I pulled away from her, her teeth raking my skin and setting unexpected ribbons of ice scouring my bones. Her eyes flashed open, almost panicked. “I…I…,” she stammered. She felt it, too, but she looked bewildered. With a swift intake of breath, she tightened her grip. I could feel the edges of our auras mingling, but there was more, dancing just out of my reach.

“Take it,” I breathed, and her mouth met my skin again. I gasped, my fingers gripping harder so she wouldn’t draw away. The heat of my blood in her mouth hit her, and she pulled again. I breathed heavily, struggling for air, for control. My grip strengthened, and I refused to collapse. We would not fail because of me!

My skin tingled everywhere her aura touched mine, the different charges raking over my aura like silk on sand as the energy of my soul slipped into her along with my blood, coating her being. Vampire pheromones were like liquid sensation, racing through my body to set it alight. I could feel the heat from her own skin rising as well. Something was happening with our auras. And the more I gave to Ivy, the stronger I felt it become.

This, I thought, feeling her aura slip through mine as I gave myself freely and without fear. I can give this to you.

And like water through sand, our auras blended into one.

I gasped at the feeling. Her teeth slid across my neck as she pulled away, and she would have fallen but for my hold on her. Eyes wide, I stiffened. Our auras weren’t just mixing, they were one. We had one aura. In shock, I did nothing as a wash of endorphins spilled into me, into us. Every cell sang with the release. The surge of energy from our auras uniting chimed, resonating in our souls.

My fingers slipped. Ivy staggered away to fall against the table. My head came down as I felt her leave me. “My God,” I groaned, and with my unique thought to divide us, our auras separated. It was gone.

I took a gasping breath and slumped against the counter. My muscles wouldn’t easily hold me, and my arms trembled. “What in hell was that?” I panted. Torn between laughing at what had happened and being disgusted at how long it had taken us to find it, I brought my head up. Ivy had some ’splaining to do. I hadn’t known auras could do that.

But I froze as I saw her crouching by the door in the cool, restful blue of the sunlit curtains. Her eyes were black, and they fixed on me with a predatory strength.

Shit. I was fine, but Ivy had lost it.

Thirteen

“Ivy!” I shouted. Fear took over, and I backpedaled. Ivy moved when I did, her expression one of the lost. I didn’t understand. We had done it. We had done it, damn it!