39. Zephyr

39

ZEPHYR

The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves fills my nostrils as I slip through the forest, my footsteps muffled by the thick, dark fog that clings to the ground. This is unusual. It's like wading underwater, unable to see your hand in front of your face.

As I round a bend in the path, the fog clears, and I spot Adelaide. She's sitting on a fallen log, her shoulders slumped, and her head bowed. Even from a distance, I can see the tightness in her body, the way her hands are clenched in her lap. She looks so small and vulnerable, and it takes all my self-control not to rush over and wrap her in my arms.

Instead, I slow my pace, approaching her cautiously. I don't want to startle her or make her feel like I'm invading her space. As I draw closer, I see the faint traces of blood tears on her cheeks, and it freezes my already icy blood.

"Princess," I say softly, trying to keep my voice steady. "You shouldn't be out here alone."

She looks up at me, her eyes red-rimmed and haunted. "I'm fine," she says, but her voice is thin and shaky.

"I don't believe you for one second." I take a seat next to her on the log, close enough that our shoulders are touching.

"I don't care," she mumbles.

"Ouch. And here I thought we were coming to an understanding."

"Of what, exactly?"

"Of who you are to me."

For a moment, we sit in silence, listening to the distant sounds of the forest. I can hear the faint rustling of leaves, the lap of the water from the lake not far from here. It's peaceful, which is so at odds with Adelaide's anxiety, which is clawing at my insides, making me squirm slightly. I'm connected to her at such a basic level, if I stop to think about it too long, it scares me.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask finally, breaking the silence.

"I needed some fresh air," she says.

"It's dangerous."

"How is it any more dangerous than being in my room and being attacked by crazy, ancient vampire women?"

"Okay, but out here, more than crazy vampire women can get to you."

"You forgot ancient."

"Hmm?"

"Crazy ancient vampire women. And it's not even. It's one. One vampire."

Hearing the crack of a twig, I look up to see Christos approaching. I scowl at him. He is my cousin and my nemesis, if we want to get all super villain about it. I can't stand the arse-kiss, and I know he hates me just as much.

"What do you want?" I snap, causing Adelaide to look up.

"Ah, cousin," Christos sneers, his eyes glinting with malice. "Fancy seeing you here."

"What do you want, Christos?" I repeat, my voice low and dangerous.

He smirks, running a hand through his jet-black hair. "I saw our new girl sitting here all alone and thought I'd see if everything was okay, perhaps offer her some comfort."

"She's not alone."

"No, not anymore," he drawls. "More's the pity."

"Get out of here, Chris. You have seriously picked the wrong day to wind me up."

Christos glares at me, his magick sparking around him. He is looking for a fight, and I'm fully prepared to give him one. I rise in one fluid motion and grab his shirt.

"Back off," I growl. I can feel my magick swirling around me, a dark cloud of power and authority.

Christos tries to shrug off my grip, but I tighten it. I can feel his magick thrumming beneath his skin, but it's no match for mine. I'm the heir to the Dark Fae throne, and he seems to forget that.

"You don't scare me," Chris sneers.

"You should be scared," I say, my voice cold and hard. "Because if you so much as look at her the wrong way, I'll make sure you regret it."

"You think you can protect her from me? I know what she is, and she is about to learn that she doesn't get a fucking choice when it comes to me and the power I want."

Adelaide's harsh rasp as she takes that threat on board is a beautiful thing. I can feel the power in me rise up exponentially. She isn't even touching me, and yet she is boosting my power.

Suddenly, Chris lunges at me, his fists flying in a move I didn't expect. Physical blows are beneath us, usually. But if he wants to see that my father has trained me in all forms of combat, bring it.

I dodge and weave, my movements fluid and precise. I can feel the power of my magick coursing through me, driven harder by Adelaide's power. I land a punch, and Chris stumbles back, his face contorted in pain.

He summons a blast of pure energy that sends me flying backwards. I hit the ground hard, but I'm back on my feet in an instant. I can see the blood trickling down my face, but I don't care. "Oh, that was a bad move, cousin," I snarl, now more pissed off than anything.

He charges at me again, but I grab his arm, twisting it behind his back. He lets out a cry of pain, but I don't let go. I hold my hand up and slam him to the ground with my magick, crushing his chest with the weight of the power behind me as I crouch next to him.

"If you come within five hundred yards of her again, I will fucking smite you where you stand. The only reason you get a pass today, and I mean the only fucking reason I'm not slicing you up into tiny pieces to barbecue and feed to the wolves, is because I seriously cannot be arsed dealing with my father's lecture on family. Today. But don't make the mistake of thinking the same tomorrow, fucker. Got it?"

He glares at me, his eyes burning with hatred. But he has nowhere to go. He didn't expect it. We are not evenly matched at the best of times, but he gives me a good workout. He is no slouch being who he is.

"You're a fucking dick," he hisses. "Your father will hear about this."

"Oh, please. I beg you to inform him that you were about to attack and rape my future wife. I fucking dare you."

His face pales as he looks at Adelaide, and his jaw clenches.

"This isn't over. The Vesper is fair game. You might think she's yours, but no way in hell are you getting her."

"Excuse fucking you!" Adelaide suddenly exclaims, standing up and kicking Christos in the nuts so hard I burst out laughing. "I would rather gouge my eyes out with a blunt spoon than ever be with you. Fuck off. And if you come near me again, Zephyr will be the least of your worries, are we clear?"

Christos growls, and I let him up reluctantly. The beast inside me is screaming at me to end him, to rip his limbs off and eat them, but he is already gone.

I smile as I look up at Adelaide, my smile slow and predatory. Her anger satisfies something primal in my black soul. "You're mine, Adelaide," I murmur as I rise and go to her. I grip her chin, just this side of roughly. "Do you understand?"

I expect her to be angry, to push back against my possessiveness. But instead, I see a dark thrill in her eyes, an instinctual response to my words. She feels it, too, this connection between us. She's mine, and I am hers.

"What do you want, Zephyr?" she asks. "What do you want from me?"

"You. I want you, Adelaide. All of you."

"Zephyr," she whispers, her voice a plea, a surrender.

I lean in, my lips crushing hers. This time, the kiss is not soft, not fleeting. It's hungry, demanding, consuming. She melts into me, her body pressing against mine, her hands tangling in my hair. I growl low in my throat, my arms wrapping around her, pulling her closer. I can feel her desire, her passion, her need for me. It's raw, primitive, all-consuming.

My touch is rough, demanding, leaving marks on her skin as I strip her bare using magick for the trickier bits.

"Fuck, Adelaide," I groan, my voice ragged. "I need you."

She moans in response, her body arching against mine. I can feel the darkness in her, the savagery, and it calls to the darkness in me. I want more. I want everything.

"Zephyr," she gasps, her voice a plea. "More. I need more."

I growl again and push her onto her hands and knees in the middle of the forest where anyone could walk up and see us. My hands grip her hips, my fingers digging into her flesh. I unzip my pants and grab my rock hard cock.

"Is this what you want, Adelaide?" I murmur. "You want me to fuck you like an animal?"

"Yes," she moans, pushing back against me. "Yes, please."

I laugh, a dark, dangerous sound. "Such a bad, Little Dollie." I slap her arse and slam into her, thrusting deep with a low groan.

She cries out. She's tight, but she takes all of me, her body stretching to accommodate my throbbing cock. It feels so good, so right. This is what I've been craving, what I've been needing.

My hips move with a brutal rhythm, my cock pounding into her with a force that leaves her breathless. My fingers dig into her flesh, holding her in place, controlling her completely.

"Harder," she gasps, her voice ragged. "Fuck me harder, Zephyr."

I growl, my pace increasing, my thrusts becoming more forceful. I can feel the darkness in me, the savagery, the brutality rising to the surface and wanting to show her the real me. But she isn't ready for that. Not yet.

The pleasure builds, intense and overwhelming. I can feel her orgasm approaching, like a storm on the horizon, and when it hits, it's all-consuming, a wave of pleasure that crashes over her, leaving her shaking and breathless as her pussy clutches my cock possessively, letting me know that she is mine.

My cock pulses inside her, my body shuddering against hers as I unload into her with a grunt of pure satisfaction. I've never felt this way about anyone before, never wanted someone so completely, so intensely. But Adelaide is different. She's mine and she knows it. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her, to keep her by my side because I know that my life has changed irrevocably. I've found my fate, my equal, my partner in darkness, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, to make her happy, to give her the world she deserves.

Because this is who I am. This is my truth, my power, my destiny. We'll conquer the darkness, embrace the savagery, and reign supreme in this new world of shadows and desires.

"Fuck, Zephyr," Adelaide pants, still trembling from her orgasm. I smile at the sight of her, sprawled out in nature, with my cock still inside her. She's a fucking goddess, my dark queen.

I pull out of her, my cock still throbbing from the intensity of our fucking. I zip up my pants and help her to her feet, my hands gentle as I brush the dirt off her skin. She looks up at me with a small, shy smile, her eyes still full of desire.

"This is just the beginning, princess," I murmur.

She shivers at the sound of my voice, her body responding instinctively to the promise of more.

I lean into whisper in her ear. "I'm going to claim you, Adelaide. Every inch of you. You're mine, and soon you won't be able to live without me. You will need me, crave me, die without me."

She gasps at my words, her eyes widening in surprise and lust. "Yes," she breathes. "I want that, Zephyr. I want all of that."

I stroke her hair softly. "Good, Little Dollie. I will break you and put you back together so that no one else can have you except us."

She nods and leans into me with her eyes closed, and I hold her, knowing that now her secret is out, she is in more danger than she realises. But anyone who wants to get to her will have to go through me first, and I pity the arsehole that tries to get between me and the only creature that has ever made me want them this way.