17 comments/ 12778 views/ 29 favorites Fire and Ice Ch. 06 By: MisBehaved Sorry for the delay. It seemed that I had reached a suitable pause in the story for a while. Also, I noticed (thanks to a helpful comment!) that I made a typo in Chapter 3(ish). Adam was born in BC, not AD. So my math was off, but it's right if you place Adam in BC. Sorry about that! Also, you'll get a bit of a different perspective in this chapter. The entire story so far has been told from Emma's point of view. I'm keeping it that way, but for a while in this chapter she's a little...out of commission. Keep that in mind, sound good? And one more thing: you may have noticed that when I first posted this story, I had another under my name entitled "A True Duet." That was my first story, and I didn't like it much, so I'm planning on rewriting it. However, one of the characters from that story appears in this one. Alright, enjoy! Chapter Six Pain. It was the first thing that registered in my mind after my eyes snapped open. Indescribable pain; a feeling of being slowly frozen to death from the inside out. Everything burned cold. I felt my back arching off of the bed, heard myself making sounds that could only be described as carnal. Adam was kneeling frantically next to me, pressing a cool cloth to my forehead. But I was already freezing. I was freezing from the inside out. Didn't he know that? Hadn't he been through this before? I wanted to scream at him, tell him to warm me up, tell him to do something, anything, but the words wouldn't come. Only noises—moans, groans, grunts, cries. I felt tears leaking from my eyes as my body twisted and turned in the dark. I could feel the sweat running down my neck, didn't have the capacity to wonder why I was sweating if I was so cold. Sobs wracked my body and I screamed one last time before passing into oblivion. **** Adam ran his hand through his hair as Emma passed out. He was pale, his face drained of all blood. Even as she slept, Emma whimpered in the dark, writhing on the bed. He was a monster. What had he done? He'd thought with his dick, that's what he'd done. He had been so happy to find Emma alive and well, so overjoyed when she had said that she wanted to stay with him forever, to give herself to him, that he had given into the lust that had overtaken him the very first time he had seen her. As she lay on the bed, twisting, shivering and sweating at the same time, he thought back to when he had been changed. It wasn't like this, was it? He didn't remember screaming, crying in pain. He didn't really remember anything. A groan from Emma broke his thoughts and he focused on her. Maybe if he could just get some medicine in her system, do something to make her sleep. How long was this transformation supposed to take? Guilt welled deep within Adam. She trusted him. She loved him. And he had put her through this without finding anything out. However old he may be, the fact was that he knew almost nothing about being a vampire. He should have found out before doing this. He should have researched, should have done everything in his power to make it as painless a transition as possible. Instead, he had acted like a hormonal teenager. He'd taken Emma without understanding the consequences. His behavior was inexcusable. But he refused to believe that she wouldn't be alright. She had to be alright. This was what every human went through when they were turned, wasn't it? God damn it! He didn't know anything! What if she wasn't going to be alright? Who was he supposed to talk to? There was no one to turn to, no one to ask. There wasn't another vampire in the world. Not that he knew of, anyway. And he had done his fair share of searching when he had so foolishly left Emma alone and traveled to Europe and the Mediterranean. He had poked and prodded, looking everywhere for even a sign of someone like him, but to no avail. As far as he was concerned, it was him and Emma against the world. A strangled scream echoed from Emma's throat, and Adam shuddered, placing a firm kiss on her forehead. She would be ok. She had to be. The night went on. Emma would wake, screaming at him to warm her up, sobbing, twisting in delirium. Silent, Adam would continue to press the cold cloth to her hot forehead, dying a little bit each time she yelled at him. As the dawn broke and thin slivers of light made their way through the cracks in the blinds, falling on Emma, Adam began to be afraid. She was so, so pale. Sickly looking. What if her body couldn't take to the vampirism? What if he had killed her? Suddenly, her groans stopped. She fell still, her heartbeat slowed. And kept getting slower. Her breathing seemed labored. She looked like porcelain lying on the bed, and felt just as fragile. His instincts screamed at him, yelling that this silence was bad, but Adam tried to convince himself that it was a good thing. Perhaps she was getting better. He crawled up onto the bed with her and took her up into his arms, rocking her softly and slowly. "Please, Em. Stay with me. Please. Please." Unbidden, a tear rose into his eye, and he pressed his lips against the top of her head, rocking them both gently as he held her fevered body close. Adam stayed like that, holding her close, until the silence was shattered by a loud knock on his door. His hazel eyes shot towards the door, his senses went on alert. What the hell? Laying her down gently, eliciting a whimper with the movement, he slipped into a pair of jeans and walked to the door, opening it slightly. "Can I help you?" His voice was a near-growl; being distracted from Emma put him on edge. "I'd appreciate a word with you, Adam." An olive-colored, masculine hand pressed against the door and opened it with surprising strength. Suspicion flooded his body, and Adam struggled to remain calm as the unwelcome visitor stepped over the threshold of the door. Unwilling to reveal himself as inhuman, he had no choice but to step aside as he allowed the stranger into his home. He fought the urge to snarl at the intruder, pressing his lips shut and crossing his arms, letting his eyes peruse the man before saying anything. The figure that stepped inside was tall, at least his height. There was a distinctive olive hue to his skin, and his eyes were a honeyed-brown. A cropped, dark mass of curls covered his head. He was dressed in business attire, wearing a grey suit with a black dress shirt underneath it. He had neglected to put on a tie and his shirt was open at the collar, adding a slightly more relaxed look to his whole ensemble. He eyed Adam's bare chest with a slight look of disapproval before bringing his eyes back up to his face. Adam's posture stiffened as he unconsciously widened his stance and assumed a defensive pose. "Can I help you?" he repeated once again. The man cleared his throat, then began to speak. "I'll keep this clear and to the point. I know who you are, Adam. More importantly, I know what you are. You are a vampire." Adam's stance faltered as the man continued, confidently. "In fact, you're one of the oldest of all vampires around presently, outranked by a select few. You've adapted yourself extraordinarily well to fit in with the humans, but I've come to escort you back to Greece, to be with your own kind. This isn't a choice. You'd best dress yourself and follow me." Adam's arms had slowly dropped to his sides as the man spoke. A variety of different emotions flew across his face, shock, surprise, and outrage. "Who the fuck are you?" The dark man's gaze faltered slightly at Adam's response, "Excuse me?" Adam quickly perused the man's form again, this time noting everything that he hadn't before. His movements were too calm, too controlled. He was too sure of himself to be a human confronting a vampire. His heart wasn't even pounding, there was no smell of adrenaline. That left only one conclusion in Adam's mind. "Who the fuck are you? Who the fuck do you think you are? You come into my home, tell me that I need to leave, pack my things and go to Greece, and it isn't a choice? You must think that I'm either remarkably naïve or remarkably stupid. Since you've already admitted that I'm one of the oldest beings alive on this planet, I'm going to assume that you don't think that I'm naïve, and instead think that I'm stupid. That's an insult that I cannot tolerate, especially from a vampire whose name I don't know." The other vampire couldn't help the smile that flitted across his face. Adam was remarkably quick. He was also extremely defensive and edgy. A quick perusal of his clean, orderly surroundings indicated that he wasn't normally like that. Something was making this vampire nervous, and it wasn't him. "My name is Iain Dibari. I'm one of the oldest living vampires, sired before you by two centuries, Adam. I outrank you, which means you'll do as I say or garner the consequences. The High Coven needs to debrief you; you've been off the grid for a remarkably long period of time, and they need to know what you've been doing. Who you've sired, how many people know what you are, how you've managed to remain anonymous for so long, etc. You shouldn't be in any danger, but you will be if you refuse to follow me back to Athens." Adam crossed his arms once more. He hadn't fought with another vampire in millennia, but it would be the mistake of a youngling to jump to the conclusion that this 'Iain' was a threat. It seemed foolish to overestimate the dark sanguisuge, though, and Adam couldn't risk anything happening to Emma. Eyeing Iain up and down, Adam prepared to speak when a moan from the bedroom drew the attention of both vampires. Forgetting Iain, Adam was in the room in milliseconds, kneeling next to Emma, stroking her forehead. "Shh...it'll be alright, Em. I promise." "Goddamn it!" Iain exclaimed when he had followed Adam into the room and laid eyes on the pale figure writhing in pain on the bed. Adam quickly placed himself between Emma and Iain, growling instinctively. "Don't you dare touch her. Don't lay a finger on her; she's mine." Iain wasn't stupid; one glance told him that Adam had sired the girl. His behavior seemed to indicate that she was his enósei, a Greek word meaning "mate" or "unite". Vampires did not typically lay claim to someone in such clear terms unless they were to be enoménos, or united. Still, the girl did not look well. Adam's inexperience in siring was clear—she was pale and in pain. Adam himself looked weary, indicating that he had been caring for her for a while, perhaps all night. That meant that she didn't have much time left. Iain didn't care much for humans, but this girl was already partially a vampire, which meant she was his duty to protect. He protected his entire coven religiously; it was why they had survived for so long. His chocolate eyes locked onto Adam's pale hazel ones. Swallowing his anger, he snapped at the other vampire, "Do you want her to die? Have you any experience with siring? Swallow your pride and stop acting like a newborn. Step aside and allow me to look at her." Adam glanced first at Emma, then back at Iain. Slowly, crushing the protective instinct that had welled up within his soul when Iain had entered the room, he took a step aside. Iain quickly filled the void left by Adam and felt the girl's pulse. He had been right—death was close. Her pale, grey skin told him what he needed to know. Turning to Adam with fury, he yelled at him, "Are you an idiot, bloodsucker!? Get her some blood! She will die unless she feeds!" Adam's eyes went wide. Blood. He quickly stepped out, forcing himself to leave Emma alone with the strange vampire as he took a bag of blood from the fridge and brought it back to her. He sliced through the plastic with one of his fangs, then held it to her cracked lips. As the first drops of blood hit her lips, Emma's eyes flew open and with a hiss, she pressed her mouth against the bag, sucking hungrily. Iain had allowed Adam to feed her and gone to the kitchen, returning with a handful of blood bags. Emma had finished the first bag and continued sucking hungrily as the second was pressed against her lips. Adam watched as color slowly reappeared in her cheeks as she drained the third and fourth bag. By the fifth, she was slowing down, and she couldn't finish the sixth. Instead, she relaxed against the pillow, sleeping more peacefully than he'd seen her sleep all night. Iain tossed the empty plastic bags into a small trash can next to the dresser and crossed his arms. "You could have killed her. What do you mean by starving her like that?" Adam ignored the question, pressing his forehead against Emma's, comforting himself by the strong, steady sound of her heartbeat. He stayed in that position, with his eyes closed, just listening, until Iain spoke again. "I need to speak with you, Mr. Ilios. I realize that the timing is inconvenient, but that cannot be helped. There are matters to discuss." A kiss on Emma's forehead and a deep breath had Adam prepared, and he turned to Iain slowly. Motioning for Iain to leave the room so that their conversation wouldn't wake Emma, he followed the dark vampire, grabbing a grey t-shirt on the way out and pulling it over his exposed chest. He shut the door softly, then cleared his throat, "I should think that it would be obvious to you that I can't leave just yet. Not with Emma in this condition. Once she is well, we can travel to Greece. Together. I'm not leaving her alone. Not again." The last words were said too quietly for a human to hear, but Iain's ears picked them up perfectly. "I figured as much. However, I shall have to tell the Coven that I have found you. And I cannot return to Athens without the both of you. Be that as it may..." at this point, Iain made his way to the couch and took a seat, propping his feet up on the ottoman placed in the center of the room, "...I am quite anxious to get back. So, once the girl, Emma, I think you said her name was, is well, we three shall return to Athens." Adam ran his fingers through his hair, mussing it even more than a night awake could. His face wore a concerned expression, "This is all so new to her, Mr. Dibari. I'm going to have to show her what it's like to be a vampire. I'm going to have to help her cope with her new food source. I'll have to make her understand how to control the urge to feed every time that a human comes around. It's a big responsibility, as I'm sure you know, and I just don't think that I can take her to a completely different continent while she's trying to learn all of that." Iain shrugged, "You'd be surprised how fast they pick it up. Instinct, you know. Either way, I'll stick around until I decide that she's fit enough to travel, and then we'll go." Adam felt the frustration welling up inside of him and stifled the urge to growl, "I don't think you quite get the picture, Mr. Dibari. Emma and I aren't going anywhere until I decide that she's fit enough to travel. You will have nothing to do with the decision. I've already told you that we will meet you there—that's more than you should have expected. Now, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave." Iain's posture had slowly stiffened as Adam continued to speak. Standing up from the couch, he strode over to Adam, standing directly in front of the vampire. "Did you not hear me when I said that I outrank you, Mr. Ilios? This is not a request. This is a command. As yet, you have no position on the High Coven, and therefore no authority. At all. This means that you will do as I say or face the consequences. And since the girl in there is so important to you..." Iain's eyes traveled to the closed bedroom door "...I suggest that you cooperate." The threat to Emma's safety raised the hackles on Adam's spine. He could feel the instinct trying to take over and stifled the urge to rip Iain's head off of his neck. His fingers clenched themselves into a fist and the growl rising in his throat was swallowed as he exhaled a long, quiet breath. Iain watched Adam's control, impressed. He may have had limited contact with other vampires, but the man had taught himself well. When Adam spoke, his voice was deadly calm. "Threaten her again, Mr. Dibari, and they shall be the last words you ever speak." Iain fought the urge to smile. So, she was his enósei as he had thought. Well, the vampire had obviously waited long enough. He was almost two millennia old. Placatingly, Iain held up his hands. "Allow me to make some calls, and I'll see what I can do, friend." The last word was said sarcastically, with a small smirk. Adam nodded at him, and Iain turned and walked to the door, letting himself out onto the patio. Adam heard the tones of the buttons, then tuned him out as he walked back into the bedroom, opening and closing the door quietly. **** I watched as Adam closed the door silently, examining him as he turned to face me. My eyes locked onto his grey ones. Strange how they seemed to change color with his mood, but I could still see the hazel in the background. I watched the emotions wash across his face—relief, joy, love. He was at my side in a second, gently running his finger along my lower jaw. "You're awake! Dear god, Em, I was so worried. Are you hurting? Is anything wrong?" His eyes seemed to scour my whole body, returning to my face when he was satisfied that I was alright. I could feel my lips stretch into a smile at his concern. It seemed out of character from his usually relaxed attitude. "I'm fine..." I trailed off, my voice was hoarse; it sounded like I had been a smoker my entire life. I winced when I tried to swallow. Adam noticed and furrowed his brow. "Need some water?" I just nodded; water sounded amazing. He quickly stood up and left the room. I lay my head back on the pillow and closed my eyes, taking stock of my entire body. Everything felt normal. Wasn't being a vampire supposed to feel different? I looked down my arm and wiggled my fingers. Normal. I wiggled my toes. Fine. I could feel my heartbeat, my lungs filling and emptying. My eyes stared at the pale grey ceiling, watching the fan rotating over and over again, casting moving shadows on the wall in the pale morning light. Yep, I felt the exact same. Adam walked back into the room and set the glass of water on the bedside table. I sat up to reach for the water, and as I did so a belch echoed from my gut. I felt the blush creep up my cheeks long before I said "Excuse me," sheepishly. Adam smiled, "You drank a lot earlier." I raised a brow quizzically, then followed the direction of his eyes to the emptied, plastic blood bags in the trash. No way. "I drank that?" It was almost unbelievable. I had already drank blood, and I wasn't even conscious for it? Adam just nodded gravely, "I almost lost you, Em. I had no idea that you would need to feed so soon. If it hadn't been for Mr. Dibari..." he trailed off, and I was left wondering what his words meant. "Mr. Dibari?" I asked, reaching for the glass of water and taking a long, refreshing gulp. It seemed that no matter what species you were, water would always taste amazing. I could feel Adam's eyes on my tongue as I licked my lips of the excess water. It made me want to blush, but surprisingly, I stifled the urge. He nodded at my question, "He's another..." Adam paused, taking a deep breath. "He's another vampire, Em. We aren't the only ones." A shiver of pleasure traveled up my spine at being included in the group with Adam. I was a vampire. It all seemed so...unreal. But after the pleasure, the reality of his statement hit me. "He came to you? He found you?" Adam nodded once more. "He showed up while you were unconscious. He saved your life, Em. I've only known of him for an hour, but I'm already indebted to him, more than I could ever repay." Fire and Ice Ch. 06 His hands came onto my lap, clasping mine, entwining my fingers with his. He leaned his forehead against mine and I closed my eyes, reveling in the perfection of his touch. This man is mine, forever. flashed through my mind. Death didn't factor in the equation at all. Suddenly, it hit me that I was immortal. I would live forever. With Adam. It was terrifying, but exhilarating at the same time. Eternity is such a hard concept to grasp, and my mind was struggling with it as I clasped his hand more tightly. I opened my eyes and they met his. I could make out all of the colors of his iris, the light hazel ring surrounding the pupil, encased by the solid grey. In different lights, each color was more prominent. I found myself fascinated by the light, disturbed by the rotating fan, playing on the colors of his iris. In that moment, I opened my senses, and I really took Adam, all of him, in. I saw the way the gentle breeze created by the ceiling fan scarcely moved each strand of his hair. I saw, in his neck, the gentle pulse of his heartbeat. I inhaled and smelled his essence. Masculine, strong and gentle, like spun steel. I released his hand and mine flew to his neck, pulling him as close to me as possible. His skin felt like heaven under my fingertips, yielding to my touch while resisting at the same time. The tip of my nose grazed against his as I pulled him ever closer, until his lips touched mine. His taste was like fire, burning white hot through my senses. Electricity flowed from my lips to my soul as his arms wrapped around me and pulled me into him. My lips formed to his, giving and taking at the same time. I could feel each heartbeart, mine and his, pulsing behind our lips. He was warmth and vitality, calmness and serenity at the same time. Fire and ice. Who knew that the two could coexist so perfectly? Sensation washed over me, emotion crashed around me. Joy welled from deep in my soul, bubbling through my entire being, culminating in a single tear that slipped from under my lashes. This was perfection. This was why my soul was created. Adam. Understanding filled me. Inexplicably, I was Adam's, and he was mine. No one would harm him in any way while I had any say in the matter. Without asking, I knew it was the same for him. Our souls were connected in more planes that could be described. They were connected beyond the physical realm, beyond the spiritual realm. I'd heard true love described as "simple as breathing." But this feeling was more deeply ingrained than breathing. I could hold my breath whenever I wanted. But I knew, somehow, that I would never hold anything back from Adam, nor would he hold anything back from me. Our souls mixed like wisps of smoke, dancing together, inseparable, undistinguishable. Unified. Mine. Our lips parted and I was looking into Adam's soul-stirring eyes. His brow was furrowed in a concerned way. I wanted to laugh, or sing, or do something, anything to convey how happy I was. His thumb caressed the single tear that had run down my cheek and he whispered, "Are you alright, Em?" I'd never been better. I'd never been alive before this. I was alive now. I took a deep breath, trying to find words to express the ecstasy, "I'm...perfect, Adam. This...us...we're perfect." A smile brightened his face and he kissed the tip of my nose. "Yes, Em, we are." Our intimate moment was shattered by a pounding on the door. Adam's head quickly turned, then we both heard a voice on the other side of the door. It shocked me; I could hear the man as if he was standing right next to me. "Mr. Illios, open the door or I'll break it down!" A growl echoed from Adam's throat and he muttered a curse about "that damn vampire," before he stood up and went to leave the bedroom. He cast a glance back at me and gave me his trademark grin, "You should get dressed. That's Mr. Dibari. I'm assuming he'll want to talk to you." He left the room and I looked down at myself. Apparently, Adam had dressed me at some point in the middle of the night, replacing my panties and putting one of his shirts on me, so that it reached to the tops of my thighs when I stood up. I brought the fabric to my nostrils; it smelled just like him. Sighing, I placed my feet on the floor, flexing my toes, and stood up. It seemed that I could open and close my senses, hearing things like the conversation that Mr. Dibari and Adam were having, because once I heard my name through the door, I strained to listen to their conversation, and suddenly it was as if they were standing right next to me. "She'll be fine! A quick flight to Athens and you can have her alone to your heart's content," a dark, masculine voice said. Adam gave a small chuckle, "I seriously doubt that, Mr. Dibari, but there are other things to consider. Do you really think that she'll be able to control herself on a plane? A small, contained space filled with living, breathing humans. Even the air is recycled, for god's sake! You must remember how appetizing they smell at first, even when you're hungry. It takes years for control to form!" The voice that replied was tense, "I realize that, Mr. Illios. But it can't be helped. The High Coven must debrief you. Because I was here when she was sired, they won't have many questions to ask her. But imagine how much more quickly she'll be able to develop with an entire coven of vampires helping her. You can't imagine how much easier it is to fully develop with our kind, Adam." Adam took a long inhale, then sighed, "You may be right. But the plane. I just don't see any way around the enclosed space." "It's too long a distance to travel any other way. I'll make a few calls, see if we can get a private jet to take the three of us. If that's not possible, we'll have to fly first class. You shouldn't have to worry, though. Two mature vampires on either side of her should be enough to dissuade her from acting out." Adam must have agreed, because the tones on the other side of the door became a lot more amicable. I should have been upset that Adam and another strange vampire were planning on how to take me to Athens without even asking me if I wanted to go. But what was the harm? I had, literally, unlimited amounts of time. I glanced around the room and saw my clothes tossed into the corner. Seeing them there brought memories of last night, and I felt dampness growing between my thighs just thinking about Adam. His bedroom wasn't attached to a bathroom, so I was going to have to get dressed and shower later. I wasn't planning on walking out, in front of a strange vampire, without being fully clothed. I shook out my hair, running my fingers through it to untangle it as best I could, then grabbed my bra from the top of the pile. I lifted Adam's shirt over my head and tossed it on the bed, then hooked my bra around my torso, spinning it and fitting my breasts comfortably inside. My black camisole went on next, then my jeans. I reached for my work blouse and slipped my arm in one of the sleeves, pulling it on like a jacket. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to get it on right, when I heard a rip. My eyes widened as I took my arms out of the blouse and held it up. I had ripped it, right where my fingers had been tugging on it, on the hems in the front. It seemed that I was a lot stronger as a vampire. Sighing, I tossed the ruined blouse on the bed and picked up Adam's shirt once more. I tugged it over my head and tucked the back of it into my jeans, trying to get rid of some of the bagginess. I ran my fingers through my hair one more time, then walked out into the living room. The muscles between my legs were sore, so it hurt a bit to walk. I felt myself wincing. Adam noticed and strode to my side, "How you feeling, Em? You ok?" I smiled at him, nodded, and took his hand. "I'm fine. Who's this?" The dark, Mediterranean vampire stuck out his hand, "Iain Dibari at your service. I'm here to take you and Adam back to Athens." I raised a brow in mock surprise, then took his hand and shook it. "Athens, huh? Seems pretty far away to me. My name's Emma Avonside." Mr. Dibari smiled and dipped his head, respectfully, "It's a pleasure." Adam's hand rested in the small of my back protectively, comfortingly, as he spoke, "You want to tell Emma what you've decided for us?" Iain ignored the subtle insult and continued to speak to Emma, "I've made a few calls since you've been a bit incapacitated. Since you've just turned, the High Coven thinks it would be too unsafe for you to travel just yet. So I've booked a hotel room until the end of the week while you adjust. We'll leave for Greece next Monday." I leaned into Adam and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I could feel him tense up at Mr. Dibari's words. "You had me under the impression that we were leaving today, Mr. Dibari." Iain just chuckled, "I told you that I would make some calls. The High Coven is not unreasonable, Mr. Illios. Just impatient. We'll wait until Monday. I imagine Miss Avonside here has some business to attend to before she drops off the face of the planet for a while." I nodded. I would have to turn in my resignation to work, not that they would care much, and gather a few of my things. Other than that, the time spent here would be adjusting to my new role as a vampire among humans. Iain watched Emma nod, then glanced at Adam. "I'll leave you two for the rest of the day, but I'll be here tomorrow morning to help you with her." Adam said nothing, only clutched my shoulder tighter. I imagined that if I wasn't a vampire, his grip would hurt. Now, it only felt comforting. I smiled at Mr. Dibari, "It was nice to meet you. Thanks for all of your help...and for saving me." Iain only gave a respectful nod, then turned and walked out the door. Adam sighed as the door shut. "I don't like that vampire. I grinned up at him, "Really? I like him. He seems reasonable, and he saved me. So I like him." Adam smiled down at me, then pressed his lips to mine. "I don't have anything to be jealous about, do I?" I couldn't resist the giggle that rose in my throat, "Of course not!" I exclaimed, with a faked shocked expression. He grinned, and a sexy growl echoed from his throat. "Good." His arms wrapped around me, and suddenly I was lifted into the air. I rested my hands on his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his middle. His lips nibbled along my neck as he spoke, "I don't like being jealous." I gasped and found his lips with mine, pressing against his. His tongue parted my lips and suddenly he was probing, stroking my tongue with his. My fingers came up, entwining in his hair as I pulled his mouth to mine. As he started walking us back to the bedroom, I felt his hardness pressing on my most sensitive spot and it made me gasp loudly. His face had a little smirk on it as I yanked his mouth back to mine. We made it to the edge of the bed and he laid me down, not stopping the kiss. The jeans that I had just put on were taken off with more dexterity than I thought he had, and his shirt was over his head and in the corner once again. I sat up and ran my hands along his smooth chest, reveling in the feeling of his skin underneath my fingertips. Tracing down the lines of his muscles, I found the clasp on his jeans and released it, tugging them down over his hips and letting them pool at his feet. The bulge in his boxer briefs stared at me. I looked up at him, then smiled, and turning my attention to the front of me once more, pulled the briefs down over his hips as well. His cock sprang out, proud and tall, the tip already wetted. I stifled a gasp at the sight of it. My hand wrapped around it, seeming so small compared to his size, and a small growl escaped my throat. When Adam heard me growl, his cock jumped in my hand and he groaned. He felt like hot steel covered in satin, hard and throbbing in my grasp. I slowly moved my hand down to the base of his cock, then pulled back towards me and Adam gasped, moaning. "Oh my God, Emma..." I looked up at him and met his eyes, filled with need and lust. But I wasn't finished yet. I ran my hand up and down a few more times, causing Adam to jerk, milking him. A large, clear drop of precum pooled on the head of his cock, and suddenly I was filled with the uncontrollable desire to taste him. My head dipped down, my tongue darted out, and gently I licked the droplet off of his slit. Adam hissed, groaning, and putting his hands in my hair. He clutched my hair, pushing me closer to his cock, and my lips opened, enveloping its head. Adam moaned my name, long and low, and I felt a thrill of pleasure race through my body. I held his pleasure in my grasp and I wanted to take give it to him. Slowly, I lowered my head more, swirling my tongue over the slit on the head of his cock. I pushed my head down until I felt him hit the back of my mouth and stopped, wrapping my hand around the base of his cock, breathing through my nose. It was then that I began to suck. Adam's hips jerked as he cried out my name once more, this time quickly and loudly. I felt myself growing wetter as I pictured us, my lips wrapped around his cock, my cheeks pulling in and releasing as I sucked, my hair framing us both. I felt Adam start fucking my mouth, pushing in and pulling out ever so slightly. Suddenly, he pulled my head back and stood me up, kissing me, his cock, hard, between us. His hands roamed my back until they found the edge of the shirt and he broke the kiss long enough to pull it over my head. He tossed the shirt, then his hands were back, unclasping my bra deftly. He broke the kiss once more, panting, then whispered into my ear, "I have to have you. Now and forever, Em. But especially...now" As he said the last word he yanked at my panties and I heard a rip as he tried to slide them down my legs. I helped him, lifting my feet, stepping out of them, until we were both standing there, panting, and naked. He pulled my chin up and started ravaging my mouth once more, then his hands slid down my back and rested just underneath my ass cheeks. He quickly lifted me up and held me as he had before, with my legs wrapped around his middle, clutching him, holding each other close. His cock was nestled between the lips of my wet pussy, and I whimpered as he rubbed against my clit. "You're mine," he gasped into my ear and electricity thrilled through my spine. I kissed along his neck, mumbling words against his skin. "Mine...mine...mine..." I felt his hips draw away from mine, felt him positioning his cock at my entrance, and I tensed, waiting, anticipating. Suddenly, he pressed forward and sheathed himself in me, quickly, harshly. I groaned and let out a cry as his slid home, faster and deeper than he ever had last night. There was no pain, only pleasure and an intense feeling of fullness. I moaned against his neck, pressing my lips to the vein there, and instantly I was biting him. I don't know when my fangs unsheathed themselves, but I do know that as they slipped under his skin Adam cried out in euphoria loudly, falling with me to the bed and pumping within me with more drive than he had before. I took a pull with my lips and in that moment I was tasting Adam. I growled, my pussy clenching around his cock as he drove into me again, and again, and again. He was everything that my taste buds ever wanted, every taste that I had ever liked culminated in Adam. "Emma! Oh, god, Em!" I heard him, felt him, tasted him, smelled him. I saw Adam, and he was mine. Something inside of me told me to stop drinking him, and my fangs slid from under his skin back into hiding. I laved my tongue over the two pricks of blood and cried out loudly; he was pistoning into me now, driving into me, claiming me. I felt myself starting to spasm around him and cried out his name, "Adam...." His name trailed off into a long, profound groan as I came on his cock. I felt my back arch completely off of the bed, changing his angle, and he hissed, lowering his head, biting into my breast. I screamed as my orgasm skyrocketed, flooding my senses with light, taste and sound. I felt his cock speeding up, then heard him gasp my name, shuddering as my walls spasmed around him, milking every drop of come from his cock. We collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily, and I crawled up next to him, burrowing into his side, letting his arms come around me as I watched his chest rise and fall. I felt my eyelids getting heavy and moaned, stretching, "I should shower." Adam just clutched me closer, "Not yet, Em. I like knowing that you're not going to be in pain in a few hours. Just stay here." I smiled and snuggled into him once more, tracing outlines with my fingertips along his chest, relaxing. He sighed contentedly and grasped my hand, holding it tightly. I yawned, looked out the window, then decided that a little nap would be alright before I had to deal with the rest of the day. "I love you, Adam." His hand came up, caressing my jawline, and he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. "I love you too, Emma." Fire & Ice Ch. 06 Demetrius' mind was spinning, a lot was going on, normally he had everything easily under control but what happened in the past day had completely unnerved him. Even now as he stood in the elevator on the way to his office he could feel her, he could feel Katherine's emotions running in the background. He needed to re-assert his control, it was similar to his experience when his demonic form emerged. He closed his eyes for a moment and visualized the titanic blue steel walls he used to imprison the demon, to keep it back when he was learning to control it. This time he knew the shimmering blue of angel steel would not help as the power on the other side was too similar, instead of the icy blue colors of adamantite. The steel burst into flame as it changed to the redish-orange color of hellborn orichalcum steel. He placed the fortification around the sensations that he knew where from Katherine around himself, he had to cut them off if he couldn't control them. They were a liability when trying to blend in with mortals. He gasped in pain as cutting off the sensations felt as if he had lost a limb, he pressed a hand up against the wall as a sensation of deep loss spread through him. Breathing heavily he cracked the shield wall, a split in the defences and allowed a wisp to escape. The connection re-established but this time, he felt a lot more in control, he stood up straight as the door slid open. He stepped out and walked down the hallway to his office, he looked around carefully he couldn't deal with anyone just yet. Not until he had a chance to settle all of the tangled emotions running through him. When he reached his office door, he breathed a sigh of relief as he pushed it open, he hadn't encountered anyone he needed to speak to. He shut the door and then took his seat, he groaned as he sat down. The stress had tightened his muscles even though he had a workout the night before, he grinned when he thought about how responsive to his touch she was. He cut that line of thought when it drifted to how good her lips felt around him, he closed his eyes and inspected his wall. The crack he had made was serving its purpose, he couldn't seal off the connection, he didn't particularly want to feel that sensation of deep loss again. He had to stay connected, but at least now with the connection reduced to a trickle he felt more in control of himself. He had to reinforce his control, if he could do that he hoped Ryan would just consider yesterday a mystery. He knew that you could have an off day, and he would explain that as such to him. He re-checked the wall once again to ensure everything was going to remain controlled, he could only feel the barest brush of her against his mind. It was enough to ensure he could remain focused. The heat of his much enhanced strength was back to normal, the completion of the bond burned off the raging excesses and now he knew that the excess was for that purpose. Now that he felt he could continue without bursting into flames or feeling drugged he got up from his chair and left the room. He continued towards the large double doors of the boardroom and pushed them open, where Ryan sat with the report files. He walked to the head of the table and took his seat, "Sorry about last night, it was an exhausting day." Ryan looked up from the folders and said, "That's fine, we all have those days. We have discrepancies here in this paperwork," he paused as if considering his next words. That caught his own suspicions, Ryan had never been cautious around him before. Looking closer, he noticed that he was tense, whatever it was, it was a big issue another thing that needed to be resolved. "Clarke came over after you had left and gave this folder to me, he says that you are the one diverting funds and shares away from the company. I don't believe that lying sack of shit for a moment, he believes our new acquaintance, Ms. Valencia is some sort of acquisitions expert and she's here to help you facilitate the transfer. He underestimated me, when I looked through both records they're too different, and what really got me was that some of these transfers that he claimed you made were my transactions. I think he's trying to frame both of us for his crimes." Demetrius smirked, no wonder Ryan hesitated, at least it was only for a moment but he knew he could count on him to bring the truth to him. "So he wants to be the CEO, he wants to make it appear that we're responsible for the latest issues. We have enough now to fire his ass, and we can see what the police have to say about this. Ms. Valencia is coming at lunch time to sign the contract, but I will take this advice under consideration, we don't know too much about her. But I don't think she is a part of this, I've only been in contact with her for a week but I've gotten to know her a little. This is a ploy by Winters to try and shift responsibilities. We need to see if anyone else is in on this plan." Ryan smirked mirroring his own, "Let's get him in here and we can dispose of him. He won't cause anymore issues for us now then." Demetrius got up from his chair and walked over to the intercom panel that was fitted up against the door. "Kerry, get Daniel Clarke to come to the boardroom. We have a matter to discuss." "Certainly, Mr. Drakos," the voice from the intercom came. He walked back to his seat and sat down, "Let's see what he has to say for himself." Minutes later the doors opened and Clarke stepped in, "You wanted to see me?" he asked. "Yes sit down, we have a few things to discuss," said Demetrius. Demetrius watched as he walked around to a chair and pulled it out to sit in it. He smiled to himself, Winters was tense. Similar to what he had felt from Ryan earlier, "We've noticed discrepancies in the stock files, money going places that weren't authorized. Sales and trading of shares that also hadn't been authorized and it all traced back to you. Made even more suspicious by the fake files you gave to Ryan. Now Daniel if you wanted to set someone up, you wouldn't write up fake documents that also appears to incriminate the one you're giving them to." Ryan leaned forward in his chair and said with a hint of menace in his voice, "I never really considered the possibility of Demetrius being a traitor, these files are much too different. As if you wanted to make an impact, it could have possibly fooled others but not me. You underestimated me Mr. Clarke. Especially considering you also tried to frame me for your corporate sabotage, you will get what is coming to you," Demetrius looked to Ryan, he couldn't blame him for being upset with being raked into the plot. But he had never heard Ryan be so aggressive before, it was strange but then he was strange the previous day. He would allow this to slide for now, but if it continued he would likely have to question him. He could only be so careful. "We at least have the evidence to prove your guilt, I never trusted you, I always felt something off about you. I guess I was right," said Ryan. Demetrius smirked, he could feel the anxious tension coming from him in waves, "You'll probably be hearing from the police, there is enough evidence here to have you charged with a few offences at least." He got up from the chair and walked over to the intercom, "Kerry get security to escort Mr. Clarke out of the building. He no longer works here." Silence from the intercom came for a few moments before it crackled, "Yes... Mr. Drakos," Demetrius grinned as Clarke looked to Ryan as if shocked, maybe he thought he'd get away with it, but he had failed. He had been a part of corporate takeovers in the past, even if he had succeeded he didn't have the drive to remain there. Winters slowly stood up from the chair as his security came into the room. "Take Mr. Clarke to his office, he has ten minutes to pack up his stuff before you take him to the carpark. He's not to come back into the building." "Yes sir," the guards grabbed his arms and escorted him from the room, when the doors shut he turned back to Ryan. "That was entertaining, I wonder how he thought he would run the company," said Demetrius. "Helios Investment had a vested interest in this company. They wanted our investments, Clarke was supposed to get rid of us so they could launch a takeover bid," said Ryan. "If they want a fight, we can give them one. As they're prepared to play dirty, we should hold nothing back. What do they have in assets? It could make a fine boost in our profits." "Resources mostly, they wanted us for our shipping investments. They have a lot of coal, iron and oil but not much in the way of shipping. If they could take over our assets they would control our shipping interests and they would no longer have to pay out as much money for transport," said Ryan. "It sounds like a good reason for restructuring, we could get rid of more of the zombies. After Clarke's display the others might also be causing trouble." Demetrius sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. Things didn't add up, Ryan did things silently, he always knew what he was up to. But Ryan never told him anything until he was sure it was going to work, he had heard of Helios Investment last week wanting to acquire transport assets. But such an announcement from Ryan was out of character, he wouldn't have expected him to say anything for at least another week until he was certain of all the facts. "A good plan, when should we deal with this?" "Next board meeting, take three days to plan out everything then we know where we're heading. What have you got on for today?" he asked. "Ms. Rodgers is coming in to continue her investment terms, she could still get any of her assistants to do it for her. She doesn't actually need to be here for all these details," said Ryan. Demetrius smirked, "She's been after you for the last two weeks, she just wants to get into your pants." Ryan jerked up in his chair, "I'd rather not be cougar bait thanks, she's an aggressive woman that's for sure. I like them softer than that." Demetrius grinned at that assessment, it was good to see the tension slide from him, "You don't know it until you've tried it." Ryan looked at him mouth agape, "When did you do that?" "My father's secretary, was a fun time for a while. Experienced women can be such a turn on," Demetrius chuckled as he looked at his watch, he needed to get the documents prepared so he could legitimize the arrangement with Katherine. "I haven't had any of those kinds of experiences, but you like powerful women though. I need to get prepared for The Cougar, afternoon meeting about 3pm?" he asked. "Great, I also need to get ready for Ms. Valencia to sign the documents, we have a lunch time appointment," said Demetrius as he got up from his chair as Ryan did the same. "I'll keep you informed about Clarke too Ryan. We'll likely need to get all the evidence together so it can be handed over to the police." "Ok, we should talk about that at our afternoon meeting," said Ryan as he pushed the doors open. "Good plan, see you then Ryan." Demetrius strode towards his office, apprehension still burning in his body. He knew something wasn't right, he just didn't know what it was. When he reached his office he opened the door and stepped in then shut the door. He sat down in his chair and groaned, he did have a lot of work to do, it was best he got to it. He could consider his concerns later.