Did Layla think she could do Kathleen one better? Did she think she could change her fate altogether? Only a soul as bright as hers would dare it. She had no idea whom she was up against.
“Of course everyone has to die. That’s not what free will is about. Free will, my fine faery friend, is about taking chances, making the most of each moment.”
The heat in her gaze and the swell of building intent told him that she didn’t think she’d done enough of it.
“Case in point: Kathleen did whatever the hell she wanted. She lived under a death sentence all her life. And look what she had!” Layla gestured to the painting. “Her art, you, Talia. Don’t tell me all that was fated.”
Kathleen had pushed the limits of her destiny as far as they could go. She’d held on with spit and drive until the moment she delivered Talia. Yes, Kathleen had lived well.
“And what do you want, Layla?” Was it anything he could hope to give her?
“I want to live. And if I’ve only got five minutes or fifty years, they’re going to be good.”
Her claim made him a little afraid. What could she be thinking with that spark in her eye?
“So step back, ’cause I’m coming through.”
“Layla—!”
But she was already rushing into the canvas. She couldn’t know that he wasn’t in the painting itself or that Twilight was as vast as the human consciousness or as varied as imagination. So many souls crossed at the same time, but—there!—for Layla the veil went up in violent flames. The denizens of Faery lifted their heads, scented her, pricked their ears to hear her. Trained their dark eyes through Shadow toward her bright light. A mortal had crossed; fair game.
Heedless, she ran into the trees to find him. He, the monster who wanted her most of all.
She had no idea. Twilight was not the place for this. There was no tenderness here.
Khan rolled out of the darkness and caught her in his arms. Arms of a man, like she expected. The arms of the Khan she knew. It took one of her breaths for the rest of him to form and modern clothing to slide over his body. Black, like his Shadow.
“You must go. Your mind will wander here.” As he spoke, whispers rose around them. There were watchers in the woods, but the fae would hang back from he who was darkest of all.
She was determined in her arousal. It rolled off her in great, crashing waves, battering his reserves.
“Then we’d better be quick.” Her eyebrows danced in suggestion. “You have a devil to find anyway.”
She wrapped her arms around him and filled him with her exhilaration. The beat of her heart in his head, the pump of life was too much to bear.
“Layla, please,” he begged. Her lust for life would override him. And she thought she had no power.
But she nipped his lip, then stepped back to peel off her shirt. “Right now. Here on the ground.”
The ground was not good enough for Layla, especially not with the fae looking on in keen interest, hungry for that spark within her. This was no place for one with a loose hold on life. Since only excitement billowed from Layla, the terror had to be his.
Not here. Not like this. Not where he couldn’t hide his nature and keep her safe at the same time.
But she was Kathleen all over again, bent on seduction, but without the heart trouble to limit her headlong pursuit of disaster. Layla’s heart beat rapidly in her chest, the tempo echoing in his. The tide of her emotion was beyond exquisite. How must it be to experience it firsthand?
He growled in frustration. “I would have visited you tonight in your sleep.”
Please, Layla.
“Yeah, that was good. But I want you. And now.” She came forward again, naked from the waist up, her skin like alabaster in this light. She buried her hands in his hair. Brought a fistful of strands to her face. “You smell so good. Always so good. Faery shampoo rocks.”
“Don’t ask this of me,” he said, skimming his mouth over her neck. She smelled earthy, fecund, and so blood sweet.
She drew back, looked him in his eyes. “You said you were a beast.”
“I am.” The worst of them. Even now Shadow crackled with the rise of his want.
Passion darkened her gaze. “Well, let’s have it then.”
He closed his eyes to hide his alarm. She had no idea what she was talking about, his reckless woman, so he simplified. “You will fear me.”
Please don’t make me show you this.
Layla smiled. “Promises, promises.”
The moment the whites of Khan’s eyes bled to black, Layla knew she was in trouble. He lifted a hand into the air and the forest around them went dead silent. A thick mist of shadows filtered through the trees, blanketing them in a soft, impenetrable pocket of stillness.
Considering the dark flex of Khan’s expression, Layla didn’t think the quiet would last long. She crossed her arms to cover her exposed breasts.
The darkness around her grumbled. Khan only lifted a brow. “Second thoughts?”
She dropped her arms again. “You don’t scare me.”