The Fall From Grace

Chapter Eighteen

Arabella wakes with a jump, noticing she is in the arms of Alaric. She calms once she notices that he is sleeping soundly and nuzzles her face against his. She stifles a small laugh as he remains unfazed by her movements, gently moving off of the bed so that she can take a shower.

Her mind drifts off to what Alaric had said about his sister, that she was like her. Sebastian had told her much about the Berezin line but there is still much she doesn't know about Alaric's family. Most royal bloodlines knew about Maxims execution but not much is actually known about the time before, when her mate had only been a small child.

Her mind feels as though it is full of unanswered questions, starting with Alexandra and her own existences. Just as she reaches over to turn the shower on, the bathroom disappears and her knees give out from under her as she appears in a room she's never been in.

"Arabella? Where did you come from? Where is Alaric?" She recognizes the voice as Dylan's and she turns her head to look at him with confusion. Her hand is still reaching out as if she were trying to turn on the shower.

"I was just trying to take a shower. How did I end up here?" Her voice is shaky and she hears a small crack off in the distance. Everyone looks towards the mirror on the vanity and she realizes that she must have cracked it by letting her fear come to the surface.

"Your powers must be starting to develop." The female voice draws her eyes away from Dylan and to the woman sitting on the bed, there was blood running down the neck of the man sitting beside her and her body registers the sweet aroma.

It's almost as if somebody has stuck fire into her chest and throat. Her never ending craving for the sweet substance is driving her crazy. "Oh no..." she covers her nose and mouth with her hands and tries to fight the change in her vision. "I need Alaric, I need to get back to my room. I don't know how I got here but I can't be here when it smells so strongly of blood." She says through her covered mouth and quickly bolts towards the door.

She throws the door open and rushes down the hallway, following the scent of her mate. She comes to the door where it is the strongest and tries to open the door but it is locked. She uncovers her mouth and starts hitting the door, trying not to break it. After only a few hits the door flies open and Alaric is staring at her with worried eyes.

"Arabella how the hell did you get out here?" He grabs her arm and pulls her inside. He shuts the door and locks it, turning towards her before noticing her state. "Hey, what happened?" He asks gently, placing her face in his hands. She grasps his shirt, ripping it down the middle before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry Alaric, but I'm so hungry, I need you." She whimpers as he grabs her and pulls her up like he did that first time. She buries her fangs in him without a second thought, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her hands run along his torso, admiring the muscle she can feel underneath her fingertips.

"Now, now, little vampire, getting a little handsy there." He mutters as he moves them to the bed, lying Arabella on her back. She can't help but to groan as she feels him rub against her through the fabric of their clothes. He stiffens as he feels her hips gyrate against him, encouraging his body to react even more.

He knew her body was reacting to their bond and didn't want to rush her, but when she does things like this is it hard for him to stop himself from trying or wanting.  She pulls herself away long enough to lick up the blood escaping from her mouth. "Why not? I want to touch you." Her voice sounds breathy as she whispers in his ear. Her body continues to rock against his as he lets her continue to feed. He can smell her arousal growing stronger with the friction of their grinding.

"Arabella, we seem to be in a compromising position." She groans against his neck digging her nails into his torso. "Shit, Arabella, even I only have so much control." Alaric mutters as he begins to match her movements. She removes her fangs from his neck, bringing her arms up, and wraps them around his neck.