AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She eased away from him and folded her arms over her stomach. “I don’t want to be this thing.”
“You don’t?”
She stared at him. “No, of course not. I have enough to do with protecting these … families.”
All this time, since he’d left her, his thoughts had been focused solely on himself and not on how the nature of her current gift would affect her. “Shit.”
“What? Why did you say that?” Her auburn brows rose.
“I just realized that you’ll be sought after by other mastyr vampires.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your blood rose gift isn’t specific to me.”
“You mean I’ll be pursued by all mastyrs?” She shuddered visibly. “I don’t think I get this. I’ve seen several mastyrs in the various villages around Ashleaf, but no one has come after me. Only you.”
At that, he smiled. “Well, maybe because I was the only one powerful enough to see through your charms.”
She offered a half-smile in return. “That would explain it, I guess. But why now? I mean, was I always a blood rose? I’m not sure how this works.”
Malik shrugged. “From the conversations I’ve had with several of the bonded mastyrs, the woman’s gift just sort of comes online, but at what point is unclear.”
She frowned as though working hard to understand. “Well, maybe that point for me was seeing you on market day at Cherry Hollow.”
“I know that’s when it all started for me. But you’ll need to be careful, Willow, because you’ll want to feed other mastyr vampires until you’ve completed the bond.”
Her eyes went wide. “You mean until I’m bonded to you or some other mastyr these powerful cravings will just go on and on?”
He nodded. “I think that’s the way it works.”
She covered her mouth with both hands. “No, sweet Goddess, no.” She then tossed her hands wide. “Dammit, this just keeps getting worse.”
Malik was so surprised by her uncharacteristic outburst that he chuckled. “I think that’s better.”
“What? That I said ‘dammit’?”
“Maybe, because this situation is really twisted.”
“Yes, it is. I was barely holding on and now I’m supposed to do what?” She tossed her hand in his direction, almost slapping his chest. “Serve your every need, every desire? I mean, come on.”
At that, he laughed. “I don’t think being a blood rose means that you serve a mastyr in that way. I don’t think that’s the point.”
“Well, what is the point? I’d be servicing your blood-needs on demand.”
At that, other powerful images shot through his mind and being the male that he was, he drew close and caught the back of her arm. “And I could service yours as well, remember that. I loved it when you took from my wrist. I’d love to have you taking more of my life-force and from other places as well.”
Willow blinked several times slowly. If he’d been afraid that he’d overstepped the line, the sudden rise of her fresh forest-rain scent allayed his fears. The sexual component to the blood rose phenomenon was very mutual, something he’d experienced with her starting about two years ago when he’d seen her, just as she’d said, in Cherry Hollow.
For a long moment, she remained staring into his eyes, her breathing shallow. Finally, she said, “It was wonderful to take from your wrist and afterward I did feel a measure of power. Your blood did something to me.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And the sex. Malik, it was the most amazing experience.”
“I felt so caught up I forgot where I was. And the vines! Sweet Goddess, don’t get me started on your vine ability. The vines tightened and held us together, but they moved with us as well.” He lowered his voice, “It was hot as hell.”
