“What’s the price, Emma?”
I knew, but I needed her to say it. If she was truly evil, then I needed to know for sure.
She leaned forward, whipping me with her power as she whispered against my mouth. “Your soul.”
“No, please, Emmalein, don’t do this.”
“Give me your soul,” she growled in a voice laden with Blood Demon magic.
Her power burned through me, wrapping itself around every fiber of my being. Rage and grief rode me. I closed my eyes and focused on the thread within me, the one that led to my fated mate. Our soul connection. It was dull and tattered, a useless cord that led to a black wall of sulfuric evil and darkness.
I dropped my head back in despair, exposing my throat to Emma. A life without my mate was not a life I wanted. It didn’t matter if I had a soul or not. Without Emma, there was nothing.
“I won’t fight you. You don’t need magic, just take it. I give you my soul freely, but there will be no exchange, no medallion, no revenge. It’s my gift to you.”
Her body pressed against me. Her palms were hot as her claws dug into my forearms where she gripped me. She exhaled against my throat, sending a wave of sulfur to bite the back of my nose. Her fangs scraped against my skin as her hot tongue licked a path up to the bottom of my jaw.
“Thrice done and your soul is mine. But just this once and you can see your life as it could be.”
Her power spread out, permeating into every bone of my body.
“You still have a choice,” I pleaded.
I gasped as I felt the tips of her fangs pierce my skin.
She stilled. Both of us froze in position.
I grabbed onto the tattered soul bond within and poured all my love into it. Everything I felt for her. It was her choice. I would give her whatever she needed, even if it was my soul.
Her fangs slid deeper, causing my blood to trail in a slow line down my neck.
“I love you, Emma,” I whispered.
She panted hot and heavy against my throat, neither moving forward or back. She was fighting the darkness. The colors in our soul bond pulsed, bright, then dull again. She was fighting the magic. Whatever her father had done to her, she was fighting it. I poured more of my love into the bond. I gave her my strength, my all.
“Free will, remember? You still have a choice, Emma. It’s your choice,” I whispered.
She screamed and pushed me away with so much force that by the time I opened my eyes I was already on my ass on the floor.
She rushed to the brazier and plunged her hands into the coals. The smell of searing flesh filled the air as she screamed with so much agony it punctured my heart.
“Emma!”
I ran forward and caught her before she fell to the ground.
The tattoos were gone, leaving her hands a ruined mess of burned flesh. She breathed hard and fast as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I … I choose you,” she panted.
Our soul bond pulsed and thickened as an indigo thread joined the other colored strands. And then she went limp in my arms as she passed out.
“Looks like she made the right choice,” Gresham said from beside me.
Holding Emma safely in my arms, I took in the scene around me. Dust littered the ground and my pack surveyed the remains, no doubt looking for medallions. But I didn’t care. I’d found what I needed. And she was resting in my arms. Emma’s father was gone, along with the other three Blood Sworn.
Gresham seemed to read my mind.
“The four Blood Sworn got away. There was a secret exit on the other side of the basement that led to the street.”
I nodded as I looked down at the precious woman in my arms.
“Let’s get your mate home. She’ll need time to heal before your bonding ceremony.”
Gresham turned and walked away.
As I gazed down at Emma’s pale face, a wave of clarity washed over me. The bonding ceremony didn’t matter; she was already mine, and I was hers, forever.
“There won’t be a bonding ceremony unless she chooses it,” I whispered.
Chapter 18
Emma
* * *
I fought through the cobwebs of a nightmare-filled sleep to wake in a strange bedroom. Nestled in soft cotton sheets, I turned my head and drew in the familiar safe scent on the pillowcase.
Kristof.
But where was he?
As though my question had summoned him, he strode into the room carrying a tray laden with food. He wore a pair of sweatpants slung low on his hips, drawing my attention to his defined abs.
“Ahh, good, you’re awake.”
His voice startled me out of my revere and instead I watched him place the tray on a table in the corner. Then he opened the curtains to let in the morning light.
I blinked at the sudden brightness while my scrambled mind floundered. “Where am I?”
“My bedroom.”
I hesitated, trying to swim my way through a haze of images and feelings that remained out of reach. The more I tried, the more I got nothing but restless unease. “What time is it?”
“A little before noon. I brought you food. Sorry, it’s not rabbit stew.” He threw me a dimpled grin and I was reminded of how sexy he was.
He was acting so relaxed … and normal. It was surreal and at complete odds with the turmoil swirling just below the surface of my calm facade.
A memory flashed through my mind—burned flesh and searing pain.
I gasped and looked at my hands, expecting to find bandages … or something. Instead, my bare hands were soft, pink, and a little puffy. I flexed them open and closed. The skin was new and tender. It was uncomfortable, but nothing like it should have been. They were almost healed.
“How many days was I out?”
“Days? Only one night, but you slept in.”
I held up my hands. “But my hands?”
He let out a huge breath. “You heal really fast, about the same as a Soul Guardian. If you were human, you probably would have lost the use of your hands.”
“But I’m not human,” I murmured to myself.
It was like my words threw open the floodgate to all the memories of last night. The foggy dream snapped into clarity as the events hit me.
I let out a shuddering breath as my pounding heart roared in my ears.
“Oh my god. What have I done?” I shook my head, trying to deny the truth.
I’d done a blood exchange. I’d tried to steal Kristof’s soul. I was evil. I’d become the evil Blood Demon my father created me to be. My chest ached as I fought to breathe against the consuming anguish. How could I ever look Kristof in the eyes again? There was no way he’d want me as his mate now. The world spun and my vision blurred as my eyes grew hot.
Kristof rushed to my side and pulled me into his arms. “Hey, no tears. You’re okay now.”
My eyes squeezed shut against the events from last night. I pressed my face into his hard chest and breathed in deep, starving for the woodsy masculine scent that always made everything feel okay.
A sob broke free despite my battle against the memories assaulting me.
“I’m a Blood Demon. You should have killed me.” I struggled to speak through the sobs wracking my body.
Kristof grasped my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. “No. You chose not to go down the path of evil. Remember, Emma. You chose me … You chose us.”
I wanted to believe his words …
“But I was going to bite you and take your soul.”
“That wasn’t your fault. That was your father’s magic controlling you. But you broke away from his power.” His thumb caressed my cheek as admiration shone in his deep sapphire eyes. “His power was strong, Emma. I could feel it when I crossed into the circle. I’m so proud of you. You are so strong and brave to do what you did to break away.”
He cradled one of my hands in his as he ran his thumb in gentle circles across my mark-free palm. “So strong,” he whispered.
&
nbsp; Love pulsed through our bond from him, but I still needed to hear him say it.
“Do you still want me? As your mate?”
I was frozen with anticipation and hope.
“Of course, Emma. I chose you too. I’ll always choose you.”
“What about your pack? I remember, they were there too. They saw what I did, that I bit that woman and tried to take your soul.”
“They saw you fight and break away from powerful dark magic. They saw you make the right choice. Gresham said you have a home here with the pack if you want it.”
“Gresham?”
“My alpha. He also has your father’s journal. We found it in his library afterwards. It confirms what you feared, that your father made you. But it also confirms that you have a soul and your father needed to control you if you were to be of any use to him as a new type of Blood Demon.”
Kristof’s words were a lot to take in. I stared down at my smooth palms and realised for the first time in my life I had real hope and a real chance at independence. Then a sinking feeling hit my stomach.
“Did you get him? My father?”
“No, he got away, along with the three others with him. Do you know who they were?”
I focused on Kristof’s question, because I just couldn’t contemplate the fact that Father was still out there, a shadow over my life that may one day return.
“The man was our butler. You may not have recognised her, but one of the women was from the street when we first met. Father must have had her captured for the ceremony. She had a lot of Greed.”
I paused and swallowed against the emotions rising up from deep within my chest. So much hurt at their betrayal. “The other woman was my mother … I think.” I leaned into Kristof. “How could she do that to me? I’m her child. Mothers are supposed to protect their children, aren’t they?”
Kristof rubbed my back. “Yes, but she’s a Blood Sworn, a soulless shell of whoever she may have once been. They were all Blood Sworn. And Blood Sworn don’t have a conscience, or even any real emotions.”
I mourned the loss of something I never really had—unconditional love. Kristof nuzzled the top of my head with his face and I felt him pour love through our bond.
“You don’t need their love or protection,” Kristof whispered. “You have mine.”
I wondered how much he could read my mind because he always seemed to know what to say. Throughout my childhood, I’d been afraid and unsure, but with Kristof I was finally safe and whole—he was my home.
I nodded. “You have my love and protection too,” I said shyly.
I felt his happiness and closed my eyes to watch the dancing colors I now recognized as our connection. Then a horrible thought hit me.
“Did any of your pack die during the fight?”
“No, we were lucky, only a few minor injuries.”
“That’s a relief.”
Kristof sighed. “We couldn’t find the medallion.”
The reminder of the medallion had me pulling away.
“Where’s your jacket?”
“My leather jacket? Probably still on my bathroom floor. I threw it in a pile with the rest of your dirty clothes when I got you home. I hope you don’t mind, but I changed your clothes and washed you while you slept. I didn’t want you waking up covered in Blood Demon ash and blood.”
He paused and avoided looking at me. “Also, I … my wolf was distraught … I needed to cover you in my scent. You’re wearing one of my shirts.” His embarrassment at the admission hummed through our bond.
“Thank you.” I squeezed his hand. “I understand that your wolf was feeling a bit territorial … I kind of like it. And, I appreciate that you took care of me when I couldn’t.”
I’d come such a long way to admit that allowing someone to help me wasn’t a loss of independence. I was stronger for having Kristof by my side. He would always care for me and would never take away my choices—even at the cost of his own soul.
“Can you get the jacket please?”
“Are you cold?”
“No, but I need to check something.”
He got up and disappeared into an adjoining room. When he returned he held out the jacket for me.
“It’s a bit grubby,” he warned.
I got out of bed and took it from him. The first pocket was empty. Wrong side. Then I put my hand in the other pocket and felt the tissues that I’d wrapped around the medallion.
I stilled as evil taint hummed through my fingers and up my arm. My mouth tingled in response and I felt my fangs start to emerge.
“Is something wrong?” Kristof asked.
I shook my head and took a slow breath and forced my fangs away.
Choosing Kristof hadn’t changed what I was, but now I had the confidence to know that I held the power to define who I would be.
With slow care, I removed the medallion from the pocket, unwrapped it, and held it out to Kristof.
“Is this the medallion you were searching for?”
His eyes widened in disbelief. “You found it. You really found it.”
“Yes. Take it. It’s yours.”
He hesitated, like he couldn’t believe it was real.
“Please, take it. Give it to Gresham, it might help your pack find the answers you all seek.”
“Okay, but to be clear. They’re your pack now too.”
A soft smile curved my lips, and for the first time I dared to hope they would accept me too. I knew I had Kristof’s love; I could feel it in my soul. But the pack was an unknown. They were a big part of who Kristof was, and their acceptance was vital to our future together.
“Gresham really said I could stay here? And the pack don’t mind? Even after everything I’ve done? What I am?”
“Yes, family is everything to Soul Guardians, and you’re my mate, so you’re family. If you choose to stay, that is. You always have a choice, Emma.”
I was weightless. If Kristof didn’t hold me soon, I might float away.
“Of course I want to stay here with you,” I told him. “But Kristof, I’m not ready for the bonding ceremony yet.” I scanned our mate bond for disappointment, but a sweet hum of warmth and happiness radiated back at me instead.
Kristof pulled me into his arms. “That can wait. For now, I just need to hear you say it, that you agree to be my mate. That you will be mine.”
I met his sapphire gaze and smiled. “I love you. Of course I’ll be your mate, but that works both ways wolf-man. You’re mine too.”
“Agreed.” His husky voice sent a shiver up my spine.
He dropped the medallion on the floor. And then his lips were burning against mine and the world around me disappeared as I lost myself in my wolf’s embrace.
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Blood Secret.
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