Page 8 of Blood Bonds

“Ssshh, shh now, calm that fluttering little heart of yours,” I told her, because the sound of it beating wildly was only making me more fucking crazy. I was desperate to taste her again, and this time not only her blood, but the feel of every inch she had to give… every inch of her that I would take…and soon.

“Let me go!” she shouted frantically, and I had to admire her spirit.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as she struggled once more, clawing at my leather jacket like this would ever help. But I continued to hold her firm enough so as not to give an inch without wanting to hurt her. Mortals were so fragile, and I had to remember to take care with her. Treat her like the goddess she was.

Our goddess.

Our very own Moirai.

But always and forever,my peach.

It was what I had scented the second I breathed her in. And I had to admit that after feeling her curvy behind squirming into me, well, I had another reason to call her my peach too. Oh, how I liked a female with fleshy softness and curves I could grip on to.

“That won’t be happening, Peach,” I replied, trying out the pet name for the first time and liking how well it fit. She sucked in another of those quick breaths of hers, and I couldn’t wait to hear it under different circumstances.

“Please… I won’t tell anyone what I saw, I promise. I will just disappear and…” I couldn’t help but growl at this, the very idea of her disappearing anywhere and escaping had me gritting my teeth. Naturally she flinched, holding herself still and ridged as a board in my arms.

So, I warned her, “I suggest not pissing me off with thoughts of you going anywhere.”

“But I won’t tell anyone if you just let me…”

“Silence!”I snarled angrily, making her tremble in my arms. Meaning it was also time to take this somewhere else.

The problem was, I knew she may get hurt in the process of trying to get her in the car if she chose to fight me, so I knew what that meant. I knew what needed to be done.

“Andras!” I shouted over to our second and right hand man. Someone who had been with us from the very beginning when we took this city as our own. If there were such a thing as a best friend in our brutal world, then he was it. Although to a mortal like the delicious little morsel in my arms, he would no doubt be an intimidating sight to behold. Just like I was.

Both of us were wide shouldered and packing more muscle than what was needed given our natural-born supernatural strength. Andras was two inches shorter than I was, but his height would still put him a fuck load taller than the peach in my arms. He had a tattooed, shaved head, startling light-gray eyes,and a scar running across his neck that was a warning to all that the hard bastard was even harder to kill.

Beheading was the only way for one of us to die, andthatnight his enemies learned the valuable lesson to finish the job and to sharpen their blade. A lesson that they took with them to the ash moments later when they realized their mistake.

As soon as Andras came into view I nodded to him, only he must have believed I wanted something else because he pulled a large bowie knife from his sheath. I responded to the threat without thinking, quickly putting myself in front of her, forgetting that she would most likely take this opportunity to run. Which was when a curious thing happened because instead of taking what she would foolishly believe was a chance to run, she instead suddenly clung to my back, as if trusting me to protect her.

Hmm, now I wondered where that came from? Did she feel our Fated connection without realizing it? Had she acted out of instinct?

“Put that shit away, for fuck sake, that’s not what I need.”

“My Lord?” Andras questioned, and all I needed to do was say were two words that meant everything to a pure-blooded Vampire.

“MoiraiTheia.”

His eyes widened in the same astonished way my own had. The two Greek words meaning Fated Goddess were a code we each lived by. For no one was permitted to touch a Fated one. Of course, there were many names for such but given our heritage, it was our preferred terminology. It also had to be said how rare it was for one of us to find such a gifted soul, one that would solely become tethered to our blood. Which was why I knew our little Peach here would also be my brother’s Moirai. For we were one and the same.

“Of course, My Lord, synchoréste me,” he replied, asking for forgiveness in Greek as he put away his blade in one swift and well-practiced movement. Then he nodded his head, and I knew what he needed because there was only one other reason I would need him now.

Andras would need to touch her, though, and it was something I hadn’t realized I would struggle with as much as I did. In fact, had it been anyone else other than my brother, I think I would have torn his fucking hand off for even thinking that he could lay a single finger on the girl.

It still pained me when I reached back and took her in my hold again, forcing her to fight against me as Andras got close enough to touch a single finger to her forehead.

She started screaming the second his eyes misted over, and white smoke snaked out of them, like underwater sea serpents reaching for their next prey. The sight of her distress did something to me. It created a bitterness within me that I strangely found distasteful. Usually, I fed from the fear of others but not hers.

Never hers.

“Easy now, he won’t hurt you, Peach,” I cooed down at her, trying to calm her as she struggled to get away from Andras.

Just as I had been at the ready to catch her sleeping form, our second pulled back, frowning.

“What is it?” I asked, making Andras smirk before telling me,

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