Page 9 of Claiming the Dhampir

“I’m fine,” Nathan growled.

I slowly turned back to Nathan. His eyes met mine, and I couldn’t look away. His cheekbones and jawline had sharpened. He pressed his lips together and drew a ragged breath through his nose. His whole body shuddered, then he smiled.

Sharp fangs had replaced his canines, but they didn’t scare me. Nope. I wanted him to press his lips against my skin. I wanted to feel his tongue on all my sensitive spots. I wanted to return the favor even more.

“You will not bite me,” Nathan whispered, sending a shiver down my spine. Was he trying to entrance me?

“Not unless you bite me first,” I countered.

I licked my lips and felt the sharp edge of my own fangs against my tongue. While I was physically aroused, Mir wasn’t pushing me. I could feel her hunger, but she had it under control.

Mir laughed at my thought. This shit is hard!

Nothing worth having is easy, I said.

“Aren’t we supposed to be avoiding that scenario?” Nathan asked, his breath stirring my hair.

When had we gotten closer? Was I the one to close the space between us? I didn’t think so.

“Yes, I believe we are,” I replied.

Why was I tilting my head to the side? Why didn’t I stop him from brushing his lips against my neck? He couldn’t entrance me, could he? I was pretty sure he had to use his words to do that, right?

Are we supposed to stop him? Mir asked. Didn’t he want us to prove ourselves? Because I’m not resisting him for much longer.

Yes, I said, trying to refocus. What would happen if I let Nathan bite me? What would my mates do if I bit him back? They certainly wouldn’t stop me or Nathan, of that I was certain. His blood would make us stronger than I could possibly imagine.

What about Nathan’s self-control? my dhampir continued. Why do we have to be the ones to deny him?

This is a test of our strength, not his, I replied, though I suspected Nathan was also fighting against his own desires.

I forced myself to take a step back. Nathan lifted his head but grabbed my arms so I couldn’t retreat any farther. A set of blue eyes looked back at me, with not a hint of red.

“Well done,” he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear him.

I sighed, grateful he didn’t pressure me for more.

“Don’t ever think that I don’t want you,” Nathan continued just as quietly. “If I can find a way that doesn’t destroy everything I’ve built, I’ll have all of you.”

My eyes widened. I searched his face for the true meaning behind his words. Did he want me, or did he want the power in my blood? I didn’t escape one vampire just to be imprisoned by another. My fears must have been written all over my face, because Nathan released his grip and stepped away.

“I’ve surrendered to fate,” he whispered, then looked over my shoulder. “She’ll be fine.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant, and my brain was still too cloudy to think about it. So I continued to put some much-needed space between us—something I wouldn’t be able to do at the clan meeting.

Chapter 4

Elliott

Istood against the wall in the auditorium we used for meetings, watching the members of our clan find their seats. It was always the same. Shifters grouped together in the back left corner. Vampires converged in the back right corner. The fae took up a small section in front of the vampires. The witches and other spellcasters filled the front left, and the myriad of selkies, sirens, and other supernaturals filled in the middle.

My security team consisted of a dozen shifters spread out on the left side of the room. Vampires and witches made up Damon’s team who policed the right side. Kenrid normally posted himself in front of the fae. I wasn’t sure if they’d listen to their prince anymore after he’d resigned his seat on their council. Apparently, Nathan felt the same, because two vampires stood with Kenrid.

Despite my best efforts, my mind insisted on replaying the interaction between Lorna and Nathan. Like Damon, I’d honestly thought our boss was losing control. I doubted that Lorna saw Nathan’s elongated fingers and claws, or the way his enlarged body strained against his clothes. She was completely focused on his face, which was also more vampire than human.

I shouldn’t have been surprised by her lack of fear, though. Dhampir never feared their vampire masters. They hated the vampires for keeping them prisoners, but the dhampir weren’t afraid.

I also shouldn’t have been surprised by Lorna’s control. She’d already demonstrated her restraint so many times. Not just with Damon. I’d watched the video we’d retrieved from Conrad dozens of times. She didn’t seem to care that Conrad had filled her tiny cell with vampires. The only clue she’d given of her discomfort was when Jonah had kneeled in front of her. Her shoulders had relaxed just a fraction, and she seemed to breathe just a little easier.

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