Page 40 of Deceived By a Warrior

Darius Fischer

Furious, Darius forced himself out of the bedroom before he did something he regretted.

He never acted out of line.Ever.His emotions remained controlled for centuries. No one forced him to act beyond his emotional control.

Until today.

He had no sort of control over any of his crazed actions back in that room. Between falling victim to unmanageable lust and wild anger, he nearly lost his mind. Honestly, he nearly lost himself completely.

His burning desire for Eva was greater than any desire he had experienced before, and his bizarre wrath in her presence was so unlike him. He acted out of character back there, something he refused to do again.

His restrained personality kept him and his sister alive for this long. He wasn’t about to lose control today.

Darius rubbed at his burning throat as he stormed down the fortress’ ancient halls. He was desperate for something to drink. He didn’t drink anything for days, having been too focused on his mission to find and deliver Eva. Not only that, but her lack of health also distracted him from drinking.

He needed blood,now.If Eva wasn’t going to give it to him, he needed to find it elsewhere, and he knew exactly where to get it from.

He tried not to remember the mouthwatering scent of Eva’s blood - unlike any he had sensed before - as he turned in the direction of the nymph he was going to feed on, Lila.

Lila was one of the few beings in this fortress that was not a vampire. She had been married to one of the Voivod’s noblemen for centuries. He died long ago, but she remained. Darius had been feeding on her long before her husband died. In fact, she grew interested in Darius back when he was a slave, saving him from perpetual starvation.

Thoughts returning to Eva he harshly whispered, “Why can’t she understand that she’s mine?” Vampires were often given their lifeblood on a golden platter. Meanwhile, Darius had to deal with this. She wasn’t even a vampire!

Did Eva understand that, contrary to popular belief, vampires drank blood more often during sexual encounters than to kill another in battle? It was usually a satisfying experience for both partners.

It was a satisfying sexual experience that he didn’t want to imagine sharing with someone other than Eva. Unfortunately, Eva was leaving him with no other choice. A vampire had to eat, and Darius preferred not to murder unless necessary. He also refused to take Eva’s blood from her if she was against it. He hated having the memory of other vampires forcing that on his sister. So what sort of animal would he be if he forced that on Eva?

Why was Eva making him so crazed? He first saw heryearsago. After first laying eyes on her he was able to remain in control of his emotions for years.

Now?

She was driving him to the brink of madness.

He knew exactly why. In the past he only noticed her from a distance. He knew she was his lifeblood, but he didn’t knowher. Now, he was given a chance to get to know her, and he loved everything about who she was.

He’d never be able to rid his thoughts of her again. She would forever be ingrained in his mind, and he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. She was just going to have to get used to his company after he learned to control his emotions around her.

There was absolutely no way he could go anywhere near her anytime soon. Not until he could control his unnatural instincts. Otherwise, he’d do something he could never take back.

Keep my distance from her for now. Protect her from afar.

He could do that, couldn’t he?

The simple thought of being away from her made him mad, but he knew he didn’t have much of a choice until he controlled himself. For her sake.

Darius came to a stop at Lila’s door, giving it two quick knocks.

A sweet voice rang from the other side. “Who is it?” Her voice flowed like water, which he supposed made sense considering she was a water nymph.

“Someone who’s been away for far too long,” Darius said, knowing she’d recognize his voice.

Lila always let him feed off her and he was grateful for it. It helped that she was attractive, considering feedings often led to two things: sex or murder.

He certainly didn’t plan on killing this nymph anytime soon.

A few seconds later the door in front of him opened. A woman with voluminous golden curls that ran past her breasts and plush coral lips grinned up at him. “I’ve been waiting all week for you.” She was a natural beauty, as nymphs famously were.

“The others didn’t entertain you enough?” It was no secret between them that she was involved with many vampires within these walls. She was especially popular among the nobles who attended high class social events. Events Darius could never attend. He may be Artem’s best warrior, but he wasonlya warrior. His duty was to work for Artem.

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