Aldin's Wish

by F. G. Adams

  “Aldin?”

  “Hmmm.”

  “I’m really attracted to you. I can’t seem to stop thinking about you. Do you feel the same about me?”

  Huh? Word vomit. I didn’t mean to ask him about my doubt.

  He abruptly stops kissing me, looks directly at me, and with a broken voice tells me, “Before I met you, my Wren, everything I had done meant nothing. You are everything I never knew I was searching for and then more.”

  He gently lowers his lips to mine, and I’m lost in his passionate kiss, my doubts forgotten for now. He maneuvers my upper body and swiftly enters me with one thrust and stops, embedded inside. His cock throbs inside me.

  He tears away from the kiss, looking at me. “What you do to me, my Wren …” he feverishly mumbles.

  He lavishes kisses down the column of my neck. A burning ignites in the bottom of my belly. He starts moving at a slow pace, causing my pussy to clench and tighten when he pulls back, not wanting him to leave.

  In a deep husky voice, almost as an afterthought, he says, “We are two bodies, sharing one soul … completing the other.”

  Suddenly, I’m flooded with an intense sensation of love and peace. I know somehow Aldin’s words are responsible. The way I feel for him is an enigma. His strokes pick up momentum and I’m biting down on his shoulder to keep from screaming and alerting others to our activity in the hospital closet. A growl erupts from deep down Aldin’s throat and I’m lost in the ecstasy he’s creating. I use my inner thighs to ride him and he’s hitting my clit every time he moves. I know the stimulation will have me climaxing soon.

  “I’m so close,” I whisper in between thrusts.

  He lowers his mouth to my shoulder and bites the spot where I thought he had left a hickey before. The next second, I’m consumed with pain and then pleasure upon pleasure as I explode into bliss from Aldin’s masterful strokes.

  When my breathing returns to normal, Aldin is licking my shoulder. “You like the way I taste?” I ask with a laugh, catching him off-guard.

  He stops and, after a few seconds, responds, “You are a delicacy I will never tire of, my Wren.” Then, he lowers me to the floor.

  He holds my waist while the feeling returns to my legs. I’m a little wobbly from the workout Aldin gave me. As soon as we are presentable, we exit the closet. I know I won’t be able to look at that door again and not blush.

  “I’m on my way to meet up with an associate of mine. Do you think I could take you to the theater Friday evening? I’ll be tied up with my associate for the remainder of the day and into the evening tomorrow.”

  I clasp my hands together behind my back to stop the constant twirling. I’ve been doing it since I was a child when I’m nervous and I don’t want him to notice the bad habit. Could he possibly have a family and he really isn’t interested in me other than sex? Why do I feel so drawn to this man? How did my heart get involved so quickly? The doubts are beginning to overwhelm my consciousness, but then again, why would he ask me to the theater? It’s another of my treasured pastimes my parents shared with me growing up. I smile as my inner woman stands up and takes a bow. He is the man of my dreams.

  “Aldin, that sounds wonderful. I haven’t been since my parents took me.”

  Well, ever since my dad was killed. It’s been so long.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven, then?” he asks, staring me down with longing and desire.

  My name is paged over the speaker and duty calls. I pause before answering, unsure if I should say more. “I’ll see you then.”

  “Until then, my lovely Wren,” he promises, bowing his head to my hand and applying a kiss to it.

  I walk down the hallway, feeling his eyes on me. I sway my hips provocatively, tempting the beast once again and smiling to myself when I hear him groan, my body reacting to the sound. As I turn the corner, I hear his cell phone ring. I stop to listen because, okay, I’m nosey. But I need to know if he is involved with someone else or if it’s just my overactive imagination playing games with me. Logically, Aldin is a walking, talking dream—a catch. How can he be unattached?

  Or is he?

  “Kovac here.” He pauses. “Hello, dear Nubia. Yes. One more stop, and then I’m on my way home.” His voice fades as the elevator doors close.

  I’m left feeling shocked and hurt. I’ve allowed my heart to get involved, something I normally do not do. It happened so quickly, I didn’t realize until I heard him talking on the phone the impact he’s had on me. Who is Nubia and why is she at his home?

  My phone starts beeping. I answer it as I walk towards the elevator doors.

  “Dr. Bishop, I apologize,” says the nurse through the phone. “You were paged accidently by one of the trainees manning the desk. Just wanted to let you know before you headed this way.”

  “Thank you,” I respond, ending the call as I open the door to the stairwell to begin my descent to the garage level. I’m going to follow Aldin and see where he’s going. Yes, I’m a bit obsessive right now. I need to know if he’s got a girlfriend or wife, then decide if I’m just his next conquest—before things get out of hand and I lose myself totally in him. The gnawing feeling inside me is causing an unsettling reaction. In forty-eight hours, Aldin has changed my entire world. Meeting him at the bar, was a coincidence, right? Maybe, maybe not? Either way, I’m hooked and need answers. It's not rational or logical, the way he's planted himself deep inside my heart. The only way I will know what to do is to find out myself.

  I’ve been relying on myself for years. No biggie. I got this.

  Chapter Twelve

  Aldin

  Wren has my desire exploding once again as she saunters down the long white hallway of the hospital. The iridescent lighting highlights her hourglass shape in the pencil skirt she’s wearing as her hips sway back and forth, hypnotically entrancing me. I want her. The quickie we shared moments earlier isn’t enough to sate my hunger. I will always crave her. She’s mine. I groan when her scent filters my way, remembering her legs wrapped around me and hearing the slight hitch of her breath. I affect her, too. She must feel our connection growing.

  Bonded mates are rare, and a male, once he’s found his true mate, is a force to be reckoned with. Possessive and dominating, but at the same time would do anything to make his other half happy. The tug of an overwhelming magnet is pulling us together while gently knitting our souls into one. The tendrils are weaving steadily every time we are close. In the end, without each other, we will perish. If Wren rejects me, I will have nothing to live for, always missing the other piece to my soul. It is the strongest bond known: true love.

  I’ve met thousands of people throughout my lifetime. Some, I’ve called friends. Others, acquaintances or employees. Finding my true mate has changed my life forever. I’m no longer adrift in the sea of life by myself. I have a partner with which to share my dreams, passions, and future. I’m surprised by the longing to finish the mating. Women come and go in the lifestyle I have chosen. I’m never one to stay after satisfying my body’s passions, but when I held Wren in my arms that first night, I knew I would never be the same.

  As I move towards the elevator, my phone begins to blare a ridiculous tune. “Hell’s Bells, Satan’s comin’ to you, Hell’s bells, he’s ringing them now,” echoes down the hallway from the phone. Mike the jokester dubbed it as “Marcus’ ringtone” and I quickly answer before I have to listen to more of it. Marcus is concerned and he had Nubia call when I hadn’t returned to Dalca Towers for the evening. I had politely explained to her I am running surveillance before the enforcers arrive later tonight and to inform Marcus I would be returning home soon. For him to have someone check up on me sets warning bells off. He must know something is going on. I don’t want to worry him, but until I have my mate secure, I won’t chance someone knowing and using it as leverage against us, especially with the impending war against Jackson Parrish and his cronies. As soon as I return, I’ve got to let him know what’s happened. Putting it off is no longer
an option.

  I ease out of the hospital parking garage and head west as the sun begins to set, the rain long gone. Once on the freeway, I let go as the powerful machine zooms to my destination. The trees lining a concrete barrier whip from the swirling air as the roar of vehicles echo through the tunneled underpass. I want to put my eye on the building where Parrish is able to open the doorway. The briskness of the air soothes my worried mind and before long I’m calculating the impending battle, searching for the least possible route with no casualties of my people.

  Stopping a few blocks away from Parrish’s last known doorway, I park my bike and walk the remainder of the way. The area is quiet except for the sound of a train passing nearby and the lone light blinks on as dusk finally surrenders to the night. Hugging the shadows, I creep around the back where an upper window is partially cracked and light is escaping. I sniff the area and the perfume of human and Enchanted Immortal blood assaults me. I battle a rage inside of me as the tendrils of my beast reacts. The yearning to destroy the ones responsible for causing the bloodshed is powerful. I know by the amount of blood permeating the air that the individuals are dead or dying.

  Years of training resurfaces and, driven by instinct, I assume battle stance, lowering my fangs and drawing on my power. Cloaked, I maneuver nearer to the window for a better look. One of his soldiers summons the doorway and I follow. It’s a revolving doorway allowing Enchanted Immortals access back and forth. The smells intensifies with each step I go.

  I stop, unable to believe what is in front of me, sickened by what my eyes are seeing. Bodies, Vampire and human, are hanging from hooks as the blood drains into a vat below. Moans from the barely-living filter among them. A young fledgling strains against the protruding hooks in his arms and legs. I notice his fangs have been removed when he grimaces. The pain etched across his face has me in motion, only to be stopped by footsteps near the opening on the side of the cavern. Striding across the cavern floor is my nemesis, Jackson, followed by two of his henchmen.

  “We need more bodies—preferably alive this time—if we are going to find what I need,” Jackson demands.

  “Yes, my lord,” they respond in unison.

  “At least a pair of each. An elder and his fledgling and a bonded pair, which is rare, would be best. Watch Dalca’s clan closely. There are bound to be mated Enchanted Immortals he protects. And knowing I take what is his will only sweeten the revenge I have planned for my dear brother.”

  He cackles as his hands form a steeple and his fingers begin rhythmically tapping at the tips. He proceeds along the bodies, poking and prodding, examining the living vessels being tortured.

  “Find me a pair and bring them to me. I want every possible soldier searching for what I need. My time is nearing and I require more before the exchange.” He turns to exit and stops dead in his tracks.

  He swiftly moves his head in the direction I had been only moments before, but I’ve already moved, aware he might sense something amiss in the room. I believe he won’t be able to feel my presence because of my lineage, but one can never be too careful when in the presence of their enemy. I’m a powerful Vampire and can only be sensed by someone as old as Marcus. Shaking his head as if his mind is playing tricks on him, he strolls out the door followed by his men.

  I sink back to the shadows, exiting through the doorway. There’s nothing I can do to help the ones barely breathing. I’m torn because I save innocents from tragedies such as this, and I rationalize quickly that I could not save them and make it to safety before being caught. Sadly, their lives are at an end, and I must warn Marcus and the others. We do have mated couples and newly-created Vampires among many of our people. My Wren is unprotected as well. There’s something not adding up. By my calculations, Jackson has only been an Enchanted Immortal Vampire for fifty or so years. What “exchange” does he mean? Is he turning more humans for his army? But, the most disturbing thought I have is, what in damnation does he mean by calling Marcus his dear brother?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Wren

  Aldin is pulling out of the parking garage when I open the stairwell door. I move fast, weaving in and out of the tightly-packed vehicles to my car, clicking the remote, and sliding in to crank the machine. I’ve got to keep close to him or I’ll lose him with all the evening traffic in the city.

  Uncertainty isn’t something I’m used to, and Aldin is causing me to doubt the logic I’ve built my life around. I’m not sure how to handle the situation. Aldin is different from anyone I’ve ever met. His confidence is contagious. I picture him sitting in a boardroom full of his peers, directing them as he sees fit, demanding perfection from those present, and praising when the job is done correctly. I’m drawn like a moth to a flame. He’s causing me to wish for a life with a white picket fence … a real home. Settle down? Me? Never. I’m not the settling type, but with him, I could actually see myself in a few years holding his child.

  Hold up! Is this the beginning of the crazy train?

  I shake from the nonsense swamping me and focus on what I’m doing. The thought of anyone else touching Aldin infuriates me. I have no claim on him, not really. Yet … I don’t want anyone else to have him. What the fuck is happening to me? I think back to the events leading up to now. Overworking at the hospital earlier this week, sensing the man in the ICU, that same feeling happening again the next day while I was napping, then at the bar meeting Aldin … could he have been the one I felt each time? When we made love, I know something happened.

  The fog lifts as I rub my neck. Flashes of pain and pleasure overwhelm me. A glimpse of Aldin’s face the minute before my orgasm plays in my mind, and I suck in my breathe suddenly, recalling the memory.

  His eyes … his teeth. Holy shit! I must’ve been dreaming. Maybe that’s not what happened. But subconsciously I know I’m not dreaming, and he did bite me. What does this mean? I need to know. Did his bite cause the intense emotional turmoil I’m suffering now? I should be scared out of my mind, terrified that he is a psycho or—oh god, Hannibal Lecture’s protégé—and he’s going to eat me for dinner, right? For some ungodly reason, I’m not. The knowledge and answers I seek are parked just on the edge of my mind, waiting to be released. I can feel it as if it’s something really important or life-changing swirling around in my soul. Aldin Kovac holds the key.

  I follow Aldin through the crowded streets with horns blaring and red and yellow tail lights flashing by as he glides in and around the traffic effortlessly. I maintain a good stalking distance, just in case he realizes he’s being followed. Once on the freeway, it’s easier to maintain my covert operation. Covert? Like Mission: Impossible. Haha! Who am I kidding? My nerves are shaking my body and it’s becoming hard to steady the wheel. The memory is replaying over and over in my head. I must remain in control. This is too important. Finding out more about Aldin will determine my next step. Possible heartache? Definitely, if there is someone else. Is he married? Is he other? Or am I wrong about everything? Am I delusional? Suffering from the same sickness my mother was locked in an asylum for?

  When Aldin came to visit me at the hospital earlier, I was shocked, yet eager to see him just the same. There is an extreme pull between us, one that I can’t deny yet don’t quite understand. My body craves him and him alone. Even after one night, my mind is melding to the idea of keeping him all for myself—a sensation I’m unfamiliar with and at the same time secretly longing for.

  I watch as Aldin exits onto an offramp at the south of town. I continue my pursuit. A few moments later, he pulls across from an abandoned warehouse. I trail slowly, parking in an alley with just enough sight to see him climb off his bike. Staring motionless into the darkness that surrounds me, I catch a glimpse of Aldin moving up to the rickety windows, peering in. What does he see? What is he looking for? The flood of questions boggle my overactive imagination. At the same time, a tsunami of desire ratchets down my spine and pools in between my legs just from seeing him across the quiet street. Damn it, Wren, g
et it together. This is not the time nor place.

  I gain control of my faculties and move to exit my car quietly. My heart races like a stampede of a thousand horses. Aldin turns towards me as if he senses my presence. I hold my breath tightly, willing my whole self to be invisible while chanting inside my head over and over, “I’m invisible. I blend in. I’m invisible. I blend in.” I build a barrier between our physical bodies in my mind so he will not see. Still as a statue, I wait for him to move on. I watch as he disappears to the back of the building, out of sight. Thank god it worked. After a few more beats of holding my breath and not moving a muscle, he appears from the shadows. His face is a mask of disgust and horror. He moves to his bike and cranks it up, departing the dark, sketchy area, and leaving me to uncover what he’s hiding from me. My interest is piqued. What will I find?

  Cautiously, I approach the abandoned building, going right up to the same window Aldin peered into moments ago. The glass panes are smudged with years of grime and gunk, making it difficult to see through. I pull my jacket sleeve down, gripping it in my hand and using it to smear some of the filth away, but the glass remains smoky and dense. I can’t see anything.

  A sound from behind has me twisting around to face three unsavory thugs. Stupid, Wren! I was so focused on getting answers, I totally forgot about the danger of being here in this part of town. As they inch closer with their arms spread wide, trying to cage me in, I notice their eyes are solid red. Déjà vu. I’m back in college experiencing the horrible attack all over again, and once again, nobody is around to help me.

  “Stay away from me,” I yell, stumbling backwards against the window and falling onto my ass. Scrambling out of their reach, I’m almost on my feet again when a hand grabs and twists my arm behind my back, jerking me against a solid body.

  “What do we have here, gentlemen?” a new voice says from behind me.