More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
August 20 - August 22, 2022
“Hey Princess Polly,” Silver smiled, then greeted her mother solemnly. “Carla.”
“Sing a song in your head,” Silver suggested. Her go-to song was Kokomo by the Beach Boys. She felt like she was in a movie montage when she sang it, and for a while, life wasn’t so scary.
Silver faced Sid just as black shadow exploded behind him. Ribbons of thick darkness enveloped him. Silver glimpsed a handsome man smirking from the heart of the shadow. Dark, styled hair. Pointed vampire ears. Arrogant amusement plastered on his face as he kissed the air in her direction.
It was as though an artist had reached into Silver’s deepest, darkest fantasies and crafted him especially for her. Must be a glamor. No one was that good looking.
His mate had tried to kill him. Twice. He wasn’t sure if he was aroused or appalled. Maybe a little of both.
He took his time tugging on his leather breeches, taking special care to smooth his hand over his taut rear end, ensuring the worn leather fit snuggly. And it did, she realized. His ass was perfection, just like the rest of him—two globes of perfectly proportioned muscle—wait… she narrowed her eyes at his casual movements. He stretched languidly in a way that popped his biceps and defined every sinew. She gasped at the realization the bastard was putting on a show for her.
After his third spank, he caressed her bottom and cooed to her, “Good girl. You know, you were right. There is only one way this will end. The sooner you accept that, the better for us both.”
She had a heart somewhere behind that corset, and he was determined to find it.
She’d fallen asleep so fast. Attempting to kill your mate must be exhausting work.
That prickly bastard tried to eat you in your sleep.” “But not you,” she blurted. “No, not me.” He grinned. “I prefer my females awake when I feast on them.”
He punched the creature in the eye. “Run! Get to safety.” She slid arms around the thick scaled neck and choked as she locked eyes with Shade. “And let you have all the fun?” He fell in love in that moment.
“How can that be?” she gasped. His lips lowered to her ears. “My darkness dances with yours.”
“Allow? One kiss and you think you own me.” “One kiss is the least of what I’ll give you. You’re mine to protect, mine to hold, and mine to bring to insurmountable pleasure.”
“Darling,” he warned, halting her. “If you get into this bed, I’ll sink more than my fangs into you.”
Shade placed a palm over her heart as if he sensed her pain. His eyes were still closed, but his brows furrowed. His next words were almost inaudible. “Please let me keep you.”
He placed his palm over her heart. “Don’t be afraid of the dark in here, darling. Learn to love yourself, for all your twisted darkness. I am.”
The sooner you can accept that your past is a part of you, the quicker you will learn to find meaning in it, and you can understand how to draw on it, and to move forward.”
“But here’s the thing, darling. Sometimes caring for someone means denying them what they want.”
She didn’t know what her place was in this new world, but she knew she didn’t want to go the way she’d been headed, and she knew she wanted to stay with Shade—wherever that may be.
No matter what war raged, who was fighting, in the future or the past, they would be together on the same side, creating music of their own.
Forrest smiled awkwardly and hovered his hands above her head, not knowing what to do with it. Should he stroke her hair or pat her like a fee-lion? Females always made him nervous. Give him a kuturi or a horse, and he could tell you what it was thinking. But a woman?
Perhaps the Well was right to give her a dark, poisonous gift. A part of her would always be cold and merciless and sometimes cowardly. She could accept that now, because the Well had also given her Shade. And he showed her there was a part of her that was warm, giving, and brave. It was okay to be both.
“So, take it off,” he demanded. “And if I ever see you in a corset not from me, I’ll—” “Spank me?” she teased with a wink. There was nothing she liked doing more than riling this vampire up. “Careful, darling, I bite.” He gnashed his fangs and reached for her. “Promise?”
“You said that to bring it back to me, I had to learn to love myself, for all my twisted darkness. And, Shade, knowing you love me, and knowing I feel the same about you… it makes everything right in the world, no matter the chaotic reality.”
