Marina's Awakening (Seduced By Shadows Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ican still feel Charles”s hand around my neck, choking the air from me, and it takes everything I have not to throw up again. We”re safe at Emily”s house, but I can”t shake the fear and the memories of what just happened. It all seems like some kind of dream now—a nightmare that”s slowly fading with time.

Gabriel is here beside me, and his presence soothes my frayed nerves, helps me breathe easier as I try to focus on something else. But even as I rest against him, the trauma lingers. When he pulls me close, wrapping his arm protectively around my shoulders, it feels so right and so good that I almost cry out in relief. It”s as if a piece of myself was missing when he wasn”t by my side, and now that he”s here, everything finally feels whole again.

The others are talking around us, their voices low and tired as they tell stories of what happened during the battle. I let their words wash over me, but I don”t hear them properly—my mind is filled with Gabriel instead. I still need to tell him about the baby, and though there are many things I need to tell him, this seems like the most important one.

”Can we go upstairs and talk?” I ask him, whispering. He nods wordlessly and follows me up the stairs. The room is quiet and empty, giving us the privacy we need. As the door closes behind us, sealing us off from the world outside we both flop down onto the bed in exhaustion, facing each other. He takes my hand, cradling it in his as he gazes at me with those deep brown eyes full of love. I can barely contain the wave of emotion washing over me—joy mixed with fear and grief intertwined until they blend together into something beautiful and precious: our future.

Gabriel turns to me. His eyes, those endless pools of warmth and understanding, search mine. ”Is everything okay?”

I nod. ”Yes, it”s just... I need to tell you something.”

He leans in close, stroking my hair as he rests his forehead against mine. My body melts into him, all my tension flowing out of me. I don”t think I could possibly be any more vulnerable with Gabriel than I am right now. And yet, somehow, I feel safer than ever before. This man is the one who will always be able to protect me no matter what life throws at us.

”I already know, Marina,” he says softly. He reaches up and traces my lips with his thumb. ”I know about the baby.”

A jolt of surprise ripples through me.

My mouth drops open in surprise. He knows. And yet, hearing him say it like this makes everything feel realer, somehow. Tears prick at the corner of my eyes, threatening to spill over as relief floods through me. ”You do?” The words escape before I can rein them in.

”Emily told me just before we broke into the Extractor”s stronghold. She wanted to make sure I understood what was at stake. And I need you to know, Marina, I”m here. For you, for the baby—every step of the way.”

His words, simple yet profound, unlock a floodgate of emotions within me. Tears form in my eyes, not from sadness or fear, but from the overwhelming realization that I am not alone in this journey.

”Oh, Gabriel,” I whisper, my voice choked with tears and gratitude. ”I love you. I love that you”re already a part of this, of us.”

His smile, that beautiful, soul-stirring smile, lights up his face. He pulls me into his arms, holding me as if he could shield me and our unborn child from every hardship the world might throw our way.

”I love you too, Marina,” he murmurs against my hair, his voice thick with emotion. ”And nothing, absolutely nothing, could ever change that.”

Held in his arms, enveloped in his love, I feel a deep, soul-stirring peace settle over me. We”ve crossed a threshold, taken a step forward into an uncertain future, but we”ve done it hand in hand. And as long as we have each other, I know we can weather any storm. Together, we can survive anything—because together, we are invincible.

When he runs his hand up my arm, I wince as his palm brushes a laceration. His eyes sharpen with concern as he notices my flinch. ”You”re hurt,” Gabriel says, gently tracing the cut on my arm with his fingertips. His touch is tender, careful, and it warms me from the inside out.

”It”s nothing,” I assure him, trying to brush it off. But he”s already pulling away, rummaging through a first aid kit Emily must”ve kept handy in the bathroom.

”Let me see,” he insists, returning with antiseptic and bandages. He starts cleaning the wound with a gentleness that belies the strength in his hands. The sting of the antiseptic is nothing compared to the warmth I feel knowing he”s taking care of me.

”You know,” I begin, watching him concentrate on wrapping the bandage around my arm, ”I”ve been thinking a lot about our future.”

He looks up, locking eyes with me, his expression softening. ”Have you now?”

”Yeah,” I continue, my voice barely above a whisper as I reach out to touch his face. ”About the life we could build, the family we”ll become.”

Gabriel”s hand stills, the bandage halfway around my arm. ”Tell me,” he says, his voice filled with anticipation.

I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. ”I imagine a home filled with love and laughter, a place where our child can grow up safe and happy. I see us teaching them about the world, about right and wrong, about courage and kindness.”

He smiles, his eyes glowing with a mixture of pride and joy. ”I want that too, Marina. More than anything.”

”And what about you?” I ask, shifting the focus back to him. ”What do you envision for our family?”

His gaze deepens, becoming more intense. ”I see us standing together, no matter what challenges come our way. I see us teaching our child about strength, about resilience, about the power of love. I see a future where we”re not just surviving but thriving, making a difference in this world, leaving a legacy of hope.”

”And in this dream, are we human or vampire?”

”We”re whatever you want us to be, Marina. I don’t care as long as I”m with you.”

I”m moved, so deeply touched by his words that I can”t help but lean in, closing the distance between us. Our lips meet and he cups my face, holding me there while our mouths explore each other like two moths drawn toward a flame. He tastes of victory, smells of home—of safety and warmth and all things good.

The heat between us is electric. I let him lower me onto my back, our bodies entwined as we sink into the soft mattress. His hand moves from my cheek down my neck, along my collarbone, until his thumb brushes against my breast. Every touch sends shock waves through my body, my blood pumping fast beneath my skin, heating up.

I feel dizzy, breathless, and I need more of him, right now. ”Gabriel...” I whisper, breaking the kiss long enough to meet his gaze. There are so many words left unsaid between us, so much still unresolved, but it can all wait for tomorrow. Tonight is ours. We”re safe here in this moment, together, and that”s all I could ever ask for.

”Marina,” he breathes, his voice full of longing. He takes off his shirt and tosses it aside, revealing the hard contours of his muscular torso. The sight alone sends a tremor coursing through my veins.

”You”re beautiful, you know that?” He runs his fingers through my hair, freeing the knots. A sudden desire seizes me, making me bolder than before. With one swift motion, I grab his hips and flip him over so I”m straddling him. His eyes widen in surprise as he looks up at me from beneath his lashes, but the look doesn”t last long. Soon, he”s gazing up at me with nothing short of reverence, taking in every inch of my body like he can”t quite believe I”m real.

His hands run down the curve of my back, leaving trails of fire behind. Everywhere he touches sets off another wave of tingling pleasure, sending sparks racing through my veins. As if sensing my growing need, he sits up and takes me in his arms. My head lands on his chest, my ear right above his heart. Its beats are steady, calm.

I can feel him everywhere, all around me—his strength and love filling me up until there”s nothing left to give. It feels so natural being here in his arms, knowing we”ll do anything to protect each other, to love each other. We are one in every sense of the word.

And yet, a small part of me still struggles to believe this could be real. It”s almost as if everything that”s happened over these last few weeks was some sort of twisted dream. But as I tilt my head back and catch a glimpse of his handsome face, illuminated by moonlight shining in from the window, I know it isn”t. This is real, Gabriel is real, and I never want to let him go.

He holds me tightly against him, nuzzling his nose into my hair, breathing me in like he can”t get enough. I laugh softly at the ticklish sensation of his breath on my scalp. He leans in closer, brushing his lips against mine, smiling as he murmurs: ”What”s so funny?”

”Nothing,” I reply, grinning widely. ”I just never thought we”d end up here—together.”

”And where”s that, exactly?”

”Happy.” My voice trembles with emotion as I think about everything we”ve gone through—about all the heartache and pain and uncertainty we endured to get to this moment. And even though it wasn”t easy, nothing could be worth giving up what we have now. Not for anything.

He holds my gaze, his dark eyes glittering in the low light of the moon. There”s so much love shining in those eyes, and I lean down to capture that love in a kiss. Our lips collide, moving together as if we were meant to fit perfectly against each other. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close until there”s no space left between us. I feel his cock stiffen beneath my body, pressed up against my thigh. The warmth of his breath on my skin sends shivers running through my entire body. I”m so wet, aching to feel him inside of me.

As if sensing my need, Gabriel runs his fingers down my back and over my ass, grabbing it firmly before squeezing. He smirks against my lips as he hears my moan of pleasure, and then he flips me onto my back again so that I”m pinned beneath him. With one hand still resting on my rear, he uses the other to free his thick erection from his pants and to shove them down below his hips. His hardness presses up against my clit through my pants, which is already drenched with desire.

I can”t get them off fast enough, pulling at the fabric, tugging with impatience as I watch him kick his own pants aside and slide my panties to the side. He pushes inside me in one fluid motion, our moans mixing into a single song of pleasure as we join together once more. My hands wander across his bare chest, memorizing each detail with my fingers, while his body starts to move faster and faster. The rhythm of our bodies blends together, creating waves of ecstasy that wash over us both like the tide. We are one being—we have no beginning or end, only a shared love for each other that transcends all boundaries between us.

His eyes never leave mine, filled with a tender intensity that makes my breath catch in my throat. There”s so much emotion there, so much love and passion. As he thrusts deeper inside me, hitting the perfect spot again and again, I feel something shift between us. Our hearts begin to beat in time, beating as one rather than two separate entities. And when his orgasm finally comes, it”s almost too much to handle. The floodgates open, and all my pent-up emotions come rushing out. I let go of all my pain and suffering, my fears and doubts. Everything I”ve been holding back for so long is washed away by the power of our love.

I”m left gasping for air when it”s over, but Gabriel doesn”t pull out. Instead, he holds me close as if to make sure we stay connected forever. His lips find mine again, and his tongue gently caresses mine in a way that makes my body tingle all over. He strokes my hair with his fingertips, whispering words of comfort against my skin, and I don”t know why but tears start rolling down my cheeks. I just can”t hold them back anymore.

”It”s okay,” Gabriel says, his voice low and steady, like a quiet song that soothes my aching soul. ”Everything”s going to be all right.”

I nod, wiping the tears away, taking deep breaths as I say, ”Everything already is, Gabriel. Everything is wonderful.”