Page 133 of May: Bloom & Bane

“Sage,” Eden gasps.

“Just a little more, Saevúra,” I rasp. “Please. Your body is so perfect, making this for me.”

At least let me help you before you lose yourself completely, he murmurs.

What is your equivalent of this, Ashán? What happens when the reaper finds our mate fertile and ready?

He goes quiet.

Well?

Bloodlust, he says reluctantly.

What?

When I sense her vulnerability. It triggers something inside of me, he admits. The need to mark her and make sure everyone knows she’s ním, that my venom is flowing through her veins. The primal need to eliminate anything that might threaten her.

When you say bloodlust… I murmur, you don’t mean Eden’s blood, right?

The silence stretches too long.

Ashán?! I bark.

Yes, he finally admits. But not the way you’re thinking.

I wrap my arms protectively around Eden from… myself?

Then how?

I don’t want to hurt her, he says quietly. I would never hurt her. I want to taste her. Her humanity. Her mortality. Everything that makes her alive and fragile.

You want to bite our mate? I rasp.

I want to worship our mate, he corrects. The way you worship her fertility, I need to worship her life through her blood.

But not now, he adds, his voice strained. Right now, I’m holding back so you can have this moment with her.

Thank you. We will talk about this later.

Don’t thank me yet, he mutters darkly. Once you’re done, and that knot releases? She’s ním.

“Sage?” Eden’s voice pulls me back. I’ve gone completely still.

“What’s wrong?” she whispers. “You just… stopped.”

How do I explain that I’m protecting her from myself? That half of me wants to watch her bloom while the other half wants to sink its teeth into her throat.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just⁠—”

Tell her, Ashán sighs. She deserves to know what’s coming. This isn’t over when your rut ends.

My thumbs stroke over her flushed cheeks.

“Eden, when my knot finally releases.” I swallow hard. “Ashán is going to need you too.”

Her brow furrows. “Need me how?”

“Differently than I do,” I admit. “He’ll want to… claim you in his own way.”