Page 17 of Traitor Witch

I nod. “You made the rules, now follow them. She can choose to pay your toll or leave. So make her an offer.”

His grin makes me certain I’ve said the wrong damn thing. His dark eyes gleam as he examines our mate, but she doesn’t cower before the group of us. No. She stands strong, her eyes daring us to make a wrong move.

“Miss…?” Val begins.

“Nilsa,” the witch supplies, her eyes flashing to Kier and back.

Clever little mate, keeping her full name from a fae.

“Miss Nilsa, do you seek safe passage aboard my ship?”

She takes a deep breath, looks around as if hoping a different option will fall at her feet, then nods. “Yes, that was the idea.”

“Then as long as you remain on my ship, you’ll be under the protection of my crew. In return, you’ll prepare meals for all of us, including the vampire.”

I glare at the captain, because there is no way any Solar witch—even one with fire in her eyes—will agree to being fedfrom by a vampire. Her skin pales even further, and the cold certainty that she’s about to refuse grips my newly awakened heart and squeezes.

I can’t help a tiny prayer to the Moon Goddess that she’ll at least consider it. Consider us.

The need to know if she tastes as good as she smells is overpowering. But I’d be gentle if she ever let me take her vein. It doesn't matter that every vampire instinct roars at me to kneel, shove her skirt out of the way and sink my fangs into the vein at the top of her leg. For her, I'd go slow.

She's so small, I'm almost scared to imagine touching her like that.

Nilsa is still thinking. When she replies, she doesn’t just accept Val's terms.

No, our clever little witch starts to bargain.

“I want my own room,” she says. “And privacy.”

“Done,” Val smirks, the expression making his aristocratic features seem even crueller than usual. “But I should warn you, if Rysen wants a midnight snack, the cat is fair game.”

I roll my eyes at him.

He knows I don’t like draining animals; their fur always gets stuck to my tongue, and when it gets between my teeth, it’s a nightmare to get out. That’s not mentioning the fact that animal blood will taste like dirt compared to my mate’s.

Just the scent of her makes my fangs ache.

Miraculously, I don’t feel out of control. My own feral need to protect my mate forces back the bloodlust that’s my constant companion until it’s no more than a faint buzz in the back of my mind.

Nilsa seems to weigh her options, eyes raking up and down my body as I try to make myself less intimidating. It’s an impossible task, but she doesn’t seem afraid. No. In fact, her gaze lingers on the steel hoops in my nipples in a very appreciative way.

My fangs drop again, the vampire version of preening for my mate.

I hide the reaction with a silent curse.

I’m probably mistaking curiosity for interest. Solar witches are notoriously celibate—even I know that.

How the hell are we going to convince this one to spend the rest of her immortal life with five randy males?

I’ve already conceded she’s going to run a mile, and my shoulders slump in defeat before she can speak again.

“As long as he puts a shirt on…” She waves a hand in my general direction.

I frown, trying to figure out where I can find a shirt that will fit me on such short notice.

Cas howls with laughter behind her. “He doesn’t own any shirts.”

I glower at him. While that may be true, if my chest makes my little mate uncomfortable, I’ll damn well find one. Even if I have to squeeze into one of his.