I don’t know whether I should be pissed or overjoyed.
I’ve always craved to have someone for my own, someone who would love and cherish me. I want it so badly that I’m not sure I believe him.
“Is this some sort of trick?” I narrow my eyes, then launch myself across the room, my hand wrapping around his throat as I pin him to the wall. “Did you have him mate me to try and control me?”
My insides quake at the very thought of having what little free will I have left taken away from me. Instead of fighting me, Milo relaxes completely in my grip, his green eyes darkening.
I lean forward, expecting to be accosted by the bitter stench of fear. The last thing I expect is to be flooded with a heavy dose of lust. Despite just having the best orgasm of my life, my body hums in awareness, suddenly craving his hands on my body, his lips on my skin, and his cock inside me.
I run my nose along his neck, his crisp apple smell urging me to take a bite out of him, and a thrill goes through me when he swallows hard.
A purr vibrates in his chest, then he tilts his head and offers his throat.
Venom floods my mouth with cinnamon, the urge to bite him almost overwhelming. The darkness inside me swirls awake, and I throw myself away from him when the out of control feelings threaten to overtake me.
My fangs actually hurt at being denied, my stomach cramps, and I whirl away from temptation.
I sink my claws into my arms, ignoring the dark drops of crimson that splatter against the floor, the pain drowning out the lust that has infected me, but barely.
“What the hell did you do to me?” I glare at him over my shoulder, careful to keep my distance, then snarl, “I will not be tricked into taking another mate.”
He flinches like I threatened to castrate him, sadness darkening his eyes, and he glances away from me, as though he can’t bear to look at me any longer. “It doesn’t work like that. A person only has one mate. There are so few pairs left in the world that it’s considered an honor to be chosen. While Castle will have some influence over you, it’s no more influence than you will have over him. In fact, since he’s such a powerful alpha, being his mate allows you some access to his strength. You’re more protected by him now than ever.”
Though I should know better than to trust a vampire, there is something about Milo that’s different from the others. He’s only ever tried to help me. That doesn’t mean he won’t fuck me over at the first chance, but oddly, I believe him.
I need to remember that I’m one of the monsters now.
I’ve more than proven that I’m not helpless anymore.
If I want to survive in my new reality, I need to trust someone.
If they try anything, I will burn down their world.
Shuffling my feet, I reluctantly turn to face Milo. He stands by the door with a defeated slump to his shoulders, and mortification warms my cheeks for freaking out and thinking the worst of him. “I…er…I’m sorry.”
He only shrugs, running a hand down the back of his neck, refusing to look at me. “The sun will be up soon. I’ll leave you to rest.”
I wrinkle my nose at the questionable mattress. Honestly, I’ve slept on worse, but I don’t want to shut my eyes, afraid I’ll once again wake up back in a sea of corpses. When Milo moves toward the door to leave, my chest tightens, and I take a desperate step after him. “Wait. Don’t go.”
He glances at me over his shoulder, and I hug my arms around myself, feeling raw. “I…I don’t want to be alone. I’m afraid that if I go to sleep, I’ll wake up and discover that this has all been a dream. I can’t go back to the darkness.”
Milo doesn’t even hesitate to close the distance between us. The moment he reaches me, he gathers me to his chest. I hug him back so tightly that I swear I hear his ribs creak, but he doesn’t complain. After a minute, he scoops me up in his arms and heads toward the bed. I clutch him close, burying my face into the crook of his neck, and breathe in his crisp apple scent.
Instead of depositing me on the bed as I expected, he lowers himself and tucks me into his lap. He leans back against the wall, like he’s making himself at home, and something inside me eases at knowing he’s staying.
I slowly release my grip and rest my palm over his chest. It’s weird not to hear the steady thrum of a heartbeat. An odd energy resonates in his chest, something about it drawing me to him. It’s not the same urge I feel with other vampires, where I want to sink my fist into their chest and remove their heart.
The opposite, in fact.
I struggle against the need to claim him for my own and protect him.
Silence slowly eats away at my mind, and I swear I can actually feel the ghosts of the house whispering to me. I shake my head, refusing to be drawn back into the horror. I lived through it once already. That was more than enough. I refuse to be haunted by it now.
I did what I had to do to survive.
I refuse to feel guilty over it.
I reluctantly pull away from Milo, but he catches my hand before I can retreat, like he feels the connection too and doesn’t want to lose it either. Exhaustion clouds his eyes, and I suddenly feel protective of him. Grabbing his shoulder, I push him down against the mattress. When he would’ve protested, I snuggle against his side, placing my head against his chest.
