Page 16 of Wrong Mate

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Killian knew he should put a stop to this familiarity, the following day as they were back on the journey. They had spent the night at the hotel, sleeping through to late morning. He had woken up several times with Leah in his arms, and he’d not wanted to let her go.

He’d not fucked her, even though he wanted to. She was a virgin. His mate. But after this journey, he knew what they were seeking, and he couldn’t do that to Leah.

This morning, he’d been about to tell her that last night was their only timefor exploring each other as mates. But she’d tilted her head back and looked at him with those big brown eyes, and he hadn’t been able to say the words that would hurt her.

He was a bastard. Leah didn’t have a clue what was coming. Also, he was being a selfish prick because he didn’t want to stop. He loved her in his arms, smelling her hair, knowing his scent surrounded her.

There was also the otherlittle bonus of getting to see her naked—watching her, wanting her, craving her, and touching her tits and pussy—not to mention being free to touch her ass.

So far, he’d been able to resist, but as they journeyed through the edge of the forest, he foundit harder to resist her. She held his hand as they made their way through the safest route, but he knew they were being followed.

“Can they scent us?” he asked.

“No. They know something is here, but they can’t truly detect it. Magic comes with a scent ofits own, which is why they keep following us.”

“Can they hear us?”

“No,” Leah said. “What do you want me to do?”

“Stay here.”

He let go of Leah and spun around. Night had started to fall, but his vision was still perfect.Slowly, he scanned the forest, and then he saw them—two vampires. With the sun nearly gone, they were able to venture out into the night. Not only had Leah’s protection spell stopped them from scenting him, it had stopped him from scenting them. He started to take several steps, and Leah reached out to him.

“What are you doing?” she asked in a whisper.

“I’m going to talk to our little stalkers.”

“We should keepmoving.”

“No. They’re going to put our lives in danger. I won’t allow that to happen. Stay here!” He hoped she listened to reason.

Vampires were not very pretty. Not when they had their game face on. Fangs, flesh seeming to ripple. They even freaked Killian out, and he’d killed his fair share of them. It didn’t stop him from being creeped out. Crawling facial flesh, not to mention the tongue seemed to change into a life of its own.

Killian knew wherever he went, the protection spell would stay with him.He moved through the forest, and he spotted them. They were standing together, hands out, as if they were trying to touch the very thing that helped protect him and Leah.

It wasn’t hard for him to circle them, and then he had them in his sights. His handschanged into the wolf’s, claws sharp, ready to tear out any flesh.

They spun around, and that was when he noticed the medallions they were both wearing. In his mind, he saw the map that had been imprinted on his mind. He had to go until he found that very medallion.

The vampire on his left hissed.

“Why are you following us?” Killian said.

“It is not us that are following you,but you that are following us.” This came from the one on his right, and he seemed to talk almost like a snake.

“What do you have to tell me?” Killian asked.

Left vampire responded. “We are to give you a price for what you seek. You must be fully mated to that which you hope to reject.”

“What?” Killian asked.

“Your quest does not come withouta price. You must know pure pleasure and complete mating, before you hope to find her that shall end it. There is always a cost for what is natural, to become … severed.” This came from the right.

Killian shook his head. “I was not told about this. All I had to do was bring her. That was it, that was the deal.”

Both vampires smiled. “You were warned that along the way there would be a higher price to pay. It is not as simple as a journey to get what you want. There is always a sacrifice, and the greater the cost.”

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