Page 149 of Blood Day

I clenched my jaw at that. He wasn’t implying that my possessive nature would be obvious—although, I suspected it would be—but that the scents would give us away.

Lily’s sweet perfume held a hint of my vampiric cologne, one that those who knew me well would notice.Everyone else would just assume that was her natural scent. Or that maybe a vampire had intimately touched her prior to attending the ceremony.

Unless I stood nearby.

In which case, my fragrance would be all over both of us, openly claiming her as mine. Just as it did now. A natural sort of protective shield, one that activated when nearby.

However, if I was away from her, it would be faint and almost undetectable.

Unless someone bit her.

If that happened, her blood would give it away.

I’d never bitten someone else’sErosita, but from what I understood, there was an addictive element to the flavor that ignited a competitive instinct in my brethren.

Vampires loved power plays.

To find an unguarded mate would prove fruitful indeed. She would become a bargaining chip or simply a toy to be tormented, knowing the vampire half would sense the pain.

Erositasused to be revered, but not by everyone.

And now, they were seen as emotional connections—weaknesses—among my kind.

Khalid didn’t seem to share that opinion, as he appeared to be trying to help me.

At least for the next few weeks.

That was likely why his offer stood until Blood Day. After that point, she would belong elsewhere, and my link to her would inevitably lead to my pain, in addition to her own.

The smart move would be to let him end it all now.

Cut this off before the emotions grew stronger between us.

But I couldn’t. I wanted this experience. I wanted to know Lily. I wanted her to know me.

I’m a terrible mate,I acknowledged.But I refuse to let you go, Lily. You’re mine. Even if only for a few weeks.

Her palm remained against my thigh even as a myriad of conflicting thoughts blended in her mind.

She wanted this feeling, too.

But she also hated me for skewing her view of reality.

Despised that we’d created something so special between us that neither of us could keep.

Yet was thankful for the experience at the same time, and grateful to me for making her feel something warm. Something intense. Somethingpleasing.

I placed my hand over hers and gave it a squeeze, an action Khalid tracked with his eyes as though he could see straight through the massive wooden table.

“Lily will need to continue her schooling here with Emine.” Khalid’s gaze returned to mine. “That will need to include some sort of sexual training and fighting courses. They are evenly matched, and Emine needs practice.”

I assumedEminewas his chosen name for his prospect. “I understand. But I’ll handle Lily’s sexual training.”

“Wewill handle it in some group sessions,” he corrected. “Emine needs to learn how to properly behave in certain situations, and the information will benefit Lily, too.”

I considered him for a moment. “My response to that demand depends on what you have in mind.”

He grinned. “Let’s eat breakfast first. Then I’ll have Emine demonstrate.”