Page 70 of The Vampire's Mate

“Yeah,” he sighed, tension leaving his body. “It’s working.”

Huddled together in the middle of my living room, it hit me: I’d never stopped long enough to just hold him. I’d been… selfish. I’d been so caught up in how our situation affectedmethat I hadn’t even begun to think about whathewas going through. He’d been facing a life with a mate who could have wanted nothing to do with him. And he’d dealt with it.

I didn’t deserve him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” His voice was muffled by my shirt.

“Because I don’t do this more often.”

“You don’t have to apologize for that.”

“I’ve been selfish. This whole situation is affecting you as much as it has me and I should have realized that. I haven’t been the best partner to you. Regardless of my opinion about being bound by fate, it’s clear that what we’re doing is more than casual. No matter how we identify it, I’ve been slacking. I’ve been the worst version of myself lately, and I’m sorry.”

James lifted his head and looked at me, an adoring smile on his lips. “Wow, Ryder Clark is growing up.”

“Shut up,” I snickered, playfully smacking his chest. “Now tell me about that diamond.”

The mere mention of the thing made him shiver. “What about it?”

“You said it’s always been cursed. How?”

James led me over to the couch and only began to speak once we were both settled. I laid on his chest, tracing meaningless shapes over his arm. “Have you heard of the Koh-i-Noor diamond?”

I shook my head.

“It’s the diamond that sits in the English monarch’s crown.”

That got my attention. “How the hell did it gethere?”

“That’s only a piece of it. It’s one of the largest cut gemstones in the world. It’s hard to know exactly when, but it was discovered in India during the seventeenth century. The Mughals invaded India, and the Mughal ruler commanded a throne of gems be built for him. The Koh-i-Noor was one of those gems. It sat at the top, front and center. Eventually, the Persians took down the Mughals, and the gems in the throne were stolen by the Persian leader who wore the Koh-i-Noor in an armband. For years, between raids and battles, they exchanged hands as rulers rose and fell, eventually ending up back in the possession of a Sikh ruler. His fondness for the gem is where the diamond’s power comes from. That caught the eyes of the British. To them, it was a symbol of power—and they wanted it. In the 1800s, they tricked the young Maharaja of Punjab into signing ownership over to them. He was only ten.”

I stared up at him, stunned. “Is there anything you don’t know?”

He tried not to smirk too smugly. “I have a fascination with history. And I may have done some research. Anyway, Queen Victoria meant only to display the stone, but her husband, Prince Albert?—”

“Okay, now you’re just making up names.”

He gave me a flat look, and I zipped it. “As I was saying, the prince ordered it recut and polished so she could wear it. Hindu folklore says that ‘he who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or woman can wear it with impunity.’”

“So the curse only affects men?”

James nodded. “That’s likely why it was used against us. No one knows where the other pieces went when Prince Albert resized it. Though I’ve heard stories of them being used in witchcraft, which is likely what happened here.”

“How do you know that’s what we’ve got?”

“The clarity, mostly. I can feel the power coming off that thing.There’s alonghistory there, and ancient curses are often the most potent. The fact that someone else bound it to us with a new curse only amplifies the first.”

“And with the silver chain…”

“I’m practically human again.” James had one arm around my shoulder, toying with the fingers on my left hand. “You said you feel like you’ve been the worst version of yourself lately.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Are you saying humans are the worst version of vampires?”

He chuckled. “I’m not saying anything. The ancient curse brings misfortune to the men who own it. I think the new one placed on the jewel targets our insecurities. It takes the worst parts of us and makes them our entire personality.”

“That’s why I’ve felt so smothered.”

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