“Promise me, no matter what happens to the rest of us, you’ll find a way to survive as a vampire. I’m not sure you could ever return home, but your stupid friend didn’t mind that you’re no longer human, so maybe you could still find a life there,” I said and hoped he understood.
“Maybewecould find a life there,” he whispered before gently kissing me. “I love you, and I don’t want to think about you not being around anymore. So, can we maybe just focus on ending that bitch? And my friend isn’t stupid.”
“Yeah, we can do that.” I was hopeless in trying to change his mind, knowing once this was over no matter how it ended, we’d be together or I’d die to make sure he survived. But he didn’t need to know that was what I planned.
“We’ll do whatever you want us to,” Mark said and nodded at Josiah, who stood by his side with an unreadable expression.
“I want to go lie down for a while,” Blake said and walked toward the stairs before holding out his hand to me. My feet were already heading in his direction, the pull to him too strong to ignore and not one part of me wanting to.
“Come on, love,” I whispered with a kiss to his cheek as the two of us walked upstairs. He walked past the first door and opened the second one before stepping inside and setting his bag down.
“Thank you,” he said as I closed the door and he sat on the bed.
“For what?” I slowly stalked toward him as his lips lifted in a smile.
“For not killing Josiah,” he said without looking away as I climbed onto the bed and straddled him. “Fuck me.”
My lips were on his, and the fire that always simmered when we were together burst into flames. Resisting the urge to tear his clothes off, I pulled his shirt over his head before kissing his chest. His breath sped up as he eased himself back onto the bed and watched my every move. “You make me want you more than any other creature has in my entire existence,” I murmured before unbuttoning his pants and pulling them off him along with his boxers, shoes, and socks. “This body.” There was nothing that stood out as different on Blake, but he was my mate, and he was made for me the way I was made for him. I would never get enough of him.
Flipping him over, I ran my hand down his back before pulling his hips up just enough. “Supplies are in my bag,” he groaned, still a throwback to his humanity, and spread his legs a little wider.
“I only need you,” I said before spitting on my cock and slowly pressing into him. He groaned and held stillbefore relaxing and pressing his ass back against me.
“I need you too,” he groaned. Grabbing his hips tighter, I pounded into him while he gripped the bed and pushed back as best he could.
“You are mine, and never will I love anyone the way I love you,” I chanted not slowing down. “You’re the only thing I need in this world.”
A moment later he came, and I pulled out and marked his back with my cum, making me feel a little better for some strange reason. Marking him as mine was so enticing to me, and I imagined it was enough, along with our bond, to help us always be together. I lay down on the bed beside him and dragged my finger through it when he turned and grinned at me. “I need a shower,” he said.
“That sounds inviting,” I said before helping him stand.
Wewere still lying on the bed the moment I knew the sun was about to set. The ramble of conversation from below got my attention, and both of us gathered our belongings before rushing downstairs. “The sun is setting. Let’s go before we lose our chance,” I said and hurried to the door, followed close behind by everyone. We’d leave the truck here and run to the area where she’d set her trap and hope to surprise them.
The night was cool, and I wondered if Blake and I would see the glow of the next day. “Marlon, we’re close to where they’ve set their trap,” Elias said. The five of us found a rocky area to hide in and all stayed quiet.
“Do you think we’re too late?” Blake asked while Josiah and Mark stayed quiet.
“No, she’d want to catch any vampire that wandered across the border as soon as the sun went down,” I said. Just then I saw her walking out of the cave where she’d held Elias, Mark, and Josiah. She appeared to be alone, but I doubted that was true.
“Do you think she’s had time to get more goons?” Blake asked.
“Probably.”
“She doesn’t need them if she’s had blood recently, and since we all know she has, I’d say she’s still powerful enough to stop us if we try to take her on alone,” Elias said.
“Then we have to make sure none of us is ever alone. Elias, you stick with us. Josiah, can you keep your mate safe?” I asked more out of duty than actual concern. It wasn’t that I thought Mark deserved to die, but Josiah still had a long way to go before I completely trusted him.
His lips lifted in a snarl before Mark took his hand, making Josiah control himself and remember what we were here for. “I would die for him. Don’t worry, we’ll work together to destroy her,” he finally managed to say.
Movement below us got my attention, and we watched as two men walked out of the cave. Both of them seemed stunned and not really aware of their surroundings. “Humans,” Elias murmured.
“Why are they so weak?” Blake asked.
“She may not have had enough blood left to fully control them,” I said. Not that I understood how it worked, but the way they were using our blood told me she counted on one of us being nearby and ripe for the picking once caught in her trap.
“Check the marks,” she snapped at the two men, who blindly did what she demanded. She stood and watched them, and on looking at her more closely, some cracks had started to show. Her hair was not as shiny and healthy as it had been, and the skin of her face and hands showed signs of age, not the smooth skin of a woman much younger than she actually was. She wandered close to the boundary she’d created, and before I had a moment to react, Elias was in front of her and pulled her out of the trap she’d set for us.
“What are you—” she started to yell, but his fingers on her throat cutoff her words. He held her by her neck with one hand while pressing her against one of the large boulders and leaning close to her face. Her human dogs were still too busy to notice.
