EXCERPT

Aldon didn't stop going through the motions, cleansing himself as quickly as possible. He’d promised he wouldn’t invade Olivia’s mind, and it seemed he didn’t have to. Actions could often be louder than words, and she was making a statement then and there.

His bride had followed him.

He hurried to remove the traces of Barnes from his hands, frustrated by the dried blood that clung to his fingers and reminded him how far he’d gone. He lifted them to the hot and heavy spray to speed up the process. He'd done precisely what he intended with the sadistic pile of shit. As he'd studied the female who had been changed against her will, accepting he might have to kill her too, Aldon decided Barnes would feel every single body part that was taken from him. He’d gone about the torture with that in mind but hadn’t realized he’d been enjoying himself, experiencing bloodlust and excitement with each extraction.

Not until Wren stepped in and severed Barnes’ head.

His brothers hadn’t said anything about the lapse, but they’d told him they’d gotten the information they needed and would take care of the rest.

Both insisted he return to Olivia. They wanted him out of there.

Darkness swirled, beckoning and whispering to him.

He prepared to contain it, calling on white magic, when his bride grasped the curtain between them. She stepped inside, naked as the day she'd been born, and the sight blasted through the gloom. Despite being slim, she held the promise of curves he'd glimpsed before, her pale skin glowing like a beacon. She moved quickly, stepping into the small area at the back, but he glimpsed the supple breasts she covered with her arms. 

Finally.

His patience had paid off. She'd taken that all-important step.

She stared at his feet, keeping her head bowed. "I don't know what to do."

Hmm. How to take that confession? “What would you like to do?”

“Are you going to make me say it?”

He was sorely tempted. She’d been throwing him for a loop since he’d first set eyes on her. He decided to go with an absolute fact. “Once I make you mine, I’ll never let you go.”

“I don’t think you’d let me go anyway,” she muttered, giving him attitude.

“You’re right, I wouldn’t.” He didn’t want to spook her, but she knew how he felt about that issue. Regardless of intimacy, even if he couldn’t convince her to accept him as a lover and groom, her place was by his side. “If I take you to my bed, I’ll be sleeping there from now on. Your body will always be accessible to me when we’re in it. You will do as I ask, whenever I ask.”

She lifted her head and met his gaze. Her lovely face was expressive, allowing him to feel her out when words failed her. She wanted him, but she had boundaries. He already knew what she was about to say.

“I don’t want to be changed.”

“I’ve told you before, but I’ll repeat for good measure.” She’d stated her position more than once, and he wouldn’t push her to change her mind. “I’ll demand many things from you, but that’s your decision. I won’t take it from you.” He took a deep breath, figuring he’d give her a moment to consider what he’d said. Turning away from her was agony, but he wouldn’t touch her unless she consented to what came next. “We’ve talked about this. You know the way of things. If you aren’t ready for the next step, now’s the time to leave.”

He returned to the water, letting it flow over his chest, and waited to see how she’d react. Even if it drove him mad, he would not force the issue. He’d heard stories of those kinds of unions over the centuries. A vampire who claimed an unwilling partner was doomed to eternal tragedy.

They did this together, or not at all.