Page 106 of The Vampire's Seduction

When he opened his eyes again, the lines of strain bracketing her lips helped him regain full control. The last thing he wished was to hurt her or cause her to hurt herself. Marek lowered himself back to the other side of the car and realized they’d stopped and had already arrived at the Secondary Tower.

“I won’t. Please don’t use any more magic.”

Olivia gave him a skeptical look, but the glow around her disappeared. The air became easier to breathe. “You should leave. I think it’s best if we stay away from each other until this is over.”

Don’t growl. Don’t scare her.

“Until what is over?”

“Until I wake Betsy. Then I’ll get out of your hair. I’ll leave Vegas and never come back.”

It was like she knew exactly what buttons to push to madden him. His entire being screamed at him to lock her up like a princess in a tower.

“There’s nowhere in this world that I won’t find you. You’re my mate. I will chase you to the end of the world.”

“Because the mating bond won’t allow you to do otherwise.” Olivia nodded, sounding too reasonable for his liking. “I have a solution. I found a spell.”

Marek froze. “A spell for what?”

“The spell eliminates the pull of the mating bond. It should stop you from feeling the urge to chase me.”

His father laughed, the sound drowning out the stutter of his bruised heart.Even your mate doesn’t want you.

“You think, after everything, the only reason I want you is because of the mating bond?”

“Isn’t it?” She stuck out her chin in challenge.

How? How could he make her understand the mating bond didn’t influence his feelings for her?

“Olivia, I love you.”

The last woman he’d said those words to had caused his brothers’ death. Olivia’s flinch was a thousand times worse.

No hesitation, no doubt, as she said, “Youdon’t love me. The mating bond makes you think you do, but you don’t. This spell will counteract the mating bond. Then we can go our separate ways.”

Marek wanted to yell, to scream, to destroy something. Anything to rid himself of the agony of Olivia’s rejection. Instead, he laughed and cursed himself when it sounded exactly as bitter as his father’s.

“Do it,” he said in a dark voice. “Do it and see what happens.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Olivia’sjawdropped.Heagreed to it. Just like that.

Looks like I made the right choice. So much for the love declaration.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as her heart splintered to pieces. Why did it hurt so much? This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? Hedidn’tlove her. It was all the mating bond. Even this pain suffocating her wasn’t real.

After his initial shock, when his eyes had flashed red, when he’d looked like he was about ravish her thoughtless again, he must have realized what a boon this spell was for him as well.

Her skin buzzed from the memories of his kiss, of his hands on her. If he seduced her again, she wasn’t sure she’d find the strength to stop him.

“You don’t look happy,” Marek sneered. “Having second thoughts already?”

His smugness sparked her ire. “Of course not. I’ll cast the spell as soon as Andrea gathers the ingredients. Then I’ll be out of your hair.”

She couldn’t stay in the car’s tight confines anymore. When she opened the door to leave, he grabbed her wrist. “Not so fast.”

His hold tightened as she tried to yank her wrist back. The slight touch made her ache for more. “Let go. Or I’ll make you.”