Page 192 of To Ashes and Dust
“Tell me what you want, mea luna.”
Her chest heaved, her nipples pebbling against the thin silk of her gown. I wanted to taste them, wanted to nip and lick them until she was writhing.
“You,” she breathed.
“Take me,” I dared her. “I’m yours.”
Her eyes fell to my throat once more, blushed lips parting, and she crawled up my chest, each brush of her silken gown, of her skin, leaving rippling need in its wake. She tilted her head as she lowered her face to the crook of my neck. I tilted my head back as she bit down, the rush of pleasure surging through me, my cock twitching against her damp heat, desperate to slide inside.
“Lift your hips for me,” I groaned into her ear as I grabbed hold of her hips. This would be my invitation; she could stay right where she was, drink from me and rest if she wanted, but gods, I wanted her, wanted to feel her.
She lifted herself just enough, and I guided myself to her entrance before pulling her down onto me. We both cried out in unison, our moans flooding the room as we met each other in one, deep thrust. She took me, every fucking inch. I lifted my hips to meet her as I dragged her forward and back until she found that balance, that rhythm between pulls at my throat and roll of her hips as she rode my cock.
Gods, she was so wet, so slick and warm, and she moaned as I thrust into her with each rock of her hips. I wasn’t going to last much longer, my skin too sensitive, the feeding sending me over the edge. She tightened around me, her lips breaking contact with my throat to moan my name and—
“Fuck,” I groaned, my body coiled, release rolling through me as her silken heat gripped my cock. I grasped her hips, pulling her against me as her own orgasm exploded. I deepened the thrusts, the friction, driving myself deeper as I came, and we moaned together as we shattered, breaking into millions of glorious pieces.
She collapsed against me, our breaths mingling, our bodies drenched in sweat, every brush of skin electric. Her forehead pressed to mine as our gazes locked, and I could cry at the sight of her staring back at me. I lifted my hand to cup her cheek, taking in every detail of her face, every detail of the new eyes staring into mine.
“How is this possible?” she asked, her eyes shifting back and forth between mine.
“I found a way. I promised you I would.”
“But… how?”
I hesitated. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about Eris, didn’t want the weight of what that cost might one day bear down on her shoulders. “Old magic, and it worked.”
Her lips curved into a smile, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m truly immortal?”
“You are,mea luna.” I pressed a kiss to her soft lips and smiled up at her. “And nothing will separate us again.”
71
CASSIE
My eyes burned as I awoke, the sun’s rays leaking through the curtains, much too bright. It was just barely a stream of light, but even the tiniest bit seemed to be nearly unbearable. I groaned, turning over under the comforter and the feel of the fibers against my skin was almost too much. Every sensation was heightened, every touch, every sound amplified so much that I wished I could shut it out.
A throbbing pain had taken root in my head—thoughts, images, and memories surging in a whirlwind. There was so much, as if many of the memories of my past lives that had been just out of reach all resurfaced. Everything fit somehow, as if they were simply distant memories I’d forgotten. Despite the pieces falling into place, I felt like myself, and yet... not.
Was I still... me?
My eyes drifted to the picture frame of my parents sitting on my nightstand. They were still my parents, but... they weren’t my first. I had another mother and father... the ones I shared with Zephyr. Adrian and Thea. Thea was my mother, but not Zephyr’s. His mother had passed before I was born. My brows narrowed. Maya was her name. I could remember the small painting of her that had adorned the mantle of the fireplace in our home. Zephyr looked so much like her, while I’d resembled our father more, inheriting his blond hair.
The memories around my parents as Lucia were... not pleasant. I shied away from them, of the horror I’d experienced at their hands. The only other parent I should know better was Selene, and every time her name crossed my mind, I felt nothing but cold resentment. She’d been cold to me, and I could never understand why. It irritated me to no end that, despite my memories from my lives as Elena and Lucia, Moira’s memories still remained just out of my reach.
There was so much, so many lives, so many memories, wonderful memories and terrible ones. How did it all fit into one mind?
A soft, sleepy groan slipped from Damien’s throat as he shifted against me. His scent chased all thoughts from my mind, and my mouth watered, teeth throbbing at the brush of his skin, body heating until I thought I might catch fire.
Pressure built in the top of my mouth, a weight settling into place on my upper teeth, and my eyes latched onto his throat as he pulled me closer to him. His heart thrummed in my ear, though I wasn’t pressed against his chest. I shouldn’t be able to hear it, and yet I did, and it sent my own heart into a frenzy. I couldn’t resist the urge to reach out, to run my finger over the thrumming vein I could somehow sense beneath his skin.
“Go ahead,mea luna.”
I jumped at the sound of Damien’s voice. I had become so entranced, I hadn’t even realized he awoke. Gods, I wanted it so badly. “But...”
“It’s okay. Our blood replenishes quickly. Take what you need,” he said, his arm sliding around my lower back to pull me closer.
My cheeks heated, thinking of all the ways I’dtakenwhat I needed the night before. I couldn’t understand how I could need more already. “I kept you up almost all night. You must be exhausted.”
