Between Light and Dark by Elissa Wilds Read Free Book Online

prepared for
all possibilities. That includes warding the yearning even
when we are close to consummation."
    As expected, she remained stiff against him. Equally ex pected, the yearning surged and pulsed through his body,
tendrils of desire reaching out from her skin to his.

    The roundness of her jean-clad bottom against his groin
and the swell of her full breasts resting on his arms caused
his pants to tighten around a fierce erection. His mind
merged with hers, and he could sense the shivers that ran
through her as she recognized his hardness.
    A small sigh of pleasure escaped her lips. For a moment,
he almost lost his own warding. Axiom's head bent seemingly of its own accord, and his face burrowed against her
neck. He breathed deeply of amber, recognizing it as the
fragrant oil Laurell had dotted on her neck and wrists that
morning after bathing. Had she applied the scent to please
him? He knew it unlikely, but smiled at the possibility. His
lips curved against the softness of her neck.
    Laurell shivered and let her head fall slack against his
chest, lips parted. Axiom narrowed his eyes at the sudden
urge to taste her mouth. He lifted his head and shook it to
clear away the tenuous hold the yearning had tried to place
upon him. His ward was in place. Hers was not.
    "Laurell, draw your energy back," he urged. "Envision
your aura disengaging from mine."
    "I'm trying," she gasped, her words tight, as though speaking was an effort.
    "Breathe and then block. See your aura harden like a
shell around you. Do just as I demonstrated."
    Laurell took a deep, shuddering breath and a moment
later, the yearning disappeared. Having regained control,
she immediately stepped out of his embrace. He frowned.
Why did he already miss the sensation of her body against
his? It must be remnants of the yearning.
    Laurell brushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes and
slumped into the nearest chair.

    "We must practice more," Axiom told her sternly.
    "Just taking a break, slave driver," she quipped. "Here, sit.
I want to pick your brain some more." She motioned to the
wingback chair next to her.
    Reluctantly, he sat. "Fine, but we must continue practicing in a moment."
    She nodded. "Explain how the Umbrae find us."
    He ran one hand through his hair and forced back his
frustration. Why did mortals enjoy talking so much? Especially this mortal.
    "The yearning is potent energy," he said. "Just as it pulls
us toward one another, it leaves behind a trail which the
Umbrae can identify," he explained. "However, you need
not be concerned or let this distract you from our practice.
We are safe inside this dwelling."
    Why was she asking these questions again? For what did
she search? Besides trying to keep a physical distance from
him, she had been uncommonly cooperative since they had
risen that morning.
    "I'm getting better at warding, aren't I?" Laurell asked.
    Axiom tilted his head to one side. "Better, yes. As good
as you need to be? No."
    She grimaced, but then shrugged his words off and grinned.
"I have to admit, I like knowing I have the ability to prevent the yearning from taking over," she said. "You've no
idea how good it feels not to have the urge to tear your
clothes off right now."
    Axiom didn't find that news as comforting as he should.
    "I'm just so tired," she told him with a yawn.
    "Warding can drain your energy. Especially if one of us is
doing all the work. That is why we both need to become as
adept as possible," he advised. Standing, he held his hand
out to her. "Break is over."

    Laurell frowned. "Fine, but you're fixing dinner. I don't
think I'll have the strength."
    "I would expect nothing less."
    Laurell's dreams that night were vivid and disturbing. Several times she woke, heart pounding, eyes wide, only to find
herself staring into the peaceful darkness of the apartment.
She couldn't remember what had pulled her from slumber
or what she'd been dreaming about. Morning light had just