Page 116 of Taming His Vampire Mate

Poppy. Michael. Danny. James. Bryan. Tobias. Nathaniel. Jeremy—

The list was too long. Foolish of me. I’d thought I was keeping them all at arm’s length. But I hadn’t been, had I?

“Are you certain he lives?”

Godric sighed. “Three hundred years ago, we came to the New World. We settled in the colony of Virginia. There, Magnus met a young man named Henry, the son of a powerful witch, the queen of her coven. He had renounced his powers—a common enough back act then. Magnus, unaware that he circled the son of a witch queen, destroyed him.” His voice was clinical, detached. “What he did to your brother, he did to many others for centuries after. I protected some innocents. But far from all. He turned Henry into a creature exactly like Nicolas.”

The words chilled me, but part of me was startled that he remembered my brother’s name. It had been so impossibly long ago. But then—he remembered me too, didn’t he?

His smile faded as he studied me.

“I remember everyone I couldn’t protect, Thierry.” His gaze darkened, and for an instant, grief flashed across his expression. Then it was gone. “At long last, I saw my chance to rid the world of Magnus for good. I helped the witches entrap him. They wanted him to suffer for what he had done to one of their own. I tricked him, as they asked. He was locked away for three centuries.”

“Was?”

“Now he is freed. Thanks to your spell. When it spread through our bloodline, it ensured each vampire would meet their destined mate. And it cleared away anything that might prevent that from occurring.” He paused. “Your redheaded witch possesses a level of power I have not encountered in centuries.”

“I’ll pass that along,” I said reflexively. But fresh horror crashed over me as I realized what he meant. Poppy and I had unleashed a thousands of years old psychopathic vampire on the world. The same vampire who had already destroyed my life. Now he was walking free because of the spell I had forced her to cast.

Godric gave me a grim nod, reading my expression with ease. “Actions have consequences, Thierry.” He sighed. “And it pains me to admit this, but I require your help if we are to destroy him once and for all.”

That was when a massive wolf burst from the shadows and launched itself at Godric, jaws spread wide.

Godric whirled, catching Jeremy around the ribcage.

The momentum drove them both to the ground.

Jeremy lunged for his throat.

Godric struck him with a brutal blow that would have taken off a human head. Jeremy barely seemed to feel it.

Snarling, he lunged again.

Did I trust Godric not to harm me? He hadn’t yet, but that meant little. Still—I needed to hear the rest of what he had to say.

And if all this really was my fault…

“Fuck,” I muttered.

I darted forward and wrenched Jeremy off him.

My wolf didn’t stop—he lunged again, jaws gaping for Godric’s throat.

He was strong. Stronger than I’d realized. If I’d been a younger vampire, I wouldn’t have held him for even a moment. Jeremy hadn’t truly unleashed himself before, apparently.

“Stop!” I ordered when he slipped my grip. “He’s not a threat to us.”

Jeremy froze instantly.

Godric pushed himself upright, shooting me a dirty look. He clearly didn’t enjoy being labeled “not a threat.”

“Stay down,” Nathaniel snapped, appearing beside me in a blur. He leveled a crossbow at Godric.

Simone arrived an instant later, wooden stake in hand, Poppy tucked in her arm. Magic crackled visibly around the witch.

Poppy stepped away and immediately began chanting, sparks of purple light flaring like a supernova between her hands, her gaze locked on Godric.

Jeremy stood between us, ears back, body trembling with tension, golden eyes fixed on the ancient vampire. His voice echoed through the bond, sharp and clear:You okay?