“Talbot…” she managed weakly, body arched toward him against her will. They were so playing with fire right now.

  His fingers stilled, though his gaze stayed locked on her. “Forgive me, Little Flower. I got carried away.” He moved carefully away again, leaving Rose’s whole body feeling sensitive and restless.

  Their mutual longing still crackled in the air between them. One touch would break their control again.

  “Why do people keep calling me flower?” she asked, realizing her voice still sounded breathless.

  Talbot’s eyes narrowed, and a dangerous gleam filled them. “Who else has called you that?”

  “Nico,” she said slowly, wondering if she’d just gotten the Chaos Shaman in some sort of trouble.

  “He won’t do it again.” Talbot’s voice deepened.

  “Don’t hurt him,” she implored quickly, worried that Talbot was going to jump up and run out that instant and attack the shaman.

  “Remember I told you Damarian males are territorial?”

  She nodded.

  “You have a name, and other males will use that name.” His voice was calm, but there was a tempest building in his eyes. “Anything else is reserved for me, and me alone. Would you be okay with another female giving me a pet name?”

  Rose tried to imagine hearing a feminine voice, not her own, calling Talbot something like “Babe,” “Sweetheart,” or some other endearment. Suddenly, she felt a different kind of heat, not the kind that made her stomach dance. This heat made her want to burn the imaginary female who dared have some sort of intimacy with Talbot. “Nope.” She gave a definitive shake of her head.

  Talbot seemed to find this amusing, and the irritation that had been on his face fled, replaced with that lusty longing. “Is it hot in here?” Rose pulled at the neck of her shirt.

  “I’m burning up,” Talbot said with absolutely no embarrassment whatsoever.

  He stared at her, unabashedly, his eyes roaming over her face then down her neck to stop on her tattoo. “It’s odd to see my mark, a perfect replica, on you. But I find it very satisfying.”

  “Where’s yours?” She looked at his forearms where the sleeves of his shirt had been pushed up. Neither arm bore a tattoo.

  Talbot grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it until she could see his full torso. My, my, my. Her inner thoughts hummed with pleasure at the sight. Aside from the fact that he was chiseled like a statue, the same snake on her arm was tattooed on the left side of his chest, just over his heart.

  Rose had no memory of making the choice to lift her arm, but before she knew it, her finger traced the lines of the snake, and, just like hers, the scales illuminated and shimmered. It was beautiful.

  A deep hum rumbled from Talbot, and Rose’s eyes lifted to find that he’d closed his eyes, and his face had relaxed. “Your touch is going to be addictive.” His voice held no shame.

  “Why are you so comfortable with expressing your…” She paused, searching for the word.

  “Desire, yearning, need,” he offered.

  “Mm-hmm.” Her lips were tightly pressed because she was pretty sure she was going to squeal like a girl over his blatant want for her. Her. How could someone who looked like Talbot, was about to be the king of his species, and could have probably any woman he desired, be interested in her? Rose wasn’t usually a self-depreciating person, but as she’d told Nico, she’d never been in a relationship, and she’d certainly had no one as hot as Talbot interested in her.

  “Whatever it is you’re thinking”—Talbot wrapped a hand around her wrist and lowered his shirt—“stop. I don’t like the way it’s making you feel.” He didn’t release his grip on her, and when she looked down at his hand, she noticed it was covered in scales. Green, black, and brown, all mixed and yet distinct. He gave her wrist a little squeeze. “Okay?”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  “Will you tell me what made you feel like that?”

  She immediately shook her head. Her eyes jumped up to his.

  He blew out a breath, his firm jaw clenched briefly. “One day? Will you tell me?”

  Rose considered it and then finally answered. “Yes.” One day, she would feel comfortable enough to share all her thoughts with him. Or so she hoped. She’d seen the way mated pairs were in the Kingdom of Silk, the devotion they had to one another. Rose wanted that. She’d never seen it until she’d been taken by the Damarians. Her own parents had divorced when she was young.

  “Thank you.”

  They spoke long into the night, covering everything from treasured childhood memories to dreams for the future. The longer they talked, the more Rose relaxed. She was startled to realize hours had passed while enjoying easy conversation with this man who would be her mate.

  Every now and then, she’d catch him looking at the tattoo on her arm. And he was doing it again. “May I touch you?” He motioned to the snake. “I’ve never felt anything as soft as your skin.”

  She nodded and offered her arm. Talbot traced it reverently with one finger, causing Rose’s breath to hitch at the contact.

  Before her eyes, his hand shifted again, taking on a scaled texture. Rose looked up to see patches of smooth green and black scales speckling his neck above his shirt collar.

  “Can I?” she whispered, fascinated. At his nod, Rose gently brushed her fingertips over the scales on his skin. They were cool and supple, gliding under her touch.

  Rose jerked her hand back, cheeks flaming. But Talbot only watched her with an unreadable intensity that made her heart race.

  “Sorry,” she stammered. “I’ve just never touched a —”

  “Snake?”

  “Man,” she said at the same time. “Or snake, for that matter.”

  “There is nothing to apologize for.” Talbot captured her hand, scales fading back to normal flesh. “You are my mate. I welcome your touch. And I like knowing you’ve not touched another man. I’m going to risk the assumption that it means a man has not touched you either?”

  Rose shyly met his gaze, the air suddenly too warm. “You’d be correct.” There was an attraction between them she could not deny. She saw the answering heat in Talbot’s green eyes. “I’d rather not even risk assumptions because then I’ll feel dumb, so I’m just going to ask, what about you?”

  “No, a man has never touched me either,” he said with a completely straight face.

  Rose couldn’t help but laugh. She’d totally walked into that one. “That’s fair.”

  Talbot chuckled, the stoic face dropping away as he slipped his hands into his pockets. “I will not lie to you. I have been on some dates over the years. I’ve had a couple of serious relationships, but I ended them both as soon as it was clear to me that neither was my mate.”

  Rose felt the green-eyed monster of jealousy attempting to settle in her gut, but she didn’t want it there. Talbot was a supernatural being who’d been alive for a long time. What were the chances in all that time, however long it was, he’d never find a woman attractive and act on those feelings? Zero. That’s the answer. Zero chances. Unfortunately, reminding herself of this only helped a little. She wished she hadn’t asked because now she’d constantly wonder if he compared her to anyone in his past.

  “I’ve upset you.” Talbot’s deep voice startled her out of her thoughts.

  “No,” Rose answered quickly, but then shook her head at herself. “I mean, I’m feeling things I’d rather not, but that’s not on you. I can choose to let your past make me insecure, or I can choose to let it go and give us a real chance.”

  “I hope you’ll choose the latter.”

  “Me too,” she said softly. She stared at him long enough for it to become awkward. Quickly clearing her throat, she managed, “I should get some sleep before I do something embarrassing.”

  Talbot chuckled. “I’m sorry I kept you up. I find the idea of being separated from you, even by a wall, displeasureable.”

  Rose bit her tongue to keep from pointing out that if they stayed in the same room, she just might allow him to do pleasurable things. What the hell is wrong with me? She stood up so quickly that she felt dizzy for a moment. Talbot balanced her as he stood, too. She had to tilt her head back slightly to look up at his face. “Thank you for a nice evening.”

  Every visible piece of skin shifted briefly, scales covering him. She blinked and his human flesh returned. “Apparently, strong emotions make my beast want to come out and play,” he teased her. But she also heard an eagerness in his tone.

  “Nico mentioned that you’d be able to fully shift now into your snake form.”

  “You and Nico talked a lot,” he said, his tone a little chilly.

  “Don’t be jealous of Nico. Surely, after this evening, you can tell I have no interest in anyone but you.”

  “Jealousy is new, and I find it a difficult emotion to curb. I won’t promise that I can keep it under control at all times, but I will promise not to kill Nico. Unless he does something that warrants it.”

  She waited for a chuckle or something to indicate he was joking. It didn’t come. “Son of a brick, you’re for real?”

  Talbot slid his hand down her arm to her hand. His eyes never left hers as he lifted that hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Then his tongue darted out and touched her skin, so fast she wondered if she’d imagined it. “Yes, my Little Flower, I am for real.” He kissed her hand again. “Rest well … My Queen.” Before she shut the door, his voice followed her. “Oh, Rose, what’s your last name?”

  “Corra,” she answered. “Rose Corra.” She paused and looked over her shoulder at Talbot. He hadn’t moved from where he’d been standing when he’d kissed her hand. “What will my last name be once we’re mated?” Until now, she hadn’t considered the fact that she’d be giving up her own name. Not that she was particularly fond or overly attached to her father’s last name.

  “I don’t have a surname,” he answered, the look in his eyes knowing as he stared at her. “You will simply be Queen Rose, mate of King Talbot. And put even more simply, you will be mine.”

  The possessive tone on his lips followed Rose back to her new room, a sweet ache blooming in her heart. She found that she rather liked the idea of being his.

  Sitting in one of the chairs, Talbot stared at the closed door to his chambers long after she had retired, warring with himself. Every instinct screamed at him to pursue his mate, to bring her back to the rooms they would soon share as a mated pair. He did not like her being so far from him, out of his immediate protection. It mattered not that they had only met hours ago; she was his, and his beast rattled its cage to claim her fully. Talbot hadn’t attempted to shift to his beast form, despite the fact that he’d met his mate. Though he could feel the animal in him pushing to be set free, he was worried that if he gave the animal control, he’d go straight for Rose and scare her to death. Talbot only held himself back through sheer force of will. Rose did not understand their ways yet. He would honor her modesty until vows were exchanged, no matter how his blood heated for her. There would be time enough for passion later.

  Still, as he lay in his empty bed, the scent of her lingered faintly to taunt him. Possessiveness coiled tight in his gut. She was his mate. He should be the one watching over her as she slept, guarding her dreams. Not alone in this cold, barren bed while she was sequestered away in the guest suite at the opposite end of the hall.

  He had not anticipated how fiercely the mating bond would take hold almost instantly. He thought he understood when Nico described it, but nothing could have prepared him for the primal urgency sweeping through him. It was as though his long-dormant beast had awoken within, and it recognized Rose as its missing half.

  In her eyes, as they had sat close, he had seen the answering echo of that same unsated craving. It pleased the male in him to know she felt the same, though he regretted testing her restraint with his bold touch. He had not been able to stop himself from caressing her soft skin, needing to feel their connection.

  Sighing roughly, Talbot shifted in the rumpled sheets. He must master himself, or he’d risk driving her away. Patience had never been his virtue, but he would walk through fire before dishonoring her trust.

  Throwing back the covers, Talbot rose from the bed. Perhaps a breath of night air on the balcony would cool his heated blood. Whatever this mating hunger raging through him was, he would leash it until Rose was ready. For her, he would find restraint.

  But once she was fully his, as fate decreed, all bets were off. The beast within would finally feast to its contentment. And if the longing in her eyes was any indication, his mate, in time, would welcome its hunger. For now, he would endure this sweet torture. Soon, very soon, the Queen of Venom would surrender to the claiming of her king. Patience, beast. Their time would come.

  Chapter Eight

  Horny Vampires.

  “Why is everything harder at night? Being sick …much worse at night. Fear … more intense when it’s dark. Desire … damn near impossible to ignore when the moon rules the sky.” ~Katy

  Katy sighed and shifted on the bed. Her body hurt everywhere, and she was sick of lying down and of feeling so weak. And now Otto was gone. He was going to help keep her best friends safe on their quest, which dulled the sting a little, but she still missed him. He was better entertainment than any show on TV.

  She heard the door to the house open and close. The butterflies, which had taken up residency in her stomach since meeting Gage, stirred wildly. She’d discovered that though her life force was tied to the two women and the bond made her weak, the weakness didn’t put a damper on her desire for Gage. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to be near him. When he’d left to take Otto to the plane, she’d wanted to cry out after him not to leave her. It was so irrational and ridiculous that she’d forced her lips closed. She could lie and blame it on the supernatural bond between them, but the truth was, she was already crazy about the Dire Wolf. He wasn’t just incredibly handsome. He was noble, bold, a man of good character—even if he was a grumpy ass—and Katy was completely smitten with him.

  “Whoa.” His deep voice rumbled as he hurried into their room. “Why are you getting up? You need rest.”

  “I also need to pee. Lucky for you, I’m already house broken. Although, leave me for too long and I’m bound to pee in your bed.”

  “Our bed,” Gage corrected and scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing at all. He carried her to the bathroom and set her on her feet. “You good?”

  “Regardless, you will not be staying in here while I use the restroom. In fact, go outside. And go far away.”

  Gage frowned. “Why?”

  “Because you’re a super-badass Dire Wolf, which means you probably have super-badass hearing, and I don’t want you listening to me pee.” She made a shooing motion with her hands. “There has to be some mystery in a relationship if you want the desire to last.”

  Gage’s lips lifted into a crooked smile. “Is that so? And how would you know this?”

  “Everyone knows. It’s what they say. Keep the mystery alive.” Katy’s voice rose with each word.

  He folded his muscular arms in front of him as he quirked a brow at her. “Who is ‘they?’”

  She was about to bust out in the potty dance if this fool didn’t get out of the damn bathroom. “They, they, they.” She waved her hand like a crazy person. “All the relationship experts.” Desperate, she shoved at him. “If you don’t give me some serious supernatural privacy, I’m not going to be responsible for my actions.”

  Gage started walking backwards. “Just so you know, I think I’m going to like a little fight with our loving.”

  Katy’s mouth dropped open as he laughed and shut the door in her shocked face. “What the actual?” She breathed out. “I’m not touching that. Nope,” she muttered as she took care of her business and then washed her hands. When she opened the door, Gage was stretched out on the bed—his usual black coat, as well as his shirt, nowhere to be seen.

  Katy froze in the bathroom doorway, momentarily spellbound by the sight of Gage’s bare chest rising and falling with each breath. Good gracious, the man was carved from granite. Smooth, tanned skin stretched taut over rippling muscles that no amount of workout videos could ever replicate.

  Swallowing hard, Katy forced her gaze upward to meet his knowing emerald stare. The smug glint in those eyes snapped her out of her trance.

  “Seriously?” She gestured at him incredulously. “Did you take your clothes off just to mess with me?”

  “I wanted to get comfortable.” His lips twitched, belying the innocence in his tone.

  Katy folded her arms, hip cocked. “Uh-huh. So the whole topless lounging thing isn’t some ploy to make me ogle you?”

  Propping himself up on one elbow, Gage gave her a slow once-over that made her pulse skitter wildly. “I mean, I won’t complain if that’s a side effect.” His voice dropped an octave. “Ogle away, Little Wolf. I certainly have plans to do the same to you.”

  A flush that had nothing to do with illness crept up Katy’s neck. She shook her head wryly, moving to sit beside him on the bed. “Nice line, Romeo. But it’s gonna take more than some sweet talk and muscle flexing to seduce me.” She trailed a finger down the hard ridges of his abs teasingly. “I’m an independent, modern woman. Your masculine wiles won’t work on me.”

  Gage’s abs clenched under her touch, but he merely raised a brow. “Is that a challenge I hear?”

  His large hand slid around her waist, and suddenly Katy found herself flat on her back, pinned beneath him. Gage braced himself above her, the heat and tantalizing scent of his body enveloping her. Katy’s breath caught as he nuzzled against her throat.