Begrudgingly Yours ch. 08

ASH'S POV

As the meeting adjourned and Liam dismissed us, I stayed behind to speak with Victor.

I could feel my heart hammering against my ribs as I stared at him. God he was so handsome, just looking at him made it hard to think. And, being alone with him now, all I wanted to do was curl up in his lap and bury my face in his neck, absorbing his scent. Bathe myself in it.

I lifted my head and stared up into his dark, brown eyes that, were now, peering down at me with a mix of lust and love. He was so intoxicating, so Goddamn... delicious.

My fangs extended and my breath went shallow as he scooped me up, off the couch cushion, and pulled me into his lap. I turned, facing him, straddling his lap.

I put my hands on his shoulders and leaned into him, then gently brushed my lips against his. He opened his mouth and I licked over his bottom lip with the tip of my tongue.

A soft growl erupted from somewhere deep inside him then he took my mouth, oping it wide, kissing me hard. He sucked and licked, devouring my mouth with his. His kiss was hot and hungry. His hands slid down my back as he ravaged me, then cupped my ass and pulled me closer.

I could smell his arousal and I was almost certain he could smell mine. I ground my ass against the swollen bulge in his pants. His hands gripped me tighter, harder, pulling me into him more. I felt my own erection pressing against the soft fabric of my pants, demanding to be set free. If this went on any longer I'd have to shower and change again before leaving the mansion.

I pulled back and Victor groaned. His eyes, full of need, looked at me for explanation.

"We need to stop." I told him, breathlessly.

"Why?"

I laughed. "I can't greet my father smelling like slick and cum."

He smirked. Apparently the idea was a turn on because he tried to pull me in for another kiss but I put my hand on his chest to stop him.

"I'm serious." I smiled even though I was trying to sound stern. "And, also, I need to talk to you about something."

He looked at me, his dark eyes warm and patient, waiting, like he knew I needed time to find the right words.

It felt like there was a wall of heat between us, drawing me closer with every breath I took. I wanted to kiss him again, to feel his arms around me. Hell, I wanted to burrow beneath his skin and live inside him but I couldn't. I had to be rational about this.

I swallowed hard, my fingers twisting in the hem of his shirt, wondering what it would feel like to run my hands under his shirt and over the bare skin of his chest. I shook the thought away and focused.

"Victor..." My voice cracked. I hated how small and unsure I sounded. But this was important. I had to know. "I need to ask you something and please, be completely honest with me."

"Ask me anything." He said. "I'll never lie to you, Ash."

I nodded, then took in a deep breath. "Victor, we've known each other for like a day now. I know the pulls of a fated mate is strong, stranger than anything I've ever felt. But, you still have a choice, and I need to know if you're sure. Sure about me. About... this." I gestured between us. My hands trembled. I felt so exposed, naked, but we had to have this conversation before we could go any further and I needed to know that this was for real and not just pheromones controlling us.

"Are you absolutely sure about being my mate? Because, if you're not, please, tell me now, before..."

He put his finger to my lips to stop me talking. His brows drew together and he looked... sad. Like I'd just wounded him without meaning to. "Ash," he said softly, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. "I have never been more sure of anything in my life. There is no one that I want more. There's never going to be anyone I want more. You're it for me and if you're worried I'll have second thoughts, let me assure you, I'm already invested. I love you. I've loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you and nothing is ever going to change that."

"But, how can you be sure?" I asked. "How do you know it's not just nature and pheromones? How do you know it's real?"

Victor exhaled slowly, his eyes locked on mine. The way he was looking at me... I shuddered. I couldn't help it. The man did things to me I never dreamed possible. Just being near him, touching him, made me feel dizzy and completely at his mercy,

"I know it's real because I know my heart. I know what I want, and I want you. I can't explain it. I just know that when I look at you, my heart stops, I can't breathe. Everything about you calls to me, your scent, your voice, your skin... when I first realized you were my mate I tried to fight it. I tried to suppress those feelings, but I couldn't. The more I fought, the harder it was to resist until I finally realized that it was impossible. There was no use in fighting because I can't live without you."

He paused for a moment and ran a hand through his hair.

"You said before that you need blood to survive, right?"

I nodded.

"Well it's like that. You need blood to survive and I need you. You're my blood."

"What about chocolate?" I asked.

"Huh?" He looked confused.

"I can't survive without chocolate." I told him. "What about you?"

"You're nuts."

"Yeah, I like those too."

He shook his head and laughed. "What am I going to do with you?"

I grinned. "Oh, I bet I could think of a few things."

"You're kinda naughty aren't you?"

I shrugged. "Do you like naughty?"

"I love naughty."

"Then yeah, I can be as naughty as you want."

"Really?"

I nodded. "I read a lot of romance novels."

"Okay, now I'm really intrigued." He chuckled. "But first, I have a question for you."

I blinked. "Okay."

"Are you sure about this? You've been through a lot, and I can't pretend to know what that Niklas guy did to you but I can tell he hurt you."

He put his hand under my chin and pulled my face around when I turned away.

"Like now. Whenever anyone mentions his name you go to this dark place and that scares me. Ash, baby, you know you're safe now, right?"

I nodded. I knew I was safe. Victor would never hurt me and I knew he'd kill anyone who tried but he couldn't erase the memory of what happened. Maybe, one day, he'd erase the fear, but I didn't know.

"I don't want to push you into anything. If you're not ready, we can take things slow. Just... tell me what you need. Anything, and I'll make sure you have it. Time... anything."

"I don't need time." I told him. "And. I am ready. I'm sure about you and me. You're my mate. I feel it in my heart and in my soul. I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner. I think maybe the trauma of everything..." I took in a deep breath. My voice shook and my eyes filled with tears.

"I was scared. Niklas did hurt me and I was afraid that if I let myself trust another man, if I let myself love, I'd be hurt again. I don't think I could survive it again."

Victor took my hands and held them tight. "Honey, what did he do to you?"

I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't get the words out. Instead, I shook my head, turning my face away from him, guilt and shame preventing me from looking him in the eyes.

"It's okay." He whispered. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but just know, yo can always tell me anything. I'm your mate. You should always be able to talk to me."

I wanted to tell him everything and I felt he deserved to know, especially if we ever planned to be intimate in the future, which I did. I was just scared of being rejected, or worse. What if I told him and it changed the way he felt about me?

"You say that now but what if I tell you and you hate me?" I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. They came crashing down over my cheeks, staining my hoodie. "If you thought of me differently, or looked at me differently, I couldn't handle it. After everything, you're the one thing still holding me together. Without you, Victor, I'd have shattered to pieces by now. When you found me in the woods last night I... I was ready to die. I thought about killing myself. Even had a plan on how to do it but then you found me..."

Victor stiffened. I tried to turn away from him but he wouldn't let me. He held my face in his hands. forcing me to look at him and I swear I saw tears in his eyes.

"You listen to me, Ashlynn Dargan. Really listen. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, you can say that will ever make me hate you. Whatever that bastard did to you..." He cringed almost as if he already knew but for my sake couldn't say it, "was not your fault. Do you understand me?"

I nodded, wiping at my eyes. "But if..."

"No." He shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. No one here blames you, so you need to stop blaming yourself."

"But, you don't know..."

"I do." Victor closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as a shudder ran through his body. I could tell he was trying to suppress his emotions, his anger. I could feel it. "You're my mate." He told me, opening his eyes again. "I can feel your fear, your pain. And when you were talking about killing yourself, I felt the anger, the hatred and shame." He paused for a moment then went on in a shaky voice. "He raped you, didn't he? He raped you and you blame yourself because you think you're weak but baby, you are not weak. You fought back, you found your way here, and you survived."

It was like he was reading my mind, or my soul. And, maybe he was. Maybe that's what being soul mates meant. To know each other, inside and out. To feel each others pain, sorrow, and happiness. To be closer than you have ever been to another living creature, to be one.

"God, Ash. You are so much stronger than you even realize. And yeah. I do think of you differently now because I no longer see a frail, frightened, little omega. I see a man brave enough to stand up and fight against impossible odds. I see a man who never gave up even though it seemed like the world had given up on him." He brought my hands to his lips and kissed them as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I see a warrior and Ash, I am in awe of you and honored that I was chosen to be your mate. Chosen by you. Not your father, not your King, not even by fate. You chose to follow your heart and give it to me and I will cherish it forever."

I couldn't speak. He'd just reached in and laid my soul bare for all to see. That we were alone was the only thing that kept me from completely breaking down.

I pressed my face against his chest and cried while he rubbed my back. "Let it out." He whispered. "You've held it in long enough." And he was right. I had.

I really had.

Everything I'd been keeping locked inside was welling up and rising to the surface. I knew then that I could never hide anything from him. He could read every emotion on my face and feel everything I felt.

If it had been anyone else, I'd have felt vulnerable, stripped bare but with Victor, it didn't bother me. I wanted him to know me. I didn't want to keep anything from him. He was may mate. He understood me like no one else did or ever would. It was true that I'd only known him a day but it felt much longer. It felt like I had known him my entire life.

"Listen," he said, his fingers slipping under my chin so he could tilt my head up and meet my gaze. "What Jai said earlier, about the 'Threads of fate' bond and how it could help us at the the meeting and maybe even at the trial, how do we use that? How does it work?"

"Oh, well..." I dried my tears on my sleeve and tried to focus on the question. "From what Jai was saying, there's a section of the treaty about bonded or fated mates. Threads of fate means a mated pair that are fated and their bond is sacred. To try and separate them is an affront to nature. It's an old belief but still holds true today. It's even written into our laws. A fated mate trumps a chosen mate. Not even the high council can demand that a fated pair be separated."

"Because it can result in death?"

"I nodded. "Usually when one of the mates is an omega but I've heard that betas and even alphas have died when a fated pair had the bond forcibly severed."

"Would a fated pair ever willingly sever a bond?"

"Yes, but it would have to be done with a ritual and both mates have to agree to it and actually want it. I don't know why they would ever want that though and honestly, I've never heard of the ritual actually being preformed."

"Me either. Especially since I've been told that once the claim has been made, neither mate would ever desire anyone else."

I hesitated a moment, my eyes shifting downward as I thought about what he'd just said, remembering that Shifters mated for life, sacred bond or not. I honestly wasn't sure how the fated bond worked with Vampires because I'd never actually met a bonded pair. If it was true of Vampires as well as Shifters, then that could explain why fated mates were so rare in Vampire society. Vampires lived extraordinarily long lives but if the mate of a fated pair died, it's likely the surviving mate would die as well, and many of the ancients have taken their own lives simply because they were tired of living. Others had become living statues. Alive, but not.

"Omegas mate for life." I told him. "We're the only ones in Vampire society that do. It's possible that an alpha Vampire of a fated pair, could still desire someone new. I really don't know, but if he or she did decide to abandon their bonded mate, it would mean death if the abandoned mate were an omega. Maybe that's why the ritual exists."

"I suppose it's possible." He agreed. "But would the omega even be willing to sever the bond?"

I shrugged. "Maybe, if they wanted to live. Though, I find that unlikely. The bond is so strong that it would be hard to live with the rejection. The only way I could see it happening is if there were children. An omega's bond to their children is as strong as the one to their mate."

Victor was silent for several minutes, taking it all in, before he spoke again.

"So, how is the claim made. I know how it's done with Shifters but for Vampires, how does it work?"

Without even realizing what I was doing, my hand rose to my neck and I touched the spot under my left ear. "A mating bite. Usually the dominate mate bites the more submissive mate but both can wear the mark if they choose. After the claiming bite is made, they declare themselves as a mated pair to their coven leader and the heads of each family. A blood ceremony follows and that's it. Though the claiming bite is really all it takes, the rest is tradition and a way for the mating to be on record in case it's ever challenged."

"So, the declaration and ceremony is important but not necessary to seal the bond?"

"Right."

"And, the blood ceremony, what exactly is that?"

I took a moment to think of a reference I could use to explain it, one he would probably know. The mating or claiming bite was like a wedding ring. It was a permanent message to all that the omega, or alpha, was mated and not available. So, what could I use to explain the blood ceremony?

"The ceremony itself is symbolic. Like a wine ceremony during Human weddings. The officiator pours one glass of red wine. The married couple then pricks one of their fingers and add a drop of their blood to the wine. The officiator blesses the wine and then the couple..." I paused, trying to find the right word. "Feeds... it to each other... I guess."

"Okay, but why the blood? Is that just a Vampire thing?"

I had to laugh at that. Yes, it was very much a 'Vampire thing.' Blood itself is an important part of Vampire culture, and not just because it's our main source of nourishment. "To a Vampire, blood is the foundation of everything that we are or can be. Our history and lore tells us that the first ever Vampire, Hedda, was created when she drank the blood of an Angel. As punishment for slaying and then desecrating one of God's divine creatures, he cursed her to an immortal life of darkness, hiding from the sun, walking in the shadows. Never allowed to die yet not actually living. She became something in between, something unnatural."

"Wait, I thought you could tolerate sunlight?"

"Blood born Vampires can." I explained. "Vampires that were born and not made. When we're very young, the sun hurts but doesn't kill. As we grow older, we build a tolerance to it. For Human born Vampires, one's that were once Human but sired by a Vampire, the sun is much more dangerous because they still retain some of their Human blood, making them weaker. It can cause serious, painful, burns, or even kill, depending on the age and strength of the sire. To sire a Human, you need permission from the council. Young Vampires are never allowed to sire someone though. They're not strong enough and it's likely the Human would die instead of turn."

Victor stayed silent, absorbing every word I spoke. It felt good to captivate his attention like that. In all my life no one has ever cared so much about what I had to say. It was nice just to have someone to finally talk to who actually listened.

"Blood was life but it also became a curse. An agonizing and overwhelming thirst for blood that was nearly impossible to resist. Hedda eventually found a mate, a Human named Antone, but after years of loneliness and watching everyone around her grow old and die, she decided to turn Antone, make him immortal so he would never get sick, grow old, and leave her alone. Together they spawned many children and those children are who we, Vampires, are descended from. The blood that Hedda gave Antone bonded them together, forever. So, now it's become a tradition during a mating or marriage ceremony to share the blood of your mate."

"So, it's just symbolic then?"

"Well, yes and no." I brushed a hand through my hair, trying to find a good way to explain this to him. "I don't think there is any denying that there's a little bit of magic in Vampire blood. It can be used to sire fledgling Vampires, which essentially stops death. It can even be used to heal. But, another thing that it can do is create a bond between two Vampires. If we share our blood we can create a blood oath, and unbreakable promise between two people. I say people because this bond extends to anyone who tastes a Vampire's blood, any species. It allows them to share memories, feelings and thoughts. Sometimes its temporary sometimes permanent. The point is, our blood connects us to whom ever we choose to share it with in a way that you can't even comprehend unless you've tasted it first hand."

Victor pursed his lips. Then, he let out a slow breath. "So, you're saying your blood creates a psychic link between you and whoever you share it with?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"But, wouldn't that be dangerous for anyone who's not a Vampire? If I were to drink your blood, wouldn't that 'turn' me?"

I smirked at his question and shook my head. "Nope. Not a drop. Hell not even a cup full. It takes more than that to turn a Human, even a shapeshifting one."

Victor smiled and I gave him a quick wink.

"But, you could turn me if you wanted to, right?"

"No. I'd need permission from the council and that's rarely given. Plus, I'm too young and no where near strong enough. I don't even know if a Shifter could be changed, honestly. I've never heard of it happening before. I know that Werewolves can't but there are other species that can, like Elves."

"So, if I drank your blood, even a drop, it wouldn't turn me, just create a blood bond between us?"

I cringed suddenly, shaking my head. "No. No, no, no. That would be a fate bond. A blood bond is something entirely different, and not a very pleasant thing."

"Okay, so how is a fate bond different than a blood bond?"

I tensed. I had mentioned Blood bonding earlier when Liam and the others were still present. I explained to them that if found guilty at the trial, I was facing one of two punishments. Being immured, or blood bonding with Niklas, as he had requested it. To be immured was a horrible fate. Buried alive and sealed away until my death. Being as young as I am, it would probably take a month or two of being deprived of blood, but the starvation would be excruciating.

The hunger would lead to unimaginable pain, then my body would begin to wither. Madness would follow. I would begin clawing at my own flesh, ripping it from my bones just to get a taste of blood. I could quite possibly drink myself into a moartea adormită, or sleeping death, which would speed up the decaying process. Eventually though I would waste away to nothing and die. As gruesome a death as it was, I would still prefer it to a blood bond.

"Blood bonding is seen by some as barbaric and some have even tried to have the practice abolished but it's still legal in extreme cases. It's done in front of the high council and usually the coven leader. An overseer is typically present as well to prevent unnecessary pain or abuse, and it can only be preformed on an omega."

"Why only an omega?"

"Because we're considered weak. Once mated our bodies belong to our alpha mate and Blood bonding is a way to keep us in line by taking away our free will."

"That is barbaric."

"Yeah, it is."

"So how does it work?"

"It starts with a mating bite, like in any normal mating though in this case it's usually by force. This only happens when the omega refuses the mating for whatever reason. I said before that omegas mate for life and that's true but it's more physical than emotional. Once the claiming bite is given, an omega won't ever feel desire or arousal for another man unless their mate dies. But that doesn't mean they love their mate. Honestly, there's rarely ever love in arranged mating's. They're more about duty and honor, continuing the blood line, but never about love. So, as you can imagine, there have been times when an omega has refused an arranged mating."

"Like you did with Niklas?"

"Exactly. And there have been other times when an omega has run away from an abusive mate. Well, blood bonding prevents that from happening which is why the claiming bite is forced. It gets worse though."

Victor's eyes widened as if he couldn't imagine anything worse than a forced mating. I don't think he had even anticipated how much worse it actually got.

"After the claiming bite, the omega would be secured to a table or some kind of flat surface then they would be drained of their blood, nearly to the point of death. In the old days, the alpha mate would drink their blood. That practice is still allowed but the blood draining is monitored very closely. The more modern way of doing it is by machine."

"Has an omega ever died from this?" Victor asked.

"Yeah." I frowned. "A lot actually. There's a chance that the alpha wouldn't be able to stop and accidentally kill their mate. That's why machines are used now. Only a sadistic freak would choose to drink the blood himself."

"So, that's why there's an overseer." It was statement of confirmation more than a question but I nodded in answer.

"That and also because it's very painful for the omega. The body begins to go into starvation mode which is excruciating. Vampires have gone insane from prolonged starvation."

"Then what keeps the omega from starving to death or going insane?"

"Blood letting." I told him. "The alpha either forces the omega to drink his blood or the omega is given a transfusion of the alpha's blood. Doing this basically turns the omega into a slave."

Victor narrowed his eyes as he scratched the back of his neck. "Not trying to sound insensitive, but Vampires drink blood to survive, how does drinking their mate's blood turn them into a slave?"

"It's not insensitive." I told him. "I understand that you don't know a lot about my kind, so feel free to ask me anything." I smiled at him. He kissed my hand and smiled back.

"Thank you for understanding."

"Of course." I blushed some. He was so kind and his eyes were full of love when he looked at me. I wondered how I had gotten so lucky.

"Blood bonding isn't the same as simply feeding. It's what a Vampire does when they sire, or turn, a Human. They drain the Human blood until there's almost nothing left. They're then forced to drink the blood of their sire and that blood rebuilds them. It makes them stronger and faster. But it also makes them dependent on their sire. Once, long ago, sire's were referred to as Masters. That's because the bond between sire and fledgling is more like master and slave than parent and child. The bond fades over time but when it's done to a blood born Vampire, like me, it's different."

I swallowed hard, my hands twisting together in my lap. The entire subject was distressing to talk about, especially considering that it could possibly be my fate if the council found me guilty. Just the thought of becoming Niklas's blood slave made me sick to my stomach. Even saying the words aloud tasted like iron on my tongue. It was important that Victor knew everything though, so I forced myself to go on.

"If Niklas were allowed to do it to me, it would be like... cutting away a part of my soul and stitching him into the empty space. His voice would be in my head. His commands would be stronger than my own will. If I tried to resist him... it would hurt. It would burn me from the inside out, and if disobeyed too many times..."

I took a deep breath, my hands trembling. "It could kill me. I'd never be free again. I wouldn't be me anymore. I'd just be a husk of who I was, his puppet."

I finally dared to lift my gaze. Victor's face was rigid with fury, his hands clenched into tight fists but his eyes--his eyes showed devastation and pain.

My voice dropped to a whisper as I fought back more tears. "That's what Niklas wants." I told him. "To make me his puppet and control me until the day I die. That's why I can't lose at the trial. I can't be forced to..." I shook my head, trying to shake away the dread building in my heart. "I'd rather die."

I could tell that my words cut Victor like a blade to the heart. I could almost feel his pain. He inhaled sharply, like the air around us suddenly became to heavy to breath in. His fists curled up at his sides and he tensed. He looked deep into my eyes and when he spoke, his voice was rough, low with barely contained rage.

"I won't let that happen." He told me. "I'll never let that monster hurt you again, I promise."

I closed my eyes and exhaled a shaky breath of relief. That was exactly what I needed to hear and I believed him, with every trembling beat of my heart.

Victor lifted his hand, slow and gentle, and brushed a finger along my jawline. His touch was feathery and light, like he was afraid if he used to much force, I would shatter, like fine china.

"If I claimed you," Victor said, his thumb grazing the corner of my mouth, "Niklas can't touch you. Not now, not ever. Not even the council can argue the bond of a true mate. A true claim--a fated bond--would nullify any claim that Niklas thinks he has over you."

"That's true." I whispered. "But Victor, claiming me, it's a life long decision. I'd understand if you needed more time to be sure before you committed yourself to anything. We don't even know what the outcome of the trial will be. If I lose and they agree to Niklas's request..."

"They won't." Victor said quickly. "They can't. A fated bond is sacred, right?"

"It is but I tried to kill a noble, a Lord. They won't let that go. Do you really want to be bound to someone who has no future?"

Victor sat back against the couch, frowning. His body was tense, and his mouth tight. He took a deep breath then looked to the fire that was still burning steadily in the hearth. For a long moment neither of us spoke. Victor was deep in thought, eyes transfixed on the flames as they licked the pile of wood stacked in the center of the fireplace. His stare was pensive, lost in thought. He stared at the fire as if searching for an answer in the searing heat.

"I won't let them hurt you." He reiterated. His voice was stern, hard, but sounded a million miles away.

"I don't see how we can avoid it. I committed a crime. I have to be punished. That's just how things work."

He turned back to me, a look of contempt crossed his face. "Niklas committed a crime, not you. You defended yourself."

"But they don't know that." I sighed. "To them, I tried to kill my future mate to avoid being claimed by him."

"But he hadn't claimed you." Victor wasn't asking, he was stating a fact. Suddenly his eyes lit up as though a light bulb had just gone off in his head. "Ash, he hasn't marked you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah... we've already established that. And he never will mark me. I'll make sure he's really dead, next time."

Victor chuckled. "Baby, don't you see? You're father may have signed the mating contract with Niklas but you didn't. You never agreed to mate with Niklas and he never claimed you, so you had every right to deny him but he assaulted you anyway. His entire case against you rests on the fact that he thinks he owns you, and had the right to do whatever he wanted to you. But he had no right to you and according to Vampire law, it's illegal to take an omega by force before the claiming bite has been given. Not that it should be legal to take an omega by force either way, but this law works in our favor."

He was right, it should be illegal to take anyone by force even if they were your mate, and I did understand what Victor was saying. Niklas had, in fact, broken the law. But to use that as a defense, I'd have to accuse him publicly, before my father and the high council."

"I... I don't know if I..."

"Baby," Victor put his hands on my cheeks and cupped my face. "I know you don't think you can stand there and tell them what he did, but you can, and I'll be right there beside you."

Could I really do it? Maybe, with Victor at my side. He was my rock now, my strength. I leaned forward and laid my head against his chest, just over his heart. I could hear the soft, rhythmic beating of his heart and imagined my own, beating in time with his. "Okay." I told him. "I'll do it. I'll tell them everything. Starting with my father when we meet with him tonight."

Victor held me against him for the longest time, the only sounds in the room were the soft crackling of the fire and the beating of our hearts. I may not have realized when I first met him that he was my mate but I was sure of it now. Victor was the only man that I wanted. The only man I would ever want. He's the one I could see myself with forever, or maybe for as long as Victor lived. I couldn't live without him. I knew that. And forever was such a long time. Who wants to live forever, anyway?

"Victor?" I asked softly, looking up so I could see his face.

"Hm?"

"Will you claim me?" I whispered.

He touched my face, his thumb sliding over my bottom lip. His touch was so gently it nearly shattered me. "Are you sure you're ready?"

I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes. I've been ready for this my whole life. I just never knew it until I had met Victor. "I trust you Victor, with my heart, my soul, my very life. I trust you."

A low, aching growl broke from Victor's chest. In one swift desperate motion, he pulled me against him, his mouth crashing against mine. The kiss was searing, consuming, and full of all the things we had left unsaid. But we didn't need words. We communicated with our souls. His hands tangled in my hair, mine grasping his shirt. My grip tight. I pressed myself as close against him as I was able. His hand cradled the back of my head and his tongue pushed my lips farther apart, looking to gain access. I allowed it, taking his tongue into my mouth and kissing him while sucking, my hands still fisting his shirt. I wanted to rip it off him and slide my tongue over his hot and muscled chest. I wanted to open his jeans, free his cock and impale myself on it but that would have to wait.

We broke apart, panting and dazed, and he pressed his forehead to mine. "I swear to you," he rasped, his thumbs brushing my cheeks, "Ash, my mate, my soul--I will never betray you. I will never let you fall. From this moment on, you're mine as I am yours. Forever."

"Forever," I echoed, my voice shaking with the weight of our promise. Forever meant something different to an immortal. I would age slower, live longer, and be forced to watch those I loved wither with age and die. I'd probably die one day, or slip into a sleeping death, not wanting to continue living. But that would be hundreds, even thousands of years from now. But I knew now that I would never allow that. I would be with Victor until the day he drew his last breath, and then, I'd follow him into realm of shadows, wrapped in his arms. We truly would be together... forever.

Victor shifted slightly, cradling my face, exposing the curve of my neck. I tilted my head to the side without so much as a moments hesitation and offered myself to him completely. Surrendering all that I am. He pressed a kiss to the spot just above my pulse, and for one heart-stopping moment, he just held there, breathing me in, grounding us both.

Then--with a swift, precise motion--he closed his mouth over my skin and his fangs pierced me. I felt a quick, sharp, electric sting and then, I was putty in his hands, completely lost to the sensation. His fangs were long and thick, not like the needle-like fangs of a Vampire and his bite was powerful. Pain bloomed, sharp and sweet, but it was nothing compared to the explosion of power that roared through me a second later.

The bond snapped into place like a chain forged in sunlight, tying my soul to his with a blinding force that was both terrifying and beautiful. My body went limp under the serge of energy rushing between us. I slumped against his chest, dazed, breathing hard and feeling the pulse of the bond throbbing through every vein, nerve, and bone in my body.

He held me close, arms wrapped around me, pressed against him like I was something precious, something worth protecting. He pressed a kiss to my temple. "You're safe," he murmured against my throat, his breath warm and soothing and his voice broke with emotion. "I love you."

I believed him. I was his. I was safe.

I closed my eyes, relaxing to the sound of his breathing and the rise and fall of his chest. Exhaustion soon took over and I gave myself up to the darkness, drifting to sleep in his arms.