Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness)

by Amanda J. Greene

  “You have no idea. Only this morning did I create a Facebook page.”

  “It seems you and I are in…I believe the term is ‘the same boat’.”

  Eva laughed, causing an odd warmth to spread through Hadrian’s chest.

  “I suppose we are, Your Majesty,” she sighed when she was through with her giggles. “To be honest, I was hoping to go for a walk. I was on my way to change when I noticed the storm,” she pointed out the windows, “I thought the solarium would be the next best thing.”

  “Yes, it is quite ugly out there.”

  Snow fell in a mad flurry as wind tore across the landscape.

  “I wouldn’t say that. Beauty can be found in chaos. I’ve experienced my fair share of storms. Hurricanes were always a worry where I grew up in Florida. My mom used to say, ‘there is always hope after a storm’.”

  Sparing her a glance, he took notice of the grief that dulled her brilliant amber eyes. Sorrow, it rolled off her in cold waves. Hadrian raised his hand before deciding it was best if he did not touch her. He knew nothing of comforting others. As a mortal, he had been stern, a military man who had no need of kind words and as a vampire, well he had been no better.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said hoping there was enough sympathy in his voice.

  Eva mumbled her thanks before shrugging off her momentary depression. She was not an emotional person. Besides, her mother had taught her to never dwell on the past. ‘Always live in the now, Eva’. And she would. Right now, she was staying in a castle that reminded her of her favorite childhood movie, Beauty and Beast. The man standing beside her was straight out of a dream, fangs and all. She was free of her father’s rule. Free of the pack and the harassment she was forced to endure day after day.

  ‘Today is what counts, forget about yesterday.’ Yes, mama, you’re right.

  “Do you come to the solarium often?” Eva asked.

  Hadrian shrugged and Eva watched his wide shoulders roll wanting nothing more than to feel them move beneath her fingers as he—Stop right there. It is one thing to seize the day. It is quite another to throw yourself at a vampire king. Especially when you are the equivalent of a political captive.

  “Like you, I had hoped to roam the night, but alas, the storm has ruined my plans.”

  “I thought vampires weren’t susceptible to the cold.”

  “You are correct in your assumption. However, I do not relish the thought of having snow and ice slap me repeatedly in the face.”

  Eva could not hold back her laugh. “Your old accent and choice of words make the strangest combination sometimes.”

  “I do my best to sound modern.”

  “I meant no offense, Your Majesty,” Eva quickly said.

  “No offense was taken,” he assured her. “Tell me, what are your plans when you finish with the films?”

  “I have made up a system. I will do two days of films, two days of books, two days of music combined with web surfing, then repeat until I feel as if I would not make a fool of myself in the civilian world. So tomorrow I will be spending the entire day, and most of the night, in your very impressive library.” She gave him a once over with her eyes before asking, “Have you really read all of those books?”

  Hadrian sighed. He had never done so much reading in his life. Society had changed much since he had begun his exile. For the past two months he had done nothing but read every book he could get his hands on: astronomy, political literature, history, philosophy, medical textbooks, and everything in between. He had watched film after film, every genre from comedy to documentary, beginning with silent movies and ending with the latest box office releases. For once having no biological need for sleep worked to his advantage as he spent hours upon hours listening to music and marveling at the change and the varieties.

  He had always been a firm believer in the cliché of knowledge is power and he knew he would have to assimilate as best he could if he were to reclaim his throne.

  “Yes, and then some,” he answered. “There are more books, which have been spread about the various rooms of the castle, not to mention all of the e-books stored on numerous devices. Unlike you, I had hundreds of years to catch up on.”

  Eva’s eyes grew wide from astonishment. “You must be a genius.”

  He shrugged again. “Some professors and various experts I have met recently, due to my studies, have compared my brain to a computer. The rate in which I absorb, process, and store new information astounds them.”

  Unfortunately, his intelligence had been one of the reasons Imbrasus had cursed him with immortality.

  “That is truly amazing.”

  Eva did not know what to say. In two months Hadrian had advanced over three hundred years and had no culture shock? Then again, he was an ancient vampire, changing with the times was a skill he must have mastered long ago. She knew from stories told of him, that Hadrian was near 2,000 years old, though he didn’t look a day over thirty-two.

  “Well, I haven’t been apart from the world as long as you, but I’m surprised by how much things have changed in the last ten years.”

  “How old were you when you joined your father’s pack?”

  Eva scoffed, a very unladylike sound. “I was abducted when I was seventeen,” she said.

  Hadrian nodded. He knew it would not be long before he received a full report on Eva, in the mean time he could try to learn as much about her as he could. That is, if he could manage to keep his instincts in check. He struggled not to reach out and snatch her to him. She stood so close. Her lovely feminine scent set his blood on fire as the heat of her body chased away the cold that had long ago settled over him.

  The woman was a puzzle. Her very existence was a mystery. Her upbringing was outside the norm for shifter society, even for a half-breed.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what would you have done with your life had the pack not taken you?”

  “For starters, I would have gone to my graduation. Then I think I would have moved back to the States and lived with a close friend of my mom’s while I went into debt paying for college.”

  “What would you have studied?”

  “I wanted to be a pediatrician.”

  Her answer intrigued him. “And you no longer do?”

  “I’m still interested, but… at this point in my life that goal isn’t realistic.” She shrugged and continued, “Eventually, I would’ve gotten married and…well, you can guess the rest. Living in the human world, no one would ever know I was a half-breed. I would probably run into a few shifters here and there, but those in the States are much more progressive than those like my father’s pack, who shun human society. I would’ve had a normal life.”

  Hadrian winced, “Normal.”

  “Yes. Average,” she added with a smile.

  He shook his head. “You are not average.”

  Eva’s smile faded as she turned away from him. No, she was an unnatural being in a world of darkness.

  “I could have led a perfectly normal, average, boring life if—”

  Eva’s breath caught as he spun her to face him, his large hands gently resting on her delicate shoulders. His black gaze held her captive, their depths mesmerizing.

  “There is nothing normal, average, or boring about you,” he said. “You are too special to lead an ordinary life.”

  Hadrian was shocked by his own words. Where the hell had that speech come from, he wondered.

  She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Special is a nice way to say I’m a freak. I know what I am, Your Majesty.”

  Hadrian’s eyes narrowed. She was not a ‘freak’. She was exotic.

  “No, I don’t believe you do know what you are.”

  “I’m a half-breed. An abomination. A creature that should not exist, that was never meant to exist.”

  Hadrian was taken aback as an odd unidentifiable emotion gripped his heart. She had spoken the words with such ease it disgusted him. Did she honestly believe she was so worthless?
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br />   Without thinking, Hadrian pulled her into his arms.

  Eva gasped as an excited thrill sprinted down her spine. He bent his head, his lips hovered over hers and she held her breath waiting for his kiss. It had been so long since she had been kissed. Way too long.

  Hadrian’s hand cupped her nape while the other flattened against her lower back, arching her into him. His cock pulsed against her belly and Eva moaned as her body blossomed, growing ready for him. Silky wetness pooled between her thighs as tension coiled in her belly. God, he needed to kiss her and he needed to do it now.

  Wetting her lips, she whispered, “Y-Your Highness?”

  His hold on her grew firm. With a simple thought he could teleport them to his room, where they could spend the remaining hours of the night in pleasure. Why would he deny his needs? She was a willing female and surely he could control his bloodlust, taking enough from her to satisfy his hunger.

  She gazed up at him expectantly and Hadrian stood, enthralled, immobile. Her eyes sparkled with desire and burned with need, but there was something else that shimmered in their amber depths.

  Innocence.

  She was an innocent.

  For a few precious moments he could forget that she was his ward and that he was plagued by madness. But never could he overlook the fact that she was a virgin and that he was not the sort of man that would be gentle.

  Protect her, even from yourself.

  Chapter Seven

  Hadrian opened his eyes. He stood on the balcony of his room. Snow and wind lashed at him, punishing him for his weakness.

  At the last moment, as his body began to fade, he released her, leaving Eva in the solarium while he materialized outside in the storm.

  What had come over him? Good lord, he had been about to kiss her. He kissed no one. A kiss was personal and intimate, a connection he knew very little about. So much could be shared and revealed in a simple kiss: passion, doubt, fears, his very soul.

  Hadrian scowled. His soul. His battered, poisoned soul was one thing he would never reveal.

  But sweet heaven, Eva had felt incredible in his arms. Her buxom, delicate form pressed tightly to his had made him wish there was no clothing separating them. Her heartbeat sang to him as their lust filled the air. Her eyes, brilliant swirling pools of amber, her lips had been parted, an invitation? She had wanted him to kiss her, but he knew it would not end there. He would never be able to release her once he sampled her passion.

  He took a deep breath, hoping the frigid air would bring him peace. He cursed. Vanilla. The teasingly sweet scent clung to him, filling his lungs once more, feeding his ragging lust.

  He needed to gain control. He needed sex. And blood.

  Hadrian turned and threw open the double doors with his mind and stalked into his room.

  He had spent little time in his newly furnished, freshly draped bedchamber. Falcon had done a wonderful job with the repairs. Up until a month ago, the keep had been the definition of chaos. Books had been stacked like columns shoulder height, old papers had covered the floors like carpet while the wood paneling on the walls bore deep claw marks, every window shattered, the glass shimmering in the light of the moon. This room had been no different, covered with scares from his unleashed fury, but one would never know now. Everything was organized, assigned it’s own place, the books were even alphabetized and grouped by genre, the room appeared untouched by madness.

  Hadrian slammed the balcony doors closed with a thought as he rounded the raised daises his expansive bed stood upon and headed for the adjoining room, which had once been a sitting area but had been remolded into a closet. Shoving the door open, he tore off his shirt; casting aside the offending vanilla scent and donning a fresh black button up.

  His cock still throbbed with need and he mutter curse after curse as he forced it into a new set of jeans. His clean clothes felt confining as he pulled on a black leather jacket.

  The demon in him roared for release. It cried out for Eva and Hadrian fought the images of her parted lips and her glowing eyes. He could have easily brought an end to his misery by teleporting her to his room. He could have laid her on his bed and slaked his wicked lust and drank deep of the luscious red wine that was her blood.

  “She is my ward. She is mortal. She is abhorrently virginal,” he growled as he stomped back into his room.

  Besides, any woman could grant him release. He just needed one or two or three. His craving for sex had to be due to his lack there of. Nothing more. It was not Eva. It was not her feminine scent or the combination of her luscious curves and small frame. It was not her bewitching eyes or her mysterious background. Her mere presence set him on edge because of his own forgotten desires. And he only craved her blood because he had not fed.

  The night was still young and he desperately needed to gain control over his riotous body.

  Blood and sex, the combination was the key to his peace of mind. Once he fed and taken as many women as necessary, his mind would be clear. He would be free to focus on the mystery that surrounded the half-breed and, most importantly, his clan. Once he was free of the drive to satisfy his baser needs, he would no longer feel the urge to bury himself in Eva’s depths over and over again or crave the intoxicating elixir that was her blood.

  Without pause, he walked to the bookcase, yanked open the mini fridge, pulled out a bag of blood and viciously sank his fangs in as he prepared for the onslaught of Imbrasus’s memories, instead, his mind whirled with erotic scenes of Eva. He silently cursed as he tore into the bag, sucking down the stale blood gulp after gulp. Finished, he let the deflated bag drop to the floor and grabbed another. The demon within him roared to life as the blood nourished his deprived cells. He could feel his muscles grow and strengthen with every swallow.

  Whipping his mouth with the back of his hand he closed his eyes. Taking in one measured breath after another. For so long he had starved and he had forgotten how empowering feeding could be. His body hummed with life, yearned for action. And he would have it. Calling on his senses, he focused his energy on teleporting.

  Gasps kissed his ears as he appeared in the brothel. The putrid scent of alcohol, smoke, sweat, and sex assaulted him as he opened his eyes. Not much had changed. The full bar extended across the back wall, with a row televisions playing sports or pornography. The women lounged on large, over stuffed sofas, scantily clad. Some, who were entertaining customers with dances, paused for a brief moment but quickly recovered and resumed their work.

  “Your Majesty,” a woman dressed in a black corset, curve hugging latex, black pants and blood red blazer walked up to him.

  “Hello, Maggie,” he greeted the madam.

  “We’ve been expecting you,” she said, her ruby colored lips turning up with a sensual smile. “When I heard you had returned I had your bedchamber prepared.”

  He gave a nod as he scanned the room.

  “It has been a long time, Your Majesty.”

  “Too long,” Hadrian mumbled under his breath.

  “I have recently acquired some new girls, ones that I’m sure will be to your liking.” She clapped her hands and the women came to their feet, stopped their dancing, and even ran from the various halls that led to the bedrooms. They formed a line, shortest to tallest, each in different stages of undress.

  “Most of the girls I had when last you visited have quit, having saved enough money to be independent,” Maggie explained, “but I have replaced them well.”

  Hadrian regarded the women with a board expression. He knew any man would be frothing at the mouth if presented with so many beautiful women and yet he stood completely unmoved by their bared breasts and come-hither gestures.

  He shook his head. Every vampire knew madness touched him and yet here these females were, winking and blowing kisses at him. No doubt Maggie had told them he was a master of pleasure who would pay them generously for their services.

  “Well, Your Majesty?” Maggie asked from beside him.

  The moment he e
ntered the brothel, his lust vanished, his erection quickly fading. Hadrian silently cursed as he waited fro his desire to return.

  He gave a shrugged. “Numbers four, seven, and twelve.”

  “Very good,” Maggie said with a nod. “They will bathe and be sent to your room. In the mean time,” she waved to a human girl who stood beside the bar, “may I interest you in a drink?”

  Chapter Eight

  Failure.

  Hadrian materialized in his room.

  A complete waste of time, he thought as he whispered a string of curses. His lips peeling away from his fangs as he growled viciously.

  It was just after dawn. He had spent hours at the brothel and—nothing. He had selected the most beautiful females from Maggie’s extensive collection and not one had truly sparked his interest. He had watched as they pleasured themselves and each other, but his lust had not stirred. What man on Earth would not be wild with lust after watching three very sexy women perform such an erotic show?

  A crazed man.

  Oh, the females had valiantly tried to entice him, but their touch left him cold and more damn confused and frustrated than he had ever been.

  Anger boiled his blood as he stalked to the washroom. Tearing at his clothes with his razor like claws, he started the shower with his mind. He needed to scrub free the rancid stench of lewd sex and absolute failure.

  Not waiting for the water to heat, he stepped under the icy shower. Lathering a washcloth, he scrubbed his skin until it felt raw and burned red. Once satisfied he was clean, Hadrian pressed his palms flat against the porcelain tile. Arms locked and straight, his muscle’s tense. The water rained over his over his body in cool, soothing waves. Tiny droplets dripped from his chin and nose.

  “That damn half-breed,” he said with an exasperated sigh.

  His pretty little ward had gotten under his skin.

  Even as he had lain in bed with the women, naked limbs brushing over him as they massaged his muscles, their lips skipping across his flesh, their fangs gently teasing as their breast caressed him, Eva had consumed his thoughts and his chest had ached in a bizarre way.