Original Sin (The Order of Vampires 1)

The journey toward trust would be a million times longer if they started with a betrayal. She needed to make the choice. It was the only way. He couldn’t force her.

She’s your mate! It’s your right to claim her.

Her anger would gut him. He couldn’t risk her hatred, her rejection.

If you force her, there can be no rejection. She’s yours.

She’s not mine yet.

God made her for you!

But she’s—

His head jerked at the sound of feet approaching and he fell into the shadows. His nose twitched at the masculine emotions as foreign determination pelted him. Cunning and carnal. He recognized the male as soon as he stepped into the light.

It was the man from Annalise’s work. Did he live here as well?

Adam watched as he stopped at the door. A low buzz sounded and he waited. The man couldn’t enter without an invitation, so he must have been visiting. The buzz sounded again, and Adam felt a jolt of movement from Annalise.

She was awake. Disoriented. Was the male there to see her?

A low growl rumbled within his chest and his fangs lengthened. His vision shifted and his ears honed in on the slightest sound.

“Hello?” Her voice was groggy as it played through the electrical device. It must be some sort of radio.

“Hey. It’s Kyle. Did I wake you?” The radio clicked as his finger lifted off the button.

Static disguised Annalise’s voice. “What time is it?”

“Two-thirty. I thought you’d be up studying.”

“No, I passed out. Is something wrong?”

As Adam crept closer, he clung to the shadows. Pale moonlight competed with the ultraviolet halo falling from the overhead lights on the building. Insects swarmed the glowing bulbs, casting frantic shadows on the illuminated pavement.

The male’s desire wafted through the air, rancid and desperate. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” He released the button and stepped back, looking up the side of the building in the general direction of Annalise’s unit.

Had he been here before?

The radio clicked. “Kyle, it’s late.”

He trotted back to the machine and pressed the button, speaking into the cracked speaker. “I know. I’m sorry. I just... I feel like you’re mad at me and I won’t be able to sleep without seeing you first.”

“Now?”

“Please, Anna.” He lifted his finger then pressed the button again. “I’m already here.”

There was a long pause. Adam crept closer. Surely, she knew better than to let this man into her home. It was the middle of the night. She was alone. He was almost certain she’d taken some sort of tonic because her emotions still read fuzzier than usual. She shouldn’t invite a—

“Okay, it’s open.” The front door clicked, and the radio buzzed.

“Yes,” Kyle hissed, jogging to the door.

He almost made it. Hot blood hit Adam’s tongue the moment his fangs pierced the man’s throat. His slight struggles fed Adam’s hunger like a sweet indulgence, headier than Annalise’s. As he tasted his fear and the man’s lust faded, Adam growled, wrenching the weakening body into the shadows.

As the pulse slowed, so did the flow of blood. All signs of struggle subsided. He jerked the limp body closer, claws digging into clothing—

“Kyle?” The box by the door squawked. “Where’d you go?”

Suddenly aware of what he was doing, Adam shoved the man off his lap. He groaned and weakly tried to push himself off the ground only to fall back into the grass.

Adam wiped a hand over his mouth. A swallow of the man’s blood still remained, coating his teeth, gums, and tongue. “What have I done?”

The man groaned again. Adam had taken a lot of blood, but there was no way to determine how much. He sensed the male’s weakness. It numbed his fear and made his motions clumsy.

“Can you walk?”

“Kyle?” Annalise called to the radio box again. “Did you catch the door?”

The man crawled like a newborn calf, stumbling and moaning until he panted on the grass. Adam rolled him to his back and gripped his jaw. “Look at me.”

He pushed into his mind, latching onto any opening he could find. “You went home right after work. You were never here, and you have no memory of seeing me outside of the bar. You’re no longer attracted to Annalise. When she tells you she’s met someone new, you will be supportive of her choice and encourage her to begin a new life with her soul mate. When you get home, you will drink plenty of fluids and rest.” He bent and quickly closed the wound.

The mortal nodded. “And rest.”

“Yes. Go now.” He helped the man to his feet and watched him drive away.

“Kyle, what’s going on? Why aren’t you answering me?”

The radio hummed and Adam raced over to push the button. “I’m coming up.”

Enough was enough. How could he protect her if she insisted on putting her safety in jeopardy? Inviting men up to her private apartment...