Page 82 of Destined for Shadows
“I’m human,” she said in a flat tone. “I will die and then what?”
He worked his jaw. “I don’t know.”
She was certainly still mortal now just as he’d heard Melena was when Lucas marked her. The bite didn’t change that. The couple eventually found a way around it, but that process had killed every human it was ever attempted on. They believed the only reason it had worked with Melena was because she was a sensor. Cori didn’t have the same advantage, and now they knew she couldn’t become a vampire, either. Bartol didn’t know what to do. He’d inadvertently mated himself to this mortal woman, but that didn’t mean either of them were prepared for the long-term consequences.
“I need time to think about this,” Cori said, pulling away.
Bartol let his hands drop from her, amazed at how difficult it was to let her go. Touching Cori wasn’t affecting him negatively at all right now, though he had no idea if it would last. He didn’t feel cured. More like his shock over the mating and his concern for Cori took precedence over his trauma.
“I will go sleep in the living room.”
“No.” Cori shook her head. “I can’t…I can’t stay in here. Let me take the couch.”
He didn’t like it. Perhaps he had been a bit of a womanizer in his time, but he’d always given deference to females. He wanted even more for his mate. “Are you certain?”
She nodded emphatically. “Yes.”
“Very well, but if you need anything, you will come tell me?”
“Fine,” she said.
He watched her go, wishing he could have held her a little longer.
