Typically, Rhett was comfortable during sexual liaisons but Bhric barging into the room was unnerving as hell. The male walked in as Rhett pounded his sister and Rhett could feel Bhric’s anger. It didn’t matter that they were close friends. The last thing Bhric wanted to see was Breslin being defiled by the likes of him. And then there was Bhric’s mate, Alex. She was standing behind Bhric, adding more tension to the awkward situation.

“Oh...hell…fucking…no,” Breslin shouted, distracting him from Bhric’s glare.

He glanced over and saw her looking down at her shoulder. There was a blazing red brand just above her breast. What the fuck? He hadn’t done that to her, had he? The sex was mind-blowing but surely he’d remember doing something like that.

Suddenly, Breslin moved behind him to shield her nakedness from their small audience.

Bhric’s expression made Rhett’s instinct tingle. It wasn’t accusatory but something significant had happened. Realization tried to break through and Bhric chuckled then slapped Rhett’s back.

“We need to get out of here while we can,” Bhric said to Alex. “Good luck, buddy. You done assed out this time,” Bhric said and winked at Rhett before he wrapped his arm around his mate’s shoulder, leading her away as he laughed.

Rhett had a sinking feeling he should follow the couple out the door. He never stuck around after sex and wanted to leave now, as well. There was something brewing that made his skin itch.

Breslin’s presence at his back held him in place. Fuck if he didn’t want her again. If not for the negative atmosphere, he’d try and coax her into another round. That was the hottest sex of his life. Nothing in his thousand years compared to the pleasure that gripped him when he was inside Breslin.

“Shite,” Breslin cursed as she stepped away from him.

He immediately felt the loss of her heat and wanted to feel it again. She ran a higher body temperature and it soothed his fire demon.

Breslin looked around at the burned shell of her living room. The sofa was a smoldering mess of melted leather, foam, and wood, and the walls were blackened with soot. The bedroom seemed unaffected and he wondered if he should lead her away from the devastation that surrounded them.

Uncertainty kept him silent. This was new territory for him and he was like a fish out of water. He had no idea what to do or say to the female.

“This is a cluster fuck,” she sighed. “Not at all what I expected. Do you realize what just happened?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Her brother, Zander, did that often and Rhett wondered if it was a familial trait. He’d never seen Bhric do it but that didn’t mean much. They were usually drunk when they were together.

“Explosive sex that needs repeating?” he replied and waggled his eyebrows.

A storm cloud descended over her face and her eyes darkened to black. He’d obviously pissed her off with his suggestion. She shouldn’t be shocked by his comment. Breslin was well-aware he had a one-track mind. Fuck, if he didn’t know better, he would swear his father was an Incubus.

“We’re Fated Mates, jackarse. Apparently, the Goddess and Fate hate me,” Breslin muttered calmly.

Breslin yelling was scary but Breslin cool and collect was downright terrifying.

Her words filtered through his brain and it took him several seconds to process what she’d said.

“No. That’s impossible,” he denied.

Breslin stormed into her room and snatched a silk robe from her bed. She threw it on with a huff. It was the sexiest garment he’d ever seen, barely covering her delectable ass. The soft pink made him want to run his hands beneath the fabric to explore other pink places. Shapely thighs and bronzed skin made Rhett’s mouth water for a taste.

Breslin was strong and muscular with an aura that screamed ‘fuck with me and die’, but standing there in the feminine garment, she was delicate and gentle.

From the first moment, Rhett was smitten with the Vampire Princess. Not that he knew what love was but Breslin burrowed her way into his fiery veins. She became his obsession. He knew it was partly due to her numerous rejections but he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

His kind tended to be loaners. They lived among others but rarely stayed put for long. It was why they struck out on walkabouts when they reached adulthood. His first expedition was to the realm of Khoth, where he was promptly trapped for a thousand years after the portal permanently closed. But that didn’t stop his wandering. Every few months, he would take off into the mountains, the volcano, and even into dangerous Buggane territory.

He explored every inch of Khoth and knew it like the back of his hand. He made friends everywhere and the only place he didn’t stay long was Saqara. The Stoorworm city was located beneath the sea. Luckily, sea dragons could share their magic, enabling him to breathe underwater but it didn’t last more than a couple days. Not that he would’ve stayed longer. There was something about the sea and salt water that made sexual encounters less than enjoyable.

His desire for Breslin called him back from his latest walkabout on Earth and he was glad he returned to Seattle. To Breslin. Heated blood scalded his veins as he thought about taking the vampire again. She was pissed but he found her anger seductive. Her crossed arms pushed her breasts out and he could see the taut nipples beneath the thin fabric of her robe.

He wanted to be inside her again. His shaft hardened and he took the few steps separating them. Her palm smacked into his chest, stopping his movement.

“Then what the fuck do you call this?” she snarled as she pulled her robe off one shoulder, exposing the raw wound over her left breast.

As he looked closer at the brand, he saw that it matched the tattoo he saw on Bhric’s abdomen. In fact, he saw way more of Bhric than he wanted. Wished he could delete the image from his brain.

Should he tell her it was cute that she wanted to show her solidarity to her twin? Probably not, given the daggers of hatred she was throwing his way.

“I honestly don’t know what that is. I see that it matches Bhric’s,” he hedged, hoping he didn’t piss her off more with his lack of understanding.

“It’s not aboot my brathair, jackarse. It’s a mate mark,” she snarled. “Mine appeared after we had sex.”

“Okay, I’m lost. I only know the basics about Fated Mates but I do know it’s different for fire demons. We don’t have the same compulsions. We choose whom to bond with, if we do it at all. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll be needing an explanation,” he quipped.

He half-understood what Breslin was saying and it didn’t sit well with him. He made his own choices and rebelled against being thrust into an unwanted relationship. Hell, he didn’t do relationships.

“I canna believe this is happening,” Breslin muttered more to herself as she lowered her head and paced around the room. After a few minutes, she exhaled loudly, “Okay. Fated Mates are two individuals that are created for one another. They’re born carrying half of their mate’s soul and are drawn to one another beyond reason. Compulsions drive them together until they fully cement their union in a mating ceremony followed by a blood exchange. That’s the short version, anyway.”

“I’m not carrying part of your soul,” he corrected her automatically.

Fire demons didn’t have the same conditions and he would know if there was a foreign entity in his body.

“Fuck you, demon. Obviously, the rules doona apply to every couple. Rhys mated Illianna and they complete each other, despite the fact, angels doona have Fated Mates. Bottom line, this brand says we belong to each other,” Breslin explained with an exasperated look on her face.

* * *

Breslin’s head reeled. What had begun as the greatest sex of her life had ended in disaster. Her living room was destroyed, her chest burned from the mating brand, her gums tingled with the need to feed, and she was strapped with a male-whore for a Fated Mate. Life sucked.

Rhett was the love ‘em and leave ‘em type and she needed him now more than ever. In fact, she needed him for eternity. For her, there was no living without him. And he wanted nothing more to do with her.

Breslin couldn’t read his thoughts because Rhett wasn’t human, but she didn’t need to. She could read his body language. What made matters worse was she still ached for him. She was beyond pathetic because she almost gave in when he suggested another round of sex. All she could think was how incredible it felt when he was inside her. She wanted to feel it again.

“How do you reverse it?” he asked as he kicked debris around her room.

He seemed to be searching for something. Probably his clothing but she was certain they were destroyed by the fire. His flaccid cock told her all she needed to know about his mindset. He wanted to bolt from the room and never look back.

“‘Tis no’ possible. There isna a way to reverse it. I get that you have a choice but for me there is none. You are my mate,” she informed him.

Her emotions roiled but she tried to hold onto her faith in the Goddess. Surely, the deity wouldn’t tie her to a male that didn’t desire her.

“I have slept with thousands of females and not once has anyone claimed I belong to them. Plenty have wanted to keep me but that’s not how I roll. You have to be wrong about this,” Rhett sputtered as he stopped his search and faced her.

Jealousy, hot and searing, raced through her blood, making her want to hunt down every female he’d ever touched and tear them limb from limb. The thought that he gave himself to so many was a silver knife through her heart. It burned worse than the pain in her mating brand.

“You must be the dumbest fucking male in the universe. How can you stand there and tell me you’ve slept with thousands after I just told you we are mates?”

Immediately, his hands went up in defense. “I’m sorry, Breslin. This is a whole lot for me to take in right now. Maybe we both just need some space to think about this mess,” Rhett murmured.

Breslin didn’t miss his comment or that he called her Breslin. He always called her Flame. And he considered being mated a mess. It was a crushing realization.

“Fuck yes, it’s a lot to take in, but that doesna make it any less true. Understand I canna reverse anything. We are mates, like it or not,” she retorted.

Breslin refused to tell him the consequences for her if they didn’t complete the mating. She didn’t want to guilt him into staying if he truly wished to leave.

“Maybe you’re right. A couple of days apart will do us some good,” she spouted, tears burning at the thought of him walking out on her.

She hated the thought of them separating. It had been several days since she’d fed and her hunger was at an all-time high. And her unruly hormones cried out for her male to fulfill her every desire. Even now, her body ached for him.

“Hold on. I don’t think you understand. I will be gone a lot longer than a couple of days. I need to return to Koine. My mother isn’t doing well. Our father’s death hit her hard and my siblings are very worried about her,” Rhett explained.

His naked body on display was enticing and she found it hard to concentrate on what he said. His seemed sincere but Breslin didn’t believe him. Not once had Rhett mentioned his parents or that he had siblings.

“Your dad died? Recently?” she clarified and watched him closely.

He didn’t shift or fidget. He held her gaze and it was clear there were buried emotions.

“Yes. I spoke with my brother earlier and he told me the news. Our sister told him mom has fallen ill and talks about joining my father.”

Again, Rhett seemed to be telling the truth but her doubt lingered.

“I didn’t realize any of this happened. You’ve never talked about it. How long will you be gone?” Breslin asked, hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

“I don’t know for sure. A week, maybe more,” he replied as he rubbed a hand over his face.

Her heart stopped and her stomach churned. He wasn’t coming back to her. She found her Fated Mate and he didn’t want to be with her. It didn’t escape her that he didn’t ask her to accompany him, or promise to be back soon. In fact, he made no mention of seeing her again. Tears threatened to spill but she fought them.

“Do what you must but come back. Don’t stay away too long. We need to finish this discussion,” she admitted and searched his eyes for a hint of anything.

The blazing inferno was gone and she knew his next sentence was going to cut deep. She could see it in his eyes and feel it in his body language. He was rejecting her.

“Breslin, I don’t want you waiting around for me. Find another mate. I want you to be happy and I can’t give you that,” Rhett said, confirming her fears while he destroyed her entire world.

She wasn’t a needy female but his statement was a death sentence. She couldn’t choose another. He was her mate and every fiber of her being wanted him and no one else.

But she’d be damned if she let him know it. She turned away from the fire demon with a dismissal of her hand.

“Get the fuck out, Rhett,” she ordered then slammed her bedroom door.

Thankfully, her door wasn’t damaged during the fire. The loud bang was satisfying as rage consumed her. Fire exploded from every pore of her body and the rest of her belongings turned to ash, along with her heart.