Daniel rose beside me. “You think we should advertise that we’ve mated?” he asked calmly. “Report it to Command?”
“Of course not.”
“You don’t think it would raise some flags if I started bringing you around my family?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I mean, yes, it would.”
“All right, so you don’t think, as a newly mated human, you’re exactly who they’re looking for?”
“Not until we’ve completed the bond, I’m not,” I shot back. I enjoyed his look of surprise. “Did you forget that I’m not some delicate human you can gently help usher into Vampire culture? I’ve been living there my whole life. If we haven’t completed the bond, my physiology hasn’t changed. Yes, they could find the symptoms of the heat, but they wouldn’t find anything else.”
The satisfaction I felt when the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop was unmatched.
“So if we don’t complete the bond, I’m good. I don’t have to wait at home like the little wifey, doing nothing while you guys are out there figuring this out.”
“Rosemary,” my dad called, his voice low with warning.
“Do you think for a second that I’d ever let them get their hands on you?” Daniel asked, his hand wrapping gently around the front of my throat.
The movement wasn’t frightening in the least, but it sure as hell got my attention. Every nerve in my body seemed to come alive at once.
“No, they wouldn’t find anything different in your physiology, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’tlookfor it.”
“Right,” I rasped.
“We’ll complete the bond,” Daniel told me firmly, his thumb running softly up and down my neck. “Once it snaps into place, you’ll be safer.”
“Immortality won’t make me safe,” I reminded him.
“Safer,” he repeated. “I’llmake you safe.”
Chapter 4
Daniel
“We should get going,” Dalton announced, interrupting the conversation I’d been having with my mate. I let my hand fall.
The moment I’d put my hand on her neck, she’d gone practically liquid. Her eyes had softened, her shoulders dropped. It was ironic, considering that the reason I’d done it was because I was trying to keep my hands off the rest of her body. Her father seemed unbothered by the fact that she’d found her mate, but I was sure he didn’t want to witness me groping her.
“Give my love to Halle,” Gary said as Dalton and his son rose from their places. “You’ll keep me apprised?”
“Always,” Dalton agreed, slapping Gary on the shoulder.
Rosemary turned from me reluctantly to say her goodbyes.
“You’ll let us know if you need anything,” Dalton ordered, leaning in to kiss her forehead. He pulled back before he made contact and gave her a nod instead. My mate let out a breath of annoyance. “Call your aunt. She’s dying to hear from you.”
“I bet she is,” Rosemary joked. She reached her hand toward Ian and did a weird shake where they tapped the backs, then the palms of their hands together, and then wiggled their fingers at each other. “I’ll call you.”
“I’ll be there,” Ian agreed. He held out his hand to me. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You too,” I replied. The more I thought about it, the surer I was that Dalton’s other sons were too young to have found mates. Ian must’ve been the one they’d reported. The only reason why I didn’t feel more strongly about the little fucker was that he and Rosemary were clearly not romantic. If I’d been confused about that fact, his facial expressions when he hadn’t thought I was looking would’ve assured me. They were cousins, even if there was no blood relation.
Gary followed Dalton and Ian to the door, locking us in after they’d gone. Beside me, Rosemary yawned so widely that her jaw audibly popped.
“Tired?”
“I’ve been awake for most of the last week,” she replied, stretching her arms above her head. I tried not to stare as her nipples pressed against the thin fabric of her T-shirt. “Not the best idea to pass out when you’re surrounded by creeps. I’m exhausted.”
