Rae Lori

TOUCH THE DARK

A Kiss of Ashen Twilight ~ Rae Lori

“Worlds collide when a Nightwalker and Fae fall in love.”

A Kiss of Ashen Twilight Excerpt

“Ariya.”

At the sound of her name, she immediately turned to Jace. The look in his eyes and the subtle tremor of his hungry voice alerted her of what he really needed. Blood.

Right away she pulled her curly hair away to bare her neck to him.

“Take me,” she whispered. Her warm breath caressed his hot, broken skin.

“No, Ariya,” he said weakly. “I can’t take your life. I’ve never—”

I’ve never fed before without killing in the process.

She silenced him, leaning down to press her lips against his in a kiss. “I trust you,” she whispered into his mouth in a kiss.

I can’t chance it, Ariya, his words echoed in her mind.

Ariya remembered his words about the feed.

With the right person, it is highly pleasurable, but potentially deadly. It’s hard to put into words the heights of bliss one rises to as they are pushed to the edge of death. Unless they share the experience with me, apparently. Then they don’t survive at all.

She sensed him tense with her remembrance and a wash of fear fell over him at the risk. Despite it all, she couldn’t let him die here. She refused to stand by and lose another person. This was the only option, even if she had to force her blood in his mouth to help him stay alive.

His understanding was confirmed as she felt his cold, yet gentle, touch. His hand caressed her skin in reluctant movement as he reached out to cradle her head. Pulling her down to him, he entangled his fingers with her tight, curly locks and sharply sucked in a gulp of air before speaking.

“Ariya, please forgive me.” Jace gripped a handful of locks in a tight fist and opened his mouth to reveal his white, shiny fangs.

With a soft growl from deep within his throat, he sunk his teeth into the soft skin of her neck.

Pain shot throughout her body, mixing with waves of pleasure. Jace held onto her as he fed, taking with her blood not only energy to revive him, but her very essence that mixed with his own. It drained into him as he took more and more.

Ariya’s blood was on fire with a passion she had never felt before. Sensual pleasure shot straight to her core. She wanted more. She needed to have more of him.

Just when she thought her body was ready to explode, he released her and she fell back on the sandy ground with shallow breaths.

Jace’s hands curled into claws and his back arched as he released a loud thunderous roar. His body regenerated itself right before her eyes from a scalded, damaged figure to his youthful, pale handsome form. His breath slowed until he calmed as the night stilled around them. He didn’t waste another moment before rushing over to Ariya.

“Ariya—” He grabbed her arms and helped her sit up. Gently, he caressed the two puncture wounds he had made on her neck.

The pain dissipated under his touch and when Ariya brushed her finger over the tender area, she found it smooth, as if he had never fed. How did he do that?

“Jace?” she said, her voice weak even to her own ears.

“Yes, baby. It’s me.” He brushed his fingers against her hair, smiling as he gave a gentle laugh.

Sirens loomed in the distance and the spell between them had been broken.

“Looks like that’s our cue,” Rich said with a gruff edge to his tone.

Jace looked up at his Uncle watching them in silence. “Uncle, I know you don’t condone–”

Julian held up his hand, silencing Jace. “We’ll discuss this later. Come, you can rest at the Ashen Twilight House.”

Rich tapped Gael’s chest before gesturing to their waiting vehicles.

Gael nodded in response. “We need to clear out before the Mortal law enforcers show up with tons of questions.”

Car engines started up like a musical symphony followed by a succession of doors opening and closing. Jace scooped Ariya up into his arms and rushed over to a nearby limo where Rich held the back door open.

Jace froze as something dawned on him. “Your bike.”

Rich waved him away. “Uncle’s got it taken care of. Come on.”

Jace climbed in the back, settling across from Gael while he set Ariya down in the seat next to him. Rich tapped the top of the limo in short succession before climbing in to join them. As soon as he closed his door, the limo started on its way.

Ariya shifted position to rest on Jace’s chest as he embraced her. Wrapping her arms around his torso, she exhaled softly, finally feeling the weight of the night’s events slip away.

“She lived,” Rich said, smiling proudly.

Jace nodded. “That she did.”

“You know what this could mean?” Gael leaned forward, folding his hands while resting his elbows on his knees.

Jace didn’t respond and Ariya wondered what he was thinking after hearing Gael’s question. As he looked down to meet her gaze, realization struck him like the heat of the sun’s rays on his cold skin.

After tonight and the act they shared, Jace knew his immortal days had been changed forever.