Page 143 of The Vampire's Bride

My entire body is trembling with need. I am desperate to claim her.

“No.” She tilts her head to one side, exposing the column of her neck. Her green eyes stare deep into mine as she whispers. “I want you to make me yours, Valaric.”

Dark and primal desire unfurls deep within. The darkness inside me demands that I claim her even as my mind urges caution. “You do not know what you are asking.”

“I do,” she whispers. “I want to be yours.”

Desire burns in my veins as I struggle to maintain my control. “Are you certain?”

She nods.

I draw in a shaking breath, fighting against the ravenous need within. “I need you to be sure,” I barely manage. “If we start, I’m not sure I’m strong enough to—”

She presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. “I trust you.”

The darkness within claws beneath the surface. I want her so much it is maddening. “It has been three days since I tasted you.” I clench my jaw. “My need is great. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.” She cups my face. “I trust you. Completely.”

Guilt and shame wash through me. “There is something you should know.”

“What is it?” Concerned eyes meet mine. “Tell me, Valaric.”

I touch her face. “You asked me once what ashaya meant, and I told you that it was the word for ‘beloved.’” I swallow hard. “And it is… but it also means so much more.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means you are my fated one. The other half of my soul.” I take her hand and pull it to my chest, directly over my heart. “I have been yours from the moment your eyes first met mine.”

“Why did you not tell me?”

“The fated bond is more than just a connection between our souls. It’s a tether to the dark creature within me. The darkness and I, we are one and the same.” I stare deep into her eyes so she may see the truth. “I need you to understand. If I mark you as mine, you will be bound to us both—the monster and the man.”

Intense need surges through me, demanding that I mark her, claim her, bind her to me forever. But I hold back, knowing that once I cross that line, there will be no going back.

“I didn’t want you to fear me,” I confess. “But the truth is that I want all of you. Your mine, your heart, your body, and your soul. I want you to be mine, for I am already yours, and I have been from the very beginning.”

“You are my husband.” Her luminous eyes stare deep into mine. “I know what you are and I choose you. Now and forever.” She leans in and tenderly brushes her lips to my own. “Claim me, Valaric. I want to be yours in all ways.”

Her words dissolve the last of my control, and I crush my mouth to hers. Her lips part, and she moans as I stroke my tongue against hers in a passionate kiss.

Quickly, I remove my tunic, baring my chest and abdomen to her exploring hands. I kick off my boots, and we fall back onto the bed. I move over her, bracing my weight on my forearms as my lips mesh repeatedly with her own.

The delicate scent of her arousal touches my nostrils, and I am desperate to sink deep inside her.

Extending my claws, I slice away her dress, leaving her in only her lace undergarments. My breath catches as I gaze down at my bride.

Her cheeks flush bright pink as she looks up at me, her eyes full of trust. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my entire life. “You are perfect.”

I press a line of kisses down her neck to her chest and remove her bra, revealing the creamy mounds of her breasts. She arches into my touch as I cup one soft globe in my palm and then draw the peak into my mouth.

“Valaric.” My name escapes her in a soft moan as I swirl my tongue across the hardened bead and begin a gentle suction.

She runs her fingers through my hair as I trace my hand down her lithe form. When I reach the scrap of silk between her thighs, I fist it in my grasp. Need burns through me like fire and she gasps as I rip it away from her body.

Cupping the back of her knee, I pull her leg over my hip, opening her to me. Her entire form is so soft and giving, and I am addicted to the feel of her skin against mine.

A low groan leaves my lips as she arches into me, and I can feel the heat of her core pressed against my stav, only the thin barrier of my clothing preventing me from joining my body with hers.

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