It seems almost too simple, and I say as much.
He gives a wry, cynical twist of his lips. “The process is actually very complicated, binding your lifelines together on an elemental level. It’s a give-and-take relationship. While they’ll help keep the clan strong and protect you with their lives, you will be giving them a place to live, protection from the other clans, and a sense of family that most never find. The commitment is not to be taken lightly and usually lasts until death takes one of you. Most vampires don’t survive the demise of their master.”
His solemn expression makes my gut clench, and I suspect that he’s talking more about himself than the others. Almost like he’s vowing to do whatever it takes to make sure I survive, no matter the cost.
I stare at him, struck mute by his total conviction, and he never once looks away. The silence is broken when the door opens, and I’m jarred back to the present when Castle and Tobias saunter into the room. Neither man takes their eyes off me, acting like we were separated by years rather than mere hours.
Tobias reaches me first, slipping his hand behind my neck and giving me a possessive kiss that has me melting in my seat. It’s over much too soon, and I nearly whimper when he pulls away. Not to be outdone, Castle tugs me out of the chair with such force that I crash into him, then he takes my mouth with a kiss so drugging that he sets my world spinning.
He pulls away with a proud smile and a pleased rumble in his chest.
I lean against him, struggling to catch my breath before reluctantly pulling away. I peer up at both of them, unable to contain my curiosity. “How did your hunt go?”
“Well,” Castle answers with a pleased smile. “Out of nearly two hundred, we found thirty shifters for you to review.”
I blink up at him a little owlishly, boggled at how many people showed up, seeking a place in my pack, and how few they actually found acceptable. “And that’s good?”
“Yes,” Tobias agrees with a grunt. “It’s a good start. Once word spreads, more and more shifters will petition for a place in our pack.”
He slips his hand into mine and tugs me toward the door. I follow mindlessly as he leads me outside. Standing in my front yard is a group of nearly fifty people, each of them snapping to attention when they spot me. Thirty shifters, seven vampires—two that I approved and five that are wearing a uniform that indicates they came from Stanton’s headquarters—and close to fifteen humans.
Less than five of the supernaturals are women, which is understandable, since most males protect and shelter their females. That the women came to me means they are on their own and vulnerable, or they want something better than being a pampered female to be sold to a man to pop out babies.
I don’t wait for instructions, but step down the line and ask each of them for their names and where they live. I trust my instincts. By the time I get to the end, I’ve dismissed two shifters and three humans.
I stand back, unable to stop a smile that spreads across my face at the mixture of humans, vampires, and shifters…and a sense of family washes over me.
One by one, they take a knee before me, seemingly pleased to be judged on their own merits and not caught up in political supernatural bullshit.
I seal their oath of fealty with a bloody handshake, binding us together. With each new member added, peace sweeps over me, like I finally found my place in the world.
I’m their protector, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep them safe.
ChapterThirty-Two
JOLIE
We had two hours before we needed to leave for the gathering, and the guys urged me to rest. Men were clueless about how long it takes a woman to get all gussied up. While I didn’t give a shit about impressing the vampires from the other houses, I didn’t want to look weak.
I refuse to put my new family at risk for something as foolish as pride.
The guys are busy getting our people settled, going over the rules, and organizing patrols and guard duties. I would give anything to trade places with them, instead of being stuck in the bathroom plucking, pruning, and shaving every inch of my body.
I’ve avoided looking too closely at mirrors ever since I’ve been turned, not wanting to come face-to-face with my worst nightmare—being a vampire. I freaked out the last time I got a quick look at myself, but it’s long past time I accept the truth—there is no going back.
I’m no longer human.
I was attractive as a human, which was the source of all my problems, drawing the attention and obsession of a vampire that refused to accept no for an answer. As steam fades from the room, slowly exposing my reflection, I allow myself to peer past my image and see the monster I’ve become.
The big reveal is almost anticlimactic.
I still look like me, but a version of me I never thought possible.
Polished.
Almost refined.
Vampirism doesn’t automatically make you beautiful, but it does enhance your features, forcing you into the perfect predator needed to attract your prey.
