Darkness Descends: A Skye Faden Novel

by Alisha Ashton

  A breathy sigh escaped her in response.

  “Oh,” she whispered with wide, unblinking eyes, unable to find any words to say beyond that. Her brain was suffering a massive meltdown. He had nearly caused her to faint with his declaration.

  “So, Skye... my love,” he began as he pulled her closer to him. His smile widened as he cupped her face in his hands. “Since I’d nah the chance to ask ya before this happened, I’ll ask ya now. Will ya have me? Will ya be mine as no other’s?”

  Her knees threatened to buckle beneath her.

  Taran chuckled softly as he steadied her.

  She leaned heavily into his hands and stared at him in shock. She should be saying something. A little voice inside her head was telling her that she should be moving her lips; that words should be coming out of her mouth. That was not so easy to accomplish when a werewolf literally old enough to reminisce when reading the bible was proclaiming his undying love for you.

  “I... umm...” she breathed as her mind erupted in debate.

  What he was asking... they barely even knew one another. Sure, he was the first person to make her feel safe in over a decade. Sure, he had a body that made her consider the need to keep crutches handy for the perpetual weakness he caused in her knees. Sure, she felt like she was going to faint every time he looked into her eyes and got butterflies in her stomach every time she listened to his accent. However, this was an immortal asking for a ‘til apocalypse do us part’ type of commitment. She did not get the impression that there was a divorce option available if she discovered that he secretly loved David Hasselhoff’s singing. She was still young and who knew? She might decide at some point in all eternity that she wanted to go out and swim with another fish in the sea for a drunken night of debauchery. All right, so she would confess that Taran was perfect. And we’re not talking slightly ‘perfect’. We’re talking all-encompassing ‘perfect’. Did that mean that she was ready to settle down forever when she had only been free of torture and the resulting quest for vengeance for less than a week?

  Hyperventilation was becoming a concern as she contemplated it. She stared into his patient eyes as her mind raced on. There had not been enough time for her to get over her trauma and play the field. She had only willingly been with a handful of men in her life. The experiences that she could recall had been overwhelmingly disappointing. It would be unrealistic to assume that for the rest of her immortal life, she would never again desire to be intimate with another man.

  But damn it, she did want to be with Taran – no matter how much her mind was calling for her to keep him at bay. She wanted him to whisper those sweet and seductive things to her. She wanted to learn what it was like to sleep in his arms and let him be her strength. She wanted him to continue making her feel like (gasp of horror) a woman. When he looked at her and called her beautiful or brushed his fingertips across her skin, she felt herself submitting to him on some level. It was as if she had finally found the one man that she could drop her guard with. What if this was her only chance to have him? What if she told him that she was not ready to give him an answer and, by doing so, missed her one shot?

  Taran smiled knowingly. He understood full well the reasons for her hesitation. He had been quite the ladies’ man in his mortal life. And after his change, he had done his fair share – a couple millennia, mind you – of carousing. Skye, on the other hand, had not even been given the chance to enjoy taking lovers as a mortal woman. Now here she was, just having received the gift of eternal life, and nearly immediately afterward she was being asked to commit herself irrevocably.

  Perhaps it would be best to explain the request further, he decided with a smirk.

  “I’m askin for your heart, wee one,” he explained in a soft, patient voice. “It’s your romantic love tha I wish to be mine alone. I want to protect ya as my own and love ya as no other, I’ll expect the same in return. But you’ve been alive far too short a time for me to demand tha ya only lay with me. It would nah be fair or reasonable of me to ask such a thing. While ya are a pup, I’ll expect and encourage ya to take many lovers – though ne’er without my consent,” he added sternly. “Ya will be my woman. I’ll decide whether or nah a man is worthy of lying with ya and under what conditions it will be permitted. It’s just lucky for ya tha I’ve already tired myself of sowing. I’ll be yours alone,” he said with a wink.

  Her eyes widened.

  “Oh.” She breathed in abject disbelief.

  Now wait just a cotton-picking minute here, she thought. He’s cool with me grazing the pasture, parading candidates in front of him for inspection and approval? And all of this... her eyes wandered down his chest and stomach... will still be just for me?

  The fragmented voice in her mind, the one that had been growing steadily clearer since she had been bitten told her simply:

  ‘I claim Taran as my mate.

  He is mine, as I am his.

  With these words, the Trinity binds.’

  She frowned at the disturbing realization that her inner voice was literally becoming an inner freaking voice.

  One crisis at a time.

  “I...” she tried, her brows drawing together as she found that she did not have a clue what to say. Without thought, the words suddenly tumbled from her lips. “I claim you, Taran, as my mate. I am yours, as you are mine. With these words, the Trinity binds.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise hearing the change in her voice.

  Taran chuckled softly. “So, your wolf is connecting with ya already, I see.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and eyed her in wonder. “Ya really are something special, my love. We’ll talk of tha. I can nah say it comes as much of a surprise, but you’re many years ahead of schedule. I’m guessing, if last night was any indication, tha the rules are a great deal different for a lady faol. Now, we know tha your wolf is bound to mine... but what of you?” He asked as he tilted his head to the side and studied her adoringly. “The woman I wish to love, is she of the same mind?”

  The woman ain’t so good with eloquent words of undying devotion, bub, she thought glumly. She deflated at the fact that she could not just offer a simple, ‘yeah – what she said’ and sneak in under the articulate words that her wolf had cooked up.

  Skye was not a talker. Skye was a fighter. Sufficed to say, her life had not exactly allowed for much development by way of interpersonal skills. So how could she possibly wrap up all of the confusing thoughts in her head into a clear response to his question?

  Her eyes wandered to his lips – his soft, inviting lips and the rough beard that framed them. She took a deep breath.

  Well, there was her answer. Now, she just had to get her nerves to stop doing the cha-cha long enough to actually kiss the sexy bastard.

  She exhaled slowly, looking up into his eyes and, with pretty much every muscle in her entire body quivering anxiously, began inching her mouth closer to his. She rested a hesitant hand on his shoulder, standing on her tip-toes and cursing him in her mind for not helping her out here. Somehow, she understood that he could not. She needed to do this alone. This was not only her kissing him, completely of her own volition, but also showing that she had reached her decision, that she was accepting his offer without being forced into it.

  His breath was warm on her lips as she faced the moment of truth.

  His eyes locked with hers as she pushed herself to take a leap of faith.

  She kissed him lightly, sweetly, her body coursing with the pleasure of the contact. After a moment, she pulled away, searching his eyes and asking him without words for guidance. How do you show a man with actions that you actually care for him? That you want more than just a nameless, sweaty romp? She had never been with a lover tenderly, never had the option. Her scars had rendered her incapable of feeling a gentle touch before now.

  Taran smiled down at her inquiring expression lovingly. He caressed her cheek with his hand and watched her nuzzle against it. He adored the way her eyes fluttered closed when he touched her,
the way her lips parted in need. Cradling her face in his hands, he leaned down to claim her mouth with his own. He cherished the soft moan she gave in response.

  Submitting to him was rapture. She ran her hands through his long, dark hair, slowly drawing him closer to her as she drank him in. The warmth of his body could not keep her from shivering as his hands wandered over her back. Her breathing grew ragged as he kissed her deeply.

  Something was blissfully absent here – the parts of her that had always screamed in protest when she tried this in the past, the parts that had reminded her of the promise she made to never let another man get close enough to hurt her. They remained silent when he gazed down into her eyes. She realized in wonder that she trusted him completely. Tears streamed down her face as that knowledge granted a sense of release.

  He smiled at her adoringly as he brushed the tears away, kissing the path they had taken along her cheeks. Sliding his hands down her shoulders, he guided her dress with them. He let out a sigh at the welcomed return of the sight of her bare flesh. It was flawless, unblemished porcelain; like touching a ray of moonlight. A smile came to his lips as he realized, he was finally able to touch the moonlight of his Skye. He had to admit that this was a drastically improved version of the moonlight he had always known, yet it still held every bit as much sway over him. Her dress pooled at the floor around her feet as she looked up into his eyes with desire... with uncertainty. If he could have chosen one moment in all the centuries of his existence to freeze and keep, it would be this. She had given her heart to him as she would no other, was his to love forever.

  With trembling hands, she pushed his shirt back over his shoulders. Unhurriedly, he pulled it off before unfastening his pants and letting them fall to the floor. Her breath caught in her throat at the proximity of his magnificent naked body, the sight of his wild hair flowing over his shoulders and bare chest.

  No turning back now, she thought as she stared up into his eyes.

  Slowly, as he knew this was not a thing to be taken lightly, he laid a hand on her hip, drawing her closer to him until their bodies met. She trembled at the feel of him – warm, soft skin over hard muscle. His powerful form made her feel impossibly fragile by comparison. For the first time in her life, she found the sentiment of weakness to be pleasant. He was her mate, the one man in all the world that she would acknowledge as her superior. She was safe with him, would never have to fight alone again. After so many years spent in solitude, there was finally someone on her side; someone she could count on.

  Taran leaned down to her, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder and leaving his lips to linger on her skin. He smiled as she panted and leaned closer to him. Gently, he lifted her off of her feet and carried her to the bed, kissing her hungrily, but tenderly, showing her that he loved her with every touch. They watched one another intensely as he settled atop her, not closing their eyes until their mouths were joined again.

  A smile came to his lips as she fed on his kiss. He could feel more tears streaming down her cheeks, tears of release after so many years of pain. As her fingers wandered over his back, his hand passed over her body slowly, gently kneading her breasts. She gasped into his mouth when he reached down between her thighs, stroking her with just enough pressure to leave her body demanding more. Her kiss became desperate in response. Patiently, he worked her toward her end, kissing her face and whispering lovingly to her as she whimpered and writhed beneath him. His mouth wandered over the line of her jaw, her throat, her breasts...

  She trembled in anticipation, struggling to watch his descent as he kissed his way down her stomach. Her body rose to greet him, urging him on inch by inch, begging him to claim her. Breathy sighs escaped her as he spread her legs and nibbled the delicate flesh of her thighs. His name tumbled from her lips when his tongue at last delved within her. He growled as he fed upon her. The vibration rumbling against her added to her pleasure immensely. She moaned in delight as she ran her fingers through his hair. Taran took his time with her, learning the taste of her, memorizing the way her heart paused its rhythm in the instant of climax. He waited for the final tremor to pass through her, for those beautiful eyes to finally open for him once more.

  As she watched him with desire burning brightly in her gaze, he began to sink into her slowly. The way her face twisted in ecstasy as he inched deeper within her was a sight to behold. The moans she gave as her insides stretched to accommodate his need threatened to break his will. He could not recall ever witnessing something so arousing.

  Skye stared up at him in awe as he drew her into his arms and cradled her to his chest. He whispered to her that she was beautiful (which, let’s face it, just sounds immeasurably hotter with a Scottish accent). He ran his fingertips across her cheek, smiling at her with such adoration that it stole her breath.

  Time stood still as they moved together in a slow rhythm, kissing one another tenderly as their bodies consummated the union of their hearts.

  As no other...

  She would never love another as she loved him. She understood the truth of those words as she watched his features twist in pleasure. His body tensed and breathing becoming frenzied as he began to lose his grip. He pressed his face desperately against the nape of her neck, moaning her name like a mantra. She held him tightly to her, whispering for him to let go and gasping as her wish was granted.

  And as she slipped over the edge with him, he whispered sincerely into her ear the three words that she had never dared to hope a man would speak to her.

  He rolled over beside her and drew her into his arms. She never wanted to leave that bed, to abandon the safety she felt in their current position. The side of his body and the space beneath his arm seemed to have been molded just for her.

  “The Trinity binds us now, my love,” he whispered with his forehead pressed to hers.

  “Love, loyalty, and friendship,” she replied without thought in that strange voice again. Her features twisted in bewilderment at the unfamiliar words she had used.

  Taran laughed while shaking his head and running his hand through her hair.

  “Parts of ya know a great deal more than they’re sharing with either of us, tha’s for sure. Now, as much as I’d rather spend the rest of the day doing exactly what we’ve been doing this past...” His eyes went to the clock and he smirked. “... few hours, I’m afraid I have to ask, are ya ready to meet your new family?”

  Skye tilted her head to the side, looking up at him curiously. After a few seconds, her mouth dropped open in understanding.

  “This place is crawling with faoil!” She breathed in astonishment. She could sense them in all directions.

  “Aye, let us hope they’ve nah eaten Lance by now,” he joked, starting to climb from the bed until she grabbed his arm.

  “Umm... speaking of Miko, when you see him, could you tell him to come up here?” She asked and Taran looked back at her questioningly. “I... need to talk to him,” she offered unconvincingly.

  He arched an amused brow. “You’re planning to steal a bit of tha man’s attire so you’ll nah have to wear the dresses.”

  Skye huffed impatiently thinking, does he have to be such a know-it-all?

  “Well I’m not going down there looking like a dainty little flower. It’d give these guys the wrong idea about me,” she declared.

  “And tha would be?” Taran laughed.

  “That I wouldn’t happily haul off and beat them senseless if given a reason,” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  Taran rolled his eyes, finally nodding and kissing her forehead. A smile came to his lips at the way her pulse quickened when he stood. Apparently, she was still greatly admiring the view.

  “With these men around, you’ll ne’er need fight,” he assured as he pulled his pants on, chuckling softly at the way her eyes were glued to him the whole time. “If any one of them were to offend ya, they’d have to answer to several hundred of your clansmen before ya ever had to deal with it yourself. But if it woul
d make ya feel more comfortable...”

  He walked over to a wardrobe in the corner of the room, opening the doors and rummaging for a second before pulling out a bag. Skye watched him curiously as he walked back to her.

  “Here ya are then,” he said with a grin as he handed the bag over.

  Her mouth dropped open when she saw its contents.

  “You... you sneaky...” she began, looking up at him in surprise. “You were going to let me wear a dress and the whole time... ?”

  He laughed as he pulled on his shirt and, as usual, left it unbuttoned. “Well, I’d figured the likelihood of ya destroying your clothing was fairly high. While ya were sleeping the other morning, I called a member of the staff and had them bring the same style from the city. If ya’d put up much of a fight over the dresses, I’d have told ya they were here... eventually.”

  Skye scowled at him for a moment before shaking her head and climbing to her feet.

  “I can see I’m gonna have to keep an eye on you,” she said as she pulled the clothes out of the bag.

  “Aye, wee one. As if ya’ve been keeping them on anything else since we met,” Taran teased.

  She blushed out of reflex. It seemed a bit senseless, given the fact that they had just finished a round of love making, but she could not help it.

  He walked past and swatted her ass playfully before kissing the side of her head.

  “I’ll go warn the men tha they’d best behave themselves lest ya inflict bodily harm,” he said as she turned to face him. He leaned down to her slowly, brushing his lips against hers. Her body immediately responded to the possibility of another round. “Do nah take too long or I’ll be back for ya. If tha happens, I can nah guarantee tha either of us will be making an appearance for a few days.”