believe. It isn’t negotiable. I love you. Only you.”
“You can’t. It’s too soon. We just met.”
“You doubt my word? I’m known for my integrity. My sense of duty and honor. My—. Oh. You are teasing with me, aren’t you?”
That little smile of hers could be his undoing. Especially as the emotion fueled by her doubt was beating at the edges of his control.
“You only feel this way because I’m the first for you. Trust me, Tristan. It’ll probably pass.”
“I love you.”
“Nobody loves me.”
Tristan lurched to his knees, sending her onto her back with his approach, where both hands slapped onto his chest to support him. He bent his neck, bringing his nose directly to hers and delved deeply into the green of her eyes. “I love you.”
“But…I’m not loveable.”
“Who would say such a thing?”
“Every foster mother I’ve ever had.”
A sheen of moisture coated her eyes before she blinked it back, giving him a blank expression she’d probably worked at. Tristan evaluated it for several moments while he accepted the rapid beat of her pulse dragging his into rhythm with it.
“It’s in the past, Rori. Everything you’ve experienced will soon be. You’ll no longer care once I’ve finished turning you completely.”
“Whoa. Turn me?”
“You cannot stay human as my mate.”
“I have a hard time killing spiders, Tristan. How am I supposed to handle killing for my food? And why should I?”
“Feeding doesn’t kill. It takes from prey, usually without consequences. And I will be there for you. I’ll show you.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be your mate, Tristan. Maybe somebody should have taken that into consideration before making all the decisions.”
“You don’t want to be my mate?”
He jerked back, as if she’d given him a blow. It felt like one. There wasn’t any way to get all the muscles in his frame tighter, but he tried, curling inward to stay the pain. She might as well have an Islamic sword in her hand. And she wasn’t finished. He’d better learn how to deal with her rejection, and rapidly.
“I never said that, Tristan. I said I may not want what you offer. And why should I have to decide now? Can’t I even have some time to think it over?”
“I did it wrong, didn’t I?”
He had the emotion buried, and a slight thump in his lower belly would alert her to what it cost. But only if she looked. He even had his voice to a perfect modulation. There wasn’t a crack in it. Or anything showing the wound she’d given him. Akron hadn’t said a word about this eventuality. As far as Tristan was concerned, this was devastating. He’d rather stay lifeless.
“Of course not. You were amazing. Making love with you is…come on. I already went over it.”
“Yes. You said such things. Were you lying?”
“Nothing about your performance was a lie. You’re wonderful. Gorgeous. Manly. Endowed. But I have to tell you, I’ve never had such a great session of sex, followed by blunt talk that’s guaranteed to get an argument. All in the span of about an hour. Brother. You’re going to need a lot more experience on that phase.”
“Three hours,” he replied.
“Can we just call it a night? Say we had an interesting and completely fulfilling evening, discuss when we’ll see each other again, and then you can see me back to my apartment? Would that be so hard?”
“You can’t leave me. Not now.”
“Why? More of the vampire stuff?”
“There are Hunters about. You are now a prime target.”
“There are real vampire hunters, too? Guys like…what’s his name? Van Helsing?”
“Worse. These hunters are accurate and serious and difficult to fool. Some are partially turned. Like you. That gives them gifts.”
“You saying my powers are a gift? From you?”
“Not the powers, just the extend of them. Didn’t they fade yesterday while we were apart?”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. He read the answer in her hesitancy.
“A
“You can’t. It’s too soon. We just met.”
“You doubt my word? I’m known for my integrity. My sense of duty and honor. My—. Oh. You are teasing with me, aren’t you?”
That little smile of hers could be his undoing. Especially as the emotion fueled by her doubt was beating at the edges of his control.
“You only feel this way because I’m the first for you. Trust me, Tristan. It’ll probably pass.”
“I love you.”
“Nobody loves me.”
Tristan lurched to his knees, sending her onto her back with his approach, where both hands slapped onto his chest to support him. He bent his neck, bringing his nose directly to hers and delved deeply into the green of her eyes. “I love you.”
“But…I’m not loveable.”
“Who would say such a thing?”
“Every foster mother I’ve ever had.”
A sheen of moisture coated her eyes before she blinked it back, giving him a blank expression she’d probably worked at. Tristan evaluated it for several moments while he accepted the rapid beat of her pulse dragging his into rhythm with it.
“It’s in the past, Rori. Everything you’ve experienced will soon be. You’ll no longer care once I’ve finished turning you completely.”
“Whoa. Turn me?”
“You cannot stay human as my mate.”
“I have a hard time killing spiders, Tristan. How am I supposed to handle killing for my food? And why should I?”
“Feeding doesn’t kill. It takes from prey, usually without consequences. And I will be there for you. I’ll show you.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be your mate, Tristan. Maybe somebody should have taken that into consideration before making all the decisions.”
“You don’t want to be my mate?”
He jerked back, as if she’d given him a blow. It felt like one. There wasn’t any way to get all the muscles in his frame tighter, but he tried, curling inward to stay the pain. She might as well have an Islamic sword in her hand. And she wasn’t finished. He’d better learn how to deal with her rejection, and rapidly.
“I never said that, Tristan. I said I may not want what you offer. And why should I have to decide now? Can’t I even have some time to think it over?”
“I did it wrong, didn’t I?”
He had the emotion buried, and a slight thump in his lower belly would alert her to what it cost. But only if she looked. He even had his voice to a perfect modulation. There wasn’t a crack in it. Or anything showing the wound she’d given him. Akron hadn’t said a word about this eventuality. As far as Tristan was concerned, this was devastating. He’d rather stay lifeless.
“Of course not. You were amazing. Making love with you is…come on. I already went over it.”
“Yes. You said such things. Were you lying?”
“Nothing about your performance was a lie. You’re wonderful. Gorgeous. Manly. Endowed. But I have to tell you, I’ve never had such a great session of sex, followed by blunt talk that’s guaranteed to get an argument. All in the span of about an hour. Brother. You’re going to need a lot more experience on that phase.”
“Three hours,” he replied.
“Can we just call it a night? Say we had an interesting and completely fulfilling evening, discuss when we’ll see each other again, and then you can see me back to my apartment? Would that be so hard?”
“You can’t leave me. Not now.”
“Why? More of the vampire stuff?”
“There are Hunters about. You are now a prime target.”
“There are real vampire hunters, too? Guys like…what’s his name? Van Helsing?”
“Worse. These hunters are accurate and serious and difficult to fool. Some are partially turned. Like you. That gives them gifts.”
“You saying my powers are a gift? From you?”
“Not the powers, just the extend of them. Didn’t they fade yesterday while we were apart?”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. He read the answer in her hesitancy.
“A
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