Shade's Loss

  “The fact remains the same. You can’t be here without her and vice versa. You would never have been invited had you not been her sire. She needs much training and she needs it now not over the next year. Between the three of us she could learn much. She is as they say the weakest link and threatens my Mikhail. I want to assure you vampire that she is not in any danger from us so you must stop with the theatrics. She is not worth my time to hurt. That and Mikhail seems particularly fond of her.”

  “I’m sitting here. Why do you speak as if I’m not?” Shade asked angry herself now.

  “I am merely addressing your sire that’s responsible for you from now on.”

  “I think you should let my brother speak for his self!” Shade retorted. Anger was plain on her face.

  Damon applied pressure to her hand within his and with a nearly imperceptible shake of his head he warned her.

  “Shade, as hard as it is to believe I do agree with most of what she says,” Mikhail spoke up for the first time.

  Shade looked appalled.

  “Do not misunderstand me newborn, I am doing what is best for all of us. If a war broke out and I was on the wrong side then many lives would be lost. I am not the only ancient werewolf and we stand together with all of them looking to me as a leader. Until your brother is of proper age I am responsible for him solely as is your sire. I wish no ill feelings between us. I mainly want the best for you because you mean so much to my mate. In time you will see that I am right. If for some reason your brother lost control around you I fear you would be harmed and I would not hurt him in order to protect you.”

  Damon saw the sense in that and for once agreed with the hateful ancient. She was much more experienced than him and had the right to protect her mate first and foremost, that he understood but not the rest.

  Shade nodded, barely able to control her anger.

  “I see your sire feels the same towards you as I do towards Mikhail.”

  Shayla let that hang in the air between them, giving them a moment to consider what she had said and respond if they chose.

  “I agree about Shade staying with me at all times. That is understandable, but if we come to war like you think then you will have no choice but to take a side. If I fight it is not just for me but also to stop the overlords from eradicating all creatures like werewolves. They will continue like this just to stay in control.”

  Shayla considered his words.

  “Perhaps but my world, my island, is separate from the rest and I can protect mine here.”

  Damon bit his tongue and looked at Mikhail.

  “I plan on taking each Prince down one at a time so that others like you can have more control. As a part of the shadow world you should not only understand that but agree.”

  Mikhail closed his eyes in defeat. His mate was too powerful compared to him. Unless she chose to harm Shade he had no choice but to agree with her. She could change her mind and throw Shade off the island. He could not stop her and he knew it.

  “For now you should both drink your fill before we go to the training area. I am teaching Mikhail some things as well, such as how to fight in his wolf form and control his anger.”

  Damon got up and got both him and Shade a glass of blood, he chose dark colored glasses so that it was not obvious.

  Shade accepted hers and when she brought the glass to her lips her blood lust kicked in and her fangs dropped. Once again she had issues trying to shift her fangs around the glass and not spill it. Mikhail looked horrified at first until he got a dark look from Damon. After Mikhail saw Shade’s inability to get her fangs situated he busted out laughing earning another irritated look from Damon.

  Shade looked up and immediately felt ashamed and almost dropped the glass. Damon whispered into her ear that she was doing fine and to ignore the other two.

  “I was the same way at first, Shade,” Damon said looking back at Mikhail.

  Shade had a few sips before setting the glass down. She looked everywhere around the dining room except directly at anyone.

  Shayla stood and waited for Mikhail to follow.

  “I need to talk to Shade a moment, we will join you as soon as we can,” Damon said sensing he needed to reassure Shade among other things.

  “That is fine, when you go outside to the patio from your room just circle around to the left and go around to the back and follow the path straight down the rocks to the beach,” Shayla responded. She pulled Mikhail’s from the room.

  Damon took Shade’s hand and led her back to their living area. Once there Damon pulled her tightly into his arms. He bent down to her and planted kisses along her face desperately for a moment before catching himself. Shade tensed at first but then after a few moments she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He nuzzled jaw and behind her ear merely needing the closeness. He had never been the kind before to do such things. He never had the urge or inclination. With Shade he wanted time to stop and to be alone with her.

  Shade’s lips found the neck of his shirt and began kissing him back. Damon could scarcely believe she was reciprocating his intentions. He groaned and closed his eyes content to let her explore unhindered, gaining confidence every second.

  Shade had never been alone with any guy except for the coach. This was almost too much to abide with her conflicting emotions. Part of her wanted to squeal and run away and another wanted to scramble into his arms and stay there. He was going leisurely enough to allow her to get comfortable though which mattered.

  Damon’s right hand inched down to her hip where it found the edge of her jeans. His thumb found the skin over her hip bone, under her shirt, and softly stroked. Shade was aware of his wandering hand but he always had a hand on her hip or stomach and it was becoming as typical as being in his arms. Damon pulled her closer and off her feet so that her lips were now trailing along his jaw, her butterfly kisses were too much. He just about put her back down but it would be against his idea.

  “Shade, you are not getting enough blood. Your body needs the blood cells to heal you and make you stronger. The older you get the less you need but for now you need to drink several times a day.”

  Shade paused but still kept her lips next to his ear. He shivered as her breath caressed him.

  “Drink from me. I taste better than bagged or bottled blood and it makes you stronger than they do. You will have to drink less that way. Only because I am your sire will it maintain you.”

  It would not help her learn to drink from a glass but she needed blood now and not be embarrassed by something natural to their kind. He was her maker and would provide for her one way or another.

  “I can’t Damon. My fangs only drop when I smell the blood.”

  Shade hid her face. She hated admitting to this. Her inability to do normal vampiric activities made her quite aggravated. She refused to look at him.

  Damon wanted to go out and smack the werewolves around for making her feel inadequate. He knew he was over protective of Shade but he could not stop himself. The way he felt for her was complicated. He had turned her and she was his to protect and care for. Just as well as being his mate. Admittedly his feelings were romantic and more.

  Damon released her and went to his bag where he withdrew a dagger and positioned it to his neck right at the jugular. Damon looked her in the eyes hoping she understood how much she meant to him. He would do this only for her.

  Shade could not abide to look and very nearly stopped him, seeing him in that position, staring back at her, made her want to cry. He made her feel very many things and none of them she understood.

  Of course she looked though. How could she not when he stood so boldly, proudly, and openly before her. His actions and the stance he was in screamed wild, feral predator. His piercings and hair, a vibrant blue spiked haphazardly in random directions, compared to his white face was something one could not help but notice. Those types of guys always had appealed to her in a small way especially before her attack.

  He pulled it
across the tight section of his neck below his jaw with vampire speed, careful not go too deep but enough so that it did not heal before her fangs dropped. The sting lasted only briefly and was worth it ten times over. His eyes closed as he struggled to control his emotions. He had shut off his feelings for so long now that he did not realize how powerful they could really be.

  Damon swiftly moved to Shade who had her eyes on his face. When he was within three feet Shade caught the scent and focused on his warm red blood flowing down the side of his face towards his dark shirt which camouflaged it to some extent. Her fangs extended on their own, causing a slight discomfort and temporary tender and swollen feeling. Her courage grew in leaps and bounds. The beautiful fallen, angelic warrior before her offered his self freely to her.

  Shade crossed the last bit of distance in a blur and pulled him into her arms. Her right hand rose to his neck and softly trailed alongside the attractive blood. She was entranced with the sight, with him. It had to cause him pain but he did it anyways.

  As a mortal she would have been sickened by this, by his actions. It was a meddlesome thought behind all the others. So many things around her and inside that caught her attention and interrupted those thoughts, save that human one.

  Damon shuddered, completely and forever lost to her, as he felt the tips of her fingers delicately on his skin. She had no restraint whatsoever causing him to gasp at the suddenness of it and flinch, all of which she was totally oblivious to. The pain was brief as desire took over. His eyes rolled back and he reached for her at the same time she stretched up, his balance thwarted by the force of her attack. He crushed her to him with a slight groan as her fangs slid deeply into the wound. She immediately began to drink which caused Damon’s knees to nearly buckle.

  He swept her up, holding her close, and sat on the edge of the bed positioning her so she straddled his lap at the perfect level. He leaned into her as she struggled to suck more from the healing wound.

  She made nearly inaudible mewling sounds that only his vampiric hearing picked up. The sounds were innocent yet poignantly sexual. She was not the only one feeling the effects of her feeding. The act of drinking was always like this for the vampire but more times than not the victim suffered more than they actually enjoyed it. It all depended on the vampire and if they were feeling attracted to their food or not. Most went for the women in clubs who offered theirs so wantonly.

  His hands held her tightly around her hips unable to stop his arousal from peaking. Shade was thoroughly distracted and paid very little attention to anything but his neck. Her hands gripped his shoulders.

  Damon felt incredibly thirsty and nearly went for Shade’s throat. The first signs of his being sucked dry began but he ignored them, feelings of dizziness and weakness. She needed to be strong and he needed to provide for her.

  Shade pulled back with a whimper and struck him again to open his vein up where it had finally closed. She hit the vein but it was painful, more so than a moment ago. She would need plenty of practice before she even attempted any humans, and better control. At least she had the aim close.

  Just as blackness trimmed the edges of his vision he fought the drug like quality of her feeding from him and gently broke her hold. She sighed with a sexy look of contentment upon her face. Blood trickled from the corner of her lip to her chin. Damon leaned forward and slowly licked it from her mouth. His fangs released and grazed her skin. Shade shuddered and realized for the first time that Damon was more than aroused. The startling proof ripped the lethargic feeling from her and put her on instant cautious alert.

  She sat up and looked deep into his blue eyes searching for any kind of malice or ill intent towards her. She found nothing but love and realized for once that she could let the awful past go, trust a man to protect her and give of himself instead of wound and take from her. She very slowly leaned into him once more. Her arm constricted around him as she brought her lips to his causing disturbing feelings to envelope her. Deep inside she felt a burst of emotion that quickly overtook her leaving her breathless.

  Damon had felt her tense up as a look of alarm passed over her face. He was ready to get her through another attack but instead she amazed him by coming to him.

  He took the opportunity to kiss her back, his lips no doubt bruising hers in his impatience and carefully controlled desires. A dam burst within him releasing everything he had fought so hard to deny, to lock away until she was ready for them. It was not only the sexual side of things she was terrified by but also their overwhelming desire.

  He gradually inclined them both back onto the bed and over so they were lying on their sides facing one another with Shade’s leg still over his hip. His delight might be obvious to her by now but it may eventually cause her to back track again causing them both unintentional pain.

  Damon once more blindly found her hip but continued up along her back and her spine under her shirt to the edge of her bra. Shade pushed him onto his back but did not break the kiss. Her emotions were stirring her to try more with him, to go to the next level.

  Damon’s free hand crushed her to his chest. With her on top she would feel more in control. Damon wanted to tear both their clothes off and explore more of her silky skin. His taut control was rapidly waning.

  His lips found her tiny sensitive ear and his tongue traced the gentle curves there. Shade trembled in his arms at his tantalizing touch. She had never in her life experienced such pleasure and chided herself for freaking out on him. That would never happen with him again, she told herself.

  Damon’s hand found its way under her bra and gently traced the marks the seams had caused. He was quickly coming to his breaking point, breathless with mind numbing pleasure. His mind was on overload as it was and her slight but irresistible body was too much. He would take this to the extreme if he did not find a stopping point, even though she seemed at ease now with this much he was unsure of how much more she could take.

  Damon pulled away from her and pushed her back onto the bed. He lifted her shirt up to the underside of her breasts and left a line of kisses from her hip to her ribs and back down to her navel. Shade arched up into him after a moment’s hesitation. He had been waiting for that hesitation. He knew with that sign she was also to her breaking point.

  He licked his way from the button of her jeans, to her tiny belly button, and to the apex of her ribcage. Goosebumps arose making him pause to appreciate the view.

  Damon belatedly remembered her brother and his mate were waiting outside and sat up. Shade had the look of a content kitten. Her eyes were half closed in ecstasy and an exquisite smile was upon her lovely face.

  Damon kissed her swollen lips once more scarcely able to tear his self from her.

  Dark and erotic emotions flitted chaotically through his body making it virtually impossible to end their mischievous game of flirtation.

  Shade was high on his potent blood and the sexual tension he had instilled in her.

  “You are the most beautiful creature ever to bless my dark world, Shade. I want so much more from you but your brother and that she wolf is waiting. We can continue this later.”

  Shade reached up and nipped the arch of his neck sending a jolt of absolute and shocking desire through him once more.

  “You are playing with noxious fire little one…” he whispered with a sigh.

  She obediently pulled back and tried to put on a serious face. The effect was beyond comical.

  Her dimples and the corners of her lips faltered from the strain of holding it at bay.

  “You are too much for my feeble heart Shade, too much.”

  “I think I’m falling in love with you vampire,” she whispered, her eyes closing as she turned into his shoulder.

  “Are you really hiding from me babe?” he asked taking her chin in his hand and turning her to face him. He kissed each of her closed eye lids.

  She gave a sudden and almost imperceptible nod and then attempted to hide once more.

  “I do not think I
am falling in love Shade…” he paused to make sure she was paying attention. Her eyes darted to his face and then she looked deeply ashamed and absolutely embarrassed for having shared her feelings with him.

  The serious look on his face made a sharp pain spasm through her and she knew her heart would be completely broken if he rejected her now.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “I am absolutely positive I am in love with you Shade,” he finished, unable to hold it in another moment. The pain in her violet eyes tore him up.

  Shade’s smile lit up the darkened room. Damon kissed both sides of her face once more before pulling them both up.

  “If I stay any longer in this room one of us will not have clothes, my love.”

  Shade tried to jump up but he only pulled her back into his lap to kiss her behind the ear again. Her feeble attempts at escape fueled him.