Page 119 of Taming His Vampire Mate

“Are you certain?” Godric pressed, his dark eyes locking with Quinn’s. “You remember nothing?”

Derek’s hand tightened on Quinn’s. He glared daggers at Godric. “He said he doesn’t.”

Godric smiled—not nastily, but it was unsettling all the same. “Oh, but he does.” His gaze held Quinn’s. “Don’t you? You remember everything.”

The power rolling off him wasn’t like Simone’s tsunami. Godric’s was a scalpel—precise, subtle, impossible to resist.

Quinn blinked, eyes widening as realization struck. No one else seemed to notice, but because I had, Thierry did too, sensing it through the bond. He shot Godric a dark look.

“I was walking home from work. And then there was a man…” Quinn drew in a shuddery breath. “He freaked me out. He appeared out of nowhere, like magic. He was fast. Then he grabbed me and bit me.” His voice dropped to a horrified whisper. “It hurt.”

“You don’t need to relive this,” Derek said firmly.

Quinn blinked again, then met his mate’s gaze. “No. If it helps, I want to try.”

Derek squeezed his hand. “I’m right here. If it’s too much, stop. Deal?”

Quinn nodded, flashing him a trembling smile.

Thierry had gone utterly still beside me. I felt his resistance, and his dawning horror.

Whatever happens next, we’re facing it together,I assured him.

Thierry nodded sharply but didn’t meet my eyes.

“And when you woke up?” Godric pressed.

“He was still there. We were in the woods. And I was sohungry.” Quinn’s voice went flat. “He told me how to change people. To make them like me. Then he told me to feed. He didn’t look evil. But he was. He thought it was funny when I said I didn’t want to hurt anyone. He told me to go back to the gas station where I worked…”

Quinn grimaced, gaze dropping. He had been responsible for all the destruction, then.

“What did he look like?” Thierry asked sharply. “Did he give you a name?”

“No. But his eyes were weird,” Quinn said, brows furrowing. “Silver. And his hair was pale blond. Almost grayish.”

“Ash blond,” Thierry murmured, sounding like he’d seen a ghost. “And tall?”

Quinn nodded.

“Magnus came to Rookwood,” Godric said quietly. “He turned the town. He talked about doing it for years while we were together. I always managed to talk him out of it. But not now.”

“Why?” Ethan asked, incredulous. “Why Rookwood?”

“It was a message,” Godric said flatly. “A calling card. That he was nearby. That he knew exactly whereIwas.” He paused. “I’ve been living in Northern California for some years now. Fifty miles from Rookwood.”

“Why not just kill you, if he knew where to find you?” I demanded.

“Because I betrayed him,” Godric said. When his dark eyes met mine, they were heavy with guilt. And grief. “He does not want me dead. Not yet. He wants me to suffer first.”

“We’ll contain him again,” Poppy said quickly. “I know half a dozen spells that would—”

“One of the first things Magnus did was find a descendant of the witches who cursed him. A powerful witch. She placed him under layers of protection. He’s immune to magic now,” Godric said. “And I do not know where he is.”

“No witch would ever do that,” Poppy hissed, scandalized. “No way.”

“He left her no choice,” Godric said darkly.

“If that’s true, how do you know?” Simone asked skeptically. “How would you know what he did to protect himself?”