"I could make love to you until the stars burn out," Krevan growled, his fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her head back, their eyes locking in the dim light.His breath came in hot, ragged bursts against her skin."Every part of me aches for you—claims you."He pressed his mouth against her forehead, her cheeks, leaving a trail of fire."My teeth," he gasped, trembling with restraint, "they'll change, but don't fear them.They're part of what I am—what I am for you."His voice broke as he pressed his forehead to hers."The venom that protects me will never harm you once we're joined.I swear it."A groan tore from his throat as he captured her breast with his mouth, his tongue circling with desperate reverence, his hands gripping her as though she might dissolve into mist if he loosened his hold.
Ancelin pressed herself even closer to him, her mind drowning in the intoxicating sensations that rendered his words irrelevant.Lost in the sweet ecstasy, she cared only for the electric touch of his skin against hers.
"Tell me you desire me," Krevan murmured, his hands mapping the curves of her body, lingering tenderly on the delicate peak of her moist center.His fingers ventured within her, exploring her warmth and tightness, drawing a shiver from her very soul.
"I desire you more than anything.I need you," Ancelin gasped, her voice quivering.
Gently, he eased her shoulders back onto the bed, positioning himself above her with a commanding grace."Open yourself wider for me, so I can feel the bed beneath," Krevan urged softly.
Ancelin drew him close, her mouth finding the hollow of his throat, the curve where neck met shoulder.A sound like satisfaction hummed in her chest.
"Ancelin," he breathed against her hair, the words barely audible."With you, I feel...everything.No one has ever..."His voice faltered.His fingers traced her spine as he pressed his forehead to hers."When we join completely, my essence will protect you from my venom.You'll be safe with me.Always."
The world dissolved around Ancelin until nothing existed but his touch.His whispered words washed over her like warm silk as she traced the contours of his back with trembling fingers."I'm sorry," he breathed against her neck.When he entered her, the sharp ache blossomed into something deeper, a fullness that made her gasp and arch against him.She clung to him, her lips finding his as their bodies joined completely.The storm outside matched the one within her as lightning illuminated the reverence in his eyes."You're so precious," he whispered, his voice breaking with emotion."I never want to cause you pain."His powerful body stilled above her, trembling with restraint as he searched her face."Have I hurt you?"The tenderness in his question made her heart swell.
"No," she breathed, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from his face, her eyes never leaving his."You've awakened me."She moved beneath him, drawing him deeper, their bodies speaking what words could not express.
Her tender moves unraveled the last threads of his restraint.He withdrew slowly, then returned to her in one fluid motion that made her gasp his name against his throat.
Ancelin arched beneath him, her fingertips tracing constellations across his shoulders.The unique ridges of his anatomy caressed places within her that transformed her breath into music.Pleasure cascaded through her like moonlight on water, each wave more luminous than the last.This transcended mere physical release—this was communion.Her cry of ecstasy mingled with his deeper sounds as their bodies spoke an ancient language together.Every nerve ending shimmered with awareness of him.Her consciousness floated somewhere between surrender and triumph as he moved within her with reverent intensity.
"I feel you everywhere," she whispered, her eyes never leaving his.Their gazes locked as his powerful body cradled her, lifting her slightly from the bed as though she was something precious to be cherished.The universe contracted to just this moment, just this union.
She watched his face transform with wonder.The vulnerability in his expression made her heart swell beyond its boundaries."Krevan," she breathed, "you feel perfect.”The words emerged unfiltered from her soul.In this sacred space between them, pretense had no place.Her honesty was her offering to him.As the second wave of bliss overtook her, more powerful than the first, she felt him follow, his essence becoming part of her as their bodies trembled together in perfect synchronicity.
A soft moan slipped from her lips as his face brightened with pure delight.When she lifted her gaze, she found him studying her with dark, luminous eyes.A slow, predatory smile curved his mouth, and she felt her pulse flutter as her fingers drifted over the warmth of his chest.
In an instant, he dipped his head and grazed her shoulder with a gentle bite.The surprise made her gasp, but the sharp warmth blooming at the contact erased all thought of pain.Her limbs went loose, a pleasant tingle racing through her veins, as though his very life was pouring into her.
“Krevan, are you all right?”she murmured when his breathing caught.He paused, trembling ever so slightly, still pressed close against her.She realized, with a quiet thrill, how deeply he was moved by their union—how alive he felt in their closeness.Even now, his body quivered with need, and hers responded in kind.
Thunder rolled overhead, rattling the windows with its fierce rhythm.A brilliant flash lit the room, followed by the shattering crash of glass.He tightened his arms around her, eyes wide with concern.“I have to see what that was,” he whispered, voice thick with protectiveness.“Stay here.Take your time getting dressed.My venom can make you dizzy, at first.I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He placed a tender kiss on her cheek, lingering in the soft curve of her smile.Then, reluctantly, he slipped away.
Alone now, Ancelin steadied herself against the bedpost as she stood.The bite mark on her neck pulsed with a strange warmth that radiated through her veins.She closed her eyes, reliving the pressure of his body against her, the way his fingertips had traced fire across her skin, the unexpected security she'd found in his embrace.For a moment, she questioned the wisdom of her hasty surrender, but the lingering pleasure silenced her doubts.A flash of lightning illuminated the bathroom doorway, and she made her way there, soaking a soft towel under the tap before carefully cleansing the evidence of their passion from her skin.
Dressed once more, she perched on the edge of the bed, heart pounding with both longing and worry.Each thunderclap echoed her racing thoughts.The storm outside raged like her own fierce emotions—wild, untamed, and utterly alive.
The surreal situation she found herself in was beyond belief."Here I am on a wild and strange planet, in an incredible house, stranded in the middle of nowhere.This storm disrupted the most thrilling time of my life."Ancelin grinned to herself."What on earth am I thinking?I can't wait to be with him again."Like a woman possessed, Ancelin muttered feverishly to herself."And to make it all worse, I'm in this pitch-black room, while the tempest rages, waiting for him to return after that deafening crash.I swear I've seen this scene play out on the SatView movie of the week or maybe in a theater.Her fingers hovered over the tender punctures on her shoulder, the skin around them hot and pulsing with unfamiliar energy.The sensation radiated through her veins like liquid fire—terrifying yet exhilarating.
Ancelin couldn't stay still.She leapt up and stalked toward the bedroom door, her body electric with a restlessness she couldn't contain.Another thunderous boom and shattering crash erupted, the glass exploding with such force that Ancelin jolted.Terror-stricken for Krevan and panicked, she bolted from his room and tore down the stairs, frantically searching for the source of the chaos."The greenhouse," Ancelin gasped into the oppressive darkness.She navigated the house with trepidation, pausing to let each bolt of lightning guide her next steps.In the kitchen, a sudden flash illuminated the room, revealing the flashlights Krevan had left on the counter.She snatched the largest one and charged toward the greenhouse.
Reaching the greenhouse doorway, she halted.The door stood firmly shut.The power was out, rendering all automatic systems useless.The glass doors strained violently against the relentless wind.Peering through the doors, she witnessed utter devastation.The lush plants and all Krevan's meticulous work lay in ruins, either obliterated or swept away.Massive wooden planks and other debris had torn through the glass enclosure.Tears surged in Ancelin's eyes.She felt an overwhelming urge to mourn Krevan's loss.Her recent past had been riddled with grief, and even a loss like this one ripped through her emotions with brutal intensity.Standing by the greenhouse door, her flashlight casting a beam into the chaotic void, she wept softly yet fervently.
A wave of agony crashed over her without warning, transporting her to the past.The greenhouse vanished, replaced by her family home's blood-soaked living room."Daddy?"she whispered, her voice breaking.Her flashlight beam trembled across the darkness."Please wake up."Her legs buckled as the familiar horror unfolded in her mind.She reached out with shaking fingers to touch ghosts."Momma?Drew?Alyssa?"The names caught in her throat like broken glass.Her tears fell unchecked as reality blurred with memory, leaving her trapped between worlds, reliving the moment that had shattered her life forever.
"You should have stayed in the bedroom.”Krevan's voice was steady as he guided her away from the glass."It's not safe here."
Ancelin stared up at him through wet lashes, but her eyes were distant, seeing someone else.
"Daddy?"Her voice cracked."You're alive?Help me wake Momma.Please—there's blood everywhere."The flashlight slipped from her fingers, plunging them into darkness as the wind howled like a freight train bearing down on them.
"We need shelter."Krevan scooped her up without hesitation."I'm taking you somewhere safe."
He carried her down a staircase she couldn't see, into a basement room where even his night-adapted eyes struggled to navigate the absolute darkness.
"The tornado's almost here," he said, settling onto a cot with her in his lap."Nothing will harm you while I'm here."
