AMBRA
I wasn't going to stay in that dark room by myself.
My first objective was to explore this gloomy castle and find a safe escape route. The wolves in the woods made things infinitely more difficult, but the sharp-toothed monsters inside the castle certainly weren't any better.
"Now... what do I do?" I whispered to myself after stepping out the door and into another hallway. Luckily it was lit, though my eyes were starting to get tired of the constant changes in lighting. The rooms I passed along the way were empty, and I was baffled by the thick layer of dust covering every single surface of this place.
I continued my exploration until I found myself at the castle's entrance, walking up to the balustrade overlooking the massive front doors. I thought I heard voices, and even though it was completely insane to get closer to see who it was, I did it anyway. One way or another, I was in danger regardless.
I discovered that Vanessa and her brother were right there in one of the rooms! They were sitting on a red sofa, drinking from a bottle that probably contained blood. I shivered and turned to leave, only to realize that, being vampires, they could probably sense my proximity. I started running and soon found myself back in the room next to the building's kitchen. I tried to turn back, but it was impossible.
"I'm not going to hurt you!" The vampire tried to reach out to touch me, but I flinched away. Vanessa looked hurt by my reaction, but what did she expect? She had threatened me, kidnapped me, and hurt me.
Vanessa backed away and went to sit at the table, inviting me to do the same. "We need to talk about some... important things."
I decided to sit down only because I had no other options, and besides, Vanessa's gaze was far too intense; she looked genuinely serious.
"What is it about?"
"First of all... what's your name?"
"Oh, my God... Seriously?"
"I'm sorry..." Vanessa brought her hands to her face, hiding her expression.
With an irritated huff, I answered her. "Ambra."
"It's a really beautiful name..."
"Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere."
"Do you really not feel anything at all?" She bit her lip, staring at me with obvious sorrow.
"What are you talking about?"
Vanessa ran a hand through her hair, shaking it in a frustrated gesture. I lost myself for a moment just admiring her, thinking bitterly that it was entirely the fault of her beauty and sensuality that I had fallen into this trap.
"I promise I'll let you go, if you just listen to me until the end. What I'm about to tell you is really important to me. To us."
I was profoundly confused, but also intrigued. I nodded hesitantly, and only then did Vanessa finally look resolute.
"I'm not just a vampire. I'm half-wolf, so to speak. I have a spirit inside me, and it's been dormant until today. Among wolves, there are very strong, ancestral spiritual bonds called mating. What I want to tell you is..." She took a deep breath and continued. "You woke up my inner wolf. You're m-my m-mate."
Her sharp, seductive eyes didn't leave me for a single second, and the sheer intensity of her gaze captured me irreversibly. I was her what?! Her mate?
"She's completely lost her mind..." I brought my hands to my mouth, whispering the words.
"I'm not crazy, I can feel it! Inside me!" Vanessa stood up from the table, making me jump. At that point, I was furious—with her, with the situation I was in, and with what she was telling me.
"And when exactly did you realize I was your mate? Before or after you kidnapped me and threatened to kill me?!"
"I asked for your forgiveness! Why won't you accept it?"
"I don't care if you feel guilty or not. In my eyes, you are and always will be a monster—"
I was about to keep screaming in her face, ready to defend myself against her playing the victim, but Vanessa let out a strangled sound that reminded me of a crying puppy. My eyes widened.
Vanessa ran out of the room, sobbing.
I was left sitting there with my hand raised in the air, caught in an unfinished, lost gesture, my eyes glued to the doorway. Even though a part of me was still furious with her, seeing Vanessa cry made me feel like the villain of the situation. Besides, it was weird seeing her hurt... so human.
"You made my little sister cry, and I should probably punish you for that."
Nathaniel appeared out of nowhere, and for a second I feared he was going to hurt me, but he kept his distance, a sad smile resting on his lips. "Perhaps you haven't fully grasped the gravity of the situation yet... allow me to demonstrate something."
Nathaniel didn't wait for my permission: he grabbed my wrists, twisting them behind my back, then brought his lips to my neck, scraping my skin with his fangs.
"What are you feeling right now?"
"Get off me!" A wave of disgust, hatred, discomfort, but above all, fear, washed over me all at once, sending tremors through my entire body and making me nauseous.
It was Nathaniel who detailed every single sensation I was feeling, and his conclusion was alarming. "You will viscerally reject anyone who approaches you like this, except for your mate. Your mate is the only one who can take you, touch you, love you, desire you..."
"N-no... that's not possible."
"It is. Don't you feel it? Don't you feel something pulling you, pushing you to move in a very specific direction?"
Nathaniel shoved me away toward the door leading to the hallway, and my legs began to move on their own, even though I didn't know my destination.
I wanted to find Vanessa, I wanted to understand what was happening to me, to know if those feelings were really tied to the fact that... I was her mate.
She wasn't hard to find: she was in the bedroom where she had taken me earlier. She was sitting on the bed, still engulfed in darkness; I could hear her heavy breathing and feel her sadness. I approached silently and, without saying a word, took a seat next to her, much closer than usual. Our legs were almost touching, and I could feel her breath on my skin.
"How can you be so sure?"
"I feel it. It's hard to explain. How do you know when you're in love with someone? When you want to be only with that person?"
"You just feel it," I sighed. The truth was, our sudden bond was completely inexplicable. Who knows how things would have gone if she hadn't kidnapped and hurt me; we probably would have slept together the very night we met, because I was crazy about her. Vanessa was fascinating, seductive... impossible to resist. Unfortunately, she carried an extremely large, heavy baggage of problems with her.
A vampire, a wolf... someone capable of doing anything, for all I knew.
"You know I'm only here on vacation... plus, I don't really know you. First you threaten me, then you try to seduce me, you tell me you want me, that you're my mate! How can I... just accept that?"
"I know... I'm sorry. I don't know how to apologize... how to make it right." Vanessa brought a hand to her face, and I saw her wipe away a tear. My heart ached for her, and the instinct to protect her confused me, pushing me into action. I pulled her into my arms and was instantly enveloped by her intoxicating scent. Vanessa grabbed my waist and sobbed against my shoulder.
"Don't cry... does it hurt that much?"
"It hurts knowing I'm the only one feeling all of this." Her voice shook. It really was awful, I could understand that. If what she felt for me was so special... why didn't I feel anything different?
I kissed her cheek, she rubbed her lips against my neck, and before I knew it, we were lying in bed, her face buried against my chest. She was cold, but it felt so incredibly good to have her body against mine.
"I'll take you back to your friends tomorrow... just grant me one wish."
"Let's hear it... What is it?" For some reason, I trusted her words. She would take me home if I wanted her to.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?"
"S-sleep?" I stammered, surprised.
"N-not in that way..."
"Oh... then how?"
"I just want to hold you."
"Okay." I agreed. I couldn't bring myself to deny her something so simple.
Vanessa let out a contented sigh. After a few minutes of silence, the vampire spoke again.
"Are you hungry?"
"A little..."
"I'll go find something."
"No, wait... do we have to stay here?"
"Not necessarily..." Vanessa seemed to realize something. She sat up in bed and grabbed my hand. "A few miles away from the castle, there's an apartment. It's Nathan's."
"Are you kidding me? Why are we wasting time in this horrible place!"
"It's my lair..."
"Get me out of here."
"I'll go get the car. It's safer."
"I really can't stand you right now."
"You vampires are so weird. You had an apartment, and you still decided to bring me to a damn abandoned castle?"
"It's Nathan's, not mine."
Vanessa had taken me far away from her lair. She retrieved the car, hidden God knows where, and drove for a few miles before stopping in an unfamiliar little town where the apartment was located. It was still an isolated, quiet place, considering the nearest houses were over a quarter of a mile away. The furniture was modern, and everything looked clean. As soon as we walked in, I saw a bag of food sitting on the dining room table.
"Was this already here...?"
"Oh. No, Nathan brought it a little while ago."
"Speaking of which, where is he? Is he really okay with us using his apartment?"
"Yeah, he doesn't care."
I didn't ask any more questions, and before we started eating, I asked her where the bathroom was. I wanted to clean up, to wash off the dust and the smell of mildew from the abandoned castle. Vanessa immediately handed me some towels and clean clothes and led me to the bathroom.
I was starting to like this subservient attitude of hers.
After finishing washing up and changing into comfortable clothes, I stepped out of the bathroom. The vampire had set the table and was waiting for me, standing in the dining room.
"I didn't know what you prefer to drink, so I just grabbed whatever I found." I saw a bottle of wine, water, orange juice, and a thermal flask that probably wasn't for me (I was fairly certain it contained blood).
"Are you eating with me?" I asked, sitting down at the table.
Vanessa followed suit, smiling sheepishly.
"Yes... I want to try human food."
"So I convinced you..." I allowed myself a smile. The vampire stayed silent, so I looked up and found her lost in staring at me. "What is it?"
"Oh... it's just... I hadn't really noticed just how beautiful you are." Vanessa lowered her head, pretending to act casually after delivering a compliment that made my heart race. How could she seem so sweet and shy when, just a few hours ago, she had appeared as the cruelest predator in the world? The contrast was so stark I wondered if she had a split personality.
"Thank you."
Vanessa nodded and picked up her silverware, staring curiously at the plate of pasta in front of her. From that moment on, a pleasant dinner began, filled with lots of questions about human food, laughter I could barely hold back, and constant exasperated sighs from Vanessa.
When we finished eating, Vanessa took care of cleaning everything up, and when I asked her to pour me some wine, she did it without arguing. I was strongly, desperately tempted by the desire to give her more orders, just to see her act so submissive.
I went to settle on the sofa, sipping wine from my glass. I checked the time on the digital clock resting on a living room cabinet and sighed. It was almost 3 AM, and the hour of my liberation was slowly approaching. That being said, I still had to keep the promise I made to Vanessa.
"Ambra, is everything okay?"
My name sounded foreign on her lips. That hot, sensual voice, and those red eyes—which were no longer so aggressive—made me shiver. I really, really liked her voice.
"Yes, thank you. I was just wondering where we're going to sleep."
Vanessa took a seat on the sofa, keeping her distance from me, but the tension binding us together was far too intense to ignore.
Maybe it was the alcohol that gave me courage when I asked her if she desired my blood. The vampire lowered her eyes and clenched her jaw. "Very much."
"And how do you control yourself?"
"I don't want to hurt you. I won't."
It was the sight of her trembling hands that convinced me to move closer and touch her. I placed my hands on her chest, rubbing the skin left exposed by the collar of the t-shirt she was wearing.
"Ambra?"
"Mhm?"
Her scent was so good... It was delicious. I pressed my lips against her neck, surprised by the sound of a faint heartbeat. Vanessa's hands settled on my hips.
"Are you drunk?"
"No..." I whispered, lifting myself up to look at her face.
Only then did I realize I was sitting on her lap, straddling her. I met her lustful eyes, and a familiar heat settled in my lower belly. She was breathing rapidly, trying desperately to avoid staring at me for too long.
"Would you do anything for me, right now?"
My question surprised her. "I'm not completely a slave to our bond. Just like you, I'm still capable of free will." That fire I found so arousing flared back to life in her. I bit my lip, considering my options: it was insane, but I could just follow my carnal desires and let her possess me, at least for tonight. I felt deep down that she wouldn't hurt me. That being said, I didn't know if she could control her instincts, so I decided to test her endurance.
I pushed my hair away from my neck, leaving it bare, and tilted my head. Vanessa swallowed hard, and before she could turn away to avoid looking, I grabbed her face.
"You asked to sleep together, but how can I trust you? How do I know you won't jump me in the middle of the night? What should I do..." I stroked her shoulders and her lean but strong arms, then began to kiss her neck, slowly working my way up. "Tell me... should I tie you up?"
"Ambra... maybe the wine went to your head." Vanessa tried to push me away, but I stopped her, and she let it happen.
"Yes, you're right. I've gone completely crazy," I whispered against her lips. I caught her by surprise when I licked them, pressing our chests together.
"Ambra." Her tone of voice shifted entirely. She lifted me to move me off her lap so she could stand up from the sofa and distance herself from me. Her entire body was trembling, and she continued to avoid my gaze. "You can't do this... I really will lose control. Just smelling your scent... I...."
"I'll give you one night, but you can't bite me."
Vanessa whipped her head around to look at me, an utterly stunned expression on her face.
"One night?" Her voice cracked. "O-okay. I swear it, I won't hurt you." I could read the desperation in her eyes, and it made me shiver. Maybe our bond didn't just affect her after all.
(Mature content ->)
Once we reached the bedroom, it took only two minutes of silence—during which I watched her devour me with her eyes—before I jumped her, exactly as I had wanted to do from the very beginning. We stripped off our clothes frantically and quickly ended up on the mattress. I kissed the vampire with passion and anger, irritated by the magnetic attraction I felt for her. I was insane: I was risking everything with her, but it was stronger than me; I had to have her, I had to touch her, at least for one night.
"Not acting so tough anymore?"
"Mh... Less tough, more wet."
She licked my lips and grabbed my hand, dragging it down to her core. I gasped, feeling the slick evidence of her arousal. Unable to hold back, I explored her entrance without penetrating her. Vanessa bit my ear, seeking more contact.
Suddenly, she flipped our positions, and I found myself pinned beneath the vampire's body. She grabbed my wrists, pressing them into the mattress, and kissed me fiercely, grinding her hips against mine. Her thigh settled between my legs, and I gasped. My panties were preventing me from feeling her bare skin, and it was driving me insane. I was so aroused, so starved for Vanessa; I wanted her to take me and make me hers with gentleness, but also with force.
"Undress me."
Vanessa didn't hesitate for a second: she took off my bra and tossed it aside, lingering to admire my breasts with pure hunger. I moaned and thrashed beneath her as she began to torture my nipples; she pulled off my panties and growled when she finally got a look at me down there too.
Vanessa discarded her own underwear without ever breaking eye contact. I couldn't hold her gaze, and when she was completely bare before me, I allowed myself to admire her. She was sexy, stunning, strong—a goddess descended to Earth! Her breasts were firm and round, her nipples already hard: I wanted to suck and bite them. She had well-defined abs, not to mention her glutes... she was driving me crazy.
I launched myself at her, tearing a passionate kiss from her lips. Vanessa panted as our bodies crashed together. Her tongue sought mine while her hands gripped my ass. We were kneeling on the bed, Vanessa's hands roaming everywhere across my body, our moans filling the room. The vampire threw me onto my back and pushed my legs wide open, catching me by surprise.
"Vanessa!"
"I can finally..." she panted, not bothering to finish the sentence.
I watched her as she licked and bit the skin of my torso, working her way lower and lower. The sensations were so intense they robbed me of all rational thought. I wanted her, I desired her so much—too much.
"Vaness-ah!"
Her tongue wandered lower until her fingers finally landed exactly where I needed them most: they rubbed my clitoris and explored the surrounding area. I tried to reach for more contact, but Vanessa forced me to stay pinned to the bed.
"Ambra, you are wonderful... Ambra..." the vampire sounded almost delirious, and soon enough, I lost my mind as well.
Without warning, she dragged her tongue along my entrance, beginning a sweet, slow, agonizing torture. I kept moaning and screaming her name as she explored my intimacy and tasted my arousal.
"You're delicious..." she whispered against my core.
I was reaching my peak so quickly, and that had never happened to me before. I had never felt so lost... it felt so good.
Her warm muscle penetrated me over and over; she kept caressing me, giving me pleasure relentlessly. I came screaming her name, but Vanessa didn't slow down; she didn't want to stop. She flipped me over on the mattress, lifting my hips so she could penetrate me with her fingers while her body blanketed me from behind. She moved with speed and force, and I kept panting, suffering from the sheer pleasure, hypersensitive to her touch, but it was so arousing, so beautiful, that I didn't stop her.
Vanessa chanted my name like a prayer while she buried her long fingers deep inside me. "Ambra, Ambra... Ambra!" I couldn't distinguish her pleasure from my own. We were so close, I felt every inch of her body and the heat we had generated together. I listened to our vulgar melody: the bed shifting under our bodies, the wet slap of our skin, and our pants... it was all enough to make me explode a second time.
I went rigid against Vanessa, feeling her hard nipples pressing into my back, and then I collapsed onto the mattress, followed by the vampire who lay down beside me.
Vanessa wrapped an arm around my waist and left hot, sensual kisses along my neck. "I love your scent... you're so beautiful... so perfect... for me."
My heart was hammering, and her words weren't helping me regain the composure I needed to take care of Vanessa. When I turned around, I saw her sharp fangs and red eyes, but I didn't let it scare me.
"Vanessa?"
The vampire snapped back to reality and tried to pull away, but I stopped her, pressing her against the mattress with my own body.
"It's your turn now..."