Page 25 of Devil's Night

“And what’s this?” I asked, allowing some of the fragrant liquid to slosh into a waiting cup.

“A fermented nectar wine,” Sargon said, his pointed teeth flashing in a grin as he noted my look of surprise. “Don’t worry,I’ve been assured it’s perfectly safe for human consumption. A local delicacy to accompany our meal.”

I gave the strange wine an experimental sip, rolling it over my tongue as the heady, floral notes burst across my palate. It was at once bracing and indulgent, its rich sweetness offset by an undertone of spice.

“Mmm, incredible,” I sighed, taking another sip. Already, I could feel a pleasant warmth spreading through my limbs, the tension I hadn’t even realized I was carrying bleeding away.

For long, languid moments, we simply enjoyed our picnic in contented silence, enjoying the flavors and allowing the peaceful ambiance of the cove to soak into our very souls. When at last the basket lay empty, I stretched out on the blanket with a replete sigh, idly running my fingers through the thick, mossy ground covering.

Sargon shifted to brace himself on one elbow beside me, his intense red gaze studying my face with that unblinking focus that never failed to set my pulse racing. I met that smoldering stare unabashed, allowing my eyes to roam over the lean, muscular lines of his form, the swirling tattoo-like markings that adorned his gray skin.

So different from me, yet I had never felt such a sense of rightness, of belonging, as I did at his side.

“What are you thinking, little one?” he murmured, reaching out to tuck an errant lock of hair behind my ear.

A small, wistful smile twisting my lips. “I was just thinking how lucky I am. To have found you.”

His throat worked, as though he were warring with some weighty emotion. At length, he exhaled a shuddering breath. “I am the fortunate one, Nicole. More than you could possibly know.”

I traced the contours of Sargon’s chiseled abdomen, marveling at the sleek power coiled within his frame. Hismuscles tensed beneath my touch, and I glanced up to find his crimson gaze burning into me with an hunger that called to me.

“Sargon?” I murmured, my fingers stilling. “What is it?”

He was silent for a long moment, that unblinking stare piercing straight through to my soul. When at last he spoke, the words were rough with some weighty emotion.

“Nicole, there is something I must explain to you.” He cupped my cheek, his thumb tracing along my cheekbone. “Among my kind, to take a mate is not a trivial thing.”

My brows knit together as I studied his grave expression. “Like to be married, right?”

He gave a slow nod. “It is far more than a human marriage vow, little one. When Vinduthi claim each other, it is a profound bonding – physical, mental, spiritual. Our very essences are intertwined.”

A tendril of unease unfurled in my gut. “You’re scaring me a little, Sargon. What are you trying to say?”

His throat worked as he swallowed hard. “I want you, Nicole. I want you to stay with me. Be a part of me.”

The words hung heavy between us, reverberating through my very bones. I searched his intense features, looking for any hint of deception, but found only naked longing and a trace of fear?

“But you are human,” he continued roughly. “Becoming my mate, it would change you. Irrevocably.”

Change me? My mouth went dry. “H-how? What do you mean?”

Sargon’s piercing red gaze held mine as he explained in a low, even tone. “To claim you, I would need to bite you – inject you with trace elements of my DNA. It would catalyze mutations within your body. Augmenting your strength, senses, healing abilities.” His thumb brushed the line of my cheekbone. “You would gain markings like mine, a sign of our bond, our joining.”

I recoiled instinctively, my heart pounding as visions of my body twisting, changing, flickered through my mind. Sargon’s expression tightened, that fear I had glimpsed now clear in the taut lines of his face.

“I know it is much to ask,” he said, his deep voice tinged with regret. “Perhaps too much of a human raised in a society that still has not reached the stars-”

“Wait.” I held up a hand, my thoughts whirling. “Your friend, the one with the human mate… did he do this to her?”

Sargon’s jaw clenched, then relaxed with a slow nod. “Yes. She agreed to the bonding process, despite the risks.”

Despite the risks. The phrasing made my stomach churn. What kind of life-altering transformation had his friend’s wife undertaken? And why would anyone agree to such a thing?

As though sensing my unease, Sargon leaned in close, the heat of his body enveloping me, beckoning me into the circle of his arms.

“I would never ask this of you lightly, Nicole,” he murmured. “The bonding would render you forever altered, forever bound to me. But it would also allow us to walk the same path, face whatever destiny awaits us as true partners, our souls as one.”

His words washed over me, igniting sparks of longing amidst the apprehension churning within. Slowly, hesitantly, I reached up to touch the swirls of orange filigree swirling across his chiseled features.

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