Page 10 of Crave Me

My eyes met his again, my throat dry. “Who are you?”

CHAPTERTHREE

VESPERUS

Thiswasthe entity responsible for the bar explosion. The being who had entered our realm illegally. The bounty my men had been searching for all these months.

The immortal I’d fully intended to hunt down and slay as a result of Klas’s untimely demise.

A goddess.

Yeah, I believed that, with her hypnotic gold irises, thick dark lashes, softly curved chin, and full, fuckable lips. She certainly fit the part physically.

But also in power.

It rippled around her in tangible waves, making her long black hair flow with every movement. Even her dress—which was better suited for a beach in Greece than winter in Ireland—seemed to move as though energized by her very spirit.

Etherealdescribed her physical presence.Stunning, too.

And she was staring at me as though she wanted to devour me.

Not in a murderous way, but in a sensual manner.

The tightening in my chest urged me to let her do whatever she wanted to me, too.

Because this female—this being whom I’d fully intended to kill mere hours ago—wasmine.

My fated mate.

My future.

I’d felt her presence like a knife through my heart. Her energy had warmed the air, insisting that I turn to face her andclaimher.

Only, she’d been encased in shadows, hiding from everyone on this street except for me.

One look from me and she’d dispelled that magical cloak, allowing me to really see her.

And, fuck me, I liked what I saw. I liked it so much that I hadn’t even reacted to her approach.

I’d just stood here like a lovestruck fool, allowing this ancient magic to take hold of me as it demanded that I accept my fate.

This isn’t me, I thought, still speechless by this female’s presence.

“Who are you?”she’d asked.

And I found myself wondering the same damn thing.

Because I didn’t feel like an ancient vampire right now, or a powerful king.

Just a man entranced by a woman.My woman.

I could feel the pull wrapping around my heart and redirecting all of my instincts toward a primal need to possess her. To touch. Tobite.

Not to kill or to capture or to punish.

But tofuck.

It left me feeling off-kilter. Punched in the chest.Winded.