Page 50 of Claiming the Dhampir

Oh, the smell of his blood.

“Are you certain?” Nathan whispered.

When had he moved closer?

“Yes. Are you?” The line between me and Mir blurred to the point where I couldn’t tell which of us was in control.

“I understand the consequences, and it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

I couldn’t interpret the look on his face. Was he doing it because it was strategically the best option today? Or was he accepting our offer as his mate? Now wasn’t the time to overanalyze it. Our ten minutes were quickly ticking away.

Nathan reached out and took my hand, then offered his other arm to me. I tentatively gripped his forearm. I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just watched him rotate my arm and press his lips against my wrist. The same wrist he’d fed from a day ago. The contact made my skin tingle and sent a trail of warmth through my core.

I did my best to shake it off and took the arm he offered to me. Mir didn’t hesitate to lick his wrist. I glanced up and met Nathan’s eyes. They’d turned completely red. His tongue caressed my skin for a moment. Not taking his eyes from mine, he bit me. I did the same to him.

His glorious blood slid down my throat like a smooth mocha. Just like when I traded blood with Jared, I knew the instant Nathan consumed my blood. Only this time it wasn’t a thousand-watt light bulb lighting up my body. It was the power of the sun and moon and every star in the sky. Magic filled my veins and overflowed my soul. My muscles stretched to the point I thought they would burst through my skin.

Nathan jerked from my grasp, pulling me out of my own thoughts. He tilted his head back and bellowed, his voice echoing through the warehouse. Sharp fangs protruded from his upper jaw, still dripping my blood. His chiseled jaw and high cheekbones were more pronounced. The t-shirt he’d worn struggled to contain the bulging muscles trying to break free. Long claws extended from his fingertips.

His vampire had taken control, and he was glorious!

He drew in several ragged breaths then looked down at me. Apparently, he’d also grown a couple inches. Deep red swirled in his irises, mesmerizing me.

“Lorna,” he rasped.

“My name is Mir,” my dhampir replied.

There was no line between me and her with so much power rushing through my veins.

Nathan held out his clawed hand. “We won’t go without a fight.”

I grinned, feeling my own fangs scrape against my bottom lip. I placed my hand in his, and another pulse of magic surged between us. “We’re definitely fighting.”

I stepped to the side and extended my free hand to Kenrid. “Together.”

Kenrid glanced at Nathan, who must have nodded his approval. I didn’t see because I didn’t take my eyes from my fae. He placed his hand in mine and another wave of magic rushed through my veins. Nathan’s grip tightened, threatening to bruise my fingers.

The same glowing halo that surrounded me and Kenrid in bed earlier flared to life, engulfing our little trio for several seconds. We stood in silence, watching the magic fade. I would swear that Kenrid just shared the strength of his magic with both me and Nathan. I’d already been buzzing from Nathan’s power boost, but now …

“What was that?” Nathan asked, his voice raw.

“I don’t know,” Kenrid replied.

“I don’t care,” Mir and I said together, making my voice echo. “I feel amazing!”

The warehouse doors burst open, interrupting our moment. The guys dropped my hands but didn’t step away.

Four men stormed through doors. My mouth dropped open at the sight of them. It was like watching a fantasy novel come to life. Two of the men wore black leather armor studded with glowing gems. The other two wore similar leathers in shades of blue and purple. They all carried long swords, which were pointed in our direction.

The four men separated, and two women waltzed in behind them. Their beauty was beyond description. I’d seen dozens of fae in my short time with the clan, but none of them compared to the two females who now stood before me.

One of them wore a long flowing gown made of shining black silk. Silver threads glistened along the seams and gemstones glittered among the threads. Her black hair hung loose around her face and shoulders, with more gems braided into the long strands. The calculated look on her face removed the softness of her features.

The other female wore midnight blue leather armor, tall black boots, and a sword strapped to her hip. Her blond hair was tied back in a complicated series of braids. Her sole focus seemed to be on Kenrid.

I didn’t know which was the queen of the Summer Court or the Winter Court, but I wasn’t afraid to make assumptions. The woman in black was probably the Winter Queen and the dress-up-warrior was the Summer Queen.

Stop ogling the queens, Mir hissed. You’re supposed to look intimidating.

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