Marina's Awakening (Seduced By Shadows Book 2)

Chapter Seventeen

My muscles ache with every movement, and my breath comes in ragged gasps, a stark reminder of the brutal fight we”ve just survived. How the hell did they find us so quickly? What was I thinking? Of course the Extractors wouldn”t give up that easily. I should”ve known better than to put Emily and her clan in jeopardy.

I look around, taking in the chaotic aftermath of our battle—the fallen bodies of the Shadow Extractors, the blood spatters on the lavish furnishings, the shattered remnants of Emily”s once-pristine home. It”s a scene of destruction. The Shadow Extractors seem intent on wiping out any trace of the supernatural, but from what I can see, they don”t really know what they”re doing—otherwise there would be piles of ashes here instead of bodies. My eyes drift around the room, taking in all the chaos that has ensued thanks to those idiots who think they know best. In some ways, I feel bad for Charles. It seems like he started down this path with good intentions, but now everything is out of control, and he”s getting more people killed because of it.

Drake”s eyes run over me, and I know what he”s about to say. Although I”m thrilled to have my clan leader back, I can”t say I”m thrilled to have someone order me around. But, just as expected, he says, ”You both look like you”ve been through hell. Remember, Marina, you”re human now—at least for the time being. You don”t have the same regenerative abilities you used to. You need rest to recover.”

”I can handle myself,” I protest. I may not be a vampire anymore, but that doesn”t mean I”m helpless. Maybe it”s just the adrenaline, but if anything, I feel like I could take down an entire army right now if it was needed.

Drake raises his eyebrows, and there”s a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He knows just how stubborn I am and he”s always had to deal with it before, so I imagine he has a pretty good idea of how this conversation will go. But when I glance over at Gabriel, I see the tired smile on his face, and I have no doubt that if I don”t agree to rest, he won”t either. And he needs it. Hell, we both do. We fought for hours against an enemy far larger than us, but it isn”t something we could have done alone. No matter what happens next, I know we made the right decision in coming here.

”Yeah, I guess we could use some sleep,” I relent. ”Thanks, Drake.”

He waves a dismissive hand. ”Don”t mention it. You two go get some rest. We”ll take care of the cleanup here.”

”Come on,” I say to Gabriel, offering him a tired but genuine smile. ”Let”s find somewhere to crash.”

”Sounds like a plan,” he agrees.

As we make our way out of the living room, leaving Drake and the other vampires to deal with the aftermath of our battle, I feel a sense of relief wash over me. Despite the chaos and danger that surrounds us, I”m grateful for the allies we have and the support they offer—even if it comes with a house that looks like a war zone. We”ve faced the enemy head-on, fought with everything we had, and come out victorious. And now, with Gabriel by my side, I”m ready to rest and recharge, to face whatever comes next.

We follow Emily”s prompts and finally find a guest room, where I sink onto the plush bed, feeling its soft embrace cradle my tired body. Gabriel joins me, settling in beside me as we gaze at each other in silence for a moment, lost in thought. There”s so much I want to say, but I don”t know where to begin. Gabriel”s eyes meet mine, and there”s a vulnerability there I haven”t seen before. His hand reaches out, fingers brushing against mine as if seeking permission. ”Marina,” he starts, his voice barely above a whisper, ”I need to say something.”

I nod, urging him on, captivated by the look he”s giving me. ”I”ve been doing a lot of thinking, especially with everything that”s happened tonight. And I realize I can”t keep it in any longer. I need you to know how I feel.”

My heart races, anticipation building with every word, but I stay silent, allow him the space to speak.

”I care about you more than I”ve ever cared about anyone,” he confesses, his voice raw with sincerity. ”And it”s not just because we”ve been through hell and back together, or because of this supernatural mess we find ourselves in. It”s you, Marina. You”ve become a part of me, a part I never knew was missing until now.”

He reaches out, wiping them away with a gentle touch that I sink into.

”I want to help you reclaim your life, whatever that may look like now,” he vows. ”Human or vampire, it doesn”t matter. I”ll stand by you, fight for you, and do whatever it takes to make sure you”re safe and happy.”

I reach out, taking his face in my hands, drawing him closer until our foreheads touch. ”I don”t know what the future holds for us,” I admit. ”But knowing you”re by my side gives me hope, Gabriel. More than that, it gives me strength.”

He smiles, a genuine, heartfelt smile that lights up his face and warms my soul before he leans in, capturing my lips in a kiss that”s both tender and passionate, sealing our promise to each other.

We stay like that for some time, soaking in one another as we give in to our desires. But eventually, we break apart, lying there together on the soft sheets, content to simply exist within this moment of tranquility. As I close my eyes, I realize just how tired I am and feel my consciousness drifting away, drawn down into the dark depths where dreams await. Just as I”m about to slip off to sleep, Gabriel wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, resting his chin on top of my head, as if he”s afraid to let me go. And as I succumb to the darkness, all I can think about is how lucky I am that such a man exists who will stand beside me through thick and thin, no matter what comes next.

When I wake, the first thing I notice is how warm I feel, wrapped up in the arms of Gabriel, my body tucked against his. In an instant, I”m wide awake, hyperaware of everything around us—the warmth of his touch, the beating of his heart, even the steady rhythm of his breathing. It”s such a comfort knowing he”s there. We managed to find each other in spite of all odds. Now we must find a way to keep fighting together as a team if we want to get out of this alive.

I untangle myself from him carefully so as not to wake him before heading out into the hallway. The house seems quiet, and it takes me a few moments to remember exactly where I am. Memories come flooding back: the battle, being with Drake, agreeing to work together on stopping the Shadow Extractors... Everything that happened yesterday feels like something from a dream, like a vivid hallucination. And yet, here I am now, still feeling the lingering effects of it all.

A wave of nausea washes over me suddenly, forcing me to stop dead in my tracks. My vision blurs for a moment before righting itself again, but my head still pounds dully, as though I”m standing too close to a bass speaker at a rock concert. A deep sense of unease rises up within me, followed by another wave of dizziness that causes my legs to give out beneath me. My stomach lurches, and then I feel nothing but hot bile pouring up from my gut, burning my throat and splattering onto the floor. I cover my mouth, trying desperately to hold back any more from coming out. After several minutes, I manage to regain some control over my body, breathing heavily as my heartbeat returns to normal.

When I finally catch my breath again, I stand there motionless, eyes closed, focusing on slowing down the sound of my heartbeat and calming the thumping in my chest. Then, as soon as it stopped, the pain comes rushing back, causing another bout of vomit to rise in my throat. It takes a lot longer this time, but eventually, I”m able to swallow it down, holding back until it”s gone.

I glance around to see if anyone saw what just happened, but when I don”t spot anyone, I take a step forward and wobble. My legs give way beneath me and I collapse, hitting the floor hard and rolling over onto my back as the world begins spinning. I fight to stay conscious, gasping for breath and willing myself not to pass out, but I”ve never been so tired in my entire life—as if every ounce of strength has been sucked right out of me, leaving only empty, exhausted shells behind.

This is one part of being human that I never missed when I was a vampire. Illnesses were more rare, with almost no exceptions. Even if someone got sick, their bodies could generally heal themselves without too much effort or time. The only thing I missed even less was my... Oh, shit. My period. I”ve been human for more than a month now. I should”ve had one by this point, but I haven”t. It”s not unheard of for women to miss their periods—especially with all the stress I”ve been through these last couple weeks. Let”s not jump to conclusions. I may have just eaten something weird at the party. No need to worry about it right now. We have enough problems to deal with as it is.

My vision blurs for a moment, then focuses on a spot in midair until I can make out the familiar outline of Gabriel standing there. He looks at me with concern etched onto his features, though I can see the relief flooding his face when he realizes I”m okay. ”Marina?” His voice sounds far away, but I manage to pick up the words easily.

”I think... I might be sick,” I mutter, forcing my eyes closed again and swallowing hard. ”Just give me a minute.”

He stays by my side for several more minutes while I fight to get control over my body. Finally, after a few long moments that seem to stretch on into eternity, I”m able to pull myself back from the edge. My eyelids flutter open to find Gabriel leaning over me, a look of deep worry painted across his face. There”s such tenderness in his gaze as he brushes some stray strands of hair away from my forehead. ”You look like you just went ten rounds with Mike Tyson.”

Despite my best efforts to control it, I start giggling hysterically at the image. When I finally calm down again, Gabriel takes my hands in his. They feel warm against my skin—soothing, reassuring. Just being near him seems to settle some of the tension in my body, easing the headache and nausea still present there. ”Do you feel any better?” he asks.

”Yes... No...” My words trail off, dissolving into a frustrated growl. ”I don”t know,” I sigh, giving up on trying to make sense of anything right now. ”Let me just clean up and we can figure out the plan for the day.”

”Are you sure you”re up for this? You don”t have to push yourself too hard.”

”Trust me, I appreciate your concern. But we have to put a plan together.”

”Drake and the other vamps are sleeping,” Gabriel points out. ”It”s daytime. They won”t be up for several hours.”

”I guess you and I are on our own for a bit, then. Care for a little adventure?”

Yes, I”m aware that I”m just trying to keep my mind off what may or may not be growing in my stomach, but he doesn”t need to know that yet.