Night glanced at Lilian. “Are you willing to put up with the bond as it is for that long?”

Lilian nodded. “I want to keep our bond. I like it.”

He could read in her eyes what she wouldn’t say. She wanted to be his mate. It was right there, shining in them as she looked at him. Maybe his fears were unfounded after all. Maybe she wanted to stay with him and that was the reason she had hesitated to accept Beatrice’s offer to return to her coven.

“Leave.” Night didn’t look at Elissa as he issued that command, putting force behind that one word.

He wanted to be alone with Lilian.

Right now.

The second Elissa closed the door behind her, Night pounced on Lilian, capturing her lips in a soft kiss as he pulled her beneath him. Her lips danced across his, teasing him and wrecking his control, threatening to get him going and make him forget what he wanted to say. He forced himself to break away from her mouth and rose off her.

Night gazed down into her eyes and husked, “Say it.”

She blinked. “Say what?”

It was no use playing innocent with him.

“Say what you really want,” he growled, hungry to hear it.

Her cheeks pinkened, but she framed his face with her hands and held his gaze. “I want to be your mate.”

Night growled again and kissed her, harder this time, unable to hold himself back as he thought about the fact she wanted to be his, that she wasn’t going anywhere, and that she was choosing him over her coven. He drifted away from her lips, peppering her cheek and her throat with kisses, and then drew back and looked down at her again.

“I want to be your mate too, Lilian. I love you. I love you so damned much.” His brow furrowed and he stroked her cheek, resting his weight on one elbow as he drank his fill of her beauty and the soft look in her warm eyes. “I need you with me. Always. I don’t want to be apart from you for a second… even when I know I will have to be.”

His mood faltered as he thought about the team he led and he almost wished Grave had followed through with his threat and removed him from his position. Almost. He loved his job, but he loved Lilian too, and he didn’t want to leave her for weeks on end.

“I could come with you,” she said and before he could say a word, she continued with a little frown marring her brow. “Grave might be amenable to it. My coven is meant to serve with the Preux Chevaliers for fifty years after all. Your team would simply have one witch mercenary assigned to its ranks.”

He wanted to argue against it, but the thought of keeping her close to him all the time and the thought of having a powerful witch on his team’s side in any fights, was far too tempting and he couldn’t deny her.

“I’ll speak with him… but I’m afraid you won’t be the first female serving in the Preux Chevaliers.” He feathered his fingers down to her jaw and her brow crinkled. “Isla already decided she was joining the First Legion. I don’t think Grave got a say in it.”

Lilian smiled.

“I’m not surprised. You Van der Gardes growl and snap your fangs, but in here…” She pressed a hand to his chest. “There’s a heart that loves deeply… and is easily commanded by the woman that steals it.”

He mock-scowled at her, but didn’t bother to deny it. He kissed her instead, pouring his love into it, letting her feel that she was right and he did love her deeply, and he would do whatever she wanted.

Even accept her as a member of his team.

Fighting beside her had been exhilarating, like nothing he had ever experienced before, and in time they would learn to read each other’s moves and would become a formidable team. No enemy would be able to stand against him and his witch.

Lilian stroked her hands over his bare shoulders, her touch light as she reached his injured one. “How would a mating work if your vampire blood still possessed the ability to have a bond with a fated mate?”

Night hated comparing himself to elves as much as the next vampire, but he thought about it anyway.

“I believe we would exchange blood. Much like we already have. Only we would do it while I was inside you.” He groaned as her eyes darkened, desire glittering in them as they lowered to his throat and he realised it wasn’t sex that had her arousal soaring.

It was the thought of taking his blood.

She wanted it.

He had been asleep the last time she had taken it. He wanted to know what it would feel like. No one had ever bitten him.

She couldn’t bite him, but she could feed from his vein.