It hurt, it burned like a fire hot enough to mask the sensation of being so deep inside Tao's body. Riley's instincts began to kick in, as well. He wanted to tear himself away from those fangs, to rip them from his body and drive his claws into Tao's heart for his insolence and his violence. But Riley bucked forward, pressing his chest to Tao's and clinging to him with all his might. Then the images began to crash over him and his lips parted wide. First his ife flashed over his eyes as it coursed from him and into Tao; birth, life, light, running through the forest, his first kill, his first buck, his first fuck, his first human, life intermingled with death and fire, watching his father die in shame, the beginning of his plot to take the position of alpha, taking his mate, taking Dean Hartwick's throat, rising to alpha, Tao, wanting Tao, being with Tao, watching the pups gleefully tear apart those humans and feeling proud, Tao, Tao, Tao, the plan and being angry, the snap in his mind as he became determined to stay by Tao's side. He could hear a scream and he wondered where it came from.
Then more, impossibly more images that crossed the span of dozens and dozens of lifetimes. Life, death, life again, flashes of light and slashes of darkness beyond his comprehension. The scream thinned and he fell forward, collapsing on top of Tao's body. He groaned with all of the breath in his body and looked down at the vampire with wide, wild eyes. "Tao-" He groaned, "I understand now-"