I savor her entire being as I go deeper, harder, melting into her. She moves with me, digging her sweet little nails into my back.
That little bit of pain is the thing that tips me over the edge.
I’ve never known this feeling before; where the pleasure is so intense it’s almost excruciating. My senses are filled to the brim. It’s too much.
I gasp as I find release.
“Oh, Finley,” I groan, holding her tightly; savoring every last drop of her being.
She wraps her arms around my neck and moans softly.
I come inside her.
And then, when I’m all but undone, I drown in the devastating temptation of her blood-scent.
I put my lips to her neck, feeling the rapid thud of her vital artery. I bare my fangs just a little, pressing the tips against her skin ever so slightly, but I never draw blood.
“Please, Finley,” I whisper, enjoying the feeling of standing on the precipice between fine control and savage indulgence. “Can I just have a little taste of you?”
I’m still inside her; spent and buried in her warmth. I look down into her depthless eyes.
They narrow ever so slightly. Her lips press together in a taut line. She denies me with a short, sharp shake of her head. “No,” she mouths.
“Why?” My voice comes out strained. Her refusal flutters before me; fragile and ephemeral, like a newly-emerged butterfly with a fleeting lifespan.
She knows I could crush it in an instant.
But I won’t.
“You said you would learn to control it.”
“Are you testing me, Finley?” I kiss her neck tenderly; reverently, smiling as I engrave my kisses into her warm, soft skin.
“Perhaps.”
“Or are you training me?” Feeling indulgent, I tease her a little. One of my hands curves around her pert breast. I gently roll her taut nipple between my thumb and forefinger.
She gasps. “I wouldn’t dare presume to… I just want to know if you’re truly a man of your word. If I recall correctly, you said something about learning to control yourself… or else you would keep away.”
“I keep my word when it suits me, but I’m also known to change my mind from time to time. It doesn’t help that you’ve gone and made my task a thousand times harder.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re the one that invited me into your bed, aren’t you?”
“What does that have to do with…”
I kiss the hollow of her neck and gently withdraw. “My sweet Finley, when it comes to you, it’s all linked.”
“What’s linked?”
“Everything. Arousal. Sex. Feeding. Blood. The Universe.” I roll onto my side and put one hand behind my head, feeling both relaxed and thirsty.
For now, it’ll have to do.
She frowns. She’s flushed and radiant with the afterglow of sex. She looks utterly gorgeous. “Maybe I shouldn’t be so strict on you, then.”
“I promised you I would learn self-control, and so I won’t drink from you until I become absolutely desperate.” Last time, I lasted three days. Perhaps this time, I can extend it to four. “And then, if I absolutely have to, I’ll ask nicely, I promise.”
“And you want to take me up into the mountains when you’re like this?” She lets out a tiny puff of exasperation. “Maybe you can try this instead. Take from me, but only a little. Enough to quell your temptation. Nothing more, nothing less. Control yourself.”
It isn’t three days yet, but she makes perfect sense. If I can have just a drop of her before I become ravenous, I’ll be able to hold out for longer.
It’s like taking a potent and addictive drug. Regular, steady dosing prevents the madness.
I’ll stop at a taste.
Just a taste.
“Very well,” I murmur. “Is there any particular place you prefer me to bite?”
The way in which her eyes widen is oh-so adorable. “How considerate of you, Corvan.” She raises her left hand, offering me her slender upturned wrist. “You may take from here. Just enough.”
I take her wrist and kiss her skin just above the part where her artery sits close to the surface; that little hollow where I can feel her rapid pulse fluttering against my lips.
Slowly, tenderly, I break her skin with my fangs. Sweet, heady nectar stains my lips. I kiss her again, lapping up her precious essence.
A tendril of warmth courses through me, infused with light.
It’s magic.
Her magic.
I feel light and euphoric. Powerful. As if I could vanquish all my enemies and conquer the Four Continents.
I almost want to.
She writhes gently as I hold her. I savor her taste, allowing myself to take just enough.
The dark part of me wants to take much, much more, but I stop myself there. This time, it’s easier to control myself. And it’s important.
She must learn to trust me.
I can understand her skepticism; the way she keeps a little bit of distance between us, even when she demands my presence in her bed.
It’s because of where she’s come from; her family, her upbringing.
Because her life started in tragedy.
I lick over the tiny puncture marks in her wrist, careful not to bite my own lip—as I normally would—even though I’m so tempted to give her a little of my healing blood.
I don’t want to accidentally invoke her powers again. Not until we know more.
If anyone can give me a sliver of knowledge about her dryad heritage, it would be the Khaturian Elders.
She doesn’t know it yet; I’ve intentionally kept her in the dark, waiting until we can be alone together… until I feel she can process the truth. But sooner or later, she will find out, and when she does, her entire world is going to come crashing down.
How will she take it?
I honestly can’t predict.
I release her arm. She lowers her wrist, staring at the spot where I bit her. There’s a faint blush in her cheeks.
She meets my gaze.
Really, she’s utterly gorgeous.
“Was I good?” I ask, unable to stop myself from teasing.
She gives me a baleful look. “It depends on what you mean by good.”
I reach out and brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. She’s radiant. “I was restrained, wasn’t I?”
“Yes, and no.” Her expression turns coy as she pulls the sheets over her body and curls up beside me. “But you were perfect.”
Ah. Why does her praise strike me right in the center of my chest, like a pitch-tipped burning arrow?
I smile at her. It’s the first time in years that I’ve felt so unburdened. “I enjoyed it very much. As for the other thing… perhaps a schedule is in order.”
“The other thing?”
“Well, I don’t want to turn into a ravenous bloodthirsty lunatic again. Regular dosing should keep me sane. At least you’ve given me enough to tolerate a few days in the mountains.” Unable to help myself, I lean in and kiss her.
She yields, then kisses me back.
Her warmth spreads through me, thawing my undead heart. “As much as I’d enjoy lying in bed with you all day, we must get going. I want to reach Niize before nightfall.”
“You get dressed first,” she says softly, a slightly devious look entering her eyes. “I’m spent. I’ll just lie here a little longer.”