My breath catches, and I realise at this moment how much I truly care for Lord Talon, that I’ve fallen for him so hard, like ocean waves crashing into rocks. Like lightning that has struck the ground. Like the sound of thunder that ripples through your body. I’m in love with Lord Talon. I place my forehead against his and use my free hand to cup his cheek. We breathe heavily in unison as a sense of overwhelming love and desire takes over us.
My walls come crashing down, and my lips slam into his with a fiery passion. My lips coax his open, and our tongues entwine and dance as if they were meant to be.
We gasp for air as we part, and I pull Lord Talon’s shirt from over his head and toss it. Our hands explore every inch of each other as we kiss again. I straddle his lap and begin to undo his belt as he pulls the laces undone on the back of my dress and yanks it down, exposing my breasts.
Now, completely naked, we both pause with our foreheads touching, taking in as much of each other as possible.
‘Talon,’ I say. The way I say his name without his rank makes the desire in his eyes burn even more. ‘I want you to feed from me.’
He steels himself and gazes into my eyes to see I’m serious. He enters his member between my legs, and we make slow but passionate love, maintaining eye contact the entire time. We touch and caress every inch of each other, and then as we are about to climax, his fangs grow. He bites down and drinks as he releases his warmth inside of me. I cry out in euphoria and bliss as I release and feel him feed from me. His hold tightens around me as he continues to drink. He moans with contentment and fulfilment as he withdraws his fangs.
His lips crash into mine, and I taste my blood's sweetness and can taste the power. It has no metallic taste as I would expect blood to have.
Lord Talon is at his full strength again. He holds me against his chest and caresses my back.
‘What’s this?’ he asks as he gently touches the three thick long scars. I stare at him with worry and quickly reach for my dress. I hold it against my chest and withdraw myself from his lap.
‘Lylah, what’s wrong?’ he asks, standing up and walking toward me.
‘Nothing, I just don’t want you to see them, okay.’
‘See what, exactly?’
‘To see how hideous and ugly I am. You’ve already seen these ones,’ I say, holding my wrists out. ‘That was hard enough to show,’ I hug myself.
‘Lylah, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. No scar or amount of scars could make you any less beautiful,’ he says, gazing into my eyes.
I’m caught off guard by his sweet words. He steps around me, and my back arches as he places a tender kiss on the scars. ‘You are perfect, Lylah. Scars and all,’ he whispers and continues to kiss my back.
I turn to face him. ‘The scars don’t bother you?’ I ask.
‘The only thing that bothers me is the sombre look on your face, and I’m going to make it my mission to make you feel nothing but happiness from this moment onwards,’ he says and pulls me in to kiss me.
I smile endearingly at him as we part. ‘Now, let's take you home to your family,’ he smiles.
‘Wait! You mean back to my packhouse?’
He smiles and nods. I jump happily into his arms and cover his face in kisses.
‘I want you to have the justice that you and Micah deserve. Without Cedric, we can’t open the portal to send Lord Atticus back into the abyss of darkness. The only way to stop him is to kill him, and the only way we can accomplish that is by bringing the vampire and the werewolves together. But first, we should bathe,’ he smiles and gestures his head over to a small lake.
Before he walks towards the lake, I notice the deep cut on his arm and shoulder has vanished. I trace my finger over the area of his chest where I had cut him.
‘It’s gone?’ I say to him.
He takes my hand, kisses it and smiles. ‘That night after the nightmare. I was comforting you and then without you realising it. You had healed me.’
I step back, ‘No, that can’t be, right? I have no magic.’
Lord Talon’s gorgeous smile widens, ‘When you tried to stab me after we fell down the stairs. I had used my power to stop you from killing me. When you became upset after realising Micah was able to see the future. You broke free of my power yourself. Again, you didn’t notice you had done it yourself.’
‘I thought you put me down? That you had let me go?’
‘No, it was all you, Lylah.’
In absolute shock, I quietly walk to the lake and step into the water. Did I heal Talon? Was I able to break free from his power? I stare at the water and hover my hands above it as Talon watches me curiously.
‘Aqua Bedew.’ I say, but nothing happens.
I splash water in Talon’s face. ‘Liar,’ I say to him.
‘I’m not lying, Lylah.’
I decide to ignore him for a while. As I bath in the water, I think of how coincidental it was that I was sweating and burning, but once I was with Lord Talon, the burning and pain instantly dissipated.
I move closer to Lord Talon, ‘I began burning and sweating as I fled from the underground. When you came and rescued me. You were in the same state as me. Why was that?’ I ask him.
‘Remember how I told you that you weren’t a prisoner, but I had no choice but to keep you at the castle?’
I nod.
‘It was because I knew this would happen if we were separated. I couldn’t let you go. Otherwise, we would burn up. You see, when you find your Blood Flame, you can’t be apart from each other for long periods, nor can you go a long distance away from each other. The God’s chose us to be together because we are meant for each other. We are fated for one another. Going against their wishes and trying to leave your Blood Flame will result in both of us burning until there is nothing left of us but ash. The only way to stop it is to be together again.’
I panic at the realisation that I can’t return home to live with my family unless Lord Talon is to leave the coven and live with me.
‘This means I can’t stay there. I can’t go home to live with my family again?’ I say to him.
Lord Talon looks away with guilt. ‘I’m sorry, Lylah, but we can visit them together as much as you like, and they can also visit us,’ he says.
I nod but remain silent.
We are washed and dressed as we’re about to make our way to my pack until we see Nadia and Soren approach. Thankfully they’re no longer blood lusting after me. They smile as Lord Talon takes my hand, kisses it, and holds my hand by his side. They can tell straight away he has finally been able to feed from me. The fang marks are also obvious on my neck.
‘Lylah knows everything now. I need you both to rally the coven and have them here ready to fight. Lylah and I will gather the werewolves and meet back here. We are going to defeat my brother once and for all.’
They smile and nod before racing back into the distance.
It takes us a day and a half to reach my pack house. I close my eyes and breathe in the air as we walk towards the heavy front doors. Before I enter, it swings open. I see my father. He holds in a cry, and his lips almost tremble as his eyes well up. Within a flash, we are in each other’s arms.
‘My baby girl, my baby is home. Your back and you’re okay,’ he says, looking me up and down. His eyes pause on the two sets of fang marks on my neck.
‘It’s okay, Dad. I know it doesn’t look good, but it’s okay. I’m okay now. I missed you so much,’ I tell him as I pull him in to hug again.
My mother, brothers, Amara, Bill, Nathan, Kayla and everyone else in the pack runs toward the front door and can’t believe I’m here. We all hug and cry.
My mother, Hope, cups my face. ‘I thought I’d never see you again,’ she sobs.
‘Oh, Mother,’ I say, trying to sound casual, ‘You know more than anyone that my stubbornness could never stop me from seeing again.’
She chokes on her cry, which changes into a laugh. Everyone else begins to laugh at the trueness of my words.
Theo and Leo glare at Talon, who stands cautiously a small distance behind me.
‘It’s okay. Lord Talon isn’t the enemy,’ I assure them.
I approach Talon, take his hand with a reassuring smile, and lead him back to my family.
‘I want you all to meet Lord Talon again, but this time on good terms,’ I smile.
Talon steps forward, ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you all again,’ he says sincerely, but everyone is unsure about him, except for Kayla smiling at us.
I frown. ‘You never came after me. You never tried to find me or save me,’ I say to them.
‘I told them not to,’ Kayla says.
‘What! Why?’
Kayla walks up to me and takes my wrist. ‘Because of this.’ she says and traces her finger over it. ‘I knew what it meant. I knew the moment Lord Talon’s eyes were red that he was Blood Flamed. I knew the moment he marked you that you were his Blood Flame, but I also knew it meant you would be safe and protected by him. I explained to your family what had happened and what it meant, and removing you from Lord Talon would result in your death. They knew there was nothing they could do but hope and pray to see you again, and here you are again, but with your Blood Flame,’ she smiles.
‘It’s true then? You and Lord Talon?’ my father says.
I place my hand on his forearm, ‘Yes, and I’m in love with him, Dad. Although I will never truly be at peace until I have killed Lord Atticus. Talon has helped to heal my heart and soul again.’
My father smiles at me, then turns to face Lord Talon and extends his hand out to shake his hand.
Talon accepts it with a smile. ‘Alpha Maximus, it’s a pleasure and a true honour to be blessed with your daughter as my Blood Flame.’
My father smiles and nods, and we enter the packhouse.