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The night air in the Vale of Mists carried a crisp autumn chill, whispering through the shutters with promises of frost by morning.

But within Ashlynn’s chambers, the roaring fire crackled and popped, sending dancing shadows across the stone walls as the occasional -POP- from the fire sent a flurry of sparks dancing on the air, glowing like tiny stars before they faded into the shadows.

The heated gazes exchanged between the two women as they moved from the terrace to the bedchamber and the soft, wet sounds of quick, stolen kisses created a warmth that radiated between them, feeling hotter than the depths of summer in the Briar.

Faint cedar smoke from the burning logs mingled with Nyrielle’s subtle perfume of lavender and honeysuckle, creating an intoxicating blend that made Ashlynn’s head swim.

Nyrielle moved with slow, deliberate tenderness as she pressed Ashlynn up against one of the ornately carved corner posts of her bed.

The rough wood caught at the delicate lace trim of Ashlynn’s dress, gently tugging at her in a way that made her feel ever so lightly restrained, sending shivers down her body as she felt ’trapped’ by her own dress.

Gazing at her lover with midnight blue eyes that burned with passion, Nyrielle savored the feeling of her lover’s supple body, yielding yet firm against her own.

The silk of Ashlynn’s delicate dress slid whisper-soft against the heavier brocade of Nyrielle’s gown as she pressed herself close enough to bring her lips from Ashlynn’s delicate mouth, along her gently curving jawline and down to her sweet neck.

The vampire’s tongue traced a delicate path along Ashlynn’s neck, tasting salt and sweetness mingled with the faintest trace of the rosewater Ashlynn had dabbed there earlier.

The pulse beneath that tender skin jumped wildly against Nyrielle’s lips, like a drumbeat of desire that echoed in both their chests.

"No," Ashlynn said softly as she drew a ragged, shuddering breath. Her heart pounded in her chest, racing with anticipation that she could feel echoed within Nyrielle’s heart, but she forced herself to cool things down before she fully roused Nyrielle’s hunger.

"No biting," Ashlynn whispered, placing a finger under Nyrielle’s chin and drawing her lover’s lips away from her neck, enveloping the other woman’s lips with her own and drawing her into a deep kiss.

Ashlynn’s fingers laced their way through Nyrielle’s raven-dark hair, feeling each silken strand slide between her fingers like cool water. She tightened her grip, firmly anchoring her lover in place, relishing the slight catch of breath she pulled from the powerful vampire’s lips.

As she extended one leg, the rustling of her skirts against her thighs whispered like an anticipatory lover, urging Ashlynn to press even further.

Her stockinged calf wrapped around Nyrielle’s long, slender legs, the friction of silk against silk adding to the ever building aura of desire between them as she pulled their bodies even closer together.

The heat building between them intensified where their hips met, and Ashlynn’s fingertips tingled with the magical energy that always rose within her when they touched like this, filling the air with an intense, evergreen scent that briefly called to mind the first time Nyrielle had pinned her against something as firm and unyielding as the bedpost behind her.

It had been a cedar tree in the forest then, on the first night that she offered herself to feed Nyrielle’s hunger.

Back then, Nyrielle had held herself back, afraid she might harm Ashlynn or frighten her with the reality of a vampire’s dark hunger, but now there was no restraint in her lover’s midnight eyes as the powerful vampire trapped her against the unyielding firmness of the bedpost.

The fire in the hearth cast soft, flickering shadows over both women, painting them in gold and amber one moment, deep crimson the next.

The dancing light caught the contours of Nyrielle’s pale alabaster skin, giving it an almost translucent quality that reminded Ashlynn of moonlight filtering through the mists of the vale at night.

Where their bodies pressed together, the light created deep valleys of shadow, rippling with each breath and movement as if they were melting into darkness and into each other.

A drop of perspiration traced its way down Ashlynn’s neck, catching the firelight like a diamond as it slid toward the deep valley of her cleavage before Nyrielle wiped it away, resting her delicate hand on Ashlynn’s full bust and delighting in the rhythmic beat of her lover’s heart beneath her hand.

The kiss and the feeling of being tightly held, almost controlled by Ashlynn, sent shivers along Nyrielle’s spine, teasing at the warring hungers within her.

Ashlynn’s pulse sang in her ears like a primitive drumbeat summoning her to hunt, and it took every ounce of willpower that she had to keep her fangs from growing long and sharp, ready to feed on Ashlynn’s sweet blood.

An entirely different hunger drove her hands as they slid along Ashlynn’s rounded hips, cupping the firm cheeks of her perfectly sculpted buttocks before sliding higher where her slender fingers began to work at the knots of Ashlynn’s corset laces.

"No ripping clothing tonight either," Ashlynn said, pulling back from the kiss long enough to gaze lovingly at Nyrielle’s delicate features, admiring the flush of warmth and passion that spread across her lover’s cheeks.

"You’re being awfully strict tonight, my darling," Nyrielle whispered, wrapping her arms around Ashlynn and lifting her ever so slightly off the ground as she pressed her against the bedpost. "No biting, no tearing, what’s next?

I thought you wanted me to take every inch of you tonight," she breathed, pressing her forehead against Ashlynn and gazing into the other woman’s emerald eyes from mere inches away.

"How am I to do that if you put so many rules in place?"

"You belong to me," Ashlynn said, gently tugging on Nyrielle’s dark hair, pulling her head back and exposing the vampire’s long, slender neck.

"And I belong to you," she whispered, brushing her lips over the same spot on Nyrielle’s neck where the vampire had sunk her fangs into Ashlynn’s.

"But that doesn’t mean I want to go easily every time. "

"Oh?" Nyrielle asked, quivering as she felt the strength of Ashlynn’s grip tugging gently on her hair. The blend of power that she’d gained as both Seneschal and Mother of Trees made her nearly as physically powerful as Nyrielle herself, and the gap between them was shrinking every day.

Already, she found that she couldn’t overpower Ashlynn’s hold on her without using enough force that she worried she might hurt the other woman.

"I want you," Nyrielle whispered as she made her move. Spinning quickly, she pulled Ashlynn away from the bedpost, using the moment of startled surprise to pull Ashlynn down onto the soft feather mattress. The bed’s wooden frame creaked in faint protest of the sudden movement as she rolled over on the bed, trading places with Ashlynn and pinning the witch beneath her.

"But I don’t want to be too forceful with you, my darling," Nyrielle said as the hunger within her surged, warring with her restraint and genuine concern. Ashlynn’s pale blonde hair lay across the dark blankets of her bed like a pale golden waterfall, drawing Nyrielle’s eyes to her lover’s flush face and the gentle sway of her heaving bosom, trapped beneath her like the world’s most enchanting meal, waiting to be devoured. ..