Between the Moon and Her Night (Between Life and Death #3)

Chapter 22

Aurelia

L ater that night, I sat at the far end of a long table in a massive, enchanting dining hall. Three-quarters of the room were surrounded by tall, ominous windows, giving view to the night sky outside, twinkling with brilliant, shimmering stars. The gothic chamber was sparsely furnished other than the floor candelabras and banners that were placed throughout. Pillar candles in a variety of sizes were placed down the length of the table, their wicks emitting a purple flame.

Von sat at the other end, a silver goblet locked in his ringed fingers—his eyes on me. Always on me.

I cracked a peanut into my palm. Two nuts fell out and I tossed them into my mouth. I discarded the shell in the small bowl sitting before me, full of peanut remains and that weird brown papery stuff that the nuts grew in—the stuff that got stuck in the back of your throat if you swallowed it funny .

I wasn’t entirely sure why I was eating. It wasn’t like I was hungry.

A rather impressively sized dinner had been delivered not too long ago—silver platters full of savory meats, steamed vegetables, and baked breads dripping with herb butter. It was a mouthwatering spread. Happily, I dished up a plate and dug in. The entire time, Von had seemed interested in watching me eat more than anything. So I made a good show of it, just to taunt him—making all the mmm noises and licking all my fingers in the process.

Why did I do it?

Earlier, he had left me sexually frustrated when I wouldn’t open up to him about Aurelius, so it felt fitting that I returned the favor. In truth, I liked toying with him. It gave me some sort of satisfaction, knowing that the mere swipe of my tongue over my fingers was enough to drive the most powerful god in all Three Realms wild with lust.

Apart from our games of cat and mouse, I think a small part of me was beginning to accept that I was going to be stuck in this realm for the foreseeable future, so I reasoned I might as well make myself comfortable . . .

“If I am to stay here, then I would appreciate my own chambers,” I said, pushing the peanut bowl away from me.

“No,” he replied, without giving my request any thought.

“No?” I repeated incredulously. “It’s not like I’m asking for anything big. You own the castle, don’t you ?”

“I do, but the answer is still no.” He leaned back in his chair, the candlelight painting him a hundred shades of wicked. A hauntingly beautiful nightmare brought to life. His sleeves were rolled back, exposing the black ink etched into his tanned skin. Heavy, chiseled muscle carved out his powerful forearms—forearms that could crush a man’s head like a watermelon or keep my legs pried wide open as his tongue wrote his dark stories between my legs.

Focus , I reminded myself.

I shoved the intrusive thought to the side, along with the bond, and said, “Why are you being so stubborn about this?”

“It’s all quite simple really.” He set down the goblet, his piercing green eyes flicking to mine. “I could give you a chamber of your own, but it would be a waste of both my time and yours, because every night, I will have you in my bed.”

His proclamation stole the air from my lungs. Damn him.

I wet my lips. “But it is customary for royals to have their own bedchambers.” At least, that’s what Aurelius had told me when I found out he had private chambers of his own.

“That is a ridiculous custom, forged by pathetic males who make it a sport to cheat on their partners.” A breath later, I could feel the dark god standing behind my chair, his shadows breaking off from him, licking at my skin. He lifted my chin, angling my face to his. “I have been a bachelor all my life, but now that you are here, I have no desire to share my chambers with anyone else but you, Little Goddess.”

I should be angry with him, for denying my request, but I failed to feel anything but . . . moved.

Von only wanted me. He only wanted me—

Until he doesn’t , said some imposter voice.

The light feeling I had felt grew heavy as I repeated the words in my head.

Until.

He .

Doesn’t.

“I will do something for you, something I should have done a long time ago,” Von said, pulling me from my thoughts. Silver rings sparkled in the firelight as a massive, inked hand was placed in front of me.

I eyed it for a moment, before I hesitantly took it.

He pulled me up from my chair, spinning me towards him. How easily he made my body move for him. His hand spread across my stomach, spanning the full width—my silk dress being the only thing that separated us. Eyes filled with the lush colors of an ancient canopy met mine as he said, “I withdraw my curse. I withdraw my touch of death from you.”

Like winter bowing to its usurper spring, the frost within began to recede. And with it, I could feel what had withered inside begin to bloom.

Tears welled in my eyes.

I raised my palm and conjured from the well within. In the cradle of my hand, a tiny sprout shot forth with one single leaf.

I laughed softly, wiping at my tears as I watched it grow, awestruck by my very first creation that was entirely of my own making. When it was about a foot high, a voluptuous green bud swelled at the end, weighing it down. I concentrated, pushing harder. The green gave way and it unfurled into a rose, its plush petals taking on a soft, milky white.

“Beautiful,” Von remarked softly.

I looked up, expecting to find his eyes on the flower, but instead, they were fixed on me.

“You’re not talking about the rose,” I spoke softly .

“No.” A whisper of a smile. “Although it’s lovely too.”

Gently, I plucked it from my palm, pulling the tiny roots out with it, and offered it to him. He took it with heartbreakingly careful fingers, as if it were made of glass, littered with invisible hairline cracks. He brought it to his nose and inhaled its honey-sweet, floral scent.

My heart galloped wildly in my chest.

The villain of the realms, viewed as a merciless and unyielding god, who stood nearly seven feet tall was spellbound by a tiny, fragile, living thing.

Death was spellbound by a rose.

My rose.

And it did something to me—to the bond. A fiery heat scorched across my skin, awakening my nerves.

I clasped his forearm, my touch conjuring his attention. He peered down at me, his attention drifting to my lips, then back up to meet my gaze.

“I’m still angry with you,” I said, as I leaned into him.

His hand slid across my cheek. “But?”

“But—” my voice was sultry, “—I have needs .”

He brought his mouth close to mine. “Show me how you want me to tend to them.”

“Show you?” I asked curiously.

He smiled his sexy smile, his fingers trailing up the length of my thigh, running over my sex as he whispered in my ear, “Lay down on the table and show me how you want me to touch you.”

Moments later, that’s exactly what I was doing.

I was reclined on the table, my feet resting on the arms of his chair and my legs spread as my fingers stroked in and out while he sat there, silver goblet in his tattooed hand, the one that said king , as he watched me pleasure myself.

When the dark god could take no more, he tossed the goblet carelessly to the side, grabbed my hips and dragged me to the edge of the table. Ringed fingers slung my legs over his broad shoulders as he lowered his face to my sex, his tongue running over my slit in one dominate, animalistic lick.

Then he ate. And ate. And— oh fuck —he ate.

High on ecstasy and orgasms, I had no qualms as Von lowered me into the spacious walk-in tub in his private bath chamber. With a washcloth, he cleaned my skin with meticulous care, as if he was polishing something that was of great importance to him. Occasionally, he would lower his head and nip or kiss my skin, stirring a squeak or a soft moan out of me depending on if he used his teeth or lips.

After he dried us both off, he conjured a short, black nightgown over my body and carried me to the bed, setting me down. The mattress dipped under the weight of the mountainous male as he maneuvered behind me. He gathered my hair, pulling it back, and then—

My breath hitched in my lungs when I felt a gentle tug at the ends of my hair—

Death was brushing my hair.

“I used to daydream of doing this for you,” he said as he worked on one section, utilizing soft strokes. “All those years when I would stand by your window, waiting to see you. You would show up with a brush in your hand as you looked over our orchard. It took you a great deal of time to brush your hair, and I wondered what it would be like to do it for you.”

“And? What is it like?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The number of times where I felt cared for over my three hundred years of life were far and few between, but right now, with my heart beating at a slow, steady pace, that was exactly what I felt.

“Like I could do it every night for the rest of my eternal life,” he said, placing a soft kiss against my shoulder.

After I crawled into bed, I waited to see what Von would do. I knew that he didn’t have the same sleep patterns as me, but a tiny part of me hoped he would join me regardless.

“Would you like me to stay the night with you?” he asked from his spot beside me. He had one long, muscular leg hiked up, an arm thrown over top his bent knee as he casually reclined against the headboard. His head was tipped to the side, black lashes lowered as he gazed down at me.

A small part of me whispered yes, but my stubborn, proud lips said, “You don’t have to.” I tucked my hand under my pillow, looking up at him.

Forest-green eyes drifted to mine. “Are you sure?”

“Yup.” I popped the p to cover up for the fact that I wasn’t sure at all. All of this was new.

A moment slipped past before he replied, “Alright, then. Well, good night, Little Goddess.”

“Good night,” I answered, watching as his shadows stole him away .

Despite what my lying lips had said, I was a bit disappointed that he had left, but it was nothing compared to the tantrum the bond was throwing. It let me know by placing its invisible vines around my ankle and pulling on it. I tried my hardest to ignore it, as best as one could when it felt like their leg was being torn off.

The bed itself was positively divine—soft yet supportive. Still, sleep would not put me out of my misery. I tossed and turned, flipping this way and that, as I tried to push thoughts of the raven-haired god out of my mind, but no matter how hard I tried, it was futile.

Finally, I said across the private bridge that linked us, Where did you go?

It took a moment, and then . . .

Do you miss me already? the dark god purred in response.

A question for a question, used as a means of deflection—I had grown to recognize that tactic of evasion because it was one Aurelius used frequently. When Aurelius was not in our bed—which was often—it was because he was finding comfort in another’s or in his private chambers, which I was not allowed in.

Was that what Von was doing right now? Had he gone to be with another female?

Insecurity, rage, rejection, frustration—all those emotions slammed into me with a force unlike I had ever felt. At the core of it . . . jealousy. Made a thousand times worse by the damn mating bond. Molten fire scorched over my skin, lighting me on fire.

I jerked upright, looking to my arms, expecting to find them charcoaled, but finding nothing of the sort. They were normal, and yet the feeling persisted.

Whoa, Little Goddess, Von spoke calmly through the bond. As much as I enjoy the thought of you being territorial over me, I can tell you it’s not what you think.

His words soothed me, or perhaps, they soothed the bond, because the fire that had been lit under my skin began to dissolve.

How did you know? I asked.

As your mate, I can feel your stronger emotions. You will be able to feel mine too .

I thought about what he said for a moment, then remembered the funny flavor I had tasted on my tongue earlier today, when we had been speaking of Aurelius giving me his ichor—it had tasted of . . . jealousy.

That potent emotion had belonged to Von.

Well, on the plus side, at least I wasn’t the only one fighting my demons. Speaking of—

He still had not told me where he had gone off to.

I turned back to our personal channel . So then, where are you?

I’m in the Living Realm , he answered, making an acquisition.

What are you buying?

If you must know, it is a gift.

For?

You . I could hear the smirk he wore by the way he said that one little word.

You are buying me something? I asked, a smile touching my lips. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had purchased something for me.

I am , he answered, sounding pleased with himself.

What is it? A pretty necklace? A little lap dog? I laid back down on the bed.

Always so curious, Kitten, he laughed softly. If I tell you, it will ruin the surprise .

I twirled a tendril of my hair as I continued fishing. Oh, I know—an actual gown, perhaps.

I’m not telling you .

I ignored him, asking, Am I aiming too high? Some new hair oils, then?

Go to sleep, Little Goddess.

But I didn’t. I continued to push different gift ideas through the bond, while he continued to refuse to tell me. Eventually, when my eyelids became heavy and I was certain I had exhausted every possible gift idea, I fell asleep.