Chapter Twelve

Kae stirred in the warmth that surrounded her and tried to keep hold of the soul slumbering peace that seemed to be slipping away from her. She frowned softly, her sleep drifting away from her as reality came back.

She had been through the transition. She had finally made it through, though it had not been easy; what seemed like hours after it had started, she could see nothing but white mist and felt a warm, calming presence surround her. Had it been the Fade?

Earlier, Qhuinn had brought her a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of bacon and she had happily sat up in bed, dunking the strips and wondered how Qhuinn had not found it revolting. Instead he had simply watched her with an adoration that bordered on reverence. When she was full, Qhuinn had moved her plate away and nestled her in the crook of his arms where they had fallen asleep together.

Now she looked up at his face. He seemed almost angelic as he slept beside her, his arms still cradling her, gentle and yet their strength was evident.

Unable to help herself, Kae leaned towards Qhuinn and gently touched her lips to his.

The effect was instant and electrifying, his gorgeous jewel coloured eyes springing open and latching onto Kae's own warm, sleepy gaze, their mouths softly fused in a wondrous and loving kiss.

Heat spiralled through her limbs and Kae pulled Qhuinn closer to her, shifting so that her body slid beneath his, the electrifying touch of their skin thrilling her to her core.

For a moment, Qhuinn looked down at her, stroking her face softly and tracing her features with his fingertips, a smile of belonging curving his full and sinful mouth.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Kae laughed softly, her own fingers brushing over his chin. Qhuinn's eyes were dancing with sheer joy and Kae was hard pressed not to laugh with joy with him.

"I'm just happy I get to keep you….I'm so glad you came to the house…" He broke off, a question on his face surprisingly, as though it had not occurred to him before.

"Why did your parents send you here anyway?

Kae quieted a little, though she still smiled and her hand went absentmindedly to the dragon pendant around her neck. Qhuinn's sharp gaze did not miss the gesture.

"There was no one back home for me to feed from. My parents were afraid of losing me and they asked Bella for help."

Qhuinn touched the dragon pendant as she spoke.

"You touch this a lot when you speak of your parents…..was it theirs?"

"No, it was Lorn's."

Kae's voice had become quiet and her eyes darkened with deep pain, all but for the briefest moment. Qhuinn's finger lingered on the silver dragon, feeling it warmed by Kae's skin.

"Who was Lorn?"

Kae took a deep breath and when she spoke, her eyes were glass bright as she tried to hold back tears threatening to spill, her voice hushed and broken.

"Lorn was my brother…." Her voice broke and she shuddered softly, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes, "He was a year older then me."

Qhuinn caught at the past tense and his throat tightened.

"Was? What happened to him Kae?"

Kae drew another breath, her gaze fixed on some point in the past that Qhuinn could not touch.

"My parents live in complete isolation from other vampires. Lorn went into his transition six months before his twenty-fifth birthday. Mahmen told me later that he went into a sort of coma and never woke up. She said I sat by his side and held his hand until I heard his heart stop beating."

Appalled and saddened for the loss of her dearest blood, Qhuinn was confused by her manner of speech.

"Your mother told you? But you said you were there Kae."

Kae's eyes found his and Qhuinn was shocked by the deadness he saw there.

"I don't remember him Qhuinn, I can't remember my own brother. The second he died, all trace of his memory left me….."

Kae, drew a ragged breath as she tried to regain some of the control she kept so carefully, the wound left by Lorn's memory felt raw once again.

"Mahmen was shocked and horrified when I kept asking who was in the family pictures with us. After a while she realised that my grief at losing my brother had had the most awful effect of taking him away from me altogether. After all…" she paused and turned to Qhuinn, hoping he would not think her a monster for this, "…How could I grieve for someone who I could not remember?"

Qhuinn finally understood why Kae had been sent here, why her parents had made this sacrifice and given her up to strangers.

"Your mother sent you here so that you would live, she'd already lost Lorn and she couldn't bear to lose you as well."

Kae nodded and Qhuinn leaned down to tenderly kiss away the tears that had escaped.

"I'm here now and no amount of tears will bring my brother back. Not everyone gets this kind of chance at a new life and there is no way I'm going to waste that."

She smiled up at her love and felt Qhuinn's strength and warmth melt into everything that was feminine about her.

"I don't want to talk, I don't want to be sad, I just want to love you Qhuinn, will you let me?"

Astounded by her words, Qhuinn did not resist as she stripped him of his muscle shirt and pulled her own clothes away until she lay naked beside him. The sight of Kae, gloriously bare and laying with him touched something deeply male and almost primal inside him.

Her chestnut hair splayed over the pillow, her warm hazel eyes darkening with her growing desire, the tips of her breasts rosy and starting to peak.

Groaning with aching need, Qhuinn moved over her and settled his muscular body into the cradle of her thighs, rubbing his growing arousal against the heat of her core, letting her know what he wanted of her; what he, as a male, needed of his female.

Kae groaned softly and dragged her new fangs up the column of his throat, rocking her hips encouragingly as the softness of her breasts mashed against the hard contours of his chest.

Qhuinn made an inarticulate sound, a rumble deep in his chest as Kae's teeth grazed his skin and the thick head of his shaft nudged at the achingly smooth, slick folds between her thighs.

"Be inside me Qhuinn," her voice was hot and breathless, needing this.

Qhuinn needed no further encouragement and he easily slid inside her, the silk-wrapped iron rod of his erection filling her core completely.

Kae cried out at the invasion, a sense of completion and utter pleasure overwhelming her as she gave over to her instincts and arched to take him deeper into her.

The scent of dark spices and sex mingled in the air as Qhuinn's bonding send roared and saturated the air and her body. Inside and out, she was claimed, she was his female and their hurried kisses and moans of longing and pleasure added to the growing peak.

Moments later, Kae bucked wildly as her orgasm struck hard and fast, followed closely by Qhuinn who pushed home, growling his pleasure, his seed spilling into her warm and willing body.

Unable to hold up his arms after such an intense release, Qhuinn collapsed on top of Kae, still cradled inside her body, Kae's arms coming around him to hold them together.

It was not, perhaps, the most perfect of moments or the easiest of relationships, but Kae found herself more hopeful than she had felt in a long time.

Her eyes felt heavy and her breathing deepened as she began to fall asleep, the silence broken only by Qhuinn's final words before sleep claimed him also.

"I love you."