Page 38 of Make Me Bleed

“Now all that’s assumin’ she needs me to, sure. But Lise… she’s the kind of female who doesn’t even know how powerful she is. She could tear my heart out of my chest—and I’d thank her for holding it for me in her dainty hand. After all, she’s my mate. It belonged to her the second she bit me.”

How? I ask myself. How did I get so damn lucky that this male ismybeloved?

He barely knows me. Apart from what he could glean from watching me, or from the emotions that come through a blood-bond, we’re still strangers. But how can we be? I feel like I’ve known him my entire life.

Even better, I have the rest of it to get to know him.

He’s mine. That’s all that matters. He’smine—and I’m his.

Bridget points at Hank, her pretty face done up in an amused grin as she chuckles. “Know what? You’re not so bad, are you?”

Hank bows his head. “Just tryin’ to be worthy of Elise here.”

She nods in approval. “Yeah. Yeah, seems like you are. Good. It would’ve been a shame to incinerate you. Conall?”

“Yeah, Red?”

“Let’s leave these too alone.” Her grin turns lascivious. “God knows I didn’t want company when we were newly bonded.” With a wink, she waves at us. “Details, hon. When this is all over? You come home and I want details.”

I know she’s teasing. Hank might not, but I do—only as the mated couple start to walk away, I remember what Conall said about scenting vampires by my place. Obviously, he means me, but that’s not theonlyvamp who’s been sneaking by my house.

And when he finds out that I’ve gone to visit my beloved…

I take a deep breath, then call out, “Julian.”

Bridget frowns while Conall goes instantly alert, both of them turning to look at me.

“Julian,” echoes Bridget. “That blondie vampire?”

Behind me, Hank chuffs.

I swallow. “Yes. Just, um… keep a closer eye on him, Conall, would you?”

Vampires have a tendency to be autocratic. Just like how shifters are possessive and demanding—and Cadre knows that Bridget is as fiery as her magic—vampires are lofty and commanding, always expecting to be obeyed.

Papa is like that. So is my mother. Thorn most of all, though Julian is a close second to the leader of my former Fang City.

And then there’s Hank. My honey bear who just claimed me again in the sweetest way possible…

Conall nods. “Got it.”

Good.

CHAPTER 13

HANK

“So… this Julian fella. That the vampire I catch watchin’ you whenI’m the only one who’s supposed to be watchin’ you?”

I’ll give Hank credit. He waits until he can longer sense Bridget and Conall on his immediate territory to lead me back inside his den.

Turns out, the main cave has multiple narrow entryways just big enough to fit Hank in his human form. The one on the left leads to the enclosure that he’s made his bedroom. Another is his workshop. A third—to my shock—is wired to a near-silent generator with a mini-fridge, a small television, and a computer about a decade out of date.

I got a quick explanation through our tour. He wasn’t born and raised in Alaska like Conall was. Instead, he grew up in Georgia—hence the accent—and lived there until his early twenties. His parents weren’t mates. At least, they weren’t bonded mates. They fucked enough to create Hank, but never marked each other. After his mother was pregnant, his father took off.

His mom is a black bear who still lives in Georgia. Hank came to Alaska about fifteen years ago, searching for his dad. When he couldn’t find him, he decided to spend some time in the wilds, getting in tune with his grizzly side. He found a den, made it his, and never left.

There’s a slight distracted note to his voice as he explains, though he’s careful to tell me that while he might be a grizzly bear like his old man, he’s nothing like him. As soon as I’m ready to finalize this thing between us, he won’t hesitate to bite me. We’re mates, come hell or high water, and he won’t be leaving me.

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