"Come with me," Ancelin whispered, lacing her fingers through his as she led him toward the stairs.
Upstairs in their bedroom, Krevan's mouth found hers with an urgency that made her knees weak.The sweet-sharp taste of his venom spread across her tongue, making the edges of her vision shimmer and blur.
"Wait," she murmured, pressing a palm against his chest.She turned, sweeping her hair aside."My mother gave me this dress when I graduated.Help me with the zipper?"Her voice was steady, but her reflection in the mirror revealed flushed cheeks and dilated pupils.“Of course,” he replied and watched her take off her dress and her hose.
"Should I wear the nightgown you gave me?"Ancelin asked.
"Later," Krevan murmured."We have more urgent matters."
Ancelin's breath hitched as his eyes roved over her bare skin.
"The silk against your legs..."His voice deepened as his fingertip traced where she rolled down her stockings.Goosebumps bloomed beneath his touch.Silver eclipsed his irises, his pupils expanding with want.While he discarded his own clothing, Ancelin felt her heartbeat drumming wildly.The distinctive ridges along his filos engorged, his powerful frame quivering with restraint.
"Every second tonight was torture," he whispered, guiding her backward until her legs met the mattress."Every smile, every movement, every breath you took—knowing you belong with me."His lips found the thrumming pulse at her throat."Did I behave myself?Was I...presentable?"
Ancelin giggled."Perfect," she gasped as his lips scorched a path across her collarbone.Her back arched involuntarily when he lowered her to the mattress, his canines gleaming in the dim light.Ancelin clawed at his shoulders, her body a live wire beneath his touch, legs wrapping around him with desperate need.
"Please," she begged, offering her inner arm."Your bite—I need it."When his teeth pierced her skin, the exquisite pain-pleasure tore a cry from her throat, heat flooding between her thighs in an unstoppable wave.
"You smell and taste wonderful."Krevan's voice was a ragged whisper against her skin.His eyes flashed silver as he bent to her, his tongue tracing fire across her most sensitive flesh.Ancelin arched against him, her fingers clawing at the sheets.When his teeth grazed her, the world exploded into stars behind her eyelids, her cry echoing off the walls.
"I love you," she gasped, her fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him up to her.His mouth found her belly, then her mouth, swallowing her words with a kiss that tasted like both of them.Their bodies pressed together, skin against fevered skin, heartbeats thundering in unison."Please," she begged, "I need you inside me."
He entered her with a force that stole her breath, his hands in her hair, his body claiming hers completely.When his teeth sank into her shoulder, the venom coursed through her veins like liquid lightning.She felt him everywhere—inside her, around her, consuming her.Their bodies moved as one, building toward that perfect precipice until they tumbled over together, her vision darkening at the edges as pleasure overtook her.Trembling, they clung to each other in the aftermath, his lips gentle now against her neck.
"You're beautiful," he murmured, his own body still quaking with aftershocks.
"This has been a perfect day," she whispered as he gathered her close.
"You're my perfect mate," he answered, his voice thick with emotion."You give me so much joy."
Chapter 13
The next morning, they lingered in bed until late.Once they finally rose, they tidied up after the party, and Krevan loaded one of the vehicles with Kellie’s remaining belongings for a quick round-trip delivery.When they were back home, they unpacked more boxes, and Krevan hung pictures on the bare walls while Ancelin arranged table decorations.He worked with such speed and precision that the tasks were done in no time.
All day long, Krevan was playful and affectionate, and Ancelin felt their bond deepen with every shared smile.After he’d mounted four more frames in the living room, they gave in to passion on the kitchen floor.Each time they came together, her desire only grew—she hungered for his bite, his intoxicatingly gentle yet venom-tinged kiss.He was endlessly patient, truly attentive to her every word and need.Before the sun set, they had made love in room after room.Ancelin couldn’t keep her hands off him, slipping into flirtatious teasing whenever he looked her way—and he always responded, never tiring.She felt the trace of his venom coursing through her veins like a heady elixir, each bite sending waves of ecstatic warmth.To her amazement, he seemed to savor it as much as she did.Her tolerance for his venom grew, and though the dizzying rush eased slightly, the pleasure never dulled.United with the heights of their climaxes, she felt as though she’d stepped into a realm of pure sexual bliss.
When they’d finished their chores, shared meal-time conversations, and countless moments of intimacy, they settled in the home office to tackle various projects.Later that night, Ancelin drew a long, steaming bubble bath to soothe her sore body—she’d learned the hard way that hard floors and walls left her too tender.
After a long bath, she continued to work on her jewelry.When Krevan rejoined her, he dove into computer work—promising to link her laptop to one of his fathers across the galaxy so a technician could examine it remotely.Ancelin marveled at how effortlessly they could collaborate across the stars.
Ancelin had not been this comfortable and happy in a long time.In truth, she had never felt like this.Her body hummed with a kind of sex induced voltage, and yet she was fully relaxed.She was protected and loved by him.That night they both slept well.The next day the runaway tartis finally returned home, and Krevan placed them back into their pen.Krevan took Ancelin for a long walk around the property, and then he drove her around the property’s outer perimeter.He owned a vast amount of land.The part she had contracted for was only a small island within his land.
Without warning, it started to snow.The flakes were huge and fluffy.Very quickly, the landscape was covered in white.That morning it had been too warm even to consider the possibility of snow.The trees and plants still had green, vibrant leaves.It seemed like late summer on Earth.It was a peculiar experience to witness the weather change so abruptly.By the time the sun was about to go down, there was a deep blanket of snow covering this unusual world.“Wow, I can’t believe this snow.It’s mind-boggling,” Ancelin said.
“Yes, and it can become a blizzard without any warning.This planet is harsh and unpredictable.The tornado was only one example.Verrian is nothing like what it first appears.We must always remember it isn’t Earth or Triaxe, regardless of how similar it can seem.We need to make sure we have all we need from town.I’m glad you’ve already had your party.It would have been a shame for the weather to have interfered with your enjoyment.We should go into town tomorrow and stock up.We could be stuck here for weeks, or it could clear up and not snow again for weeks.One never knows.”
"Are we missing something?"Ancelin asked, worry creasing her brow."I just hope Kellie and the baby will be okay."
"Just a few essentials."Krevan strode toward his office with purpose."I need to check in with Derrick about Kellie.We've already gone through emergency protocols if they can't reach the clinic.I've prepared him for worst-case scenarios, though she's not due anytime soon."
“True, but better to be prepared.That was good of you to go over what to do with Derrick.How long can the snow last?”
"On Verrian, you don't get seasons—you get mood swings," he said, eyeing the delicate material of her sleeve between his thumb and forefinger."Yesterday's heat becomes tomorrow's ice storm without warning.The blizzards can lock us in for weeks, and Triaxens don't handle it well.Our bodies slow down, our tempers flare up."He frowned."When the cold finally breaks, it doesn't ease away—it surrenders completely.One morning you're huddled under thermal blankets, by afternoon you're stripping layers.And those tornados, you saw one.Just another Verrian surprise."His eyes met hers."You'll freeze in what you have on.”
“This is all I have right now.”Ancelin gestured to what she was wearing.“I have a thicker one coming in my shipment, but it’s not going to arrive for some time.I was told it was warm season still and never imagined it could change this quickly.I was sure my good coat would be here in time.”
Once Krevan had finalized their shopping list, he headed back outside to finish reinforcing the greenhouse.Ancelin settled at the table and quickly drafted out her own list—she might as well have everything she'd need if they got snowed in for days.She'd want something to occupy her time beyond the passionate activities that left her deliciously tender afterward.She smiled at the memory of their recent intimacy, a pleasant warmth spreading through her at the thought of being trapped together for days, surrendering to his touch again and again.
