Page 77 of Vows Forged in Blood

“You know, I had a question about the, uh, soap in my room, if I might ask for your assistance, dearest Alora.” He flashes her a winning smile, the one that can get any female—and most males—to do exactly what he wants. She flushes slightly and nods, understanding that he’s trying to get both of them out of the way as efficiently as possible.

“O-of course, sir.”

Elias gives me a look that clearly saysgood luck, inclines his head to Sebastian, and bolts out of the room with Alora, leaving Sebastian and me alone.

“Well, offer me a damned drink, Alaric. Gods almighty, I get a letter saying that you almost died—fromsilver poisoningof all things, from the tip of an arrow that penetrated your impenetrable armor—but that you survived because of your mate—who also happens to be your fucking humanConsort—and then I rode like the devil straight here. So, a drink, if you please, little brother. A blasted strong one.”

My lips quirk and I’m relieved that he isn’t entirely irate with me. Not that I have any control over who my mate might be, of course, but he still has every right to be angry. Or at least perturbed. It’s a…precarious situation. I pour him a blood whisky and hand it to him as he sinks heavily into the chair before the fire. He takes a deep drink and I wait, easing into the chair opposite him.

“Ok, out with it. How did this happen?”

I snort. “What the devil do you mean how did this happen? Fate is a fickle wench apparently, that’s how.”

He barks out a laugh. “You knew at the Choosing?” I nod. “Why didn’t you say anything then, Alaric?”

I rub the back of my neck. “I…well, I was hoping I was wrong, honestly.”

“And after you realized that you weren’t?”

“I decided to forsake the bond. I refused to acknowledge it for months.” His brows hike up so high they’re hidden beneath his light hair.

“That’s…impossible, is it not?”

“It was…difficult, yes,” I admit. “But having her in the camp at least allowed me to protect her.”Mostly, I think darkly, remembering the attack on the road. Fury simmers deep in my chest. I will pay Kilgren back for that one day, if it’s the last thing I ever do on this earth. “So, it was worth the torture. For a time. But then things began to shift and…fuck, Bastian, it isn’t only the mating bond—I’m in love with her.”

He blinks, watching me for long moments in that analytical way he has.

“And she saved your life? From the silver?”

“Yes. I nearly drained her fucking dry, honestly, but she was ready to give her life for mine.”

“Then I owe her my thanks,” he says somberly.

“I owe her my life, in so many different ways.”

“So you’ve claimed her then?” I swallow hard but square my shoulders.

“Yes, I have.”Thirty-seven times, give or take…

“And you, ah, haven’t…hurt her?”

“No,” I assure him, “She is well. Sleeping now.” He lets his head fall back against the chair and exhales, long and slow.

“This is…quite the situation, indeed. There has never been a human mate at all that I’m aware of, let alone aprince’smate. You know we don’t partake in those particular desires with humans.” I give him a pointed look and he rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean.Officiallywe do not. What happens behind closed doors is another matter and is something for each prince to deal with, but publicly, as the head of the Clan, I say that we do not fuck our Consorts or any other human.” I grind my teeth. “But,” he adds, “a mate trumps almost everything else in our world, you know this. So…we will adapt.” I look at him incredulously. “What? How else do we survive for millennia? We must change as the world does, Alaric.”

I let out a breath, feeling the tension inside me ease, but then the inevitable question arises.

“Will you try the turning, then?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Alaric—”

“No, Bastian. I will not risk her life—again.” He clenches his jaw and I can see the anger simmering in his golden eyes.

“So you will sentence yourself to certain death then?”

I grind my teeth. I’ve gone over this a thousand times in my mind. There are only two options: leave Dahlia human andspend as much time with her as possible before she dies—hopefully of natural causes many years from now—and follow her after; or attempt the turning and take the chance of her dying in the process now.

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