He scooped her up in his arms and looked at Willis. “She needs rest and iron to help replace the blood I drank. I cannot give her mine.” Something like anger passed Cain’s face, but Alice was too weak to think about it. “And I won’t risk contaminating it with someone else’s.”

  “I can get her an iron infusion.” Willis reverted to professional-scientist mode.

  “Bring it to my quarters.”

  “No,” she said as firmly as she could, though she felt as weak as a wilting flower. “I am not staying with you.”

  “Wrong,” Cain replied. “You called me a leach the other day. Well, guess what. Now, I really will be attached to you like a leach.” He hadn’t found it amusing when she had made the remark, but Alice noted there was humor in his eyes now.

  “You’re going to drink my blood?” She did not want to experience that pain again.

  “Hmm.” He hummed and closed his eyes as if savoring the memory. “As much as that would please me, and”—he opened his eyes and looked directly into hers—“I could make the pleasure of my bite your drug, I cannot risk losing control and taking too much. You taste amazing.”

  Her eyes popped fully open, and the remark seemed to renew her strength for a moment. “I’m not taking that as a compliment. And what the actual werewolf ass?” she snapped. “It hurt like hell, and you could have kept it from being painful?”

  He shrugged and began walking. “I didn’t know what you were before I bit you. I thought you were just human. Why would I be sympathetic to a human?”

  “Humans are your primary food source,” she pointed out. “Shouldn’t you actually, like, enjoy their company or something?”

  “You eat cows. Does that mean you want to be their friend?”

  “First, you’re comparing me to a cow? And second, yes, cows are freaking awesome. Everyone loves cows. Have you ever been into a kitchen in the south? Pictures of cows everywhere.”

  Cain chuckled. “You are hardly a cow. You’re a glittering diamond among the rubble.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “That makes you want to be my friend?”

  “Among other things,” he whispered, almost as if he didn’t really want her to hear it.

  She shook her head. “Not if you were the last male on earth and I was a bitch in heat.”

  He clucked his tongue at her. “Such vulgar language. In my day, a lady didn’t speak in such a manner. And by the time she was your age, any suitor would be acceptable because she needed one to take care of her, to make sure she didn’t end up a penniless, homeless spinster.”

  He continued down the corridor, carrying her as if she weighed nothing at all. He was more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. “In case you didn’t notice, times have changed. I don’t need you, and I definitely don’t want you. And if I want to say shit, damn, bitch, bastard, or any other vulgar word, I will. And I will probably want to say those words when I’m speaking to you, or describing you, or addressing you. So you better get used to it.”

  Cain smiled at her and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her nose. “I’ve always been partial to taking strong females as lovers. This is going to be fun.”

  She pulled her head back. “Dammit, quit kissing me.” She tried to lift her arm to wipe her face, but it fell limply to her side.

  He frowned. “I took too much blood, and now you’re weak. I’ll have to make sure to feed off someone else before I mate with you.”

  Cain nearly laughed at the look on her face. He was just as surprised, if not more so than she was. Vampires rarely took a mate. And he’d never wanted one … until now. Her taste alone was reason enough for Cain to want her for his own. But the fact that she was a famed gypsy healer, and her blood was the key to his project, was the icing on the cake. Even if he didn’t want her, he’d have to take Alice as a mate to ensure she wouldn’t be able to leave him. But he did want her—fiercely. Although most vampires showed little interest in sexual pursuits, Cain dallied once in a while. He noticed when a woman was attractive. And when they were tempting enough, he indulged his other appetite—the one that wasn’t his blood lust. And Cain had absolutely noticed Alice was tempting enough. She wasn’t simply a genius. She was also sexy, strong, and beautiful. Alice had dark hair—worn chin-length to accentuate her heart-shaped face—plump pink lips, and a curvy, voluptuous body. Alice was tall enough that he didn’t have to bend down to sink his teeth into her throat. She would make a wonderful vampire. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to turn her. It was imperative she keep her full purity as a healer. Cain couldn’t risk ruining that.

  He finally reached the door to his suite and pressed his palm to the sensor. The door swung open, and he strode inside. The motion lights came on, but they were dim. Cain got sick of the bright lights in the lab and the room housing the dormants. He preferred the shadows whenever possible.

  The vampire walked over to his bed and gently placed Alice on it. She was so weak she couldn’t even scoot away from him when she tried.

  “I will not hurt you.”

  “Really? Because you just chewed on me like a damn bone.” Her lips pursed as she glared at him.

  “I didn’t chew,” he said dryly and then dropped his voice. “I sucked.”

  Her cheeks took on a flushed look that his vampire vision could see even in the subdued light. He chuckled at her embarrassment. Yes, this was definitely going to be fun.

  Finn paced the small square room, his wolf paws silent on the floor. As soon as they’d locked him in the cell, he had phased. His beast was out of control and refused to let the man be in charge. After so long, they had found their mate. And she was in the hands of vampires.

  His mind reached for hers. The second he’d laid eyes on Lizzy, the true-mate bond had snapped into place. He could feel her. But her mind was a mess. She was unconscious, and he couldn’t reach her, no matter how hard he pushed.

  “Lizzy.” His wolf snarled. “Mate, wake up.” He was desperate to know she was okay. Finn had never wanted to hear someone’s voice so badly. “Please, female. FIGHT!” He yelled through the bond and pictured himself shaking her shoulders.

  “It’s no surprise that a voice I hear in my head is a demanding dick.” Her sweet voice filled his mind. Like a healing balm, it soothed every raw nerve inside of him.

  “I’m not just a voice in your head,” he said gently. “I’m a real person. I’m your true mate.”

  “Is that a werewolf thing? Are you a dormant, too?”

  Finn saw the memories in her mind of Cain finding her and convincing her to go with him. His jaw clenched as he listened to the snake-tongue vampire fill her with false hope. But Finn understood; he’d fallen for Cain’s lies as well. And now the wolf didn’t consider that such a bad thing. If Finn had refused Cain’s offer, he wouldn’t have found her. “I’m not a dormant. I’m a full-blooded Canis lupus. And yes, true mates are a werewolf thing.” He could feel her exhaustion and tried to push his strength through their bond.

  “Cain never said anything about dormants having mates.”

  Finn growled. “That’s because he wouldn’t want you to know about them. True mates are bound to one another. They protect each other. Something like that would disrupt his plan.”

  “His plan is a hell of a lot better than what I had going on.” Pain filled her voice, and he could practically see through the bond the loneliness she wore like a familiar jacket.

  “You’ll never be alone again, Lizzy. You will have me. Always.” Finn tried to reassure her.

  Indignation filled their bond. “This true-mate thing… It’s like marriage, right? Like in books and television?”

  “Somewhat. Though the human institution of marriage pales in comparison to the mate bond.” He pictured her face. Finn had seen it for mere minutes, yet that was all it took for his wolf to memorize every detail. He imagined running his fingers gently over her cheek and across her jaw.

  “What are you doing?” Her voice trembled, and he knew she could feel the sensation as if he was actually touching her.

  “Using the bond to touch you. That’s how strong our connection is. You’re the other half of my soul. I cannot live without you. Nor would I want to.” Finn hoped to let her feel his kiss, but not through the bond, at least not the first one.

  “That can’t be true. If you knew me, knew my past, you wouldn’t want to touch me. I’m tainted, Finn. Dirty and scarred. I can’t be the other half of your soul because I lost mine a long time ago.”

  Finn’s wolf slammed into the door. He saw the memories in her mind, and he was shocked she didn’t attempt to hide them. He saw the abuse she had suffered as a child. It had continued through adolescence and adulthood, all the way up to the point Cain found her. His wolf threw back its head and howled. “You’ve never had anyone? All this time I’ve lived without you, and that is the hell you’ve experienced?”

  “I had one friend. Someone so loyal she was willing to die for me. But they took her away. She thought I was dead. Hell, I thought I was dead. Apparently dormants are hard to kill. But she got me through a lot.”

  Finn wanted to find the girl and thank her for being here for his mate when he had not been. “What was her name?”

  He felt love for the girl flow through the bond, and he was momentarily jealous. He wanted Lizzy to love him like that. “Kara. Kara Jones.”

  “I’m sorry they separated you,” he told her, and he meant it. “When we get out of here, and we will, I will help you find her.”

  “No.” Her voice was sharp. “I don’t want her to know how I ended up. She’ll feel responsible. That’s just the way Kara is. If she loves you, it’s with all of her being.”

  Finn phased to his human form. He collapsed to the floor as her grief flooded him. “I know you have no reason to trust me or believe me. But that is how I love you. There’s nothing that will keep me from you. Nothing in your past, present, or future could change that.”

  “You can’t love me, Finn, especially not like that.” She scoffed. “You don’t even know me.”

  “Precious Lizzy, I was created for you and you alone. Everything inside of me is designed to love you, protect you, provide for you, and desire you. There is nothing I won’t do for you. One day, you will understand that. Even if I have to die trying to convince you.”

  He heard a sob through their bond. Finn’s hand was still on her face, and he felt tears fall on it. “Don’t do that. If you die, you won’t keep your promise to never leave me. Maybe I’m a fool for believing a voice in my head, but I am so tired of doing this life thing on my own. I don’t think I can anymore.”

  Finn saw Lizzy’s memories from a time in her life not long before she met Cain. He could hear the poisonous thoughts that had dominated her mind. His wolf snarled at the ideas of suicide she had entertained. His poor Lizzy had been days away from taking her own life when the vampire king found her. Damn it all! Finn couldn’t even be angry that Cain had taken his mate; it had saved her life. Finn pictured his arms wrapping around her small form, pulling her tightly into his body. He imagined burying his face against her neck. He could still smell her scent, which had saturated the room when Cain had bitten her. “This is the best I can do right now,” he whispered into her mind. “One day, I will hold you. And once I get my hands on you, I will never let you go.”

  To his surprise, relief flooded through her. “This is enough for now. I truly hope you’re real, Finn. If you’re not, I hope I never wake up.”

  “I’m real, Lizzy St. James, and I’m yours.”

  “That’s not my last name.”

  He allowed himself a small smile, a tiny sliver of hope. “It will be.”

  Epilogue

  “Wine is the new hot chocolate. Don’t judge. I still have my knives, and I’m feeling extra stabby.” ~Jen

  “How did you manage to get away from your man?” Sally handed Jen a cup. There was no steam coming out of it this time. This elixir was a little stronger than chocolate. Jen and Jacque were imbibing. Sally, of course, could not. Jen wished she, too, couldn’t consume alcohol. But she refused to be jealous. She would not let herself feel anything but joy for her friend. Jen lost her child, but she would still get to be the most awesome aunt to Sally and Costin’s little crumb catcher.

  “I didn’t get away from him.” Jen inclined her head toward the door. “He’s sleeping in the hall.”

  Jacque sat on the floor, her shoulder resting against the couch just beside Jen’s knees. She laid her head against Jen’s leg, and Jen felt her redheaded friend’s love flowing into her. From the moment Jen had stepped into the room, Jacque hadn’t stopped touching her. Humans might have found that weird. Jen didn’t give a pixie’s ass. She needed her two best friends. Their touch, be it Sally’s hand on her shoulder or Jacque’s head resting against her knee, brought so much comfort and peace to her tattered soul. Decebel hadn’t taken offense when she’d told him she needed to see her girls. He’d simply picked her up and carried her to the room. She knew he wouldn’t leave, though, and that was just fine with her. Having him close was also something she needed. Jen had learned over the years that it was okay to need her mate and her friends. She didn’t have to pick one over the other, and they never asked her to.

  “Cookies don’t go with wine, Jen.” Jacque looked at the cookie she held and then sat it on the coffee table.

  Peri had popped in for a split second and dropped the package of chocolate and cream goodness in front of them. She had said, “You’re the only three people on the planet that I would not only bury a body for but bring you those nasty crap cookies. You’re welcome. I love you.” Then she was gone.

  “Bite your tongue, Red,” Jen said. “Cookies go with everything. To suggest otherwise will get you put on my list.”

  “You still have a list?”

  “Why wouldn’t I, Sally?”

  “I thought maybe you’d kind of grown out of that phase,” Sally said carefully.

  Jen shook her head and took a sip of her wine. “Having a murder list is not a phase. It’s like a bucket list. Things just waiting to be checked off before you kick it.”

  “You realize that things on a bucket list aren’t names of people, right?” Jacque sounded like she was trying not to laugh.

  “That depends.” Jen gave a sly grin. “A bucket list is a to-do list. So, there could be a name … if it’s someone you want to do.”

  “And there’s the Jen we know and love, folks.” Sally laughed, holding out her cup of hot chocolate for Jen to tap with her cup.

  “Well played, Jennifer, well played.” Jacque patted Jen’s thigh.

  “We’re going to be okay, right?” Sally’s smile was gone, and worry filled her big, brown eyes.

  Jen reached out and grabbed her hand. She swallowed before she spoke, ensuring she could keep herself together. “As long as I have you two, I will always be okay. It may take time to get there, but yes, Thelma, we’re going to be okay.”

  A throat cleared from the hallway, and Jen rolled her eyes. “Okay, as long as I have you two and B.”

  Two more throats cleared.

  “Good grief,” Jen muttered. “As long as I have you two, B, and the two fur butts you two got saddled with, then, yes, we will be okay.”

  Jacque set her cup down and stood up. She pushed Jen over so that she was in the middle of the couch. The alpha female wrapped her arms around Jen. Then Sally did the same from the other side. Jen used her free hand to place it over the two of theirs that were clasped together. They sat quietly for a while until Jen sighed. “Sometimes, I won’t be all right, though.”

  “We know, babe.” Jacque squeezed her hand. “That’s what wine, friends, and men are for.”

  “Man,” Decebel called out. “Not plural.”

  “What if a threesome is the therapy I need?” Jen called back while her two best friends buried their faces in her shoulders, their bodies shaking with laughter.

  “It’s not.”

  “How do you know, B?”

  “Because you don’t have a postmortem fetish, and a third participant would most definitely be dead.”

  Jen shook her head and continued to poke the wolf. It seemed this would be her therapy for a while. “I hear new fetishes are all the rage.”

  “Then pick something else, like knitting.”

  “What the—” Jacque sputtered as laughter burst out of her.

  “Hmm.” Jen pretended to think about it. “Does that mean you’re going to sit in a rocking chair naked and knit me crotchless panties? Because I might be able to get into that. Pun intended.”

  “You should really think harder about fetishes before you just blurt something out.” Costin’s voice came through the door.

  “Oh, really?” Decebel snapped. “And what would you suggest?”

  Muffled voices came from the other side of the door.

  “Are they seriously going to discuss fetish possibilities?” Sally whispered.

  “Shh,” Jen and Jacque said at the same time.

  “That has possibilities.” Decebel sounded thoughtful.

  “What did he suggest?” Jen’s eyes bounced from Sally to Jacque. “Are you getting anything?” She tapped her head, indicating their bonds.

  “I got nothing,” Sally said pitifully. “Costin’s locked down tight.”

  “Don’t worry, Sally mine. I’ll have you locked down tight soon. No need to be jealous of my fetish.”

  Jen tried to pick something out of Decebel’s brain, but he was singing the alphabet in Romanian. Punk. “Whatever it is, B, it better be epic.”

  “I’ve got you, baby,” he purred. “I’ve always got you.”

  Yes, yes, he did. She snuggled deeper into the couch with her best friends. “Okay, so now we have to come up with some fetishes of our own. They cannot out-fetish us. We could never hold our heads high again.”