Just One Bite »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

FORTY-ONE

FORTY-ONE

Scenting vanilla rain and many other scents near, some not recognisable, Ashley awoke with a roar as she shifted into a form only an original can take.

Thumps were heard as bodies hit the walls as they jumped away. Feeling new limbs on her back, she spread them, knowing the intimidation worked when the scent of fear and awe hit her. Snarling at the closest one to her that wanted her mate, Ashley'd swiped. The scent of blood rose and hit Ashley then. Hunger. She was so, so hungry. Grumbling a snarl, Ashley went to grab the now bleeding being, but another body, as large as hers hit her from the side, making limbs go flying into a wall that had a subtle magic wavering over it to keep the room warm but not hot.

Ashley snarled, the other snarled back. How dare he stop her from feeding! A power rose in the room, the being above her stilled and she struck. Fangs pierced nearly solid skin and black scales. Blood she had never tasted before rushed into her mouth, down her throat like thick liquid. It almost tasted as good as her mate had. Ashley hummed in approval.

Suddenly the body above her roared in denial. Too late, Ashley felt something click within her to the last original on this realm. Releasing him, the black scaled original jumped off her, and Ashley moved like a snake into a smooth standing position.

Now fed, her hunger no longer riding her as it had, Ashley saw that there were twenty-six dracan; sixteen vampyre's; a pooka; an original; and an angel, her mate in the same small room. What has happened since the darkness claimed me?

"Ashley?"

Ashley turned to the voice of her mate. She couldn't blink in her demonic form, but she would have if she could. Her mate hadn't changed. Much. She knew he would have, but, her mate had wings. She couldn't see what colour they were as she only saw certain colours in this form. But she could see the outline that rose above his head before falling to the floor.

Ashley felt her throat rumble at seeing her mate. A purr rolled out of her throat. The others must have thought she was growling because Damon was suddenly tugged back by a draca. Snarling, Ashley advanced, only stopping when Damon snapped at the draca and came over to her.

"I need you to shift back, Ashley."

Ashley purred at him.

"You need blood?"

She purred.

He cocked his head to the side. Again, if she could have, she would have blinked. Why was he trusting her? What did he know that she didn't? But Ashley didn't let that stop her. Moving forward, she bent her ten-foot-four frame down to surround Damon's six-two height. As she leant her head down to bite Damon, she felt limbs moving to surround them. Looking showed that scaled wings had surrounded them. She stood.

"Ashley?"

Following the line of the limb, Ashley saw that it lead to her own back. She looked at her other side. The same. What had happened while she was asleep?

Looking back at Damon, she surrounded him once again, and bit. And just like before, his blood tasted like the elixir of life. And as she drank, she thanked the fates for giving her an angel mate instead of a human one. She didn't think she'd survive if Damon was to die in a couple of decades.

Shifting back, a feeling of pins and needles all over, Ashley pulled away and healed the twin pricks on his neck. She let him lift her into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she clutched him just as he clutched her. Tightly. Refusing to let go. Because, even though she'd been asleep, she'd sensed him next to her. Sensed when he'd disappeared into Anya's clutches. Still felt the terror of knowing that Ravin or Suresha – when he'd been alive – could have killed her mate at any time. She'd still missed being held by him. Missed being covered in his scent.