didn’t blame her for being smart and moving away. She
was probably at least matched with him in strength now, even
without having fed, but either she didn’t know that or couldn’t yet
remember. He imagined there was a lot for her to assimilate and get
used to.
“Where is it, Jane? Are you hiding who you belong to
now? It should be there. If our bond still exists, the bite does.
Why aren’t you wearing it? Did you think it was an optional
accessory?”
He knew he sounded like some kind of psychotic, like
he should be wearing a wife-beater and raising a threatening fist
in the air, but there were certain things you just didn’t do to
your mate. It rankled that she’d cover it up for some cheap meal.
He understood her being hungry and not yet in charge of her
instincts—he did. And maybe a human male wouldn’t understand a
mating mark anyway, but it was like she was ashamed of him.
He wanted people to see it. He wanted other
preternaturals to know who she belonged to. The instinct to protect
her didn’t just disappear even if she could take care of herself
now. She was his. She’d known that when she’d accepted his mark in
the beginning. But now it felt as if the rules were changing on
him, and as much as he’d missed her, as empty as his life had been
without her in it, he couldn’t just be someone else for her now. He
was the alpha for a reason.
She held her hands out in a placating gesture, and he
felt guilty that his mate should have to use such a gesture in the
first place, as if she were some weak lower-level pack member and
not his alpha female.
“Cole, no. It’s not like that. Cain taught me how to
alter my form and I was just getting rid of scars, I didn’t think…
I…” She sighed. “I’m new at this. ” She closed her eyes and
concentrated. His bite mark reappeared on her throat.
He let out a growl of approval. “That’s better. Come
here.”
She took a tentative step forward, and he arched a
brow at her hesitance. Then she ran for him and let him wrap his
arms around her. He nuzzled his mark.
“I need to feed. Is that okay?” she asked. “Cain said
that the… err… meal… enjoys the experience.”
He knew she felt his erection pressed between them.
“What do you think?”
She pulled back and smiled, her eyes dancing. “I
missed you so much. I was dying without you. It’s my fault, I
shouldn’t have run out like that in the middle of a fight with the
baby coming so soon. It was dangerous and stupid.”
He put a finger to her lips. “That’s all behind us. I
have you. That’s all that matters. I just want to feel you against
me. I sense how hungry you are. Is Cain going to give us trouble
about this?”
“Why would he?”
“My kind and your kind aren’t allowed to be together,
because of the vampires,” Cole said. It must have slipped her mind.
The first vampire had been created from the joining of an incubus
with a werewolf. She’d been born a human with vampire blood in her
veins, which was how she’d ended up Cole’s true mate to begin with.
That vampire blood had given her a link, however weak, to his kind.
Without it, they never would have come together.
Therian and demon relationships were forbidden. Cain
didn’t want any more half-breeds being created. From what the
werewolf knew, the original vampire was strong and more dangerous
than those he’d created from humans. Cain wouldn’t want another one
of those running around. From what Cole had heard, the original
vampire had been under lock and key in the demon dimension for
centuries.
“If it wasn’t okay, he wouldn’t have brought you to
me,” Jane reasoned.
“I didn’t say we weren’t going to be together. Cain
would have to kill me—”
“You aren’t able to die now.”
Cole stepped out of her arms. “Say that again?” Cain
had told him they were still tied together and had said something
about eternity, but it hadn’t penetrated that he couldn’t die. Sure, maybe not age, maybe
was probably at least matched with him in strength now, even
without having fed, but either she didn’t know that or couldn’t yet
remember. He imagined there was a lot for her to assimilate and get
used to.
“Where is it, Jane? Are you hiding who you belong to
now? It should be there. If our bond still exists, the bite does.
Why aren’t you wearing it? Did you think it was an optional
accessory?”
He knew he sounded like some kind of psychotic, like
he should be wearing a wife-beater and raising a threatening fist
in the air, but there were certain things you just didn’t do to
your mate. It rankled that she’d cover it up for some cheap meal.
He understood her being hungry and not yet in charge of her
instincts—he did. And maybe a human male wouldn’t understand a
mating mark anyway, but it was like she was ashamed of him.
He wanted people to see it. He wanted other
preternaturals to know who she belonged to. The instinct to protect
her didn’t just disappear even if she could take care of herself
now. She was his. She’d known that when she’d accepted his mark in
the beginning. But now it felt as if the rules were changing on
him, and as much as he’d missed her, as empty as his life had been
without her in it, he couldn’t just be someone else for her now. He
was the alpha for a reason.
She held her hands out in a placating gesture, and he
felt guilty that his mate should have to use such a gesture in the
first place, as if she were some weak lower-level pack member and
not his alpha female.
“Cole, no. It’s not like that. Cain taught me how to
alter my form and I was just getting rid of scars, I didn’t think…
I…” She sighed. “I’m new at this. ” She closed her eyes and
concentrated. His bite mark reappeared on her throat.
He let out a growl of approval. “That’s better. Come
here.”
She took a tentative step forward, and he arched a
brow at her hesitance. Then she ran for him and let him wrap his
arms around her. He nuzzled his mark.
“I need to feed. Is that okay?” she asked. “Cain said
that the… err… meal… enjoys the experience.”
He knew she felt his erection pressed between them.
“What do you think?”
She pulled back and smiled, her eyes dancing. “I
missed you so much. I was dying without you. It’s my fault, I
shouldn’t have run out like that in the middle of a fight with the
baby coming so soon. It was dangerous and stupid.”
He put a finger to her lips. “That’s all behind us. I
have you. That’s all that matters. I just want to feel you against
me. I sense how hungry you are. Is Cain going to give us trouble
about this?”
“Why would he?”
“My kind and your kind aren’t allowed to be together,
because of the vampires,” Cole said. It must have slipped her mind.
The first vampire had been created from the joining of an incubus
with a werewolf. She’d been born a human with vampire blood in her
veins, which was how she’d ended up Cole’s true mate to begin with.
That vampire blood had given her a link, however weak, to his kind.
Without it, they never would have come together.
Therian and demon relationships were forbidden. Cain
didn’t want any more half-breeds being created. From what the
werewolf knew, the original vampire was strong and more dangerous
than those he’d created from humans. Cain wouldn’t want another one
of those running around. From what Cole had heard, the original
vampire had been under lock and key in the demon dimension for
centuries.
“If it wasn’t okay, he wouldn’t have brought you to
me,” Jane reasoned.
“I didn’t say we weren’t going to be together. Cain
would have to kill me—”
“You aren’t able to die now.”
Cole stepped out of her arms. “Say that again?” Cain
had told him they were still tied together and had said something
about eternity, but it hadn’t penetrated that he couldn’t die. Sure, maybe not age, maybe
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