Page 14 of A Debt of Darkness

I know what I need to do.

I also know Ivy wouldn’t consent to this.

What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, not for this. We need to complete this bond. She needs its safety and I need to own her. I need this. I need her.

Ivy’s head lolls to one side and it’s fucking perfect. I’ll be gentle. I won’t go deep. I’ll keep control. I’ll bind Ivy to me and we can move on. She’ll be happier. She’ll find things easier. She’ll want to please me and we can play more interesting games.

My fangs grow longer and I dip my head, mouthing her skin. It’s soft. It’s unbroken. It’s perfect and it’s mine.

She whimpers as my teeth pierce her skin and the sensation is like nothing else I’ve known. It’s crisp and rich and the taste is heaven. I might as well be tasting ambrosia and it’s hard to stop. Her taste is addictive and I’ll have to watch myself.

It would be easy to spiral out of control.

It would be easy to take everything I want from her.

It would be easy to kill her.

Ivy’s lips part and she sighs, moaning as the trace of venom I’ve left takes hold. It doesn’t sway her and it won’t give her real pleasure, but it’s cushioned the sting of my bite and she’s earned the small reward. In time, she’ll crave it, learningthe easiest way to earn it is obedience. It pains me to know I’ll have to wait before she’s truly compliant.

If she were a vampire, then she’d be biting me in return, but her blunt human teeth will do minor damage. Ryan deliberately didn’t explain this part to her and she won’t know what to do—and I’d convinced the priest this would happen because she’s human. Mates are rare among vampires. Human mates are unheard of and the only reason I hadn’t turned her already was because the idiotic priests insisted she had to accept it first.

I bite my lip and a little blood spills. I lower my mouth onto hers and slip my tongue into her mouth. She barely fights and tastes of honey and amber. It’s sweet and earthy, promising a thousand pleasures and unlimited desire. Her lips move and I let my kiss deepen, careful not to let her have too much blood.

She’ll get high, and that will ruin my other plans for tonight.

Ivy whimpers into my mouth and I break the kiss. Her lips are slightly swollen and a deeper shade of pink. By the end of the night, I’ll turn them red. She’ll thank me for it.

Her little body sinks against mine and she surrenders, letting me take her weight. The noble part of me hopes it’s the start of trust. The rest of me doesn’t give a single shit why she’s doing it, enjoying the way her chest sits on mine and the heat of her breath as it hits my skin.

The priest waves his arms and finishes his incantations, convinced our bond is equal and entered in to freely. The Brotherhood wouldn’t be impressed to discover the truth, and the repercussions would be severe. But they insisted I couldn’t turn Ivy unless she asked or is near death, and needs must.

This is the only way to keep her safe.

The ends justify the means.

I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I had one.

I won’t feel guilty.

I hate she’s making me regret this.

“Ivy?”

Her tiny fingers massage my chest as they cling, and it’s fucking adorable. I’m purring as she molds herself to me. Ivy isn’t aware she’s doing it and wouldn’t comprehend why, but her need to connect with me is taking over.

The priest finishes his stupid rites and leaves, blessing my coven and our future before he departs. He tries my patience and Ryan intervenes, carefully hurrying him along and playing the perfect diplomat. He ushers him out of the front door without appearing rude, and I visibly relax when he slams the bolt home.

She’s mine.

She’s mine at last.

To tease and torture. To please and possess. To fuck. Over and over, until she’s screaming and crying, caught between pleasure and pain. I want it all. Every moan, every breath, every cry. Every goddamn tear. She’s mine to use and give to—and I’ll kill anyone who even thinks about harming the connection between us.

Ryan turns and his eyes meet mine.

“The coven expects to meet her.”

I snarl at the thought of having to wait longer. It’s been too long already and Ivy deserves my attention. All of it, in every way I choose to allow.

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