Page 60 of Dark Desire
When she’d finally had enough, she removed her fangs from my throat and grabbed the back of my neck, slamming her mouth against mine and smothering us both in my blood. Our kiss became frantic as she moved faster, grinding harder and pressing me against the stone with strength she didn’t realise she had. I’d have fucking bruises but I didn’t care in the slightest.My body was hers. In every fucking sense. She could do what the hell she wanted with it.
She threw her head back and screamed out with pleasure as an intense orgasm ripped her apart, forcing me to follow straight after. I swore through the blinding ecstasy until she slumped against my chest, both of us breathing hard.
“Are you okay?” I asked breathlessly, gently brushing her hair away from her face as she looked up to meet my gaze. I smiled softly as the deep crimson faded, revealing her warm honey-coloured eyes. I was extremely impressed how quickly she’d just gained control over her vampire instincts, which I suspected was largely due to the richness and strength of my blood.
She grabbed my face in her hands, her eyes darting between mine. “I’m alive.”
I reached up for her face, cupping it in my hands and gliding my fingers up and down her throat, feeling her pulse as I replied, “Yes, you fucking are.”
She suddenly tugged down the back of her top and looked over her shoulder, frantically searching for something. “My mark from The Fates. It’s gone.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and drew her attention back to me. “You’re free from your oath, Darcie. You don’t belong to them anymore. You’re mine. And I’m yours.”
She studied my face, a slow smile spreading across her own. “Then I can give you my soul? We can be together for all eternity?”
I nodded, feeling Ambroz’s delight at hearing those words fill my chest with warmth. Luckily, I was still sharing control with him so he could see and feel this moment, too. She placed her hand directly over my pounding heart and licked her red lips.
“I, Darcelle…” she paused, her face scrunching with confusion. “I don’t know which name to use…” she whispered as I held hergaze. “I’ve never felt like I truly knew who Darcelle Raine was, and Knightsbridge was my former life. I don’t know who I am.”
“How about Darcelle Nezera?” I husked, leaning forward so our chests pressed against each other, and I kissed her lips softly. She blinked at me. “How does that sound?”
The most dazzling smile lit up her face and my heart seized. “It sounds perfect. But doesn’t it have to be officially my name for this soul thing to work?”
“Then let’s make it official…” I smirked, plucking a length of grass and twisting it into a ring. She giggled as I took her hand and slid the makeshift ring onto her finger. “Marry me. Right now.”
“Right now?” she chuckled, raising her eyebrows and pointing down at our laps where I was still fully inside her.
“Okay, maybe notright now. But tonight.”
“You’re crazy,” she laughed, shaking her head as her black curls bounced around her face. “But…hell yes. I’ll marry the fuck out of you.”
I chuckled, grabbing her jaw and kissing her deeply. Before the sun rose on a new day, this woman would be my wife, my mate and my forever. Nothing was ever going to stop that from becoming true. Not even fate.
Chapter Twenty
This was mental. Possibly the most insane thing I’d ever done, and I’d done a lot. But marrying a vampire demon who I’d only met a week ago and who had only stopped wanting to kill me two days ago? It had to be pretty high up my list. Yet there wasn’t an ounce of anxiety or doubt in my mind when he asked me to marry him. I’d been ready to give my soul to him earlier, so marrying him wasn’t scary in the slightest. The fact that he wanted me to have his last name, he wanted me to feel a sense of belonging to a family that I never had, just made me fall even harder for the man.
Being under The Fates oath had kept me from ever experiencing what family meant. What it felt like to love and be loved in return.
A woman radiating pure happiness and excitement, wearing the most exquisite long-sleeved lace wedding dress, stared back at me in the mirror. I still couldn’t believe the Queen of all Supernaturals had managed to make this for me in less than two hours.
“Ready for the veil?” Hana, Zoran’s sister, asked from over my shoulder. I grinned at her and nodded. I’d only met her, Ilaria and Queen Ruby a few hours ago but they already felt like family. How Zoran’s family and friends had been pulled from their beds, dropped everything to coordinate and pull this together, while all I was told I had to worry about was relaxing, was honestly the kindest, most beautiful thing to experience.
Hana lifted a stunning veil over my head, completely covering my face, which was attached to a wreath of colourful flowers that sat at the back of my hair.
“Thank you for agreeing to some of our Serbian traditions, Darcie. It means a lot to Zoran. And to myself and Luka.” She smiled as she tied a ribbon from the veil to the back of my dress.
“Of course! I love that I get to share in what’s important to your family and Zoran. Serbian wedding traditions sound like so much fun,” I answered. “I want to learn everything about your culture. What’s the ribbon for?”
“It’s called themadlinaritual. The groom’s mother or female relative ties a ribbon from your veil to your dress as a symbolic transfer of responsibility from the bride’s family to the groom’s.”
“I see.” I nodded from behind the veil but didn’t mention that I didn’t have a family to give over responsibility. I’d always been responsible for myself. A warmth spread across my chest as I thought of Zoran and how nice it felt to have someone else looking out for me now. After tonight, I’d never be alone again. Tears suddenly sparked behind my eyes, and I lifted my hand under the veil to catch a rogue tear before it ruined my makeup.
“No! No crying until after Zoran sees you!” Hana grabbed my hand and squeezed it in hers.
“Thank you,” I breathed, turning on my vanity stool to face her. “For all of this. For being here. I always wanted a sister.”
She beamed, her beautiful green eyes so striking against her deep red hair. “So have I. And now I have two! And so have you.”
