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To claim his mate.
One taste of her delicious blood, and they’d be bonded forever.
No! Stop!The last shred of the man shouted. Marek dropped her like hot coals. He was better than his instincts. Better than this.
“Ow!” He winced as she hit the ground. Her eyes shot daggers at him. “Stop catching me if you’re just going to drop me.”
“Stop falling.” His voice was rough with desire.
“It’s not like I want to!” She pushed up to her arms and tried to stand up, only to fall again.
When this happened for the third time, Marek snapped, “What’re you doing?”
The look she shot him would’ve murdered a lesser man. “I can’t get up.”
“I’m not falling for your tricks. Get up.” Marek crossed his arms and inwardly stomped on the mating bond’s bothersome urge to help her.
She was his mate, his to provide for, to treasure, to love.
She was also his enemy. The last time he’d discounted his gut warnings and trusted a woman had resulted in his brothers’ deaths.
He’d learned his lesson the hard way and had no desire for a repeat.
“Is this what vampires are like?” she snapped, her eyes blazing. “You’re a bully. You can’t do anything to Zylotech so you’re just taking it out on me, a helpless human. Does that make you feel good? Does it make you feelpowerful?”
He glared down at her with the same condescension he showed younger vampires who didn’t know their place. She had the good sense to swallow. Part of him hated this. Hated he’d been reduced to tormenting his mate. Everything about this situation was wrong.
Completely and utterly wrong.
He was her mate and the last person she should fear.
Perhaps he wasn’t as strong as he thought, or he was exhausted from fighting the mating bond while the sun was up, for he lifted her from the ground. The fact she didn’t fight him made his heart ache.
He carried her back to the bedroom and lowered her to bed. Her movements were sluggish as she got comfortable. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gave in to the need to touch her, even if it was only to tilt her chin to look up at him.
“Are you truly helpless, Olivia?” From the moment he’d learned of her name, he loved it. “Have you changed your mind about my earlier offer?”
Despite her physical weakness, her fiery spirit didn’t dim. “Is it a habit for vampires to kidnap women and turn them into pleasure slaves?”
“Only if you’re lucky.” He smirked.
Tempted, he was oh so tempted. Claim his mate and face the consequences later.
Wasn’t that why he’d snatched her in the first place? He could have left her and never returned. His heartbeat would constantly remind him of her existence, of the bond that tied them, but once he returned to Vegas, surely he would find a way to ignore it.
Felix and Gabriella had stayed apart for six centuries. Olivia was human, so Marek only had to last one lifetime of crushing loneliness and longing.
Once she passed, his heart would stop beating again. Hopefully.
Then again, why should he suffer such torment? If fate had deigned him to meet his mate, shouldn’t he welcome the gift?What gift? More like a curse.
Her mouth opened, no doubt with another acerbic retort, but loud rumblings from her stomach cut off whatever she had to say. Her cheeks reddened prettily as Marek lifted an amused brow.
“Now you’re hungry?” Without waiting for her response, he stood, picked up the food tray from earlier, and brought it back to her.
He wasn’t a completely heartless bastard.
She looked skeptical as she took it and set it on her lap.
