Page 69 of The Vampire Curse

Her shoulders slump. “Yes.” She nods decisively. “I’ll be going with you to Nightwich. So, if it will keep me safe, then yes.” Her mouth quirks up at one corner. “It’s only one bite after all.”

“No,” I say. Her face falls into a neutral mask. “It’s more complicated than that.”

Clara holds onto the back of the chair and trails a finger along the damask design embroidered into the material. I can practically taste her nerves on the air.

She let’s out a growl of frustration when I don’t immediately continue, then crosses to the fireplace and leans a hip against the wall. She stares at the floor, eyes unfocused.

I step up to her side so that nothing separates us. This is hard for her, but I won’t let her run from the truth. She must understand everything before she commits.

“To mark someone,” I say. “It takes three bites.”

“Three?” Clara’s face pales.

“The effects of the first bite last for a single day, the second for a month, and the final seals it forever. Each mark is valid for the duration, but there is not a vampire alive who would consider a human truly marked until after the third bite. Otherwise, we would run out of unmarked humans.”

I guide a lock of hair behind her ear. Her teeth scrape over her bottom lip as she takes in the information.

“And would I have to accept all of them? What would happen if I changed my mind after the first bite?”

I shake my head. “If and when you want each mark is up to you. But without the third, there will always be a chance of another vampire being able to mark you.”

She pushes her shoulders back and lifts her chin with a defiant tilt. “Give me the first two marks, now. I will… think on the third.”

My heart stops for two whole beats before it restarts. With every bite I will want her more, and I don’t think either of us are ready for that yet. “I cannot give you all three at once,” I lie. “There areside effects.”

Her forehead wrinkles and her nostrils flare. She lets out a frustrated growl and places her fists on her hips. “What side effects could there possibly be? You’ve been trying to convince me to accept your mark since before Kitty’s wedding, and now, when I finally agree to it—” She lifts her hands to the side then drops them. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you don’t want to mark me. You made it sound so simple, and now you are telling me it’s a process,with side effects.” She jabs a finger at the center of my chest. “Out with the whole truth, vampire.”

I brace my hands against the wall on either side of her head, caging her, and lean forward. There’s a sharp intake of breath.

My power flares as I lower my mouth to the delicate place where her neck and shoulder meet. I scrape my teeth over her skin.

Her hands reach up, gripping my shirt as though she’s not sure if she wants to pull me closer or shove me away. And it is because of that I must show her the consequences of what she’s asking.

“With each bite, the effects will be heightened, and by the third, you will have no choice but to give into them.” She swallows. “It will make us want to fuck,” I say at last, brushing my lips on the shell of her ear.

I take her wrists and release them from my shirt, then step back. Her hand reaches up to brush the spot I touched with my fangs.

By the look on her face, it’s clear she doesn’t want the mark after all.

I turn my back on her, wishing it were only my pride that hurt. We might have found a few moments of peace between us, but she still sees me as a monster. I don’t know when her opinion of me became important, but it has.

Her fingers wrap around my wrist and tug.

“Why are you leaving?” she demands. “I said I wanted the mark.”

There is a slight tremble in her voice from fear or anticipation. Clara blocks my path. Standing toe to toe with me, she places her hands on my upper arms, fingers pressing in.

“I’m asking for your mark, Alaric.”

“You don’t want this, Clara.”

“Yes. I do. I know what I’m asking—I understood what you told me, and I still want it.” She licks her lips. “Please.”

“You’re afraid.”

Clara crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. “Anyone with sense is always a little uncertain of the unknown.”

This is a dangerous path for us, but I can’t deny her request. I wrap an arm around her waist and brush her hair off her shoulder, skimming my fingertips over her skin. Clara tilts her head to the side.