Dark Exodus (The Order of Vampires 2)

The way Larissa spoke of her husband concerned him. He thought of Adriel’s warnings, and for the first time in his life, he took issue with Family Law.

Family Law was intended to give each couple autonomy, but it had done the opposite in Larissa’s case. How many other females viewed marriage as imprisonment?

He did not enjoy thinking of his mate belonging to another male. Detangling her life from Silus would be a minor irritant, and he would act swiftly. But first, he needed Larissa to accept him as her mate.

He found himself watching over her as she slept. She looked so peaceful when she wasn’t shouting at him. An exquisite female.

He finally had a chance to look at her and envision her as his mate. He sighed. She was so young.

Of course, fifty years old would not be considered young to a mortal, but to Eleazar… He sighed again. He could still recall paying his respects to the Hartzlers the evening of her birth. A precious newborn bundle, and yet, here she was, almost fifty years later, fully grown, no longer a babe, but a woman—his mate.

Why had it taken so long to receive his calling? Why would God allow him to sit idly by and watch his mate be handed off to another male? Normally, he was not one to question the Almighty.

Yesterday, he told Larissa God did not punish. If that were true, why did he suspect they had both been punished? Larissa suffered a loveless marriage, and he would always suffer the shame of knowing he put her there.

He wondered if mates could survive such an early betrayal? Even if it was an unintentional one, he accepted the blame. If only he’d insisted Silus wait a few years…

But there was no going back now. The innocence she once had was now gone—wisdom in its place.

Time would heal. Eleazar simply had to be patient, patient with her and patient with himself.

Larissa was strong. One simple male should not have been able to break her spirit. She had gifts Eleazar still did not fully understand. Perhaps she did not comprehend the extent of her gifts either.

That would make sense because he couldn’t understand how she could outmaneuver him, yet she grew as skittish as a field mouse when it came to her husband. Once trust was established, they could share their gifts, and she would never have to worry about irrelevant little pests like Silus again.

Trust. Such a small word to carry such a big meaning. Trust became his first goal. He would do whatever he could to earn Larissa’s trust, and then everything else would naturally follow.

Eleazar’s mate was a riddle to him in so many ways. He watched her now, curled under the covers of her small bed. Her raven-colored hair fanned over her white pillow, creating a beautiful contrast. Her angelic features mesmerized him from the soft, purple shadows from her dark lashes that crested her high cheekbones to her delicate little toes.

Long and lithe, her body curved and swelled with natural perfection. She was tall, taller than most females, which suited him well.

His predatory, male scent filled the room as he observed her. Her lashes fluttered, and he casually stepped back.

Unaccustomed to his body’s baser urges, he swallowed a groan and shut his eyes as a kaleidoscope of images wheeled through his mind, each one more arousing than the last. He wanted her.

“What are you doing here?”

His eyes flashed open to find her sitting up, bare breasts exposed, as the sheet gathered at her full hips.

Her downy-soft curves stole the breath right from his lungs. An offended growl filled the silence, and Eleazar pried his gaze from her beautiful breasts to meet her stare. “I told you I would return in the morning.”

“Do you not possess the ability to knock?”

When has social graces become so tedious? “I know how to knock.”

She jerked the sheet up to her chest. “Get out!”

“Larissa—”

“Now!”

He grew tired of her defensiveness. “We have to talk.” He decided it was time to give her the full truth.

He was not prepared for the lone tear that trickled down her cheek.

“Why are you crying?” Everything inside of him demanded he soothe her, but when he took a step forward, her breath hitched with fear and she drew back.

“Why are you doing this?” Her voice was small and her shoulders curled forward protectively. She was terrified.

Alarmed that he could frighten her so, he gentled his voice and gave her space. “You don’t need to fear me, Larissa. I will never hurt you.”

“I’m married. Your presence here is unforgivable. You, of all immortals, should know better.”

Her loyalty to a man she did not love infuriated him. As his mate, there should be no distance between them. They owned each other’s soul. Her body was his. She was his mate.