A decided chill entered the air as he traveled deeper beneath the earth and an undeniable dampness that made Darcy shiver even in her sleep.
A frown touched his brow as he altered his course. His own chambers were starkly barren and more suitable for a troll than a young woman. The previous Anasso, however, had preferred to surround himself with luxury. Darcy would at least be comfortable.
Resisting the urge to grimace, he entered the large cavern and crossed to lay Darcy on the four-posted bed draped in crimson and gold. With care he settled his lovely burden on the middle of the vast mattress and covered her with a blanket. Then, overcoming his natural aversion, he moved to strike a match to the logs in the enormous fireplace.
Once he was certain the blaze would last several hours he pulled off his heavy cape and returned to the bed. He was weary, but as he stretched out beside his mate he discovered the pleasure of studying her pale, perfect face was far preferable to sleep.
Rolling onto his side, he resisted the urge to stroke the soft skin of her cheek.
An unnecessary sacrifice as her eyes fluttered open and she regarded him with a sleepy smile.
"Styx?"
"Yes, my angel?"
"Are we at your lair?"
He smiled, giving in to his impulse to lightly cup her cheek in his hand. "This is it, at least for the moment."
She scooted up on the high bank of pillows, the movement pressing her slender body closer to his. Searing heat rushed through his blood at the contact.
"You intend to move?" she demanded.
Styx struggled to control the surge of pure lust. Having Darcy in his bed was a temptation he would never be able to ignore.
"Whenever you are ready we will choose a new lair together," he promised.
Her eyes widened before she gave a soft chuckle. "House shopping?"
"Why does that make you smile?"
"I don't know." She shifted so she was directly facing him. A move that Styx approved of whole-heartedly. "It just seems a little . . . domestic for such a fearsome vampire."
"Oh, I intend to remain fearsome." he growled, his arms encircling her so he could pull her close. "At least in some ways."
She smiled, a wicked shimmer in her eyes as she reached up to begin tugging his hair free of its braid.
"And what ways would those be?"
With a smooth motion he was tugging her sweatshirt over her head and ridding her of the jeans that were annoyingly in his path. Her scraps of satin underwear were soon piled on the floor beside the rest of her clothes.
"I think I prefer action to words," he whispered against her temple, his hands already skimming her bare skin with impatient need.
Her breath caught as his lingers cupped the softness of her breast. "I always did like a man of action," she said in a husky tone.
Styx fully intended action. A great deal of action that would leave them both sated and exhausted.
But as her hands lifted to his shoulders, he found himself gazing down at her for a long moment simply appreciating the sight of her flushed face and eyes darkened by desire. There was nothing more beautiful, more precious in the world than this woman. She had become his very reason for existence.
His heart squeezed with that strange, overwhelming tenderness that only Darcy could manage to stir.
A tenderness that even his closest companions would swear didn't exist.
"Darcy... my angel."
Lowering his head, he claimed her willing lips in a soft kiss. He didn't possess Dante's flamboyant sense of romance, or Viper's poetic nature. He didn't have the words to tell Darcy just what she meant to him, so he would have to show her.
He deepened his kiss, savoring the taste of her as his hands explored her slender curves. She was so tiny, so terribly fragile, but there was strength in her body as she arched firmly against him and dug her nails into his shoulders.
Careful of his fangs he slipped his tongue between her lips. Darcy gave a low moan as she abruptly began tugging off his shirt so she could run her hands over his chest and down to the waistband of his leather pants. Styx readily pulled back to assist her. Together they managed to get him naked and, with a deep sigh of approval, settled between her legs.
By the gods, there was nothing better than the feel of her warm skin pressed to his own. It was like being shrouded in heated silk. A fantasy for any vampire.
Dipping his head downward, he nuzzled her neck, nipping at her skin as the scent of her blood filled his senses.
With an effort he resisted the urge to slide his fangs into the curve of her neck. He was already hard and aching. The moment he tasted of her blood he would be lost.
Trailing his mouth over the line of her collarbone, he kissed the hollow beneath it before exploring the delicious curve of her breast.
Darcy gave a soft sigh as her fingers tangled in his hair.
"Styx."
"Yes, angel," he breathed, his lips closing over the hard tip of her breast.
"Styx, I want..." Her words broke off as he suckled her with growing insistence. "Wait, I can't think."
"You are not supposed to be thinking," he assured her, turning his attention to her other breast.
"But I want to complete the ceremony."
Styx froze before slowly lifting his head to meet her wide gaze.
"What did you say?"
She reached up to cup his face in her hands. "I want you to be my mate, Styx."
A fierce, near painful joy clenched at his heart, but he sternly kept his expression guarded.
"Do you know what you are saying?"
A sparkle of amusement entered her eyes. "I may look like the traditional ditzy blonde, but I usually understand the words coming out of my mouth."
His brows lowered at her teasing. "Darcy, to mate with me is not like a human marriage. You can't walk away from this. We would be bound for all eternity."
Her gaze remained steady. "Well, I don't know if I have an eternity, my love, but I do know that whatever time I have I want to spend it with you."
His fingers captured her chin as he searched her eyes for the truth of her words.
"This is what you truly want?"
"This is what I truly want."
A smile slowly curved his lips. His mate. For all eternity.
"So be it."
Her smile echoed his. "Tell me what I need to do."
Holding her gaze, Styx reached to lightly trail a linger down the curve of her neck. He could smell the warm blood that ran just beneath her pale skin.
"I must drink," he whispered softly.
He almost feared she might balk. Although she had freely given of her blood, this was more than just a feeding. It was a binding that would tie her to him with no hope of escape.