Page 31 of Bonded Through Bite

“You are the one who’s going to regret things. I told you not to turn me!” she screams and backhands me so fast, I don’t see it coming. For a new vampire, she sure packs a punch. I crack my jaw back into place and grin. She’s quite magnificent when she’s thoroughly pissed off. “Ugh… I can’t even… Just let go of me.”

“No,” I reply and get back on my feet. She tries to wriggle free, but I keep her securely locked in my arms. “What are you doing up here?” I ask while I carry her toward the staircase. She crosses her arms, refusing to hold on to me, and purses her lips. “Samantha,” I growl.

“I was hungry,” she huffs. “And your door handles are shit.”

I stop to look at the side door, the handle securely in place, and lift my brow at her.

“By this one, I didn’t bother trying. I just pushed it open,” she explains and tries to kick the door, jostling herself on my arm. Her second try connects and the door crashes from its hinges and I have to shift to get us out of the way.

“And the others?”

“The handles kept breaking in my hand.”

“Might have something to do with them being locked,” I mutter.

Her glower intensifies. “So you locked me up in a fucking basement after turning me against my will. And left me alone.”

I can’t help but smile. She’s spitting mad, covered in blood, and clearly something happened that we need to figure out… but she’s awake. Her eyes are clear now, her fangs look cute when she snarls at me, and I can sense her in our bond clearly.

Then her accusation registers and I frown. “I’ll never leave you, Samantha. I brought you to my mansion that is practically a safe house and placed you behind several locked doors that were enhanced to withstand an invasion to keep you safe while you transitioned.”

“You weren’t here when I woke up,” she says, and I hear the hurt in her voice. Fear too. It’s all covered with anger, but still there.

Quickly, I try to explain. “You were not supposed to wake up for a couple of months yet, darling. Thea saw you with the spring flowers, and it’s still winter. I was gone just for a couple hours.”

“Thea saw me?” Now she frowns, like that statement bothers her.

“Yes. Just briefly, but she saw you picking crocuses.” I take the stairs two at a time.

“Huh.”

“What?”

“She always said I’m impossible to see.” She sounds suspicious, like she doesn’t believe me.

“You were,” I reply, unable to keep the bleakness out of my voice. “For ten long months, neither of us knew if you’d ever wake up. She only saw a glimpse of you after you took my blood.”

We reach my bedroom and Samantha’s head swivels around, trying to take everything in at once. Then she glares at me again.

“I was not supposed to wake up again.”

“And yet here we are. Now let’s get you cleaned up and you can tell me how you managed to bust through two enchanted doors.”

“I can wash myself.” She once again tries to wriggle free as I walk into the bathroom.

“Stop that.” I add compulsion to my words and her eyes flash as her body complies and relaxes in my arms. The steam shower turns on with a command, and I walk in, clothes and all. Gently, I set Samantha down on the warmed bench and keep an eye on her reactions. A new vampire body experiences sensations differently, but she seems to be well adjusted and coherent.

“How did you get through those doors?” I ask while stripping out of my clothes and taking pride in the way her eyes track every movement.

“I kicked the first one and threw myself against the second. I was too hungry to think clearly,” she snaps. Her fangs peek at me.

“Are you hungry now?”

“No.”

“Samantha.” I sigh, annoyed at her lies.

“Fine. Yes. I’m still hungry, but I don’t feel like eating.”