Chapter 1976: Drink Deeply

Ashlynn’s heartbeat echoed loudly in Nyrielle’s chest as she hovered with her fangs above her lover’s neck.

Her midnight eyes grew larger, filling with the midnight of the night sky as she allowed the hunger within to rise to the surface. Her soft, pink tongue licked across her dark, purple lips, savoring the anticipation of the sumptuous meal before her.

The water of the bath was warm and fragrant, filling the air with lavender-scented steam that gave everything a hazy, dreamy quality. In the hearth, logs of cedar burned, cracked and popped, adding to the rich, evergreen scent that accompanied Ashlynn everywhere she went.

At some point in the past year, that scent had come to mean many things to Nyrielle. It teased at her passions and desires, tickling her nose the way the aroma of freshly baked cakes taunted the living, promising delights waiting to be devoured. It wrapped around her like a cozy blanket on a cold winter day, offering warmth and comfort.

More than anything, it was a scent that reminded her, along with the echo of Ashlynn’s heartbeat in her chest, that she was no longer alone. Here, when the scent that belonged only to Ashlynn filled her nose, and her lover’s soft, silky hair tickled her cheek, she could be the one thing she hadn’t allowed herself to be since the death of her parents...

She could be vulnerable.

Every bit as vulnerable as the woman baring her neck and awaiting her bite.

"I want to drink deeply, my love," Nyrielle breathed, feeling the shiver run down Ashlynn’s spine as their bodies pressed together. "Deeply enough that you may need to stop me..."

"That’s what I’m offering," Ashlynn said, meeting Nyrielle’s midnight gaze with an unflinchingly affectionate stare. Her plump, bow-shaped lips curled into a smile as she stretched up, ever so slightly, to bestow a kiss on Nyrielle’s lips, pulling back before Nyrielle could capture her mouth for a deeper kiss.

"Take what you desire," Ashlynn said, turning her head away again. Her hands left Nyrielle’s to pull her wet, blonde hair aside before she let it drift on the surface of the water beside her like a floating, golden fan. "I promise to speak if it becomes too much. I’ll hold back so you don’t have to..."

"Then prepare yourself, my darling," Nyrielle said. "Because it has been too long since I’ve had my fill of you..."

Before Ashlynn could say another word, Nyrielle’s fangs sank into her skin, piercing Ashlynn’s pale, peachy flesh and spilling hot, crimson blood into her mouth.

"Mmmmm..." Ashlynn moaned as the first waves of pleasure crashed over her body. The sounds of sudden splashes filled the air as Ashlynn momentarily lost control of her limbs, but it was hard to care when she felt like this. Like a satin string had run from her most intimate of areas, through her chest and heart until it reached Nyrielle’s lips and... pulled.

Soft sucking sounds filled Ashlynn’s ears while Nyrielle’s left hand traced down Ashlynn’s chest, following the swell of her breast until it reached her sternum, then moving lower still. Nyrielle’s touch was feather-light as her fingers danced among the water droplets on Ashlynn’s toned, trim waist before dipping even lower to tease their way between her lover’s thighs.

Ashlynn’s hands plunged beneath the surface of the water, seeking something, anything, to hold on to as she fought to keep herself from drifting away. There, just behind her hips, she found Nyrielle’s slender, alabaster thighs, and she clung to them like a woman clinging to a tree in a storm.

The taste of Ashlynn’s blood as it flowed across Nyrielle’s tongue was like the sweet sap of a maple tree mixed with the heady richness of full-bodied wine.

Every emotion had its flavor, and Ashlynn’s devotion was like a smooth, warm honey. Deep and complex, with layers of slightly peppery concern, floral gratitude, and almost earthy reliance. Ashlynn’s love could never be expressed as just one thing, and Nyrielle drank in every distinct drop of it, feasting on the purity of what Ashlynn offered her.

Rich, almost chocolatey desire blended with the honey-sweetness, tempered by the faintest bitterness that accompanied her lover’s restraint. Ashlynn was unwilling to surrender to the moment, even as she gave all of herself to her lover, because to surrender while Nyrielle indulged freely was to court disaster and death.

One of them would always need to hold back in these moments, but while Ashlynn couldn’t surrender her mind, she completely surrendered her body, pressing against Nyrielle’s fingers as she craved more and more of her lover’s touch...

Nyrielle’s heart thundered in her chest, growing louder and louder as she felt more and more... alive. The soft, muted colors of her marble bathing chamber felt brighter and clearer to her eyes, and every soft, gentle curve of Ashlynn’s body seemed to sing to her, like great mountains and hidden valleys begging to be explored.

"Ahhhh," Ashlynn cried out, biting her lower lip as her body shook with passion and pleasure. Her toes curled up, and her hands dug deeply enough into Nyrielle’s thighs that for a moment, she worried that her fingernails would draw blood.

"MMmmmmm," Ashlynn moaned as she rode the sensation, like a ship riding a cresting wave on the sea. Nyrielle’s fingers worked their delicate magic on her in a way that had nothing to do with witchcraft or sorcery, but with each bit of gentle pressure, she pulled Ashlynn to the crest of higher and higher waves.

"Too much," Ashlynn said softly as she felt her body begin to grow weak. Her limbs felt heavier, and she lost the strength of her grip on Nyrielle’s legs. The edges of her vision went red, and a thrumming, rushing sound filled her ears, drowning out the sound of water splashing in the bath.

"St-stop here, my love," Ashlynn said, reaching up out of the bath with one arm. It felt like she was moving slowly, so slowly as her hand traced up Nyrielle’s lithe, alabaster back before reaching her dark, inky black hair. As soon as her fingers reached the hair at the back of Nyrielle’s neck, Ashlynn grabbed tightly and tugged with what felt like the strength of a kitten.

"Stop," Ashlynn said again firmly, forcing herself to focus on the moment despite her body’s increasing desire to surrender. "Stop now..."

With a soft pop sound, Nyrielle pulled her lips free of Ashlynn’s neck, but she didn’t stop tending to her lover’s needs. Her soft, pink tongue teased at the wound, licking away every last drip of spilled blood and leaving behind a faintly pinkish, freshly healed wound.

Meanwhile, her hands moved again, wrapping around Ashlynn and pulling her into a warm, tight embrace.

"I love you, my darling," Nyrielle whispered in Ashlynn’s ear from close enough that her silky lips brushed against the curve of Ashlynn’s ear. "All of you. Always and forever."

"And I love you," Ashlynn replied, closing her eyes as she allowed herself to sink into the warmth of the bath and Nyrielle’s embrace. Their hearts beat as one now, perfectly in sync as Ashlynn felt her very life flowing through Nyrielle’s veins. "With all that I am, and all that I’ll ever be..."