Page 111 of Taming His Vampire Mate

From the other room, his breathing changed. Sheets rustled. The bed creaked.Thierry? What is it?

Stay in bed and don’t move. Pretend to be asleep and listen. I need you to trust me.

It was perhaps more than a little unfair, coming from me. After all, I wasn’t exactly the poster child for trust. But if Jeremy didn’t listen, it would ruin everything.

Thierry, you’re scaring the shit out of me.

I spoke quickly and silently through the telepathic bond, closing the drawer.We’re being watched. I have to go and I can’t explain. There’s no time. Wait ten minutes after I leave, then get the others. I’m going to Michael and Danny’s house. They’ll know where it is.

Thierry—

I love you, Jeremy. Please trust me.

For Godric’s benefit, I gave the bedroom door a long, lingering look. It wasn’t acting. I would’ve given anything to climb back into bed with Jeremy. But I couldn’t.

Godric’s watchful presence never wavered.

Jeremy didn’t reply.

Dropping my gaze, I let my shoulders sag in defeat, as though I’d decided to go after all. I slid the stake into my jacket sleeve, where I could reach it easily.

Godric would likely disarm me. But I couldn’t leave without a weapon. Not without making him suspicious.

He was still watching. He’d probably been watching all along.

But he couldn’t watcheveryoneat the same time, could he? And he might not have seen us seal the blood bond.

If he was watchingme, he wouldn’t be watching Jeremy.

I left the apartment quickly, without a backward glance.

Godric was twice my age. If it came down to a fight, he’d swat me like a fly. Which meant if I was wrong—if my wolf didn’t do exactly as I asked—I was probably about to die.

My life, and the lives of everyone I loved, were in Jeremy’s hands.

CHAPTER THIRTY || JEREMY

Cold sweat soaked into the mattress. I shuddered, hating that I was just lying there, doing nothing, while Thierry was gone. The ten minutes ticked by, each second like an ice pick to my brain.

Ian had gone off on his own, too.

We’d been on a hunt and gotten into a rare fight—I couldn’t even remember what about—and he’d stormed off. Ian had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, fighting a monster stronger than he was. And he had been alone. Because I let him go.

It was hard not to see the similarities. Thierry was going off to fight a vampire more powerful than him. And he had left his life in my hands, trusting me with it.

I had lost Ian because I let him storm off.

I couldn’t lose Thierry.

My vampire was snarky and cutting, with his deep well of emotions, vulnerability, and goodness—even if all of it was masked by sharpness. The idea of him no longer existing filled me with a jagged, icy panic. The idea of living without him made existence itself feel meaningless. A hollowed-out lie.

The wolf in my chest let out a soundless howl, and my fingertips dug into the mattress.

What if I wasn’t fast enough?

And if the vampire king didn’t believe me?

Or—more likely—what if he wasn’t fast enough at getting his people together?