The Vampire & Her Witch

Chapter 1734: Victor, Claim Your Prize

Ashlynn felt like her head had barely touched her pillow before she felt the familiar pull of Nyrielle’s dreams tugging her toward her lover.When she opened her eyes, orienting herself to the dream, she found herself standing on the terrace of her chambers in the tower that she’d claimed for her coven. Only, from the feel of the cool, foggy night air and the minimal decorations in her chambers, the memory Nyrielle had drawn on must have come from very early in their relationship...

Perhaps the very night that she and Nyrielle had first kissed and the first time Ashlynn had offered up her blood after forming their pact.

"Feeling nostalgic, my love?" Ashlynn said as she entered the dream.

"You’ve been away from me, my darling," Nyrielle whispered, her mouth only inches from Ashlynn’s ear as her arms wrapped gently around Ashlynn from behind. A heartbeat later, Nyrielle had pressed her lithe figure against the curve of Ashlynn’s body, resting her chin on Ashlynn’s shoulder while her arms captured her lover’s slender waist.

"The victorious hero has come home from battle," Nyrielle said softly. "Covered in blood and glory," she added as her soft lips enveloped the tip of Ashlynn’s ear. A fang briefly pierced Ashlynn’s earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine as a gentle sucking sensation enveloped her ear before stopping abruptly.

Nyrielle couldn’t have taken more than a few drops, but it was already enough to leave Ashlynn’s knees weak, and she would have stumbled if not for her lover’s arms holding her up.

"Shouldn’t your bride welcome you home with adoration and affection?" Nyrielle asked. Her warm breath tickled the fine hairs on Ashlynn’s neck, but this time, the shiver that rippled through Ashlynn’s body extended far beyond her spine, radiating from her neck and her waist where Nyrielle’s hands gently caressed up towards her bust and down, pausing at her navel before sliding even lower.

"Nyri..." Ashlynn breathed, unable to summon more than a single word as Nyrielle played her body the way a musician played the lyre.

"Ssshh," Nyrielle said as she willed Ashlynn’s clothing away, leaving her lover’s skin naked and exposed to the cool evening air. Goosebumps rose across Ashlynn’s pale, creamy flesh but her shiver had nothing to do with the temperature as one of Nyrielle’s hands cupped the fullness of her bust, teasing the soft, pink bud that crowned a generous breast.

"Your heart is heavy this morning," Nyrielle said gently. "And your mind swims in worries. Let me take them away," she breathed, tracing her lips along Ashlynn’s neck as she spoke.

"Kiss me," Ashlynn said, though whether it was a desperate plea or a hoarse command, neither woman could say. Ashlynn turned in Nyrielle’s embrace so she could gaze into her lover’s shining midnight eyes, and when she did, she didn’t find a trace of anxiety or fear for the future nestled between her brows.

Nyrielle’s gaze reflected only a deep desire and a yearning that pulsed within her heart in time to the pulse in Ashlynn’s neck.

"Kiss me," Ashlynn repeated, this time sounding more commanding as she ran her fingers through Nyrielle’s silky, black tresses, caressing her soft, alabaster cheek and drawing her forward into a kiss.

Nyrielle’s lips were as soft and smooth as silk, and Ashlynn’s lips parted eagerly, almost hungrily, to welcome her lover’s gently probing tongue. Dimly, Ashlynn felt the silky fabric of Nyrielle’s nightgown fading away between them, leaving nothing but soft skin sliding against skin as they pressed closer together.

In her chest, Ashlynn could feel Nyrielle’s heartbeat quicken to match her own, and that rhythm, together with the soft cries that never quite escaped their lips, drowned out the murmur of the Vale at night.

"There it is," Nyrielle said, pulling back from the kiss and looking into Ashlynn’s shining, emerald eyes. "Let the fires of your desires consume you, my darling," she said, leaning down to brush her lips across Ashlynn’s neck before biting just hard enough to elicit a gasp from her lover, even though her fangs never broke Ashlynn’s skin.

"You are the victor of the evening," Nyrielle added as she stepped back, pulling Ashlynn toward the large, four-poster bed in her chambers. "Come and claim your prize."

"Mmm," Ashlynn said, stepping forward in a sudden, surprising burst of speed as she swept Nyrielle off her feet, giving in to the fires of desire that Nyri had kindled within her heart.

"I’m not done conquering yet," Ashlynn said as she gently laid Nyrielle on the bed.

The dream shifted slightly as Ashlynn exerted her will on the fabric of the world that belonged only to the two of them, and suddenly, her bed chamber brightened as dozens of candles filled the room with soft golden light and gently dancing shadows that caressed every subtle curve of her lover’s lithe body.

The bed itself shifted as well, gaining a head and footboard of intricate wrought iron while a length of soft, silky rope appeared in Ashlynn’s hands.

"You’ve learned," Nyrielle said, sliding one slender alabaster leg over the other, rolling up on her side to pose seductively for her darling Ashlynn. A delighted smile formed on her lips, revealing just a hint of her long, sharp fangs as she watched a faint blush blossom across Ashlynn’s cheeks at the memory of the bed they’d broken in this very room the night they discovered that Ashlynn’s physical strength could nearly rival Nyrielle’s own.

"I know what I want," Ashlynn said, climbing into the bed to capture one of Nyrielle’s delicate wrists in a loop of silken rope. "And I intend to take it..."

"And I will give it all to you," Nyrielle said, cupping Ashlynn’s cheek with her free hand and drawing her into another deep, passionate kiss as she allowed herself to be conquered.

Time fell away as both women sank into a world that needed no words, only the soft whispers of skin against skin punctuated by the gasps of delight and anticipation.

Eventually, the moment would end, and they would turn to the worries that filled Ashlynn’s mind and haunted her heart, but in a dream, time had little meaning, and the candles in Ashlynn’s bedchamber would never burn down...