WALL MEN: A Vow Broken (The Wall Men 2)

Sorry, but there’s more to life than hoping to become someone’s meal. “Your life wasn’t given to you so you could serve some evil, selfish king and then be fed to another creature. You should be free to learn, explore, and do things that give you happiness.”

“Such as?” she asks.

“Find love. Have a family. Whatever you want.”

“I want to eat humans. All day. Every day.”

“And…never mind.” I should’ve seen that one coming.

“However, I’ll settle for a ruler who cares more about our people than his own power. We cannot continue like this. Vampires are not violent killers. We are conservationists. Take only what we need from the creatures we feed on. Benicio wants our people to become an army of bloodthirsty assassins.”

What’s this? I’m about to unleash a flurry of questions when the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my heart goes crazy. The air fills with an intoxicating, sweet scent.

I slowly turn and find those pale-blue, haunting eyes drilling into me. “Benicio,” I mutter, my knees weak.

“Leave us,” he says to Uhrn.

“But, sir, you cannot touch her. It is forbidden.”

“Leave or I will tear out your throat,” he growls.

She must know he means it because this time, she doesn’t put up a fight. Uhrn turns and exits the room, closing the door behind her.

“Wait!” I can’t be alone with him.

He walks over to the bed like a sleek predator, his skin a moving billboard of geometric No One scriptures that capture every law, every vow, every treaty. “Lie down.”

My stomach rolls. My heart feels like it’s going to burst. “No. I know what happens next.”

“I said lie down.”

My legs start moving, but I can’t do anything to stop them. “Benicio, stop. I don’t want this,” I lie.

“You have missed me. I have missed you. There will be no more discussion.”

I lie down on the bed, and he sits beside me, planting his hands on either side of my head. His chest hovers over mine as he drills into my gaze. “Do you know what I went through to try to get you back?”

“No.”

“I risked everything,” he snarls. “I showed my hand to the War People before I was ready. Had I done things right, according to my plan, the Mountain People would have taken the wall in a matter of hours. I would be free of all my enemies by now. We would be free to be together.”

Thank God that didn’t happen. Because what he really means is that I would be dead.

He goes on, “I could not stand the thought of you with those vile, dirty Wall Men. And now I learn you not only allowed one to put his cock inside you, but you married their king?” he growls.

“I-I…” I don’t know what to say.

“You are mine, Lake.” He trails a sharp fingernail down the side of my neck. “You knew that the moment I drank from you.”

“You were going to kill me,” I whisper, terrified of what’s about to happen next and how much I ache for it. His bite is bliss.

“I took the vow to never harm you.” The words of his vow turn bright red on his chest and then fade back into a black symbol. “Why do you not trust me?”

Because he left me malnourished and weak. I wouldn’t have lasted another day if Uhrn hadn’t freed me. “You brought an assassin to kill me. You sent more to kill me at River Wall Manor.”

“Who told you this?” Benicio snaps with indignation. “Alwar? One of the Wall Men? All lies, my beauty.” He calms down and lovingly strokes the side of my head. “I would never hurt you. You are to be my queen, by my side forever. I was going to marry you and turn you the night you left. It was to be a surprise. The Proxy Vow would have been voided the moment your heart stopped and you rose anew.”

My head swirls with his intoxicating scent and his perfect words. I feel myself slipping away from reality.

“You still want that, don’t you, Lake?” he asks. “You want to be mine.”

I nod shallowly, my chest panting. “Yes.” I’d do anything for it.

“You want me to bite you now, don’t you?”

Oh God, yes. I crave it. I need it. “Please.”

He slides his soft, velvety lips down the side of my neck. “You missed me. Say it.”

“I missed you,” I mutter.

“Good.” He bites down, and my body floods with exquisite waves of euphoric pulses. It’s like a thousand orgasms, but better.

I sigh with contentment, feeling like I’m home again. “I missed you. I missed you so much.” I run my fingers through the length of his silky black hair as I hold him to my neck.

He lifts his head and licks his bloody lips with his pink tongue. “I will never let them separate us again.”