“If you decide to change—”
“To become your mate.”
“No, you are already my mate. We are bonded in ways you do not understand yet.”
She narrowed her eyes in confusion.
“One thing at a time,” he placated, rubbing his thumb over her fingers. “If you choose to spend your life with me, you must become a vampire. For your safety and because it is our way. The hours I have been keeping are not sustainable long-term, nor could you function in our world.”
Brayden’s eyes ran over her face, watching her reaction. Her chest barely moved; her breathing was shallow from the trepidation of hearing his next words.
“If you do...”
“God, Brayden, spit it out.”
“Then I will bite you.” His eyes looked apologetic yet full of determination. “I will drink your blood to connect us. Blood has power, even yours as a human. Then you will drink some of mine.”
His fingers tightened around her as she sat frozen, listening. “It will trigger a genetic change in your body. Over the next few days, I will continue to feed you until the transition is complete.”
She attempted to swallow what felt like sand. “Is it painful?”
He nodded.
“Could I die?”
He held her stare for a long time. “No.”
She looked at him in disbelief.
“No, Willow, you will not die. Some have, but I swear on my life you will not die.”
She choked and started coughing. “What, because you decree it, or some other reason?”
Cough, cough.
Brayden looked around the room, his jaw set in frustration.
“Both,” he said firmly. “For the reason I mentioned earlier which I cannot divulge more on. You will be an immortal once the transition is complete. After that, the only ways to end your life is a knife in the heart or decapitation.”
Her mouth gaped at his words.
“To be fair, you can die those ways right now.” He shrugged.
She couldn’t argue with that. He was right.
“So I’d live forever?”
He nodded.
“What do you do all day?”
Brayden let out a little laugh and pulled her into his arms. “Prince stuff. I’m also the Captain of the Royal Vampire Army, so I keep busy when I’m not wooing my mate.”
She snorted. “What would I do?”
He brushed hair off her face and kissed her lips gently. “Anything you wanted. The world will be your oyster. There will be royal duties as my mate; however, if you want a job, we could create one or find something you want to do. Or you can keep running your business for a while.”
She realized what he meant. Eventually, she would draw attention when she didn’t age.
“What about my friends?”
He frowned. “It’s tricky. Most of the turned vamps seem to leave their human lives behind. Those are the things you could ask Seraphina. There can be no risk to the race, for our survival and safety.”
She snuggled into him, her mind ablaze with information and thoughts which were both terrifying and confusing. The idea of losing her friends, of never seeing Brianna again, was heartbreaking. Yet for reasons she couldn’t explain, the idea of losing Brayden made her body shake and her stomach nauseous.
“Tell me about being a mate.”
He pulled back from her and tipped her chin up. “For a vampire, there is only one mate. When he mates with a female, the other is impacted whether they are human or vampire.”
Oh.
“We don’t understand why it’s possible to cross-mate, we just know it does happen. It’s a chemical reaction chosen by both parties, so I want to be clear this isn’t something I have forced upon you or vice versa.”
The desire to kiss him came over her. She knew she should be paying closer attention, but she suddenly couldn’t keep her lips to herself. He moaned, and with surprising speed, bit her lip gently in response, then pulled away and smirked at her. She giggled.
“Mates are, for the most part, inseparable. Being apart is painful. An ache in your chest you can’t relieve. A need which can’t be fulfilled any other way.”
“Do humans experience these feelings as well?” she asked, curiously.
“Yes, but it may be more visceral for vampires. Have you ever felt the same way with a man as you do with me?”
She shook her head. It was true; she hadn’t. However, she’d assumed it was because she’d fallen in love with Brayden. Their sex life was incredible, and she never felt happier than when he was around. The pull to be near him was palpable for sure.
“Once we are officially mated and you’ve become a vampire, those feelings will intensify.”
“If.”
He nodded sadly. “Yes. If.”
“I can’t imagine wanting you more than I already do, Bray.” Willow nudged up against his erection, which had appeared not long ago.
“You will.”
He cupped her bottom and pulled her into his body, plunging his tongue into her mouth. Melting in his arms, she let herself forget for a moment what they were talking about.
“If we didn’t have an audience, I would fuck you right now,” he said against her lips.
Wet pooled between her legs.
“Do it,” she whispered.
Brayden shook his head.
“I share you with no one.”
He rubbed a thumb over her nipple, and it hardened. Lifting her top, he took it in his mouth and flicked it with his tongue. “As much as I want to.”
Willow gripped his cock.
“God...”
She unzipped his jeans, and knowing he would be commando, reached in.
“Fuck.”
Taking advantage of his surprise, she slipped out of his arm and climbed down his body to take his hard shaft in her mouth.
Holding the base of it, she opened his top button to gain better access.
“Willow, fuck, baby.”
Taking him into her mouth, she slowly eased him to the back of her throat. In and out. In and out. Teasing his cock with her tongue.
He threw his head back and clenched the sheets. She let him fall out of her mouth, and she slapped him on her lips. Back in he went, and this time, she sucked harder, wishing he were inside her.
A hand grabbed her hair and tugged.
“Deeper, baby,” he said quietly, but they both knew it was useless. Everyone could hear them. Gliding him in and out of her wet mouth, Willow felt him grow bigger, getting close. “Put your fingers in your pussy for me, baby.”
Heat flushed through her veins, roaring her body to life. She reached down, slipping her hand under her panties and feeling her wetness. Further she went until two fingers were inserted. She groaned.
“Yes. Yes, God, that,” he cried as quietly as he could. “Now, let me taste you.”
Brayden all but ripped her arm up to his mouth and sucked her fingers hard. “Fuck, yes, fuck.” One hand in her hair, he pushed his cock into her mouth, forcing her to take him deeper as he sucked on her fingers coated in her wetness.
He came hard and fast while she swallowed deep. When he was spent, he pulled her up his body, swiftly ripping off her panties and spreading her over his open jeans.
“Sit down on my cock, Willow.” He was hard again. It no longer surprised her. He lifted her and placed her on his cock.
“Mphhm,” she let out, trying to muffle her cries into his chest.
“That’s it, oh God.” He groaned. “Ride me.”
Again doing all the work, he gripped her hips and moved her up and down his cock. The denim from his jeans rubbed harshly on her bottom, but she didn’t care.
“Come. Now,” he instructed, and her body obeyed.
“FuckfuckBraydenohfuck.”
“Yeah, baby, milk my cock dry, that’s it. Oh God.” He came again, grabbing her head and slamming his lips against hers.
Together, they collapsed and lay panting. She could feel his
heart under her chest and enjoyed just listening to it beat.
Finally, she raised her head and said, “Good talk.”
He smirked.
CHAPTER FORTY
Brayden was aware Willow had used sex as a distraction from the heavy conversation. And hell, he wasn’t complaining. He would give her whatever she wanted in whatever order and time she required.
Goddamn his fucking brother and Kate for ambushing them. Sure, he realized they were trying to help, but Brayden was trying to manage her exposure to information—shocking information—in a way that stopped her from wanting to bolt.
They had no idea how delicate this situation was. Perhaps if they’d seen her meltdown the day before they would understand. He didn’t know whether she was now in total denial, the beginnings of acceptance, or overwhelmed.
As he watched her re-dress and give him a sexy smile, he really hoped it was acceptance. “Do you want to talk some more before we go back out?”
She shook her head and sat down on the edge of the bed to put her shoes on.
“Wil.” He sat up and kissed her neck. She immediately leaned into him. So reactive and sexy.
“Yeah?” She turned and her lips found his again, soft, moist, and welcoming.
“We go at your pace, okay? I’ll manage my family.”
She nodded.
He put his cock back into his pants, splashed water on his face, then opened the door, Willow ducking under his arm. Three, two, one...
“Nice chat?”
Seriously, was I this cruel to you when you mated Kate?
You have got to be joking, right?
Yeah, he probably was.
Okay, but she wasn’t human, so ease up.
Suck it up, buttercup.
He coughed, surprised by the enjoyment Vincent was getting from his angst.
By the way, I wiped Sera’s and Carlos’s memories of your conversation. You went too far with information about our blood.
Yeah, I know, but I had to give Willow some reassurance. Hopefully, she’ll be a Moretti soon and it won’t be a problem.
I hope so too.
“So, tell me about your transition. Was it painful?” Willow asked Seraphina, who nodded.
“I won’t lie; it was long and painful. I didn’t know what was happening, so I felt like I was fighting for my life.”
He watched Willow frown. “You didn’t tell her?” she asked Carlos, who shook his head.
“Not many vampires do. The common perception is, it’s easier to convert and then apologize.” The vampire gazed at his mate. “It took a while for her to forgive me, and I’ll never know whether it was the wrong or right thing to do, but I couldn’t live without her.”
“And you forgave him?”
“Eventually. There is a lot of grief in leaving behind your humanity, your human life, and your friends,” she said. “However, it becomes hard to fake it after a short time. All the lies you have to make up when you can only see people at night are a really small example.”
She reached over and took Carlos’s hand, then looked back at Willow.
“Your mate is your life. Brayden wasn’t joking when he said you can’t live without them. I know now I would never have loved again.”
“Is it true? Could I never love another man? Ever?”
The growl came out of nowhere, along with the fangs. Then all hell broke loose.
“Ah, shit. Willow,” the king said, standing up and reaching for her.
“Step away from my mate!” he growled, fangs on full display.
Kate stood up and collected her jacket. “Okay, folks, to the back of the plane. NOW!”
Brayden watched the four of them retreat, shepherded by the queen, while Willow moved as far away from him as she could in her seat, looking terrified.
He wasn’t surprised they’d all gotten the fuck out of there. There was nothing more dangerous than a mated male triggered.
“Brayden,” Willow said, fear thick in her voice.
Fuck.
He needed to get a handle on things.
Hearing Willow ask if she could love another man had tripped him up. That she could want it ripped at his heart and made him furious. Not at her. At the imaginary man.
God, he was so on edge. Was she in danger around him?
No. Fuck that. He forced his fangs to retract and stood to get some space. He began to pace. “I’ll never hurt you, Willow. Fuck me. I’m sorry!”
She tucked her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. If she began to rock, he was going to punch himself in the face.
“You looked like you were.”
He dropped to his knees, taking hers in his hands. “Just don’t fucking talk about being with another man.”
Willow dropped her face to her knees.
“Baby. Listen. What if I told you I had a girlfriend back home?”
He was playing with fire here. There was a whole raft of females who would be upset back home, and vampire females were not shy or bashful; they’d make their disappointment known loudly, so planting this seed could backfire on him. Yet, he needed to make his point so she understood his reaction.
It occurred to him her possessiveness had yet to be tested. Her head whipped up and she glared at him.
“Do you?”
“How would you feel if I did?”
“DO you?”
He shook his head. “Answer the question.”
“I’d be furious. DO. YOU?”
He sat back on his heels and took a breath. “Yes. And no. I’ve had many women in my bed over the years. Some recently. None since the moment I met you.”
Anger pooled in Willow’s eyes as her mouth became taut. “When were you going to tell me, Brayden? Or were you going to invite them into our bed?” she seethed.
“In the past, I would have done so. I held many orgies.”
Her feet dropped to the floor. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” She pushed against his shoulder. He smiled. “You think this is funny?”
He grinned.
“What is so fucking funny? You fucking other women?”
Brayden stood and sat back in his seat. He turned and pulled an angry Willow into his arms. “No, baby, I will never, ever, ever touch another female again in my life. Nor do I want you to be with another man. But please, do me a favor and don’t ask if you can love another man. Fuck, Willow, I nearly punched a hole in the side of this goddamn plane.”
She began to relax slowly, then eventually melted into his arms. “This is so friggin’ hard.”
She wasn’t wrong.
A few hours later, they landed. Sera and Willow had sat talking while he and Vincent caught up on royal business. They had promised to catch up while she was staying at the castle.
“We’ll leave you to settle in and see you for breakfast tomorrow eve.” Kate gave Willow a peck on the cheek, and Brayden watched carefully as his mate allowed it, comfortable.
They were making progress.
He led her to his vehicle. The black Lexus LS 500 had been parked at the airfield for months while they were on the West Coast.
“Nice wheels.”
He opened the door and she climbed in. It was so good having her in his life. They drove the forty minutes to the property, and as they neared, he felt it was time to prepare her.
“Willow, like any royal family, I’ve told you we live in a castle.”
“Sure, that makes sense.”
“Have you ever seen a castle?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t know we had them in the United States.”
He pulled up to a set of big gates, the system recognizing his vehicle and scanning his face. They began to open.
“No. Officially, we don’t. Although”—he glanced at her—“you probably know there’s one in Hawaii.”
She grinned. “Yes, I’ve been. It’s a palace, not a castle, but details, details.”
Brayden wound down the long and winding driveway. “Well, unofficially, we do, and
you are about to see it. Prepare yourself.”
Willow laughed. “I think I will be fine—whoa. Holy mother...Jesus, what on...you live here?”
Yeah, that. Brayden listened to an abundance of expletives and shock pour out as he drove past the enormous gray castle set on seven acres of land. He followed the road through another set of gates, past the west wing, and then parked in his private garage. He currently had six vehicles and one motorcycle—a Ducati Testa Stretta.
Brayden turned to face the only human to ever set foot on their property. “Welcome to Moretti Castle.”
She gulped slowly.
They entered the castle through an internal lift which took them directly to his wing. The west wing belonged to him. Kate and Vincent were in the south of the castle.
The doors opened into a huge alcove filled with luxurious rugs and furniture. Above them, a balustrade formed a semicircle accessible from the sweeping staircase nearby. The walls were white stone, with glass doors and windows treated with a protective surface. Outside, it was still dark, the lawn lit up with little lights, and thick trees beyond for as far as you could see.
Downstairs, there was a large sitting room, a kitchen—even though there was a main kitchen with chefs in the castle who created meals for them—a dining room, library, and bar.
Willow silently took it all in as she followed him upstairs. There were four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, to the right, but Brayden took her hand and led her to the left.
He opened the door to the master suite.
“Oh!”
The room was enormous. The size of half a normal house. In the middle was an enormous four-poster bed with white draped fabric. He’d had his staff change it from the red when he knew Willow was coming home with him.
“This is gorgeous.”
Classic antique furniture in rich woods were scattered around, and paintings hung on the walls. A set of beige sofas sat off in one corner with a small table. On one wall was a large fireplace with a plush wool mat in front just waiting for him to make love to Willow on.
Two double French doors opened out to a balcony where fairy lights blinked and sparkled. In the master bathroom, there was a large hot tub, an enormous open shower with over ten different jets, and a double vanity. One wall was completely made of mirrors.
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