He took advantage of my retort, sliding his tongue into my mouth and stealing my breath away. I nearly bit down, then remembered what that did in my dreams. His blood made me crazy with lust.
No.
Allowing his kiss made more sense.
Only, I didn’t want any of this, even if my body seemed to crave his touch.
I returned to my inner search, navigating the complex webs of my mental state for anything out of place. When I found nothing, I dove into my soul, desperately seeking out my link to earth.
So dark.
Black.
Wrong.
Wait, what’s that? A glint of cerulean blue light caught my focus, drawing me nearer. It blended into the inky abyss but began to glitter as I approached. Tugging on the thread, I followed it into the deep recesses of my spirit.
A chill slithered over me, followed by a wave of warmth as Shade deepened our embrace. For as much as I hated him, I had to admit the male knew how to work his tongue. I couldn’t help responding, my body arching into his as if being pulled upward by a string.
“I hate you,” I muttered against his mouth.
“You’ve said that before,” he acknowledged.
“And I’ve admitted to hating myself for what I’ve had to do to you.”
“Yet you won’t tell me why.”
“Because I can’t.” He recaptured my lips, silencing our conversation, and drew his palms up my sides as if memorizing my body for the first time. And maybe he was. I really had no way of knowing if he visited my dreams or if they were all in my mind.
I couldn’t even tell if this was real or not.
The glimmer of cerulean drew me deeper, dividing my focus between Shade’s touch and the mysterious puzzle unfolding inside my soul. Something was unraveling, a lock of sorts that I seemed to be distorting with this odd wisp of beautiful blue.
“I can feel that,” Shade whispered. “Whatever it is you’re doing.”
I ignored him.
He couldn’t possibly be this deep into my soul.
Dancing in the darkest recesses of my being.
“We’re mates,” he added. “My bite sealed us together for eternity. The sooner you accept that, the better.”
“I’m not a Midnight Fae,” I replied, irritated all over again.
“Are you sure about that?” he countered, causing me to blink up at him.
The smoke had dissipated, allowing me to catch his azure irises. I am pressed up against a tree, I thought, finally able to see my surroundings.
We weren’t anywhere near the bonfire.
So either he’d teleported us or I was lost in a dream state again.
“Release me, Shadow.”
“I can’t.”
“That seems to be your favorite phrase,” I replied coldly. “You can’t tell me why you bit me. You can’t release me. You can’t explain—”