Page 10 of Rescued By the Vampire Rogue

I stared at him, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a solution that didn't involve surrendering to this infuriating vampire. But as much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. If my rare blood made me a target, and Kael's protection might be the only thing standing between me and a fate worse than death. If what he said was true. It would be hard to discover if it was or not while confined here.

Still, that didn't mean I was going to make it easy for him.

Then something he said stuck out to me. I had a coveted blood type. Which meant that vampires wanted it more. My thoughts spiraled until a lightbulb went off. The human trafficking was for blood slaves. Oh shit, did Kael want to make me his blood slave? Keep me locked in here where I could never leave just so he could feed on me and fuck me whenever he wanted? If vampire venom worked the way I thought it did, then that became a sobering possibility.

The silence in the room became heavy, weighted with the dangerous undertone of our conversation. I tried to swallow the fear building up inside me, but it stuck in my throat. My blood, something so intrinsic to who I was, made me more vulnerable than I could have ever imagined.

"Are you saying," I began, my voice wavering despite my best efforts to keep it steady, "that you want to do the same thing to me? Make me your blood slave? Is that why you bit me? Why you're claiming me?"

Kael scoffed, his eyes narrowing as he stared down at me. "If I wanted you to be a mere blood slave, I would have sold you off already," he stated plainly, each word dripping with condescension. "Or send you to any one of my blood clubs for vampires to dine from the source for a fee."

He moved toward me, crawling onto the bed as I retreated until there was no space left between us. His face was mere inches from mine, and I felt the coldness of his breath on my skin. "I am one of the most powerful vampires in this world, Ivy. I don't need to enslave you for your blood."

His words made my heart race even faster, but I refused to look away. If he thought I'd let him intimidate me into submission, he didn't know me very well. The fire in my soul wouldn't allow me to give in so easily, even if it meant facing a fate worse than death.

"Then what do you want from me?" I demanded, struggling to keep my voice steady. "Why claim me at all?"

"Because," Kael whispered, his voice low and dangerous, "you are a prize worth possessing. You are more than just your rare blood, Ivy. You are strong, spirited, and unyielding. That alone is enough to make me desire you."

My pulse thundered in my ears, part fury and part something else entirely that I refused to acknowledge. I couldn't believe this arrogant vampire, claiming me as if I were some sort of trophy. But even as my anger flared, I knew I had to be smart. If I wanted any chance at getting through this alive, I needed to play my cards right.

"Fine," I said, gritting my teeth, "but don't think for a second that I'll just roll over and submit to you. You may think you own me, but I won't let you control my life."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied, his eyes never leaving mine. And in that dangerous gaze, I saw the truth. He would fight to keep me, but he wouldn't break me. "I know you'll be worth the challenge."

For now, that would have to be enough.

I stared up into Kael's dark, predatory eyes. The intensity of his gaze was terrifying, but even more unsettling was the heat it stirred within me. "You know," he said, his voice a silky threat, "I could erase your very existence with a single command. No one would miss you. No one would even remember to look for you."

"Is that supposed to turn me on?" I snapped, trying to mask my fear and growing arousal. "Because if so, it's not working."

Also, the fact that a vampire was powerful enough to do something like that was terrifying. But it also made me realize that Lucien was purposely not covering his tracks. Stop it. Focus on Kael. Solving his problems shouldn't be my priority right this second.

"Isn't it?" He scoffed, a wicked grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "Tell me, Ivy, when did you first feel this pull between us?"

"Never," I lied.

"Really?" Kael raised an eyebrow. "Not even before I sank my teeth into your flesh and tasted your delicious blood? Because I saw the way you looked at me, the way your pulse raced when our eyes met."

"Your vampiric nature must be affecting me," I insisted, refusing to admit the truth. "That's all it is."

"Is it?" Kael challenged. "Or are you just unwilling to take responsibility for your own desires?"

"Fine," I hissed. "You must have done something to me. There's no way I could be attracted to a vampire blood slaver, crime lord like you."

His expression darkened, and in a flash, I found myself face down and bent over his knees, my cheek pressed against the cold bedspread. Panic surged through me as I tried to push away from him, but his hand between my shoulder blades held me firmly in place. Even if I could wiggle around, which I couldn't, my human strength was nothing compared to his supernatural hold.

"Let me go," I snarled.

"Admit that you want me, Ivy," he growled, applying more pressure to my back. "Admit that your attraction to me has nothing to do with some supernatural trickery, and I'll release you."

I gritted my teeth, torn between the truth and my stubborn pride. Did I want him? Yes, but accepting that meant giving him power over me. And yet, even as my mind screamed to deny him, my body ached for his touch.

"I'll never submit to you." I whispered, my voice shaking. "Because. Fuck. You. Kael."

CHAPTER 6

KAEL

---