Page 12 of His Mate By Vengeance

Angelo swallowed hard and resisted the urge to tell Vin he didn’t hate him. Why didn’t he hate him? He couldn’t deal with whatever this was. “Not letting you die is basic decency 101. And I was ordered to guard you. I’m just doing my job.”

“You’d be surprised how rare basic decency is—and you’re not fooling me. I might not use my power to influence you, but I can still read you like a book. Do you feed every person you guard? You’re feeling this draw between us just as much as I am.”

Angelo’s stomach twisted uncomfortably. Sure, he didn’t usually offer food to someone if there was any sexual attraction between them because it was easily confused with mating behaviour. But that’s not what happened here. Blood wasnotthe kind of food a wolf fed their mate because they didn’t mate fucking vampires.

“Get some sleep so we can find your mark and you can go back to wherever it is you came from,” Angelo said, refusing to offer any explanation for his behaviour.

Vin shrugged. “I’m a predator too, Angel. I love the chase. It’ll just make it sweeter when you finally give in.”

Angelo was about to turn away and get some space from the annoying vampire when Vin started trailing his hand down his bare stomach toward his waistband, tracing the grooves of his abs as he went. For a moment, Angelo held his breath, watching those delicate fingers getting lower and lower… and then he forced himself to turn away.

For fuck’s sake.

This wasnothappening.

“I’m going to check that the clean-up crew got everything outside,” he said, annoyed at how breathless he sounded.

“Make sure you’re back by nightfall. Your Alpha ordered you to rest, remember?” Vin called after him.

Angelo spent the rest of the afternoon in wolf form after shifting on the patio of the cabin and letting the restless tension of the previous day carry him out into the forest, where he could check for any lingering attackers and decimate the local rabbit population. He might’ve savaged the little bunnies more than was strictly necessary. Even that didn’t help. It just reminded him of how satisfying it hadbeen to tear the throats from the men who’d been trying to kill Vin the previous night. If anyone was going to hurt the vampire, it would behim. No one else was allowed.

Marco had left two of Angelo’s security crew guarding the perimeter just like he’d said, and he took the time to shift and check in with them on the way back to the cabin. His distaste for vampires was well known, and he didn’t bother correcting their assumption that they were there to let him get some distance from Vin. At least their Alpha hadn’t shared his unwelcome matchmaking with Angelo’s subordinates.

“How long are you here for? We’ll need you to relieve the guards at the warehouses tomorrow,” Angelo said, flanking them as they patrolled the forest, unbothered by his nakedness.

“Just until dawn,” one of his newer hires, Lou, said.

She might be new to his security team, but she was lethal in a fight with a bloodthirst that was extreme—even for a wolf. He had no concerns about leaving her to guard their backs. He just wished he could have her a bit closer so she could guard him from the infuriating enticement of Vin’s presence while she was at it. Shifting back to his wolf form, he took the long way back and tried his best to wear himself out instead.

When he finally returned to the cabin at dusk, Vin must’ve sensed his presence despite his natural stealth, because the vampire opened the front door as he entered the clearing. With his wolf in the driver’s seat of his mind, Vin’s intoxicating scent had his tongue lolling and a surge of possession filling him that he quickly locked down. The desperate need to brush himself against the vampire’s body and lure him into play had him racing toward the house before he regained control of himself and slowed his pace.

“Hey, pretty puppy,” Vin murmured, and Angel’s traitor wolf preened under the compliment.

It was all he could do not to butt his head up against Vin’s thigh. As he pushed past the vampire to enter the cabin, another mouth-watering scent rolled over him—freshly cooked steak and potatoes. His tail flicked in happiness despite himself. Vin didn’t eat anything but blood, so this was all for him. The damn vampire was feeding him back, and his wolf was ecstatic about it.

“Couldn’t let you waste away, Angel. You gonna shift to that delicious human body of yours, or do I need to put the plate down on the floor so you can keep hiding?”

Angelo growled and shifted. “I’m not fucking hiding from you,” he said, glaring down at the vamp who was now shorter than him again.

“Mmmm… you certainly aren’t. Or are we ignoring the elephant in the room? He’s certainly big enough to qualify,” Vin said, eyes tracking down his chest to his … ah, fuck. Why was his body refusing to behave?

The pure ridiculousness of Vin’s words managed to break through his annoyance, and he found himself rolling his eyes instead of snapping at him as he strode over to his bag and grabbed a pair of low-riding jeans to tug on.

By the time he turned back, his dinner was plated for him and Vin was sitting primly in his skirt at the table, like some sort of erotic gothic parody of a 1950s housewife waiting on her husband. That thought shouldn’t be so damn arousing.

“Thanks,” Angelo muttered as he sat down, digging into his food.

A low groan escaped him as the first rush of flavours burst over his tongue. The meat was perfectly rare and succulent. How had the vampire managed that in such a rustic, tiny kitchen when he didn’t even eat real food himself?

“If I’d known all I needed to do to endear myself to you was put some meat in your mouth…” Vin said.

Angelo snorted in amusement despite himself, shaking hishead. The vampire didn’t have a fucking off switch. As he devoured the meal with typical shifter speed, he did his best to ignore Vin watching him, focussing on his food and cleaning up the dishes, instead of the way the vampire was tracking every swallow and lick of his lips. All too soon, there was nothing left to distract him.

“I really do need to get some rest,” Vin said as Angelo’s eyes flicked to the other elephant in the room—the queen-sized bed that was nowhere near big enough for him to want to share.

“I’ll go—” he started to say.

“Please stay, Angel. I’ll sleep better with you here. My ears are still ringing and my night vision’s still busted from the head injury. I’d still destroy anyone who tried anything, but it makes me antsy,” Vin said, looking discomfited and confused at admitting any vulnerability.

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