36. Morelle

36

MORELLE

W hen Brandon's fangs pierced Morelle's neck, pleasure unlike anything she'd ever experienced flooded her system. The venom flowed through her veins like liquid starlight, and suddenly, she was floating, drifting through a kaleidoscope of colors and sensations.

She saw herself as a child in the temple, but instead of the strict environment she remembered, the walls were covered in flowering vines. Her younger self danced free and unveiled through corridors that sparkled with rainbow light, her laughter echoing off the crystal walls. The head priestess's severe robes transformed into butterfly wings, and she soared away into an aurora-lit sky.

The scene shifted, and she was running through the village streets, but they were paved with stardust. Every house she passed glowed with warmth, and she could see the love between mates as visible threads of golden light connecting them.

Time seemed meaningless as she floated through these visions. She saw Ell-rom and Jasmine surrounded by children with her brother's blue eyes. She watched Annani reunite with Khiann in a garden where the flowers sang, and the trees danced. She glimpsed her mother, young and beautiful, weaving protective spells of rainbow light around her and Ell-rom's pods.

Then the visions grew more abstract—fractals of light that twisted into impossible shapes, colors that had no names, music she could see, and light she could taste. Through it all, she felt Brandon's presence like a tether, keeping her from drifting too far into these spectacular worlds.

When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself cradled in Brandon's arms, her body relaxed, and her mind peaceful in a way she had never experienced before.

The room was filled with early morning light, and they were both dressed in their night clothes, which meant that Brandon had put her nightgown on her while she was soaring on the wings of fantasy.

"Welcome back, Princess," he murmured, brushing a kiss across her forehead. "How was your trip?"

She smiled dreamily, the echoes of those magnificent visions swimming through her mind and leaving her languid. "Indescribable. Margo and Frankie and the others told me about their trips, but mine was nothing like theirs."

"What did you see?"

As she described her visions, he listened with a smile on his face, and when she told him about her mother's rainbow spells, she could still see traces of that magical light when she closed her eyes.

"I've heard many descriptions of venom trips, and yours was more vivid and unusual than all of them."

"Maybe it's because I'm part goddess?" She settled more comfortably against him, feeling deeply satisfied.

"Maybe." He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "Or maybe you're just special."

Morelle smiled, remembering how the venom had made her feel completely connected to everything—past, present, and future, all existing simultaneously in a beautiful dance of light and love. "Thank you for not fighting me off too hard and showing me this."

His arms tightened around her. "I should be the one thanking you. You've given me pleasure without asking for anything other than a bite."

She closed her eyes, savoring the perfect contentment of the moment.

Back on her home planet, she'd never imagined that simple physical contact could carry so much meaning and make her feel so complete.

"What are you thinking about?" Brandon murmured against her temple, his hands tracing soothing patterns along her spine.

"How different everything is here." She pressed closer, breathing in his familiar scent. "I don't need to tell you what I was taught about sex back home. You have Kra-ell living among you."

His arms tightened around her. "I'm not privy to their practices, but I heard it's brutal." He chuckled. "It's not something I want to be talking about while enjoying this moment with you."

"You're right." Morelle smiled, remembering her mother's words in her dream. "Mother told me to wake up and live. To experience everything life has to offer." Her hands traced the contours of his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath her palm. "This is what she meant, and she was right about it being worth living for."

"Your mother was a wise female. She wanted you to know love, to feel a connection, to experience joy."

"Is that what this is?" Morelle asked. "Love?"

Instead of answering, Brandon kissed her with such tenderness that tears pricked at her eyes. This wasn't just desire or passion—this was something deeper, more profound.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes held a vulnerability she'd never seen before. "I want to tell you that I love you, Morelle, and that I've loved you since I first saw you, but it's too early, and I don't want to overwhelm you, so let's pretend that I didn't say anything yet."

It was such a silly thing to do, but at the same time, Morelle knew exactly what he meant.

She wanted to tell him that she loved him too, but it felt premature, and she wanted him to know how she felt about him without fully committing to it yet.

Love was a big deal between immortals and gods. It meant literally forever, and they should be completely and irrevocably sure that was what they were feeling before promising it to each other.

"I want to tell you that I love you too, but I also want to wait to be sure that what I feel is forever."

"My smart, beautiful princess." He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers, one at a time.

She leaned in and pressed a kiss over his heart. "The Mother of All Life or the Fates guided me to you. You are the best thing to ever happen to me."

"I feel the same." As he lowered his mouth to hers again, Morelle gave herself over to the sensations.

It felt like coming home.