Page 110 of Cosmic Power

“What about kids?” she asked hesitantly, afraid of what his answer might be.

Luther stiffened. He swallowed, unease flashing in his eyes. “What about them?”

“Do you want them? To have kids?”

His hold on her tightened, like he was afraid she was going to bolt any second. “Vampires can’t have children, Little Alpha.”

Her brows drew together. “But that vampire, Daeva, he’s the son of the Ancestral Vampire?”

“Yes, he is. But he’s the exception. As the Ancestral, Zvetari is able to do things us normal vampires cannot. Having children is one of them. Even if it was possible, it’s not something I’m particularly interested in.”

Zamorra’s heart fractured even more. There was no way. She may have been able to convince her werewolf to forget about forging a mate bond (and that was a real small freaking chance), but breeding was wired into her DNA. It was a primal need all shifters possessed.

Zamorra sidestepped out of his embrace. His eyes narrowed at the move, hands hovering a moment in the air before they lowered to his side.

“I have to go.”

He reached for her again. “Zamorra—”

“No.” She backed away, her back hitting the door again. “Don’t. Please. I can’t think when you touch me.” She fumbled for the handle and opened the door.

His fists clenched, like he was fighting with himself not to reach out and grab her as she walked backwards out of the room.

“Just give me a little space.” Before he could say another word, she spun around and walked away.

* * *

Luther watched Zamorra walk away,anxiety rippling through him. He took a step in her direction, intent on stopping her and making her listen. But he halted, her final words streaking through his mind.

The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable. He knew already that his confession about never wanting to take a mate disappointed her, saddened her. And didn’t that just punch him in the gut.

He wished it could be different. He wished he wasn’t so emotionally scarred. But the damage Leilani did to his trust, his soul, was irreversible. For over 1,000 years, she had been his constant companion. They’d fought side by side in countless wars against other supernaturals, taken comfort in one another through hard times and had loved each other immensely. At least, he thought they did.

The look on her face when she abandoned him—left him in the hands of those sadistic polar bear shifters—would always haunt him. The way she smiled like she was happy to leave him there shattered his heart, making it impossible for him to ever trust another again.

He wasn’t in any way still in love with her. That wasn’t what this was about. He just couldn’t put himself in that position again, let himself be so consumed by another that they had the ability to utterly destroy him.

Luther ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. He wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t willing to concede, not even the slightest. He wasn’t capable of giving enough of himself to form a mate bond. It just wasn’t something he was able to do. Not after everything he’d been through.

Why did everything have to be so fucking difficult? Why couldn’t it, for once, be easy? Simple?

Luther waited until Zamorra was on the edge of his radar and then headed down the corridor, following after her from a distance. As much as it pained him to do so, he would give her the space she wanted. Up until a point.

His protective instincts towards her made it impossible for him to leave her alone completely, not after everything that happened. So he would keep an eye on her from afar, make sure she was safe. And then when enough time had passed for her to process everything, he would plant himself right at her side. Where he was supposed to be.

At least, thatwasthe plan.

The moment Zamorra stepped outside she shifted, the ancient magic bursting out of her in a powerful rush. Luther felt the explosive wave of power hit him head on and he cursed. Using his vampire speed, he blurred through the house, startling other vampires as he ran past them at the highest speed he could muster. He made it out the front door just in time to see her werewolf disappear into the treeline.

Like Luther’s home, Zvetari’s mansion sat nestled in the woodlands, surrounded on all sides by enormous oak trees and acres of dense forest.

Luther growled, staring after the silver werewolf with anger boiling in his blood. He was fast enough to catch up to her. But then she’d know. Werewolf senses were unparalleled. She’d sense him before he could even get close, and Luther knew it would piss Zamorra off even more. He had to give her her space.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t send someone else to keep an eye on her.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled Axel.

“Yes, my Lord?” he answered on the first ring.

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