Taste me, p.28
Taste Me, page 28
The last day I’ll have a heartbeat.
Because my mates are going to turn me into a hybrid like them.
I could wear red, I suggest. Just because my mates have to drink all my blood doesn’t mean I can’t have a little dark humor about it.
Fallon sighs on the other end. Are you positive you want to go through with this? I mean… never mind. We can talk about it over breakfast. I made sure the chef prepared every delicious dish I can think of. Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, soft-boiled eggs in golden holders, ham and cheese croissants—
I stop her before she makes me too hungry, because Zy is now nibbling impatiently at my ear, making me hungry for something else. I’m going to miss breakfast, I tell her mournfully. My mates seem intent on distracting me.
Fallon isn’t mad. She chuckles as if she can relate, which she most assuredly can. Her phantoms especially have made her late for more than one visit with me. I’m honestly not surprised. That’s okay. We can meet for lunch or dinner instead. I’ll tell the chef to get started. Oh! That means we can do steak and shrimp and lobster. There are these little beef pocket things, too, that I just discovered.
There she goes, making me hungry again—but dinner does sound good now.
Showing off the fact that you have a royal chef? I muse. Although, I’m grateful for her efforts to make my last day eating food as a source of nutrition worthwhile. She has held off trying to change my mind. The only thing she said about it was that she felt it was too big a sacrifice to give up my birthright.
But what birthright do I really have? What does it bring me?
My mates are my world. I want them and nothing else.
That was a sentiment she understood, so she backed off. Luckily, she’s been more supportive than I could have hoped and now she’s trying to make sure I celebrate my last day.
I’m queen, might as well embrace it. She chuckles again. Will you still be teleporting using Kornelius’s ability? Or do you want me to talk to Amala? She is supplying Nolan with some more portal potions—but she sure does charge an arm and a leg for them. They’re pretty rare. And probably illegal.
I giggle. No need to waste expenses on me, sister. We’ll be there by dinner.
I don’t even suggest lunch because I know that won’t be happening.
I’ll see you then, Issy. Have fuuuuuun.
I can practically see her eyebrows waggling.
“Time’s up,” Zy whispers in my ear. “Let the guessing game begin. You have a fifty-fifty chance to guess correctly and receive your reward.”
The hand on my throat and the one over my eyes disappear. I’ve opened my eyes, but the room is pitch black even though it’s morning.
My mates have picked up a few tricks in the past three weeks. I can’t see a thing as strong arms spread my legs and a thumb prepares me, rolling on my clit and making me bow off the bed. I’m always naked and ready for them, per their request.
And often rewarded for it.
Spirits…
This never gets old. I expected to tire of sex after the initial honeymoon period with my mates. After destroying Daithi and the patriarchs for good, I returned to the abandoned house with all my mates and I fully healed.
A blessing from Jewel.
She joined us when we portaled back to my sister’s and explained everything that had happened to her. Now we’re in my cottage in Lapland and almost done with restorations while Jewel seeks asylum in Reykjavík.
The matter of the Houses wanting me dead is still an issue. Tensions have run high, and while I’m under the protection of the dukes, it’s only a temporary situation.
We talked about solutions to appease the Houses. A permanent mute collar was one of them, but I couldn’t stomach that idea.
Telling the Houses to fuck off was another, but Kaspian convinced me that would result in more death than my conscience could bear.
I already have a thousand murders to atone for, and it feels fitting that the punishment will be sacrificing my life.
But I won’t die, even though my heart will stop.
I will become something new.
Reborn.
“Guess who,” Zy whispers in my ear when one of my mates enters me.
I draw in a deep breath as the fullness stretches me. My mind goes completely blank and I’m unable to even think for a moment.
Kornelius and Jasper are similar in size, but their methods are different.
They like to trick me, though. They are able to talk telepathically and give each other tips about what the other might do.
The mate entering me pulls me into him by wrapping strong hands around my thighs so that he goes deep. Then he leans over me and glides his fingers down my ass, not stopping even when he reaches my back entrance.
He slips two fingers in, giving me a full feeling that has me panting while he slowly thrusts, keeping his hips secured on my clit to supply the pressure I need.
It’s a move Jasper would do. Kor likes to look at my body while one of his brothers stimulates my nipples. Jasper is still the worst when it comes to sharing, but it could all be a trick.
My mate pauses when I haven’t spoken, leaving me full with his fingers and his cock.
“Fifty-fifty,” Zy says.
“I’m not sure,” I admit.
Zy clicks his tongue in my ear. “Then guess—that’s the game, baby girl.”
I want to guess correctly. My reward is the orgasm my mates are pushing me toward.
If I’m wrong, I’ll be edged until I’m a begging, wallowing mess.
Which, in all honesty, is also fun, but I don’t know if I can handle delayed gratification right now.
But then the mate inside of me gives me a little hint.
He uses his magic, sending a throbbing wave of pleasure through me by touch alone. It nearly makes me climax as it gathers at my core.
That’s something only Jasper can do.
Cheat, Kor says to him, allowing me to hear their conversation in my head.
“It’s Jasper,” I say, pleased.
“Very good, little witchling,” Jasper says, moving his body again, sending sensation rolling through me.
His magic coaxes me.
His fingers fill me.
And his cock touches that deep part inside of me that threatens to make me explode.
Zy chuckles in my ear, then kisses my neck while Kor joins in, taking my mouth with his.
“You win, baby girl,” Zy whispers, and that’s all the encouragement Jasper needs.
I let pleasure take me under while still surrounded by darkness.
All my mates work in tandem to bring me bliss, and I greedily take it. It’s the last day I’ll be Ishara Doyle, the death witch with the deadly voice.
It’s the last day the world will fear me as uncontrollable.
Amala has told us what’ll happen when my mates turn me.
I will be banished from the death plane. I’ll lose my connection to it entirely and be left with only the ability to access magic in the realm of the living.
I will still be able to cast spells and manipulate death magic, but I’ll be immortal and denied my headstone.
It’s a sacrifice—but it also means I’ll never risk losing my mates.
Because when I die, I’ll go where they go.
As immortals, our deaths will hopefully be nonexistent, or a very long time from now. And I won’t have to worry about the issue of aging while they remain forever young.
As euphoria overtakes me, I know I’ve made the right decision, because I’ll always be with my mates just as we are now.
You are mine.
All of you.
Forevermore.
Epilogue: Issy
Two days later…
“What the fuck happened to our cottage?” Ayla asks as she stands in the doorway, completely stunned. She’s sporting a heavy backpack and lets it fall to the ground.
Putting the book I’m reading in my lap, I respond with sign language out of habit, even though I don’t need to. I redecorated.
That’s an understatement, really. The cottage was practically falling in on itself by the time Daithi’s army was done with it, then the forest tried to reclaim it while I was gone.
While my mates were helping me fix it back up, I might have gotten a little carried away.
“Redecorated?” she says incredulously, entering the living area to wander through the new leather couches and polished oak end tables until she arrives at the new bar Zy installed. He had to pop out the entire cottage wall to fit it in, but there’s nothing a little magic and shirtless, manly labor can’t fix.
She stares at the various liquors, at the painted cabinets that Kor and I picked out colors for, and then blinks at a new espresso machine that Jasper bought for me when he found out I like coffee.
“How did you afford all this? Did you finally ask Fallon for money?”
I smile but make sure not to laugh. “Not exactly,” I say aloud. “Let’s just say I’ve come into contact with rare supernatural blood that buys anything I want.”
Ayla freezes, not from what I said but because I said the words out loud. Fear flashes over her face before curiosity takes over when her spirit isn’t ripped from her body.
I know it’s rude to frighten her, but I can’t resist the surprise.
You guys can come out now, I mentally think to my mates waiting patiently in the bedroom.
They knew that my cousin and roommate would finally be coming home today. She has been on a mission of her own, traveling the world, and as expected, she’s out of touch when it comes to the latest news regarding me. Usually, there’s not too much going on. My life has been uneventful since Fallon saved me.
And then that changed pretty quickly.
I have no doubt she heard about the massacres, but Fallon told her that I was safe and left it at that so I could have my fun.
Ayla produces a knife and twirls it. “I assume your miraculous ability to speak without killing everyone around you has something to do with your new mates?”
I frown. “Hey, that was supposed to be a surprise.”
Ayla gives me a flat stare. “Fallon told me. Otherwise, I would have sensed their auras and come in here and killed them, thinking someone else had forcibly mated you.”
“Oh,” I said sheepishly. “I didn’t think of that.”
She points the knife at the doorway. “Are they going to come out now or stand there all night?”
Ayla’s magic hums around her with threatening waves when Zy, Jas, and Kor enter the room. Her power resides in soul magic, allowing her many gifts that would make most people envious.
Her looks are one of her best features, though, and I can’t help but glance at my mates to see their reactions. She’s gorgeous. Because she’s adopted, she doesn’t share my ethnicity. Where my hair is blonde, hers is black as midnight, with dark, almond-shaped eyes to match. Her olive skin is different from my own and looks silky to the touch.
It doesn’t matter that she’s been traveling. She’s beautiful.
And untrusting. She was forcibly mated just like most witches in the Outcast Coven and she has no interest in taking a mate again.
Although, I have a feeling she will soon. There’s something about her that seems compatible with darkness.
But she can’t have my mates, my darkness. Possessive instinct makes me evaluate their reactions to the unmated beauty that is my cousin.
Luckily, they only boast looks of intrigue and curiosity.
Zy gives me a look as if he knows what I’m thinking and his expression changes to one of devious sensuality when he meets my gaze. He’s wearing his glasses, but his slight grin tells me that he’s already planning activities for tonight.
Spirits, I need to move. Even though Ayla travels a lot, I do not want to be sharing a wall with her when she’s home, not when Zy has that look.
“Ayla, meet my mates,” I say, hoping an introduction will be a good place to start before I throw ideas about moving at her, because I have no idea where I’ll go. I like it here.
Maybe my mates will build me a new cottage farther in the woods, I think to myself, although I haven’t walled my thoughts off from my mates, so Zy responds.
You mean a secluded place where no one can hear you scream? Of course, baby girl. I’d love to build a new house for you.
I roll my eyes, but it sounds kind of wonderful.
Especially because my mates love to make me scream, even if my voice doesn’t hold the same power it used to.
I’m absolutely adding a sex basement, too, Zy adds, making me blush.
Zy heads to the bar and begins making drinks. “What’s your poison, Ayla?”
Ayla frowns, ignoring Zy while Jasper flops onto the new sofa and Kornelius crosses his arms and leans against the mantel, looking amused by the situation.
It takes a few hours to explain the whole background to Ayla, but she listens intently while sipping the drink Zy made for her. After convincing her to drink it, she admitted it was good.
“A vampire,” she says while coddling her glass that’s more ice than drink now. The fireplace cheerfully burns while my mates have made themselves scarce.
There’s not a lot of room in the cottage, so they left to tend to their hobbies. Zy likes to work with my garden. He’s done a great job restoring it. Kornelius and Jasper headed into town, looking for trouble.
They always come back with a story and a new book for me to read.
And sometimes, blood.
“A vampire,” I confirm, grinning to show off my fangs. I’ve learned how to control them, to a degree.
Ayla’s eyes widen. “Wow. And where do you get… you know, the stuff you need to drink?”
“My mates,” I say simply. “I feed on them and they mix in blood with Zy’s drinks, too. Just… don’t open the new freezer.”
The blood bags in our freezer are a gift from my sister. It’s one of the few expenses I’ve accepted from her, because I didn’t want to risk myself or my mates getting too hungry and causing trouble. While I haven’t been able to stomach drinking blood straight, drinking from my mates is a pastime I thoroughly enjoy and sustains me as long as they’re drinking enough blood for all of us.
Ayla nods. “Noted.” She sighs, then leans back in her chair. “Well, I brought you a present, but I don’t know if you’ll want it now.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A present? I always like presents.”
She chuckles. “When I crossed into populated areas, mostly Gold and Garnet territory across the map, I picked up a few smut books that you like in other languages.” She glances at the door. “Not sure if you need them now.”
Doubling over, I laugh my first belly laugh in a while. “Oh, Ayla! Did you think I read those because I wasn’t getting any?”
She smirks. “Well, yeah.”
I wipe away cheerful tears. “No! I enjoy the romance and the story. The excitement and the thrill. It’s not… it’s not like that.”
Ayla pulls the books out of her bag. She’s packed them with her clothing to keep them from being damaged. “Uh-huh, whatever you say.” She unwraps them, then hands them to me. “Maybe have your mates buddy-read with you. There’s one in there about knotting.”
I make a little “O” shape with my mouth. “Knotting? What’s that?”
I know what it is, but Ayla has already made enough fun of me for tonight.
She grins. “I guess you’ll have to read them to find out. I guarantee, though, your mates won’t be able to replicate that one.”
“A shame,” I say. Although, given what knotting is, I’m glad they’re not capable of it. They sensually torture me enough.
I flip open the first book and read the passage aloud.
Ayla leans back into her chair and smiles, clearly enjoying me reading to her.
Because I’m using my voice. I’m able to speak and be heard.
And for the first time in my life… I’m free.
The En— WAIT IT’S NOT OVER! IT CAN’T BE!
Click Here for the Bonus Epilogue: Until Death. Issy’s transformation into a hybrid vampire was too explicit and dark for Amazon, so you can read it by heading over to the J.R. Thorn Store!
Happy dark ventures and be warned, take a deep breath.
It might be your last.
Need even more? Check out these IVV Universe Standalone Books with Shared Characters in Taste Me:
What happens when Ayla meets her knotty mate? Find out in Chase Me… Join J.R. Thorn’s Newsletter for news on Chase Me updates!
Read Fallon’s story that takes place before Issy finds her voice in Claim Me… READ NOW in KU!
Read about the sexy dukes in Mark Me… READ NOW in KU!
Jewel’s story is coming up next in Treasure Me… Join J.R. Thorn’s Newsletter for news on Treasure Me updates!
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Taste Me! I’m exhausted, thrilled, and on a coffee and adrenaline high as I write this closing note after finishing one of the most challenging and rewarding books of my author career.
Issy is such a complex character and one I feel very close to. She has her sister, Fallon, and all the feelings that come with their unique relationship make the story rich, emotional, and rounded.
Finding herself seemed like an impossible struggle, at least in her mind. And watching Issy grow throughout the book to the badass woman she becomes is mesmerizing.
Although, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get through it a few times. Not because of anything Issy did, but because her guys would not stop trying to bone her!
Fated-mate sex, as Fallon called it, is seriously no joke.
It was hilarious how many times I texted my coauthor and editor, complaining about how the guys would not let up, to everyone’s amusement. But, at the end of the day, I realize that even the safe word Zy developed was a vital part of the plot. Without it, would Issy have been able to overcome Royce’s hold on Kor?
Because my mates are going to turn me into a hybrid like them.
I could wear red, I suggest. Just because my mates have to drink all my blood doesn’t mean I can’t have a little dark humor about it.
Fallon sighs on the other end. Are you positive you want to go through with this? I mean… never mind. We can talk about it over breakfast. I made sure the chef prepared every delicious dish I can think of. Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, soft-boiled eggs in golden holders, ham and cheese croissants—
I stop her before she makes me too hungry, because Zy is now nibbling impatiently at my ear, making me hungry for something else. I’m going to miss breakfast, I tell her mournfully. My mates seem intent on distracting me.
Fallon isn’t mad. She chuckles as if she can relate, which she most assuredly can. Her phantoms especially have made her late for more than one visit with me. I’m honestly not surprised. That’s okay. We can meet for lunch or dinner instead. I’ll tell the chef to get started. Oh! That means we can do steak and shrimp and lobster. There are these little beef pocket things, too, that I just discovered.
There she goes, making me hungry again—but dinner does sound good now.
Showing off the fact that you have a royal chef? I muse. Although, I’m grateful for her efforts to make my last day eating food as a source of nutrition worthwhile. She has held off trying to change my mind. The only thing she said about it was that she felt it was too big a sacrifice to give up my birthright.
But what birthright do I really have? What does it bring me?
My mates are my world. I want them and nothing else.
That was a sentiment she understood, so she backed off. Luckily, she’s been more supportive than I could have hoped and now she’s trying to make sure I celebrate my last day.
I’m queen, might as well embrace it. She chuckles again. Will you still be teleporting using Kornelius’s ability? Or do you want me to talk to Amala? She is supplying Nolan with some more portal potions—but she sure does charge an arm and a leg for them. They’re pretty rare. And probably illegal.
I giggle. No need to waste expenses on me, sister. We’ll be there by dinner.
I don’t even suggest lunch because I know that won’t be happening.
I’ll see you then, Issy. Have fuuuuuun.
I can practically see her eyebrows waggling.
“Time’s up,” Zy whispers in my ear. “Let the guessing game begin. You have a fifty-fifty chance to guess correctly and receive your reward.”
The hand on my throat and the one over my eyes disappear. I’ve opened my eyes, but the room is pitch black even though it’s morning.
My mates have picked up a few tricks in the past three weeks. I can’t see a thing as strong arms spread my legs and a thumb prepares me, rolling on my clit and making me bow off the bed. I’m always naked and ready for them, per their request.
And often rewarded for it.
Spirits…
This never gets old. I expected to tire of sex after the initial honeymoon period with my mates. After destroying Daithi and the patriarchs for good, I returned to the abandoned house with all my mates and I fully healed.
A blessing from Jewel.
She joined us when we portaled back to my sister’s and explained everything that had happened to her. Now we’re in my cottage in Lapland and almost done with restorations while Jewel seeks asylum in Reykjavík.
The matter of the Houses wanting me dead is still an issue. Tensions have run high, and while I’m under the protection of the dukes, it’s only a temporary situation.
We talked about solutions to appease the Houses. A permanent mute collar was one of them, but I couldn’t stomach that idea.
Telling the Houses to fuck off was another, but Kaspian convinced me that would result in more death than my conscience could bear.
I already have a thousand murders to atone for, and it feels fitting that the punishment will be sacrificing my life.
But I won’t die, even though my heart will stop.
I will become something new.
Reborn.
“Guess who,” Zy whispers in my ear when one of my mates enters me.
I draw in a deep breath as the fullness stretches me. My mind goes completely blank and I’m unable to even think for a moment.
Kornelius and Jasper are similar in size, but their methods are different.
They like to trick me, though. They are able to talk telepathically and give each other tips about what the other might do.
The mate entering me pulls me into him by wrapping strong hands around my thighs so that he goes deep. Then he leans over me and glides his fingers down my ass, not stopping even when he reaches my back entrance.
He slips two fingers in, giving me a full feeling that has me panting while he slowly thrusts, keeping his hips secured on my clit to supply the pressure I need.
It’s a move Jasper would do. Kor likes to look at my body while one of his brothers stimulates my nipples. Jasper is still the worst when it comes to sharing, but it could all be a trick.
My mate pauses when I haven’t spoken, leaving me full with his fingers and his cock.
“Fifty-fifty,” Zy says.
“I’m not sure,” I admit.
Zy clicks his tongue in my ear. “Then guess—that’s the game, baby girl.”
I want to guess correctly. My reward is the orgasm my mates are pushing me toward.
If I’m wrong, I’ll be edged until I’m a begging, wallowing mess.
Which, in all honesty, is also fun, but I don’t know if I can handle delayed gratification right now.
But then the mate inside of me gives me a little hint.
He uses his magic, sending a throbbing wave of pleasure through me by touch alone. It nearly makes me climax as it gathers at my core.
That’s something only Jasper can do.
Cheat, Kor says to him, allowing me to hear their conversation in my head.
“It’s Jasper,” I say, pleased.
“Very good, little witchling,” Jasper says, moving his body again, sending sensation rolling through me.
His magic coaxes me.
His fingers fill me.
And his cock touches that deep part inside of me that threatens to make me explode.
Zy chuckles in my ear, then kisses my neck while Kor joins in, taking my mouth with his.
“You win, baby girl,” Zy whispers, and that’s all the encouragement Jasper needs.
I let pleasure take me under while still surrounded by darkness.
All my mates work in tandem to bring me bliss, and I greedily take it. It’s the last day I’ll be Ishara Doyle, the death witch with the deadly voice.
It’s the last day the world will fear me as uncontrollable.
Amala has told us what’ll happen when my mates turn me.
I will be banished from the death plane. I’ll lose my connection to it entirely and be left with only the ability to access magic in the realm of the living.
I will still be able to cast spells and manipulate death magic, but I’ll be immortal and denied my headstone.
It’s a sacrifice—but it also means I’ll never risk losing my mates.
Because when I die, I’ll go where they go.
As immortals, our deaths will hopefully be nonexistent, or a very long time from now. And I won’t have to worry about the issue of aging while they remain forever young.
As euphoria overtakes me, I know I’ve made the right decision, because I’ll always be with my mates just as we are now.
You are mine.
All of you.
Forevermore.
Epilogue: Issy
Two days later…
“What the fuck happened to our cottage?” Ayla asks as she stands in the doorway, completely stunned. She’s sporting a heavy backpack and lets it fall to the ground.
Putting the book I’m reading in my lap, I respond with sign language out of habit, even though I don’t need to. I redecorated.
That’s an understatement, really. The cottage was practically falling in on itself by the time Daithi’s army was done with it, then the forest tried to reclaim it while I was gone.
While my mates were helping me fix it back up, I might have gotten a little carried away.
“Redecorated?” she says incredulously, entering the living area to wander through the new leather couches and polished oak end tables until she arrives at the new bar Zy installed. He had to pop out the entire cottage wall to fit it in, but there’s nothing a little magic and shirtless, manly labor can’t fix.
She stares at the various liquors, at the painted cabinets that Kor and I picked out colors for, and then blinks at a new espresso machine that Jasper bought for me when he found out I like coffee.
“How did you afford all this? Did you finally ask Fallon for money?”
I smile but make sure not to laugh. “Not exactly,” I say aloud. “Let’s just say I’ve come into contact with rare supernatural blood that buys anything I want.”
Ayla freezes, not from what I said but because I said the words out loud. Fear flashes over her face before curiosity takes over when her spirit isn’t ripped from her body.
I know it’s rude to frighten her, but I can’t resist the surprise.
You guys can come out now, I mentally think to my mates waiting patiently in the bedroom.
They knew that my cousin and roommate would finally be coming home today. She has been on a mission of her own, traveling the world, and as expected, she’s out of touch when it comes to the latest news regarding me. Usually, there’s not too much going on. My life has been uneventful since Fallon saved me.
And then that changed pretty quickly.
I have no doubt she heard about the massacres, but Fallon told her that I was safe and left it at that so I could have my fun.
Ayla produces a knife and twirls it. “I assume your miraculous ability to speak without killing everyone around you has something to do with your new mates?”
I frown. “Hey, that was supposed to be a surprise.”
Ayla gives me a flat stare. “Fallon told me. Otherwise, I would have sensed their auras and come in here and killed them, thinking someone else had forcibly mated you.”
“Oh,” I said sheepishly. “I didn’t think of that.”
She points the knife at the doorway. “Are they going to come out now or stand there all night?”
Ayla’s magic hums around her with threatening waves when Zy, Jas, and Kor enter the room. Her power resides in soul magic, allowing her many gifts that would make most people envious.
Her looks are one of her best features, though, and I can’t help but glance at my mates to see their reactions. She’s gorgeous. Because she’s adopted, she doesn’t share my ethnicity. Where my hair is blonde, hers is black as midnight, with dark, almond-shaped eyes to match. Her olive skin is different from my own and looks silky to the touch.
It doesn’t matter that she’s been traveling. She’s beautiful.
And untrusting. She was forcibly mated just like most witches in the Outcast Coven and she has no interest in taking a mate again.
Although, I have a feeling she will soon. There’s something about her that seems compatible with darkness.
But she can’t have my mates, my darkness. Possessive instinct makes me evaluate their reactions to the unmated beauty that is my cousin.
Luckily, they only boast looks of intrigue and curiosity.
Zy gives me a look as if he knows what I’m thinking and his expression changes to one of devious sensuality when he meets my gaze. He’s wearing his glasses, but his slight grin tells me that he’s already planning activities for tonight.
Spirits, I need to move. Even though Ayla travels a lot, I do not want to be sharing a wall with her when she’s home, not when Zy has that look.
“Ayla, meet my mates,” I say, hoping an introduction will be a good place to start before I throw ideas about moving at her, because I have no idea where I’ll go. I like it here.
Maybe my mates will build me a new cottage farther in the woods, I think to myself, although I haven’t walled my thoughts off from my mates, so Zy responds.
You mean a secluded place where no one can hear you scream? Of course, baby girl. I’d love to build a new house for you.
I roll my eyes, but it sounds kind of wonderful.
Especially because my mates love to make me scream, even if my voice doesn’t hold the same power it used to.
I’m absolutely adding a sex basement, too, Zy adds, making me blush.
Zy heads to the bar and begins making drinks. “What’s your poison, Ayla?”
Ayla frowns, ignoring Zy while Jasper flops onto the new sofa and Kornelius crosses his arms and leans against the mantel, looking amused by the situation.
It takes a few hours to explain the whole background to Ayla, but she listens intently while sipping the drink Zy made for her. After convincing her to drink it, she admitted it was good.
“A vampire,” she says while coddling her glass that’s more ice than drink now. The fireplace cheerfully burns while my mates have made themselves scarce.
There’s not a lot of room in the cottage, so they left to tend to their hobbies. Zy likes to work with my garden. He’s done a great job restoring it. Kornelius and Jasper headed into town, looking for trouble.
They always come back with a story and a new book for me to read.
And sometimes, blood.
“A vampire,” I confirm, grinning to show off my fangs. I’ve learned how to control them, to a degree.
Ayla’s eyes widen. “Wow. And where do you get… you know, the stuff you need to drink?”
“My mates,” I say simply. “I feed on them and they mix in blood with Zy’s drinks, too. Just… don’t open the new freezer.”
The blood bags in our freezer are a gift from my sister. It’s one of the few expenses I’ve accepted from her, because I didn’t want to risk myself or my mates getting too hungry and causing trouble. While I haven’t been able to stomach drinking blood straight, drinking from my mates is a pastime I thoroughly enjoy and sustains me as long as they’re drinking enough blood for all of us.
Ayla nods. “Noted.” She sighs, then leans back in her chair. “Well, I brought you a present, but I don’t know if you’ll want it now.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A present? I always like presents.”
She chuckles. “When I crossed into populated areas, mostly Gold and Garnet territory across the map, I picked up a few smut books that you like in other languages.” She glances at the door. “Not sure if you need them now.”
Doubling over, I laugh my first belly laugh in a while. “Oh, Ayla! Did you think I read those because I wasn’t getting any?”
She smirks. “Well, yeah.”
I wipe away cheerful tears. “No! I enjoy the romance and the story. The excitement and the thrill. It’s not… it’s not like that.”
Ayla pulls the books out of her bag. She’s packed them with her clothing to keep them from being damaged. “Uh-huh, whatever you say.” She unwraps them, then hands them to me. “Maybe have your mates buddy-read with you. There’s one in there about knotting.”
I make a little “O” shape with my mouth. “Knotting? What’s that?”
I know what it is, but Ayla has already made enough fun of me for tonight.
She grins. “I guess you’ll have to read them to find out. I guarantee, though, your mates won’t be able to replicate that one.”
“A shame,” I say. Although, given what knotting is, I’m glad they’re not capable of it. They sensually torture me enough.
I flip open the first book and read the passage aloud.
Ayla leans back into her chair and smiles, clearly enjoying me reading to her.
Because I’m using my voice. I’m able to speak and be heard.
And for the first time in my life… I’m free.
The En— WAIT IT’S NOT OVER! IT CAN’T BE!
Click Here for the Bonus Epilogue: Until Death. Issy’s transformation into a hybrid vampire was too explicit and dark for Amazon, so you can read it by heading over to the J.R. Thorn Store!
Happy dark ventures and be warned, take a deep breath.
It might be your last.
Need even more? Check out these IVV Universe Standalone Books with Shared Characters in Taste Me:
What happens when Ayla meets her knotty mate? Find out in Chase Me… Join J.R. Thorn’s Newsletter for news on Chase Me updates!
Read Fallon’s story that takes place before Issy finds her voice in Claim Me… READ NOW in KU!
Read about the sexy dukes in Mark Me… READ NOW in KU!
Jewel’s story is coming up next in Treasure Me… Join J.R. Thorn’s Newsletter for news on Treasure Me updates!
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Taste Me! I’m exhausted, thrilled, and on a coffee and adrenaline high as I write this closing note after finishing one of the most challenging and rewarding books of my author career.
Issy is such a complex character and one I feel very close to. She has her sister, Fallon, and all the feelings that come with their unique relationship make the story rich, emotional, and rounded.
Finding herself seemed like an impossible struggle, at least in her mind. And watching Issy grow throughout the book to the badass woman she becomes is mesmerizing.
Although, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get through it a few times. Not because of anything Issy did, but because her guys would not stop trying to bone her!
Fated-mate sex, as Fallon called it, is seriously no joke.
It was hilarious how many times I texted my coauthor and editor, complaining about how the guys would not let up, to everyone’s amusement. But, at the end of the day, I realize that even the safe word Zy developed was a vital part of the plot. Without it, would Issy have been able to overcome Royce’s hold on Kor?
