Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
She blushed. “What if I like it too much?”
Now, it was Adriel’s turn to blush. “Juniper, there’s no shame in meeting your natural needs. Your body has likely been starving for proper sustenance. If you enjoy it, that’s probably why.”
“My aunts warned me this day would come. It just feels…awkward.”
“It’s just us here. There’s no reason to feel self-conscious. I’ll help you.” Adriel rolled up her sleeve and gave Juniper a nervous smile. Now, she was the one suddenly self-conscious. “Are you ready?”
Their gazes met, and an intense understanding passed between them. This would be Juniper’s first time, a moment she might never forget. Adriel wanted to make sure nothing went wrong.
“I’ll…open the vein for you, then all you need to do is drink. The rest will come naturally.”
Juniper swallowed and gave a tight nod, shifting to sit up on the bed. “I’m ready.”
Adriel’s fangs elongated, but she hesitated. “Before we start, can you check the protection spell? Feeding tends to leave us a bit vulnerable.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “Sorry. It must have shifted when I lost consciousness. I fixed it.”
“Thank you. Now, let’s replenish your strength.” She bit into her wrist, and a slow trickle seeped from the twin punctures. “Go ahead.”
The bed shifted as Juniper leaned forward, her stare bouncing from Adriel’s wrist to her face. The soft scent of vulnerability tinged the air as the braid adorned with the feather draped past Juniper’s shoulder. When the downy tip grazed Adriel’s skin, her breath caught.
At first, she assumed the scent of vulnerability came from Juniper, but she realized it was her own uncertainty she sensed. Light and sweet, she couldn’t recall the last time anyone drew such a scent from her.
“I’m a bit nervous,” she admitted, surprised by the response she was having to her nearness.
Juniper looked up at her, her eyes unsure. “Why? If you don’t want to do this, Ade—”
“I want to.” Perhaps she wanted to do this more than she’d admitted. “Go ahead.”
Something unspoken passed between them. Adriel’s gaze dropped to the racing pulse below her jaw. The sweet air darkened with a heady scent she didn’t recognize as her insides warmed like hot honey.
The delicate, feminine scent of Juniper’s hair perfumed the air between them as she leaned closer. Adriel’s breath turned shallow and caught at the first touch of her mouth to her skin. She swallowed, unsure why her emotions were riding on a razor’s edge of sensation.
The first sweep of her tongue might as well have been across her lips. The sensation of her mouth closing over her wrist was so sharp and erotic, Adriel started to panic. She nearly pulled away, but Juniper’s grip tightened.
“Mmm,” she softly moaned after stealing a tiny sip and licking her lips. “It’s not at all what I expected.” She pressed her fingers to her lips and smiled. “You taste so sweet but earthy, like cinnamon sugar and cloves.”
Adriel tried to maintain a clinical tone but her voice quivered. “Y-you’ll need more than one single lick.”
Her gaze got lost in the dusting of freckles across Juniper’s nose. Her full lips darkened around the edges, and the thick line of her lashes accentuated her deep-set eyes in a way that entranced Adriel. She had never noticed how gorgeous Juniper was, but now it seemed all she could see.
“Maybe if we…” Juniper glanced at the pillows. “Is it weird if we lay down?”
“Not at all.” She cleared her throat, once again second-guessing herself. We can do it however you’re most comfortable.”
Juniper scooted to the center of the bed and turned to face the far wall, giving Adriel room at the edge to lay her body behind hers. “Like this?” She looked back with such trust in her eyes that it stole Adriel’s breath away.
Throat suddenly tight, she nodded.
They rested on their sides, staring straight ahead, swallowed by the heavy silence. Adriel scooted closer, aligning her body with Juniper’s. She slowly draped her arm over her and swallowed.
Juniper took her wrist and pulled it closer to her mouth. Her breath fanned across Adriel’s skin, and chills chased across her chest. The bed creaked as she adjusted her position so they lay even closer. Juniper’s heartbeat fluttered erratically. “Is this okay?”
Adriel stared over her shoulder, afraid to look anywhere else. “I offer my blood freely to you, Juniper. Please take all that you need.”
Her delicate mouth closed over Adriel's vein, and she sucked in a sharp breath, this time somehow more excruciatingly poignant than the last.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No. It just felt…different than other times.”
“Oh. Sorry.” She nestled closer, a soft flush tinging her cheeks. “I’ll try to be quick.”
“No rush.” Adriel breathed in the soft scent of her hair. With her belly pressed so close to her back, she worried she might feel how it fluttered and swooped with each gentle sip. Something warm twisted inside of her. She leaned closer and whispered, “You smell like the rain.”