Page 19 of Viktor’s Temptation (East Coast Territory #2)

Gracie smiled up at Viktor, her silver eyes glowing with excitement and a trace of wonder.

She leaned her head back to look at him fully, exposing her neck without even realizing it.

Viktor froze for a moment, stunned. To a vampire, such an unguarded gesture was a profound sign of trust, one that hit him harder than he’d expected.

She didn’t know it yet, but Gracie trusted him.

The realization sent a ripple of warmth through his chest, mingled with the usual restraint he needed to summon whenever he was around her.

“Wait until you try fresh blood,” he told her, his voice tinged with an edge of humor as he tried to distract himself.

Gracie was stunning—irresistibly so—with her unfiltered enthusiasm for discovering her new abilities as well as her beauty and honesty.

She was like a storm of contradictions: fierce one moment, uncertain the next, and endlessly endearing in both.

Her nose wrinkled adorably, and she dropped her chin, hiding the vulnerability of her exposed neck. “I won’t do that. I’m not taking someone’s blood just to feel better. That’s… monstrous.”

He smothered his amusement, leaning casually against the wall. “If you trust me, I’ll show you that feeding from humans can actually help them. It’s not about taking; it’s about balance.”

Her head tilted slightly, a thoughtful expression crossing her face, making her look both curious and skeptical. Viktor’s chest tightened at the sight—how had he ever existed without her? “How could feeding off someone help them?” she asked cautiously.

Relief flickered through him. She hadn’t rejected the idea outright, which spoke volumes about her open mind.

“We’ll start slowly,” he explained, his tone patient.

“Imagine finding someone who is having a terrible day. You use your ability to ease their mind, suggest they find a quiet place, and then, with their consent—mindfully guided by you—you feed. Afterward, you replace their distress with peace, a sense of calm. You’ll find that it’s a gift to them, not just to yourself. ”

Gracie stared at him, processing the idea. She finally nodded. “Okay,” she said hesitantly. “I guess I can get on board with that… in theory.”

“Good girl,” he teased, his tone light and affectionate.

She arched a brow and pulled back, crossing her arms over her chest. “Woman, Viktor. I’m not a girl.”

He blinked, momentarily thrown, before straightening. Then, slowly and deliberately, his gaze moved down her body and back up, his eyes shimmering with amusement and something far more dangerous. “Yes,” he murmured, his voice a deep rumble, “I am very aware you are a woman. My apologies.”

Then, in one swift movement, he bent down and brushed his lips over hers. The kiss was brief, featherlight, but it left her reeling. Her breath caught as she swayed slightly, hope sparking in her chest that he might kiss her again.

But he didn’t. Instead, Viktor stepped back, his hands curling into fists at his sides, his own restraint palpable. His glowing eyes, however, betrayed him, blazing with silver fire that left Gracie both flustered and fascinated.

“Let’s go,” he said abruptly, his voice a bit rough. He took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers in a way that felt natural, yet electric.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice a bit breathless.

“I’m going to show you how to change someone’s day by changing their thoughts,” he replied, leading her down the hallway with purpose.

“I’m not hungry anymore, though,” she ventured carefully. The idea of feeding off someone’s blood still felt like crossing a line she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

“We’re not going out to feed,” he reassured her. “This lesson is about observation and control—skills you’ll need before you take the next step. Today, we’ll find the right person, assess their needs, and practice influencing their mind. It’s simpler than it sounds, I promise.”

“Good because it sounds incredibly complicated,” she muttered, skipping slightly to keep up with his long strides.

He stopped at the elevator and turned to face her, his expression softening. “Trust me,” he said, his tone quieter now. “It’s a skill, like any other. You’ll pick it up faster than you think.”

The elevator doors opened, but before they could step inside, a voice called out. “Viktor!”

They both turned to see Mikail and two other security guards approaching swiftly. Gracie felt Viktor’s arm tighten protectively around her waist.

“Mikail,” Viktor greeted coolly, his voice tinged with resignation. “Security,” he explained to Gracie.

“Why do you need security?” Gracie asked, looking from Viktor to the imposing men now flanking them.

“As clan leader, I’m a target,” he explained with a casualness that belied the weight of his words. “My enemies would love nothing more than to eliminate me.”

“We’ll be discreet,” Mikail promised, his tone brisk but respectful.

He cast a brief, assessing glance at Gracie before turning his attention back to Viktor.

“We’ve had reports of more missing humans.

This is bigger than we initially thought.

” His gaze returned to Gracie. “Have you remembered anything else?”

Gracie hesitated, glancing at Viktor before meeting Mikail’s eyes. The flicker of trust Viktor had earned wasn’t easily extended to anyone else, but she decided to answer. “Bits and pieces,” she said cautiously. “But it’s all… blurry.”

Mikail’s expression darkened, but Viktor stepped forward, cutting off the interrogation with a commanding presence. “She’ll remember when she’s ready. Right now, we focus on the task at hand.”

Gracie swallowed hard, her gaze flicking between the men. Her new world was unfolding at breakneck speed, and while Viktor’s hand on hers offered some reassurance, the weight of it all settled heavily in her chest.

“Let’s go,” Viktor murmured, his voice gentler now as he ushered her into the elevator. For now, Gracie decided to trust him—and hope that he was right.

Mikail’s expression looked grim as he turned to look at Viktor again. “I sent several teams out. We’re shifting to offense. I’m not going to stand around and wonder what’s happening any longer. I want answers yesterday.”

“Good,” Viktor replied with a firm nod. “Today, I’m going to teach Gracie how to control another’s mind.” He squeezed her hand, looking into her eyes to ensure that she was listening.

“Okay. We’re with you.”

“Good,” Viktor replied, then turned, keeping her hand in his as he addressed his guards. “Spread out and let me know if any of you see anything suspicious.”

The men nodded, but Viktor had already returned his focus to Gracie. “It seems that your memory is coming back in spurts. If something flashes back to you, even if you don’t think it’s important, tell me immediately, okay?”

“Okay,” she replied, nodding her understanding of how important this issue was. She looked away, staring off at nothing for a long moment. When she turned to look at him again, she tried to remain calm, but Viktor could see the concern in her expression. “How many people died in the last group?”

He shook his head. “I won’t lie to you, Gracie. It’s a lot. Unfortunately, I don’t have a specific number yet. But it seems as if the person doing this likes to keep his test subjects in groups of nine, although we don’t know if that grouping is based off of superstition or convenience.”

“That’s horrible!” she gasped, running her hands over her outer arms. “I feel like this is my fault somehow.”

“It isn’t,” he assured her firmly. “You survived and escaped whatever plot this person is attempting. If you hadn’t escaped, then we wouldn’t have your insights.

” He gripped her shoulders. “Trust me, Gracie. None of this is your fault. You are as much of a victim of this demented person’s plot as the people who died. Don’t take on another person’s guilt.”

She smiled tightly, but there was no amusement in the expression.

He pulled her closer, his body cradling hers.

Gracie tried to hide her reaction, but Viktor was a big man and with his arms around her, his broad shoulders and especially his confidence, she felt safe and secure.

And excited! The other two reactions were justified. But the excitement had to be hidden.

“Right,” she whispered. Then pulled out of his arms and took a step backwards. “Lessons?” she prompted, needing to distract herself. Viktor was…everything she’d ever craved in a man. And everything she knew she couldn’t have.

Compared to Viktor, Warren wasn’t even a man; he was a slimy snail leaving a sad, sticky trail of mediocrity in his wake. Viktor, on the other hand, was all sharp edges and panther-like sophistication—graceful, powerful, and thoroughly unbothered by the likes of garden-variety pests like Warren.

Lifting her chin, Gracie vowed to master her new powers as quickly as possible.

Of course, this goal was purely practical, she assured herself.

It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting Viktor to notice her growing strength—or how good her legs looked when she ran at super-speed. Nope, not a bit.

Unfortunately, the little voice in the back of her mind chose that moment to pipe up. Liar.

“Have your security teams discovered anything about Warren recently?”

“He tried to use your bank card to withdraw money from your bank account yesterday,” Viktor told her. “We’d already put a hold on your account so he wasn’t able to complete the transaction.”

Gracie stopped and turned, her mouth falling open. “Warren tried to steal money from me?” Viktor lifted a dark eyebrow.

“Yes. Are you surprised?”

“No. Not really.” Gracie sighed, exasperated, as she turned to Viktor. “So Warren tried to steal money from me, he shoved me out of my house, and now he’s living there, eating my food, and probably ruining my furniture. What’s next? Did he steal my streaming password too?”