While my encounter with Lady Serenity was nothing short of pleasant, I found myself stunned silent straight through my synthetic feeding with Draven. I didn't want to kill an innocent human. I still stood by my decision to be as moral as possible and to remain connected to my human roots. What was so wrong with that?

As I walked up the stairs to my bedroom, I felt a familiar presence.

“What vexes you, little one?” asked a husky voice.

Wide-eyed, I turned around to find Adrian leaning against the wall with an apple fixed between his fingers. He raised it to his lips, opened his mouth wide, and took a sizable bite.

“Oh, I just...I just came from a feeding,” I replied, eyeing his apple. Vampires didn’t eat human food. He would have a fun time purging that from his system later.

The juice from the fresh apple trickled down his chin, and I licked my lips. I was still hungry. Seeing him chew the apple made me want it. At least as a vampling I could still digest human food. It didn’t provide any sustenance, but I wouldn’t have to spew it up like he would later.

I grimaced and pushed that thought from my mind. It wasn’t a particularly sexy one, and I’d prefer to picture him bent over my porcelain body than over a porcelain bowl.

“I heard you were planning your party with my maker,” he commented.

“I was,” I replied. A could feel my cheeks flush as our eyes met.

“She's a lovely woman, isn't she?” he asked.

I nodded slowly and looked down at the ground, my hand frozen on the door knob.

“I admittedly thought she would be more proper than she was. Not that she wasn't a perfect lady. She was very open and sweet,” I said.

“She's been that way for the past few hundred years,” he commented. “I suppose, really, that she's always been like that.”

“When were you born?” I asked.

“The same year my maker was born,” he replied.

“No, I meant...when you were a human.”

“Oh, that,” he whispered. “Well, I believe it was some time before the fall of the Roman empire.”

I paused. Shit, that’s so long ago, I thought. When he grinned at me, I realized he was probably still reading my thoughts. At least he had the grace to pretend he wasn’t. I sighed, and repeated out loud, “that's so long ago.”

“It is,” he agreed. “It feels like just yesterday for me.”

“I can imagine,” I lied.

“Sometimes I forget,” he went on.

His eyes lowered to the ground and dimmed, the apple teetering from his fingers. I caught it with ease. As I raised it up, he smiled and accepted the apple.

“Thank you,” he said. “Would you care to go for a walk through the maze tonight?”

“Actually, I'd like that. I could use some air after my feeding,” I replied.

“Did you make any progress to weaning off the synthetic stuff?” he asked.

I shook my head and mournfully stared at the apple, licking my lips again. He noticed me staring and held it out to me. I took it gratefully and took a bite, savoring the delicious juice that filled my mouth. It tasted like humanity. It tasted like waking up early and running through the park as the sun beat mercilessly against my sweating forehead. It tasted like days spent lazing around the pool with a book between my fingers, flipping through pages to get to the best parts of my favorite story.

“Feeling nostalgic?” Adrian asked.

I looked up to greet those beautiful blue eyes that glimmered in the dim hallway light.

“Oh, a bit,” I replied. “I was just thinking about the sun.”

“I don't often remember the sun's rays, but it's amazing when I do,” he said. “Shall we?”

He gestured towards the stairs and extended his arm. I nodded, took his arm, and flushed again as we walked towards the carpeted steps. As we descended, we placed his free hand gently over our intertwined arms. It was a comforting gesture. I smiled and took another bite of the apple, relishing the acidic taste as the juices excited my tongue. Yet another thing I’d be giving up once I fully turned.

“Do you have any fond memories of it? All I can recall is sweating,” I said.

“I remember one summer visiting the ocean with my family. We sat along the edge of the beach and stuck our toes in the moist sand, waiting for the waves to lap at our toes and drag away the sand that covered our feet,” he explained. “I don't remember it feeling warm.”

“Why's that?” I asked.

“I suppose because it was ages ago,” he replied. “I just can't seem to summon the memory.”

“I'm sorry,” I whispered.

“There's no need for that when we have film,” he said with a grin.

“I can't believe you're so positive for someone who lost everything that comes with the daylight,” I said.

He held out his arm to push open the doors, and we walked through the crowded courtyard to the other side. I stepped on the worn dirt path for the maze and glanced behind us briefly. No one was looking in our direction, but I could feel that their eyes were watching. A small grin crossed my lips as we descended towards the substantial bushes that loomed overhead like dark clouds. Small garden lamps dotted the path like little white fairies, illuminating the forest green leaves with pure light.

It wasn't sunlight, but it was beautiful regardless. I found myself radiating with warmth as we meandered between the bushes. Adrian took my hand again and squeezed it gently, inspiring another smile. I bit my lower lip.

“This is nice,” I whispered.

“I agree,” he replied in a low voice. “And it's even nicer to have you at my side.”

I flushed immediately and raised my free hand to my lips, stifling the nervous laugh that threatened to break the beautiful silence. It wrapped us in a safe blanket surrounded by the gentle bushes and guarded us from the onlookers up in the courtyard. How could I threaten that with a laugh?

“It's no threat to me,” he whispered.

“Adrian,” I groaned.

“My sincerest apologies!” he exclaimed quickly. “Really, I do apologize. I don't mean to do it. I just end up listening when I let my guard down.”

“Why did you let your guard down?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Because I feel comfortable around you.”

My stomach did a somersault at his words. I smiled warmly.

“I think I do, too,” I whispered. “To be honest, it feels nice having someone to talk to.”

“You know, there are always whispers in the coven about eternal companionship. I never listened to them much. I always thought it was total hogwash,” he explained.

I took a timid step back and cocked my head, my voice catching slightly in my throat. “Whoa now, no one’s talking about anything eternal here.”

Adrian laughed suddenly, causing the nearby crowd to quiet. “Of course not, Riley. I’m just saying, I think it’s ridiculous. I’ve lived far too long and witnessed far too many relationships fizzle and die to believe in eternal love.

“That’s fairly depressing, though. Isn’t it?” I asked.

“Not to me. It just sounds superfluous. Finding a mate who will last for eternity is an overwhelming expectation,” he replied.

“I can't imagine even trying. How would you last that long with the same person?” I asked.

“I suppose love could find a way. Vampires are monogamous by nature, unlike other paranormal creatures. The werewolves, for example. They share their lovers.”

“Werewolves?” I asked. Until the day I was turned, paranormal creatures were limited to books and movies. There were of course many groups who spoke of them, but normal society just brushed them off as druggies or lunatics. My best friend growing up insisted vampires were real, and her stupidity was ultimately what ended our friendship. I guess I was the stupid one, after all.

“They're nothing to worry about.”

“Sorry, what?” I had gotten lost in my thoughts again, my mind pulled back to attention by Adrian’s hand that raised to my cheek.

“The werewolves, Riley. Shifters. Just don't venture through the forest too far, and you’ll be fine,” he advised. “I wouldn't want to lose you to a pack of hungry wolves.”

I grinned as he winked at me.

“I have to tell you, Adrian. It feels really nice being out here with you. I think have been growing pretty lonely here,” I admitted.

“Surely you have made friends these past few months?”

I shook my head. “Not apart from Draven. And even there, I think his relationship with me stems more from duty than anything else.”

“No love interests? A beautiful vampling such as yourself must draw the attention of all the men around here. Your heart must have at least been claimed by someone? If not here, then perhaps back home?”

I sighed and sat down on a nearby rock as I looked up into his intoxicating gaze. “No. No love. Not for me.”

“Why not? I thought love would be easier for humans in this day and age,” he said.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, letting my head fall back so I could face the sky. My eyelids glowed from the moonlight above, and I let out a slow breath as I thought back to my days as a human. “I mean, I started college early, left my home, got a part-time job… I never had time for love.”

“That doesn't sound very fulfilling,” he commented.

“It wasn't. I was alone most of the time studying. I had plenty of cyber friends, but I never actually made human contact,” I said while looking down at the dirt. “I guess I wasn't a very good human.”

Adrian knelt down, placed his hands on my shoulders and turned my gaze to his, his lips moving slowly up into a smile that made me swoon like a pathetic schoolgirl. Had I been standing, my knees would have surely given out on me.

“Nonsense, Riley. I'm sure you were a great human. You were trying to better yourself, weren't you? You wanted knowledge. That's a pretty great thing,” he said.

“I suppose,” I whispered. “I guess I just miss having all that time.”

He broke out into laughter suddenly and nearly fell forward into me. I caught him with my arms wrapped around his shoulders as he leaned into my chest.

“Really?” he asked between pants. He seemed to find what I had said to be beyond hilarious.

“Okay, that was a silly thing to say,” I admitted while reluctantly pushing him up, standing myself to join him.

“Exceptionally so. We're vampires now. We have all the time in the world,” he smiled. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight with unshed tears of laugher. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and brush them away. I gripped my hands tightly together behind my back and diverted my gaze down to my feet.

His laughing subsided, as he tilted my chin up with his fingers, our eyes locking, searching one another in silence for a long moment. His eyes were marvelous, like stars glimmering from the distant places in space surrounding our minuscule planet. The world didn't seem so large and overwhelming with him near. No, it all felt peaceful. The breeze greeted my face followed by his hand, smoothing over my silky skin and marking a trail to my ear. They grazed my lobe, traced the pulsing vein in my neck, and then slid under my chin again.

I averted my gaze quickly, but he brought me back up to eye level without missing a beat. He was beaming. His eyes washed over me like a tidal wave, crashing over my forehead and down the bridge of my nose to my lips. They stopped. I took a shaky breath while he leaned forward, his fingers still fixed to my chin. He pulled me into his lips, and I melted. They were so soft, like the petals of a budding rose in a deserted field. They nourished me with strength and pulled me down into a gentle hum of coaxing whispers.

“We need to change that,” he whispered in my ear when he finally pulled his mouth from mine. A soft moan escaped my lips as we parted.

“Change what?” I asked, my voice breathless.

He wrapped an arm around me as he laid me out on the dirt path, his mouth returning to mine, deepening the kiss.

“Your loneliness.” The deep growl of his voice ignited a fire within me I hadn’t felt in ages. I could feel his arousal as he pressed his body up against mine, and I shivered as he decorated my chin with his lips. They fell down to my neck, nipped at my main artery, and then slipped beneath my blouse to find my breasts swelling with every breath.

I gasped as his hand lifted my skirts, bunching them up at my sides. His lips remained pressed to my chest and slipped underneath my bra, pulling the clothing aside eagerly with his teeth. Clever hands traced the soft skin of my thigh sending a shiver through my very core.

“Adrian,” I whispered.

He pushed himself up to meet my gaze, his eyes sparkling with desire.

“What?” he asked.

“Don't stop,” I replied.

A sly smirk crossed his lips, and his eyes glittered with mischief as his hand returned to under my skirts. My eyes remained hooked to the mesmerizing blue of his gaze sucking me in as his fingers tore through the final layers of my clothing. I couldn't stop looking at them. They were dangerous, those eyes, and they were about to drown me in their ecstatic wonder.

His lips grazed mine, and I met them hungrily, sighing as his miraculous fingers traced the most sensitive spot between my legs, eliciting a growl from deep within me. I moaned and took a deep breath as he shifted his lips to the top of my breast. His tongue slipped beneath my bra again and lapped at my erect nipple. His fingers began working furiously between my legs and I bucked into his hand, desire threatening to rip me in two.

I arched my back and pressed into him. His lips remained fixed to my breast and sucked dutifully, causing my hips to roll in tandem with his practiced fingers. I grabbed hold of his jaw with my shaking hands and pulled his mouth up to meet my own. He tasted sweet and I moaned into his firm lips as he held me close with his one free hand.

Every caress brought with it a wave of elation, swooping me up into the air and, without delay, dropping me suddenly. It felt like a tidal wave or a roller coaster, reminding me of steep hills and winding roads. Each stroke felt like I had rolled over in my sleep, falling from an imaginary cliff and landing into soft pillows. His lips dragged down my neck, the sharp edge of his fang tracing my skin.

I hissed. I grew increasingly desperate, my eyelids drooping drunkenly as I gyrated and shivered. With languid ease, he slipped his free fingers behind my neck and pressed his thumb over my throat, tenderly applying pressure.

The motion elicited a primal wail. He pinned me gently to the ground and took my bottom lip between his teeth, pricking my vulnerable skin with his fangs. A gasp escaped my lips as warm, salty blood trickled down my chin. He lapped at the wound and I smiled in pure bliss, tracing my tongue over my bottom lip to taste it. Our tongues danced together to an invisible melody, circulating and plunging into each other’s mouths.

Just when my body began to quiver and I could hardly take it anymore, he pulled off the remainder of his own clothing and I wrapped my legs around his hips to pull him close. With our mouths locked together and his fingers intertwined in my own, he pressed himself deep inside me with one swift, deep motion. I screamed into his mouth at the sensation if him filling me, and let my head fall back and my eyes lose focus as we writhed in passionate embrace, making love under the moonlight.