Page 7 of The Vampire Curse

“For now, let’s concentrate on keeping you alive. You can have your freedom—when it is safe.”

My head swims and my stomach is in knots. I am glad he stopped kissing me. He’d offered me an escape last night, but like a fool, I had refused. At the time, it had feltwrongsomehow to accept the easy out. Like cheating.

Now I understand why he made the offer.

“I want to get down,” I say, my voice is soft and desperate.

The horse comes to a stop. I open my eyes, unaware of when I had closed them. We are in the exact spot where we mounted.

Alaric dismounts quickly then reaches up to take me by the waist and guides me down. My legs shake, but he doesn’t release me yet. Instead, he pulls me in close, wrapping his arms around me.

“When I touch you, understand that I am doing so to protect you.” There is hesitation in his voice. “Do you trust me on this?”

Do I trust him? I have been trying to kill him, to draw blood and win my freedom… He is a vampire—a monstrous beast that rips families apart—and I’m only human. I hate him for what he is, and he hates me for killing his sister.

Yet he is asking if I trust him with my life.

I pull back to look him in the eye and say, “Yes.”

Chapter Three

Clara

We walkarm in arm back into the house. Neither of us speaks. This is a game. One that could be deadly for me if I misstep. Though I still don't understand why other vampires would care what he does with me. Alaric claimed me—that should be the only thing that matters.

But there is so much more to this than I ever anticipated. All I wanted to do was keep my sister safe and alive. I have spent the last month and a half trying to get back to her.

Once inside, I blink to adjust my eyes to the dim light. Standing in the doorway of the drawing room is the vampire from last night. He holds a goblet full of what I can only assume is blood.

“Run, little human. Hide. The others are coming, and they are far more dangerous than even I…”

His hazel eyes follow us. Nerves crawl up my spine.

Alaric guides my chin up with one finger. He gives me a tight smile and pulls me a little closer into his side.

The walk to my rooms has never felt so long. I can practically feel the gazes of all four of the vampire guests following us. Though I don’t see them, I know they are there.

I enter, turning to close the door, but he is already inside.

Alaric raises a brow as if he knew I’d intended to shut him out.

“Clara,” he starts, and there’s something in the way he says my name that makes me bristle. “If I mark you—”

“No,” I say, not even letting him finish. “We have been over this before. You know why I don’t want the mark.”

He looks distraught. Now I feel terrible for snapping. I step up to him. Genuine worry darkens his eyes. I reach up and brush my fingers along his brow to smooth away the frown lines. He is worried about my safety.

“I do not know what to do with you,” he says.

It would be insulting from someone else’s mouth, but he doesn’t mean it in the way a human or another vampire would.

“It will be okay.” I have no idea if that is true. It doesn’t matter, because we both see it for what it is—a useless platitude. But it’s all I have to give.

He steps back and nods. “I will continue to ask you to reconsider the mark until you change your mind, or you are safe.”

I grit my teeth until my jaw aches. He knows my answer will always be no.

“You know the laws, Clara. You have always known them. Once claimed, a human is at the whim of their vampire master until death.”