My immortality will renew her strength, make her less breakable, and perhaps even create other, interesting effects.
This won’tturnher. That’s a lore that exists for vampire kind. Strigoi must be born. But blood exchange like this is a mating practice.
If I feed her two more times, she will become mine.
My gaze roams over her, my mind forming a picture of our potential future.
As my mate, she would bear my heirs.
“Mmm,” I hum, tracking my gaze down over her breasts, which are shapely and plump beneath the dress, to her flat abdomen. “I think I rather like the idea of you growing with my seed inside you.” It would claim her as mine in a whole new way. Plus, the breeding part would be most enjoyable.
With her, I think, my cock hardening again.
My erection finally waned after seeing her almost dead on the table. But now my need returns with renewed vigor, the idea of forcing my seed to take root inside her making me want to rouse her and tell her to run, just so I can hunt her like prey.
“Fuck, pet,” I whisper, still staring at her torso and imagining her carrying our child. “You’re bewitching.”
I finally remove my wrist from her mouth, then lean down to lick her lips clean. She responds by kissing me, her body automatically answering my call, just as it should.
Though, she’s still very much asleep.
“If you didn’t need rest, I would start breeding you right now,” I say against her mouth. “But you definitely require energy if I’m going to impregnate you.”
Saying it aloud makes my stomach clench with desire.
“We’ll see how much you can take tomorrow, Ms. Dalca. Test your limits. Determine if you’re worthy of a hunt.” I kiss her once more, dip my tongue into her mouth just to renew my claim there, then rearrange her in my arms so I can easily stand.
She curls into me, like she’s seeking my warmth and comfort.
It’s a movement that would normally have me dropping a mortal to the floor. But with her, I rather like it, so I purr for her in response.
It’s another instinctual reaction on my part, one reserved for a mate.
If Marius heard it, he would be duly startled—perhaps even more so than if I were to smile in his presence.
Well, it shocks me, too. Though, it shouldn’t. This female has intrigued me for years. Of course, I’m even more obsessed with her now that I finally have her in my arms.
“I cannot tell you how pleased I am that you’re continuing to fascinate me,” I tell her. “I was worried my infatuation might come to an abrupt end. However, you’ve proven to be… delectable.”
There are more words I would give her as praise, but I’m momentarily distracted in the kitchen as we pass through.
“Radu?” I say quietly, causing the intercom system to activate with an alert.
I wait.
“Yes, my lord?” a deep voice responds less than a minute later, the source of it coming from a speaker embedded in the ceiling.
“Can you please arrange an array of shelf-stable snacks and take them up to our guest’s quarters?” I ask my manor manager.“I assume Ms. Dalca will wake up hungry, and I would prefer her to have easy access to some sustenance.”
“I’ll prepare a tray for her, my lord.”
“Thank you, Radu,” I say. “And please provide her with water as well.”
“Of course, my lord.”
I nod, satisfied that he will get the job done, and continue onward through the main level toward the grand staircase in the front foyer. Flaring my wings, I fly us up to the second-floor landing, then walk the rest of the way to my pet’s quarters.
Her room already smells like her, all citrus with a subtle hint of spice—something I’ve only just begun to notice.Arousal,I recognize, more than familiar with that glorious fragrance now.
