by D. M. Shane
The energy swelled in my chest, radiating outward throughout my body, relaxing every muscle and nerve along the way. Arkkadian continued to thrust above me, and I basked in the unbridled splendor of his dominance as that power soaked into my marrow.
Instinctively, my body sent the energy back into Arkkadian, where it traversed a path through his body and back into mine once again. The connection of our souls was complete, and with it, my core throbbed as it danced upon the precipice of another impending climax. Arkkadian buried himself with one final thrust, and together, we crashed over the edge. My vision blanked to bright white as our two heartbeats became one under the moonlight, and then the stars above twinkled once again.
Breathless and spent, I lay upon the soft blanket, savoring the afterglow of our bond as Arkkadian placed gentle kisses upon my shoulder. My vision seemed strangely sharper than usual, but I paid it no heed, assuming it was because of the amazing sex I’d just had and the completion of the bond. I lay on my side, watching the water lap at the shoreline, with Arkkadian spooned against my back, our fingers entwined and our legs in a tangle.
Joy filled my heart to the brim, so much so I couldn’t hold it in. A single tear of happiness escaped, and I quickly wiped it away, hoping Arkkadian wouldn’t notice, but he caught my hand and pulled it up to his lips, where he placed a chaste kiss upon my knuckles. Then he leaned up on one elbow and looked down at me with the concern only one’s beloved could show.
“Aislin? Is everything all right, love?”
Arkkadian had told me it would happen, but I still wasn’t prepared to hear his voice in my head. Having completed the bond, we now had the ability to converse telepathically, and it was an odd feeling hearing him speak that way. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but I supposed, with time, I would get used to it.
“I’m good,” I answered. “Just… happy. I never knew it could be like this.”
“Never knew what could be like this?”
“Sex. Love. Life,” I answered in my mind.
I released his hand and rolled over to face him. When Arkkadian jerked upright, I jumped and sat up at the look of shock on his face. The blanket he had covered us with earlier slipped down to my waist, and I shivered as the cool night air danced across my bare skin.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Your eyes. They’re glowing.”
“Wait… what?” I was sure I hadn’t heard him correctly. “Is this a joke?”
“They’re glowing, like bright silver starlight.” He grinned and pulled me up to stand in front of him.
“What does that mean?” This shouldn’t be possible. Arkkadian said Aeternus no longer took on their mate’s gifts.
“Aislin, you’re not just an Aeternus. You’re something very, very rare.”
“Arkkadian, you’re worrying me. Please tell me what’s going on?”
“You are an Immortalle! This means you can shift! You can shift!” Before I could respond, he lifted me in the air and twirled me around, our naked bodies entwined as he laughed merrily. Then he set me back down on the ground, cupped my face, and kissed me with the fire of a thousand burning suns.
When he pulled back, leaving me breathless and once more full of lust, I asked him the question I’d asked him so long ago. “How are you so sure?”
“Because, love, I told you once. We’re not written in the sand. We were written in the stars.”
With his words, my earlier wish came back to me and I laughed. Then Arkkadian kissed me again, and we fell into ecstasy once more while the magic of the aurora borealis lit up the night sky above.
Acknowledgments
To my readers, thank you for reading my first book, Aeternus, and taking a chance on this newbie author. I am beyond grateful. This book was a long-awaited journey. A dream eleven years in the making, that all started with Arkkadian, before I finally found the courage to sit down and write the story. Along the way, I fell in love with Aislin and Arkkadian and I hope that you, dear readers, love them as much as I do. I can’t wait to share the rest of their journey with you.
To my beta readers, I appreciate you more than you know. Your awesome feedback and advice helped me turn this book into something I’m so very proud of.
To my editor, Sara, at Telltail Editing and my cover designer, Melony, at Paradise Cover Design, thank you. There are no words to adequately describe how grateful I am for the both of you, and how amazing you are. You took this newbie author and patiently answered countless questions about the process of editing and cover design, and helped me create something truly extraordinary. You are both, quite simply, magic. I can’t wait to work with you again!
About the Author
D.M. Shane is a mom to two amazing kids, is married to her high school sweet heart, and was a military spouse for over twenty years. She loves animals, collects butterflies, enjoys the outdoors, and her favorite color is purple. D.M. enjoys country line dancing and reading every single day. Not a day goes by without a book in hand. She can often be found enjoying an epic story and a good cup of coffee in the quiet moments before dawn when the rest of the world is still fast asleep. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
Visit www.dmshane.com for more
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Coming Soon
Immortalle
The Immortalle Series Book Two
Imperium
The Immortalle Series Book Three