Page 61 of Fangs for the Memories
When my body finally releases us, I turn her to me, kissing her face.
“I…think I love you,” she blurts out, then instantly averts her eyes. “I’m sorry, so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. You’ll think I’m an idiot.”
I grasp her chin, pulling her gaze back to mine.
“And why would I think that?”
“Because we’ve only known each other a few days. I’m here on a honeymoon for a relationship which never was. You have to think I’m on some sort of rebound.”
“I will think what I want to think,” I growl, “and I don’t want to think about that human. I want you, Grace, no one else but you.”
“Is mating the same as love?”
I feel my fangs clip my lips as I study her.
“If love is the entwining of two souls in eternity, then yes, mating is the same as love.”
Grace bites her bottom lip in that way she has. I lift her chin higher.
“I love you too, Grace. I loved you the first moment I set eyes on you. I only care about your former human mate because he hurt you.” I growl. “And no one hurts you. Not before, not now, not ever.”
She blinks, her eyelashes beaded with tiny drops of water, shedding as she searches my face.
“All of this, it’s so fast…”
“Why does love have to be slow? When you find what you want, why not reach out and take it without even questioning the decision? You belong to me, Grace. Why would I not want to possess you?”
“And me?”
“You know what you need. You’ve always known.” I trail my hand down her elegant neck until I reach her chest. “Your heart can’t be fooled, even by your head.” I put my lips close to her ear. “Let go, kedves, and let me in.”
I feel her sweet body shudder against me, and I dip us further into the hot water as I kiss over her face to her lips.
She tastes like sweet summer in the midst of winter. Snow starts falling around us as I release her and her eyes open.
“So pretty,” Grace says, looking up at the sky, a smile on her face.
It lights her up in the best way. My heart strains in my chest. My mate should always be this happy, this safe, this protected.
“You should see this place in summer,” I rasp.
“I can imagine.” Grace swirls away from me, over to the far edge of the pool to look out over the river. “At night, with the lights, it would be so romantic.” She sighs. “No wonder this place was used for mating.”
I join her, nibbling on her shoulder, thinking about where I could place my claiming bite so I can see it and so can the rest of my pack. Grace giggles, the sound filling the bathing area and making my guts tighten with joy.
“I don’t ever want this to end,” she says quietly.
I don’t either. I also don’t want a rogue vampire trying to manipulate me for his own ends.
We spend another hour at the pools, Grace shrieking with laughter as I get out, roll in the snow, and dive back in again. She follows suit but eventually, despite the hot water, her lips are turning blue, and I decide we’ve both had enough. I carry her over to the changing area so she doesn’t have to walk through the fresh snow and wrap her up in the towels she brought.
Of course she protests I should have one, but I shake myself dry and pull on my clothing.
“Do you really not feel the cold?” Grace says through chattering teeth as I help her into her coat and make sure it’s fastened up.
“There’s a lot you need to learn about werewolves, kedves, and not feeling the cold is one of our least exciting qualities.” I chuckle.
“I want to learn,” she says quietly. “I want to learn more Hungarian too.” She lifts her face to mine. “To be with you.”
