Kissing Death

<p><br></p><p><strong><em>A rose is nothing without its thorns...</em></strong></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Death was such a funny thing. </p><p><br></p><p>It was a fickle <em>biatch</em> if I was being honest.</p><p><br></p><p>When I met Dominic Reed I got my first taste of death and became addicted to its flavor. Its <em>potency</em>. I died when I fell in love with him and his thunder. Now the death staring me down wasn't the pretty metaphorical kind but the kind that chased you down until your heart gave out.</p><p><br></p><p>And all because of love. Stupid love that I didn't even understand or want but feelings were nonconsensual little devils. Dominic had started that revelation.</p><p><br></p><p>Blake confirmed it.</p><p><br></p><p>In all the fairytale love stories I'd been fed growing up the princess never had two suitors waiting for her hand. The only choice she had to make was how many woodland creatures to invite to their white wedding. Not whether to stay with the light or drift back towards the darkness she was born into.</p><p><br></p><p>Those stories always ended in sparkling smiles and true love's first kiss.</p><p><br></p><p>For me...</p><p><br></p><p>My story would end in blood.</p>