24 The Lecture 2

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• Fated In Darkness   151 The Enemy We Need

  Natalie“Yes, Mom,” I said quietly. “Everything Uncle Michael did—every calculated move—was to ensure I became the sacrifice. Not his daughter.”My mother’s expression changed in an instant—from sorrow to fury. Her hands clenched into fists.“How dare he?” she hissed. “He had the money, the influence. He could’ve protected both of you. And still, he chose to offer his brother’s child while shielding his own? How could he?!”“He’ll claim Dad never finished the ritual,” I said, my voice sharper now. “That the deal wasn’t sealed. But he knew the truth. He knew what Dad intended. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have accepted the wealth, the estate, everything. He took it knowing the price.”Her breath was ragged now. “Coward. He let Brian die, and still… still tried to feed you to those monsters.”I nodded slowly. “That’s what I think happened. The Strigoi came to collect their debt. That’s why I was attacked on campus. But the werewolves—Dad’s old allies—they came. They saved me.”She looked at m

• Fated In Darkness   150 The Covenant Of Blood  

  Natalie“Calm down, Mom. You need to breathe,” I said gently, though my voice wavered.Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she nodded—just barely. Then, trembling, she started to speak.“A girl knocked on my door in the middle of the night,” she said, her voice tight with disbelief. “Said she was headed to the university. Said her car broke down. She looked young—barely more than a teenager. She told me she was on her period and needed a bathroom.”Her hands trembled as she wiped her face. “She was so small, Natalie. I figured if she was crazy, I could take her. I just... wanted to help.”Her voice broke, and I could feel her guilt crawling up the walls around us.“I should have known something was wrong,” she whispered. “But who thinks vampires are real? That’s movie stuff. TV. I walked away from the door, expecting her to follow me in—but she didn’t. I turned back and told her, ‘You can come in.’ That’s when she stepped over the threshold.”She swallowed hard. “I was heading upstair

• Fated In Darkness   149 Locked Doors Open Windows

  NatalieWe reached the door to my mother’s room, and someone was already standing guard—tall, composed, with a quiet presence that spoke more of control than force.“Natalie, this is my assistant, Nikolas,” Adrian said. “He’s been watching over your mother since the Meet and Greet Ball.”Nikolas gave a respectful nod, eyes sharp and unreadable.“That was the only way I could protect you,” Adrian continued, his voice low, edged with something close to guilt. “I didn’t expect things to spiral the way they have. I didn’t think the Strigoi would break the rules and come for you on neutral ground.”I didn’t hold it against him. After everything I’d seen—what he’d done to the wolves without even fully unleashing himself—I knew now: Adrian would burn the world to keep me safe. And if he hadn’t watched my mother, she might not have been here at all.“You were the one on the phone,” I said to Nikolas, my gaze narrowing slightly as I placed his voice.He nodded once. “Yes, ma’am.”I blinked. “M

• Fated In Darkness   148 A Dress For Survival

  Natalie Adrian and I didn’t rise until the sun was high and heavy in the sky—noon, maybe later. The light pooled through the windows, painting golden streaks across the floor, yet the room felt wrapped in shadows. I felt... off. Dizzy.My limbs were slow to wake, my thoughts tangled in something more than sleep. Maybe it was the remnants of this morning—the feel of Adrian’s lips on my skin, the weight of everything I’d learned.Alison was coming. The thought sat on my chest like a stone. After what I now knew, I couldn’t shake the questions: Why now? Why here? Uncle Mike had forbidden her from Cainebrille, cut her off like a diseased limb.Was she really visiting of her own will—or was he using her, baiting a hook he knew I’d bite? The Strigoi wanted me. That much was certain. But was Alison a warning… or a trap?I lingered in the shower longer than usual, letting the water scour the unease from my skin. When I glanced at my shoulder, where Adrian had bitten me—it was smooth. Clean.

• Fated In Darkness   147 Mine Until The End

  NatalieMy moans grew louder, rising like a song I couldn’t control. I wrapped my legs around him, and he held me there, lifting me as he knelt on the bed, his hands strong at my hips. Then he drove into me—slow at first, then with a rhythm that matched the wild thrum of my heart.In and out. Again. Again.We found a rhythm that was ours alone—fierce and fluid. This wasn’t like before. Not like the mountain resort. This was deeper. Rougher. Sacred.Every sensation was amplified. My skin alive. My body greedy. The pleasure rolled over me in waves so thick, I felt like I was breathing lightning.He didn’t hold back.And neither did I.Each time his fangs grazed my skin—my shoulder, my thigh, the swell of my breast—I came undone. The bite sent fire through my veins, and the release that followed was like falling through light. Pure, unfiltered rapture.Then it happened. That moment of weightlessness. Levitation. My body lifted just enough, and he took advantage—plunging deeper, finding pl

• Fated In Darkness   146 Bite Me, Adrian

  NatalieAdrian’s lips traveled slowly down my neck, lingering just above my racing pulse before tracing the curve to my breast.The burn inside me was no longer a spark—it was a wildfire. Every kiss, every drag of his mouth against my skin, sent shockwaves through me to my core. I could barely breathe.And still, he held back. Masterfully. Torturously.His mouth moved lower, skimming across my ribs, then down to the dip of my belly.My breath hitched as he paused at my navel, only to trail back up again with maddening patience.He was winding me tight—every touch a silent promise, every delay a reminder that he was in complete control of the storm he’d unleashed in me.I was drenched in need, trembling with it. And when he met my eyes, I could see the restraint burning behind his gaze. He wanted me. Desperately. But he was still holding the reins.“Bite me, Adrian,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I want to feel it all.”His expression shifted—part surprise, part something darker.“