“How could you, Sage?” he hissed.
She didn’t back down. She didn’t blink. “You know why.”
My chest burned with embers ready to ignite. I’d never needed to have such control over my power before, and it was killing me to watch the scene unfold.
His eyes darted to the necklace she was wearing, his lips curling in disgust.
Wait, wasthatthe stolen item? Fear washed over me. Had she actually been lying to me this whole time?
If she’d managed to dupe me, to manipulate me into caring this much for her, I didn’t think I’d ever recover. It was too much. What I’d felt for her was too real.
But then he ripped it off and threw it across the floor like it offended him, digging his nose into her neck and inhaling deeply.
Why was he smelling her? Why—
His fangs elongated and he struck, pulling her close as her head fell back, a small whimper escaping her throat.
I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck, feeling my hands curl into fists.
“Cool it,” Garrick whispered, but I was feeling far fromcool.
He was attacking her, drinking from her. Again—why? I noticed the row of glasses full of Sanguis Vita on the console table by the wall. It was a blood supplement for non-vampire blood donors. Why would he need so much?
Why was feeding from Sage so important?
Then her scent, her true scent, hit me.
The necklace she’d worn must have been for scent alteration.
Because it was coming through differently now. The hint of rose replaced by jasmine, and the base note, the orange…
It wasn’t orange at all.
It was green apple.
Oh… Oh, Ravaric. It all made sense now.
I knew what she was.
Sage was my…
“Mate,” Victor sighed, finally removing his teeth from her neck and licking her blood from his lips. “You’re finally back.”
15
To Call Up an Army
Istared in dumb silence as the Premier claimed Sage as his own, ashismate.
But… it didn’t make sense. She wasmine.
Mymate.
The feeling, the recognition, the connection—it all hit me like a bolt of lightning once her full, fresh, unblocked perfume had finally been released.
So how could she also be his?
Sage managed to turn towards me slightly, tears streaming down her cheeks. She mouthed “I’m sorry”before Victor took another strong pull of blood and she closed her eyes, gasping in pain-laced desire.
