Many of the younger ones believe they’re just a myth.
Even with her in the circle of my arms, I doubt my own sanity.
Unable to help myself, I sniff at her neck, spicy venom filling my mouth. I command myself to pull back, willing myself to wait, not wanting to claim her until I gain her permission, but the pull is too strong.
It’s like I’m trapped under her thrall.
Hunger burns my throat, my whole body aching to create a connection with my mate and claim her for my own. Just as I open my mouth, I catch a whiff of the wolves. It’s enough to jerk me out of whatever trance ensnared me.
I pry my fingers from her flesh, my hold loosening, and I almost make it…then she snuggles close. My breath hiccups in my chest, and I freeze, not sure I can restrain myself a second time.
Thankfully, Jolie remains still, and I manage to retain my control by the very skin of my teeth. I carefully lean down, like she’s a bomb that might go off at any second, but I need to know why she smells of wolves. I halt just short of burying my nose into her hair and breathe deeply.
And immediately rock back in shock.
Fuck me sideways!
Both wolves mated her!
My reina!
I wait for rage to consume me, but my vampire just purrs in my chest at having my mate in my arms, acknowledging a lot faster than my human side that it’s a female’s choice in who she mates.
I’m not sure how it’s possible for a wolf and vampire to share a mate, but everything about Jolie defies logic.
But she’s not really a vampire, not completely, not if what I suspect is true.
I’m still not able to wrap my mind around what I’ve learned, but that she’s able to claim mates from both the living and the dead just confirms what I suspect, something that even I have only heard about in myths.
Dhampyr.
A human and vampire hybrid.
When others discover the truth, it’s going to put an even bigger target on her back and put her in even worse danger. Vampires will want to take her apart to figure out how she came into existence. She has all the strengths and none of the weaknesses of a vampire, and they won’t rest until they can claim those abilities for themselves.
Needing reassurance that she’s okay, I run the back of my hand along her cheek, then nudge her chin up, not realizing how precious she is until this moment.
I’m almost grateful that she’s taken the two wolves as mates.
Unfortunately, I fear even they aren’t going to be enough to keep her safe.
We need to come up with a plan, and soon, or I fear we’re going to lose her forever and possibly plunge ourselves into a civil war that will wipe out both races.
ChapterTwenty-Two
JOLIE
The chime of the doorbell drags me from sleep, and I scowl at the incessant noise. My fangs lengthen even before I crack open my eyes, ready to rip the fucker apart when I get my hands on the perpetrator.
Only to freeze when I come face-to-face with Stanton.
Literally.
I’m less than an inch from his face, apparently having used him as a pillow. Mortification burns my cheeks, but I don’t dare look to see if I drooled on him. His eyes are closed, almost as though he’s resting peacefully, but it’s like waking up snuggling with a grizzly bear—you’re not sure if you’ll make it out alive if you so much as twitch.
Not daring to even breathe, I slowly extract myself from his arms. I can’t imagine his reaction if he woke up with me in his arms. Being dumped onto my ass on the hard floor would be getting off easy.
While part of me wants to linger—I actually feel well rested for the first time since being turned—I ruthlessly crush that foolish thought.
