Scintillating and alive, I tasted vampire blood. It struck through me, and I clutched at Kisten, unable to breathe, unable to pull away in sheer ecstasy. In a flash, hunger poured into me, and I knew what Ivy and Kisten fought to contain every day, and how good it felt to sate it. It was Kisten’s hunger echoing in me, without fear.

This is not wrong, I thought as Kisten’s hands clutched at me. The hunger demanded more, and I deepened the kiss we shared. There was only this. This was all. It was the spark of existence, pooled and collected, distilled to a feeling. And with Kisten’s hunger echoing through me, I pulled his blood from him, taking it as my own. Vampire blood wouldn’t make me stronger, or faster, or live forever. But it was a rush. A high like no other. And I could feel his aura mixing with mine, sharing the same space as I took him into me.

A surge of white-hot need ached, spinning from his blood. He moaned, and as I drew his blood into me again, I tightened my grip on him and wouldn’t let go. I could feel us reaching for climax. It was there, dancing just out of my reach.

His arms shook. I breathed heavily, struggling for air. A savage sound came from him, and he clutched me close. His blood was liquid thought, racing to set me alight. I could feel him inside me, and I pressed into him, desperate.

And then we found it.

Eyes clamped shut, I flung my head back. I could do nothing as a wash of sensation spilled into me, into us. Every cell sang with the release, leaving a high so deep there was no thought but for its continued existence.

Kisten’s grip shook, and he staggered. Unaware of anything, we hung, poised in the rapture that suffused us. “My God,” he groaned, both satisfied and desperate as he reached out for the feeling. And with his words it slipped away. It was gone.

I took a gasping breath, slumping. My muscles wouldn’t hold me, and I started to fall.

“Oh, God,” he said again, this time in worry as he caught me and brought me to the bed. I felt myself ease down, and he peered close. “Rachel…” he said, his hands holding my head.

“I’m okay,” I panted, trembling as I felt for the bed and put out an arm to keep myself upright. I shuddered, cold as my body tried to recover, and Kisten pulled me to him. Vampire blood and sex. Holy crap, they weren’t kidding. It was good enough to kill a person.

Shifting himself back to the headboard, we found an almost-upright stance with his arms warm around me. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Fine.” I couldn’t stand, but I was fine. I was better than fine. I had been afraid of this?