Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Angelo

Serenity looked up at me, her eyes shimmering with a complex mix of emotions—remnants of anger, sweet vulnerability, and a newfound sense of connection. I was still deep inside her, my cock pulsing with the aftershocks of our intense lovemaking.

As I gazed down at her, I was hit by a wave of sensations unlike anything I had ever experienced before. My heart raced, pounding in my ribcage with a ferocity that took my breath away. It was as if our joining had awakened a dormant part of my soul, revealing a hidden well of emotions I had never tapped into or even known existed.

Tenderly, I brushed a strand of her blonde hair away from her face, my fingers trembling slightly as they lingered on her cheek. I struggled to keep my composure, to prevent the overwhelming feelings from surging forth and spilling out in words I wasn't yet ready to say.

"Talk to me, Serenity. What are you feeling?" I finally managed, my voice rough with the effort of restraint.

She leaned into my touch, her initial frown softening as she searched for the right words. "This was…so intense, so intimate. I wasn't prepared for how much it would affect me and how much it would change everything between us."

I nodded slowly, swallowing hard against the lump that had formed in my throat. If only she knew the depths of what I was feeling, the way our connection had shaken me to my very foundations! But I couldn't burden her with that, not right now. She needed me to be strong, to guide us through this uncharted territory.

"I know. It was powerful for me too." The understatement of a millennium, but it was all I could give her in that moment.

She sighed and looked up at me with lovely, beautiful eyes. "What do we do now?"

"One thing's for sure, I don't want to sleep apart from you anymore."

She cocked her eyebrow and pursed her lips. "Are you asking me, or telling me?"

Normally, I would demand, not request, but in this, I wanted her to give herself freely to me. If she said no, it would shatter me, but I'd respect her wishes and do everything in my power to win her heart eventually.

"I'm asking. If you say no, you may return to your room as always. I won't force myself on you." My breath caught in my throat, waiting for her to respond .

Her brow furrowed as she considered the question. Each second that she didn't answer put a crack in my heart. Then she smiled, a radiant, genuine smile that lit up her entire face. "I accept your offer, my vampire king. And I'm eager to see where this journey takes us together."

I exhaled my pent-up relief and gathered her closer, burying my face in the crook of her neck as I fought to steady my racing heart. She had no idea what this meant to me. To have someone else hold my life in their hands was new to me; frankly, it scared the hell out of me. This slip of a girl could bring me to my knees.

I breathed in her intoxicating scent, letting it ground me in the present and in the reality of what we had just shared. Even though I couldn't yet put a name to the emotions swirling within me, I knew one thing with absolute, crystal-clear certainty: my life would never be the same again.

I rested my forehead on hers. "Serenity…my sweet Nephilim."

There was no doubt that she had the power to restore the Aeternum Stone. I was so close to saving my people and to victory, I could almost taste it. Finally, my people would be safe from Dracula.

In that moment, everything else faded away—the troubles with the other Mafia kings…DuPont's investigation…the murdered women…all that mattered was the undeniable fact that Serenity possessed the power to replenish the Aeternum Stone, the magical artifact that held the key to my people's salvation.

I could feel the weight of all the years of struggle and sacrifice lifting, the countless lives lost and the endless nights spent searching for a way to protect my kind from the ever-present threat of Dracula's punishment. Now, with Serenity, I finally allowed myself to believe victory was within reach.

My mind raced, considering the alliances that would need to be forged and the battles that would need to be fought. But through it all, one thought remained constant. With Serenity at my side, anything was possible.

I wanted to tell her about the stone, about the ancient power it held and the grave responsibilities that came with possessing it. I longed to share the burden that weighed heavily on my shoulders, to confide in her all the secrets I had kept for so long. But as I looked into her eyes, still hazy with the afterglow of our lovemaking, I couldn't bring myself to shatter the fragile beauty of the moment.

The mounting dangers surrounding us loomed like gathering storm clouds on the horizon, threatening to overtake the brief respite we had found in each other's arms. I knew I would have to face them soon, to confront the enemies that sought to destroy everything I held so dear. But for now, I wanted to shelter Serenity from the harsh realities of our world, to allow her a few more precious moments of peace and contentment.

There would be time for truth and revelations later, when we were both better prepared to handle the consequences. For now, I needed to keep her safe, to fortify the bonds between us so that we could weather the coming tempest together.

The time would come when I would lay bare all my secrets, when I would trust her completely with the truth of who I was and the destiny that awaited me. But that time was not now, not when the wounds of her past were still so fresh and the scars on her soul still so raw.

Instead, I leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss, pouring all the unspoken emotion that churned within me into that one passionate gesture. When we finally broke apart, both of us panting feverishly, I rested my forehead against hers. "Tonight," I whispered. "You move into my quarters tonight."

It was a declaration, a promise, and a vow all rolled into one. By bringing her into my private space, I was offering her more than just physical proximity. I was inviting her into my life and into my heart in a way I had never done with anyone else before. It was a step toward the future together I envisioned for us, a future where we would face our challenges and our enemies side by side, bound together by a love that could overcome any obstacle.

I just wished I could tell her how I felt.

Serenity's eyes widened at my words. Then she nodded slowly, a soft smile playing around the corners of her mouth. "Yes, I'd like that," she murmured, her voice filled with a quiet contentment that mirrored my own.

And as I gathered her close once more, I silently vowed to do whatever it took to keep her safe, to protect the precious bond we had forged in the heat of our passion.