Daric’s Mate (The Vampire Coalition #5)(6)
Author: J.S. Scott

Definitely not an old man. And he looked anything but sweet.

Mid thirties…maybe, and everything about him was menacing. His black hair was so short it nearly spiked and he had a serious five o’clock shadow, tantalizing dark whiskers that made her want to reach out to stroke his face just to feel the abrasive stubble against her palm.

Clenching her fingers into a fist to overcome the temptation to touch him, Hannah backed away a little more, swearing she could almost feel a pulsating power coming from his body.

“You had a head injury. I healed you.” His tone was husky, his eyes never leaving her as they wandered over her face.

Lord, this man is intense. Really intense.

Her ni**les tightened painfully into tiny pebbles, a reaction that had nothing to do with being cold. In fact, she had the sudden compulsion to fan herself. “Are you a doctor?” she questioned, knowing enough from her training for ski patrol that healing a head injury wasn’t exactly simple.

“No. I’m a healer.” His eyes grew liquid, heated.

Hannah started to pull the sheet from the bed to cover her body. While Daric didn’t seem to have any modesty about revealing that hunky form of his, she wasn’t comfortable with flashing her body to a stranger. “What sort of healer?” Getting the sheet loose, she wiggled under the quilt, trying to wrap the cotton under her arms and around her body so she could stand.

“I’m a vampire healer. Actually, the Prince of the Vampire Healers,” he answered, his tone slightly arrogant, as though he totally believed the insane statement that had popped out of his mouth.

Holy crap!

Hannah sprang out of the bed and turned to gape at him, the sheet completely covering her body. Seriously? Was the guy a little touched? Okay…maybe more than a little…obviously he was completely whacked. A vampire? Oh hell, it was just her luck to end up imprisoned with a lunatic. “Um…that’s…uh…nice.” Shit. She didn’t want to piss him off. He might come unglued. Humor him, Hannah.

His eyes roamed her body, as though he could see beneath the heavy cotton of her hastily-fashioned covering.

“I can. But I’ll stop if you want me to,” he remarked quietly.

“Stop what?” She shifted uncomfortably, frantically wondering how to deal with an insane man of his incredible size.

“I can see beneath the sheet. But I have to stop if you tell me to. I can’t invade your privacy if you ask me to stop. Not without paying the price for doing so. And I’m not crazy. Much.” Daric sat up, and the covers slid precariously lower, stopping just short of his groin. “I didn’t realize you still suffered from your previous accident. Your leg still pains you.” It was a statement rather than a question.

Hannah gasped and turned her back to him.

“That’s a nice view too.” His voice held a trace of laughter.

Surreal thoughts ran around in her head, fantasy ideas that Mr. Massive really could see her naked body. “Stop. Stop it. You can’t convince me that you can actually see me. But if you can, stop it right now. I don’t like it. It’s intrusive.” Had she really just said that? For God’s sake, she was going to be losing her mind along with him in a moment.

He took your clothes off. He saw your leg. He absolutely cannot see your body through this heavy cotton.

“Actually, I can. But I’ve stopped. You’re correct. It’s rude.”

She turned, giving him the evil eye . “Are you trying to convince me that you can read my mind now?” Hannah wasn’t sure what other parlor tricks the man was capable of, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. This was all getting just a little too strange for her. “Where are my clothes?” I need to get the hell out of here!

Hannah limped around the bed, her leg aching more than usual, probably from the stress of the accident. Damn it! Ignoring Daric, she looked under the bed, nearly groaning from the pain as she stretched the muscles in her thigh.

Daric stood, his movement so fast that his form was momentarily blurred.

“I’m a vampire prince. I can read the mind of any being with less power than I have, and since I have more power than any other life form on earth, I can read the thoughts of any living individual, mortal or immortal.” He spoke with such command, such confidence, that it made Hannah pause.

Admittedly, the guy emanated power, an enormous amount of strength. She peered up at him, knowing she should be terrified, but she wasn’t. Her core flooded with heat as she sighed inwardly at his sharp features and implacable expression, a man so strong that he made her want to sink into his body, be safe in his embrace.

He’s a lunatic. He could hurt you. Have some sense of self-preservation, Hannah. Run. Get away.

“I would never harm you, Hannah. You’re my mate.” His voice was low, seductive, and gentle for a man who could crush her dead with very little effort. Daric cupped her cheek in one of his enormous hands, his dark eyes glowing with an almost eerie light.

Hannah shivered as his hand ran down her neck and to her exposed left arm. She knew she should move, leave, but she couldn’t. Her body was momentarily paralyzed, hypnotized by the feel of his fiery hand on her skin.

Caressing her rather large birthmark, he said in a graveled voice, “You wear my mark.” He ran his right index finger over her left upper arm, an area that she had always tried to hide because of the blotch marring her skin that had been present since her birth. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s a birthmark,” she whispered, her voice failing her because she was caught up in some sort of magic, some kind of enthrallment.

“It is my marking. You belong to me.” He put his left arm around her hips, pulling back enough to hold his right arm out from his body.

Hannah gasped, starring fixedly at his forearm. Dear God! He had the same birthmark. Exactly the same. Except his was sharper, and…glowing.

“Yours looks exactly the same as mine now. It glows and shimmers, the image more pronounced.”

She backed away from him, tugging to get free. Stumbling slightly, she escaped because he allowed it, moving until she hit the wall near the door, her face an expression of both horror and astonishment.

This is not possible. He can’t be reading my mind. We can’t have the exact same mark. He isn’t a vampire. Vampires don’t exist. They don’t. They’re a damn myth. Dracula exists only in fiction, movies and books.

Daric prowled after her, moving like a tiger stalking prey. For a large man, he was graceful, stealthy.