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Against the door, her head moved from side to side. “Please, Gabriel.”
I captured both her wrists and drew her arms behind her. The position arched her back so that her round, full breasts pressed against my chest. The beaded nipples pricked me through my shirt.
Another sexy moan. She lifted onto her toes, straining to bring her neck to me.
The blood-craving was nearly unbearable. I’d never wanted anything so bad as to drink from her right then. But I couldn’t.
I forced my fangs to retract and closed my mouth.
“Go on.” Her hips pressed against mine. “Do it. Drink from me. Fuck me.”
My grip tightened on her wrists. The daisy blood-bond bracelet brushed against my thumb, a reminder of all I was about to give up. But it was for her own good.
“I can’t.” I released her and stepped back. “You. Me. It just won’t work.”
She scraped her heavy hair back from her face. “Why not?” she asked in an agonized voice.
“Cher. You know why.” I put another foot of space between us. “I’ll protect you and your family—I want you to know that. I’ll make sure the vampire world knows they’re under Karoly Kral’s protection.”
“That’s good. But—” She took a breath, visibly calming herself. “But I don’t see the problem. The only reason I’d leave now would be if my staying made them a target. But if you can keep them safe, what’s the problem?”
My fists clenched. “The problem is,” I said, slowly and precisely, “is that you’re not safe. I can’t risk losing you again. Iwon’t.”
Understanding dawned. Her shoulders caved in. “Because I’m a human,” she said flatly.
“Yes.” The hurt on her face made my heart constrict. “I’m sorry. I—”
“So it’s like Tomas said. I’m a liability to you.”
“Mila. Don’t do this. Just leave, all right?” I headed back to the door to open it, but suddenly, she was in front of me, blocking my way.
“No. Fucking. Way.” Her eyes blazed. She slapped a hand on my chest. “You don’t just get to send me away.”
I blinked. I’d never seen her so angry. “You—”
“Shut up,” she snarled. “It’s my turn to talk now.”
“Fine. Talk.”
“All right.” Her lungs heaved. Her eyes squeezed shut. Then she pulled back her shoulders and raised her chin. “If being human is the problem, then turn me. That’s the only solution, and we both know it.”
I studied her. Her expression was cool as marble. Yeah, I couldn’t read her emotions, but everything about her tense body told me how difficult this was for her. And her fingers were knotted in front of her.
She looked about as eager to be turned as a dental patient preparing for a root canal.
“You’re asking me to turn you into a vampire?” I said slowly.
She gave a visible shudder. “Hell, no. But you’re a dhampir. That’s almost as strong, right?”
Gods, I was tempted. After all, she had a fifty percent chance of making it. But I heard again my mom’s screams, saw her limp body as my father emerged to carry her to a grave.
“Mila…” I spread my hands. “You don’t know what it’s like. My mom—it hurt so bad. Your body basically melts down and reforms itself. And after all that, you still might die.”
Her throat worked.
“Yeah,” I said. Reaching for her interlaced fingers, I gently pried them apart and took her left wrist so that I could press the secret catch to open the daisy blood-bond bracelet. “I, Gabriel Fortier Kral, release—”
“No!” She snatched her hand from mine. “Idoknow what it’s like. Your mom told me. I’ve had three years to think it over. I love you, Gabriel. I’m willing to take the chance to be with you.”
