Page 51

ALARIC

H ours later, Dahlia and I lie wrapped up in each other on the floor in front of the fireplace. I gave myself over completely to my instincts for the first time in my life, losing myself with Dahlia, and I don’t actually have any idea how we ended up here. Everything is a bit of a blur, honestly.

That first time was pure fire and instincts, a lust and bloodlust that I knew Dahlia would need to sate as soon as possible. After that, we took our time. Dahlia took her time to learn how her new body can feel and move and experience. I took the time to worship her, to kiss every inch of her body in thanks and gratitude. She came back to me. She came back to me and now she’s whole and strong and we have all of eternity together.

And then we broke the bed…and put a hole in the wall…or perhaps several, actually, now that I look around the room. I chuckle lightly and Dahlia sighs, turning where she lies on my chest so that she can see me.

“What’s so funny?”

“Have you looked around this room?”

She frowns. “Well, no, I guess not really. Everything has kind of been a haze of…oh my gods.” She sits up and stares, mouth agape. “We did all of that ?” Definitely several holes in the walls, deep gouges in the stone of the floor, a broken bed, a broken bench, and a shattered wardrobe. I grin, pushing up to sit as well to survey the damage with her, unable to resist brushing her hair aside and kissing the nape of her neck gently. She shivers.

“Gods, will this never ebb? How can I possibly want you again after we’ve just fucked for hours upon hours? After we destroyed half of our room for gods’ sake?”

“A perk of being a vampire,” I say with a shrug.

She turns towards me. “I had no idea how much you were truly holding yourself back before. How easy it really would have been for you to kill me.” She pulls my hand to her lips, kissing my palm. I take a steadying breath. We haven’t exactly slowed to have a real conversation yet and I need to know that she’s ok. Truly ok with everything that’s happened.

“And are you alright with the fact that we don’t have to worry about that anymore?” I ask gently.

Her lips curl. “If you’re asking if I’m ok with the fact that I’m a vampire, the answer is yes.” I give her a dubious look and she rolls her eyes. “I swear it, Alaric. I can’t explain it, but I feel as if this was always meant to be, that this is who I was meant to be. Plus, I was the one who wanted to attempt the turning, if you recall. You were the one being a stubborn arse, which in turn got me kidnapped—” I cut her off with a growl and a soft nip at her ear lobe. She giggles and the sound makes my chest swell.

“I’m happy with this new life, Alaric. I’ll miss bacon, I’ll admit, but…I feel like your true partner now, like I’m worthy of standing beside you. And you don’t have to worry about protecting me so much anymore.”

“Me? Worry about protecting the woman who killed Kilgren the Kinsblood Slayer and ended the war with the Revenants in one afternoon when I’ve failed to do it in two hundred years?” I scoff and she smiles, slapping me playfully on the chest before blinking in surprise.

“Wait, so it’s really over then? What happened after…” She trails off, clearly not wanting to say the words after I died .

“The army dispatched any Revenants who chose not to surrender. Those who did, but did not step up declaring their want for peace will be imprisoned on Racknor Island.” She shivers, imagining a prison on that frozen island and I don’t blame her. It’s a fate almost worse than death, I think. “Malek and Xavier and the others went to the stronghold with the army and it was a short affair there. Almost all of them wanted peace—though they were all too happy to turn on the others who tried to stand against it.”

Dahlia’s expression turns sad, but her eyes burn with fury.

“Kilgren did horrible things to them, Alaric. He killed their loved ones, their mates even, forced them to fight and kill, branded them for others to ridicule and torment at will…Well, I don’t blame them for being all too eager to take up arms against the others.”

“How did you figure it all out?” I ask.

“Kilgren kept me in a dungeon after Highspear took me—he’s dead, I’m assuming?”

“Oh yes,” I say rage burning brightly for a moment at the thought of the traitor. I wish I could have been the one to end him—slowly—but Braddock of all people took that task in my stead. The big blacksmith is typically a gentle giant, truth be told, but he’d unleashed absolute fury on the bastard. She nods and moves on, clearly not concerned with the coward’s fate.

“Anyway, Kilgren liked to talk a bit too much and explained how their leaders are chosen, the power they have over the others, the talks of peace that led to his father’s death.”

“Very chatty,” I muse, tracing shapes down her spine.

“Malek and Xavier were guarding me and they told me what happened after Kilgren killed his father, how any who wanted peace were punished.” She takes a shuddering breath before continuing and I realize that this must be the first time she’s really had to think about those days, about the decisions she made. “Kilgren told me how he planned to torture you by torturing me for years to come, all the things he planned to do to me while you were forced to watch…I couldn’t let that happen, Alaric. I knew if I challenged him, at least he would have to kill me and he couldn’t make you suffer that way. I had no idea if I’d actually succeed in killing him and even if I did, if the power would actually shift to me to control them or not, but…” she shrugs, “it was worth a try.”

“And the silver?” I ask.

She smiles and holds up her hand. The ring that she’s worn since the Choosing shines in the firelight.

“It’s one of my designs. There’s a hidden space within it for poison and a small needle that slips out when you press this little latch here.” She shows me the mechanism. “Da apparently had some silver left hidden away from when he made Night’s Fury and used a bit of it for powder to put inside the ring— just in case , he’d said.”

“Genius, the both of you.” I lean in and kiss her forehead. I’ve never believed much in divine intervention or the Goddess of Fate, but now I’ll worship her until the day I die.

She blushes faintly. “So, anyway, go on about the remaining Revenants. What happens now?”

“Well, it’s a long road to integrating them into life in Braxhelm, but for now they’re happy to live in peace there beyond the sisters. They’ve all vowed their allegiance to the Montclares and Braxhlem, taken blood oaths even. Sebastian has sent official decrees to every providence telling them of the end of the war and explaining that many Revenants have wanted peace for centuries. His word on the matter will go a far way in convincing everyone else. So, some day—soon, I hope—they’ll be able to live among the humans as the vampires were able to do after the Blood Peace. They’re calling this the Clayburn Peace, in case you were wondering.”

Her eyes fly wide and go a bit glassy, a faint tinge of pink to the unshed tears now.

“Really?” she whispers.

I brush a curl from her forehead and slide my fingers into her hair, stroking her cheek with my thumb. She leans into the touch and my heart twists in utter contentment.

“Of course. You are the reason the war is over, Dahlia. You are the reason that innocent lives have been set free and saved. You are the reason that Braxhelm will finally know true peace. You , love. You .”

She swallows hard and a single tear escapes down her cheek. I brush it away and she gives me a watery smile.

“Well then, I suppose I’ll have people fawning over me even more now than when I was merely the great High General’s Consort,” she teases.

“Oh you have no idea. There will be parades in your honor, sculptures erected in village squares, babies named Dahlia for years to come.”

“What about a holiday? I believe a Clayburn Day is in order.” I laugh, pulling her into my lap.

“Oh really now?” She nods, wrapping her arms around my neck and toying with my hair.

“It shall be celebrated with obnoxious amounts of chocolate, alcohol, and dancing.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged. Fi is already planning a huge celebration at Astoria’s Keep.”

“I want Malek and Xavier there,” she says firmly. “I know it will be hard for people to accept them at first, but…well, if I’m the hero of the hour and I show how much I trust them…that’s got to count for something, right?”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, love. Oh! I have another idea.”

“What?”

“How about those paper effigies of you where children beat you with a stick until treats fall out?” I suggest and she throws her head back laughing. The sound warms me to my core. For days, I thought I might never hear it again. She meets my gaze after a few moments.

“So…no more war?”

“No more war,” I agree. I can’t really imagine it. The army will persist, of course, but the number of active camps and soldiers will decline greatly. Speaking of...

“Would you like to live here at Ashcliff? Permanently?”

Her eyes light up. “Really?”

I nod. “With the threat gone from the pass, there’s no reason for me to be stationed at the camp. In fact, I think the camp will be a perfect site for the first Revenant settlement within Braxhelm.” She smiles at that. “I can lead the army just fine from here and we’ll establish a smaller camp nearby—our lands are vast, in case you didn’t know. This can be our home, Dahlia. A true home. Your family can join us, we can build them their own estates on the property if they wish, or the manor has more than enough room. We’ll build a new shop for your father. What do you think?”

“I think…I think that sounds perfect, Alaric. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. And that will work out well since Enid and Elias are obviously gone for each other,” she adds with a laugh. The two have been nearly inseparable since the day we rode out to the pass and Enid followed. I don’t know what might be in the Clayburn blood that sparks the mating bond so strongly in both the vampire and the human somehow, but it appears to have worked its magic once again. I suspect that the two of them will be married soon enough, and, should they wish it, Enid will attempt the turning. Speaking of marriage…

“I’m fairly certain I know the answer, but I must ask all the same: will you marry me, Dahlia? Become a princess of the Montclare Clan, the true Lady of the Coven of the Wolf?”

“Well it took you long enough to ask me, didn’t it?”

I roll my eyes and give her ass a playful swat. She squeaks and laughs.

“There was quite a bit going on, if you recall. Proposals of marriage were a bit low on the priority list of things to address.”

“That’s fair, I suppose,” she says, pursing her lips. “Of course I’ll marry you, Alaric. I’m already yours in every way, but being officially joined under the laws of the Montclares sounds appealing.”

I smile and she leans in to kiss me deeply, a blazing fire igniting in my blood at the simple touch of her lips to mine, the gentle thrust of her tongue against mine. She tunnels her hands into my hair, tugging on the strands in that way that drives me mad. She nips at my bottom lip and I growl, gripping her hips tighter and tugging her harder against me. She giggles against my lips.

“I always knew you liked when I bit you, but now…well you really like when I bite you, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I say, unabashedly. Dahlia’s fangs in my flesh feels almost as good as my own in hers. It’s a pleasure that I can’t even describe but know I can never live without again. “Plus, your fangs are quite sexy if you must know.”

She waggles her brows and grins, tapping one fang seductively with the tip of her tongue. “ These fangs, you mean?” she purrs in a sultry, innocent voice. “The ones that were buried deep in your cock not an hour ago?” A violent shudder of pleasure rolls through me as I remember the feel of her sucking blood as I came down her throat...

“Keeva,” I warn.

She laughs, light and wicked, and I narrow my eyes. She yelps in surprise when I twist her around and position her on hands and knees in front of me. She may be a vampire now, but I’m still older and faster. She gasps and shivers in pleasure and anticipation.

“Wicked little leech,” I whisper as I run a hand over her magnificent ass. She laughs lightly, but it quickly turns into a soft moan when I lean forward and kiss the small of her back, slowly working my way downward as she trembles and writhes. There were so many things we couldn’t do when she was human, so much of myself I had to hold back in fear of hurting her. No longer. Now she can handle anything I have to give. Now her body is different…and capable of much .

She cries out in surprise when I spread her luscious cheeks wide and swirl my tongue around that sensitive spot.

“Oh gods, Alaric…?” she whimpers, a slight question in her tone as she realizes what I aim to do.

“Tell me, Dahlia,” I rasp, pressing a finger into her pussy and thrusting gently while I flick my tongue once more. She moans loudly, rocking her hips backwards as if begging for more. “Tell me yes or no. You must always tell me.”

“YES,” she says immediately and I grin. I continue to pump my fingers slowly, oh so slowly, before trailing them upward, spreading her honey around her ass and pressing a finger gently inside. She makes an obscenely erotic noise, something between a growl and a moan and scream. I pump gently and she groans. “Yes, yes, yes,” she chants and I chuckle.

I nip at her flesh with my fangs and she trembles, her entire body quivering when I delve deeper, adding another finger.

“Oh gods ,” she moans.

“That’s my eager little mate,” I whisper, my own hips subtly bucking while I watch my fingers pump slowly in and out of her.

I tease and work her body, and soon she’s panting and writhing.

“Alaric, please,” she begs, though there’s a bit of command there too, sending a ripple of pleasure through me. My little firebrand . I remove my fingers and settle behind her, gripping my cock and stroking. She’s so gods damned tight that I know I’ll need to steel myself if I want any hope of lasting. I press her knees farther apart and press the head against her hole. She sucks in a ragged breath and then I press forward slowly. Her human body would have needed more special care before this could happen, far more preparation, but her vampiric body is ready and eager. Desperate, I’d say by the way she writhes and presses her hips backwards, sending me deeper inside.

“ Fucking. Hells ,” I groan through gritted teeth.

“Oh my gods. Alaric,” she pants, “it’s so…full…ah gods, it feels…. so good .” She digs her claws into the stone floor, gouging deep grooves as I slide deeper and deeper until I’m finally settled so fully inside her there’s no space between our bodies.

“ Fuck .” I shudder, my cock pulsing inside her.

“More, Alaric,” she demands, turning to look at me over her shoulder. Her green eyes burn with a desire so ferocious that I lose myself completely, giving myself over to the instincts inside me roaring to satisfy and claim. I grip her hips and pull back, only to slam inside her again. The sight is nearly too much and my fangs snap free, desperate to sink into her flesh while my cock does the same. Over and over, I thrust my hips, fucking her hard and sending shivers of the most intense pleasure up my spine. She reaches between her thighs and I groan when I realize what she’s doing. She moans and I grit my teeth.

“That’s it, Dahlia. Just like that. Gods, you take my cock so well, love.”

“Oh gods, Alaric. I’m going to…ah!” she cries out and I can feel her come, her body tightening around my cock in quick, greedy pulses.

“Oh fuck,” I mutter, my own release springing forth without warning. I lean over her and sink my fangs into her shoulder as I come hard. She cries out and her body convulses, the pulses coming stronger and faster, and then the little devil turns her head and sinks her own fangs deep into my forearm. It’s fucking ecstasy.

Eventually, we both collapse to the floor and lay in boneless heaps for long moments, maybe hours. I slide out of her and maneuver her so that her back is to my chest and my arms are wrapped securely around her. She sighs in contentment.

“I love you,” she says quietly, turning her head to kiss my shoulder.

“I love you more than you can possibly imagine, Dahlia.”

“I think you made a good choice,” she says, voice thick with exhaustion and I know she’ll be pulled under any moment. Her stamina is impressive for a fledgling, but it will take decades before she can keep up with me completely. I grin at the thought, of the years and years to come, of eternity stretching out before us.

I kiss her hair and squeeze her tighter.

“It was never a choice, love. You were always my path…that dress did help matters though,” I add and she chuckles lightly before drifting off to sleep in my arms, where she’ll be for the rest of forever.