Page 85 of Daring Her Vampires
“Brilliant,” Luca says.
“May I?” Atlas asks, holding out his palm.
“Sure.” I shrug and drop it in his hand. “It is the same as Heath’s cane. Without the holder of the power wielding it, it’s just an object. It won’t have any effect on you.”
“You are full of surprises,” Atlas mumbles, giving it back. “Why didn’t you share this with your family?”
“It’s personal.” I stroke the fur. “I trust them, but we already share so much. This is something I wanted just for me. If I need to use it for them, I will.”
“You do trust us.” Luca glides his palm over my hair.
“Yes.” I want to bask in his attention. “Rabbits have been undervalued, ridiculed, and thought of as a joke of a shifter. This is my secret. Sometimes I like to be thought of that way. It makes it that much sweeter when I can prove them wrong.”
“We don’t think of you that way,” Atlas whispers, gripping my knee.
“I know.”
“Your secret is safe with us,” Luca adds, still stroking.
“I’m waiting for you both to freak out,” I say, laughing lightly.
“About?” Atlas asks.
“The vision, completing the bond, or how independent I am. You’ve been patient, and vampires aren’t known for that,” I say dryly.
“I’ve been surprised by my demon's patience and willingness to share,” Luca says, dropping his arm to the back of the couch. “You are an exceptional woman and should be treated with respect.” I blink, my eyes watering. “Every minute, I want you more. I don’t want to rush you.”
“We want you to choose us, just as we choose you,” Atlas says, twining his fingers. “The interference of your family has helped calm us in a way. It’s annoying.” He smirks. “I want to build a foundation of mutual respect and trust. We agreed the first dayto go slow. It’s been challenging. I hide it well. I want to change you and complete the bond.”
“This isn’t a game to me,” I whisper. “It’s been fun joking about begging, but I would never treat our bond as a joke.” I have waited so long for a mate who could keep up with me, love me, and respect my strength. Deciding to be a vampire and complete the bond wasn’t a hard choice. “There is one way that would make me harder to kill.” They tense and stare at me. “I’ve known from the first day that I would be with you forever. Getting to know you both was necessary, and we will continue to grow closer. Why wait?”
“I don’t want you to do it just because of Fredrick,” Atlas grits out, his gaze intense.
“The choice should be made without any influence,” Luca says.
“It’s not because of Fredrick.” I cup my tool in my hands, staring at it. “I’ve wanted a family. Someone who was just mine. For years and years, I have been alone. I thought the universe forgot about me, and I tried to come to terms with that. The vision of our daughter made it real. Seeing you guys with Allie made it real. You could belong to me. I have a sister now. I love the family, and I am grateful to have them. This is different. I’m not doing this to beat Fredrick—I want this because I want you.” I look at Atlas, and then Luca. “You are mine. I love how you make me feel. You don’t look at me like a joke. I’ve always wanted to be valued; the past few days have shown me you do. Your patience with my family, even though you don’t understand them yet, tells me everything about you.”
“We don’t know how long it will take,” Atlas says.
“You could be out of control when you wake,” Luca points out, straightening and leaning forward.
“I thought you knew me better,” I smirk. “Plus, who cares if I lose control on Fredrick?” I’m not scared and look forward to showing off my new power.
“Be sure,” Luca growls.
“Are you trying to talk me out of it?” I narrow my eyes. “Do you not want me?”
“Fuck, Little Bunny,” Atlas hisses. "You know we crave you.”
“Tricks, once the decision is made, we are going to fuck you,” Luca says, cupping my neck. “Together. And we’ll mark you. Be fucking sure.” I stare into his glowing eyes, the white ring in them giving me the assurance I need. “We will take your blood and push our venom into your body. It won’t be pleasant. The pain will be overwhelming. We won’t leave your side during the transition. It could take hours or days. We won’t go to Fredrick if you are still in the change. Shade has eyes everywhere and can alert us and Quinn if he gets close. When you wake, your thirst will be all you can think about, but we will be there to feed you.”
“It won’t take days,” I snort, standing. “I know how it works and have seen it happen many times with the family. Also, I don’t mind a bit of pain with my pleasure. I believe I’m owed for winning a bet; I’m cashing it in.” I slide past them and turn, lifting a brow. In less than a second, I’m tossed over Atlas’s shoulder.
“We’re done talking about it,” he snarls, slapping my ass.
“About time,” I sass, and he blurs to the bedroom and throws me onto the bed.
“Undress,” he commands, and I bite my lip.
