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He nodded, and I knelt in front of him, cautiously licking his erection, the tip of my tongue running up its length to tickle the head. One fang caught a bit of the flesh, but he didn't even wince, and, emboldened, I gave a long, coiling lick around the head of his penis, pressing my lips to the top. I couldn't ful y take him in my mouth--it would leave fang marks al the way down--but I sucked lightly with my lips, pursing them around him, enjoying the feel and light, salty taste of him on my tongue.
He moaned and motioned me up. I slid up his body, pressing my breasts against his skin as I did so, feeling his cock press against my groin and stomach.
Shade laid me on the bench and leaned over me, taking one of my nipples in his mouth, sucking, as his fingers trailed down my abs, down to my thatch, where he slid them inside me, kissing me deeply as he did so. His tongue caught on my fangs, but he gently moved it away and continued to probe my mouth, even as he fingered me into a sudden, jolting orgasm that I wasn't ready for. Spiraling, I let out a cry, sharp and jagged, as he moved between my legs and slowly, inch by inch, slid inside me.
Shade was wide and hard, and I felt every inch of him as he entered me. He set up a delicious movement, the friction driving me crazy as he matched his rhythm to mine, and then thought fel away as I looked into his eyes and spun out of control, fal ing over the cliff into a bliss I'd never felt before. My panther and Tabby both were sailing with me, and for the very first time, al of my selves responded as Shade tore me outside of myself, fil ed me ful with sparkling joy, and set me free from any lingering doubts I had about myself as a woman.
Some time later--I have no idea how long--he reluctantly broke away. "You must return home now," he said, kissing my neck gently. "I don't want you to go, but you can't remain in Haseofon for too long while you are stil in body. I can come and go as I please, because of my nature, but you must return to your bed." He cocked his head in a peculiar way that made me want to laugh.
"I thought I was here in spirit."
"No, my dear, your body is here, too, in a way. It has been since you entered this chamber. You are bilocating, in two places at once. It's difficult to maintain, though, and the thread is wearing thin."
"But . . . wil I see you again?" I couldn't bear to walk away. Not now, not after I'd just found him. A piece of me had broken away during our lovemaking, and it was with him. And I held a piece of his heart in my own.
"I promise you, my love, I wil meet you soon in your world. Keep watch for me." He helped me dress, stopping to kiss me time and again.
My head fuzzy from the rush of emotion and desire, I stared into his eyes. He was different--oh, so different--from both Chase and Zachary. Shade met my eyes, calm, cool, unwavering. And in his gaze, I saw no backpedaling, no hesitation. And in that moment, I understood.
"You are the one . . . he wil use you to . . ."
"Hush, go now." He pressed his fingers to my lips, and I pressed my nose to his neck, inhaling deeply the scents of pumpkins and apples and spiced rum and woodsmoke.
Our roots ran deep into the same core. Beyond Were and--whatever Shade was--we were bound by the same master, by the same Elemental Lord.
We walked the same energy, we understood the thril of the flame and the pungent odor of freshly til ed harvest soil.
"I choose . . . to take the chance," I whispered. "Come to me soon."
"I wil . Until then . . ." He pressed a box into my hand. "This is to remember me by."
I blinked, trying to hold my eyes open, but the room began to spin, and he vanished before I could say another word. I started to look at what he'd given me, but Greta was suddenly at my side, lowering me to the bench. She leaned down and breathed a kiss into my mouth, and everything began to fade. I struggled, not wanting to leave yet, but then I let go and surrendered my wil . To her, to Shade, to Hi'ran. To my destiny.
"Delilah? Delilah, wake up." Iris shook me awake, and I blinked against the light flooding from the overhead fixture on the ceiling.
I struggled awake, wiping my hand across my eyes. "Is it . . . seven o'clock already?"
"Seven thirty. I let you sleep a little longer. Both you and Camil e needed it. You were dead to the world when I tried to wake you up half an hour ago.
Now, come on, get dressed."
I scrambled out of bed, wondering how much of the dream had been real and how much had been wish fulfil ment. As I finished fastening my bra and pul ed on a pair of jeans and a shirt, Iris made my bed for me.
After a moment, she said, "Delilah--what's this?"
I turned to see she was holding . . . the box Shade had given me. No, not a dream at al . "I'm not sure, to tel you the truth. Open it, would you?"
She did, gasping as she flipped the top open. "Look," she said hoarsely.
I finished tucking in my shirt and fed a leather belt through the loops on my jeans, buckling it as I walked back to the bed. The box contained a ring. It was gold, with a faceted smoky quartz. I slowly took the ring out of the box and rested the intricately etched band in the palm of my hand.
With every fiber of my being, I knew that if I put this on, Shade would become a part of my life. Memories of Camil e talking about Tril ian and how they met flashed by, and for the first time, I understood. I understood the connection they shared and would never again question it.
I looked up to find Iris staring at me, a peculiar look on her face.
"What's going on, Delilah? Where did you get that?"
"Why? Can't it just be a ring?"
