Zoe jumped, but the bite just made her cum harder and it was a moment before she could speak. She sat up with an accusing look in her eyes.
"What the FUCK, Thad? Why did you bite me? Seriously, that’s not..." Zoe trailed off as the magic of the bite started to spread through her. She felt the mate bond slam into place, and Thad dropped the mental shield he’d been holding.
Reality came crashing down around Zoe. Thad was a werewolf, and he had just marked her as his mate. No questions, no discussions, and no fucking choice for her! She was furious and jumped from the bed, still breathing hard from the intense orgasm he’d just given her.
"You fucking bastard! How could you do that to me? I hate you for taking my freedom. You just made the worst mistake of your life, pal. I will make you miserable, you can fucking count on that," she shouted, her arms moving with her passion, causing her bare breasts to sway.
Thad hung his head, but said nothing yet. She was right and he deserved the rant she was giving. He let her yell for a few more minutes, hoping she would soon calm down enough to listen for a moment. "How did you hide being a werewolf? That alone would have kept me away from you."
"The women in my family are witches and have crafted amulets that allow us to disguise out true nature." Thad answered.
"And, what? You just did all of this because I didn’t remember you this morning didn’t you? Some kind of twisted revenge?" she spat hatefully.
Thad could take no more and turned to her and shouted, "I did it because I love you!"
She stopped yelling for a moment, but the furious gleam didn’t leave her eyes. "You don’t even know me, asshole. And now we’re stuck together for the rest of our very long lives."
"Zoe, listen to me, please! Please?" His voice softened and he looked her in the eye, not flinching when he met her angry gaze. She nodded and he breathed a sigh of relief. At least she would listen.
"Ok. I know about your family, Zoe. I know about the gift in your blood from Artemis. One of my ancestors lived near yours in Greece. Generations ago he aided the god of love, Cupid, with an important task. In return for the assistance, Cupid granted him a boon. The man had many rich friends, but few of them were happy. He asked that the men in his family be able to know their ideal mate on first sight, ensuring them a chance at lifelong happiness. Cupid was delighted with the request and readily agreed. That magic was passed down through my blood, just as yours was." Thad looked at Zoe as she paced the floor from his spot on the bed. He searched her face for any sign of give, but found none. He wasn’t done; he had to tell her everything.
"Cupid has given some of us dreams to lead us to the right woman. I didn’t know who I was looking for- I would get a flash of olive skin or a swish of curly dark hair and then the sign at Dark Hungers."
"When I saw you at the club, it was like being hit by lightning. When you chose me I was delighted. That night was magical for me. Pleasure as I’d never known. But you didn’t remember me the next day. I was disappointed, but I knew what Artemis’ blessing drove you to. When I came back tonight, I brought my brother to see if he reacted the same way to you. But he didn’t. When you danced, I was almost driven mad by the jealousy and at the same time I felt that you danced for me." He looked up at her, his dark eyes sincere and said, "I’m so sorry, Zoe. My instincts were driving me to claim you before you got away, and the idea of someone else’s hands on you instead of mine infuriated me. Please, don’t hate me. Please." He stood up and crossed the room to pull her into his arms.
"Look at me, Zoe." He tilted her head up so he could meet her eye and said, "I love you, Zoe. I will treat you with respect and give you anything you want for the rest of our lives. The sex we have is beyond fantastic, but I love just talking to you. We can hold a conversation that has nothing to do with sex at all and you still keep my full attention. You are smart, and beautiful, and a lot deeper person than most give you credit for. I will hold you when you’re sick and listen when you talk. I want to be with you, and eventually, we will have a beautiful family and grow old together. For now, I would be content if you just gave me the chance to make it up to you. Just don’t hate me, please." Zoe pulled away from him and walked to the window, looking anywhere but at him.
Zoe fought to stay angry with him. She tried, she really did. She had lost her freedom and she’d been blinded with rage about it at first. But as she listened to Thad plead his case, her anger faded and her heart melted. She hadn’t even been aware that she longed for love. Now that it was being dangled in front of her, she realized how very badly she did want it. She wanted everything he’d said. Her former life had satisfied her completely and she hadn’t seen the faults there until it was compared to the life Thad was offering her. Her life seemed depressingly empty and shallow when compared with the future Thad had presented. The future she hadn’t even known she wanted. But she did want it, desperately. She turned around and her heart ached at the heartsick expression on his face.
Zoe let the corner of her mouth turn up in the beginning of a smile while she used a falsely fierce tone to speak. "You know you will spend the rest of your life making up for this, right? I’m not forgiving you, just giving you a chance to redeem yourself."
Thad’s smile brightened his whole face and he crossed the room in a few large steps, pulling her into his arms and crushing his lips to her in a possessive kiss. "That’s what I’m counting on, babe." He led her back to the bed and proceeded to plead his case for their chances of future happiness for the next several hours.
About the Author
Amanda R. Browning lives in southern Indiana with her husband and three children. She has been an avid fan of all things paranormal her entire life. After being a dedicated reader since childhood, she started writing when she ran out of books to read and her brother challenged her with, "So write something."
Amanda does intense research for everything she writes, hoping to lend a sense of reality to the worlds she crafts from imagination. She is a big fan of history and tries to find a piece of real history to explain with the paranormal. She writes all types of paranormal fiction, from horror to romance to erotica.
Amanda is the author of The Immortal Choice Series, and is currently writing the sequel to Birth of the Nyxian, as well as several short stories. When she isn’t glued to the computer writing, she can be found with her children exploring the woods near her house for the hidden fairy portal, or playing zombie tag.
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www.TheImmortalChoiceSeries.weebly.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @ImmortalChoice
Other Books
Birth of the Nyxian: The Immortal Choice Series Book 1
Phoenix Awakened: The Immortal Choice Series Book 2
Short Stories featured in:
Dark Light
The Withering Darkness
The Dark Hunger
Morbid Seraphic
Grim Vengeance
Sinister Seductions
Bella Morte
Milf and Cookies
Darkest Desires
Coming Soon
The Immortal Choice Series Book 3
Supernatural Strippers Book 2
Caitlyn's Lament
Bound by Moonlight
Living Sacrifice
Name Series
The Immortal Choice Series
The Claiming of Zoe (Supernatural Strippers Series) Page 3