The reality of what he said hit me making me blanch and he saw it. His eyes dimmed as he leaned back in his chair. As if part of the fire within those eyes died. I couldn't bare it..

I don't know why and I didn't really care but seething in me would do anything to be with him. It was as if we were already bound. Destined to be together.

His head was bowed and his eyes were closed but I knew he felt me rise from my seat. He let out a pained sigh as I moved, clenching his fist by his side. And I knew he thought that I was leaving him.

His eyes flew open as I sat on his lap. "Nova what are you—" He began but I cut off his words with my mouth on his.

"My answer is yes, Berith," I said against his mouth, "I feel like we are already two halves of a whole."

He growled his lips trailing down my jawline to my neck, my collar bone, and then the mound of my breasts exposed by the off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline of the dress.

"Nova, are you sure that this is what you want?" He asked gruffly, pulling away from me his eyes searching mine.

"Yes," I paused, smiling at him, "it is."

His fingers gripped my flesh, but it wasn't pain that I felt.

"You have to say it, Nova. You have to be very clear right now. About this; with me." Berith sat rigid waiting for my answer.

"Is this what you want? Do you have a choice in this?"

My question must have surprised him; he jerked as if I slapped him.

'You are my choice.' He pushed the thought into my head forcefully, making me dizzy.

"I want you, Berith. I want every part of you, and I will accept everything that comes with you. You are the one thing that I am sure of," My voice caught in my throat, my next words sounding strangled, "Please, do not make me wait."

He snarled, wrapping his arms around my bottom carrying me with him, knocking his chair over in the process. My arms wrapped around his neck as he moved us swiftly through the courtyard, through a pair of dark curtains that I had failed to see before.

My eyes adjusted to the dim light and I realized that we were in his bedroom.

The gas lamps studding the walls emitted a soft glow as he gently sat me at the foot of his large bed, my eyes widened as he kneeled before me.

I felt myself trembling, a strange need for him to claim me coursing through my body.

His hand parted the skirt of my gown, exposing both of my legs. He carefully removed my shoes trailing his hand up my leg. Starting at my ankle all the way up to my inner thigh. I gasped as I felt a new heat pooling in the bottom of my stomach as I silently begged him not to stop.. Biting my lip I fisted my hand into his dark curls, making him hiss. His eyes glinted in the low light.

"You are sure about this?" he questioned lowly pushing himself up towards me positioning himself over me, his mouth crashing into mine. I arched my back into him as he ran his hand down the line of my body. An involuntary moan escaped my lips. He pulled me up with him as he stood, his arms circling around me as his hands deftly unbuttoned the back of my dress. It slid down my now exposed bosom. He sat me down taking his place above me.

"Berith," I whispered after a moment, "please."

He snarled gently pushing me back onto the bed. Chills covered my unexposed flesh as he caressed my breasts, he rolled my nipples between his fingers steadily applying pressure slowly before covering each of them with his mouth. I felt his tongue and my back arched as I cried out his name.

"You are perfect," he said staring up at me.

I moaned trying to pull him up to me. He pushed himself back, grabbing my wrists and pinning them above my head.

"Berith," I panted moving beneath him.

He hummed lowly, his lips vibrating against my flesh.

'Oh my gods' I thought as his mouth moved downwards, his tongue licking at my thigh, dangerously close to the thin fabric covering my most intimate parts.

He loosened his grip pulling back until he was once again kneeling on the floor in front of me. I sat up, propping myself on my elbows, my head foggy.

"You are absolutely sure about this, Nova? I do not want to rush you into anything. It is not too late to stop this from going any further. Just say the words," he said, his breathing hard.

I scooted backward up his bed, suddenly feeling nervous. I had never done anything like this before. 

But he watched silently; his eyes flitted lazily over my half-naked form. The unmistakable fire burning within those golden-flecked eyes.

I could see his breath coming in shallow puffs, his chest straining against his shirt.

I crawled to the end of the bed, sliding off the end and kneeling in front of him. He looked down at me through hooded eyes, his perfectly scarred brow arched, a lazy smile flitted across his lips.

With shaky hands, I pulled him toward me and started to unbutton his shirt, a shudder going through him as I finished the last button and pushed the shirt from his frame.

"Please stop asking me that," I whispered, pressing myself into his naked flesh.

His body was on fire and warmed me instantly.

He growled again, slipping his fingers into the waistband of my undergarment. I could feel how much he wanted me. His hardness pressing into me.

I fumbled with the buttons on his pants, and for a fraction of a second, I felt self-conscious again. Too Inadequate. Too Inexperienced.

His lips crashed into mine and that feeling was lost. Taken over by my need for him.

He scooped me up, his arms resting beneath my bottom, lifting my breasts to his mouth, moving us to the bed once again. Electricity shot through me.

"There is one other thing," he rasped, "to consecrate the binding. The link."

I groaned in frustration as his mouth left my skin.

"To truly mark you, and make you mine. To bind us. To have me be yours; for eternity." His mouth set my body on fire with each word he uttered. "Blood must be exchanged at the exact moment."

I wished he would stop talking. That he would take me. Make me his.

He smirked down at me. His eyes sparkled, almost glowing in the low light.

He rolled me over onto my stomach, straddling me as I lay under him..

I felt him go completely still, removing his hands from my waist. A second later I felt his feather-light touch tracing the silver scars on my back.

"Who—" he choked out his hands trembling, "did this—" he paused an animalistic sound emitted from his throat as he spoke, "to you?"

I twisted my body around so that I could see him above me. "Berith, don't " I shook my head, trying to reach for him.

"No, Nova. You will tell me who did this. Now." It wasn't a request. It was a demand. His power reverberated through the room, washing over me.

I felt his power growing as it permeated the room, almost suffocating.

"I—it..I," I tried to form an answer, stammering as I felt my body cool from the lack of our contact, "you should already know. You have been there throughout my life. I just thought you would know about...." My voice trailed off.

Berith ran his hands through his hair leaning his head back; something like a growl came from him, but so different than the noises he had been making up until this point.

"Please Berith," I said as I sat up, reaching up to pull his face down so that I could see him. His eyes had bled out to an unnatural golden, rimmed with a light glowing emerald. My hands fell away, wrapping them around my still naked form, "Your eyes," I whispered.

Berith backed away from me, his eyes flew shut and his fists balled up by his sides as his breathing became more ragged. His chest rippled before me with each breath he took. He was absolutely beautiful; even at this moment. But I knew that our moment was over. His anger was palpable.

He bent down and snatched up his shirt slipping it on as he turned away from me. "Ge dressed and join me for dinner once you have freshened up." His voice was hard. I flinched at the sound; my eyes pricking.

He turned abruptly walking rigidly from his room, leaving me feeling empty and rejected; my head spun as I tried to cover myself watching him walk from the room, leaving me alone, a feeling that I was all too familiar with, but this time, it was different. I felt all of this to my very core.