A/N1: First, the soundtrack for the last half of this chapter is 'Illuminated' by Hurts and 'Likeness' by Lawless also works. Secondly, I know I usually reserve this for the end, but real quick, to my guest reviewer with the amazing long review, I hope this lives up to your expectations :) I've had it planned from the beginning! Cheers all, and don't forget the last half is very citrusy!

Chapter 12

It took the two of them several more days to get the trove wired completely and a workaround that would charge Eva's phone without causing a mishap. Not that she had been willing to test it on the phone directly until they found another way to ensure the output was within the charger's tolerance. Once she had shown Adrian the charging device, and he had examined it thoroughly, he was able to make it work. He had been glad to provide her with some memory of her home, though at the time, he had no idea that he was also providing himself with further torment.

That wasn't even counting the pictures he was shown when she had allowed him to examine the device. She hadn't been bothered by any of them, but he had to stop halfway through. Several of the images were of Eva and others where they were all wearing clothing that made the outfit she arrived in look as modest as she claimed it was. Despite her view on the matter, he politely declined when she asked if he wanted to see more.

They had taken to making meals in shifts. He cooked breakfast, she cooked lunch, and they alternated cooking the evening meal. Though teaching her how to gather the freshest ingredients had been interesting. It was another reminder that she was from a time when things were much easier for humanity. He was fascinated by every little thing he learned, though she was always quick to point out that human nature never changed, both the good and bad.

That, however, was not the source of his suffering. No, that came from what he was currently watching silently from just outside the door of the kitchen. Eva was making lunch, and had in what she had called her 'earbuds.' Appropriate names for the bud shaped things she placed in her ears that carried the music from her phone when she didn't want to disturb him.

Not that it would have at the moment, as he had been outside preparing an area for their first lessons in self-defense after lunch. He finished quickly and came to see if she needed help, but froze before he ever made it into the room. She had been singing to herself, and he had picked up enough English from her already to recognize a few of the words. Those that he didn't understand, he was not willing to ask for a translation. Not that his mind was focused much on translation at the moment.

Instead, he was watching as she moved smoothly from one task to the next, and her hips swayed from side to side to the rhythm of her words. He might not understand them, but the sultry tone to her voice did not need to be interpreted. He briefly wondered who she was thinking about as she sang. The thought that it was anyone other than him caused a flash of heated rage to rush through him, but he pushed it down before a snarl could leave his lips. He was satisfied to watch for now. She hadn't seen him yet.

Though, his resolution was sorely tempted when she bent at the waist to grab something and slowly stood before she closed her eyes and licked her lips. He realized he either needed to leave or let her know he was there. This was too much. He had learned to keep a tight rein on his self-control, but this woman was fraying it at the edges without even trying.

His indecision ended up not mattering in the end. She pulled the food from the stove and set it to the side, but as soon as it was off the flame, her entire posture changed. He only realized it was because the song changed when he heard the soft words. This was a song he knew. She had sung it once before and had gotten melancholy then too. She translated it for him the first time, and he didn't need an explanation as to why it made her sad. It reminded her of her mother. Hell, the translation reminded him of his mother.

Without another thought, he walked forward and touched her arm softly. She started and yanked the buds from her ears, but only blushed lightly. "I hope my singing didn't bother you."

He gave her a soft smile. "Not at all. I finished up the area for us to use after lunch early and wanted to see if you needed help."

She seemed to deflate for a moment before she took a deep breath and smiled back. "Nope, as you can see, I just finished. Let's eat so you can go show me just how abysmal I am at fighting creatures with superhuman speed and stamina."

He grinned at her attempt to lighten the mood. He realized she was only partially joking, but the point of the training would be to arm her with the means to combat the differences.

Once they were finished eating, he took her out to the area he had cleared and handed her a blunted sword. She looked at it with a frown. "You do realize that where I'm from, these are outdated by centuries. There is a saying that goes, 'don't bring a knife to a gunfight'."

He looked at her with a frown for a moment. "I suppose that means that between now and then that guns have improved from the Chinese death traps that I am currently familiar with."

Eva sighed and looked down at the sword. "Alright, I get the point. Though, unless you want me to get it literally, you're going to have to teach me as if I'm a babe. I don't know the first thing about swords."

Adrian closed his eyes for a moment and wondered for a split second if she was doing that on purpose. Given her penchant for puns, it was not outside the realm of possibility. As he opened them to see her confused expression, he realized that, no, she didn't realize how that sounded. It was was just his own imagination running rampant again. He swallowed down a retort and explained the basic stances she would need to use to keep night creatures at a distance.

By the end of the afternoon, it was a toss-up as to which of them was crankier. Eva was not slow or clumsy, but she still found herself knocked on her ass more than once or twice even. She could already feel the bruises she was going to have and wanted to curse the vampire up one side and down the other.

As for Adrian, he knew he would need to have patience with Eva, and that would not have typically been a problem. However, she kept overreaching or trying to improvise. Those things usually ended up with her either falling into him or onto her ass. Neither of those things helped to keep him focused. That, in turn, led to him being short with her, and the whole thing was a less pleasant session then it could have been.

Finally, Adrian called a halt to it after Eva was knocked down once more. She grudgingly accepted his help to get back on her feet before they walked back to the castle. He could only hope that the next day would be better.


Over the next week, things improved slightly. Mostly, because Eva got tired of being knocked around and started holding back. Adrian also swallowed his own hesitation and took to correcting her stances physically before he allowed her to move. The extra contact was a special kind of torture he was finding, but he refused to allow it to rule his senses.

He had hoped by some point that he would have become accustomed to her scent and no longer be bothered by it. The longer he spent around her, the less likely that seemed. Instead, each day his need only seemed to grow. It was getting to the point that he could hardly watch her walk without thinking of the curve of her ass or the way her hips swayed. Or worse yet, remembering what her legs had looked like without those blasted pants covering them.

He had to continually watch his own thoughts more often than he had to watch what she was doing. This was becoming a living hell, and he was beginning to wonder if there was a way he could reach out to Sypha and have them come pick the woman up. Surely solitude had to be better than this torture, even if he would be lonely.

Whenever he had that thought, he would get even crankier. It wasn't that he wanted her to go away at all. Nor did he honestly believe she did not notice him on some level as well. However, any time they got close, it was easy to see that she was too bloody innocent. On top of that, he could not tell by scent alone if she actually was that innocent. Not with her. The angelic smell that permeated her very skin was stronger than a hundred virgins would have been. She could have been a harlot before they met and still smelt pure. It was maddening.

He realized that something was going to have to be said soon just so they could both live in peace. Even if it was uncomfortable for a bit afterward. At least they were both rational adults. There should be no reason why they couldn't act like it. If he had only known how much worse it was soon to get.


Eva and Adrian were nearing the end of their fourth week of learning to live with just the two of them. Things had settled into a pattern, even if it was tense. However, that pattern was shattered in the middle of the night when Adrian was awoken with the most erotic dream he had ever had. He sat up with a gasp and grasped the sheets around him before he looked around wildly for the source of the smell that still seemed to be invading his senses.

Relief flooded him when he saw that Eva was still on the other side of the room, though it was quickly followed by confusion. Her smell had never been stronger, and yet she was not cuddled up to him. It didn't make sense, but he knew that he couldn't stay there. His fangs were already aching in a way that he had come to recognize. He needed space and fresh air.

He threw the covers off and padded down into the kitchen for water. When that did little to cool his blood, he ignored the fact that he was still only in his nightclothes and headed outside. He stayed there on the front steps until the sun started to rise. It was only then that he felt safe enough to go back inside and face Eva after that dream.

Almost as soon as he reentered, he could smell her again, and he almost walked right back out. It was only his stubbornness that refused to allow anyone to keep him out of his own home, for any reason. He gritted his teeth and tried to breathe through his mouth as he headed back upstairs to change.

He could not contain a snarl when he got into the room, and the smell was ten times stronger, but Eva was not there. He assumed she must have already gone down for breakfast, so he quickly changed to go join her.

Her scent hit him like a wall when he walked into the kitchen. She was already sitting at the table with her head down in front of a glass of water. A low rumble erupted from him that he could not stop, but she barely stirred. Her voice was tiny when she spoke. "Hey, Adrian, would you mind terribly if we just did some reading today?"

It was at that point that he finally realized something was wrong with her. He forced himself forward and sat across from her. He didn't dare sit closer, no matter what the problem was. "Are you feeling well?"

She looked up with tired eyes, and he noted dark circles beneath them. She gave him a pained smile. "Yeah, I'm just a little out of it this morning. Nothing that won't pass soon. At least the worst of it, I promise."

It was at that point that it finally clicked in his head. His issue and hers were related. Why her scent was so much stronger. It was because she was bleeding. Oh, he really was in hell now. He swallowed a groan as he nodded. "Feel free to rest as you need to. I can find something else to keep me occupied."

For once, she didn't bother arguing as he got up to leave her alone. She only waved listlessly as he left her. He then proceeded to spend the rest of the day outside the castle. There was no way he could stay indoors with her.

The next three days were spent in much the same fashion. He pushed himself each day to do more than usual before he came back in the evenings. It was in the vain hope that exhaustion would smother him into dreamless sleep. It didn't work. He couldn't blame Eva for something she had no control over, but by the end of the fourth day, he was at his wit's end.

At least her scent had finally started to ebb. It wasn't back to normal, but it wasn't as overwhelming either. She still hadn't asked him to go back to training yet, thankfully.

Directly after dinner, Adrian had taken a large bottle of something that wasn't wine and headed to the study. He needed to keep his mind occupied. Somehow, he had finally gotten into one of the books he had found when he was disturbed by a soft voice. "Would you mind some company? I've hardly seen you over the last few days."

Adrian looked up slowly at the woman that he had been doing everything in his power to not think about. He didn't speak as their eyes locked, and she walked further into the room. She paused about halfway to him and stood there awkwardly as he continued to stare and say nothing. She finally swallowed and spoke. "Well, I can see that you, um, were busy. I'll go find something else to do."

Before she could move, he set the book and empty bottle to the side before he stood in one swift motion. He was right in front of her so quickly that she took a step back out of surprise.

That was as far as he allowed her to go. He reached out and grabbed her arm to keep her from going any further as he finally spoke. "You know, I am hard-pressed to know which I want more."

She gave him a confused look. "What?" her confusion didn't last long as he took a few steps toward her, and she was forced to step back. It was at that point that she smelled what had been in the bottle he had just set down. "Wait, Adrian, are you drunk?"

He paused for a moment and tilted his head to the side before he took another step forward. "I suppose so, yes."

Eva's eyes widened at his response. He was not acting like himself. By that point, he had nearly backed her up to the wall. She put her hands against his chest and pushed a little, though it didn't do any good. She settled for frowning at him. "Why? That isn't like you."

He let out a dark chuckle as he leaned in a little. "Belmont always swore it was the best way to deal with his troubles. I've tried everything else, why not see if he was right?"

His answer did not clear her confusion at all. "What is that supposed to mean? Is something bothering you? You know I would be happy to help if I can."

A low rumble erupted from him at her words. She might not have heard it if she hadn't felt it under her palms. The feel of it suddenly reminded her that this male was more than just a man. He was a dangerous predator as well, but as she looked up into his golden eyes, her fear was tempered by the feral, hungry look he was giving her when he answered. "I think you have done quite enough already."

Eva swallowed thickly and tried to step back once again only to find her back was against the wall. Her breath was coming a little faster. "Adrian, you're scaring me."

He smirked at her as he leaned in next to her ear. She heard him sniff before he leaned back just far enough to look into her eyes. "You don't smell scared."

She stiffened slightly. She had not considered the fact that he would be able to tell the difference in her pheromone levels when she was aroused. She felt her cheeks heat, but he wasn't finished. "Tell me I'm wrong."

Eva's mind was frantically trying to salvage the situation. She knew he would not normally be acting like this, but damn if it wasn't hot. She couldn't deny that she found him attractive on the best of days, but this- this was hot as hell. Still, she tried to at least keep her composure. "Y-you said a moment ago that you weren't sure what you wanted. What did you mean?"

He lifted one brow at her question and leaned until they were almost touching. His breath ghosted over her ear when he answered. "I am unsure which I want more at this moment. Whether I should fuck you or feed on you."

Eva's breath froze in her lungs, and it took all she had for her knees not to buckle. A flash of heat raced through her veins and went straight to the spot between her legs. There was suddenly a pulsing need in that spot that she had never felt before. Not like that. She couldn't hold in a whimper when her breath finally started again.

Her hands fisted in Adrian's shirt when he grabbed her. One of his hands went to her hair, and the other was tightly gripping her hip. His voice was nearly a growl by her ear as he tilted her head back slightly. "Oh, that was not the reaction I was expecting. Maybe you are not quite as innocent as I thought you were."

"Ungh." That was the most coherent noise she was able to make as his lips finally touched her neck. It was like fire erupted right there on her skin as she felt his tongue flick out over her pulse point. The rumble in his chest afterward had her leaning into his grip just to keep from falling. It wasn't until she felt the scrape of his fangs against her skin that any semblance of sense returned.

She pushed against him frantically. "Wait! Adrian, don't!"

He growled but pulled back far enough to frown down at her. His breath was just as labored as hers was, and she could tell that he barely had a thin hold on his control. The sight of him this undone because of her made a whole new wave of desire race through her. His eyes dilated as soon as the smell hit him, but she spoke quickly before he could move again. "You can't bite me. What if my blood hurts you?"

It was a few seconds before her words seemed to sink in. He took a deep breath to try and gain some control again before he stood a little straighter, though he didn't let her go. Instead, he looked down at her with half-lidded eyes. "That is one thing I am not worried about."

When it looked like she was going to object again, he growled at her once more and pulled her against himself sharply. "Are you telling me you don't want this?"

Eva could feel her body melting against him. She did want it, badly, but she also didn't want him hurt. She shook her head. "You already said you can smell the truth. I won't lie and say I don't. That doesn't mean I want to hurt you. All I ask is that you don't- don't bite me."

He tilted her head back a little before he leaned in and finally captured her lips. Eva's arms found their way up and around his neck as he pulled her closer. There was no space between them as the hand on her hip changed from a bruising grip to running up her side and around her back. It was several moments before he finally released her mouth, but only far enough to speak. "I will make no promises. You have no idea what your scent does to me. You smell like the freshest spring honey. I can taste it on your skin, and it is far more intoxicating than that bottle I just finished. All I can swear is that I will not hurt you, nor will you hurt me."

Eva's head was too full of him. His hands had not been still while he spoke. They were both moving, pulling her closer while teasing the bits of skin at the edge where her shirt met her pants. It was taking most of her concentration not to turn into a panting mess in his arms already. She looked up into his eyes once more. "I-"

He cut her off with another swift kiss. When he leaned back, he smirked down at her. "All I need to know is if you want me."

Her response was to lean into him again. He didn't need her to pull him down, he was more than willing to meet her halfway. Despite how much Eva had been worried about his fangs while they kissed, it became a distant thought, and not an issue. It was not long before his kisses once again left her mouth to trail down her jaw and neck while his hands slipped under her shirt.

Eva's head lolled back against the wall as she tried to ground herself somehow under the assault on her senses. She bit her tongue to keep from moaning like a wanton as he removed her belt and lifted her shirt over her head. Though her eyes flew open as he used the material to trap her hands above her head.

She watched as he took a step back to look at her. It wasn't until he reached forward and ran his finger under the lace of her bra that she realized he had probably never seen one before. She was going to try and explain, but he didn't give her a chance to as he leaned in and ran his tongue over the same mound of flesh that his finger had just covered. The action was so unexpected that there was no way she could hold back her moan that time.

He rumbled his approval as he pushed the cloth aside and took one dusky nipple in his mouth. Eva felt her knees trembling. It was made even worse when his free hand moved from the fabric of her bra down her stomach and to the waistband of her pants. He flicked the first two buttons open before his hand ran around her hip to then grip her ass under the cloth.

He released her nipple and recaptured her lips as he pulled her closer once again. When he finally pulled her shirt off and released her hands, she grabbed onto his shoulders just to stay upright.

When he pulled back again, both his hands went to her hips, and he pushed back slightly. Eva could see that his fangs were extended more than she had ever seen before, but that wasn't what had her attention. He was trying to catch his breath before he looked at her. "Not here."

She wasn't given a chance to ask what he meant before he picked her up. She let out a little squeal at the sudden action but wasn't going to complain as he headed to the room with an actual bed. She was both incredibly turned on and impressed when he shifted her so that he held her in one arm while he opened the door with the other.

She wasn't given long to think about it when he practically dropped her on the bed. Her eyes widened slightly when he was instantly hovering over her. His speed took her breath away when they faced as sparring partners, seeing it here was both a reminder of what he was and what he could do. Still, fear was not the feeling it invoked.

She could tell he knew it too. He eyed the cloth on her chest and seemed to struggle for a moment before he spoke. "I will give you ten seconds to remove that thing yourself, or I will rip it off." She didn't need to be told twice. It wasn't like she had a spare bra, and she didn't doubt he would do it either. She could be angry at him later.

As soon as the clasp in the back was undone, he slipped it the rest of the way off. Her pants followed quickly after. Eva felt her face heating under his hungry gaze as he sat back and stared at her bared beneath him for several seconds. It got even redder when he put his hands on her ankles and slowly ran them up until they stopped at her hips. He had followed the path up one leg with soft kisses and nips that had her wriggling.

It wasn't until he stopped at the apex of her thighs that she remembered that she was still technically spotting. She didn't even think of the consequences when she grabbed his hair as he started to lower his head. His eyes were wide, and he growled at her when he looked up.

Eva wasn't given a chance to regret her actions before he had her arms pinned above her head. His golden eyes looked molten as he hovered over her. He took in a few deep breaths before he smirked. "You have no reason to stop me. I am aware that your cycle is not quite finished."

Her face did heat at that point, and she shook her head. "Still, don't do- that."

At her words, he released her hands and cupped her face before he sighed. "Tell me, are you an innocent? I cannot tell. Not with you."

Eva wanted to melt away at that point for a whole new reason. Though, she supposed he deserved to know. "No. Technically I'm not. Just once. But-"

He cut her off with a kiss that was far gentler than any of the ones he had given her downstairs. "But, you are still innocent."

She looked like she was going to object, but he claimed her lips once more. After that, he did not give her a chance to speak again, and it was not long at all until she forgot why she wanted to in the first place. His lips left a trail of wet heat down her collar bone and to cover one breast. Without her bra in the way, he was able to give proper attention to both nipples. The one pebbled beneath his hot breath before his tongue twirled around the hardened tip. When he covered it, his fangs barely scraped along the sensitive tip and had her arching into his grip with a moan.

She had long since given up on trying to hold them back as his other hand found its way to the spot between her legs that was practically begging for attention. He circled the bundle of nerves at the top with his thumb before he slid one finger inside, quickly followed by a second. He growled at the feel of her wet heat.

Eva was lost in the sensation. She had told the truth, but she had never experienced anything like this before. Every touch set her nerves on fire. She could already feel a tenseness filling her body that had her writhing against Adrian's hold on her. She barely noticed that his careful control that he had tried to use with her was slipping once again.

His breath was nearly as ragged as hers as his free hand moved to her hip to hold her in place as he moved faster inside her. Eva threw her head back and gripped the sheets as a scream tore from her lips. She didn't even hear the answering growl from the vampire above her as she fell apart for him.

Nor did she notice as he slid away from her while she was catching her breath. His fingers went into his mouth to clean off the product of his labor. Not even he was prepared for how intense his reaction would be. It wasn't more than the barest hint of her, and he still found himself kneeling over her panting.

He looked down and knew that he was lost. There was no way he could stop. No way he could ever satiate this craving. He stood and quickly divested himself of the rest of his clothes before he moved between her creamy thighs once more. By that time, she had regained enough presence of mind to recognize how thin a hold he had on himself. Though, she was still ignorant of the fact that he had already tasted her once.

She shakily lifted her hands to cup his face. Instead of allowing her to kiss him, he buried his face in her neck as he leaned into her. At the feeling of him pulsing against her entrance, Eva felt her passion stirring once more. His kisses trailed across her shoulder before he leaned back and spread her legs a little further. He positioned himself before he leaned into her and captured her lips as he slowly filled her.

They both groaned at the feeling of completion. Eva almost felt like it was more than she could handle, but he moved slowly at first. It wasn't long until she adjusted, and so did his tempo. A small part of her brain knew that she was going to be bruised from the way he gripped her and that his pace was nearly brutal, but she couldn't focus past how full she felt. How incredibly thorough he was. She rose to meet him with each motion, which drew a rumbling sound from deep in his chest.

Eva lost all sense of time and location. All she could see or feel was Adrian. When he pulled her up into his lap as he knelt back, she nearly passed out from the sheer pleasure. She didn't lose rhythm as her hips rolled forward into his as he rose to meet her.

He buried one hand in her hair and had her head tilted slightly. She barely noticed when he buried his face in the crook of her neck. It all added to the sensation of him all in and over her. She could feel that same tenseness filling her once again. She grasped his shoulders and picked up her rhythm. She was so close she could taste it.

She heard his voice rumble next to her ear right before the climax broke over her. He was calling her name. As the wave crested, she felt his fangs sink into her neck. It was something that should have terrified her. The one thing that she hadn't wanted, but the sharp pain twisted into her orgasm and quickly became part of the pleasure as she felt him buck erratically with her.

She felt him draw on the small wound he made, and it was unlike anything she had known or expected. It didn't hurt at all, not even as the pleasure of their shared climax started to ebb, and they both stilled.

Eva was still panting as she felt his fangs slide from her skin, and his tongue lapped the last few drops that escaped. He kissed the spot once more before he put his forehead against hers. Neither of them moved for several moments as they worked to catch their breath.

When she could finally speak again, she smirked at him. "I guess you were right after all."

Adrian opened his eyes and smirked at her as he pulled her flush against his body. He relished the feel of her. The fact that she didn't pull away from him, that she hadn't even tried to move off him yet. "I made a promise, didn't I."

Eva smirked back. Despite her earlier embarrassment, she had never felt sexier. Nor was she truly upset with him. She should have known he could not be hurt by her blood. He was too damn stubborn. "Yes, but that can't happen every time. I don't think I could handle it."

He raised a brow at her words before he rumbled at her. "Do you have any idea what you are implying? If not, let me make it clear. I have more than enough stamina to keep you up all night. Though, I promise to keep the love bites to a minimum."

Eva chuckled at his glib remark. It wasn't until she felt him stirring inside her that she realized it wasn't just a glib remark. Her eyes widened. "Oh!"

He gave her a feral look as he laid her back once more. "'Oh' might be an understatement." Eva had just enough sense to wonder if she would even be able to walk the next day. However, that was the last coherent thought she had for some time.

A/N2: Well, that should at least relieve some of that tension lol. At least we are well set to head into season three now. Which will be starting in the next chapter for any that might not have seen it yet. Spoilers will be happening, at least for part of it. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did and look forward to the rest! If you haven't gone over yet, my other Castlevania fic is called Twisted. It is a little darker in the beginning, but will also be Alucard/OC. Cheers!