Under other circumstances, he would be right.
While it’s ultimately Jolie’s decision who she takes as a mate, there is a shifter etiquette that should be followed, like discussing taking her as a mate with us first and gaining our permission.
Not that I can really blame the kid, since I virtually did the same thing.
Vampires usually don’t share mates, so it’s understandable he didn’t know.
After being near her, I doubt he was thinking clearly beyond the need to stake his claim.
When neither Castle nor I try to rip out his throat, he relaxes, and a pleased expression crosses his face. He lifts his chin, his spine straightens, and a determined look enters his eyes. No matter what happens, he will do whatever it takes to keep our mate safe.
I can respect that.
It’s only once I’ve determined there is no threat that I allow myself to glance at Jolie and give her my full attention…and nearly choke on my own spit at the stunning image of her in a dress, my mouth dropping in awe at the transformation.
Her long black hair is straight, hanging down like a curtain around her beautiful face, the strands begging me to wrap them around my fist. The inky dark color is a striking contrast against the deep maroon dress that hugs her form like it’s been created just for her. With each breath she takes, thousands of tiny sparkles shimmer in the light. She literally dazzles the eyes.
Compared to most vampires, the dress is conservative, more so since most of the species wear nothing more than scraps of material specifically designed to entice their prey. Despite being covered from her neck down to her toes, the dress looks like pure sin, a subtle sexiness that keeps drawing my eyes back to her again and again.
Though the neckline plunges between her breasts, the fabric only hints at her gorgeous curves. It hugs her tiny waist and flares out at her hips like a sea of stars. When she twists and smiles almost bashfully up at Milo, a deep slit appears in the dress, displaying a good portion of her smooth leg all the way up to her hip.
I gulp hard, my brain unable to focus on anything past the burning question of whether she’s wearing any underwear. As she descends the stairs, she must notice the direction of my thoughts, and a delicate blush heats her cheeks.
Nope, definitely no underwear.
And there goes my cock again, hardening so fast that pain snaps me out of my stupor. Zipper burn is a real danger, and I cup my hands in front of my jeans, almost afraid to inspect the damage. Though Castle isn’t in much better condition, he recovers faster than me. He steps forward, capturing her hand and bringing it to his lips.
Jolie melts under his hungry look, and I narrow my gaze at the smooth fucker.
The big man presses her hand to his chest, gazing down at her with a worshipful expression. His massive size almost dwarfs her dainty form, but he would rather slit his own throat than hurt a single hair on her head. His almost white hair is the perfect foil against her dark tresses, the pair of them making a striking couple.
If I were an insecure man, I would almost be jealous.
Instead, I crowd close to the pair, sandwiching her between us, loving the way she arches against my cock like a little kitten needing attention. I lean forward, kissing the side of her neck right over my mark, adoring the way she shivers and goes boneless in our grip. I peer up at Castle and see the same lust darkening his green eyes at the thought of us taking her at the same time.
“Enough of that, or we’ll never make it to supper.” Milo reaches between us and tugs Jolie free while we’re too distracted to protest. I swallow my snarl at having our prey taken from us, then smirk when I notice Castle is struggling against the same impulse, a murderous glint glowing in his green eyes.
The kid is lucky Jolie is so fond of him, or he would be missing a limb.
With a heavy sigh, Castle and I meekly follow the couple toward the dining room, content to be near our mate and bask in her sharp citrus scent. Her dress sparkles with each step, and I can’t take my eyes away from her shimmering form. As we near the dining room, Milo skips ahead and pulls the door open with a flourish.
With a laugh, Jolie takes a step forward, then her muscles lock tight, and she stops dead on the threshold. I lurch to the side to keep from trampling over her delicate form and nearly end up barreling into Castle like a clumsy oaf. Glancing down at her in concern, I want to snarl when I see all the sparkling joy from just a moment ago drain away. I quickly straighten and peer over her head, my wolf riding me hard to kill whoever upset our mate.
A vicious curse escapes me when I see Stanton standing in the middle of the room with the blonde maid wrapped up in his arms, the cunt rubbing up against him like some bitch in heat. At the devastated expression on Jolie’s face, my heart clenches, then pure rage takes over.
That’s the last straw.
I’m seriously going to kill that fucker this time.
No one gets away with hurting my mate, especially not some asshole vampire prick.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
JOLIE
The beautiful blonde I allowed into my house out of some misplaced sense of guilt is clinging to Stanton, her lusty moan echoing in the room, and my heart splinters in my chest. As he greedily feeds from her, I unconsciously rub the ache that blooms at the center of my chest, not even sure why I’m upset.
It’s not as if I even like the older vampire.
