Page 132 of A Vow of Blood and Tears

Now I understood what he meant, his fear that he would tear me apart. He’d meant it quite literally: not with teeth or claws, but by driving too deep, too hard, forgetting my human body was incapable of taking it.

Maybe you can, but I want all of you. I tapped his nose, and he looked at me like an offended cat before breaking into a smile.Fortunately, we’re both driven people and I think we can find a creative alternative or two. Don’t be gloomy. I loved every second.

He chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t felt this good in years. I’ve been wanting to fill you with my seed from the moment I laid eyes on you.” He traced his fingers across my lower belly. “Now that the idea’s in my head, I want to see your belly all round with my babies.”

A soft pulse of desire wound through me. The blood sigil inscribed over my womb only prevented pregnancy, not the desire to get pregnant.

There’s a sigil on me, I told him, briefly pressing my hand to the spot.Until the time is right. But I really, really want to try more.

His mouth split into a lazy grin. “Just say the word, my lady. You know I can’t resist.”

First of all, though, where did you learn to do that with your tongue?I eyed his mouth with avid curiosity. I never would have guessed a forked tongue would be so… intriguing and agile.Did you have to practice?

An odd expression crossed his face; it took me a moment to understand he was bashful.

“I haven’t so much as kissed a woman since I became a fiend, until I met you. I’ve just had a lot of time on my hands to imagine what I wanted to do.” He gave me that warm, loving look, tempered with embarrassment.

Don’t be shy. I was no master of seductive smiles, but I stroked his chest, tracing the crests of his horned clavicles.I’m open to all sorts of imaginings.

“It’s possible for someone to be too perfect.” He squinted at me.

What are you suggesting?

“That I was stabbed to death the second I walked into the Silver Cathedral and saw you. This is the afterlife. You’re one of your Lady’s angels.”

Oh dear. You’ve figured it out. But would an angel do this?

I kissed his chest, laving him with teeth and tongue, working my way down over his muscled abdomen. By the time my teeth grazed over the thick cut of muscle to his cock, he was already hard again, the barbs rising from his cockhead.

“If this is my afterlife, then yes. I don’t want any timid, virginal angels in my paradise.” Bane lifted my haunches with ease, planting me on his chest. He scooted my hips backwards, his tongue lashing at my sensitized clit. “I want a particular book-loving human who won’t take no for an answer.”

He couldn’t see me sign; I was already kissing my way up his length. We would both be wrung out by the time the sun rose, finding our release in other ways until we figured it out.

A year and a day. There was nothing to it, as long as I could keep him.

Chapter 32

Bane

It was difficult to hide my own happiness in the face of Wroth’s misery. Nearly impossible to prevent my mouth from stretching into a wide grin, from laughing at nothing for no reason.

But I managed, because I would not rub my good fortune in my brother’s face as I sent him away.

Cirri stood at my side, cloaked against the chill. The pearly morning had brought a dusting of snow overnight, the first sign of the winter to come.

We watched as Auré, dressed in riding leathers, brought her horse cantering through the stableyard. The vampire reached down to clasp my hand in a hearty shake, and then, after a moment’s trepidation, bowed over her saddle to Cirri.

A flurry of hand signs flashed between them, too quickly for me to easily read, but, unlike the first night they’d spoken, there was a restrained watchfulness to their tone now. Less aggression, more wariness and grudging acceptance.

I tried not to be too pleased about that, either. I had done as Cirri asked and stayed well out of their mutual dislike. If shecould win over my old family on her own, all the better; I hoped they would become friends in time.

But not today. Cirri raised her chin, and Auré narrowed her eyes, and the two of them parted with icy courtesy.

But itwascourtesy.

“It’s a start,” I said, resting my arm around Cirri’s shoulders as Auré rode through the outer gates to scout ahead.

My bride raised a brow at me.If I’m going to live forever, we’re going to have to find some small island of common ground.

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