Page 36 of Valley of the Shadow
Natalie looked around her, at the living night that called her, the moon and the wind, the soaring mountains surrounding them like an ancient embrace. She looked over her shoulder at the lights in the valley below.
“I’m ready.”
Chapter Ten
She woke in a bed, but it wasn’t like any bed she’d felt before. She was surrounded by warmth and energy. Her body felt like it was part of the bed, connected like something plugged in to a vast energy source.
She took a deep breath and smelled earth and green living things. She was naked, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Her throat burned with hunger.
She opened her eyes and wondered what had happened to them. She felt him in the darkness that wasn’t dark, his scent as familiar as her own.
“Baojia?”
“Drink.” He held a cup to her lips, and she drank. It soothed the burning in her throat, but the taste was too rich, like asking for water and being given a glass of wine.
“Mmph.” She pushed the cup away. “Too much.”
“What?”
She shook her head and the world spun around her. Too much input. Too fast. She closed her eyes. “Too much.”
“Keep your eyes closed.” He moved next to her, and she felt the heat from his body.
No, not heat. Energy. Pure, undiluted energy.
A shiver of excitement coursed through her.
“You need to drink.”
“It’s too much.”
“You barely drank a pint.” His voice stayed soft but firm. “You need more.”
“I need…” What did she need? She opened her eyes and looked for him. Focused on him. “You.”
His smile was glorious. “Hello, wife.”
“Hi.” Oh, he was even more handsome than before. His brown eyes were flecked with dark onyx and gold. The angles of his cheekbones were elegant. Had the shadows always highlighted his features so well? His scent was layered with the smells of water. Minerals and vegetation. Rich grasses, salt, and sand.
He leaned forward and kissed her mouth gently. An aching sprang in her jaws, and a rush of desire bolted through her like lightning. She tasted blood and tentatively moved her tongue through her mouth.
“I haf fanks.” She covered her mouth. “Oh my gah.”
His low chuckle echoed around the dark room. “Yes, you do. They’re very beautiful.”
“You think so?” She felt like she’d just had the strangest dental work ever and her mouth was half numb. Only it wasn’t numb, and her throat was burning again.
She reached for the cup. “More.”
The rich liquid hit her tongue, coating her mouth and soothing her throat. Her fangs retracted. The burning dulled.
Natalie looked around her. “Where are we?”
“We’re in a room that Lucien just happened to dig into the back of Giovanni’s house while you were sleeping.” He craned his neck. “It’s pretty nice actually. They can probably use it as a wine cellar or something when we’re done with it.”
Natalie recognized the darkness, but it was as if she’d been given an extra set of eyes. She saw everything. The smooth dirt floor and the stone walls. The soft bed she’d felt so comfortable in was a shallow bed of earth that had been churned up to surround her body.
