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Even with my improved hearing, I barely made out her gasp at the sight of the tickets inside, a set of three.

“Ren, are these…?” she asked, voice high in her excitement.

“Yeah, I thought you and Danny might like to come to a game with me,” I said with a grin. It might be a little strange to invite your new girlfriend’s sibling on a date with you, but I thought they might like to experience being in the stadium together.

“Shut up,” she half squeaked, bouncing as she pulled the tickets out, only to freeze when her eyes found the golden bracelet beneath them. A delicate chain with five little rubies embedded into the metal at even spaces.

It had been expensive.

But I was half counting that she wouldn’t immediately clock just how much.

And worth every penny, to know without a doubt that Vi would be marked as mine, in my own little way. A special gift for a special girl.

My hope was that she’d wear it to the club, and irritating vampire fuck boys like Sel would get the hint and leave her alone.

That it told them all she already had a vampire, and a fucking powerful one, that she belonged to.

Besides, she deserved a more traditional courting gift than tickets to a baseball game.

Her lips curled at the edges, showing the dimple in her left cheek. “Ren, this isbeautiful.”

“Can I help you put it on?”

She nodded, offering her wrist. “The game is Saturday; what about work?”

“I’ll find someone to cover for us, don’t worry,” I said, taking the bracelet in my hands, meaning to attach it. But when my gaze caught on the bandage wrapping her wrist—the bruises that fucking jerkoff had left on her skin, I paused. “Pet…” I murmured softly, bringing the back of her hand to my lips for a gentle kiss. “Would you let me heal this for you?”

I expected her to hesitate, and I would’ve understood if she did.

But Vi nodded, a weak smile playing at the corner of her mouth. “Yeah, please.. hurts like a bitch, honestly.”

My nose wrinkled, a bitter, angry part of me hissing that I hadn’t be able to finish the job on the useless sack of immortal flesh that’d dared touch what belonged to me.

“Might still sting a little,” I admitted, unfastening the tape holding the gauze together and wrapping her wrist.

“I can take it,” Vi promised with a tired smile. “I’m tough.”

A little chuckle wormed its way out of my chest even as my temper flared at the sight of Vi’s injured wrist. Before I could allow myself to sink further into callously murderous thoughts and half-baked ideas to track the vampire down and finish what I started, I bent. My lips grazed along the ribboned flesh, the hardened blood easy for my fangs to puncture, hitting Vi with a fresh wave of venom that had her limp and pliant in my arms as I laved at the spot, coating it with my saliva thoroughly.

It took a little time, but the skin began to knit back together as Vi rode the high of the venom, sighing happily as the wound sealed, leaving behind a thin, red scar.

In time, like the memories of last night, it would fade.

But for now? I kissed the place, reaching to collect the bracelet from its box to attach it to her wrist, leaving enough space for Vi to rotate it to her preference.

Deep satisfaction filled me at the sight. Finally, my girl was claimed

Mine.

With gentleness that was unnatural to me, I took hold of her wrist, bringing it to my lips for a lingering kiss against her pulse. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Pet.”

Vi wasn’t a member of my coven yet, but if my instincts were to be trusted, it was only a matter of time. And, with the little stones glittering along her wrist, I couldn’t help but feel that I’d taken a small step toward claiming her.

One of the positives about immortality?

You had a lot of time to be patient.

vi