Free Shadows of Darkness by Stephanie Rowe

hands in his. "I need to die, Maya. It's just a matter of time until I become the assassin I once was. I am not killable , by anyone, ever, except you."
    Tears filled her eyes. "I don't want to kill anyone."
    "For your people? Would you kill for them?"
    She stared at him, and nodded silently. She would do anything for the kingdom that was counting on her, the one that her family had never believed she was worthy of leading. She could do nothing else but give her all to her kingdom. It was part of her legacy, bound to her soul in a way that would never be denied.
    Levi cupped her face, searching hers with his intense gaze. "I've never felt alive until I sensed you approaching me. I know my time is limited, and there's nothing I want more than to experience it through your eyes, through your emotions, and through the gift of what you give me. I want you, all of you. Your soul, your mind, and your body." He kissed her again, and his kiss was so pure and haunted that tears spilled forth and trickled silently down her cheeks.
    She knew in that moment, that being with him was all she wanted. She knew what he meant when he spoke of a lifetime of an emotional desert. That had been her life too, stranded on the outskirts of a family who had no time for her, isolated and alone, even when surrounded by the people who were supposed to love her.
    Being held by Levi was a gift she'd never experienced before, and she didn't want to miss out on it because she was afraid of what might happen in the future. He made her feel like she was worthy of being alive, plus he would be able to get her safely toward her goal. She needed him, on every level. And the future? It would be what it was. If she saved her kingdom, her life would be complete. She could ask for no more, other than to be with this man, this part of her soul, for this one brief moment to see what life could really be like when she was loved and treasured, and when she could do the same for another living being.
    She entwined her hands behind his neck, and kissed him back, telling him without words. He growled low in his throat, and the kiss suddenly changed from poignant and emotional to a desperate need for possession. Excitement rushed through her as he took over the kiss, claiming her with each move.
    He lifted her up, and easily removed the rest of her clothing in a single, effortless move before he wrapped her legs around his hips in an intimate pose that made her shiver with anticipation. His waist was lean and muscled between her thighs, sending chills of awareness through her body. Maya barely had time to process the intimacy of the position before he'd moved them to a bed of spongy moss. The vegetation was soft against her back as he laid her down, shedding his pants as he swallowed her up in his kisses and his strength.
    The sensation of skin against skin was riveting, and she felt as if she'd been starved for his touch. She ran her hands over his arms and across his shoulders, wanting to touch every inch of him. He kissed his way down her body, whispering reverently as he went, the kind of intimacies that made her heart tighten with warmth. No one had ever made her feel like the world would stop spinning if she weren't a part of it, but in this moment, that was exactly how Levi made her feel. Is this because of the bond? Is that why you affect me like this?
    He stopped kissing her belly then, and crawled back up her body. He braced his hands beside her head, his hips sinking low against her pelvis as his dark eyes searched hers. She felt his erection hard against her belly, but he didn't try to make love to her. He simply met her gaze, searching her face with ruthless intensity.
    "The bond can make us want each other," he said. "But it can't make me appreciate your courage and your honor. I'm a master at feeling nothing, and yet you awaken every emotion inside me that I thought was long dead. I've stood over people I've killed, and never felt remorse. I've spent every