"I've never kissed anyone the way we did.You're the first woman I've kissed with such passion," he admitted."I'm looking forward to our time in the tub and kissing more.I'm holding you to that promise."
"Don't you usually enjoy kissing?"
"I love kissing you, but it makes me want to be closer in other ways.Triaxens only kiss their mates.”He lowered his head to her neck, brushing his lips against her left ear and slipping his tongue inside.He nibbled her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine.
“All right, my love,” she purred, wrapping her arms around him.She’d never been a seductress before, yet now she exuded irresistible allure, her newfound power thrilling her.
“Tell me about the dreams that haunt you,” Krevan said, meeting her gaze.Ancelin hesitated, unsure where to begin.“Or we can make love until you forget them.I promise—tenderness and pleasure.”He brushed his lips beneath her ear again.“No words needed, and time will fly.Your nightmares won’t stand a chance.”
She tapped his chest lightly.“Krevan, you’re wicked.”She grinned at him.“I thought we were saving ourselves for the tub.”She batted her big brown eyes.
His head cocked to one side, a half-smile playing at the corner of his mouth."Playing with fire, aren't you?"His gaze lingered on her face."Those eyes of yours—like amber in the light."He leaned closer."I'm shameless, I admit it.I can't stop thinking about having you again."A low chuckle rumbled in his chest."Pray the storm spares our bathroom.Otherwise, we'll be seeking out the nearest body of water to fulfill that promise of yours."Their laughter mingled in the candlelit darkness.His expression softened."But first—tell me about these nightmares.I'm listening."
“I dream about what happened to my family,” she whispered.“It was terrible.”
“What happened?”he urged.
“It’s hard to speak of.”She locked eyes with him, drawing in a slow breath.
“Maybe sharing it will ease your dreams.”He stroked her hair.
She found courage in his gaze and began.“It was the day I returned from college.I’d just graduated and was moving back from the dorms—and everything changed.”She paused, waiting for him to encourage her.
Krevan stroked her hair.“I’m here, my sweet girl.Tell me more so I can help carry the weight.”
“Promise?”she asked earnestly.
"Nothing will harm you while I'm here," Krevan said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper."Consider it my oath, after what we've shared."
Ancelin searched his face."But why?It was just physical, wasn't it?"
His silver eyes darkened."Is that what you believe?”
Ancelin shrugged.
“I'll shield you from harm.I'll be your protector.You have my word."Krevan's silver eyes held no trace of deception.
Ancelin's fingers twisted in the blanket."How can you care already?What happened between us—it was just physical, wasn't it?"
"Not to me."His jaw tightened."You asked me to make love to you, and I did.Gently.Completely."He touched her cheek."This was my first time experiencing...a mating.Release.Yet you dismiss what I've told you about how deeply it affected me."
"Everything's happening so fast," she whispered."I'm...adrift.I've always heard that men don't stay after they get what they want."
"I'm not like the men you know."His voice lowered."I'm Triaxen, not human and I’m your mate.Have you ever encountered one of my kind before?"
She shook her head."You're my first encounter with a Triaxen.And I've never been intimate with anyone before you."
"I know."A smile played at his lips."Triaxens don't view intimacy and mating as humans do."He brushed a strand of hair from her face."We'll discuss this later.First, tell me what haunts you."
Ancelin pressed her head against his chest again, her tears dampening his shirt."The magnolias were blooming," she whispered, her voice breaking."Mom had picked some for the kitchen table that morning."Her fingers clutched at Krevan's shirt, knuckles white."I can still smell the blood."A violent tremor ran through her body."My graduation announcement and cards were still on the mantle, covered in—" She choked on the words, unable to continue.Krevan's arms tightened around her as she gasped for breath between sobs."Drew had just won his first soccer game.He was so proud."Her voice rose to a keening wail."Alyssa's stuffed rabbit—the one she couldn't sleep without—was still clutched in her hand when I found her."She pressed her fist against her mouth, biting down on her knuckles."I sat between my parents on the sofa for hours.I kept thinking they'd wake up if I waited long enough."Her body convulsed with grief, the sound that tore from her throat primal and raw."I still hear them calling my name in my dreams."
"Your tears..."Krevan's voice broke.He swallowed hard, his hand trembling against her back."I can't bear your sorrow."His eyes glistened in the dim light as he pressed his forehead to hers."They're gone, but you're here—you survived for a reason."His fingers curled into her hair, desperate, as if she might slip away."I never believed in fate until you stumbled into my life."The kiss he placed on her temple was reverent, his breath catching."One day," he whispered, his voice raw, "you'll tell me about them—how your mother laughed, what your father taught you—and it won't destroy you.But tonight..."He pulled her closer, his heartbeat wild against her ear."Tonight, just breathe."
Her sobbing gradually eased.“Thank you, Krevan.”
He cradled her against his chest, her heartbeat a gentle rhythm against his own as she slept.Hours passed, marked only by the tender brush of his fingers through her hair."Ancelin," he whispered, his lips grazing her temple, "wake up, my sweet girl."Her eyelashes fluttered against his skin."The storm has passed, like all terrible things eventually do."His voice caught slightly."We'll face whatever's waiting together."Krevan helped her stand on unsteady legs, his palm warm against the small of her back as they climbed the stairs.In the garage, relief washed over his face, his eyes meeting hers with quiet joy."We're still whole," he murmured, squeezing her hand.The kitchen stood bathed in golden light that seemed to embrace them, but in the living room, shattered glass glittered like diamonds around a jagged piece of debris.Ancelin's breath hitched.Krevan immediately pulled her closer, his thumb wiping away a tear she hadn't realized had fallen."Just glass," he promised, his eyes never leaving hers."Nothing that can't be mended,” Krevan said, leading her down the hall to the greenhouse.The glass door was intact.Next, they checked his office—also untouched.
“Oh, I’m so relieved,” Ancelin said.“I was worried about your expensive books.It would have been awful if they’d been ruined.”
