Initiation (31 page)

Wispy strands of curly hair fell around Addison’s cheeks, her eyes still sparkling with tears that clung like small diamonds to her dark butterfly lashes. She wanted to turn around and run away, but she couldn’t move, the intense pain of her heart breaking gluing her in place. She felt numb. The world stopped and every sound around her muffled.

Darien’s eyes wandered over to the door as he turned around and laughed at a joke one of his friends had made. His laughter was quickly silenced, his jaw dropping when he caught the sight of a familiar face hidden partially behind the door.

When her eyes met his, Addison’s face scrunched up in a final attempt to damn the tears, which were building up so much pressure in her fuzzy head she thought it was going to explode. Darien had never seen Addison’s face look like that. She bolted before she became trapped in his gaze and quickly disappeared from view.

"Fuck!" Shoving the person near him, Darien ran after her.

"What happened?" Christian looked up, pushing away the girl he had been feeding from. Narrowing his eyes on the vampire that had been talking to Darien, Christian looked very annoyed. "Where is Darien?"

"I don’t know." The vampire shrugged his shoulders. "He saw something going on in the hallway and took off."

"Well go find out." He held his hand to his head, his wedding band sparkling under the light as he motioned for the vampire to leave. Glaring at the woman who tried to hang on him, the evil in Christian’s stare made the woman tremble and back off. "You taste disgusting. Get away from me."

Addison had run away as fast as her feet would carry her, taking off her heels so she could move faster. She shoved open the patio doors and took off, her haste catching the eyes of a few vampires sitting outside. They took off after her, thinking she was a meal trying to escape.

Addison continued to run blindly down the road, holding her heels in her hand as her breath rose and fell quickly. She had no idea where she was going, all she knew was that she had to escape, she had to run as far away as she could. Everything in her world had been shattered, every hope, every ounce of security she had held onto while she was a starving captive in Zak’s care.

She was tired and hungry. Falling to her knees, Addison laid down in the wet grass, the prickly blades stinging her warm cheeks. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt every beat as it pulsed through her body.

"Addison?" Darien bent down and pulled her to her feet, but before he could make another movement, she fell into his arms sobbing. "
Shh
." He scooped her trembling body up in his arms, carrying her back to the manor. "What’s got you all worked up? You don’t have to run from me. It’s me—Darien, remember?" He chuckled as he looked down at her, but he could barely see her face because of the darkness of the country night. "I’m not going to hurt you, princess."

"I can come back?" Addison’s voice was mousey and broken. "The Master doesn’t love me anymore, does he?"

Hearing her comment, Darien laughed, "What?"

"I know what he’s doing." Addison was speaking through her thick tears, her voice taking on a whiney tone because she was feeling more comfortable in Darien’s arms. "He’s sleeping with those girls. He doesn’t miss me at all."

"No, no—" Darien smiled at the sad girl in his arms. "Everything he’s been doing is innocent, I promise. He does miss you."

"He does?" She sniffled.

"Very much. And so have I."

"Darien?" Addison’s voice was low as she gazed up at him, her raccoon eyes now visible as he walked back into the house.

"What?"

"I’m tired." Addison closed her eyes a little, all the action making her lose what little energy she had left. "Can you take me upstairs?"

"You’re hungry, I bet." Darien chuckled, staring at the sleepy princess in his arms. "Come on, let’s take you to the Master, and he’ll fix you right up."

When they returned, Christian was slamming a man into the wall, apparently fighting with him about something. He had a hold of his throat, pinning him to the wall and letting his feet dangle in the air. The man was a hunter that had been captured and brought in while Darien had been chasing Addison.

Darien set Addison down on the couch and joined her. She tried to lay on him, but he wouldn’t let her, a very uneasy look in his eyes. Instead, she sat up lazily and watched Christian dealing with the hunter. She quickly closed her eyes when she heard a quiet squishing sound, followed by Christian’s devilish laugh and a blood-curdling scream.

A few seconds later, a woman pulled on her arm and forced Addison to open her eyes. She was glaring at her to move so she and another woman could sit down. Darien was sitting in Christian’s spot on the couch, and the girls wanted to sit there so they could be near Christian when he came back.

"Move." Addison was not in the mood for any drama. Raising her leg and planting a swift kick in the woman’s stomach, she used more force than was necessary to make her move, the woman falling to the floor.

"You stupid bitch!" The woman went to grab her, but Addison quickly latched onto Darien.

"Leave her alone!" Darien started arguing with the woman, standing up and getting in her face.

Christian wiped at some blood dripping off his chin and chuckled as he turned to see what the commotion was. His eyes settled on Addison, who had her head covered, cowering on the couch as one of the women held her down and bit her. Darien had his back turned to her and wasn’t watching what was going on.

"Darien, what’s going on over there?" Christian was on the other side of the room, pointing to the couch where the woman was trying to bite Addison. He couldn’t see Addison’s face, but if he could, his reaction would have been much different.

Darien turned around when he heard Christian’s voice, seeing Addison struggle to push the woman away out of the corner of his eye. He quickly grabbed the woman by the arm and yanked her off the couch.

Addison was already very weak, the blood the woman had taken from her making her even more so. Her eyes quickly rolled back in her head, and she passed out, her head resting backward against the soft cushions of the high backed couch.

Christian walked toward Darien, licking his lips, which still had traces of blood on them from his fight with the hunter. "Where were you?"

"This little princess looks hungry, Master." Darien knelt down on the floor next to the couch, shaking Addison’s shoulders. Her eyes fluttered open and closed a few times, but they couldn’t focus on Darien’s face. "You better come and feed her."

"What?" Christian gaze settled on Addison, a flabbergasted expression on his handsome face.

"Master." Darien chuckled when he saw Christian’s blank stare, letting go of Addison and letting her head sink back into the couch. "I can do it too if—"

"No, no." Christian chuckled, moving over to the couch. "I will do it." He grabbed one of the girls closest to him, waving his hand over her face and putting her in a trance. Pulling on her arm, Christian motioned for her to sit on her knees in front of Addison. "Addison." He sat down next to her on the couch, picking up her limp body and holding her in his lap. "Are you hungry, my love?"

Addison’s eyes fluttered open and closed slowly, but she didn’t speak.

"Okay." Christian took the woman’s arm sitting at Addison’s feet, putting her wrist up to Addison’s mouth.

Addison quickly bit her, drinking the woman’s blood and feeling her strength return. He rubbed Addison’s shoulder as he held his arm around it, watching her feed.

Christian’s touches were gentle, but there was an infuriated expression on his face as he looked up at Darien. He motioned with his eyes toward the woman who had bit Addison, mouthing the words, "Kill her." He watched Darien nod his head and do as he instructed. Christian smiled when Addison finished feeding, her happy face and now light, bubbly mood making him cheerful too.

"I missed you so much, Christian." Addison wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging to him tighter than she ever had. "I’m so glad to be home and with you again. Please don’t leave me, ever again." His arms tightened around her. She felt more secure in them than any other place in the world. She had missed him so much, being away from him like an open sore that wouldn’t heal.

"I have missed you very much, my love." Christian lightly ran his hand over her hair, his wicked grin falling upon her as she looked up at him. "Now that you are home, I will never let you out of my sight again. The pain of your absence was unbearable." He stroked her cheek with his finger, his touch making her melt in his arms, a longing look in her large doe eyes. "I love you. Welcome home."

"I love you too." Sniffling, Addison gazed at Christian as he pushed back some of the curls that fell in her face.

With Christian was where Addison belonged. She no longer wanted to be anywhere else. She wanted to be a god. A vampire. And above all, forever in the warmth of Christian’s embrace.

"I missed you every single day." Christian’s calm smile met with hers as she climbed back into his lap, straddling his hips. "I am glad you have found your way back to me." He wrapped his arms around her waist, the look of sinful love on both of their faces as they formed their own world in the small space between their warm bodies.

"I missed you more." Grinning wickedly, a playful giggle escaped Addison’s lips.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I might bite you to get a taste of your sweetness." Christian chuckled, his brow lowering and intensifying his sexy blue eyes.

"Not if I bite you first."

Christian’s words were soft and seductive as they rolled off his lips, "Later. Right now, I have other plans for you."

"I like that idea. Desert can wait." Pressing her nose against his, Addison’s devilish eyes starred into Christian’s, the fiery mix of lust like a magnet that held the eyes of everyone around them. Speaking in a sexy, husky voice, her lips hovered above his, "I’m ready to devour my main course."

Christian laughed, grabbing her legs and picking her up as he stood. He quickly whisked her from the room and up the stairs. He laid her down on the bed, stripping off his clothes and laying on top of her.

"Christian," Addison chuckled as she tried to talk to him, but all he wanted to do was make love to her.

"What?" Looking up at her from a cat-like angle, Christian’s face was hovering above her belly button as he licked his lips. He peppered a trail of kisses up her bare stomach, tickling her and making her giggle.

"I’m sorry," Addison’s smile melted as his eyes met hers, "For cheating on you with Monroe. I wanted to stay faithful to you so bad, but I—" Her words were silenced by the tears that choked her, her face scrunching up as she tried to hold them back.

"Do not worry about such sins right now." Christian was suspended over her as he lightly stroked her cheek. He was wearing his trademark devilish grin, his tongue going under one his fangs and pausing there, "You have only done as I asked. Never again will I ask you to commit such a painful sin."

Addison was sobbing now, her words hard to make out, "I’m so sorry, Christian. I love you so much."

He silenced her with his kisses, Addison quickly halting her tears and focusing on him instead. Nipping at her neck as he made love to her, Christian’s fangs didn’t pierce her skin. His nips were teasing, her fingers digging into the skin on his back as she tried to push his face closer to her neck so he would bite her.

Christian grinned when he heard the moans from his love as she reached her high. He plunged his fangs into her neck, Addison’s legs shaking underneath him as a shiver of pleasure surged through her body.

She tasted amazing, this perfect queen he had created. Christian’s tongue delighted in the familiar taste of her blood, drinking a little more from her than he normally would. Feeling his own finish coming on, Christian quickly pulled away from Addison’s neck and pushed her face into his own. He gritted his teeth as he felt her bite, the overwhelming ecstasy making his eyes roll back as she drank from him.

Licking her blood from his lips, Christian looked down at her content expression as she pulled away. Her tender smile was angelic, the extreme love she had for him apparent in her twinkling eyes. She looked sleepy, her eyes barely able to stay open.

"I love you, Addison." Christian lay down next to her, letting her rest on his chest as he stroked her arm lovingly.

"I love you too, Christian." Addison could feel the effect of his blood inside her, every part of her body numb from the overload of pleasure as she closed her eyes. "More than anything."

Christian looked down at her, Addison now asleep in his arms. Finally, after months of extreme worry and heartbreak, she was back in his arms, his fallen angel trapped within his firm grasp. Christian frowned as he looked at her face, the words running off his tongue like soft kisses from a feather, "Not more than the love I have for you."

*THE END*

About the Author

H.N.
Sieverding
is the author of over thirty novels, and writes in the Paranormal Romance and Horror genres. Her obsession with writing began when she got fed up with endings she couldn't control.
 
She started writing her own stories, all with her own 'perfect' ending. She is also known to favor her handsome villains, which is a trait that can be found in most of her books.