The way he looked at her, Neve realized she wouldn’t be able to do it. She also had the feeling if she jumped, Jalen would only catch her as she fell, which would defeat the whole purpose of her doing it in the first place. With a nod, she backed away from the edge. Jalen flew closer until his feet touched the ledge, then he tucked his wings along his back.
As each one of Jalen’s friends arrived, the greater Neve’s pain became. She bit down on her bottom lip until she tasted blood to stop herself from screaming with it. After the others landed, there was barely enough room for all of them—and for her to keep a safe distance. Neve stumbled backward until she had a rock wall at her back.
Jalen quickly filled Malik, Trae, Gannon and Keiran in on what Vance had done to her. After he finished talking, all five Alte turned toward her. Behind them, she noticed the sky had barely lightened at the horizon. Dawn would arrive soon.
Still keeping his gaze locked on her, Jalen asked, “Do you think what you did to Arwen will help her, Gannon?”
His friend nodded. “It cured Arwen of the illness Vance had given her. She would have died if not for the life energy exchange.”
“I think you have to do it,” Trae said.
Neve groaned as the pain increased once again. She didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to act as if she didn’t have hot pokers searing her insides. “Do what?”
Jalen stepped away from the others, drawing as close as she’d let him. “Make us mates. Make you a little like me.”
“You mean give me wings? I don’t think they’ll help.”
“Not wings—but make you immortal. I have to take most of your life energy and then give you back some of mine.”
“How do you know you can even do that?” she asked as she panted.
“I’ve already absorbed some of yours while we were together in bed. It’s how I came to realize you were my mate. Gannon went through the same with Arwen when he first met her. The exchange saved her life and she is as immortal as he is. Will you let me try?”
Finally unable to hold back any longer, she whimpered, “This hurts so bad. I don’t think I can take any more. Do it. Just do it.”
Jalen inched closer until they were almost toe-to-toe, his face a mask of concern. His gaze held hers, his brow furrowed as he concentrated. Neve locked her knees to keep herself upright, waiting for whatever he was going to do to take away her pain, but nothing happened. It still tortured her.
After a few more seconds, Jalen said sharply, “It’s not working. Gannon, how did you get it to start?”
“I didn’t,” Gannon replied. “It just sort of happened. All I thought of was how I would do anything to save Arwen, even give up my own life. She was on the bed and I leaned over and kissed her forehead. While I was over her, that’s when I pulled her life energy into me.”
“Right,” Jalen said. “Neve, lie on the ground.”
She shook her head. “You can’t kiss me, Jalen. Not even on the forehead.”
“I won’t touch you, but I think I have to lean over you as Gannon did to Arwen to get the exchange to start.”
Trusting Jalen would make sure he didn’t come in contact with any part of her skin, Neve slowly stretched out on the rocky ledge. He knelt at her side and leaned over her, supporting himself on his hands on either side of her head. They locked gazes once again. This time, she saw desperation in his silver eyes.
Then she felt it. Something happened. She found it harder to get enough air in her lungs. Her heart labored inside her chest. She felt herself panic. “Jalen? I can’t breathe…” She let her words trail off as she fought for her next breath.
“It’s okay. It’s working. I’m going to have to bring you to the point of death. Keep looking at me. I’m right here with you.”
It became harder and harder to get enough oxygen. Her heart slowed, skipped a beat. Only the sight of Jalen staring down at her with all the love he felt for her showing in his eyes kept her from a full-blown panic attack. Her heart slowed even more. Her vision slowly dimmed. She exhaled and didn’t take another breath. Just before the world went completely black, something slammed into her, causing her back to arch.
When it was over, she settled down on the ground, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with much needed air. While she did nothing but breathe, Neve took stock of herself. The pain was gone, leaving no weakness behind. She actually felt better than she had before Vance had taken her. Probably better than she ever had her entire life.
The sensation of Jalen kissing her forehead made her jerk and her eyes snap open. He wore a large smile. “It’s all right. Whatever Vance did to you is gone. Look.”
He picked up her hand and held it for her to see. The black lines that had marred her skin were completely gone. Finally able to touch Jalen without having to worry she would cause his death, she sat up and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tight. The feathers of his wings tickled the backs of her hands. Tears of relief flowed, wetting his bare chest. Unable to do anything but cling to him, she didn’t protest when he picked her up and held her tightly against him. Nor did she say anything when his wings snapped open and they were in the air, flying off the ledge.
* * *
Jalen cradled Neve close as he came in for a landing in the backyard of his home. The sun shone bright as he tucked his wings on his back and carried her inside. Now that she knew about him, he didn’t bother to hide his eyes or wings. He headed right up the stairs to the upper level and didn’t stop until he reached his bedroom.
Letting Neve down on her feet, he cupped her face and lifted it so she looked at him. No marks marred her skin, not even the split lip she’d had before he’d done the exchange. It hadn’t been too hard to figure out Vance had hit her. Jalen would make him pay for that, but right now, he was content just to look into his mate’s silver eyes.
He bent and brushed her lips with his. “How do you feel?”
“Better. A lot better.” She nibbled at her bottom lip. “So I guess this means I’m immortal now?”
He smiled. “Yes. And there is one other change I have to show you.”
Taking her hand, he led Neve into the en suite and positioned her in front of the mirror. She sucked in a breath when she saw her eyes and leaned in closer to get a closer look at them. She then met his gaze in the glass.
“My eyes are silver like yours. You said Gannon did the exchange with Arwen, but hers looked no different.”
Jalen placed his hands on the top of Neve’s shoulders. “That’s because Gannon taught her how to hide them, just as I’ll teach you.” He hesitated for a few seconds, then asked the question that needed to be asked. “Are you okay with all of this, Neve? With what I had to do to save you and about me not being human?”
She spun around to face him and placed her hands on his chest. “I told you I loved you. What you are doesn’t change how I feel. And if you hadn’t done the exchange, either one of us could have died. I’d say getting immortality so I can have forever with the man I love is worth everything.”
With a moan, he bent his head and took her lips in a heated kiss. His cock hardened as the need to take his mate, to have the ultimate joining with her that would reaffirm she was still his, pounded inside him. While his lips moved on hers, Neve’s hands stroked up his back until she reached where his wings were attached. She lightly touched where feathers met skin. Jalen couldn’t hold back a loud moan of pleasure as his cock jerked.
Neve pulled away, breaking the contact with his mouth. She smiled. “I can tell you liked that.” She rubbed herself against him. “I think I want to feel those wings wrapped around me as you make love to me.”
She didn’t need to say it twice. He took off her bra before she said another word. His need for her was a living, breathing thing. Once she took off her panties and he, his jeans, they stood completely naked. Jalen took hold of her hips and pulled her farther away from the counter. He then brought his wings around and wrapped them about Neve, clo
sing them both inside them.
Her heated gaze met his as she wrapped her hand around his cock and stroked him. “I want you take me. Now. I don’t think I can wait another minute.”
“I won’t make you wait.”
With his wings and arms around her, Jalen lifted Neve off her feet. She put her legs around his waist as he positioned her, surging up and inside her pussy. She was more than wet and he easily sank into her. Holding her bottom, he lifted her off his cock, then back into her. It felt so good having her warm wetness closing around his shaft. And after almost losing her, he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. In and out he pumped. Neve locked her ankles at the small of his back and used her legs to help move her up and down his cock. Her cries of passion echoed off the bathroom’s walls.
Just as he was about to exploded, she let out a keening moan and her pussy clutched at his shaft, milking it in a tight fist as she came. He let out a bellow and followed her in climax, his cock pulsing deep inside her pussy, filling her with his cum.
Struggling to catch his breath, Jalen held her close. Once he could trust his legs not to collapse on him, he carried Neve out to the bedroom and then the bed. He pulled back the covers and put her in it. Her eyes were closed and her breathing had evened out in sleep. Climbing in beside her, he lay on his stomach and held her to his side as he protectively draped a wing over her.
Before sleep finally claimed him, Jalen made a vow to himself that he would do everything in his power to make Neve happy, to make her never regret becoming his mate. And the first thing he’d do was make love to her for the rest of the day. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought of what he had to look forward to.
About the Author:
Marisa Chenery was always a lover of books, but after reading her first historical romance novel she found herself hooked. Having inherited a love for the written word, she soon started writing her own novels.
After trying her hand at writing historicals, she now writes paranormals.
Marisa lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and four children.
Check out Marisa’s website at www.marisachenery.com. She would love to hear from you, so drop her an email while you’re there.
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