “If it were up to me, my lovely mate, we would never leave our bed.”

  She giggled as I tossed her down on the mattress. Her body bounced before settling and she pinned me with a hungry look. Her thighs parted and she opened her arms to me. Begging me with her eyes to take her.

  I set one knee on the edge of the mattress. “You’re going to feed long and deep from my vein.” Lorelei visibly shuddered as my words sent her into a haze of lust. “And I’m going to worship your body, feeding greedily from your passion. It’s your fire that sustains me, Lorelei.”

  The full length of my body hovered over hers. No part of our skin touched. The heat arced between our bodies, heightening the moment. I savored every second of it. Lorelei whimpered a protest before splaying her hands out across my chest and wrapped her lush thighs around my hips.

  I groaned as my cock collided with her slick folds at the juncture of her thighs. My fingers grazed across her skin to slide between our bodies and trace her soft folds. Wetness coated my fingers as I traced her clit. “Already so fucking wet for me.”

  Her hips bucked against my hand, thrusting, and encouraging me to move faster. “I need you inside of me. Your cock. Your blood. All of it, Vincent. Now.”

  A fierce growl burst forth from my chest at her savage statement. I took my hand away from her clit to grasp her hips. With one swift move, I rolled and placed her on top of me. I wasn’t one to give up control in the bedroom, but Lorelei needed this tonight. She needed to guide
the pace and I wanted her to take me.

  “Ride me. Sink your fangs deep into my neck and take me deep into your body.” Her nails curled into my chest, the sharp points drawing blood. The instant the scent filled her nostrils; Lorelei went into a frenzy. She aligned her hips with mine and I guided my cock as she slammed down to take me deep inside her pussy. I threw my head back and groaned at her tight soft heat surrounding me.

  My neck arched, she latched onto my vein as I set a furious pace with my hands guiding her hips. “Fuck, Theera. You feel like heaven.”

  “You’re my heaven,” Lorelei whispered into my mind. She took long pulls of my blood and swallowed deeply. Her cells replenishing what they had lost. The bond between us pulsed with power.

  Energy danced around us, just waiting for me to feed on her overflowing sexual passion. My demon snarled in appreciation, feeding greedily. Our hips collided, my pelvis thrusting up while I slammed her body down to meet my strokes. The walls of her pussy fluttered around me, milking my cock. I shuddered in rapture from the sensations.

  Her fangs left my throat, blood running down her chin as she straightened her spine and swiveled her hips in perfect motions. “Vincent,” she moaned my name, right on the crest of her release. My fingers slipped between her legs and pressed into her hard nub with just the right amount of pressure.

  Eyes closed, mouth parted, and the trail of blood trickling down to her breasts, Lorelei shouted out her release. Screaming and crying as she gripped me and sent me spiraling down into my own release. Fuck. The feel of her body, the way her channel contracted around me heightened my orgasm. I never wanted to leave her welcoming heat.

  Aftershocks racked her body while she collapsed down onto my chest. “I missed you so much, Vincent.” Her cries of pleasure turned into sobs as she let go of the pain and trials of the past few days.

  “It’s okay, Theera.” I held her tightly, running my hands up and down her back to soothe and comfort her. “Let it all out.”

  “I hate crying. I don’t break down like this. It makes me look weak.” She swiped furiously at her cheeks to whisk away the tears. Her sorrow turned to frustration, the change in mood sending a stab of pain through my chest.

  “Lorelei, look at me,” I said seriously. I slid my palm over her neck and tilted her chin up with my thumb. “There is nothing that could ever make you look weak. You’re showing great strength and courage by letting yourself feel. The past three days have been traumatic. You need time to process your emotions and in order to do that, you need to let them out and feel.”

  She nodded, those bright blue eyes shimmering with tears. I ran my fingers over her reddened lips. “Your body is nourished and happy. Now you need rest. We can sort through everything together. In the morning.”

  “Yes, sir,” she replied sarcastically with a wicked smile spread across her beautiful face. A long, drawn out yawn escaped her before she could stifle it.

  I growled in response to the title but quickly buried it and arched an eyebrow at her. “Hmm. I like the sound of that. Sir. We should try that sometime.”

  “You’re incorrigible.” She shoved playfully at my chest.

  “So are you, my dear mate.” I gathered her hand in mine and placed a kiss to the center of her palm. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, sleep.” I softened my words, lacing our fingers together and wrapping her securely in my arms.

  “Yes, sleep,” she breathed huskily and nuzzled her nose along the damp skin of my chest. It felt so good. So right to have her back in my arms. Her eyelids flickered closed and her breathing evened out. Sleep had finally claimed her.

  With a smile on my face, I relaxed and fell into a deep sleep with my mate firmly tucked in my arms.

  I woke to the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand next to the bed. It seemed to be an all too common occurrence—being woken up by my stupid fucking phone ringing. The tones of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” trilled through the room. Lorelei stirred in my arms and grumbled something incoherent as she rolled over and lifted the covers over her head.

  This time it was Nicolae calling me. Which was strange considering I thought that he would be wrapped up in his mate, just as I wanted to be wrapped up in mine.

  “Better be good,” I rumbled as I pushed the answer button and brought the phone to my ear.

  Nicolae let out a heavy sigh. “You and Lorelei need to get to the council antechamber immediately.”

  I sat straight up in bed, his serious tone and deadpan words sending a bolt of concern racing through me. Whenever Nicolae started a conversation, especially one this early in the morning with such seriousness, it was a cause for concern. “What’s happened?”

  “I can’t even begin to explain it over the phone. Get dressed, no funny business, and get down here. Trust me when I say that Lorelei needs to get here now.” The line went dead, and I stared down at my phone, confusion coursing through me.

  Lorelei placed her hand on my shoulder, and I jerked back to looked at her. Her dark hair was scattered about her head, tangled and mused from sleep and our other activities. Sleep clouded her bright blue eyes and there was the most adorable indentation from the pillow on the side of her face.

  “What the hell could be so important?”

  Her question shattered my intimate perusal of her body. My eyes snapped back to her face. I shrugged. “No idea, but Nicolae sounded deadly serious. Get dressed and we’ll go.”

  She nodded and rose to her feet. My mind whirled with the possibilities. Was there something wrong with Kaniul? Had his condition taken a turn for the worse? That seemed highly unlikely as Damius had given Kaniul his blood last night to heal him. With the blood of the most powerful vampire in the world, he was bound to be back on his feet in no time at all.

  “We won’t find out with you sitting there. Move it,” Lorelei snapped. Apprehension flickered through our bond. Something was worrying her. I watched her carefully as I retrieved my clothes and threw them on. Her hand brushed her forearm, rubbing over the Eye of Horus tattoo that rested there.

  “Theera…” I trailed off, sending her a pointed look down to her movements.

  She dropped her hand with a sigh. “It doesn’t burn. Just tingles.” She hesitated, opening and closing her mouth as if looking for the right words. “I can’t explain it. There’s a feeling of hope, not danger this time. It has something to do with why Nic called. I just know it.”

  “Then let’s not keep him waiting any longer.” I zipped up my jeans and threw a shirt over my head. My feet ate up the distance between us in a few short strides and I enveloped her in my arms. I tilted her chin up and brushed my thumb along her bottom lip. “Forever and always, my mate.”

  A ghost of a smile tilted the corners of her lush lips and she repeated my words. “Forever and always, Vincent.”

  16

  Lorelei

  Nerves fluttered in my belly as Vincent wrapped his arms around me in preparation for our journey to the council facility. The breath left my lungs as the floor fell from beneath my feet and the chill that accompanied the flight washed across my skin. Yet, I barely felt it. My mind was focused on this insane sensation that was radiating out from the Eye on my arm.

  Before, I’d felt the sharp burning sensation of impending danger. The itch of a warning. Yet this. This tingling, prickling feeling was something completely different. It was almost as if Vincent and I would be walking into something…. good. It was the only way to describe it. I was at peace. As if the puzzle was falling into place, and finally I would have all the pieces that were needed to assemble the final picture.

  Damius greeted us when we appeared. His brow was drawn together, and his lips turned down in a frown. Those large arms were crossed over his chest and he gnashed his teeth together before he spoke. “You need to prepare yourself for what’s beyond that door, Lorelei.” His piercing red eyes bore a hole in me, seeing straight into my soul.

  “What’s in there, Damius? This is all a bit serious.
Did something happen to Kaniul or one of the other council members?” Vincent’s words barely registered in my ears as I continued to stare at Damius.

  I shook my head. My breath caught in my throat. There was a presence I hadn’t felt in so long beyond that door. But no, it couldn’t be. “No, it’s nothing like that,” I spoke softly, trying to keep myself calm at the riot of emotions assaulting my brain.

  Vincent turned on his heel and cupped my cheek in his large palm. “Theera, what’s going on?”

  “What’s on the other side of that door is going to change everything.” The words left my mouth before I could think about what I was saying.

  “Are you a prophet now too, Lorelei?” Vincent cocked his head to the side. Confusion fluttered around him and I did my best to try to reassure him.

  My fingers laced through his and I pressed my palm to the large door to press it open. This was it. The moment of truth.

  My eyes didn’t register what I was seeing at first. Shock rippled through me, holding me hostage as I tried to process what—who was before me. My feet wouldn’t move. Couldn’t move. I was stuck standing there as I tried to figure out if I was going insane or not.

  “Holy shit,” Vincent muttered beside me. His fingers clenched tighter around mine. His mind brushed against mine as he sought to gage my reaction.

  Because standing right in front of me, just before Kaniul, Nicolae, and Layla—was my mother.

  “Morgana,” Vincent breathed, shock lingering in the simple utterance of her name.

  I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak as I looked into her sparkling green eyes. She hadn’t aged a day. Hadn’t changed since that day when I was thirteen years old and she had been slain before my eyes. Memories fought their way to the surface of my mind. The smell of her blood lingering heavy in the air as I held her hand and watched as she took in that final breath.