Page 50 of Crimson Mate

I need to be somewhere I don’t have a chance of running into Zachariah and risk him seeing the mark without my mind fully clear. I need to remember the huntress I am and to figure outhow to be both the female I've grown into and the mate I can be to him.

Icanbe both, right? We can get it right this time, can’t we? We just have to communicate better. I need him to assure me he won’t keep me in the dark anymore, and he needs my assurance that I won’t shut him out because of what he'd done to me in the past.

We need to start anew, but how am I supposed to do that with my mind as chaotic as it is right now?

No, I need time.

Just a night or two. That's all I needed. And maybe a good hunt. A couple nights away would do me wonders, allowing me to set my priorities straight?—

Zachariah materializes in the middle of the street, and I slam on my brakes, the smell of burnt rubber smoking around me as I come to a halt just an inch before him.

His hands hit the handlebars, and he reaches over, killing the ignition as I flip out the kickstand and dismount.

I take off the helmet, resting it on the seat as I look up at him, anger and confusion grounding me in the present moment. “Zachariah,” I chide him. “I just need some time?—”

“I don't have to do anything,” he says, his voice cold and more callous than I've ever heard it before. “And you have such little time left, Talia.”

I tilt my head at the way he said my name, so familiar but?—

Something hot and sharp spears into my left side. I glance down in shock at the dagger sunk to the hilt, Zachariah’s fingers closed around it.

“Why?” The word is a broken whisper, my heart racing, the pain blinding and searing as blood spills from the wound.

I drop to my knees, glancing up at Zachariah, his image going fuzzy around the edges before his skin starts to ripple over his face, his features shifting into Conrad’s.

“Nifty trick, right?” he says, crouching down to be eye level with me. “You'd be surprised what powers can emerge from your arsenal when you stop feeding like you're on a diet.” He grabs the dagger and yanks it from my side, more blood gushing from the wound.

A whimper escapes my throat and my body trembles as I cover the open gash. My hands are immediately soaked in blood.

“Relax,” he says, shaking his head at me. “I’ll have you healed in a few minutes. I just want to talk.”

“About what?” I gasp, anger sweeping away the pain for a few blissful seconds. I grapple for my power, only gathering wisps of it here and there, thanks to the wound he delivered. If I could cling to it, I could turn that dagger in his hand on himself?—

“Trouble with your powers, Talia?” he asks, looking at the blood-soaked blade. “Night Thistle is such a wonderful thing,” he says, looking at the blade lovingly. “Though you should be grateful I only put a small dose on this. Can't have you using those pretty powers of yours against me. Not until you've heard me out, at least.”

I furrow my brow, trembling on the cold asphalt.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed our game of cat and mouse, I think it's time we stopped playing with each other. I told you that night at the auction I wanted you, and that still stands.”

“What?”

His features shift again, shaping into a handsome face that I recognize from the night Zachariah and I had set a trap for him at the silent auction at the museum.Hewas the stranger that had hit on me, the harmless human I thought simply had a boatload of confidence in order to approach me.

His features shift back to his normal self, a malicious smile shaping his face. “I understood why you turned me down then, with your little flock of hunters following you around like lost puppies, especially the one you’ve always doted on.” He rollshis eyes. “It's the reason I haven't been able to approach you lately. You haven't been alone, except for tonight. And I think the sooner you realize that you were runningtowardme instead of chasing after me, the better off you'll be.”

I swallow hard, feeling my consciousness doing its best to slip away to alleviate me of the pain. I cling to my senses, doing my best to stay awake.

“I know you've enjoyed my little Easter egg hunt. You and your new friends,” he continues, grinning like this is all some amusing game. “I certainly enjoyed creating the pointless mission to keep you all busy. Although, I thought you would catch on quicker. You're valuable to me, with your skills and your power. I wanted you centuries ago and I want you now. I've watched you for months, Talia, and you would be a formidable asset at my side. To our cause.” He sighs. “You see, I would treat you as an equal.” He bends down, dragging a finger down my cheek. “I would’ve never gone into stasis without you. I would’ve let the world burn around us if it meant I got to keep you. You would be privy to everything, and would act as a weapon, an asset, not some ankle weight shackling me to one place like he treats you.”

“Don't believe me?” he continues, reaching into his pocket as he retrieves the small statue of his late wife that he’d stolen from the museum. “Let me prove it to you, shall I? You see this?” He grips it in a fist, breaking the stone and letting it crumble to the ground next to me, revealing a corked vial. “This is what I was after all along, a rare vial of Night Thistle my dear late wife happened upon while she was playing with her potions. Only vampires at full strength can withstand this,” he says. “And we're already working on duplicating it. Soon we’ll be able to turn the power back into the right hands. Eliminate any vampires who are a threat to the true future of our kind, regardless of age or power.”

He's insane.

I loosen the grip on my wound, knowing the more blood I let spill the quicker the poison will be free from my veins. If I can hold on long enough to grab my power again and snatch that out of his hand, I can put an end to this.

“Don't you see that you're on the losing side? With my inner circle, and the force of the Sons of Honor at our back, you and your hunters and that pathetic excuse for a king stand no chance. We already have more supernaturals on our side than you even know about, and the last thing I want is to see you killed in a bloody battle that you have no business being in.”

I shake my head, whimpering again at the rush of pain that splits down the center of me.

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