Chapter 4
Ryde rolled over with a growl, his wolf clamoring under his skin. As he turned in the big bed, he felt something warm next to him. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at the most beautiful face he’d ever seen in his life. The female was stunning on a hundred different levels, from her perfect bow-shaped lips to the emerald eyes that blinked at him in confusion. She smelled like wild flowers and sunshine, and his wolf let out a happy growl. The instant connection he felt to her, as if he’d been missing a limb and suddenly found it, meant she was his true mate.
I must be dreaming.
Or dead.
Because he was very certain that he’d gone to bed alone. And he sure as hell wouldn’t have gone to sleep with this sexy female next to him. He’d have stayed up until dawn to make sure they were both sated.
He opened his mouth to say something when she purred like a damn tigress and pressed her lips to his. It took only a heartbeat for him to slide his arms around her and draw her closer, delving his tongue into her mouth. He ran one hand down her back and she arched with his touch, her responsiveness making him crazy. He cupped her ass, taking only a second to appreciate that she was naked, then slid his hand between her legs.
She moaned, her nails scratching their way down his back as she writhed in his hold. He sank a finger into her, marveling at how wet she was as he ran his tongue along hers and sucked on it. His tongue hit something sharp in her mouth and he jerked back from the kiss, tasting blood.
It was then that he saw sharp, pointed fangs in her mouth. He snarled and rolled from the bed, his claws unsheathing from his fingertips.
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded, his beast urging him to climb back into her embrace.
She rose to her elbows, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders and cascading onto his pillow.
“I could ask you the same thing. And where am I?”
As her gaze moved around the room, his was riveted to her breasts. He hadn’t even gotten to kiss her nipples.
Damn it. Focus!
“You’re a vampire. How did you get into my room?”
He slashed the air with his claws and let out a low growl. He felt positively torn in half. Part of him wanted to throw her out of the house, but the larger part of him – the roaring, demanding wolf – wanted her to stay right where she was, in his bed.
Then he noticed the necklace.
Straightening from his defensive crouch, which he was chagrined to realize hadn’t worried her a bit, he stared hard at the medallion. It was his mating necklace.
“Where did you get that?” He pointed at her chest, his claws receding as a strange rightness settled over him.
Her fingertips grazed the surface of the medallion, a beautiful, natural emerald pendant that had been given to him when he shifted for the first time. All wolves were given a necklace when they shifted to be used on the off-chance that they didn’t find their true mate among their own people. The spell, which was carved into the inside lid of the wooden box the necklace was stored in, was supposed to be used by the male or female when they were ready to settle down.
He hadn’t cast a spell. And even if he had, he certainly wouldn’t have thought the spell would bring him a vampire – a wolf’s natural enemy – for a mate.
“Well,” she said as she sat up, seemingly unconcerned that she was naked, “I thought my sister gave it to me because we had an argument. It was hanging from my vanity, and the stone is the same color as my eyes.” She looked around the room again. “You’re a wolf?”
“I’m alpha. And that’s my mating necklace.”
“How did I get it?” She tilted her head and looked so sexy. He wanted to do lots of dirty, wonderful things to her.
“That’s a good question. I’m Ryde Mitchell, and you’re in my home, in my pack’s territory.”
She licked her lips slowly and rose to her knees. Her body was spectacular. Free of hair, her bare sex was visible and so damn enticing. Her ivory skin was lustrous, and she was curved in all the right places. She fit against him so perfectly, her softness to his hard planes.
“My name is Dominique Tremaine. My sister is the mistress of the city of Arbor. Where is your territory?”
He stalked to the window and drew back the curtains. In the distance, he could see the walled vampire city. “Just outside of the neutral territory.”
“Ryde.” She said his name softly, like a whispered promise, and his wolf rioted, wanting to return to bed. “How did I get here?”
“The necklace brought you here, but it shouldn’t have. I didn’t cast a spell for you.” He arched a brow. “Why aren’t you scared?”
She hummed. “I don’t know. When I passed out in my bathroom, I woke up here in bed with you. I felt safe. I don’t know how to explain why I’m not afraid, except that I feel connected to you. You’re my true mate.”
“You can’t be my true mate.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re immortal and I’m not.”
She hummed again. “That’s easily fixed.”
He blinked and shook his head. “No, it’s not. This is not how my night was supposed to go.” He stormed to the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans, which he jerked on. Stuffing his erection into his pants, he tried not to groan at how uncomfortable he was. He knew a great way to relieve the tension, and it involved the sexy vampire in his bed.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Stay the fuck put. If you leave this room, my people will kill you.”
Her eyes narrowed, the green eclipsed by silver that made her look entirely too tempting in her fury. “Don’t threaten me.”
“It’s not a threat, it’s the truth. You’re in our territory. My people kill yours on sight for this. And yours return the favor.”
“I didn’t ask to be brought here!”
“I didn’t ask for you either, bloodsucker. Don’t leave.”
He stomped away and slammed the door behind him. His wolf wasn’t interested in him leaving, but he needed to get some space between him and the tempting vampire. His instincts were roaring at him to return to the room and claim her, but there was a problem with that.
They’d both wind up dead.
* * *
Dominique was a little pissed. Well, that was an understatement. She was as pissed as she’d ever been in her life. Just who the hell did that alpha wolf think he was? She’d put on a necklace and woken up in his bed. She was the one who should be upset. But with her mating instincts flaring, all she wanted to do was consummate their joining. Then they could talk. She was willing to overlook the fact that he wasn’t a vampire, so why couldn’t he overlook her immortality? Sure, she’d have to share blood with him, transforming him into a hybrid, but it would only make him immortal; he’d still get to keep his wolf and he’d live forever. Which, hello – she was a catch. He’d be lucky to have her by his side for all eternity.
Sitting back on the comfy bed, she let out a long sigh and rolled her neck. The bed smelled way too good, all male and heat and sexy dreams. The double doors that Ryde had just shut clicked as they were locked. She snorted to herself. As if a lock on a standard door would keep her in somewhere she didn’t want to be. But she wasn’t interested in tempting fate, believing what he’d told her about it being dangerous outside of his room.
A little surge of anger swept through her.
He’d called her a bloodsucker. What a terrible, outdated term.
She hardly ever drank real blood anymore. Her sister did, of course – it was expected of a vampire of her status – but the blood she drank was collected from donors at labs, processed and cleaned the way human blood was collected for use in their hospitals. Dominique had been drinking manufactured blood for ten years now, ever since a team of scientists had created it, and it had the added bonus of her not having to pay exorbitant rates for real blood, or having to seduce a human into giving up a vein.
Her stomach rumbled and she glanced at the clock on his nightstand. Although she’d changed locations, she hadn’t lost much time. It was one thirty, and she was feeling a little peckish since she hadn’t eaten lunch. She inhaled slowly, sifting through the scents in the room and hoping she might find something to eat, but she picked up nothing but the overwhelming scent of her mate. How rude of him to not stash some candy or snacks around the room! If he’d transported to her room with some magical necklace, he’d have found a stash of dark chocolate candy bars in her jewelry box, plus a bag of caramel corn in her nightstand.
She heard talking outside of the room. Ryde was ordering someone to guard the doors and not let anyone out or in. She was tempted to call out and ask for some food but decided against it. Instead, she walked to the closet and ran her fingers over his clothes. One side was clearly for dress clothes; she found silk shirts and dress slacks, all of them either black or dark gray. The casual side of the closet was full of flannel shirts, T-shirts, and a shelf of folded jeans. He didn’t strike her as the homemaking sort, so someone must do his laundry for him.
Which pissed her off a little. Did he like the female? Was she special?
Not as if it mattered anymore. Vampires were monogamous, and she’d heard wolves were, too. And if he had ideas of not being loyal to her, then she’d make sure he understood her feelings on the matter. Assuming he came back to the room anytime soon.
Deciding she’d like to be dressed when he came back, since he’d insisted on stuffing his magnificent body into a pair of tight jeans, she pulled a green flannel shirt off a hanger and slipped it on. The worn fabric was soft and long enough to hit the middle of her thighs. She buttoned it swiftly and then turned to face the room. Spying his phone on the nightstand, she walked over to it, picking it up.
“Damn,” she whispered, disappointed that it was passcode protected.
“It’s my birthday,” a soft, feminine voice said.
Dominique spun with a snarl, her fangs descending. She faced a little girl with long dark hair, wearing a cartoon princess nightgown and holding a stuffed wolf. Straightening, Dominique relaxed and arched a brow.
“What’s your birthday?”
“The code.”
“And that would be?”
She rolled her eyes. “Where did you come from? You’re in my daddy’s room.”
“Ryde is your father?”
She nodded. “I’m Brigelle. Everyone calls me Bri, though. Are you going to be my mommy?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re wearing my daddy’s mating necklace. I did the spell for you.” She looked around, rocking back and forth on her bare feet. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know, but he’s not happy. Did he ask you to do the spell?”
“No. But he’s lonely and I want a mommy. All my friends have mommies, and I think it’s only fair that I have one, too. Daddy’s not around a lot because of pack stuff. Business.” She blew out a breath and hugged her wolf. “This is Comet.”
“Comet?”
“Like the reindeer. Do you think there are reindeer shifters?”
She smiled. Damn, the little girl was adorable. “I don’t know. Where is your mom?”
“She left Daddy to mate another male ‘cause I’m a girl.”
“What does that have to do with anything? I’m a girl.”
“She wanted a boy. Boys are alphas. Girls are moms.”
“Oh, you are so brainwashed, little one. Girls are just as awesome as boys. Even more so, actually.”
“How?” She tilted her head in question.
“Because we’ve got all the power. When you’re older, I’ll fill you in on the details.” Like how boobs could make a male do anything. Internally, she snickered.
“So you’re staying?” It was impossible to miss the hope that filled the sweet young voice.
“Yes, but I have to call my sister to tell her I’m okay. The necklace brought me here so fast I couldn’t say goodbye to my family.”
“Okay. If you promise.”
She held out her pinky, something she and Natasha used to do as youngsters. “Pinky promise.”
Bri hooked her little pinky around Dominique’s. Just as swiftly as the connection she’d felt to Ryde had appeared, she felt a sudden urge to protect and love Bri. She had no children of her own, but in her heart, Bri felt like her own daughter.
“Now, about your birthday?”
“February fourteenth.”
“You’re a Valentine’s baby? That’s adorable.”
Bri beamed.
Dominique paused as her finger hovered over the phone screen. Who did she think she would call? If she called Natasha, she’d flip out and send the army onto pack lands. Then there would be war, and sweet little Bri could be harmed.
But she couldn’t just not let her sister know she was gone. When she didn’t show up for the special meal, Natasha would send a guard to look for her, and when he couldn’t find her, she’d be frantic. It would be better if she hightailed it through the pack’s territory and into the neutral zone, and talked to her sister in person. She’d stay outside of the wall, of course, and then she’d come back and deal with her new mate. And the first thing she’d explain to him was how awesome vampires were for mates.
She put down the phone on the nightstand. “How did you get in this room?”
“There’s a hidden door at the back of the closet.”
“Clever little girl. Will you help me get out of here so I can make sure my family doesn’t worry?”
Her eyes narrowed as she frowned. “You promised to come back.”
“I know. I don’t break my promises, okay?”
“Okay.”
Bri held her hand up and Dominique took it. They headed into the closet and through the secret door. In no time, she was saying goodbye to Bri and racing through the yard toward the woods that bordered the big home. She didn’t look back because she didn’t want to be tempted to stay. She had a finite amount of time before she’d be stuck outside in the sunlight in the morning, and she needed to be back to Ryde’s house before then.
She’d made a promise, after all.