Lahat ng Kabanata ng Fated In Darkness: Kabanata 251 - Kabanata 260

Adrian’s POVAlison stayed with me in the infirmary until midnight, her presence quiet but heavy. She sat in the single chair, her gaze never leaving Natalie’s still form. The weight of her worry was clear, and though her questions gnawed at her, she held her silence. I understood. The bond between her and Natalie ran deep, blood or no blood. They were like sisters, two souls tied by something greater than the betrayal of their fathers. That bond was likely the reason Natalie had shielded her again and again, even when she didn’t deserve it.When the clock struck twelve, I finally told Alison to go to sleep. She left reluctantly, glancing over her shoulder as though she feared leaving her cousin even for a moment. The room felt emptier after she was gone, though not quieter, the sound of Natalie’s EKG still beat like a fragile metronome, reminding me that she lived, but only just.It wasn’t long after that my mother entered. Her steps were soft, her face shadowed by the grief she had

NatalieI still couldn’t believe I was breathing. Martina’s fangs had sunk into me, her venom burning like fire in my veins, and then her hands had hurled me into the night sky. The air had rushed past me, cold, sharp, final. In those endless seconds, I had embraced death. My heart had broken with regret, not because I feared the end, but because I had wasted so many moments being helpless, powerless. I swore to myself that I would not scream, would not beg. And I hadn’t.Even then, even facing annihilation, I had known the truth: they hadn’t wanted me. I had only been bait. A weapon against him. Against Adrian.What I never expected was that Adrian would come for me so quickly, as if death itself had bent to his will and given him time to snatch me back. What I never imagined was that I would survive the fall, or the venom.The memory of Professor Alester’s lecture clawed back into my mind, the Strigoi, their venom, their endless hunger. His words had unsettled me once, but now they

NatalieThe world returned to me in fragments.At first, silence, so heavy it felt like I had been lowered into a void. Then, a rhythm. Steady, deep, ancient. Adrian’s heartbeat. My body stirred, pulling itself out of the darkness, pulled toward that sound like a moth to flame.When I opened my eyes, the room burst into life. Shadows weren’t shadows, they were textured veils of ink with edges so sharp I could count the motes of dust dancing between them. The faint glow of candle wax flickered, but to me, it was like staring into molten suns. Every sound was magnified: the ticking of the clock on the mantle, the faint drip of rain outside, the rustle of Adrian’s shirt as he shifted beside me. And beneath it all, the most intoxicating thing of all, his scent.Leather, smoke, and blood. Him.“Breathe,” Adrian whispered. His voice was velvet-wrapped steel, commanding and gentle. His hand brushed my cheek, cool and firm, grounding me before I could drown in the flood of sensation.“I can h

Natalie’s POVI excused myself from my mother’s room and headed to check on Lisa, only to be told she was downstairs with Grant. Whether he had come to see her or take her back, I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to intrude on them. My steps turned instead toward Alison.The moment she saw me, she screamed with joy and flung herself at the door. Her scent hit me before her arms could, warm, sweet, tinged with familiarity. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it stirred something primal inside me, the instinct to taste her blood. I clenched my fists and forced it down, retreating before the hunger could claim me. Adrian had been right, control would take practice. But already, I was faring far better than a Strigoi would after mere hours. For them, it took centuries. For me… perhaps eternity had made me adaptable.“I thought I had lost you!” she cried, her voice cracking with relief. Then, almost accusingly, “I threatened Adrian. I thought it was his fault. His enemies, right?”I shook my head sl

Adrian’s POV“Tell us, Adrian, how is she?” Lancly asked, his face lighting up with rare warmth. He was beaming, almost giddy with relief, and I could tell he was genuinely glad.“I must say,” he continued, shaking his head, “I felt my world ending when we returned. I personally have a bone to pick with that bitch once we find her. We’ve got Dhampirs out searching already.”Dimitri’s gaze found mine then. I saw something in his eyes, relief, deep and heavy, but he wore it like a man wears armor, refusing to voice it aloud. His pride wouldn’t let him. Still, I saw it.“I’m glad you got her back, Adrian,” he said instead, his tone clipped but sincere. “Thanks to your scare, it has helped me refocus.”I frowned, leaning forward. “Really? How?”He didn’t flinch, just shifted his attention to my father. “On what’s important.”Then his voice dropped lower, more contemplative. “When Father chose to build a life with Lady Margret, after their tumultuous union, after his blatant rejection of i