Page 54 of Taming His Vampire Mate

Thierry swallowed hard. “Be careful what you say next, wolf.”

I wasn’t surprised. Inside, Thierry wasn’t what he wanted people to believe. He was a hero. He had demonstrated that so many times already it was laughable to think otherwise.

Quinn had been a person once. This had been done to him.

The same thing you almost did to James, a voice in my head whispered.Monster.

When I stayed silent, Thierry’s icy smile returned. “If I’d known honesty would shut you up, I’d have tried sooner.”

“And now you’ve tested the spell. That’s why we met,” I said hoarsely. “What comes next?”

“Drop it. This is none of your concern.”

“Now you’ll test it on someone who’s lost their humanity, won’t you?”

He sighed. “I suppose destiny wouldn’t pick someone entirely feeble-minded. All evidence to the contrary.”

I smiled. Almost a compliment.

“Don’t think this changes anything,” Thierry warned, glaring. “The moment I’m back in Seattle, I’ll call up Poppy and find a way to end these dreams for good.”

“Whatever you say.”

“I still violently dislike you.”

“Okay.” My grin deepened. “Liar.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN || THIERRY

The wolf stayed by my side for the next several hours. His presence was far more reassuring than it should have been. After all, I was a powerful vampire with nearly a thousand years of life experience, the closest advisor to the king of Seattle’s vampires—if you didn’t count Pierce. And Jeremy was an infuriating backwater werewolf with only three decades under his belt.

Plus, he was an asshole. Unlike the murderous, feral vampires at the fence, he’d had his humanity perfectly intact and had still chosen wrong. He was selfish, smug, and stubborn enough to make me want to tear my hair out at the roots.

So then why was it so easy to sit next to him? Why did waiting for one of the feral vampires to finally break through Diana’s spell seem less nightmarish with him by my side? And why was it so easy to worry what would happen to him if thatdidhappen?

After all, shouldn’t I want to be rid of him?

We fell into a silence that was easier than it should have been. And the warmth he radiated, even without his shirt, was surprisingly pleasant. I limited myself to glancing at his bare chest—all hard muscle under sun-bronzed skin, masculine and enticing in the moonlight—to only twice per minute.

I was almost grateful for the distraction when Diana’s spell flickered for the briefest instant, an hour before sunrise, and the vampires swarmed us.

Launching to my feet, I threw myself in front of Jeremy.

Only a handful made it through before her spell went back up: two middle-aged males, an older female in a bloodstained muumuu, and Quinn.

The former gas station attendant ignored me, going straight for the wolf.

“Dammit,” I swore, taking my attention off the other three for an instant to shoot Jeremy a furious glare. “Go back inside!”

Jeremy was no slouch. Even without time to shift, he sprang to his feet and decked the vampire hard enough to send him sprawling.

“I can handle myself,” Jeremy said evenly. His fingers elongated into claws, his eyes glowed gold, and his teeth sharpened.

When Quinn came at him again, Jeremy leapt, driving him to the ground.

I looked away, my stomach twisting. I tried not to picture my brother’s face. But what could I do? Ask Jeremy not to destroy the vampire? That was sheer idiocy. It would likely get the wolf killed.

After that, it was a blur of violence.