Page 30 of Branded in Love
“No, Gavriil.”
I start. “What?” I exhale. “What do you mean,no?” No one has ever saidnoto me. No one who’s lived to tell the tale, at least.
“Marco is my friend,” she says, smoothing her hand on my arm. “I’m going to do everything I can to save him from those vampires.”
I purse my lips. She doesn’t even begin to comprehend the vileness of these blood drinkers. I cannot bring myself to tell her that their viciousness knows no limits, that her friend Marco might be dead even as we speak.
No. I cannot crush her like that.
“I don’t want to lose you…” For the first time in my life, I hear myself beg.
“And I understand that,” she says in the sweetest tone. “But I’m going anyway.” Determination hangs from each word. She will not be persuaded. My heart breaks a little at her refusal. No one ever denies me. This is a terrible first. And I don’t know how to handle it.
Luciana rises from the bed. “Let’s go to this meeting,” she says, offering me her hand.
I take it, reluctantly, and follow her. And then, it hits me.
Outside the bedroom,she’sthe fucking alpha.
22
LUCIANA
They move the meeting to the courtyard, where the air isfresher—meaningnotpermeated with my scent. It’s awkward at first having all those stares on me, the only human in the bunch, and a woman. But I don’t care. All I can think about is Marco. Each time his face comes to me, I blame myself for not answering his calls. None of this would have happened had I texted him back, telling him I was fine. But I got swept away into a world of vampires and shifters, and gorgeous Gavriil.
This is completely my fault, and I have to fix it.
They all look pretty normal to me. Handsome, powerful men. Even the ones garbed more casually look like they were taken out of a model agency, with taut muscular bodies, chiseled features, and fierce eyes.
“We need to get Andrea out of his lair,” the man with stormy eyes says. Gavriil told me he’s a wolf shifter and his brother. “We need a distraction, something to steal Andrea’s focus. And while he’s engaged, we strike at the heart of his lair and rescue the human.” When he smirks, I glimpse the fangs. That’s all that jumps out of normality. They’re a bit longer, and pointier than regular canines. His harsh gaze lingers on me from time to time, always long enough to make me uncomfortable. He’s got a secretive smile, like he knows something I do not.
“Bait?” Gavriil mutters. “No offense, brother. But you’ve been out of the clan for nearly a decade, and suddenlyyou’recalling the shots?” A low growl lingers in his chest.
Vlad startles. “Brother, I would never,” he says, a cautious hand raised in the air. “I’ve been living in Rome for three years, and I can tell you, this is what I know of Andrea: he’s a sucker for routine. Getting him out of his lair will not be easy. Only the strongest bait will achieve that.”
“I don’t know of anything that can tempt him,” Gavriil says under his breath, straightening his back, opening his chest as he faces Vladimir.
“I do,” a voice says in the crowd.
All heads turn to meet the blond shifter with ice-blue eyes.Sasha.
Sasha’s gaze locks on me.
Gavriil’s face slackens when he understands his meaning. “Sasha…” he says through clenched teeth.
“She’s the only one who can lure him out,” he adds. “Only Luciana can—!”
“Aleksandr!” Gavriil roars, chest heaving, blood rushing to his face. He sucks in one long breath to tame his temper. “That is enough. It’s out of the question. There must be another way.”
The wolf pierces me with hunter eyes. He speaks to me silently. “It’s your fault this has happened,”he says.“Playing along is the least you can do.” His voice is deep and resonant in my head. Gooseflesh shoots up my arms. How the hell is he doing this?
No matter how he’s doing it, I hate that he’s right. And didn’t I tell Gavriil I would do everything I could to get Marco back?
“I’ll do it,” I say in a blurt, becoming the cynosure of all eyes. My heart is hammering in my chest. My mouth dries in an instant.
Gavriil’s face pales. “Luciana,” he whispers in my ear, gliding a hand over my bare arm. His touch is persuasive and sensual, but I will not yield.
I push myself to speak again. “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
