Page 2 of Vampire Bachelor Games

“Ride with me?” I echo. “He justmarriedme. For Christ’s sake, Jag, what did I do? What did I do to make him turn from wanting me to hating me?”

“How dare you?” He snarls. “Stop all the pretext. You may have played my friend for the fool, but you won’t play me!”

I feel my face drain of all colour, and then the reverse. When I’d spent time with Jag during the family meeting he’d been so jovial, so friendly. This is a side of him I never thought I’d see. And still, I don’t know what’s brought it on.

“I don’t understand,” I shake my head, my anger causing more tears to trickle from my eyes, much to my disgust.

“Don’t think your false tears will influence me,” he laughs harshly. “You got what you wanted,LadyDragonspur.”

“Got what I wanted?” I snap, wiping away more angry tears. “I never wanted a husband who regrets he married me! If anyone’s been played the fool it’s me for falling in love with a vampire who told me he could never love me in return. And how the fuck dareyou!”

I see slight puzzlement cross his face, but his fangs are still well and truly out.

“I know he’ll want to do the right thing, for honour,” he mutters, his eyes darkening, “sacrifice himself. But I won’t let him, not this time.”

I gasp as he lunges at me.

Pushing against his chest I shout for his attention before it’s too late.

“For fuck’s sake, Jag!”

He pauses, and I rush on.

“At least tell me what I’m supposed to have done before you do whatever it is you plan to do. I’m at least owed that.”

“You’re owed nothing,” he sneers, grabbing my wrist and twisting it up to my face, the lace from my long, bell sleeve falling back to reveal my scar.

“My scar?” I gasp. “He doesn’t want me because of my scar?”

“He doesn’t want you,” he says, inches from my face, “because you’re Spider’s minion.”

I slap both hands around my neck and stare wide-eyed at him.

“Minion?” I whisper.

‘Where the hell has this come from?’

“Let’s not make this uglier than it has to be,” he growls. “Expose your throat, let’s be done with this.”

“Expose my?... Fuck off, Jag!”

I roll my eyes and frown at him.

“Are you seriously trying to tell me that Falcon has gone back to thinking I’m a super spy?”

He narrows his eyes and his fangs slightly retract as I take my hands from my throat and give him a wobbly smile.

“God, I’m so relieved.”

“Relieved?”

“I thought,” I half-laugh, “I thought he’d just realised he’d chosen the wrong woman, that he didn’t feel anything for me after all.”

“He feels.” He growls, fangs lengthening again. “Your victory is complete.”

“Victory?” I shake my head. “It’s no victory to marry a man who doesn’t trust you. I can’t believe he honestly still thinks I’m a spy.”

“You bear the mark,” Jag murmurs, nodding towards my arm. “How can you deny it?”