Page 3 of Forced Vampire Mate

“I do,” I said. My mouth went dry. I’d also been given traditional vows to memorize, but somehow, they didn’t seem appropriate anymore. “I swear with my blood, I will be your wife. I will…” I faltered over the words. I wasn’t going to be barefoot and pregnant for him. I couldn’t make vows I was unwilling to see through. “I will do what I can,” I finished simply and cut the tip of my finger. “Do you accept me?”

Luken smiled. “I do.”

He pressed his finger to my lips and I pressed mine to his. The taste of his blood was salty and tangy. His eyes darkened as his lips closed around my finger.

A thrill washed through me. One, I tried to fight but couldn’t. I wished I could lean across the altar and kiss him, but there was too much between us. We were married now. We’d made the vows and were bound together even more than we were before. And though I hadn’t thought it would change anything, it had… this intensity, my desire for him, was even stronger.

What was I going to do with myself now?

Chapter 2

There was a feast, and various people toasted Luken, wishing him happiness in his marriage. Some of them tacked me onto the end, but I was just a prop in this game. I didn’t say anything; I just smiled as Luken said his thanks and made speeches of his own. We wouldn’t be presented to the public until tomorrow, but I didn’t have a moment’s respite from the many eyes on me as the day wore to night.

Finally, we rescinded to the ballroom. Luken took my hand and pulled me into the center of the floor. Everyone stared at us as the music started to play.

“What is this?” I asked as Luken pulled one of my gloves off. “What are you doing?”

My heart hammered. Some rumors said vampires consummated their marriages with witnesses present. A sick feeling twisted in my gut. If that was expected here, he would have warned me, wouldn’t he? Even if he’d proven again and again that I couldn’t trust him, he wouldn’t go that far, would he? I told him after that first night, I wasn’t going to let him touch me. He wouldn’t…

No.

I let him take off my other glove, and he tucked both into his belt. If there was any expectation of sex tonight, he would have said something. No matter how betrayed I felt by him, there was one thing I knew for sure. He wasn’t going to touch me without my consent. And he wasn’t going to force me into a situation where I felt like I had no choice.

“It’s our first dance,” Luken said, holding his hand out to me. “It’s a human tradition, is it not?”

I gulped. As soon as we’d been officially wed, we both put on gloves. Now his bare hand was held out to me. The cut on the tip of his finger was already healed. Skin to skin, though. And his arms would go around me. His hands on my hips. Dancing was an intimacy I wasn’t used to. How would I be able to resist him when our bodies were pressed together?

The music still stretched on. Luken smiled at me reassuringly. “We don’t have to if you’re nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” I lied. I glanced over my shoulder; everyone kept waiting. A few people frowned disapprovingly. Clearing my throat, I said loudly, “But I don’t know how to dance.”

“It’ll come naturally, I promise,” Luken murmured. “Just imagine me naked.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. The image that immediately popped into my mind didn’t help. Still, if I was going to bring my plan to fruition, I couldn’t fight him too much. He had to think that I was struggling to accept my role, but that I was closer to submitting than I actually was. So I took his hand and stepped in close to him, pressing my body against him.

He let out a soft hiss, his pupils widening. His hands dropped to my hips as we started to sway back and forth. It wasn’t really dancing, but there was an intimacy to it that set my blood boiling. The feeling of him so close brought me dangerously close to breaking.

If he had only told me that he would try to save Darcie, I would have believed him. I’d pull him down on top of me right now, in front of everyone. I’d give him everything if he only promised me that one thing.

“You are ravishing,” he whispered to me, our cheeks pressed together. “Are you doing it? Imaging me naked?”

The image flitted through my mind again, forcing me to bite back a whimper. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what? Show my wife how happy I am to have her in my arms?” He leaned back and gave me a winning smile. The glow of his amber eyes was brighter than usual, but the light was soft, a warm glow rather than a harsh shine.

My traitorous heart fluttered at that smile. I inhaled shakily, trying to keep hold of my emotional balance. “Are you? Happy? You didn’t give me much choice as to whether I became your wife.”

His smile slipped for half a moment before he leaned back in and pulled me tighter to him. “I’m trying to protect you, Elara. The Gods have already tried to kill you. They will keep coming after you. You don’t understand how precarious your situation really is. By making you queen, I am declaring to everyone that you are under my protection. You have people loyal to you, know.”

I lowered my face to his shoulder. Every word rang true. But… “You never loved your little brother. You can’t possibly know how I feel about Darcie.”

He spins us, lifting me briefly off my feet, before setting me back down. “You’re right. I never loved my brother. But I love you, Elara. I promise I will make you happy.”

“I wish I could believe you.”

“Let me show you, then.” His lips traced over my neck, making me shiver. “Let’s beg off this pompous party and enjoy our wedding night. I can tell you all my plans. How I intend to give you everything you want.”

He really didn’t get it, did he? I ran my hand down his strong back to distract him. He shivered, and I felt him harden, pressed into me as he was. If we moved aside, the whole court would be able to see. I leaned back slightly and smiled up at him.

---