But not tonight. Dawn couldn’t think another thought. Her body was giving into exhaustion. She craved sleep. Asher too, was worn out. He had been tortured and near death and brought back to life by Shane and Aylona’s blood.
Dawn breathed out. She snuggled further against Asher. She knew this was where she wanted to be. Beside him. It was the first time she had ever fallen asleep with him. She just hoped it wouldn’t be the last.
Chapter 16
After a week of deliberation, Dawn knew what she was going to do. Shane had already approached her and asked her if she wanted to leave. He wasn’t going to force her to do anything. However, if she didn’t choose Asher, it would be safer for her to go out and find her own apartment and live a separate life. Shane would take her memories then.
It was the darkest week of Dawn’s life. She couldn’t focus. Every single ounce of her mental power was spent trying to decide what decision to make. How could she leave and face never seeing Asher again? How could she stay and give up her family and friends? Perhaps not give them up, as Asher pointed out, but watch them age and die?
If she chose Asher, there was no going back. She would be a vampire. She would drink blood and belong to the night. She would be a part of a species that was on the verge of extinction.
Whatever choice she made, Dawn knew she was going to lose. Her heart was being ripped in two.
Dawn had told Shane she needed a week to make her decision. As darkness fell she expected a knock at her bedroom door and it finally came.
“Come in,” she said in a whisper.
Shane entered. His face was as serious as she had ever seen it before. There was a grave expression in his eyes. He knew what this was doing to her. He could sense her tangled emotions and feel the anguish she emitted.
“Have you made a decision?” His voice was low and pained.
Dawn didn’t move from her perch at the edge of the bed. She glanced up and nodded slowly. Shane stood awkwardly in front of her, hands balled into fists at his sides. “I have. I want to be with Asher. I want him to turn me into a vampire.”
Shane’s face remained devoid of emotion. He didn’t blink or make any movement that gave away what he was thinking. “You are prepared to sacrifice your life for Asher’s destiny? To become his mate?”
Dawn’s eyes met Shane’s blue ones. She nodded firmly. “I don’t see it as sacrificing my life for him. I want to do this because I love him. There isn’t a single part of me that wouldn’t be shattered if I was parted from him.
Shane inclined his head to study her. “There will be a mating ceremony then. Asher has already told me this is what he wants. Then he will turn you.”
“How much time do I have?” Dawn stammered. “I want to buy something nice for it.” She didn’t care if that sounded irrational.
“One day. Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this? If I tell Asher, there is going to be no turning back. If you changed your mind now it would break his heart.”
“I’m sure,” Dawn said with more certainty than she felt.
***
Dawn stood in the bathroom, staring at her pale skin in the mirror. Her face looked so much the same but there was something in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. Some emotion that she couldn’t quite define, even for herself. Tonight was the night she was going to die to her human life and become something and someone else entirely.
She’d been given an hour to prepare for the ceremony. She had bought a dress and a flower crown. She knew this wasn’t a wedding but this was her ceremony. And Asher’s. And she wanted to look beautiful for him.
Her hair was already curled into ringlets. She swept them up into a loose updo before applying her makeup. She gave herself a natural look. The blush really helped disguise how pale she truly was. Slipping the floral crown over her hair, a baby’s breath crown, Dawn took a step back. She studied herself in the mirror. Her dark eyes and oval shaped face stared back at her. She felt pretty but it was a feeling that came from deep down in her heart. She was about to meet Asher and become his mate. She didn’t even fully understand what that meant but she knew she wanted him more than she wanted her own life.
Dawn shut herself into her bedroom where she undressed. She undressed and shivering, she took her dress out of the garment bag. She marveled again at how soft the silk was. She slipped it over her naked body. It settled over her form like it had been made to her. The dress was simple, white silk, bohemian looking. It was cut low in the front and dangerously low in the back. It fell in a cascade of fabric at the bottom. She felt like a goddess. She put in a pair of pearl earrings and fastened a thin strand of pearls around her neck.
A knock on the bedroom door surprised her. Gathering her dress in her hand to keep it from being stepped on or from snagging, Dawn hurried over to the door and opened it to find Shane standing in the hallway.
“Oh Dawn,” he said, his voice husky. His face was beaming “You look beautiful.” Dawn felt herself blush and looked down at the floor. “Are you ready? Asher is waiting for you in the living room.”
Dawn raised her head. She knew there was no turning back. She nodded slowly. Shane took her hand in both of his, squeezing gently.
“I just want to make sure you are…”
“I’m sure.” Dawn’s voice, though a whisper, was firm.
Shane gestured for her to follow him. She did so silently, feeling like a stranger in the house. Though Dawn assured Shane she was sure of her decision she felt anxious, or was it just normal nerves? She told herself that it was just that which caused the flutter in her stomach and in her throat. She was making a commitment that she knew she did not and could not fully understand. But she knew that she loved Asher. As long as she thought of that and not the trials to come, she would be fine.
Shane led her into the living room. It all looked so normal it was hard to believe she was about to be mated to a man as ancient as time and later, be turned into a vampire.
The room was dark, the blinds drawn. The furniture had been pushed to the side and Aylona, Saber and Keerin sat. They were all dressed in black, which was their regular attire. A couple candles had been lit and placed on the mantle near the fireplace and on the end tables.
Asher stepped out of the shadowy corner. Clad in a black tuxedo, he smiled widely, his fangs sharp and glinting in the light. How quickly they had grown back! His ice blue eyes lit up when he saw her. Asher’s long blonde hair was braided and tied neatly with a black ribbon.
His gaze lingered on Dawn, meeting her shining eyes with a pleasure she herself felt and shared. That blue gaze roved over her body, taking in her hair, her face, before he moved on to the full length of her dress.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered. The look in his eyes left little doubt he would rather see the dress in a pile on the floor. Dawn blushed. Asher approached Dawn and reached for her hand. She gave it gladly, starting at the small shock his touch sent up her arm. He bent and whispered silkily, sensually, in her ear, “That is exactly what I was thinking. I see I am not the only one who reads thoughts.”
“All men are the same,” Dawn whispered back. “I don’t have to be a mind reader. Or a vampire.”
Shane laughed from the other side of the room. Until that moment Dawn had completely forgotten about the other vampires in the room. She put her hand up to her cheek, sure that she was burning with embarrassment.
“Shall I start?” Shane asked.
“Yes,” Asher said huskily.
Shane cleared his throat. “Please face each other. In the ancient days this would have been a complex ceremony which was celebrated and carried out for days with elaborate rituals, feasting, dancing, and mating. But I know that this is not ancient times so I will be as brief as possible.”
This was not the wedding Dawn had always dreamed of, but it was so much better than she could ever have hoped. She was uniting with the man she loved, finally giving up her reservations and doubts, and becoming one in a way with him that no
one else on earth could understand.
“Your bond as mates will be sealed with your blood.”
“What blood?” Dawn asked, suddenly nervous.
“Just a drop,” Shane assured her. He produced a small lancet from his pocket. “Give me your hand Asher,” he commanded.
Asher did as he was bid. He did not flinch as Shane drove the lancet into his index finger. The older vampire squeezed the finger of his child and a perfectly round drop of dark red blood appeared. Asher silently held out his hand to Dawn.
“Take Asher’s finger in your mouth Dawn.”
Without hesitating, Dawn reached out and gently guided the finger of her beloved between her lips. Dawn knew the instant Asher’s blood touched her tongue. It was a jolt of pure sensual electricity that reached the bottom of her stomach, warming her and igniting her own blood. She felt hyper aware of the room around her, of Shane, of the other vampires, of her mate, the flickering candles, the darkness, the weight of the silk dress upon her body.
Asher carefully withdrew his hand from Dawn’s mouth. He pulled her gently to him, tilted her neck, kissed her tender skin, then sunk his fangs deep in one swift strike. Shocked, Dawn did not even have time to utter a startled cry before Asher’s deep erotic pulls wiped any thoughts from her mind. Her knees went weak and she let herself melt into her mate’s strong arms.
Before Dawn was ready for it to end, Asher withdrew his fangs and pulled away gently. He did not close the bite mark on her neck, Dawn could tell by the slight sting when the air mixed with her blood. Instead of grimacing, Dawn smiled, filled with longing for the male who stood before her. He ran the tip of his tongue across his beautiful lips, red with her blood. The sight sent a pang of hot desire right to Dawn’s core. She bit back a groan and met Asher’s eyes. She could tell that he too burned with desire. The tiny drop of his blood pulsed within Dawn’s body urging, screaming, at her to become one with its owner.
“Dawn and Asher, join hands again.”
Shane’s voice shook both Dawn and Asher from the spell of desire which had overcome them. Asher extended his large hand and Dawn took it in her smaller, delicate one. He gave a slight squeeze and Dawn smiled, and met and held his beautiful blue eyes.
“Asher, you know what to promise.”
Asher took a deep breath. When he spoke his voice was sure and strong. “Dawn, I vow to take you as my Mate to protect, love, and give my life for you for as long as you desire me.”
Shane led Dawn through the words she was to say. “Asher, I vow to take you as my Mate, to love, to support and help you, and to accept your protection and your life. This is the vow of my heart’s choosing.”
“That is all. You are now mated. I will take my leave.”
Dawn blushed and looked down at the floor. Shane and the other vampires were gone before she had a chance to say anything, the candles in the room flickering at the slight breeze which accompanied his rapid departure into thin air. Dawn glanced at Asher, who was standing a few feet away from her, his skin bronze, and eyes glinting in the candlelight.
“Dawn-” his whisper was hoarse with desire and Dawn felt Asher’s blood pulsing through her veins, calling to her, urging her forward.
Asher was still holding her hand. He ran his fingers gently over each of hers, up her wrist, across her arm, over her neck. Then he pulled her tightly against his chest.
Asher ran a finger over the column of Dawn’s neck. He bent down, sighing as he took in her scent. Dawn thought he was going to feed from her but he made no move to bite. Instead one hand trailed over Dawn’s shoulder blade, across her chest. Asher simply moved the plunging neckline of Dawn’s dress aside then his hand cupped her naked breast.
Dawn felt as if she was on fire. The ancient drop of Asher’s blood, now within her own body was pounding, throbbing, beating out a steady rhythm of desire.
Reaching up, Dawn undid the buttons which held the halter around her neck. Her dress snaked to her hips then slithered to the floor to land in a pool of red silk around her ankles.
Asher’s breath caught and his hands froze. Dawn let out a small moan and covered them with her own, increasing the pressure against her skin.
“I want you,” she whispered.
Asher let out a primal growl deep in his throat. Turning, Dawn began to undress her mate. First she removed his jacket, then began to unbutton his dress shirt. She tried to be slow and sensual, but with every passing minute, the pounding in her blood, the driving desire to become one with her mate, grew stronger. She felt like she was no longer in control of her body. It felt like someone else who was desperately undressing the strong, powerful, man before her.
As if he could wait no longer, Asher brushed Dawn’s hands aside. He all but tore the remainder of his clothing off until he stood, glorious in the candle light, before her. The sight of Asher’s beautifully muscled body nearly sent Dawn over the edge. She let out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.
In one swift motion, Asher took Dawn and turned her, pinning her back against his strong chest. He held her with one arm while his free hand trailed up and down her thigh in a sweet, torturous, pattern. Dawn closed her eyes and savored the heady sensation of Asher’s skin against her own, of his hand moving closer and further and closer from the spot which needed his touch the most.
“You are so beautiful Dawn,” Asher groaned. Dawn’s breathing grew ragged. Her skin was aflame with Asher’s touch, her body tingling and aching in all the right spots.
“As are you my mate,” Dawn replied softly. Asher’s lips were on her body, trailing hot kisses down her neck, her back, while his hands followed. If the house burned down around them, Dawn could not be more consumed by fire.
“You are magnificent,” Asher whispered between kisses. His hands were like brands, marking Dawn as his, burning her in a haze of passion.
Dawn was filled with the wonderful familiar sensation of coming home to a lover she had known for a lifetime. She turned and reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. She tilted his face down and brought her mouth to his.
They crumpled to the ground in a daze of passion and tangled limbs. Asher’s arms supported her the whole time and before Dawn really knew what was happening she was lifted on top of him. She hovered just over his hard cock, her pussy aching and dripping wet, so ready to be joined by them. She could have relieved the burning pressure in her body but she chose instead to lean forward. She brought her lips down on Asher’s nipple, teasing, tasting. She bit lightly, savoring his excited gasp. Slowly she trailed kisses down his chest. When she reached his waist, she gently took his cock in her hand. She hesitated only a second before she parted her lips and suckled him deeply into her mouth.
“Oh God, Dawn!” Asher groaned. His moans woke something primal within Dawn. A delicious wetness was pooling between her thighs. She teased his cock until it was pounding in her mouth then she released him. She leaned further back, shifting so she was over top of him.
Asher’s hands came around her waist, gripping her firmly. He held her just above him, staring into her desire filled eyes for a moment before he slowly lowered her down, impaling her on his dick.
She cried out as she sunk down, his huge length stuffing her pussy full. She moaned low, and leaned forward, desperately searching for the Asher’s mouth. He met her half way, hungrily devouring her lips with his own. He found a steady rhythm and Dawn rode him hard, grinding her hips to devastating effect. She could feel the pressure building inside of her. It coiled like a snake in the pit of her stomach then moved lower, to unwind itself in a blinding explosion.
Dawn’s cries of pleasure were smothered by Asher’s kiss until he tore his mouth away with a growl. Grasping her shoulders and waist, he effortlessly rolled her under him, shifting her so that she was positioned beneath him. He drove himself into her body, drove her mad with desire, even as he took his own pleasure. As she reached her shattering point for a second time, Dawn dug her nails into Asher’s back, urging him to fin
d his release. With a loud groan, he climaxed with her.
Shaking and breathing heavy, Asher withdrew from Dawn’s body and lay heavily beside her. Dawn was overcome by a beautiful lethargy, the likes of which she had never felt before. It was as if her body was glowing from the inside. She basked in her sated passion. Dawn moved onto her side. She kissed Asher’s muscled arm, tasting the salt of his sweat. She shivered, thinking of the pleasure they had just taken. Only moments ago, they had been one.
He shifted her into his arms and held her for a few moments, stroking her back and hair more tenderly than Dawn would have believed possible.
“That was amazing,” Dawn whispered, nuzzling Asher’s neck. “You didn’t want to feed from me?”
Asher’s eyes lit up in the lamplight. His smoldering gaze met and held Dawn’s. “I fully intend to. The night is not over yet.” His tone caused Dawn’s stomach to do flip flops. She didn’t think it was possible, but she started to ache again.
Snuggling in close to Asher’s chest, Dawn whispered, “I love you. I’m so glad that I get to be your mate.”
Asher’s arms tightened around Dawn. “I love you as well. And despite all that has happened, and will happen, I am thankful that I am here with you.”
She stroked Asher’s cheek gently, running her index finger over his lips. “I know what you have to do Asher. I don’t know how it’s going to work but I don’t think I can wait any longer.”
He looked at her, surprise in his eyes. “You want me to do it now? To turn you?”
“Yes. Make me your Mate in all respects. I want to be like you Asher. To experience what it’s like to truly be one with you. I don’t think I can do that until I am no longer human.”
Asher held her close to him, his breathing slowing. He closed his eyes. She could see that he was reluctant to do it. When he opened his eyes Dawn stared deeply into their gorgeous depths. She saw love shining there, the promise of tomorrow, fear and reluctance.
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