Krevan's shoulders tensed under his shirt."The rarity of finding a true mate serves as nature's check on our species.Without that balance..."His voice trailed off.
"You become dangerous," she finished, the corner of her mouth lifting."I've seen what you can do."
"Imagine a huge army of us.”
“I understand.”She nodded.
"Once we claim power, restraint becomes...difficult for our kind," he said, his voice low."We've spent centuries concealing what we truly are, especially our many talents and abilities.We maintain our own justice.
."His mouth traveled from her cheek to the vulnerable hollow where her neck curved into shoulder.As his teeth penetrated her skin, his venom coursed through her veins, dissolving her resistance into a pool of warm satisfaction.
"Don't," Ancelin whispered, her hands pressing lightly against his chest."Save your venom.You need it."
"It strengthens you," he countered, "and the child you might carry.I've recovered my strength.What matters now is keeping you both protected."
"I'm not ready to be pregnant, Krevan."Ancelin's knuckles whitened around the edge of the kitchen table as she sat down."One day, yes.But not while someone's hunting me."Her voice cracked."I trusted we were safe here, and they still found us.They nearly took you from me."She stared at the wall, blinking rapidly."I don't know how much more I can take."
Krevan shifted his weight."Would you prefer we stop, or use protection?"
"Protection?"
"Condoms," he clarified.
Ancelin's lips curved slightly."No to stopping.Do you even have any?"She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear."I see what you're worried about.Typical male."
"Never needed them before.Can't carry or transmit diseases."He leaned against the counter, a half-smile playing on his lips."And yes, I’m male.I thought that was on my list of qualifications."
"I can't stay angry with you, though I want to."
"You're stronger than you know."He crossed to her, resting his hands on her shoulders."We'll solve this together.My father will help us find who's after the crystal and why.We'll end this."He pulled her close."For now, let's just be."His lips found her neck, hands sliding down to cup her breasts through her shirt.
“You’re single minded.”Ancelin moaned, “Oh, that feels nice,” Ancelin kissed him back, full of enthusiasm.
“No, I’m not.I just can’t get enough of you.”
“I can’t get enough of you either.Let’s go back upstairs.Can we make love?”
"Yes, my mate."Within seconds, they were upstairs next to the bed.Krevan's eyes burned into hers as he tore his shirt over his head and cast aside his trousers.Ancelin's fingers trembled with urgency as she shed her clothes, her breath catching at the sight of him—magnificent, healed, his body a testament to survival and his strength.Her heart thundered against her ribs as she reached for him, palm sliding across the heat of his skin, feeling the muscles tense beneath her touch.When she drew him toward the bed, his response was immediate, primal—claiming.
Krevan growled, the sound vibrating through her as he joined their bodies in a single desperate motion that made her gasp and arch against him.
Their kisses became devouring, hungry—memories of fear and separation dissolved in the rhythm they created together.Each movement was both question and answer, their bodies remembering what words had forgotten.When release finally claimed them, it was like falling from a great height—clutching each other through the freefall, crying out as though in both pain and salvation.As his teeth found her shoulder, the venom singing through her veins, Ancelin surrendered completely to the tide of sensation, her worries not merely floating away but burning to ash in the wake of their shared fire.
"I nearly forgot how it feels to be so close to you," Ancelin whispered in his ear.Her fingers traced the curve of his shoulder as she pressed against him, her lips brushing the sensitive skin below his ear.Krevan's eyes darkened as he gathered her closer, their bodies fitting together like pieces of a forgotten puzzle finally reunited."When we're together like this, nothing else exists."
"Remember this moment," he murmured against her hair."Remember us."His voice held a tenderness reserved only for her.They drifted to sleep entwined, heartbeats synchronizing in the quiet darkness.
Krevan jolted awake hours later.His sudden movement startled Ancelin from sleep.He was already moving, pulling on clothes in the darkness, his earlier tenderness replaced with urgent purpose.Outside, the storm had quieted to an unnatural stillness."What is it?"Ancelin whispered, fear climbing her throat.
"I hear something.Get dressed, now."
"Oh, no, not again, I can't stand this."
"Ancelin, get dressed.Now."Krevan's voice cut through her panic.
"Fine," she muttered, fumbling with her clothes, her fingers clumsy with fear.
"The basement—go there while I check what's happening," he said, already moving toward the stairs.
