Page 6 of Taming His Mate

Iwake with a gasp. Bolting upright, I clutch at the sharp ache in my chest. My cock is hard enough to pound nails and sweat is pouring off my skin. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was having some kind of human heart attack.

Except that this is a nightly occurrence.

I had hoped that by fucking Isabelle the symptoms might lessen some, but no such luck.

You need to knot her. Claim her.My beast growls.

When I get my breathing under control, I lie back to stare up at the ceiling. I won’t be doing either of those. Not until I can figure out a way to change her.

We don’t want to change her. Our mate is strong and independent. She just needs to realize that she needs us as much as we need her.

If it were up to my beast, he would forgive her for everything she’s put me through. I’m not about to let her off so easily.

I let out a long sigh, resting one hand against my pounding heart. Gods, I can still remember the first moment I saw her. It was during the challenge between our father, Petar, and Marcus, the vampire faction leader.

I spotted her from across the cavern, gathered with her coven in support of Marcus. Our eyes met and everyone else disappeared. In that moment, she was all that existed. A beacon of light in the pitch black. Despite the distance that separated us the sweet scent of her arousal invaded my senses.

She was all coy interest and shy glances… until Marcus won the challenge and became Alpha of Alphas.

The outcome itself was shocking and unexpected. In my grief, I lost sight of her until the crowds began to disperse. When I found her again, she was cozying up with him. Batting those big brown eyesfor him,and pursing blood red lips, just like she’d been doing to me hours earlier.

She must have felt my eyes on her because she looked at me over her shoulder. For a fraction of a second, I swear I saw sadness in those eyes. I didn’t want to believe that I’d imagined it, but it was so fleeting. There and gone. Then she tossed her red hair over her shoulder and turned her nose up at me, like the snotty little cock tease I realized that she was.

In the years since, I’ve tried my best to get close to her. To get her to see me the way I see her. Each time I get just a little bit closer. Hold her interest for a few moments longer. Until just when I think maybe this time will be different, she flips the tables again and shows me that her hunger for power will always be more important. The last straw was when she tried to seduce my brother when he became alpha of alphas.

Lucky for me, Jarik’s mate had something to say about that and nearly decapitated her. It took a witch’s healing spell and half of my body’s blood volume to save her miserable life.

Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it.

My beast whines.

I stop at Isabelle’s favorite Greek cafe on my way to the cabin. The savory scent of roasted pork, tart lemon and fresh yogurt has my beast salivating as I carry everything into the house. Tonight, I don’t feel like whistling or singing or being silly. I quietly plate our meals, tuck the bag of blood I prepared for her under my arm and let myself into the basement.

She hisses when I turn the light on, flinching from the brightness until her sensitive eyes adjust. As I pull a chair next to her bed, she snaps her head in my direction and bares her fangs.

“Ah, there’s the girl I’ve missed all day,” I say as I set the plates on the side table and reach behind her to loosen her chains.

“Fuck you!”

I pause as I plump one of the pillows I was going to ease behind her back. “Well, I thought we could eat first, but if you want to go straight to dessert…”

The conflict that flickers across her face is… new. Then her stomach rumbles loudly.

“Is that souvlaki?” she asks quietly, eyeing the heaping plate of skewers and pita bread.

I take a moment to watch her, trying to figure out if she’s serious or playing me. Then I ask, “It’s one of your favorites, isn’t it?”

She fidgets, “How do you know that?”

I lean forward, bracing my elbows on my knees and threading my fingers together. “I pay attention. I want to please you. My beast only wants to please you.”So that you’ll finally choose us, I want to add but bite back.

She drops her focus to where her fingers tangle together in her lap and asks me in a soft voice I’ve never heard her use before, “Can I—Will you let me use the bathroom?” For a moment I’m struck, not sure what to do. When she slowly lifts her eyes to me, they are wide and pleading. “Please,” she begs.

I leave the chains on her, but I unhook them from the bed and lead her over to the small bathroom across the room. It’s nothing fancy. Toilet, pedestal sink, and walk in shower. The iron in the chains will ensure that she cannot trace away, a nifty trick vampires have. I know that Izzy is young by vampire standards, and I’ve never seen her do it so I’m not sure if she can trace or not, but I’m not taking any chances.

I give her some privacy while listening carefully through the door, just in case she decides to try something. The toilet flushes, the sink turns on and when she appears at the door again she’s still soft and subdued.

This is the side of Isabelle that I’ve longed for. As much as I love her fire, it’s this softness that I crave. Perhaps because I see it so rarely.

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