I run a hand over her bite marks, healing her instantly, but I bite again, not taking any blood, just marking her skin to satisfy my need to claim her in every way.
She smiles, knowing exactly what I’m doing.
“You’re mine,” I tell her, just so there’s no confusion.
“I am.”
Allison moves her hands to my ass, pressing her nails against my skin, and I let out a groan as I come deep inside her. I keep bucking, harder and harder, only slowing when my climax lessens and lessens.
As soon as my body has calmed, I slide out and heal all the scrapes and wounds along her body.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” she says. “I like wearing your mark.”
I kiss her forehead. “You just don’t need to wear so many of them.”
She snuggles into me. “I’m exhausted,” she says.
“Then sleep.”
And she does. It doesn’t take her long to pass out. I stare at her peaceful face and drop another kiss to her lips before climbing out of bed and dressing so I can take care of some business. She doesn’t stir as I leave the room. It’s hard to leave her, but I move through the house to my study and call Simon to see if Bogdan has done anything out of the ordinary.
Once Simon says he hasn’t, I end the call. What are Bogdan and Rao up to? Have they figured it out? Do they know Allison has powers?
I bound out of my chair when I hear a blood-curdling scream from upstairs.
Allison.
I fly up the stairs, damning every wall and door in my way.
“Allison,” I call out when I enter my room. But she’s nowhere to be found.
I rush to the balcony to see if I can spot anything on the grounds below.
“Where are you?” I whisper to myself.
A white stallion gallops away from the house, the rider draped all in black. Allison hangs on for dear life. She kicks and screams, and I fly from the balcony, trying my best to reach them in time. I can’t tell if it’s Bogdan on the horse. Simon said he hasn’t moved, but could he be mistaken?
My mind fills with scenarios as I close in on the horse. I jump, landing on top of the man, bringing him crashing to the ground along with Allison.
The horse slows once its rider is removed, and I snatch Allison away from the cloaked figure.
“Show yourself,” I demand.
The man removes his hood and Rao’s face comes into view. “I had to have her,” he says. “I can’t let you do it.”
“Do what?” I ask.
“Bogdan and I know she has the power to change a vampire into a mortal.”
“How did you hear that?”
Rao studies me, not answering my question.
I move Allison behind me, not wanting Rao to get his filthy hands on her. “Fuck you,” I tell him.
Rao leaps at me, and together we crash to the ground. I punch him in the face, not letting him get away with taking my wife. I land another right hook, and then another. I bare my fangs at him, letting him know I won’t back down.
Rao surrenders, like the coward he is, and I’m furious as I get Rao and Allison back to the safety of my castle. I’m enraged as I force Rao to sit in the living room, pushing him onto the large sofa, and I yell for the staff to leave the castle at once.