Page 172 of Vampires of Eden

Shifting forward, my words brush the skin of his neck, “I’m sure.” I lift just enough to lick and taste the sweet heat of his skin. My fangs smoothly elongate and the moment I bite down, his blood and essence overwhelm my senses. Alexander’s shoulder tenses for a moment, but slowly, as I pull, he relaxes.

With my eyes closed, I lovingly pour all the things I’ve said—all the things I couldn’t say—into his being. That I love him for who he is and not because of who he could be. His selfless kindness, sensitivity and attentiveness. His bright aura and energy and how he makes me laugh. How he delights me, even though I was certain that I was no longer capable of feeling true joy.

I want him.

I want his hurts, pains and insecurities. And I want him to know mine, too. For us to belong to each other. Beautifully and intricately interwoven. The light intwined harmoniously with the dark.

A spark of heat flashes behind my lids as I pull, shocking me into opening my eyes. When I do, they’re alighted. The fire of it ripples all through me and Alexander’s body tenses beneath my weight. His hands grip my hips tighter. Something inside of himis unraveling from my effort. Something significant and old and powerful.

It calls to me. Begging me to release it.

“D-Danny—ah?—”

I pull even harder and it rushes up to the surface and from deep within his being. Like a dam breaking, it plunges toward me and doesn’t stop. It spills outward, coursing and unbridled. It surrounds us in a brilliant array of gold—like the massive wings of a fallen angel.

His aura pulls at me, and as I lift from Alexander’s neck, I inhale sharply because the force of it is unyielding, hot andgood. A desert wind flowing all over my icy skin and drawing my own nature out of me. Alluring and yet comforting like nothing I’ve ever known.

A pale purple light glitters and swirls amidst the gold, like two mythological entities flirting and engaging in a sultry dance. The golden haze stills as if waiting—a hand being offered for a waltz. The lilac light concedes and melds into the brighter haze. Before my eyes the two become one, fusing into a new, beautiful and calmer creature. Still powerful but different.

The light dims and my mouth is agape as it gently falls over us like twilight snow. Except, when it touches my flesh, it’s warm as it sinks in and melts. It fills me with the same beauty, comfort and contentment that I felt as it hovered above us.

An undeniable assurance and power runs all through me and somehow, I know that this is Alexander. His energy, essence and love coursing inside of me.

CHAPTER 41

Daniel

Amazed, bewildered and excited, I push up to my palms and look down at Alexander.

Or rather, my mate.

My bonded partner.

Wow.

His eyes are wide and he’s perfectly still. Mummified.

“Alexander,” I say. He doesn’t move. Only his wide un-alighted eyes shift toward me. Suddenly, I realize his chest isn’t moving either. No throat bobbing.

I lift a palm to his face to hold his chin. “Sweetheart—breathe.”

He inhales sharply, audibly and blinks his eyes. His arms are splayed out like he’s considering making a snow angel in the bedsheets. The moment I shift and gently pull out from inside of him, his legs fall flat.

“Are you alright?” I ask, nervous. “Say something?”

He blinks up at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling. His mouth opens, closes, then opens again. “I… you…”

“Yes?”

“You…” he pauses once more, then meets my eyes. “You love me.”

Taken aback, I grin. “Haven’t I been saying as much?”

“I know but—you—youreallylove me.” His palms drift up to cover his eyes and he breathes in an incredulous little laugh.

“I do,” I say calmly. “Why is it so hard for you to believe?”

“Because I’ve been wrestling with these feelings for you forso longDanny—since I was a fucking teenager and after I first saw you. I had this ache whenever I thought about you. This burn deep inside my nature that I couldn’t explain. I didn’t know how to articulate it but everyone told me it was wrong—well, specifically, my mother. She told me it was inappropriate and disgusting that I was obsessing over you like a pervert, so I shoved it away and stopped acknowledging it.”