Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

again. She could feel something different inside. She was . . . more. Evolving.
     Tied to him. She never wanted to let him go. It seemed as if there were millions of
     tiny threads weaving them together.
    Dax brushed kisses over her eyes. “ Ainaak terád vigyázak. You are always in my care.”
    Her body shuddering, Riley forced herself to find the energy to lift her hand to his
     face. His impossibly long lashes were wet. She touched the tips gently.
    He turned his head to catch her fingers in his mouth, sucking gently before releasing
     her. “The binding ritual is our version of marriage, only more permanent. It binds
     your soul to mine. Perhaps I should have waited until you really have more of a concept
     of what you’re getting into. It’s no excuse, but I don’t want to be alone again, Riley.”
    “Neither do I,” she assured, blinking back tears. “I want this. No matter what happens,
     Dax, I choose to be with you. You warned me there would be no going back. I’m prepared
     for that.”
    He rolled over, taking her with him, so that she sprawled across his chest. Riley
     buried her face in the junction between his neck and shoulder, exhausted. She was
     certain when she was alone, she would be aghast at the enormity of her decision, but
     she clung to him, one hand in his hair while the other smoothed over his chest.
    Dax wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. “Are you going to sleep?”
    “Yes. You can gather the flowers for Gary and Jubal,” she said. “I’m not moving for
     the rest of the night.”
    Dax laughed softly and brushed a kiss on top of her head. “As you wish, my lady.”

14
    R iley woke just before sunset. How she knew it was only minutes away, she wasn’t certain,
     but there was no doubt in her mind exactly when the sun would sink from the sky. She thought the continual drone of the insects
     might have woken her, the sound seemed so amplified in her head she clapped her hands
     over her ears. Birds flitted overhead in the trees, the squawking and chattering much
     louder than normal as they prepared for a long night of predators hunting them. Everything was so much louder, including several of the men’s snoring.
    Her hand hurt, and when she lifted it to inspect it, it was quite swollen. A spider,
     or some insect had clearly bitten her and she had an allergic reaction. She couldn’t
     remember having allergies to bites, but in the rain forest, she knew the insects could
     carry all sorts of venom. She would have to do something about it. Her first aid kit
     was in her backpack.
    Annoyed, she sat up in her hammock and surveyed the campground. Her body was deliciously
     sore in places she hadn’t known she had. Her heart was pounding a little bit too hard
     at the enormity of what she’d done—giving herself to Dax. She wasn’t irritated with
     anyone but herself.
    She had to be honest, she’d practically thrown herself at him. He’d even tried to
     talk her out of it. In truth, counting actual days, she’d barely met him, but she
     felt as if she knew him better than she’d known anyone in her life. Sharing his mind,
     she learned so much about him.
    Riley bit down hard on her thumb, scraping her teeth back and forth along the nail,
     trying to reconcile her staid little life with her behavior in the rain forest. Was
     she going to go all stupid and regret such an amazing, incredible, hot first time? It wasn’t as if she was in high school. She was a college professor for
     heaven’s sake. If she wanted to have sex with the hottest vampire hunter in the rain
     forest, she certainly didn’t have to be ashamed of it.
    Was she ashamed? Hell no. She would never regret giving herself to him, but it hadn’t been just her body.
     With a little sigh she shoved long tendrils of hair that had worked their way out
     of her braid away from her face. She blushed at the memory of Dax pulling out the
     thick weave, at the memory of his hands in her hair. He had been the one to braid
     it again, right after he’d collected the flowers for Gary. She’d remained sprawled
     out naked on the bed, too exhausted to move. Again she felt the color rising into
     her face.
    If it had been just sex she’d had with Dax, she wouldn’t be so nervous. She’d given
     him her heart and soul. Basically she’d jumped off a cliff and had no idea if there
     was a safety net. He’d shatter her if he didn’t feel the same way about her that she
     felt about him. And there