Bound by the Night (Bound #4)(24)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Jamie shook his head. “When you lie, a faint line appears right…” He tapped his finger between her brows. “Here.”

Iona was so shocked she almost fell onto her ass. As it was, she barely managed to keep crouching next to him without lunging for the jerk. “I’m not lying!” She was the Blood Queen. Like she’d have some easy tell that gave away her lies.

He stroked the spot between her brows. “There it is again.”

Sonofabitch. She had a tell. All these centuries, and no one had mentioned it to her before? Wonderful.

“Don’t worry,” he said as if reading her mind, “I doubt anyone else noticed. I just know because I can never seem to take my eyes off you.” His hand fell away. “Just so we’re clear, I made love with you the first time because I wanted you more than I wanted breath. That’s the same reason I did the second time, too. And the reason I’ll do it every chance I get.”

Arrogant wolf. “I did want to piss off Latham.” But…more…Time for her truth. “I also just wanted you.”

His eyes seemed to darken.

“Is that what you needed to hear?” She demanded, angry. “That you could make the Blood Queen want—”

“I don’t really give a shit about the Blood Queen,” he said, the Irish thickening in his voice. “I care about Iona. She’s the one I want. Not some evil queen who is supposed to give little kids nightmares.”

Nightmares? Really?

“I want to give you my blood now because I want to make sure you’re as strong as you can be. And, no,” he muttered, “you don’t have to give me yours. Just take mine. Just…be strong. I don’t want Latham to ever hurt you again.”

The wolf was sure acting like he actually cared about what happened to her.

And she did need his blood.

Iona lifted his hand to her mouth. Her fangs sank into his wrist, and the image of them—in that horrible room, her on the bed, him leaning over her—flashed in her mind. Then his blood slipped over her tongue—warm, spicy, that delicious taste that was only Jamie—and her eyes locked with his.

She didn’t see calculation in his gaze. No secrets. Just desire.

His power fueled her, heating her body from the inside out. She drank, taking in that wonderful blood and power. Then her tongue licked over his skin as she tried to soothe the small marks that she’d left behind.

Her head lifted. His taste was still in her mouth.

“I’ve never wanted another woman the way I want you.” Gravel-rough, the words seemed torn from him. “And I’ve never met another woman who was so far out of my reach.”

She was less than a foot away from him.

“If I had to do it all over again, I’d find another way to break the spell. I wouldn’t force you to be bound to me.”

She couldn’t help it. Iona laughed at that. Clueless werewolf. “You really think I’m the one being forced?” Her hand lifted and curled under the hard square of his jaw. “I’m over sixteen hundred years old. I can stir fire with a thought. I’m about to turn your brother to ash…” She smiled at him and knew her fangs would flash. “You’re the one who’s going to be forced to stay with me, wolf. Do you actually believe I’d ever let my blood supply get away?”

He blinked.

Men. Always thinking it was all about them.

She shook her head and turned away.

He caught her hand. Held her tight. “Love, the only way I’d ever leave you…you’d have to tell me to leave. Cause otherwise, I’d count myself lucky to be at your side.”

She stilled. Then her heartbeat kicked up in a double-time rhythm. Jamie sounded as if he meant the words. She stared into his eyes and searched for the truth.

He did mean them.

“What do you want from me?” She asked him, barely recognizing the soft voice as her own.

“Everything.” Just as soft, but his words were darker. So deep. “But I’ll start with this…give me a chance. Give us a chance. Let me show you that I’m not just a beast.”

She already knew that.

“Let me show you the man I can be. Let me—” Jamie broke off, his nostrils flaring. Then he spun away from her. “He’s here.”

She hadn’t caught Latham’s scent yet, but she’d take Jamie’s word for it. Her gaze darted to the big wall surrounding the old compound. She saw the dark shadows scaling the stones, climbing over the wall. Coming for us. Iona counted at least a dozen forms.

“Vampires…werewolves…” Jamie’s claws were bursting from his hands as his shift started. “What we…expected…”

Yes, it was. Now it was time to give Latham what he didn’t expect. She barred her throat to Jamie. “Bite.”

His eyes were more beast than man. “You don’t…” He still tried to speak with a man’s voice.

“I want you to drink.”

His hand lifted. His claws seemed to tremble, then he sliced lightly over her skin. His dark head lowered. His tongue rasped over her wound.

She shuddered against him. Her eyes closed. His lips brushed over her. His claws were at her waist, but he was so careful not to hurt her.

Latham had never been careful with anyone or anything.

A shot echoed through the night. She knew the sound had to come from Sean as he took out prey with his silver bullets. Those werewolves fighting with Latham had picked the wrong side.

Their mistake.

Sean had chosen a position of his own on top of the west wall. A position that let him take out his prey as he wanted, picking them off with his silver bullets, one at a time.

“Get away from her!” Latham’s enraged roar. Showtime. “You bastard, that’s my queen!”

Jamie’s tongue licked over her flesh once more. A rough caress. Then he was pulling back. Gazing at her with a gaze that burned with emotions she didn’t want to name. “No,” he said, voice thundering out just as powerfully as his brother’s. “She’s mine.”

Then he whirled toward Latham. The two brothers charged at one another. Shifting werewolves were on the ground, some in pain because silver bullets had ripped into them, some were just contorting from the force of their transformations.

And the vampires who’d sold their loyalty to Latham were there, standing back because they’d caught sight of her. She heard their whispers…

“Blood Queen…”