Page 87 of Roman

Danny nodded frantically, finding words a little difficult now. Roman bent his head and nuzzled into Danny’s neck, sighing against Danny’s skin. “Fine. We’ll let him go.”

Danny was starting to get a little fuzzy about what they were even talking about, his hunger for his mate overwhelming his senses—why weren’t they in a bed yet?—but he nodded anyway.

“But,” Roman added, lifting his head, “we are having Soren drop him off somewhere. I am done with it all. And you, my little mate, are coming with me.”

With that, he threw Danny over his shoulder, heading toward the stairs up to Danny’s bedroom.

twenty-one

Roman

Romangavealightslap to the pert, denim-clad ass hanging over his shoulder, gratified when Danny gave a little yelp in response.

Roman still had his doubts about letting Luc go free, but Danny’s ploy had worked all too well. Roman could think of nothing now but claiming his mate. Add that to the fact that he had never relished the idea of killing his old friend, and Roman was a lost cause.

It had all been too much: the mind-numbing grief of thinking he’d lost Danny, the shock of the mating bond snapping into place, the frustration in being made to stand back while his mate faced Luc one last time.

Roman needed tactile assurance that Danny was okay, that Danny washis.

Ours, his demon growled.

Ours, Roman agreed.

He managed to gather his thoughts enough to call out to Soren in the kitchen on the way up the stairs, “Drop Luc out of town somewhere.”

He ignored Soren’s squawking protest in response. He knew Soren would do as he asked. The blond vampire was feeling guilty enough having left Danny out of his sights, allowing Luc to get to him.

Roman didn’t actually blame his friend for that—they had both thought Luc was out of town and Danny safe—but he would use that guilt in his favor for this last Luc-related task.

Entering Danny’s bedroom, Roman tossed his mate onto the bed before slamming the door shut. Danny bounced once on the mattress, but in the blink of an eye, he was upright again, kneeling at the edge of the bed, black eyes on Roman.

Roman was momentarily stunned to see his mate move so fast, but he recovered quickly. “Take off your clothes,” Roman growled, unbuttoning his own shirt.

“No.” Danny grinned at him cheekily, and Roman raised one eyebrow, his fingers stilling on his last button.

“I thought you wanted me inside you, lovely.”

“I do,” Danny agreed, tilting his head to the side. “But I want to do this my own way.”

He launched himself at Roman, twisting them in the last moment so the momentum landed Roman on his back on the bed, with Danny straddled over his hips.

Roman was a little impressed.

He smirked up at his lovely mate, whose eyes had returned to their usual deep brown, pupils dilated. Apparently Danny was finally losing a little of that unnatural control he had over his demon, if he was shifting back and forth like this.

Roman couldn’t help but feel pleased it was Danny’s desire for him that was the cause.

“Are you wanting to play, little king?” Roman crooned, tracing his fingers over Danny’s jawline.

Danny nodded, but it was an absent gesture. He was more focused on eyeing Roman’s body like it was his next meal.

“I want to see what you taste like now,” Danny murmured before ripping the rest of Roman’s clothes right off him. He hummed in satisfaction when the fabric tore easily under his fingers.

Roman was enchanted by Danny’s delight in his own strength. This was a whole new side to his mate, and Roman loved every bit of it.

He had been so worried Danny would be grieving the loss of his humanity, the loss of his own choice in his transition, when he awoke, but his mate was clearly reveling in his newfound abilities. Perhaps that would change when the shock wore off, but if Danny wanted to play in this way with his new senses, Roman was more than willing to be his mate’s guinea pig.

“You can do whatever you want to me, little king, “ he purred. “I am at your mercy, as usual.”

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