Caralee had never known such freedom — it was as if she were living within the fabric of a dream, a dream stitched together with threads of speed, sensation, and vibrant color. The night world rushed past her in a blur of vivid hues, each tree trunk, each jutting boulder, every shifting shadow standing clear and defined to her newly awakened senses. She slipped effortlessly through the darkness, her body responding with a grace and precision she had never thought possible. She ducked, twisted, dived, hurdled fences as if they were nothing but ripples upon a stream.
Obstacles became nothing more than a dance of instinct — a tilt of her shoulder here, a coiled spring in her legs there — and with every leap and dodge, her smile grew wider. A wild, untamed joy surged within her, and for a fleeting moment, she mourned the stillness of her heart. How marvelous it would have been to feel it pounding against her ribs, driving her forward like a war drum into the arms of the night.
It was nothing short of magic.
The scent of the sea drifted toward her on the breath of the wind, cool and damp. She could taste the salt on her lips before she heard the cries of gulls and the distant rumble of crashing waves. Slowing her pace, she turned, half-expecting to find Merrick mere steps behind her. Her heart—had it still beat—might have fluttered at the thought of his inevitable teasing, his sharp smile.
But there was only darkness. Merrick was nowhere in sight.
The first tendrils of fear crept coldly along her spine. She swept the streets with her sharp eyes, seeking refuge from the gaze of any wandering humans. Slipping into the mouth of a narrow alley, she pressed her back against a brick wall, drawing in a breath out of habit. It brought little comfort, but the motion—so human, so familiar—grounded her. She closed her eyes, allowing the night's air to sweep across her cheeks, the salt licking her skin like a ghost's touch.
Memory seized her.
Auralia's touch — the impossibly soft feel of her lips, the sweetness of her blood, the innocent desperation in her kiss — came rushing back in an intoxicating flood. Caralee's hand drifted upward, her fingertips brushing against her own mouth, as if she could recapture the taste, the texture, the gentleness of it. Every inch of Auralia had been tender, delicate, yielding.
So unlike Merrick.
The memory of Merrick's first claiming surged to the forefront of her mind — the rawness of it, the commanding force behind his every movement, the wildness that no amount of restraint could fully conceal. Even when he sought to be gentle, he carried the inevitable edge of danger, like a wolf pretending to sheath its fangs. And Caralee, against all reason, craved that edge.
The heat bloomed inside her once more, spreading from her core in a slow, sultry wave.
A voice, deep and unmistakable, shattered her reverie.
"That look on your face tells me exactly what you are thinking, my sweet."
She startled violently, a small gasp escaping her lips before laughter followed. Relief washed over her in a giddy rush as she turned to see Merrick's familiar form emerging from the shadows. Without hesitation, she flung herself into his arms, wrapping herself around him like ivy seeking the sun. She stretched up on tiptoe, seeking his mouth, and he met her halfway, bending to capture her lips with his own.
The kiss grew heated almost immediately, her hunger igniting at the brush of his mouth against hers. Merrick pulled away with a low chuckle, his eyes gleaming mischievously as he glanced around.
"Come now," he said, voice laced with promise. "Let us get to our chambers, so I can help you relive those memories you seem to be savoring."
Caralee blushed deeply, her head falling forward to rest against his broad chest, surrendering herself into his care. In a blink, the world became a blur once more as Merrick whisked her away, his speed dizzying.
When the world settled again, they stood in the familiar stone-walled room without windows, the air heavy with the scent of old stone and faintly of salt. Merrick gave her a moment to gather her bearings before moving to the foot of the bed, sinking onto it with a casual grace that belied the tension simmering beneath his surface.
His gaze — intense, penetrating — found hers and held it captive. Caralee's breath caught in her throat. How strange, how utterly strange it was to think that only days ago this man had been the source of her terror, her dread. Now, that fear had twisted into something far more dangerous: longing.
As Merrick's sharp gaze raked over her, a heavy heat pooled between her thighs, making her legs tremble slightly. She blushed furiously, but one look at the knowing smirk tugging at Merrick's lips told her that he was fully aware of the effect he had on her.
"Caralee," he began, his voice low, deliberate, "things will not always be this simple."
The shadow that fell over his expression unsettled her. A tight knot formed in her chest. She furrowed her brow in silent question.
"You don't understand yet," he continued, "and I do not wish for you to. Not tonight." His voice softened fractionally, but the weight of his words still pressed upon her like a heavy cloak. "There are truths waiting for you, my sweet. Hard truths. And you will have your answers in time. But not tonight."
Caralee parted her lips to protest, but he silenced her with a simple, commanding lift of his hand.
"Just listen."
The authority in his voice brooked no disobedience, and Caralee found herself nodding automatically. A shiver traced her spine, a visceral reminder that he was her sire — and that some part of her, the part now tied irrevocably to him, would always obey. That fact drove a dread into her body that settled deep within her bones.
"I do not wish to control you," he said, more gently now. "Please, listen."
His softer smile eased the invisible leash around her, and she nodded once more, this time of her own volition. The approval in Merrick's smile was like sunlight breaking through mist.
"All of these concerns, these questions, can wait," he murmured. "Tonight, I just wish to make this moment last a little longer. I want you to experience all the beauty, all the wonder, of what you are becoming—before the world demands you become what you were destined to be."
Confusion furrowed Caralee's brow deeper, but Merrick only laughed, a low, warm sound that sent tingles racing over her skin.
"Can we not simply enjoy tonight?" he asked, moving with shocking speed to close the distance between them. He cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking the delicate skin beneath her eye, his gaze tender yet pleading. "Can you not simply be mine, for this moment alone?"
The vulnerability he allowed her to glimpse — so rare, so raw — stole the words from her throat. Perhaps it was an act. Perhaps it was real. She could not say, nor did she care. He was offering her exactly what her heart, her body, so desperately craved.
She smiled up at him and nodded.
The approval in his eyes was immediate and electrifying. He caught her mouth in a kiss so deep, so consuming, that she felt herself melting into him. And then, with a sly flick of his hand, he gestured toward her.
"Good. Now disrobe."
The command was delivered casually, but the air between them charged instantly. Caralee froze for a heartbeat, stunned anew by her own vulnerability. Beneath his robe, she wore nothing — a fact he was clearly well aware of.
Merrick's voice sharpened slightly. "Caralee, I intend to take you," he said plainly, brooking no misunderstanding. "I will not waste time with coyness. I plan to make you feel the fire of a fresh feed coursing through your veins, and I will not ask again."
A thrilling chill chased the warning down her spine. She hesitated only for a breath longer, wondering briefly — dangerously — what would happen if she forced him to repeat himself. But the look in his eyes, dark and ravenous, quelled any foolish notions.
With trembling hands, she reached up, untied the robe's delicate fastenings, and let it slip from her shoulders. The heavy fabric pooled silently at her feet, leaving her utterly, gloriously bare under his hungry gaze.
For a long, charged moment, Merrick did nothing but devour her with his eyes, every inch of her laid bare for him. A low, primal growl rumbled from deep within his chest. Crooking one finger, he beckoned her forward, and Caralee obeyed without hesitation — her heart, her soul, and her newly immortal body aching to belong to him. For tonight, at least, that's exactly what she was. She belonged to him. That one single concept filled her with heat that blazed under his gaze. It was exquisite.