Page 72 of Beast of Blood and Roses
Stop. Just stop. I commanded myself, but my fangs seemed to have a will of their own, wanting to sink deeper, to take more of that intoxicating life force.
This was the woman who had seen past my monster’s face to something worth saving. This was the woman who had offered me her blood freely, trusting me with her very life when she had every reason to fear me. This was the woman I loved more than my own existence.
She gasped softly, and I could feel her pulse racing against my lips—rapid, frantic, like a caged bird. Fear was pumping through her bloodstream faster and faster, and I could taste it in her blood, smell it in her scent. I was terrifying her. The realization slapped me back into reality. Was I still a monster, or had I become something else?
This wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted her to trust me, to see that her faith in me wasn’t misplaced. But here I was, a predator with my fangs buried in her throat, taking from her while she trembled with fear.
With tremendous effort, I tore myself away, my fangs withdrawing slowly from her neck. The hunger roared in protest, demanding I finish what I’d started, but I forced myself to resist.
I had to prove I was more than my nature. I had to prove her love could save us both.
I kissed the tender spot where I had bitten, my lips gentle against the two small puncture wounds that were already beginning to heal. Then I moved up to capture her parted lips in a kiss that held all the love and gratitude I couldn’t put into words. I stared into her half-hooded amber eyes, still glowing with trust despite everything. “I love you,” I whispered against her lips.
“You stopped,” a voice behind us said with something that sounded like wonder.
I jerked up protectively, my entire body going rigid. Tinker Bell stood there, studying me with a curious gaze that seemed to see straight through my soul. Trystan and his pack of wolves flanked her, but they all stood back as if giving the powerful witch a wide berth.
I wrapped my arm around Rosalie and lifted her off the ground, positioning her safely behind me as I faced the woman who had cursed me. “Don’t hurt her.”
“You love her,” Tinker Bell said, and there was genuine amazement in her eyes, as if she couldn’t believe someone like me was capable of such an emotion.
I held my head up high, meeting her gaze without flinching. “I’d do anything to protect her. I’d die for her.”
Rosalie’s hand found my arm, her touch warm and steady. “And I love him with all my heart.”
Tinker Bell finally smiled; not the cold, calculating expression I had seen before, but something that almost looked like approval. “I know you do. You have both proven yourselves, Fierro Bastia. I have lifted the curse. Keep her safe.”
A surge of fierce joy and determination rushed through me, followed by something even deeper—pure, overwhelming love. The curse was broken. I could protect her properly now, love her completely, as the man I truly was meant to be. I pulled her closer against me, my heart finally whole. “I will,” I vowed, my voice rough with emotion and absolute certainty. “With everything I am, everything I’ll ever be, I’ll keep her safe. No one will ever hurt her again.”
Tinker Bell’s expression softened as she looked at Rosalie. “Magic recognizes magic, Aurora Nightshade. I have felt yourpower since the moment you arrived. Your true heritage calls to you now. It is time to reclaim who you were always meant to be.”
Rosalie’s grip tightened on my arm, her nails digging into my skin as she processed this final revelation. “My parents, are they...” She swallowed hard. “Are they in hell because of what he did?”
“No, dear one.” Tinker Bell’s voice was gentler than I’d ever heard it. “Your Uncle Tobias has powerful allies. The Archangel Michael himself ensured their souls were protected. Anyone who gives their life for another has made the greatest sacrifice of all.”
I stiffened at the mention of the Archangel Michael, my vampire instincts screaming warnings. My kind definitely wasn’t on his list of favored creatures, and the fact that Rosalie’s family had his protection made our situation infinitely more complicated.
My phone rang with a harsh, jarring sound that cut through the peaceful moment. What the hell? I slipped my hand into my pocket, confusion washing over me. I hadn’t carried a phone since everyone thought I was dead or missing. How was this even possible? I gave Tinker Bell a curious look and she shrugged, but I caught a hint of mischief in her expression.
Rosalie wiped away the tears from her cheeks, her amber eyes still shining with emotion.
I glanced at the screen and my blood ran cold. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “It’s Angelo Santi.” The name felt like poison on my tongue.
Her face went completely white, all the color draining from her cheeks as if I’d just said the name of her worst nightmare.Her entire body went rigid, and I could feel her trembling against me.
She had worked for him. She’d been a waitress at Crimson Stakes. She’d probably served Angelo without knowing the true monster he really was.
My mind raced. How did Angelo even know I was alive? And how did he get this number? I answered reluctantly, my voice guarded. ‘Yeah?’”
“Where the hell have you been?” Angelo’s voice exploded through the phone, sharp and furious. “You’ve been missing for months, Fierro! Months!”
Ice ran through my veins. I’d never heard Angelo this angry, and I knew what he was capable of when crossed. “I uh...I’ve had some complications?—”
“Never mind that,” he cut me off with typical impatience. “Are you hiding Enzo and Joy? Because I swear to god, if you’re protecting them after what that bitch did to Serenity…”
Joy? I didn’t even know who that was, but I wasn’t going to correct him, not when he was in a rage like this. I had seen what happened to people who crossed him and no way did I want to end up in his secret room or have him come here. I frowned, genuinely confused. “No. I don’t even know where they are.”
“They’re hiding from me.” Angelo turned deadly cold. “Joy hurt my mate during a magical outburst. Serenity’s been in a coma for a week. If I find out you’re sheltering them...”
