Page 86 of Crimson Shadows
I blink, and then smirk. “Go you. She is a great kisser.”
“She is,” Zephyr murmurs.
“Mm,” Zaiah comments, and I chuckle.
It’s strange, this unspoken agreement we have about Adelaide Black. We’re so different, each with our own agenda, our own feelings for Adelaide. But in this, we’re united. We all want her, and we will all get her. It’s just a matter of time before she knows she can’t escape us. It’s fate. There is no other word for it, no other explanation.
The others nod their agreement, and we part ways, each lost in our thoughts. I take a deep breath, letting the scents of the academy wash over me. Adelaide is going about her night, blissfully unaware of the forces gathering around her. The urge to go to her, to see her with my own eyes, is almost overwhelming.
With a thought, I shift forms, my body shrinking and changing until I’m no longer a man, but a bat. My wings catch the night air, and I soar upwards, circling Adelaide’s tower. The lights are on in her room, and through the window, I can see her moving about.
As I watch, she pauses, her gaze turning towards the window. For a moment, our eyes meet, and I see recognition flicker acrossher face. To my surprise, she moves to the window, opening it wide.
“Corvus?” she calls softly. “Is that you?”
I hesitate for a moment, then swoop down, landing gracefully on her windowsill. With another thought, I shift back to my human form, perched precariously on the narrow ledge.
“Hey,” I say, trying for casual and probably missing by a mile. “Lovely night for a fly, isn’t it?”
She raises an eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Can’t say I’d know.”
“Do you want to see if you can?” I jump on that as a way to spend more time with her, teaching her, protecting her.
She steps aside, and I leap into her room. “Do you really think I can?”
“Don’t see why not. But we won’t know unless you try.”
“Good point.”
The memory of our kiss in the corridor flashes through my mind, and I have to resist the urge to pull her close and claim her lips again.
“So,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this late-night visit apart from offers to turn me into a bat?”
I hesitate, unsure how much to reveal. The last thing I want is to frighten her, but she deserves to know that she might be in danger. “I wanted to check on you,” I say finally. “After what happened with Asher, I was worried. Also, Ig mentioned about Asher and Lucian seeing you earlier.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And how do you feel about that?”
Her question takes me aback. “I’m happy that you two are getting closer. We are all connected, Adelaide. You can feel it. I know you can.” Reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hairbehind her ear, the simple touch sends a jolt of electricity through me.
For a moment, we stand there, caught in each other’s gaze. The air between us is charged, heavy with unspoken words and unfulfilled desires. Then, slowly, Adelaide leans in, her lips brushing against mine in a soft, tentative kiss.
It’s nothing like our kiss in the corridor. That had been all fire and passion, a public claiming. This is something else entirely. It’s gentle, exploratory, filled with a tenderness that takes my breath away.
When we finally part, Adelaide’s cheeks are flushed, her eyes bright. “I’ve been wanting to do that again,” she admits, a shy smile playing on her lips.
“So have I,” I confess, my hand cupping her cheek. “And so much more.”
“I want that too,” she murmurs, lowering her gaze before she pulls her tee off. Her skin is paler than before, which shows her vampire side emerging in force. She is stunning in every sense of the word.
“You’re beautiful, Adelaide.”
“Addy,” she mutters. “Call me Addy.”
I smile and bend down to kiss her again, wanting to bite her, ravage her. My fangs drop and slice into her lips and tongue. She gasps but doesn’t stop. If anything, it deepens the kiss, and my cock bounces to attention, pressing painfully against my pants.
“Addy,” I growl and pick her up, slamming her against the wall of her room.
“Ah!” she cries out as my claws rip her bra away, marking her skin, drawing blood. I bend down to lick it away, and she moans, her head falling back against the wall. I trail kisses down her neck, savouring the taste of her blood, and she writhes in my arms.
