He cut her off, nudging her into the room and closing the door behind him. He had no desire for the entire mansion to hear their conversation.
“First of all,” he stated firmly, “you did not tell me how you felt. You told me what you wanted.”
“And the difference is?”
“One pertains to your feelings on the matter, and the other is simply sex.”
Her amethyst eyes widened.
Mirakel stepped around her, scanning the room. It was the first time he’d been in here, and he found it oddly comforting. It was a female’s room. From the white velvet drapes hanging from the ceiling to the floor, concealing the shuttered windows, to the white shag rug peeking out from beneath the bed. Even the furniture was a brilliant white. The color in the space came from the jewel-toned pillows and throw blankets, the emerald-green bedding. It reminded him of the female herself. Unassuming to most, yet full of life.
“I don’t know how to do this,” he admitted, turning to face her.
“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t realize… We could learn together.”
Mirakel grinned. She thought he was inexperienced. Wouldn’t that be a thrill?
“That’s not what I meant. I’m not a virgin, Briony. I’m three hundred and eighty-two years old. I’ve had numerous lovers in my lifetime, and I’d always expected I would have many more.” He met her gaze, held it. “Then I met you.”
Her face softened. “Meaning?”
“What do you know about mating habits of vampires?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Vampires mate for life. When a male finds hisnehadon, there’s no one else for him. Ever. It’s a phenomenon known asmielix zan. It loosely translates to a sexual imprinting.”
“I didn’t realize you had a mate.” She looked sincerely apologetic.
Mirakel moved toward her. “I don’t.” He stopped when he was peering down at her. “But I have imprinted. Which means I’ve found my mate.”
Based on the glimmer in her eyes, he suspected she knew where this was going.
“You, Briony.”
“So the healer was right?”
He frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.” She smiled.
Mirakel took a deep breath. “I can’t control my nature, nor can I change it. And that puts you in a precarious situation. Or more accurately, the other males in this mansion. I know what your duties entail. I know you feed the males within this residence. I get that. But I can’t tolerate it—not even theideaof it—because I’ve bonded with you.”
“And you regret that?”
He frowned. “No. Of course not.”
“Then why do you continuously push me away?”
“You deserve better than me, love. So much better.”
“But what if I don’t want better? What if I want you? You haven’t given me that opportunity.”
Okay, so he had imagined a dozen ways this would play out, but the many times he’d fantasized this convo in his head … that had never been what he’d heard coming from her mouth.
“I don’t know the first thing about bonding,” she said softly, stepping forward, her eyes still locked with his. “But I won’t know if you don’t give me the chance.”
“Is that what you want?”
