Page 165 of Vameer

No one needs to know about that.

Not Volik. And not the perfect woman in my arms.

“I’m so sorry.” Rune’s words are choppy, but her purr continues.

I push just the tiniest bit of Fire into my palms, warming her. “The story does not get happier.”

She sniffs. “You never have to tell me anything you don’t want to talk about. But sometimes talking helps.”

There are things I’ve seen. Witnessed. That no one needs to hear. But this… This I cannot hide from.

“My sleep was not the first time I failed Volik.” Rune’s fingers flex against my sides, reminding me she’s with me. “After our parents… I did my best to care for Volik until we moved in with our aunt and uncle. They were good to us. Made us feel welcome. But I couldn’t control the rage inside me. With my mother gone, it felt like there was no one to help me. I felt like if I didn’t leave, I’d explode. And hurt everyone.” I blink my eyes open. “Looking back, I can see there were other options. Others I could have gone to for help. But I didn’t do that. I left.”

“Where did you go?”

“Rome.” The details are fuzzy. It was so long ago. “I found a group of fighters. The old guard. Vampires who had spent hundreds of years battling for justice. They tried to refuse me. Vampires aren’t mature until thirty. I was still in my twenties. It’s how I have that scar.”

Rune moves her hand up to my shoulder. “You couldn’t heal?”

“The dagger was filled with druid magic. It was meant for my heart.” I press my hands firmer against Rune, absorbing more of her perfect purr. “That’s how you kill a vampire. A magicked dagger through the heart. The amount of magic needed depends on the target. And my enemy had more than enough magic in his weapon. He just lacked the strength.”

Rune traces the line of my scar through my shirt. “I hope you killed him.”

I smile at the clouds. “I killed him.”

“You must’ve gone back home some. Or else Volik wouldn’t have been so determined to find you this last century. And your aunt and uncle wouldn’t have been so happy to see you.”

“I went back to visit every few months. But after a while, I started losing track of time. Months turned into a year. More. They never made me feel unwanted. But bloodshed was all I knew. It was all I wanted to do. Until it wasn’t. And then all I wanted to do was rest. I walked into that cave no longer knowing myself. I was The Nightmare. The Killer of Evil. And I didn’t know how to be anything else.”

Rune moves so she’s back on her elbows, looking down at me. “You’re Vameer Vadas. Brother to Volik. Son of Fire. And mate to Rune Destin. You are exactly who you were meant to be. And you’re mine.”

I sit up.

Rune drops so she’s sitting on my lap with her thighs on either side of me.

Lightning dances in the air around us, and I place my palms on her cheeks. “Vampires grow up knowing about mates. We’re told that our mate is our other half. We know they’ll be perfect for us. But even then… I did not understand. I could not comprehend how much I would need you. How instantly I would love you.” Our heartbeat races in our chests. “I would not change anything I’ve been through. Not the hard parts. Not the mistakes. Because it all brought me to this point in time. To you.”

Tears drip down Rune’s cheeks as she presses her palms to my chest. “You are the farthest thing from a nightmare. You are daylight. You are the place in the universe I’ve been searching for. And I’m sorry for all the hard parts… But I’m glad it brought you here. To me. Because I love you too.”

Our mouths meet.

And a storm rages around us as I roll Rune under me.

Chapter 92

Rune

Flat on our backs, chests heaving, I twine my fingers with Vameer’s and smile at the sky. “Remember how you love me?”

“Sí.” Vameer rolls his head to the side to look at me.

“You love me too.” He says it like an accusation.

I turn my head to face him, letting him see my smile. “Sí.”

He grins at my horrible attempt to deepen my voice like his.

It’s easy to picture this vampire of mine as a warrior. But it’s just as easy to picture him like this. Lying on the ground with me. Sharing his feelings. Making love to me.