With two hands she grabbed his shirt and jerked him down to eye level. “If he wants to experiment on returning to human, that’s his damn problem. You are not, I repeat, not participating in that job. No way.”
“Don’t stand in my way of finally doing something good with my life,” Oz growled. He couldn’t tell if it was her ire or his own confusion about how she was acting that was getting him cranked, but whatever it was he could feel the edgy desire to bare his fangs.
“Fine. Fine,” she shouted at him. “You want to go do something stupid. Go. Because you know what, I can do stupid shit too.”
Shoving Oz back with a surge of power he hadn’t expected, Selene sent him stumbling into Garrison, who stepped aside to let him crash to the floor. Shooting one quick glare over her shoulder, she marched toward the door like a little wet warrior, hell-bent to do something Oz knew would piss him off.
“Stop right there,” he barked.
With a sharp turn of her head she stuck her tongue out and kept going.
“Woman!” Oz dashed toward the door, darting around Selene and appearing in her path quick enough to cause her to plow straight into his chest. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to find Raymond Tyrone and get my revenge!” She tried to once again push Oz aside, but this time he was prepared, bracing himself for her unnatural strength.
“Your revenge?”
“That’s right. Tyrone killed my parents. I want his head!” With all her weight braced against Oz’s chest, Selene’s feet kicked wildly, but still he did not move.
“Don’t you worry. You’ll have your revenge, but you’re not going out there to get it.” Oz seized Selene by her arms and picked her up off the floor a few inches so that she appeared to be running on an invisible treadmill. “Finding a cure will be our revenge, and you’ll get to celebrate the accomplishment when I’m human again.”
“What is wrong with you? You are by far the densest man I know!” She pointed a finger at Oz’s nose. “You are not playing guinea pig!”
“Selene, Oz will not be put at risk. At this time, no one will be…sacrificed for this endeavor, not even the revenants.” Serge rose from his seat and walked toward where Oz and Selene stood locked in a battle of stubborn will.
As Serge looked at Oz, a strange darkness passed over his face, and Oz knew his leader still wrestled with this decision. “My promise to find a cure will wait until we find another way, one that does not condemn anyone to certain death.”
“Well, okay. That settles it. You’re not playing mad scientist lab rat. I was right. Now put me down.” Selene pointed her finger to the floor, and Oz obeyed, feeling oddly like he might have actually been the one to win this argument.
Oz nodded to Serge and wondered how long the decision would haunt him and how he’d ever find another way. Without the experiments it was unlikely any cure would ever be found.
“It seems for now there are other more important issues at hand for both of you,” Serge said.
Motioning for Garrison, who Oz was certain had the entire episode catalogued on pictures in his phone, to move toward the door, Serge came to stand beside them, a sly smirk on his face. “It’s clear, based on this quite interesting—”
“And thoroughly amusing,” Garrison interjected.
The smirk widened. “…display of a power struggle that you two have some things to work out. Perhaps some explanations about the connections mates have are in order.”
Selene’s mouth dropped open as she looked up at Serge.
“I suggest you go back to Oz’s quarters to—”
“…get it on, finally,” Garrison interrupted for what Oz knew would be the last time.
Oz glared at the lanky pain in the ass. “Maybe you don’t believe she’ll shove that camera anywhere, but you know I will.”
“True,” Garrison said, taking a few more pictures as he raced to the doorway.
“As I was saying, I suggest you go back to Oz’s. I’m sure he has some dry clothes, and you can discuss this newly obvious situation. I’m going home to spend the rest of the evening with Harriet. She’ll be very happy to hear I’ve decided not to proceed with the experiments.” Serge walked toward the door, his voice dropping to a low whisper meant only for Oz. “She’ll also be thrilled to hear about the powerful woman who tamed The Wizard.”
Managing to keep his cheeks from heating, Oz allowed his attention to drop back to Selene. “So, it seems like you were worried about me. Does this mean you care for me?”
“No. Yes. I mean, not more than I care for anyone else, if that’s what you mean.” She pushed against his chest in an effort to break his hold on her, but before she could move back even an inch, his hands slid to her hips, keeping her in place.
“Oh, come on. You were worried about me, and not more than a few hours ago you let me touch you…in church.” He smiled. “Plus we kissed under the mistletoe. I know you don’t do that with everyone.”
Shaking her head and blushing the color of a poinsettia, she looked down. “Those behaviors were terribly inappropriate of you.”
“It’s not as though I had a choice. You were standing under the mistletoe. That means you have to be kissed, and I certainly wasn’t letting anyone else do it,” he whispered against her ear and loved the way she leaned into his embrace. “And, in church, you forced me to touch you. I had no way of avoiding the situation. Not that I was complaining.”
“But you did complain.” Her hands moved to his and she peeled his fingers from her body. “It’s late. I should go.”
Selene’s cheeks were wet, and in spite of the fact she was soaked, Oz knew the difference between plain old water and tears. He tilted her chin up to face him. “No chance, love. I’ve waited far too many nights, practicing what I’d say to have you leave without giving me a chance.”
He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I can’t lose you before I’ve had a chance to love you.”
HER VAMPIRE PROTECTOR
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Seated on a chair in Oz’s kitchen, cuddling a large tan and black mutt with big chocolate brown eyes and short wiry fur while Oz searched for some clothes that might fit her was not where Selene imagined she’d end her night. In fact, she hadn’t imagined being in Oz’s kitchen ever. Mainly because she never imagined vampires had kitchens.
“This is a bit of a surprise,” she mumbled, finding it quite difficult to keep her voice from cracking.
Was it excitement about being here, excitement that he might truly care for her in the same way she cared for him, or excitement like she figured a person gets when she knows all holy hell is about to break loose in her life?
“Yeah, I’m sure it is.” He walked in, shirtless and wearing a pair of flannel pajama bottoms that sported a puppy-dog pattern.
Before she could manage to stop the smile from appearing a giggle escaped.
“Hey, laugh if you must, but I’m not the only one who has them. Alice had them made for everyone who gave a donation to the Dog Adoption Night event.” He draped the shirt to the pajamas across the table. “Come here, Scooter.” Deftly he plucked the large puppy from her lap. “You can wear the top, and then since I don’t have a pair of pants that will even come close to fitting you, I tossed a blanket on the couch for you to cover up.”
“Oh.” She blushed. She felt it. The heat rushed to her cheeks in the same way a sparkler lights and flames. There was no way to deny she was nervous. It showed on her face like a giant tell. Thank God they weren’t playing poker. Instead, just a little game of hearts. What could happen?
He smiled and led the way to the bathroom. “Take your time. You might feel better after a hot shower, too. I’ll see you in the living room.”
She nodded and closed the door, leaning back against it for stability.
A shower? Yes, a shower would help, though cold was probably a better choice.
After the shower, she combed through her hair and used the dryer to get a handle on the unruly mess.
“If I can’t control my life, the least I can do is control my hair.”
What would Aunt Margery and Uncle Ralph say? She could hear Uncle Ralph’s voice in her head expounding on the sanctity of marriage and the need to wait on all things falling in the wifely duty category. She could hear Aunt Margery agreeing with a “but we can just take care of this right now.”
Selene probably should have married Oswald in church a few hours back. If she had, then this might not be so improper. Super sexy, yes. Improper, no, not really. Plenty of women wore their husband’s nightshirts with no panties. Plenty, she was sure of it.
By the time Selene had gotten up the courage to leave he bathroom she thought Oz could have gone to bed himself, which would have been perfect because then she could sneak down to the infirmary before too many people arrived for the day shift. Her clothes must be there. Where else would they be? Was it possible they were still in the SUV parked in the garage? She couldn’t leave the building with nothing on the bottom half. It was bad enough she was considering traipsing around the interior of the base with nothing on.
What had gotten into her? If her parents could see her now, they’d die.
“You okay?” Oz was seated in a big lounge chair with his feet up and the puppy cuddled into his side.
She nodded, suddenly jealous of Scooter.
“You sure?” He lowered his feet and came to her. “You look angry.”
“No. No. I’m fine.” She pivoted toward the couch and pulled the blanket around her body as she sat.
There was no sense in getting mad at a puppy for cuddling up with Oz. But, why in the hell did she want to pull its tail?
“Okay.” Oz came to sit beside her, taking her hands in his. “I had pictured this going quite differently.” He frowned. “A lot differently, and I didn’t anticipate the…” He pounded on his chest. “…the way my…” He rolled his head back on his shoulders. “Just do it, Ozzy. Get this taken care of. Do it.”
A light sheen of sweat appeared on his upper lip. Watching the way each muscle from his neck down to his chest to his abdomen flexed and bunched, rippling with such impressive perfection made it quite easy to disregard the fact he might be crazy.
This nervous behavior was new. Selene had never once seen Oz anxious. She’d never seen him look anything but cool and collected.
“You can do this the right way. Yeah, I can,” he said, dropping his gaze to hers. The deep green color of his eyes reminded her of dusk on the forest’s edge when the last rays of sun barely lit the trees. Dark, yet alluring with the hint of danger.
“Do what and how?” she asked, stroking her thumbs over his skin and leaning slightly toward him. A sudden desire to calm him, to make him feel like he could do it the right way, whatever it might be, surged through her. “I’m sure you can do it.”
There was some unspoken, unnamed need to help him.
Help him what, she thought? Oz never needed help. Yet, here he sat looking as lost and helpless as his puppy.
The feel of his hands, strong, yet gentle, would have made her relax, but the fact was she didn’t know what he was talking about. The combination of his touch and being at a disadvantage due to the lack of knowledge, plus the strange force compelling her to assist him made her tense. “I don’t know what’s happening,” she said.
“I pictured candles and moonlight and, I don’t know, the beach or something. I didn’t picture my living room after I knocked you down and soaked you to the skin with an office cooler.” He shook his head, staring at their hands, all the while his fingers skimming hers. “I wanted you to feel special, to want this as much as I do.”
Then, it dawned on Selene. She was sitting half-naked in the living room of a man who had sex with every woman he met. What was she thinking? How could she first have let this happen and second, be stupid enough to feel worried for him?
“Are you trying to seduce me?” The very idea was exciting and irritating. She wanted Oz to care for her, to want her, but she certainly would not be thought of as or treated like any of the women he dated.
Just how had she allowed Oswald to even consider treating her like one of the whores he’d bed, one of the thousands of whores he’d bed?
Selene yanked her hands from his and crossed her arms over her chest. “How could you?”
“No!” His attention went from his hands to her face, and that’s when she saw him.
For the very first time she saw him. There in his wide eyes as plain for Selene to see as if his face was plastered on a giant billboard was a horrified look. Part shock and part utter disappointment.
“Never. I’d never treat you like that.” He looked back at his empty hands, curling them into loose fists and dropping them to his lap. “You don’t understand. From the very first moment I met you I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“From that night forward there has been not one other woman in my life. Not one that could compare.” The slight scruff of beard shadowing his cheeks ticked with the tightness of his jaw. “I knew you were my mate. Before I saw you in that blazing car I felt you. I felt your soul call to me for help when I was more than a block away and I came to you.” He shook his head. “For as long as I live I shall cherish no other more than you.”
Selene sat back, gathered the blanket around her and pulled her feet up between them before scooting to the end of the couch. “How can this be?”
“I don’t know. I can’t explain it myself. I’ve never had a mate.”
Selene closed her eyes and forced herself not to argue. Oswald had “had” a mate. He’d “had” plenty of women.
He inhaled a harsh breath. “I’ve never loved anyone, not like this. I’ve never felt compelled to give my life for someone or to kill everyone who comes near her. It’s new to me. It’s…I can’t explain this invisible thing.” His hands opened as if to hold an invisible ball before his chest. “This magic you have. I don’t understand it, but sometimes I like it. I love it. Other times, it makes me crazy.”
She knew about vampires having mates and about how the vampires were quite often struck impotent by some miraculous power these women had over them. But she did not believe for even a second she had any undiscussed, indescribable, unfathomable control over Oswald.
With extraordinary effort she managed to force words from her lips. “Is this what you tell all the women you bring back to your lair? Is this little demonstration what every woman gets to see?”
How could he for even a moment’s time use such a garbage excuse to try to make her sleep with him? The man had no respect for women. He didn’t care about her at all.
“I am a member of The Guard and you are trying to…you’re treating me like I’m some—”
“I am trying to explain that I love you. I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you.” He dropped to his knees. “You have to believe me when I tell you there has not been another woman in my life since the night of the fire.”
A hard and impossible to swallow lump grew in Selene’s throat. She’d loved Oz from that night. She’d dreamed of him hundreds, thousands of times. But she’d seen his behavior and heard the stories about his past indiscretions.
Oswald Addison was a hound, a ladies’ man, a pig.
“You’re lying.” She fought like hell to hide the tears burning behind her eyes. “If you had ever loved me, you’d never have continued with all those women. You’d never have left me alone in that church. You’d never have tried to make me forget that night.”
There was no way she could ever love a man who worked so hard to deceive her.
HER VAMPIRE PROTECTOR
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The flare of pain that seared through Oz’s mind, straight to his heart forced him to double over, gasping for air. The pain of his mate’s distrust in him was worse than any wound he’d experienced during any battle.
Bent forward on all fours he slowed his breathing, brought his being to focus on the moment and not allow himself to be drowned in the
pain. He knew better than to attempt any use of his vampire skill with Selene. First, he stood no chance of correcting this situation if she thought he was trying to influence her. Second, he knew from other members of The Guard that influencing your mate with vampire seduction was a near impossibility. He was certain the fact they were mates was what limited his influence over her and explained how she knew of him in the church and how she remembered him from the night of the crash.
“Selene.” He lifted his head and sat back on his heels. “I was wrong to try to make you forget. I did it only to protect you. At sixteen you did not belong trapped with me. You needed a chance to experience life, to grow to adulthood. It was not our time.”
Whether it was anger or hatred or pure disgust, Oz was unsure. But whatever she was feeling, she felt it through to her core and it radiated across the invisible line that connected his heart to hers.
“Aaaah!” His body bent back, head dropping. “I swear I never intended to hurt you. I love you.” He bit out the words through gritted teeth.
“Oz?” Selene moved along the couch until her face appeared above his. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”
“You have to believe me. You have to know I love you.” Sweat dripped down his body. The muscles in his face, neck, chest, and back were cramped so tightly he couldn’t move.
A wet plop dropped onto Oz’s face. Then another and another.
“I wish I could. But there are so many other women. You love them all.” The tears that had pooled in her eyes poured from her face to his. “I can’t be one of those girls. I want better than that.” She sniffled and swiped at her cheeks. “I deserve better than that.”
The next flash of pain blinded Oz. Never in his more than three hundred years had he heard of any vampire experiencing anything like this. Any bond he had observed had always been a wonderful thing.
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