Page 76 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

He grabbed my thighs and lifted me up, rolling us over on the bed.

I took control of our rhythm, guiding Angelo’s hungry hands and mouth to every place my skin craved his touch. Each caress, each kiss, sent new sparks of electricity dancing across my nerve endings, igniting a fire in my veins that burned hotter with every passing second. I could feel the tension building within him as well, his muscles tightening beneath my fingers as he fought to maintain his self-control.

Suddenly, I felt an extreme power burst outward from my center, like a supernova explosion. A brilliant aura of shimmering energy enveloped us both, pulsing in time with our beating hearts. It was as if the very air around us wascharged with the force of our connection, our love made manifest in a dazzling display of light and magic.

As the wave of ecstasy crashed over me and I reached the pinnacle of my pleasure, the aura around us exploded into a kaleidoscope of swirling colors, bathing the room in a mesmerizing glow. I could feel the power rushing through every cell of my being, electrifying and invigorating me like never before. I felt a second surge of energy explode outward, radiating into the very air around us. Books flew off shelves, their pages fluttering wildly as they swirled around the room in a chaotic dance. The doors to the balcony banged open and shut, their glass panes rattling in their frames as if they, too, were caught up in the throes of our passion.

The curtains billowed like sails, the fabric whipping and snapping in a sudden gust of wind that came from our joined bodies. Loose papers scattered across the floor, and the lamp on the bedside table flickered erratically.

Angelo’s movements became more urgent, his breathing turning ragged as he chased his own release. I clung to him, my nails digging into his back as I urged him on with whispered words of encouragement. “Let go, Angelo,” I breathed, my lips brushing against his ear. “I want to feel you come undone.”

With a final, powerful thrust of his hips, Angelo cried out my name, his voice wild with ecstasy. I felt his flesh pulsing deep within me as he spilled his seed, his body shuddering against mine as he climaxed. The sensation pushed me over the edge once more, and I joined him in blissfuloblivion, our bodies and souls joined in a moment of perfect unity.

As our twin waves of pleasure gradually subsided, Angelo collapsed onto me, his weight a comforting pressure that returned me to the present. We lay there, bodies tangled up in each other, our hearts pounding in sync as we melted into the afterglow of our lovemaking. The shimmering aura around us slowly faded, but the warmth of our connection remained, a glowing ember that would never be extinguished.

Through heavily lidded eyes, I watched tendrils of power weave themselves around Angelo’s body, caressing his skin like ethereal fingers. I could feel my own energy intertwining with his, our essences blending and merging until it was impossible to tell where one left off and the other began.

As I lay there, I could feel my strength returning, my magic burning brighter and hotter until it was a raging inferno inside me. The Aeternum Stone’s draining effects were being reversed, and the void the stone had left behind was filling up again thanks to the sheer force of our passion.

In that perfect, timeless moment, I understood the true depth of my connection with Angelo. My feelings were clear for this vampire Mafia king. In his dark world, he was my guiding light.

Cradling my face in his hands, Angelo gazed deep into my eyes, his expression filled with a tenderness that took my breath away. “Serenity,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. “I…I love you. I don’t know how it happened, or when, but somewhere along the way, you became everything tome. You’re my light in the darkness, my reason for living. You’re mine to protect, always.”

Tears sprang to my eyes as the magnitude of his words sank in. For so long, I had been afraid to put a name to the feelings that had been growing inside me, but hearing Angelo say those three precious words out loud made everything crystal clear.

“I love you too, Angelo,” I breathed, my voice trembling with the force of my emotions.

Angelo’s eyes shone with unshed tears as he pulled me into a fierce embrace, his strong arms enveloping me in a warm cocoon of love and protection. “You are my everything, Serenity,” he murmured into my hair. “I will spend every day for all eternity showing you just how much you mean to me. Together, we will weather any storm, conquer any obstacle. Our love is a force that nothing can destroy.”

With a soft sigh of contentment, I tilted my face up to his, our lips meeting in a kiss that felt like a promise, a seal on the declaration we had just made. As the kiss deepened and our bodies began to undulate together once more, I lost myself in the exquisite perfection of this moment.

I had found my mate. My other half. Nothing would ever tear us apart. Come what may, our love would be the light that guided us home.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Serenity

I woke the next morning to find Angelo was gone. My thighs ached from the night of lovemaking. I sat up, the covers falling away from me, and looked for any sign of him again. Had he really meant what he said last night? Did he really love me?

“Angelo?” Silence answered me back and disappointment gripped me.

I flicked the covers off and climbed out of bed naked. He wasn’t in the bathroom. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a tangled mess. I looked like I stuck my finger into a light socket.

I turned on the shower, hoping Angelo would return and join me, but after steam swirled around in thebathroom, that hope died.

I washed my hair and glided shower gel over my sensitive skin as I thought about our night of lovemaking and declarations of love. I didn’t know if he meant it, but I meant every word. He was the love of my life. Someone I trusted and never wanted to be parted from.

The water pulsing over me turned cold, and I shut off the faucets. I towel dried my hair and my body. I put on lavender lotion then blow dried my hair. Within a few minutes, I looked normal, but I felt different. Not because my power had been restored, but I was in love. The feeling pushed over my doubts and any other negative ones.

I threw on a red sundress and headed downstairs. Angelo liked sundresses, and I wanted to please him. Maybe he had gone downstairs to eat breakfast and didn’t want to disturb me while I was sleeping.

I followed the smells of frying bacon, my stomach grumbling and my mouth watering. Happy voices echoed through the dining room. I thought heard Gianna and Elena talking and was eager to join them. I was about to enter the dining room when Petar, one of Angelo’s men, stood in front of me. He was Dimitri’s father, but he didn’t look anything like him. Dimitri had an undeniable presence to him that drew others in like a moth to flame, but his father had a slimy presence like an oily salesman that you just want to kick out the door.

The corners of his mouth curled up into a Cheshire Cat smile. “Serenity, I was just about to find you. Angelo sends word. He found Joy.”

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still as his triumphant words hung in the air between us like a bugle call.My heart leaped with a surge of relief and happiness so intense it nearly brought me to my knees. But before I could fully process the joyous news, he continued, his expression sobering.

“She's with her father and brother now, but she's hurt. Angelo says you can heal her.”

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