Page 113 of Bite of Passage

“I want to be your partner, not someone you keep hidden at home.You better expect I’ll be with you when you go out on jobs.I’ve been practicing my skills.”He smelled so amazing and her mind went dizzy as she swayed into him.

“Bloody hell, Gemma.”He ran his finger down her cheek, traced the shape of her lips, and leaned in to brush a kiss against them.His mouth was magic—just as he was.Dark and sensual, his lips were soft when everything else about him was hard.No one kissed like Skarde.

“So hungry,” she murmured.

“It’s about time you showed up, Gemma!”Cade boomed.The thick church door slammed shut behind him.

They pulled apart from her small kisses down his neck.

“He’s been a whiny, pathetic excuse of a vampire for months,” Cade said.“Then he dragged me to every mage, wizard, dwarf, and witch he called a friend to find someone who could make a portal to you.All of them told him no.You had to come back to him yourself.”

“That’s not exactly how it went,” Skarde grumbled.

“That’s exactly how it went.Are we going back in there and ending this, or am I going to have to do it myself?The Hunters are holding the zombies at bay, but I think they’re wearing out.”

The rain picked up.Bringing his hand up to her face, Skarde whispered, “I love you, Gemma.You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.But I won’t lie.I’m…” He swallowed hard.“Fuck.I don’t know if I want you in this fight.That witch is pure evil.Don’t get me wrong, I want you to be with me when I do this, but let me train you and teach you.”

She pressed a kiss to his lips.“I learned a few things while living with a witch for three months.You’re going to have to trust me.I won’t get in your way, but I think I can handle myself.We do this together.”She gripped his face.“Do you trust me?”

He tensed up but then grinned.Nodding he said, “I do.I’ve begun to wonder if the Gemma way might be better than the Skarde way.”

“What way is my way?”

“You see these guys differently than I do.You can see the good in them when I cannot.”His face dimmed.“But you’ll still listen if I think there’s no way but death, like in this case?You can’t save her.”

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight, never wanting to let go.“You know eons more than me.We’ll do this as partners.”

“Together.”

Here she was, with the vampire of her dreams, his arms around her, a future ahead of them, surrounded by a band of brothers she’d never thought she’d have.

Gemma said, “Let’s go kick some ass.”