Page 99 of Undying
She’s my queen.
Perfect for me in every way.
Since being turned, I’ve yearned to find the other half of my soul.
Now that I have met her, she’s more than I ever dreamed possible…and I’m absolutely terrified I won’t be able to protect her. She’s too powerful for one so young, and the others will sense it. They’re already too fucking interested in her, and I don’t like it.
She needs to be protected.
While I might be an ancient, there is only so much I can do without a complete mating bond in place. My resolve firms…I’ll just have to figure out a way to convince her I’m worthy to be her mate, despite nearly killing her less than an hour ago.
Easy fucking peasy.
Piece by piece, I reconstruct my iron control, vowing to walk into the sun before ever allowing something like that to happen again. The ravenous hunger from before is gone, the yearning to be near my mate superseding everything else.
A tremor goes through me as I reach for the kitchen door. I came too close to fucking everything up, and I bow my head in silent prayer that I’ll be able to do better next time.
Only when I’ve gathered enough courage to face her do I pull back my shoulders and step into the kitchen. As soon as I enter, my eyes lock on Jolie, and everything inside me softens at the sight of her so vibrant and alive.
No matter what happens at the gathering, I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure she survives, even if it means starting a fucking war.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
JOLIE
Only when Stanton enters the kitchen do I relax, not liking it when he’s out of my sight. It’s weird—I should be afraid of him, he nearly drained me not too long ago, but I find his nearness oddly comforting.
His presence fills the room, reminding me of the threat we invited into our home and how close I came to nearly losing him. I focus on the dark-haired woman cowering behind the kitchen island.
She has to know we could leap across the distance in a second. She had ample opportunity to run while we were distracted, yet she stayed. In fact, despite trembling in terror, she lifts her chin. “I had nothing to do with that idiocy in the other room.”
I tilt my head to the side, uncertain if I can trust her or not. She would be foolish to lie about it, but my ability to trust is at a minimum. “And you didn’t think to warn us of the plot?”
The woman winces, but Milo answers before she can even open her mouth. “She couldn’t. No doubt Julius placed a geis on her, preventing her from saying anything.”
The woman nods so adamantly, her head practically bobbles. “Julius is pure evil. Once you’re caught in his web, there is no way out but death. I came here, even knowing you might kill me, in a last-ditch attempt to get away from him.”
Anger darkens her expression, and her brown eyes narrow with hatred. “You must beware of him. He wants to be the master of two territories, and he’ll do anything to get it. Claiming you will just be an added bonus. You can do what you want to me, but I ask you to kill me before sending me back. Just know that I haven’t lifted a hand against you or yours.”
The fervent reply oozes such disdain and hatred that I have no doubt she’s telling the truth.
“And if I give you a choice to walk out that door right now?” I shuffle to the side, clearing a path for her to leave. “You could go. Be free.”
Her gaze immediately flashes toward the door, the yearning to be free so deep that tears flood her eyes, then she blinks and shakes her head, turning to look back at me with a determined expression on her face. “Break my blood oath to Julius, and I’ll pledge my loyalty to your house.”
“Why?” I can’t keep the confusion out of my voice. “Why pledge to another vampire when you could be free of this world?”
A genuine smile brightens her expression, and her posture shifts. Her spine straightens, her chin going up, her shoulders back, and pure determination glints in her eyes. “Vampires and shifters are the way of the world now. There is no going back to them living in the shadows. Maybe if people had taken a stand before the supernaturals took over the world, things wouldn’t have gotten so bad. I won’t turn a blind eye again, not when we have a chance to take back some of what was lost to us.”
I’m floored by her speech…and a little bit intimidated by her nearly crushing expectations. “What makes you think I’m able to do anything like that? I’m just one person. A newly turned vampire, at that.”
She doesn’t speak, her eyebrows shooting up to her hairline, then she snorts and mirth dances in her gaze. “It’s enough. And you’re not doing it alone. You have your men, and now you have me. My name is Bertie, and I’ll be taking over running your household and staff.”
With a decisive nod, she shoos us away with a wave of her hands, then turns and begins fussing with the pots and pans. “Go on with you now. You need to get some food into you. You’re going to need your strength. Don’t worry, that woman didn’t touch anything.”
She snorts again, so hard that the pot in her hand rattles, and she mutters under her breath, “Not that she would dare get her fingers dirty with menial work.”
Unable to detect even a hint of deception, I finally nod, oddly reassured by her refreshing candor. Castle remains glued to my ass like a hulking shadow, but I find his presence comforting.
