“The same could be said for you.” Baring my teeth at him, I hoped he knew how much I wanted to tear him limb from limb. “Josiah.” Blake gasped in a startled breath and buried his face in my back.
“I see you found one of my decedents as a replacement.” He clasped his hands behind his back and paced in front of me while the other vampire waited, probably hoping they’d be enough to destroy me.
“He is my true mate,” I growled, and squeezed Blake’s arm a little tighter, but not so tight it would harm him. In an instant, Josiah was in front of me, his face so close I could feel the puff of his breath on my lips when he spoke.
“Iwas your mate,” he growled.
“You held my heart, but we did not share a bond,” I said, my voice now composed and waited for his response. His eyes widened before he leaned in even closer, and for a moment, I thought he’d try to kiss me. Instead, he gripped the front of my shirt and bared his teeth at me.
“Why didn’t you just die?” he yelled before gripping the back of my head and shoving it down enough to grip Blake’s arm.
“Marlon,” Blake yelled before being yanked away from me and into the arms of Josiah. His breaths grew heavy and rapid as he recoiled from Josiah’s grasp, while Josiah moved close enough to smell his neck, inciting a growl from me.
“Release my mate.” I lowered into a crouch, prepared to attack, and stared at him. He smiled as he flipped Blake around to face me while keeping his hand to his throat. Blake’s eyes were wide with terror, and he shook as he stared straight at me. His eyes begged me to help.
“I could snap his neck in an instant or rip his throat out, spilling that precious blood I know you’ve been feeding on. I can smell you on him.” He buried his face in Blake’s hair and inhaled deeply. I locked down my muscles, forcing myself not to move, knowing if I did, Blake would die.
The other vampire hadn’t moved from where he stood to the side of Josiah, wearing a satisfied grin while he watched. Hate that I had never experienced boiled up in me, making me see red and forget all reason. Blake’s eyes widened, and in an instant, it was my hand around Josiah’s throat as I pulled Blake away from his grasp and took advantage in the split second he was startled. “You were never my mate,” I growled in his face.
“Aren’t you curious about how we trapped you, and why we’re here?” Rupert asked with a chuckle as though his impending death wasn’t near.
“It matters not to me. Never touch my mate again.” I pulled Josiah closer to me, so he had no choice but to look at me while Rupert still rambled.
“After you ran me out of town I snuck back but stayed away from you. Josiah didn’t need my help, but I was more than willing. We ground up silver, and hestarted consuming it in small amounts. We knew it wouldn’t hurt him, but eventually it would hurt you when you fed from him.”
Josiah’s eyes widened and darted to where Rupert stood. “Shut the fuck up,” he yelled at Rupert.
“You betrayed me.” I spoke so low I knew Blake would not hear, but both Josiah and Rupert reacted as though I’d yelled.
“Once you were weak enough, we drained as much of your blood out of your body as we could. The two of us tied you up as securely as we could manage, even knowing the bindings would not hold you if you were able to feed and regain your strength, but we made sure that couldn’t happen,” Rupert continued as he paced to the side of us.
“You were not his mate,” Blake yelled from behind me. “You couldn’t have even thought of hurting him if you were.”
Josiah’s eyes moved to see him, but Blake was still behind me, hidden from his view. “Don’t worry, human, you won’t be alive long enough for him to turn you,” Josiah said.
“He is everything to me,” I roared.
Rupert chuckled and stepped a little closer, obviously not worried about my presence or unaware that even though he was a vampire, he was not nearly as strong as me. “After we got back, the two of us drank some of your blood—well, we drank a lot of your blood—but nothing happened. Until I shot Josiah, and filled his mouth with more of your blood,” he said. Josiah pointed to a mark on his forehead with a grin.
“What have you done?” I asked and tried to control the icy fear and shock that ran up my back.
“Rupert helped me do what you would have never done. He found a way for you to share your gift, and once I was changed, I did the same for him. We’ll never die, and we’ll never grow old, and we’ve had lots of time to get rich and do whatever the fuck we want to do,” Josiah sneered, and I wondered if this was how he’d always been or if greed had made him so cruel.
“Create no new vampire,” I repeated the one rule I’d lived by all those years ago. In a blur, I released Josiah and tore Rupert’s head from his body before he could react or realize what had happened. He wouldn’t be completely destroyed until he was either burned by fire or by the sun, but there’d be time for that later.
I turned just as Josiah tore into Blake’s throat. One hand held his forehead while the other squeezed him so tight I feared he’d broken some ribs. Blake’s eyes focused on me, but they were no longer filled with fear or dread. Now they reflected only peace—and love.
“No!” I screamed and tore him out of Josiah’s grip.
“You’re too late. There is no saving him now.” He laughed as blood—my mate’s blood—ran down his chin.
“Blake,” I yelled, but now his eyes stared off without responding. I could hear his heart still beating, slower now and growing faint.
“You were right, I’m not your mate,” Josiah said, before wiping his mouth. “Now you’ll watch him die.” He burst through a window and disappeared into the night just as the front door opened.
“Marlon? What happened to Blake?” Aaron yelled and ran to where I now held Blake in my arms. He glanced at the body of Rupert before focusing back on Blake. “We need to call an ambulance.” He reached for Blake’s wrist, and I was so overcome with grief I ignored it.
“It won’t get here soon enough. His heart slows as his blood drains,” I whispered and tried to control my shaking hands. Tears filled my eyes as the reality hit me. His fate was sealed.
