Bite, My Love (20 page)

Daniel
stops walking. He twists slowly to glower at me
disbelievingly.

We stare
at each other until I feel the walls around his mind crack. He’s
valiantly trying to do what he thinks is right, but deep down he
must know he’ll never find peace.

Neither
will I if he leaves like this.

Grabbing
my chin between his thumb and forefinger, Sy forces me to look at
him. “Liam and the Vampire agreed if he gave you up the past would
be forgotten, and the truce upheld. You’d ask him to start a war
for you?” Brow furrowed, Sy searches my face. “You’d start one for
him?”

“
Without hesitation or doubt. He’s my mate. I’d die for him
and expect my friends to do the same.”

My eyes
shift enough to witness Daniel turning back towards me fully, his
eyes stormy.

“
That’s the whole point,” I continue. “To give everything to
someone because of all the people in the world that person is the
one you should do anything for.”

The
backhand to my cheek sends the world black.

Sy holds
my face so there’s no follow through, and my head absorbs all the
energy from the impact. The blow renders me speechless.

Blood
flows in my mouth, and my vision blurs out of focus. I slump, but
am quickly yanked straight by the Beta.

The
Enforcers flatten their ears, whine, but make no move to defend or
release me.

Gasping, I scrunch my eyes closed and focus on stopping the
ringing in my ears. “Hit me all you want, it won’t change a thing.
This proves you aren’t a wolf with enough honour to be
my
mate you
mongrel
.”

“
Shut it.” Sy struggles to breathe through his fury. “That’s
enough of your mouth. It’s bad enough my future mate let a Vampire
fuck her, bite her....” Through my daze, I realise the biting is
worse than the fucking to him. “….but you won’t embarrass me or
your Pack anymore.”

My head
throbs, but I shake it wildly.

I’m an
embarrassment because I dare to love something
different?

“
Love knows not colour, race, or creed.” I pause. “Or some
other poetic bullshit like that. If you loved me what I’ve done,
and who I’ve done it with wouldn’t matter. You’d be relieved to
have me back despite my mistakes. Well, your twisted perception of
what constitutes a mistake. Maybe it’s time your position in the
Pack was challenged if you can’t take me on fairly,
mutt
. The last I
checked, I refused to submit. I was leaving until you ordered the
Enforcers like a band of thugs to restrain me.”

The
wolves grumble, acknowledging the truth and shame of my
statement.

Sy raises
a fist. His lips pull back in an ugly snarl, and the tenuous
control of his wolf snaps.

Seeing
the blow coming, this time I shrink back.

Disturbed
air from the swing blows across my face as I’m yanked to safety. A
warning growl rumbles from Aaron’s warm chest. I’m pulled into the
cradle of his body. His arms cross over my torso to shield me from
further harm.

Responding to the threat to his leadership, the Beta’s
attention switches to Aaron.

Sy’s body
bulges grotesquely. Body parts shift wolf then revert Human as he
fights to remain in control. His face elongates, grows furry,
before shifting back into Human shape.

If the
Beta and Enforcer clash like this both wolves will fight until only
one remains breathing.

The
epitome of calm, Daniel strides back into the boundary line. He
ignores the wolves snarled warnings to go no further. “Hit her
again and it will be the last thing you do.” He says it without
bitterness or malice. He could have said the sky is blue or rain is
wet for how matter-of-fact his tone is. “The agreement was that she
be safe and unharmed. That she will remain unbroken.”

“
You will learn true submission.” Sy ignores the Vampire,
preferring to rant at me instead. “I
will
have from you the respect I
deserve as your mate.”

Lord, I
feel like spitting in his eye. “I’ll run from you.”

“
I’ll find you.”

“
Then I’ll run harder and faster the next time.”

“
Believe me; I’ll
persuade
you to stay put.”

The way
his hands clench and knock his thigh tells me what persuasion he
has in mind. My verbal needling must have worked Sy into a deeper
rage than I realised if he’s so desperate to keep his brutish
nature under wraps.

“
I’ll crawl half dead if I have to. I’ll never stop trying to
find him. Every day all you’ll hear is me calling his
name.”

The Beta
lifts his chin and shrugs. “That’s what gags are for.”

“
You’re so full of shit. You expect to tie me down, gag me,
beat me, and that the Pack will do
nothing
? You act like you’re the
embodiment of the male wolf, but you’re not. You’re the disease
that plagues my kind.” I shake my head pityingly. “Pathetic, a Beta
that can’t control his female without his fists. A prisoner isn’t a
submissive mate,
dog
. It’s a wolf waiting for the opportunity to rip your throat
out.”

I snap my
jaws at him.

“
Your wolf is so submissive I can barely feel her energy. You
expect to fight
me
?” He sneers. “You used to be magnificent.”

Yeah, my
pride is wounded, but I’ll make no excuses.

“
You know why. My wolf’s energy is faint because my mate’s
strong. Her power diminishes when he’s close. She expects him to
protect us. Your power’s nothing in comparison. That’s why I was a
word away from forcing you to release me.”

Sy grabs
my breast and squeezes roughly. “I’m going to enjoy fucking the
smirk from your pretty lips.”

Aaron
smacks the Beta’s hand away. “She’s not yours yet.”

“
You challenge me
?”

“
Enough.” Lee sidles closer, a promise of violence in her
glowing eyes. The tips of her fangs show, and her pupils are
vertical slits. “I’ve had enough.”

The
wolves lower their heads and growl threateningly.

Worried,
Ben holds out an arm.

“
No.” She grips his forearm and moves it aside. “I did what
you asked. I let her prove she’s strong enough. It’s not fair for
them to hold her like this.”

“
The entire bloodline will go to war if you interfere,” Ben
warns.

“
She’s taken his blood. I
feel
her. She’s part of us now and I can’t stand this.
It’s like failing Bethany all over again.” She stabs a finger at
Daniel. “We can’t stand by if he does nothing.”

Losing
patience, Ben tugs her back. Firm, but always gentle. “It’s not our
fight.”

“
Then I make it ours
.”

The
chilling command in Lee’s voice lifts the hair on the nape of my
neck. The weaker Enforcers whimper. Aaron and Sy snarl, stronger in
their power.

“
He doesn’t love her back,” Ben says. “Daniel cares for none
but himself.”

“
Do you see?” Sy is triumphant. “You fight for nothing. That
Vampire fucked you, and would have sucked you dry.”

“
That is untrue.” Daniel’s deep voice is sombre. He glares at
me like I’m some troublesome thing. “What we shared was beautiful.
Do not question the gift I gave you.”

Sy’s eyes
roam over my empty hands. “Gift?”

There’s a rebellious twinkle in Daniel’s eye. Clearly, he has
no intention of leaving without offending
somebody.

“
Yes. The greatest gift I could give.”

Disbelieving, I bark a laugh. He’s calling his affection for
me a gift? “You’re being totally serious.”

“
Harmony.” He looks at me from beneath his lashes. “Sweetling.
I have so little soul to give. It’s a withered thing that barely
warrants a mention.” He jerks a shoulder. “Nevertheless everything
I have is yours, including said soul.” He runs his hands through
his hair and looks baffled; dubious I’ll accept something he
considers worthless? “If you still want it.

“
Wow,” Aaron says. ”I’m feeling the love.”

Daniel
frowns. “As for what the rest of them think about us–”

“
Fuck them,” I whisper.

He
chuckles.

I’m
mesmerised by his smile. I stare back sappily, a daft grin
splitting my face in two.

Sy rolls his
eyes skyward. “Give me a break.”

“
You care for her?” Ben asks Daniel.

“
It was an accident. If she were just my Bride, and I hated
her, I would have followed through.” Daniel sighs. “I do not wish
to give her up.”

Lee’s
body wriggles with excitement. She holds out her hand, face shining
with happiness. “Harmony, come home with your family.”

Though
I’m mad at him for waiting this long to admit he feels something
for me, Daniel is the focus of my thoughts. Will he be welcome at
Castle too? Daddy may decide to not honour the truce. Will Daniel’s
kind turn on him for ruining the fragile peace?

Biting my
lip, I ask, “And my mate?”

Lee
laughs. The joyous trilling belies the tense atmosphere. “Dan’s
welcome. He always was. Besides, I doubt he’ll have time to make
trouble keeping up with you.”

That is
it? I can return to Castle with Daniel in peace?

From the
stunned look on Daniel’s face it is. He whistles, cheekily
summoning me when I make no move to go to him.

Ignoring
my mate’s sarcastic wit, I sag in relief.

The
Enforcers react to my invitation to join the Vampires. They take
large steps back, ears twitching, bushy tails flicking in
agitation.

Aaron
releases me.

I’m not
one of them anymore.

Exhaling in a shuddering breath, I stumble forward,
so
ready for this waking
nightmare to be over.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Cruel
fingers dig into my upper arm, yanking me a full foot back. Bulging
veins in Sy’s neck throb, and his complexion darkens with a rush of
blood.

I can
sense the ferocity of his wolf brushing against his skin,
clamouring to be free. It sets my teeth on edge and riles my
wolf.

I scratch
his hand, scrambling to get him off. “It’s over, let me
go.”

“
Cross that line and you’re banished.” Spittle lands on my
chin. White froth gathers at the corner of Sy’s mouth. “Do you hear
me, bitch? Cross that line and you’re dead to us.”

Aaron
wedges his bulk between us and shoves Sy back. “Back off. Know when
you’ve been beaten.” He pushes me towards the Vampires.

Sy faces
his Enforcer with hatred in his eyes. Feral. The animal inside is
too close to surfacing to make sane decisions. “Move.”

Aaron’s
energy quickens in preparation of a fight.

I’m
taking my fine ass out of here. Aaron can handle himself, and as
he’s decided to protect me, I’ll thankfully let him.

I
continue my weak-kneed amble back over the line, chagrined at how
weak mating Daniel has made me. It’s a common condition for the
female in mated pairs of my kind. The stronger the mate the more
submissive the female becomes. My case is worse because Daniel is
more powerful than any single Lycan. My she-wolf is flat on her
backside she’s so docile in his presence. I’ll have to be more
cautious and learn how to throw down as a Human. I’ve been
dependant on my natural ability to control the people around me.
Relying on my wolf’s power to kick ass rather than on my own
smarts.

What a
humbling experience this is turning out to be.

Challenging his Beta’s dominance, Aaron holds his ground. He
spares me a glance to check I’m safe. Satisfied, up go his hands in
acquiescence. “It’s over, man. You’ve got to let her
go.”

“
I’m not leaving without her.
Move
.”

If Sy
genuinely loved me his persistence might be touching. Being that he
hates what I’ve done, wants to eviscerate my chosen mate, and hurt
my new family, his obsession with me is plain annoying.

“
It’s done
.” Lee’s voice booms across
the divide. Dropping Ben’s hand she paces as far as she can go
without breaking the truce and crossing too far over the boundary
into Pack land. “Release my sister and go in peace.” Her stance and
tone lower, broadcasting her readiness to fight. “Go or you will
suffer
me
,
Lycan.” Her exquisite voice takes on a menacing cadence that
reveals the demonic force inside her.

Refusing
to back down, Sy snarls. His back hunches and the skin
ripples.

Aristocratic face distorting with rage, Daniel moves to stand
beside Lee and Ben. Inch long fangs run out. His power swells in a
single overwhelming punch. It sweeps over the field, a commanding
shockwave that races down my spine.