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58 Into The Night
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2025-05-15 00:02:07
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Fated In Darkness 60 Come With Me 2
Natalie“Do I look like I care?” I said flatly, trying to brush him off. Whatever warning Carson was building toward, it couldn’t possibly outweigh being handed over to Dimitri Orlov like some ceremonial offering. I’d already chosen my side.Carson shook his head slowly, eyes dark and tired. He reached out, gently catching my hand—but held it too tightly. Like he was anchoring himself.“Carson…” I said, my voice a quiet warning, snapping him out of whatever storm he was sinking into.“Natalie, I begged you for a chance,” he said, voice raw. “If you’d let me... I’d explain everything. All of it. But please, don’t fall into his trap—their trap. I can protect you from them. You just have to let me.”The sincerity in his eyes nearly made me falter. He believed every word.But the problem was—I didn’t feel like I needed saving. Not from Adrian. From Dimitri? Yes. From my uncle? Absolutely.But not Adrian.He was the only thing in this world that made sense.“I can’t… I…” I began, but the w
Fated In Darkness 59 Come With Me
NatalieWe lingered in the park a little longer before Adrian finally drove me to my mother’s house. The night had cooled, but something about his presence kept the warmth intact.At the door, he walked me up the steps, his hand brushing mine lightly.“I’m willing to help with your mother’s treatment,” he said, his voice steady. “If that’s the leverage your uncle has over you—consider it gone.”It was a generous offer. A lifeline. But I knew it wasn’t that simple.“Thank you, Adrian,” I said, pausing to meet his eyes. “But I’ll have to talk to her. My mom... she’s not the type to accept help easily. Ever since my father died, something in her dimmed. The fight left her.”He nodded, no pressure in his expression, just quiet understanding.“I’ll pick you up after your lectures tomorrow,” he said. “Be ready.”Then his eyes lit with mischief.“No need to pack,” he added, leaning in. “You won’t need the clothes.”He kissed me—slow, deep, lingering like he wanted to imprint the moment.When
Fated In Darkness 58 Into The Night
NatalieAdrian finally set me down on the soft grass. The cool blades tickled my feet, grounding me, even as my pulse felt anything but calm. He took off his shoes, leaving only his socks on, and motioned for me to follow him.We walked a short distance under the open night sky until he stopped at a small, shaded clearing. It was quiet. Still. The kind of silence that makes everything feel sharper, more real.“The park is private?” I asked, finally breaking the quiet as I sank into the grass and looked up at the stars.“I own it,” he said simply, settling beside me.I turned my head to look at him, brows lifting. We hadn’t passed a gate, no security, no fences—but of course, he’d own a place like this. Something beautiful, untouched, hidden in plain sight.Adrian Balshov was the kind of man who never needed permission. He simply was.Still, the voice of my uncle echoed faintly in my mind, and the worry returned just enough for me to speak.“Hope I haven’t created trouble for you,” I s
Fated In Darkness 57 In Over Your Head, Young Lady
NatalieSomething about Uncle Michael’s words lingered—like the aftertaste of something bitter. But I forced it down.Not tonight.He’d dragged me here to parade me like property, and yet, somehow, I’d managed to wrest a sliver of power back. A small victory, maybe. But it was mine.And I planned to celebrate it—with Adrian.Not with fear.When I returned to the booth, Adrian stood as soon as he saw me.“Want to get out of here?” he asked, his tone soft, but certain.I smiled. “I’d like that.”We walked out together, the buzz of the hall fading behind us. On our way, I spotted Carson near the edge of the room. His eyes met mine, full of tension, of words he hadn’t found the courage—or maybe the timing—to say.Michelle was beside him, grinning like she’d just won something. There was amusement in her face, maybe even satisfaction. She was the kind of girl who enjoyed watching people fall, even if she wasn’t the one to push them.I scanned the room once more, trying to find Lisa.Nothin
Fated In Darkness 56 In Over Your Head, Young Lady
NatalieUncle Mike finally showed up at the booth.The moment I saw him, I knew.He knew too—just from the look on his face. My lipstick was smudged, and Adrian still wore the evidence on his skin. His shirt was slightly rumpled from me clinging to him like he was the only anchor in a world spiraling out of control.I silently wished he’d touched me more—crossed that line—but I knew he wouldn’t. Not here. Not now.“When we’re alone,” he’d whispered against my lips, just before the door opened.And then in came Uncle Mike.“Lord Balshov,” he said stiffly, offering a bow.I didn’t move. I stayed right where I was—on Adrian’s lap. My uncle’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t act out. He wouldn’t. Not in front of Adrian. Not with the silent rules of hierarchy hanging in the air.“I’d like to leave,” he said, eyes flicking to Adrian like the words were an offering.Adrian raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “So?”“Natalie,” my uncle clarified, tone clipped.Adrian adjusted slightly under me.
Fated In Darkness 55 I’ll Tell It All
NatalieI stepped into the booth and found Adrian already waiting, looking—of all things—apologetic.“A special space just for you?” I asked, lowering myself onto the couch beside him.The chairs were annoyingly singular, probably by design. He reached for me anyway, pulling mine closer until our knees nearly touched.“I’d ask you to sit on my lap,” he said, voice low, teasing, “but you’re mad at me.”“You bet I am,” I replied, and didn’t try to hide it.He studied me for a second, his expression sobering. “What did your uncle tell you about tonight?”“Nothing,” I said bluntly. “He didn’t tell me anything. He sent an invite to my mother. Said I better make myself available, then dragged me here like it was just another obligation. And, of course, let me know—again—that I’m not supposed to date anyone because my family practices arranged marriage.”I shrugged, but it wasn’t casual. It was a surrender. “That’s all I got.”I didn’t feel the need to censor myself. Not with him. Adrian was
Fated In Darkness 54 In The Meantime
Adrian“In the meantime,” my father said slowly, “stay away from the girl. I don’t want them citing a violation against us.”He meant it as an order, but it came out as something closer to a plea.A promise he wanted me to make.One I couldn’t.“I doubt I can do that, Father,” I said, quietly but firmly.He nodded once. Not in approval—just in understanding. He knew where I stood. And he knew it would cost something.“It would be wise if you tried,” he said. “At least long enough to keep Dimitri from accelerating the offering just to spite you. If he thinks you're backing off, he won’t rush the ritual.”He was right. Dimitri didn’t play fair, but he played fast when provoked.“We need time,” my father continued. “Time to investigate. To negotiate. If you stay close, you give Dimitri reason to move. Let him think you’ve stepped away. Just for now.”He looked at me hard. “This isn’t about cowardice, Adrian. This is strategy. We’re playing the long game.”I took a breath and let the weigh
Fated In Darkness 53 What To Do
Adrian“This won’t be easy, son,” my father said, his voice low but heavy. “You know that.”He wasn’t just speaking as my father now—he was speaking as the former head of our family, as the man who had once made impossible choices to protect me. And now, he was asking me to make one of my own.“You lead this family now, so you understand the cost of interference. You know why we’ve always kept our distance, why we never meddle in Volodymir’s arrangements. And if she is the tribute her family owes... then you also know what that means.”I said nothing. I didn’t need him to explain—but he did anyway, laying out the old logic with cold clarity.“The debt skipped her father’s generation,” he continued. “Only two sons. No daughters to offer. But now the family has girls. And Natalie is the eldest. That means she goes first. If she fails the transformation... they’ll offer the next one. That’s how it works. That’s the price.”I clenched my jaw, the weight of inevitability pressing in on me.
Fated In Darkness 52 The Balshovs
AdrianThe lounge was the opposite of the ballroom—quiet, intimate, and heavy with the kind of silence reserved for serious matters. No music. No eyes watching. Just stone walls and ancestral expectations.My mother didn’t speak as she entered, but her expression said everything.A few seconds later, my father followed.“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, voice flat and stern. No warmth, no buildup—just blunt authority.I was the head of the Balshov clan, yes. The decision-maker. The figure the others bowed to.But they were still my parents—the two who made the sacrifices, built the walls that shielded us, and kept our legacy intact when others would’ve seen it burn.So they had the right to speak to me however they chose.And I had the patience to listen.My father was—and always would be—Strigoi. Volodymir’s nephew. No treaty could erase blood. No power could sever that kind of bond.I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, the ghost of a smile tugging at my lips. Around th
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