The Secrets of Roan Island

38. Noah

38

Noah

“ N o. No. No!” I scramble for my ta’ari, fallen and covered in her own blood. A nightmare. I’m living in a nightmare. I reach her at the same time my father falls dead beside her and pull her into my arms. Deep cuts cross her throat. She blinks, her eyes drifting my way.

“No no no no no,” I keen, rocking her in my arms.

I’m barely aware that my father is finally dead. At my sister’s vengeful hands. All I see is Ruby. Pale in the light of the aligned moons. Covered in so much sweet-smelling blood.

She blinks at me once more. Her mouth moves, but no words come out. Blood bubbles from her wound and lips, one grisly hand sliding against my cheek as the other presses against her throat, trying futilely to stop the bleeding.

“I love you,” I whisper over and over, hoping she can still hear. I wish I’d told her before. Wish I’d told her a thousand times. Wish we could say those words how they’re meant to be said, accompanied by tender touches and ecstasy. Not in the middle of a bloody temple with my family around us.

Still, I won’t deny her my truth. Not now. Not ever. “I love you, ta’ari .”

Her lips form words again, but I shake my head, my hand pressed to her throat, and silence her with a soft kiss against her bloody mouth. “Don’t try to talk.”

She continues to struggle, face contorted in pain like she’s desperate to communicate something, but she’s struggling to breathe now, gasping for air. Her heartbeat is too slow.

Tears stream down my face and onto hers as I hold her close, rocking her, soothing her however I can. “I’m sorry, ta’ari . I’m so sorry.”

“Bite her, you idiot!” my sister urges from somewhere over my shoulder.

“But she’ll die.”

“She’s dying anyway.” Shemaiah says the truth softly, as if it will be easier to hear.

Ruby uses the last of her strength to nod her head, then her eyes roll back. A gurgling sound comes from her throat. She droops in my arms, unconscious, going where I can’t follow.

Everything in me fights against this. A Solstice bite is pain and death. But… Shemaiah’s right, she’s already dying. This is the only chance.

My fangs drop. My hands tremble. I pull her close and whisper in her ear one more time, “I love you.”

Then I bite her, right where her neck and shoulder meet, where the mark of my earlier bite still stands like a raised scar. Her blood effervesces on my tongue as sweet and tempting as always, but I don’t drink. I give.

I inject her with my venom. Every last drop.

And then I wait.

The room is too cold, snow drifting around us like ashes.

The beating hearts of the people around me are too loud in comparison to Ruby’s weak pulse.

“Please,” I whisper to the goddess. To anyone who’ll listen. “Please.”

Ruby’s body arches, and her mouth drops open in a silent scream. She convulses just like the women before her. I feel her pain as if it’s mine. I scream at the stars, roar my anger at the goddess. “No!”

Zarah tries to touch my shoulder, but I twist and snarl at her, clutching Ruby against my chest. If Zarah hadn’t been so impulsive, hadn’t killed our father while Ruby was still at risk, maybe she’d be alive right now. I move to lunge for her, but Ruby’s shaking stops, halting my retribution and drawing all of my attention to her face. So pale. Her heart beats irregularly, then… stops.

“No!”

I want to rend the heavens and rage against the world. But all I can do is pull her toward me and kiss her cold cheek, her still lips. My tears mingle with her blood. “ Ta’ari ,” I whisper over and over. “ Ta’ari .”

Somewhere in the distance, I hear soft sobs.

“Come.” Shemaiah’s voice. “Let’s give him space.”

Footsteps retreat over the stone. Then silence.

Silence, then a beat.

A heartbeat.

A heartbeat that isn’t my own. Isn’t my brothers or my sister or the women damned to die.

Another beat. Stronger.

Again.

“Ruby?” I draw away and look at her face.

Her eyes flutter open, warm and brown and filled with life. I choke on a laugh that turns into a sob when I look down at her throat. Though covered in viscous gore, her skin is knitting itself back together. Faster than my brothers or I heal. Fast enough to see it happening before my eyes.

“Noah.” Her voice sounds rough, scratchy, but beautiful. A soft smile brightens her ashen face. “You’re here.”

“Of course I’m here.” The words catch in my throat.

“You love me,” she says, as if she didn’t believe it until this moment.

“I do. More than anything.”

“You really love me.” A tiny giggle slips from her. “I love you.”

I gather her closer and pour my desperation and relief into a kiss.

“Oh!” She pulls away from me with a sudden gasp, raising a hand to her mouth. “That’s a strange feeling.”

“The kiss?”

She shakes her head, her eyes jumping from my mouth to my eyes. Then she grins, revealing long, pointed fangs pressing into her bottom lip. She runs her tongue over them. Then she sniffs. “And I can smell you. You smell… delicious .” Her eyes fill with darkness, overtaking everything else, and it’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen. My mate, craving me.

I offer my wrist. “Drink, ta’ari .”

She hesitates and swallows, then shakes her head. I can’t discern if she’s repulsed by the idea or afraid of it. But then her black eyes meet mine. “It’s a strong craving.”

“It’ll help you heal faster.” I press my wrist to her lips, but she squeezes them shut. Her eyes are as black as night, imploring, afraid, hungry. So hungry. “It’s okay, ta’ari .” I kiss her forehead.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispers against my wrist, barely opening her mouth.

“I would give every drop of my life to keep you safe, strong, and alive, ta’ari . Feed.”

Her smile is radiant, but soft. Slowly, she runs her nose up and down my forearm with a moan. “You smell so good.”

I shiver.

The tip of her tongue slides over my skin, a tentative taste. “You’ll stop me if…”

“I’ve got you.” I brush her hair out of her face. “Take what you need.”

Without further hesitation, she opens her mouth. Her fangs pierce my skin. It hurts, but I don’t flinch. I’ll gladly suffer pain for her.

The moment my blood hits her tongue, she’s like a starved animal hoarding food. She doesn’t know what she’s doing or how to control her venom, so she only feeds. Then all at once, she figures it out, releasing a flood of venom into my veins.

“Fuuuuuck.” The word swells like the vibrant pleasure coursing through me. It’s bright and warm, moving languidly toward my core. The addiction to the new moon parties makes sense to me now. I’ve never… “F-f-fuuuck!

She draws back, eyes wide with panic. “Wait, it’s Solstice! Did I just—?”

“No,” I groan, shaking my head as the pleasure flows into my groin and my cock hardens. “The venom isn’t poisonous to Mavarrii, even on Solstice.”

With a coy smile, my vixen sinks her teeth into me again, and another wave of euphoria rushes over me as visceral as if she were stroking me. It’s a heady rush. “ Ta’ari ,” I moan. “Fuck!” I’m on the verge of coming.

She holds my wrist to her mouth with one hand, taking what she wants, then my amazing ta’ari grabs my cock with the other, squeezing me through my trousers and moaning when she does. She’s a sight, slick with blood from her neck down the front of her once white dress, her eyes black voids of hunger and need.

With a shouted curse, I climax as if I were a young man at the rite of passage. My muscles seize as I curl around her, pulsing with pleasure.

Ruby shifts, taking more of me. Draining me.

Weakness slips past the pleasure, and my body grows heavy, depleted. I uncurl and slide down, away from Ruby as the temple blurs.

Still, she drinks. Too much. She’s taken too much. Her eyes are rabid, and my blood drips from her mouth.

“Ruby. Stop.” My voice sounds frail. But when she takes another generous swallow, a powerful awareness—raw and unbound—bursts inside me, swelling up with brilliant light and uncoiling heat. The sensation snaps out like the crack of a whip.

“ Stop !”

Though the word isn’t spoken out loud, Ruby immediately freezes, drops my wrist, and stares at me, still as a statue. A tether of energy stretches between us—between me and every member of my family.

Shemaiah, Jafeth and Zarah are in the house, stopped cold in their tracks. I can’t explain how I know, but I can feel it. Though I can’t tell exactly where they are, I can sense that they’re there, connected to me, obeying me.

Patriarchal power.

I let out a breath and focus on each connection, cutting them free one by one. That’s going to take some getting used to, and I’ll need to apologize to my siblings later for my lack of control.

When I snap the tether with Ruby, she ducks her head shyly. “I’m not sure what came over me.”

I lift her hand and lap the blood from her palm, then her neck, the small taste of her enough to revive me. I push her backward, climbing over her body until I’m settled between her thighs.

“I know exactly what came over you.”

Though we're in the temple with snow drifting around us, there’s only heat between our bodies. I lean down and lick a line from the center of her chest clear up to her chin, tasting her, cleansing her. “I intend to feed that wild part of you often.”

Her blush is a beautiful reward. I kiss her until we’re both breathless and she’s reaching for my pants. I stop her. “As much as I’d like to take you right now, you’re still healing.”

Gathering her in my arms, holding her close, the reality of the last several hours weighs me down with latent terror. I tighten my hold.

“I feel fine now,” she says. “Better than fine. Better than I’ve ever felt before.”

I smile and pull away so I can look at her. “Humor my pride and give me a little time to recover.”

“Oh.” Her face falls. “I’m sorry.”

I lift her chin. “I love knowing my blood nourishes you. That because of my blood, my venom, you’re alive. I just need a few minutes.” I stand, holding my hand out to help her to her feet. “And I think we’ve desecrated the goddess’s temple enough for one night.”

She looks around, her gaze stalling on the place where Hammish fell. “Where…” She spins, searching.

“Don’t worry. My brothers wouldn’t have left him here. Can’t you smell the smoke? They’re burning the body to ensure he’s gone.” With Ruby’s hand in mine, we turn away from the wreckage. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“You’re quite the mess yourself.” She glances at me with a smirk. “You’ll have to join me.”

I sweep her into my arms and run full speed back to the house, up the stairs, and into my rooms, where I intend to keep her forever.