Abby didn’t know what the rock did, but she was certain it couldn’t be good.
Not good at all, she acknowledged as the rock glowed with a purple hue and a smirk touched the round face.
“You are near, Chalice. I can sense you.” He moved to search the nearby parked cars. He peered into the branches of the tree. And inevitably he spread the leaves of the bush. “Hello. What do we have here?”
Abby should have been terrified. Or at the very least slightly fearful.
Instead she was really and truly pissed off.
Dammit. She wasn’t out looking for trouble. All she wanted was to find the witches and be done with the whole ridiculous business.
Why the hell couldn’t they just leave her alone?
As her temper mounted, so did the tingle of heat that was filling her blood. The Phoenix within her was preparing to take measures to protect itself.
And there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop it.
Pressing herself into the prickly branches, she held out her hand. “Stay back.”
“Or what? You’ll scream?”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
There was a beat before he gave an ugly laugh. “You hurt me?”
“Yes.”
“You haven’t got the skill or the nerve. That’s the trouble with you Goody Two-shoes.” He glanced deliberately downward. “No balls.”
The fire burned even hotter. Freaking hell. Why wouldn’t the idiot shut up and walk away? She had warned him, hadn’t she?
Of course he possessed testosterone. A woman offering him a warning was as good as waving a red flag in front of his face.
“I’m telling you that you’re the one who won’t have any balls if you don’t leave me alone.”
“You think your vampire is going to come rushing to your rescue? I can promise you he’s already back in his grave where he belongs.”
Abby shook her head. She didn’t know much, but she did know that Dante wasn’t in any grave. Not until she got her hands upon him.
“No, he’s very much alive.”
The man shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. He’ll soon be dead or turned to our side. The master has a special talent for recruiting.” The round face hardened. “Even those who never wanted to worship the dark lord.”
“It’s not too late,” she urged. “You can walk away.”
“Walk away? No one walks away. Not unless they have a death wish,” he snarled. “You’ve wasted enough of my time. Let’s go.”
“No.”
“Shit.” He lifted a threatening fist. “Do you think I won’t hurt you? The master said you were to be alive, but he didn’t say anything about roughing you up.”
Abby didn’t doubt his willingness to hurt her for a moment. She sensed that he took a great deal of pleasure in slapping around those weaker than him.
Just like her father.
But he was no demon or zombie or even powerful wizard.
She knew deep in her heart she could kill him with horrible ease.
“Fine, I’ll come, but you have to step back first,” she retorted, hoping to gain some distance.
“Do you really think I’m that stupid?” The beady eyes narrowed as he reached out to grab a handful of her hair. “I’ve had enough, come on.”
Abby’s eyes watered as he gave a savage yank on her hair. She found herself tumbling forward, and out of sheer instinct, she reached up to grasp the man’s arm. She had only intended to keep from planting her face in the ground, but the moment her hands touched his wrist, a burst of heat flared from her palms.
The man gave a keening cry as he snatched his hand free and cradled it to his chest.
“You . . . bitch. You stupid bitch,” he gritted, a malevolent hatred glittering in his eyes. “You’ll pay for that.”
A sickness tightened Abby’s stomach. She recognized that expression. She should. She had seen it often enough.
With a flashback of horror, she watched as the man curled his fist and raised it to strike.
No.
She rose to her feet.
Not again. Not ever again.
Preparing to launch a vicious right hook, the man was too blinded by fury to consider he might actually be outgunned by a woman four inches shorter and a hundred pounds lighter.
Not until she dived forward and planted her hands in the center of his chest.
Smoke began to rise as he howled in pain, but Abby didn’t waver. The wizard wannabe would kill her given the chance. She didn’t intend to give him the chance.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Abby became aware of Dante swiftly approaching. Oddly he halted beside the tree rather than tossing himself into the fray.
Whether out of fear she might toast him in confusion or because he was alarmed he might distract her, she couldn’t say. And at the moment she was a little too occupied to care.
Clutching at her arms, the man struggled to pull her closer.
“You’ll pay for this,” he panted.
Abby gritted her teeth as she pressed harder. A horrible stench began to fill the air. The smell of burning fabric. And what she suspected was searing flesh.
Then, just as she thought she could bear no more, her assailant gave a strangled cry and with a desperate wrench he was stumbling away from her.
Just for a moment she considered following after him. She didn’t doubt he was an evil man who was capable of harming any number of innocent people. But, while she was prepared to protect herself, she knew she could not deliberately chase down a fleeing man and put an end to him.
That zoomed way beyond her comfort zone.
Instead she sank to her knees and sucked in a deep breath.
“You can come out now, Dante. I know you’re here.”
Chapter 19
Dante stepped from behind the tree with a faint smile. He recognized that peevish tone. It meant that Abby was well aware of his extracurricular activity with the dark wizard and was not a bit pleased with him.
“You did well, lover. That fool will think twice about coming after you again.”
She stepped toward him, planting her hands on her hips. “Why didn’t you help me?”
“Did you want my help?”
That made her briefly falter. Her independent nature made it nearly impossible for her to admit she might need assistance. From anyone.
At last she shrugged. “It’s not like you to stand back and watch me duke it out.”
Dante cocked a brow at the unfamiliar phrase. “Duke it out?”
“Fight off the bad guys.”
He reached out to grasp her arms and tug her close. He breathed deeply of her warm scent. A scent that now held his own blood. That knowledge made a purely male pleasure race through him.
“You seemed to be holding your own.”
She leaned back to stab him with a narrowed gaze. “Okay, what’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“I could feel you behind the tree, and I know damn well you were itching to charge out and kill that man. What stopped you?”
He smoothed back a stray curl. “I needed to know that you wouldn’t hesitate to fight.”
She made a strangled sound. “God almighty, I’ve been in a full-scale war for days. Why would I hesitate now?”
“You’ve been fighting demons and zombies, not humans. In your mind there’s a difference,” he pointed out. “I needed to know you could overcome your fear of harming another.”
A flush touched her cheeks. “Oh.”
His finger brushed her lips. “Are you all right?”
Her lips twisted in a grim smile. “As all right as I can be right now.”
“No regrets?” he pressed.
She took a moment as she glanced down the now-empty street. “Actually . . . no. This may be horrible of me, but it’s nice to know that I didn’t panic when the chips were down.”
He tugged her closer. It was a lesson she needed to learn for herself. But it had been hell standing back
and allowing her to discover her strength.
He would rather be staked than go through that again.
“A powerful woman. I like it.” His lips skated over her temple. “Sexy.”
“Is there anything you don’t find sexy?”
“What can I say? Vampires are insatiable.”
His hands were lowering to the flare of her hips when she was suddenly pushing against his chest.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“You’re not going to distract me.”
His teeth nipped at the lobe of her ear. “It could be fun.”
She gave a faint shiver before she was sternly stepping back and folding her arms over her chest.
“No. You lied to me.”
Dante ruefully conceded that Abby wasn’t going to be deflected. She was smoldering with the need to rake him over the coals. A pity. With the immediate threat gone, he could think of better means of passing the time.
“That’s rather harsh,” he mildly protested.
“You told me you were going to lay a false trail and pick up the scent of that demon.” She poked her finger at his chest. “You didn’t say anything about flexing your testosterone with that damn wizard.”
“He’s going to be a pain in the ass until we can get rid of him. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder.”
“Did you . . . ?”
“No.” Dante gave a disgusted shake of his head. He had been preparing for battle. He hadn’t considered the notion the bastard would use his powers to elude him. “The coward scurried away rather than fight like a man.”
More chest poking. “There was more than just him running away. I could feel you, and I know that there was some sort of fight.”
“Hardly a fight. Or even a skirmish.” He held out his arms. “Look at me, not a scratch.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve had your blood; I know there was some sort of fight.”
His lips twitched. “More a minor disagreement.”
“Dante . . .”
He cupped her chin in his hand. “Abby, I found the wizard, we exchanged a handful of threats, I had him in my grasp, and like a fool I allowed him to disappear. Nothing more.”
“You’re lucky he did disappear. I have warned you what will happen if you get yourself hurt.”
Dante smiled as his gaze dropped to her mouth. Surely he had allowed her enough chiding? It was definitely time to move on to more interesting activities.
Debating whether he dared to pull her back in his arms and kiss away her temper, he was abruptly whirling, his fangs extended and his hands curled into claws. A vampire was near, and he wasn’t about to take chances.
On cue, Viper stepped from the shadows and folded his arms over his chest. Even to Dante’s eye he appeared a lethal threat with his large body attired in black and his pale hair pulled back with a heavy silver clasp. An ancient predator who wouldn’t hesitate to kill.
The familiar mocking smile curved his lips.
“Really, Dante, I thought you would be knee-deep in witches by now, and here you are playing with your new toy.”
Dante cocked a brow. “What are you doing here?”
“I was following the trail of your wizard.”
“Too late.” Dante glared toward Selena’s dark estate. “He already made his grand appearance.”
“And now?”
“His grand exit. He called upon the Prince.”
Viper shrugged. “It’s only a matter of time.”
“He’s proving to be a pain in the ass.”
“Aren’t all wizards?”
“I did manage to injure him. You should be able to follow the scent of his blood.”
A beat passed as Viper slid his gaze to the silent Abby. “You aren’t in a hurry to be rid of me, are you, Dante?”
He was, of course. He was possessive enough to resent the manner in which Viper watched Abby.
“I have my own trail to follow.”
As if sensing Dante’s prickling unease, Viper deliberately strolled toward Abby and lightly touched her hair.
“And games to play, eh?” He stilled, lowering his head to sniff at her neck before reaching to grasp her arm and turn it upward. “What is this?”
Never one to be manhandled by anyone, Abby was struggling against the vampire’s hold.
“Hey. What are you doing?”
Viper’s startled gaze cut toward Dante. “You mated her? Well, well. Congratulations.”
Belatedly noticing what had captured Viper’s attention, Abby regarded the intricate red scrolling that now tattooed the length of her inner forearm.
“Holy crap. What is that?”
Viper gave a short laugh. “She doesn’t know?”
Abby stabbed him with a wide gaze. “Dante?”
Dante briefly considered the pleasure of tying Viper around the tree like a pretty bow.
“I did tell you that when you took my blood, we would be mated,” he reminded Abby.
She appeared far from appeased. “You didn’t tell me that I was going to look like a biker babe from hell. Will it go away?”
“No.”
“What does it mean?”
Dante opened his mouth, but Viper was quicker.
“That you have been branded. No other vampire may have you now.”
Dante closed his eyes, perfectly prepared as he heard Abby suck in a deep breath.
He might not know a great deal about human women, but he did know they possessed a fierce dislike for being treated as property.
“Branded? You branded me?”
“For all eternity,” Viper added in smooth tones.
Dante gave a low growl. “You are not helping, Viper.”
Viper blinked with mock innocence. “Ah, you wanted me to lie to her? You should have given me some signal.”
“Go.” There was no mistaking the threat in his tone. “Go kill a wizard.”
Viper’s expression was suddenly somber as he moved to lay a hand on Dante’s shoulder.
“Be careful. The Prince is calling on his minions. The town is crawling with demons. Most of them in a nasty temper.”
Dante gave a small nod and watched Viper disappear into the shadows. Only when they were alone did he cautiously approach Abby and gently take her hand.
“Abby, it won’t hurt you.” His fingers ran over the scrolling mark. The demon inside him howled in triumph at the symbol of ownership, but he was wise enough to keep his expression sympathetic. “It’s . . . like a wedding ring. A symbol of my love for you.”
“A wedding ring can be removed. I’m marked forever.”
Dante didn’t need her blood to sense the tension that hummed about her stiff body. A frown tugged at his brows.
“Abby? This isn’t about the brand, is it?”
She shivered as she forced herself to meet his searching gaze. “It didn’t seem real until now. It’s frightening.”
“Me?”
“No, of course not. It’s just that I never thought about spending my life with someone. After my parents’ marriage . . .”
At last realizing the source of her sudden bout of nerves, Dante put an arm about her shoulder and pulled her close.
He hoped her father was burning in hell.
“We aren’t your parents,” he murmured softly. “I could never hurt you. Never.”
She pressed her face into his chest. “I don’t know how to be a mate. I’ve been alone all my life.”
“Is that what you want? To be alone?”
He felt the shudder that raced through her. “No, but what if I disappoint you?”
Dante touched his lips to the top of her head. “Do you love me?”
“Yes, I love you.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
She pulled back, her face pale in the moonlight. “What if it’s not enough?”
His hand cupped her neck. “The brand isn’t a prison sentence, Abby. There is nothing to keep you from walking away whenever you want.”
>
“And what about you?” she demanded. “What does the brand mean to you?”
He hesitated a moment before confessing the truth. “You are my mate. There will never be another.”
His soft words seemed to catch her off guard. Then amazingly he felt the tension begin to ease from her body, and a rueful expression settled on her face.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Her arms encircled his waist. “I’m not usually the hysterical type.”
Dante savored the feel of her heat pouring into his body. He wasn’t sure how or why he had allowed her to become such a vital part of his life, but he knew he would never survive if anything happened to her.
“I can’t imagine what’s wrong,” he teased, his fingers tangling in her hair as the familiar surge of desire began to harden his muscles. “It’s not as if you have acquired an unwanted spirit or been hunted by demons or nearly sacrificed by a dark wizard.”
She gave a reluctant chuckle as she snuggled close. “I think it was the tattoo that made me a little wacky.”
“Not the thought of being my mate?”
A welcome amusement entered her eyes. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“A mate isn’t the same thing as a wife, is it?”
He gave a vague shrug. “Does it matter?”
“Of course it does. I have no intention of spending the rest of my life being some sort of unpaid servant to you.”
Abby his servant?
He choked back a laugh of disbelief.
“Don’t worry, lover, I’m fairly low maintenance,” he assured her with a guileless expression. “Once you’re done scrubbing the floors and washing my clothes and serving me blood while I sit in front of the television, you will have plenty of time to do your darning.”
Her elbow dug into his side. “Darning? More likely I’ll be sharpening my stakes.”
With a chuckle Dante tapped the tip of her nose. “I’ve been taking care of myself for centuries, lover, and to be brutally honest, if I wanted a servant, I could enthrall any human to do my bidding.”
“Enthrall?”
“A trick that all vampires possess.”
Her brows lifted. “Did you ever try to enthrall me?”
His finger moved to outline her lips. “Never.”
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