She raised her head so that her emerald eyes could search his face. “You could do it. Make me like you. Then you could rest without worry. Sleep the way you’re supposed to sleep. Just do it, Darius. Take my blood, and give me yours. I want you to live.”
There was resolve in her voice, in her mind, yet her slender body was trembling at the enormity of what she was going to do. Her thoughts were centered only on him, on his well-being. Darius groaned, fighting the selfish beast, the one that wanted it all—his lifemate, the fires of ecstasy burning between them for all eternity. She didn’t realize what it would cost her. The sun. The blood. The hunters. Humans abhorring what she would become. Even the danger of such an experiment.
His fingers crushed her hair in his hands. “We cannot, Tempest. We cannot even consider such an action. Do not bring this up again, as I do not know if I have the strength to refuse such a temptation.”
Her hand stroked his face, sending living flames piercing his body until he could think of nothing but possessing her. “I’ve thought a lot about it, Darius, and it’s the only way. If I was like you, there would be no need for you to worry about my safety. I could be with you in the ground.”
He felt the hard slam of her heart when she said it, saw the mental image of the earth closing over her head, of being buried alive. She pushed the thought away, but her pulse was racing.
He caught her hand to still her caressing fingers before he lost all good sense. Her scent was beckoning him; his body was hard and full with need. His mouth could actually taste her, the hot, tempting spice of her blood. He had never wanted anything more. “I will not even consider such a thing, Tempest. The danger to you is too great. I have made the decision to live as humanly as possible. I am willing to age as you age, to die when you die. Converting you is a risk I am not willing to take.”
“Watching your health and strength slowly dwindle is not something I’m willing to do, Darius,” she protested, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her fingers settled over his buttocks and began a slow, erotic motion that threatened to turn him inside out. “I’m not making an impulsive decision without thought. I’ve really given this a good amount of consideration. It’s the only answer for us. The only thing that makes sense.” Her mouth skimmed over his chest, her tongue lapping at his nipples, lazily tracing a bead of water to his flat stomach, swirling around his belly button so that every muscle in his body cried out for her.
“You have not thought it through.” His voice was a husky ache of need. Unable to stop himself, his hand skimmed over her satin skin, moved up to cup the soft weight of her breast, his thumb stroking her erect nipple so that she shivered and pressed into him. “You cannot abide closed-in places. The thought of being buried in the earth is repulsive to you. Your mind cannot deal with the idea of drinking blood.”
Darius had thought to make her wince with that deliberately graphic image, but she seemed preoccupied with catching a drop of water that was sliding over the tip of his throbbing erection. Her tongue sent a storm of fire surging through him, like a wild wind out of control. Her mouth was tight and hot and so exquisite, he bunched fistfuls of her hair in his hands, holding her there for a long moment, somewhere between agony and ecstasy.
He felt his hunger rise, the need to dominate, to take what was his, to feed on her voraciously, to feel her mouth taking him into her body as a true lifemate should. His fangs lengthened dangerously, and the beast fought for freedom. She had committed herself to him. It had been her idea. He could take her without guilt, bring her into his world and have her for all time. The temptation was so great, he forced her head up, his hands wrapped in her hair, her soft throat vulnerable and open for his assault.
She went to him willingly, without the slightest fear of him, lifting her chin to give him better access. At once Darius spun her around so that her back was to him. Locking her to him with one strong arm, he buried his face in her shoulder, breathing hard, breathing away the temptation beating at him so fiercely.
For the second time that he could remember, tears slid down his face and mingled with the water running down her shoulders. He ached to have her, to taste her, to teach her his ways. But more than that, he was humbled that she would make such an offering. That she could love him enough to come willingly into his life.
It wasn’t as if she accepted or acknowledged to herself that she loved him. She hadn’t even shared his mind enough to know him as he knew her. That was what made her gift so incredible to him. Her complete acceptance, her willingness to put his life, his health, before her own. He knew every one of her fears. He dwelt in her mind. Yet she was willing to give up everything she knew so that he would live safely the way he was meant to. No one had ever thought to protect him or put his needs first, not in all the long centuries of his existence. He doubted if anyone had given a thought to his desires. It was his duty to provide for the others, to hunt, to protect, to guide, to control. It simply was.
Tempest was offering him unconditional love. She didn’t recognize it for what it was; she didn’t think about it. He needed something, and she was willing to move heaven and earth to provide it for him. He read her determination easily. And she was quite capable of seducing him into it. He wanted it. He needed it. He hungered for it.
“Baby,” he whispered softly, his teeth scraping back and forth on the soft temptation of her pulse. “I will not put you in danger. I cannot risk your life. If I did this thing and something went wrong, we would both be lost. Thank you for your willingness to give me such a great gift, but I cannot accept. I cannot.” He was humbled by her, humbled by his own overwhelming love for her.
“It has been done before, Darius. If you fear my reaction, I have thought up solutions to some of the problems. You could put me to sleep before we go into the ground, at least until such time as my brain is accepting of your way of life.”
He resolutely turned off the water, needing a reprieve from the seduction of her offer. “That is true, Tempest, but—”
“Wait before you protest. Twice now you have given me your blood. I didn’t even know you did it. You can provide for me while I learn your ways. It shouldn’t be that difficult.” As he wrapped her in a towel, she caught his hand, held his palm against her breast. “I am already half in your world and half in mine, at home nowhere. You can’t live without your strength, and I can’t bear to see it drained away from you. It isn’t what you were meant for. There is greatness in you, Darius.”
He smiled, his black eyes softening, the hard edges of his mouth tender. “And what of you? Do you think yourself less than me that you must sacrifice so for me?”
She shook her head hastily to disabuse him of that notion. “Of course not. In fact, I think you need me around to keep you from being an arrogant, overbearing dictator, to keep you on the straight and narrow.”
“Overbearing dictator?” he echoed, male amusement sliding into the velvet timbre of his voice. He nuzzled the nape of her neck.
“Exactly.” The smile faded from her face, leaving her solemn. “I’m not like other people, Darius. I’ve never fit in anywhere. I don’t know if this will work out between us, but if you can manage not to try to rule every aspect of my life, I’m willing to try. I know I want to be with you. I know I’m not afraid of you or your people.”
His eyebrows shot up at her blatant lie.
“Oh, shut up.” She threw a towel at him. “Don’t look at me like that. I know you would never hurt me. Never, Darius. I don’t believe in too many things, but I believe in you.” She looked around for clean clothes and was disappointed when she realized she hadn’t thought to bring any with her. Fatigue was crowding in, pushing out her need to convince him. She wanted to lie down and sleep for a week.