The Lovely Dark Quotes

“I bit my lip, trying to keep it from quivering. Maybe I was weak…but I didn’t want that, did I? Maybe I hadn’t known it before, but actually hearing him say it? That hurt even more. Imagining never seeing him again. Never looking upon his face, never seeing that wide grin and the sly twinkle in his eyes when he teased me. Never hearing his voice, never feeling his gentle touch across my shoulders, my back, my abdomen, my hips… Gods, that hurt. “But,” Lorik said, a tone entering his voice after he observed me process that information, “if there is a part of you that could forgive me even the smallest bit, if there is a part of you that still believes in this, in us…” I inhaled a shaky breath that sounded like a small sob. “I’ll be here,” he finished. “I’ll always be here, Marion. Take as much time as you need to make that decision.” Lorik blew out a short breath, holding my gaze…and then began to walk away, back into the shadowy tree line of the Black Veil. Would he return to the Below to see his sister? Or would he patrol the forest for Shades, protecting his realm and ours? “Lorik,” I called out, quickly. He turned so fast one would think a Shade had crept up behind him. I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, but I wanted to be honest with him too. I didn’t want to swallow down the words I felt rising in my throat. “I miss you too,” I said. The edge of his lips curved in a gentle smile. He didn’t say anything else. I knew he would give me time to make my decision. “Be careful in there,” I said next, finally turning away, the rune stone hot in my hand as I gripped it hard. “I always am, little witch.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Because I will hold those moments with me forever, little witch. I cannot bring myself to regret any moment that I spent with you. Even when you were pulling an arrow out from my shoulder. Because it meant you were close to me. And only in those moments did I feel like I could finally breathe.” My lips parted. “I know you have no reason to trust me,” he continued. “I have given you none. But I would give you my blood oath right here and now if it meant erasing any doubt in your mind about the way I feel about you.” My mind raced. A blood oath? He would be forever bound to it. Just like the one he’d made to the Below King, like the one I’d made to the Healers’ Guild. “I regret that I hurt you. For the rest of my life, I will regret that,” he said. “But I do not know if I have the will to say goodbye to you, Marion. Every moment away from you has been agony. Every moment in the Below has felt like a lifetime. It will break my soul if I have to say goodbye to you…but if that’s truly what you want, I will respect that. I swear it to you.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Marion.” I stilled but didn’t look at him again. I merely waited. The words came, a quiet confession. “I miss you, little witch,” he told me softly, his voice hushed in the quiet of the evening. It sounded almost reverent. A murmured prayer. “Even when I’m in the Below…all I want is to be here with you.” Tears filled my eyes, making my vision go blurry. I tried to blink them away quickly, but there was a rawness in Lorik’s voice that haunted me. His words replayed over and over in my head. “I don’t know if you can ever forgive me, Marion,” he continued. “I don’t know if I even want you to because I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for betraying you.” My brow furrowed, staring at my night garden next to my cottage, the trellis entrance withering with the cold. “But please know…I am deeply sorry, Marion.” Whatever I heard in his voice—whatever pained, terrible thing I heard—it made me turn to meet his eyes. His lips pressed when he saw the tears glimmering in my gaze, and he took a stuttered step forward, as if he couldn’t help it, before Peek’s barrier pushed him back. I didn’t even care if he saw me crying. Holding my eyes, he said, “I am deeply sorry for betraying your trust. But I am not sorry for everything else.” I frowned.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Why I would put your welfare above everything else. A high priest of Gadlizel doesn’t switch allegiance on a whim.” “It was your father’s dying wish. You said that vows on the deathbed are considered sacred.” “They are. But it wouldn’t make me abandon my vows to the royal family of Gadlizel.” “Then why are you?” Gently, I turned her to face me, finding a myriad of emotions flitting across her face—fear, wonder, hope. “Because you are my mate.” There was no surprise on her face, but her eyes narrowed as she finally spoke with defiance. “That can’t be true.” “Why not?” “Because you’re a shadow fae, and I’m a light fae half-breed. The gods would not tie us together.” I coasted my hands to her throat, tipping her chin up with my thumbs when she tried to look away. “Are you disgusted by being with me?” “No!” she exclaimed quickly. “It just doesn’t seem right. It doesn’t make sense.” “It does to me.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“I stripped quickly and eagerly lowered into the bath, unable to keep from moaning at the pleasure of the heat on my skin. “Here you are,” said Vallon, stepping around the screen with a plate of food. He’d undressed down to his shirt and trousers, his armor all gone. “What are you doing!” I crossed my arms to cover my breasts and tucked my knees up higher. He merely grinned and set the plate of berries, bread, and slices of cheese and cold ham on the little table next to the tub where the bath oils had also been set. “Vallon! Get out of here,” I hissed. He completely ignored me and squatted behind me at the head of the tub. “Let’s wash your hair, shall we?” “I can do it myself.” “But I’d like to do it.” He leaned over the edge and to the side at my shoulder to catch my gaze. I tucked my arms higher over my breasts, knowing full well he could see the lower half of my body. But his eyes were solely on mine. “Unless you don’t want me to. I’ll go away. If that’s what you truly want.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Then, very gently, he cupped my face, his hands shaking. I instinctively covered his hands with mine, needing to comfort him. So strange it was what had been running through my mind—that Vallon needed me to soothe him, and it was my place to do so. “You hurt your wings on the rocks,” I whispered dumbly as he held me so intimately. “Fuck my wings, Murgha.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “I almost lost you.” “You didn’t,” I whispered, tilting my face closer to his. Then we were sharing breaths, and that deep, aching longing for the affection of another hit me with ferocity. He didn’t bridge the tiny space between our mouths, so I dared to do it myself. Lightly, I brushed my lips across his. “I’m here.” He stiffened for a moment, then ever-so-gently he grazed his mouth against mine. The sensation was divine. Pure loveliness. He coaxed and teased my lips apart then sank into my mouth on a groan. When his tongue touched mine, I kissed him back with desperate need. I stroked mine against his, slowly sliding my tongue along one of his fangs.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“After setting up the blue coal fire, I went about pulling out the bread and cheese that Jessamine had wrapped for us. Murgha might be hungry. Standing, I peered up the stream, not seeing her at the dellabore bush. “Murgha?” Instantly, I climbed back up to the rocky slope where I’d left her. Right as I reached the dellabore bush, a gasping scream echoed from around a boulder. “Murgha!” In a flash, I was around the corner, my gaze falling to her dagger sitting on the edge of a crevasse in the mountainside. Instantly, I was on my belly, peering inside the narrow opening. “Murgha!” I sensed and smelled her in the darkness. “I’m here,” her voice echoed shakily. “Are you hurt?” “I fell on something sharp. My arm is scraped a little.” Her voice trembled, and her pulse quickened. “Vallon?” “Hang on. I think I can loosen these stones here and squeeze down to you.” She’d fallen through a crack where the stone had crumbled and come loose, but there was another scent wafting from down below that I didn’t like. “Vallon?” On my knees, I pulled loose a stone as wide as my chest and dropped it aside. “I’m coming.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“I’ve lived a rather quiet, sheltered life away from violence and war,” I added. “You’re fortunate in that regard.” I huffed a small laugh. “I suppose I’m a little shocked that anyone was fighting over me in the first place. That’s never happened, even if it likely had more to do with the guardsmen’s pride than anything else.” Vallon pulled me to a stop and faced me, his large hand wrapped around my forearm. His expression had hardened into sharp, tight angles. “The fact that no male saw fit that you were and are a female worth fighting for is their loss. But I’m here now.” He shifted closer, those crimson eyes bewitching in their intensity. “And I’ll kill anyone who dares to even touch you.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“His gaze wandered over my face. “Don’t be nervous,” he said in that deep timbre of his. “I’m not.” When a sudden wind rustled the leaves, a strand of my hair I’d missed crossed my face and caught on my lip. He lifted his hand, and I didn’t move as he slowly removed the lock with one finger and tucked it behind my ear. His claw gently scraped my scalp, the pad of his finger gliding along the shell of my ear. He watched me with careful scrutiny. Then he scooped me into his arms. I sucked in a breath and quickly wrapped my arms around his neck. “Comfortable?” he asked. As comfortable as I could be in a shadow fae’s arms. I wanted to laugh, but I simply nodded. He looked up, revealing the line of his thick, masculine throat. I was shocked at my sudden desire to bury my face there and inhale deeply of his scent.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Her gaze returned to my wings, and then her brow pursed. “You’re bleeding,” she said on a gulp and pointed over my left shoulder. When I looked, I could just see a trickle of blue from the cut the guard’s sword had made. Rising, I went to my satchel again and removed a vial of antiseptic that our healers in Gadlizel made. I poured some on a clean cloth and stretched out my left wing. I could barely reach the cut, but I could see that the guard’s blade hadn’t gone to the bone. Still, it was wide enough to cause infection. “Damn,” I muttered, reaching back to try and wipe the blue blood still streaming lightly from the wound. “Let me.” I actually startled, finding Murgha standing right next to me. Without a word, I handed her the cloth. “You’ll need to sit down. I can’t reach.” She was quite small, even for a light fae. I sat on the pallet and spread my wing. She stood eye level with the top of my wing. Then she dabbed at the cut, the sting of the medicine sharp, but I didn’t move a muscle. “This needs to be stitched,” she said softly. I looked up at her. “I don’t suppose you know how to stitch wounds.” She swallowed nervously. “I do, actually. I sew all my own clothes, and Papa has needed cuts treated in the past. My sister was always too squeamish to do it.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“I’m serious, you demon,” I spat, my dagger digging into his jaw. He seemed not to care at all. “Don’t come a step closer.” He didn’t, but he did, however, reach out his hand and lift a strand of my long hair. “So soft and pretty,” he murmured, “like silver silk.” I grabbed his wrist with my free hand and pressed the blade to the skin of his throat. His arrogant smile spread wide, the strands of my hair sliding through his fingers. I shivered at the sensation, not understanding why it both disturbed and thrilled me. “Don’t test me,” I warned, injecting as much venom as I could into my voice. “I’ll stab you right through the heart.” His scarlet gaze devoured me with fiery heat, but the timbre of his voice remained steady and cool. “My sweet, of that I am positively”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“This way, female,” I called over my shoulder. She scowled, but followed me, which for some reason made me smile. Anger burned hotly beneath that glower of hers, her thumping heartbeat a sweet, tantalizing thrum in the air. My canines ached at the thought of tasting her. That was unusual. Startling, even. Especially when I let my mind wander to its deeper meaning. But that couldn’t be so.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“poured him more mead then moved to the ambassador, a noble-born Mevian by the name of Rukard. Though I felt his eyes on me, I refused to look at him as I refilled his cup. He was about Papa’s age, some gray at his temples, his long brown hair tied back in a tail. His fancy Mevian silk garb threaded with silver embroidery signified his importance. While I stood next to him, he flared his indigo wings as if he was trying to impress me. The moon fae were the only light fae who had beautiful, iridescent wings, ones that my true father would’ve had. The ambassador’s wings didn’t impress me, nor did his lecherous stare. His two guardsmen both wore the blue and silver armor of Mevia. They were bulkier than the ambassador, of course, and their wings were a deep shade of blue. I”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“I’m glad to hear it. I cannot leave this ship as often as I’d like, but I can visit with you. Visit them, if they’ll have me.” “I think they’re happy on their own, love.” His eyes seemed a little distant, sadness bleeding into his gaze before he shook it free. “It would be best if it was just you and I.” Though it made her sad, she understood. The undines had their own way of life and her people hadn’t made that way of life any easier. It was hard, but it was the right choice. Nodding, she toyed with the ends of his hair. “Will that make you happy? I don’t want to isolate you.” “Oh, you are my love, my mate, my everything,” he breathed. “I would not survive being parted from you again, Alys. Not even in death.” When she drew him in for another kiss, Alys knew that maybe he was right. Maybe they were meant to be together forever. It certainly felt that way. But no matter what, their life would always be an adventure. And there was no one she would rather adventure with than him.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“She didn’t even think it might be another undine. She knew Imber. And her soul knew him, too. The moment there was enough space for him to slip into the room, he was there. His dark head cresting the water and a wicked grin on his face that made every fiber of her being light on fire. He stayed there, floating in the water with his hair plastered against his head, looking like a sea god waiting for her. That grin never budged, and his eyes never moved from her. “Alys,” he said, that deep voice sending shivers down her spine. “You finally came home.” With an ear-piercing shriek, she launched herself into the water. Right into his waiting arms. His laughter echoed through her room, but she didn’t want to hear him laughing. She wanted to kiss him. So she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and did just that. She kissed him with all the desire and waiting that she’d felt for months. It had been such a long time since she’d seen him, and it didn’t matter if he had found someone else or he’d moved on from her. She didn’t want to know.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Alys came down the stairs and filled the room like a ray of sunshine. Her golden hair had been washed and brushed, and he could see it was just as beautiful as it had been when he’d first seen her. Those locks were shiny and smooth, falling around her head in a cascade of golden curls like a waterfall. Her skin was nearly back to normal, although there were still a few red lines at her joints that clearly hadn’t healed just yet. But the dark circles under her lovely eyes were gone, and the bright expression on her face was full of life. Just as he would always remember her. Because this was how she looked the first time he’d met her, and it was that first glimpse that had filled his soul with sunlight. She was so beautiful that it was hard to breathe when he looked at her. And her? She bolted toward the glass the moment she saw him. Ran for him, moving faster than he’d realized her kind could until she was right there. So close he could have touched her if there wasn’t a barrier between them. Just like the first time they’d seen each other, she lifted her hand and pressed it against the glass. So he mirrored her, wishing he could actually touch her. He wanted to hold her and make sure that she was still really alive. He wanted to feel her against his chest, to know without a doubt, she wasn’t broken. She wasn’t still injured.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“All he knew was that it felt as though he’d ripped out his heart when she walked away from him. He had seen the way she stumbled, the way pain had been laced in every single step, and he’d known in that moment he couldn’t leave.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Here we are, wave song.” The nickname shifted into one that warmed her cold bones. It made almost everything all right as he turned her in his arms and pressed their foreheads together again. “Come back to me.” “Always.” “You promise?” She took a deep breath. “I more than promise. I vow to you, here and now, that I will not leave you for any longer than I have to. I will come to our home and I will figure out a way to fix this. I love you, Imber, and I will not be parted from you any longer than is necessary.” He nodded, seeming to understand that she needed him to know that she was telling the truth. Every ounce of her being wanted to be with him, and she suspected it was the same for him.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“It looks like a storm is coming.” “There are always storms, Alys.” “This one looks worse than normal,” she whispered, before turning her tear filled gaze to him. “I’m so sorry, Imber.” “Why are you apologizing?” “Because I’ve only been down here a few days with you and I’m already breaking apart. I’m in pieces. I thought we could...” Imber let out a little grumble before drawing her closer. He pressed their foreheads together, above the sea. The waves caressed her cheeks, and the air made her shiver, even though he lent her some small amount of warmth. Gently, he pulled the cord out of her neck and held onto the back of her head with a fierce grip. “You and I were meant for each other, my wave song. That doesn’t mean this will be easy, or that we will not have to fight for each other. But we will be fine, Alys. You and I are more than the sea and the sky. Will we fight through this, just as we have fought through everything. Now, tell me what you need.” She didn’t want to tell him what she needed because it meant they would be parted. She didn’t know if they would ever see each other again if she did what she knew had to be done. “I need to go back,” she whispered, her voice breaking on the words. “I’m so sorry.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Her body ached, all of her muscles feeling tired in a way that they’d never felt before. She was so thirsty and had a headache blooming behind her eyes that had only happened once before when she’d gone too long without water. But this time it was so much more intense right between her eyes, like her brain was warning her about... something. Her stomach clenched in hunger, but she didn’t know how long it had been since she’d eaten anything. She didn’t even realize that her body was listing to the side until Imber gently propped her up. He pulled her pale, wrinkled hands out of her eyesight. “What is happening to you?” “I think the water...” Alys lifted her shaking hands again, just so she could see the damage. So it wasn’t entirely made up in her own head. “I can’t stay in the water this long. How long has it been?” His concerned gaze focused on her hands before he cleared his throat. “I don’t... I don’t know.” “How many sunrises?” “Three.” “How deep are we?” He shook his head. “I don’t know what that means. There is no measurement for me to give you.” She looked up at the surface, her mind ticking through all the possibilities. She didn’t think she was deep enough to get the bends. It wasn’t likely, anyway. What if all of this made her sick? What if going to the surface made her blood boil and her body just gave up? “Slowly,” she finally whispered. “I need to go to the surface very slowly. Just in case.” “Just in case what?” With a wide-eyed stare, she hoped she conveyed how terrified she was. And to his credit, Imber didn’t question her any more. He just gathered her in his arms and started their ascent.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Why are they just going to watch?” she asked. Her face was redder than he remembered. “You’re all going to stay here and just watch your home get torn apart?” “We mourn for what we lost,” he replied. “We will watch it because it should not die on its own. Just as we stay with those we love when it is their time. Nothing should disappear alone. Not even the place that holds so many memories for us.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“He didn’t want to wake her, so he didn’t. Imber laid there with her draped across his chest, trying to keep his breathing slow and quiet so she wouldn’t wake herself just because of the way he was breathing. He wanted her to sleep for as long as she needed. She’d earned her rest. Even now, he could feel his cocks twitching at the memory. He would love nothing more than to wake her with a slow stroke between her legs, to see her eyes widen with desire and passion.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“didn’t realize your mouth could do that.” He pressed a little harder against her lips, forcing her to open her mouth. “I don’t think I’ll look at it the same way again.” She licked the tip of his finger. “Well, I had to return the favor.” Those eyes darkened, and he sat up. Pulling her with him, he wedged her in his lap and she felt how hard he still was. Impossibly. She hadn’t thought... With a gasp, she froze as he lifted her just enough to put the head of his bottom cock against her entrance. “Wait,” she whispered. “You can still...” “Alys, I have two of them for a reason.” Those dark eyes met hers with an intent stare. “As long as you still wish to...” “Yes!” she blurted a little too quickly. “It’s just, normally, there’s a refractory period.” “A what?” “Men don’t stay hard where I come from.” She reached down and touched the top cock that was still half hard. “There’s some benefit to having you around, I see.” The crooked grin on his face was enough to send a rush of heat between her legs. “Oh, Alys, you have no idea how much you’re going to like having me as your mate.” She should have argued that he wasn’t her mate. That the term was a little too barbaric for her, but she didn’t. Instead, she reveled in the thrill the words sent shooting through her body as his tail suddenly undulated behind her. He looped it around her waist, locking her in place even as the rest of it created a comfortable brace for her back. Then he flexed all those muscles in his tail and the head of him slid inside her. She felt her mouth drop open as she made a little sound of surprise. Even the head of him, and she’d had that in her mouth, was so big. His face contorted with pleasure, those fangs bared as he wedged himself a little deeper, drawing back only to push in a little farther the next time. He eased himself inside her, slowly working over and over again with so much patience that it made her heart race. Throughout it all, he whispered encouragement. “Alys, yes. Breathe, you beautiful woman. Breathe for me, love. Look how well you take me.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“She could only hope he had a cock like a human. Things would be fine if he didn’t. She’d miss certain aspects of that but... her fingers grazed over the area and then he was there. All at once, sliding out from behind the scales and revealing that he definitely had a cock. In fact, he had two. “Two,” she whispered, taken a little aback by the discovery. He looked down his body at her, still laid out on the sands like a banquet she could feast upon whenever she wanted. And he looked... nervous. “Is that a surprise?” “Definitely.” She needed to maybe not stare at him with such wide-eyed shock. But two of them.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Biting her lip, she eyed the nervous expression on his face before deciding she knew what to do. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” she whispered, planting her hands against his chest and giving him a little shove. He didn’t fight her. Imber rolled onto his back, allowing her to straddle him and to gently move their connection to her right. She wanted that cord within sight, but she also didn’t want to think about it. Distractions had no place here. Then she forgot about the dangers of being underwater and instead focused on the handsome creature splayed out underneath her. She skated her fingers over his chest, letting her fingers dip into the hollows where muscles created shadows. He was warmer than she expected. Normally, he was a rather chilly creature to touch. But every time she pressed down on a new muscle, or moved farther down his body, he seemed to radiate even more heat. As she watched, the gills on the side of his neck flared out, shaking just a bit with nerves or perhaps with want. “Alys,” he murmured, licking his lips as his eyes went even darker. “I don’t know that you’ll like what you find.” “Hm?” She leaned down and flicked one of his rib gills with her tongue. “I don’t know why or how you’re still thinking.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“I am...” He cleared his throat. “Not like your kind.” “I know,” she replied with a gleam in her eyes. “And I’m looking forward to seeing how different you are, Imber.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“Come home with me?” he asked. She found it was hard to do anything other than nod against his chest and mourn the loss of her old life. Even as she felt a spark of excitement to see her new one.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“I want you,” she moaned against his lips. “I don’t care how or why this has happened. I want you.” And maybe, just maybe, he wanted her as much as she did him. Like she’d unleashed a shark, he descended upon her. She only had a few moments to realize they were sinking to the sands before her back hit them. A plume of sand covered her vision for a brief moment before his gills fluttered hard enough to push it all away from her. He loomed over her, a dark shadow with a frame of the sea behind him. “I have wanted to taste you for such a long time,” he growled, his voice low and guttural. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know how he would taste her, but... Sure. If that’s what he wanted to do. Nodding frantically, she wrapped an arm around his neck and kissed him again. Arching into him, wanting whatever he would give her. “Then taste me.” He groaned, his body going rigid under her touch. “We are not a gentle people, Alys.” “I don’t want gentle.” “I don’t know how to do this the way your people do, maybe...” She leaned away from him, a full-blown glare on her face. “Do you want me?” “Yes.” The word wrenched out of him like she had pulled it out of his heart. “More than anything.” “Then touch me how you want. Taste me how you want. I don’t even know what that means, but I’m telling you that nothing you do will feel wrong.” She kissed him again, sweeter this time, but with no less desire. “No one has done this before, Imber. I think it’s safe to say that anything we do will be new for the both of us.” He shook his head, gliding his lips over hers. “I don’t want to hurt you.” “I’ll tell you if it hurts.” She didn’t think any of it could”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“How?” she whispered, realizing that air was still exiting her mouth. Every time she spoke, a few bubbles popped out as well. That meant there was air in her lungs. But... The prick at the side of her neck. She watched Imber’s eyes widen with brief horror before his clawed fingers touched the side of her neck. “I don’t... I don’t know how I did that.” She reached up her hand to touch his and realized there was a small tendril stuck to the side of her neck. Shifting her head from side to side, she realized she could almost feel it in her throat. Just a little hint that there was a foreign body somehow inside her. She watched his chest rise and fall with a surprised breath, and she felt her own mimic his. “Are you... breathing for me?” she asked, her voice little more than a whisper. “I don’t know.” It was the only explanation, and yet she didn’t know how that was possible. He couldn’t breathe for her underwater. It wasn’t scientifically possible and yet, here it was. She was underwater. With him. Not drowning even though her mouth piece had long been on the ground at her feet and... and... “Wow,” she whispered. “I didn’t know we could do this.” “Neither did I.” The shock had already faded from his eyes, though. He reached for her, his claws tangling in her long skirts as he dragged her closer to him. “But now you can be here without fear for your life. You can live under the water with me.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology

“I want to stay with you.” Like it was that easy. Like it was just a choice they both had to make. Like they could choose to do this together and the world would change with them. His dark eyes lit up as if she’d given him the moon. His hands closed tighter around her waist, drawing her closer and closer to him until he pulled off her mouth piece and kissed her. And oh, it didn’t matter then. Nothing mattered because he was kissing her, she was in his arms, and the ridiculous decision she had just made was for the both of them. Not just for herself. A small prick at the side of her neck distracted her for a split second before his tongue swept into her mouth. Then nothing mattered. Because he had coaxed her to follow him, trailing her own tongue along the sharp points of his deadly teeth. He showed her again how deadly he was, how dangerous, and yet how gently he would treat her for the rest of her days if she trusted him. Gods, she could love this undine. She could dedicate her entire life to making him happy just to feel the plush press of his lips to hers. “I adore you,” he said, his words eerily close to what she had just been thinking. “I want to keep you, Alys. I’ve wanted to keep you from the first moment I saw you. You are... everything. You know that, don’t you?” “Sure,” she breathed against his lips. “I don’t know if I’ll ever believe that, but I want you. I want to stay. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, even if that’s an insane thing to say.”
― Juliette Cross, The Lovely Dark: A Monster Romance Anthology