A/N: Edited 8/12/10. Rewrite of an old chapter. Just cleaned up a bit with bit of added material. Kind of short but the next one should be longer.

Dark Absolution: Chapter 6

'Mine.'

A possessive smile curled Adam's lips, his dark eyes glittered in the darkness as he propped himself up on one elbow to look down upon his dozing mate. Having her body unconsciously curled up against his own in sleep was as close to heaven as he could ever remember being. He touched her reverently, trying to reassure himself that she was real, that he wasn't hallucinating. The pads of his fingers carefully traced her arched brow, the delicate curve of her cheek, traced her lips and down to the hollow of her throat where her pulse fluttered beneath his palm. He committed each tiny detail to memory. He took his time studying her, amazed that he could see her in vivid color, amazed at the plethora of feelings she aroused in him. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve such a blessing but he wasn't going to question fate. He had waited too long for this moment. He simply drank her in with his eyes, unable to get enough of the sight of her.

She was much different from the last time he had laid eyes on her. Of course, she'd been merely a child then. She certainly wasn't a child now by any means. She had always been rather small for her age and had remained petite. Baby fat, which had made her look innocent and cherubic once upon a time, had melted away to reveal the lush contours of a grown woman. Her tiny, upturned nose and full, pouty lips remained as he remembered and he knew that if she were to open her eyes he would get to see those familiar green orbs, the ones that had haunted him for so long. He had always known that she would grown into a stunning woman but to have such beauty on display right before his eyes nearly took his breath away.

He kissed her forehead gently and rolled onto his back taking her with him and pillowed her head on the broad expanse of his chest. His fingers found themselves buried in her thick, brown hair. He loved the feel of the silky strands sliding between his fingers. Her soft breath feathered across bare his skin in a warm, sensual wave that lit his nerve endings on fire. He was hyper-aware of how soft, how pliant and feminine she felt against his much larger, masculine frame. The feel of her nestled so perfectly next to him caused his blood to heat and his body to harden. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his considerably long life.

The depth and power of his physical desire for her startled even him. It had been so long since he had felt any biological urge other than the need to feed that the pangs of lust nearly disoriented him. His base instincts dictated that he must claim her, join their bodies as well as their hearts and minds. He wanted to touch and taste every inch of her creamy, white skin. He yearned to bury himself so deep inside of her that she'd never be rid of him. He longed to see her face transformed by passion that only he could provide her with. He wanted to feel her body seizing around his, hear her angelic voice scream his name as their world shattered around them. The ache was relentless, consuming.

He struggled with himself against the intensity of his feelings. He needed her terribly, yes, but he also knew that he needed to be cautious. Much time had lapsed since their last contact with each other and she had never known him to be anything more than a child's plaything. She would need a bit a time to absorb the situation and he had been much too close to turning and needed to regain some semblance of self-control lest he do something he would regret later on. The dominant male in him demanded he complete the ritual but the part of him that still thought of her as the scared, little girl from all those years ago wouldn't allow it.

He wouldn't force himself on her anymore than he already had, no matter how dire the situation may be. He wanted her to want him, to accept him as he was. He wanted her to love him, to confide in him as she had when she was a child. He wanted her trust and her loyalty. He wanted her to feel for him the love and devotion he felt for her. He had already taken much liberty with her, exchanging their blood without her knowing what was happening and binding them together with the sacred words of his people. It would be enough for now, enough to keep him anchored while he sorted out how to best proceed with her.

Already, he had many questions to ask her that demanded answers. There were things he had picked out of her mind before she had forced him completely out, things that had troubled him greatly. He had seen a deep-rooted apprehension in her that hadn't been there before. Traumatic mental scars ran deep and marred the once tranquil refuge of her mind. The brief glimpse he had stolen told him that she had been neglecting her gift, allowing it to atrophy like an unused muscle. Her once vivid imagination was reduced to nothing more than a burned out shell of its former self. Her self-confidence was shattered, her sense of self-worth nearly non-existent. Her self-loathing had been almost suffocating.

His mate had endured something terrible during the time they had been apart. Something had changed the child he had known and loved so profoundly that he had barely recognized the fractured landscape of her mind in the young woman who now slept curled up beside him. Anger rose up in him then, anger that he had not been there to protect her as he should have been, that he had put himself into a position in which he was unable to reach her in time, to spare her from whatever had done this to her.

It was his fault, he knew. He had failed her at a critical moment. He had not been able to be there for her then but he was here now. They were together once again and he would do everything within his considerable power to ensure they stayed that way. His anger melted into resolve. Her happiness and well-being were paramount. Nothing else had ever mattered more to him. He would do whatever he had to do in order to repair the damage that had been wrought in his absence. In turn, she would save him from a fate worse then death.

Looking toward the grimy window, Adam frowned. Dawn was almost upon them and that meant that he would have to leave Amanda until evening fell once again. With a heavy sigh, he gently rolled her off of his chest to rest against the pillows. Once certain that she was as comfortable as he could make her, he bent his head to hers and placed a soft kiss upon her warm lips before reluctantly rising from beside her and pulling the covers over her still form, tucking them in around her as he had when she was a child, when he had slipped into her room at night on occasion just to watch her sleep and ensure himself that she was indeed safe and sound.

He brushed a stray stand of hair out of her face. His gaze swept over her in a lingering caress and he fought the urge to crawl back into bed beside her and sleep the day away with her in his embrace, regardless of the rising sun. It was with great effort that he forced himself to turn and walk away from her. The thought of leaving her so soon after reacquiring her physically pained him and he wondered how he had managed to survive so long without her.

He could feel the fledgling bond between them working its magic. Already, he could feel the raw, ragged edges of his soul healing as her soothing presence began to entwine with his own. Already, he could feel the light that still flickered somewhere deep inside of her pushing back against the darkness that had accumulated within him over the centuries. Pausing before the slightly open window near the fire escape, he took one final, deep breath, taking in the scent of her that lingered in the small apartment before dissolving into a mist and streaming out into the lightening sky.

'Sleep well, dragă. I will come back for you tonight. Rest until I return.'

To be continued...