Page 346 of Born of Blood and Ash

“I could stay like this forever.” Ash’s parted lips touchedmine. “Feeling myself deep inside you. Feeling you beginning to come. It’s theperfect kind of peace.”

With each word, each powerful thrust, the tension increasedto new heights. “I love you.”

Ash groaned, his arms encircling me as he pulled me down andagainst him, holding me tightly to his body. That rope broke, taking him withme. Waves of pleasure flooded me, and I cried out his name. I shook as therelease continued spinning and pulsing through me, dragging me under itspowerful embrace until I was limp in his arms, my cheek resting against hisshoulder.

Ash’s chest rose against mine in a ragged inhale. “Fates,”he rasped.

My breath caught as I felt him jerk one last time inside me.“Same.”

Silence fell between us, and he dragged his hand up under myhair in slow, soothing strokes. I couldn’t help but think of all we’d had toovercome to get to this moment and the…the lives growing inside me. They feltlike a testament to our love. A miracle.

Quite some time later, Ash and I lay in bed. I was onmy back, my head resting on his chest. His head was propped up on the pillows,one hand in my hair and the other on my lower stomach. We were both naked, ourbellies full of the dinner we’d shared, and our passions sated.

We’d made love again upon returning to the chamber, and thenagain after dinner. He’d offered his vein to me, and instinctually, I knew itwas even more important for me to feed now. It wasn’t just for me.

It was for the babes.

But…but what about him?

I sat up, facing him. Our eyes met. My heart began to race,but I wanted to do the same for him, even though my anxiety rose. I wanted toget over the fear. I needed to. “Ash, do you need—?”

“No. I fed from Rhain earlier.” He guided my head back tohis chest, and I fought to quell the rising disappointment. “I don’t even knowif I should be feeding from you now.”

“Really?” The vadentiawas quiet, and my stomach sank a little. “That could be a problem. If you can’ttake my blood, if nobody can, how will I Ascend others? That’s the crux of ourplan.”

He was quiet for a moment. “We’ll have to ask Kye.”

I’d finally agreed to have the Healer come in the morning.Ash had wanted to summon him while we ate, but it was night, and nothing wasgoing to change between now and tomorrow.

I thought about the whole process of exchanging blood—eather. “I Ascended Penellaphe,and it didn’t cause any problems.”

“We don’t know that.” His thumb moved in a slow circle undermy navel. “It may explain why the last of the bruises haven’t healed.”

My chest clenched. Damn. That could explain it. I lookeddown at my stomach. The contrast of his golden-bronze hand against my palerskin was stark. “You know, I had bruises almost everywhere after fightingKolis.”

“I know,” he growled.

Placing my hand over his, I tipped my head back to look upat him. “But I didn’t have any on my stomach—on my lower stomach. It was almostlike…”

“What?”

I lowered my gaze. “Like the essence was protecting thatarea—them.” I let out a low laugh. “That sounds kind of ridiculous.”

“I don’t think it does,” he said. “The essence is anextension of your will. Perhaps even on a subconscious level.”

I nodded, falling quiet. He continued tracing circles overmy belly, and I realized I had so many questions and thoughts.

“Do you want anything else to eat?” he asked.

I laughed and turned my head to the side. “If you have meeat anything else tonight, I think I’ll burst.”

He grinned at me. “We don’t want that.”

“No, it would be gross.”

He chuckled, and for a little bit, a companionable silencedescended between us as I watched his hand on my stomach. From the moment we’dlay down, his hand hadn’t strayed far from that area, and that was…that was sweet.

Gods, we were going to have a babe. Two of them. Mybreath caught like it had every time that nugget of realization formed. Whatwould Ezra—?

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