Page 83 of The Secrets of Roan Island

Her eyes flutter open, warm and brown and filled with life. I choke on a laugh that turns into a sob when I look down at her throat. Though covered in viscous gore, her skin is knitting itselfback together. Faster than my brothers or I heal. Fast enough to see it happening before my eyes.

“Noah.” Her voice sounds rough, scratchy, but beautiful. A soft smile brightens her ashen face. “You’re here.”

“Of course I’m here.” The words catch in my throat.

“You love me,” she says, as if she didn’t believe it until this moment.

“I do. More than anything.”

“You really love me.” A tiny giggle slips from her. “I love you.”

I gather her closer and pour my desperation and relief into a kiss.

“Oh!” She pulls away from me with a sudden gasp, raising a hand to her mouth. “That’s a strange feeling.”

“The kiss?”

She shakes her head, her eyes jumping from my mouth to my eyes. Then she grins, revealing long, pointed fangs pressing into her bottom lip. She runs her tongue over them. Then she sniffs. “And I can smell you. You smell…delicious.” Her eyes fill with darkness, overtaking everything else, and it’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen. My mate, craving me.

I offer my wrist. “Drink,ta’ari.”

She hesitates and swallows, then shakes her head. I can’t discern if she’s repulsed by the idea or afraid of it. But then her black eyes meet mine. “It’s a strong craving.”

“It’ll help you heal faster.” I press my wrist to her lips, but she squeezes them shut. Her eyes are as black as night, imploring, afraid, hungry. So hungry. “It’s okay,ta’ari.” I kiss her forehead.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispers against my wrist, barely opening her mouth.

“I would give every drop of my life to keep you safe, strong, and alive,ta’ari. Feed.”

Her smile is radiant, but soft. Slowly, she runs her nose up and down my forearm with a moan. “You smell so good.”

I shiver.

The tip of her tongue slides over my skin, a tentative taste. “You’ll stop me if…”

“I’ve got you.” I brush her hair out of her face. “Take what you need.”

Without further hesitation, she opens her mouth. Her fangs pierce my skin. It hurts, but I don’t flinch. I’ll gladly suffer pain for her.

The moment my blood hits her tongue, she’s like a starved animal hoarding food. She doesn’t know what she’s doing or how to control her venom, so she only feeds. Then all at once, she figures it out, releasing a flood of venom into my veins.

“Fuuuuuck.” The word swells like the vibrant pleasure coursing through me. It’s bright and warm, moving languidly toward my core. The addiction to the new moon parties makes sense to me now. I’ve never… “F-f-fuuuck!

She draws back, eyes wide with panic. “Wait, it’s Solstice! Did I just—?”

“No,” I groan, shaking my head as the pleasure flows into my groin and my cock hardens. “The venom isn’t poisonous to Mavarrii, even on Solstice.”

With a coy smile, my vixen sinks her teeth into me again, and another wave of euphoria rushes over me as visceral as if she were stroking me. It’s a heady rush. “Ta’ari,” I moan. “Fuck!” I’m on the verge of coming.

She holds my wrist to her mouth with one hand, taking what she wants, then my amazingta’arigrabs my cock with the other, squeezing me through my trousers and moaning when she does. She’s a sight, slick with blood from her neck down the front of her once white dress, her eyes black voids of hunger and need.

With a shouted curse, I climax as if I were a young man at the rite of passage. My muscles seize as I curl around her, pulsing with pleasure.

Ruby shifts, taking more of me. Draining me.

Weakness slips past the pleasure, and my body grows heavy, depleted. I uncurl and slide down, away from Ruby as the temple blurs.

Still, she drinks. Too much. She’s taken too much. Her eyes are rabid, and my blood drips from her mouth.

---