Page 4 of Princess Claimed

I turn toward him. “I needed to feed,” I say softly. “It was strange to take another vampire’s vein, but I had no choice.”

His eyes fill with what looks more like disgust than hurt. My infidelity has affected him more deeply than I ever imagined, but I have no commitment to him. Our exclusivity was a long-held tradition, but nothing we ever vowed to uphold.

I turn away. But defensiveness cuts through my guilt. I want to be sensitive to Timur’s feelings, but there is no sense in leading him on. The brothers should be out of earshot by now, but in case one of them tuned their vampiric hearing to follow me, I choose my words carefully.

“Timur, it’s important that you understand. While we were separated, my feelings for you did not change.”

He inhales deeply and looks at me like I’m the most beautiful, most desirable woman on the planet. He looks at me like he’s desperate, not only for my vein, but my whole body. Has he misunderstood?

“The past is forgiven,” he says, his accent brushed with an odd tinge of Russian. “All that matters is that you are with me now.”

Chapter

Three

Phil

My stomach cramps like I drank poisoned blood. I need a fucking whiskey.

Whoever just took Ana away was not her mate. Her mate’s staked body is hanging nearby, like meat on a hook, along with Mariano and a few others.

“You okay?” Crusher slaps me on the back.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” My words punch the sides of my throat.

“If you say so.” Crusher raises his palms toward me. “Clearly you’re peachy keen.” He shakes his head.

“We’ve got to find her!” Blade paces across the bathhouse room and back. “Fuck! I’ve lost contact with her.” He shakes his head. “I was trying to be respectful. To not eavesdrop while she reunited with her mate, and I lost her voice.”

“Hands out of your pockets, buddy,” Crusher says to Blade. “Blood-soaked jeans won’t help us find her.”

Doing as Crusher suggests, Blade drops to a tiled bench and puts his head in his hands. Clearly, I’m not the only one who feels ill, and I get what’s eating each of my brothers.

Blade went soft. Weak. Developed tender feelings toward the princess.

Flame failed to control his cock and probably misses what I assume is a tight little pussy.

Crusher feels responsible for her safety—ashamed he was fooled.

But me. Fuck. I have no clue why I feel like shit.

I’ve never felt this bad in my life. My entire body’s turned inside out, like something was detonated deep inside me, leaving me raw and exposed.

Something felt off with that Timur guy, with the way they acted around each other, and I didn’t act. Yes. That’s why I feel like shit. Ignoring my gut I was tricked.

I fight to concentrate, to find a hint of Ana’s heartbeat or her voice, but it’s gone. I stopped tracking her long before we discovered her mate’s dead body. It seems we all did.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I can’t do anything right anymore.

Crusher and Flame are discussing strategies. I should pay attention, but can’t.

I detest how this woman holds so much power over me. And as much as I hate to admit it, this sick feeling is coming from more than my failure to protect her. Far more.

I’ve fought this feeling. Fought it hard. But I can no longer deny it.

I want to fuck her. I want to fucking live inside her tiny body.

And it’s not just something I want, it’s something I need. It’s like she’s cast a spell over me.

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