Page 65 of B Positive
Julian let out a long breath and sank into his chair. It took me a few moments, but eventually, I did the same across the table, just to be safe. “I see that this has caused you problems. Allow me to apologize for my part. I shouldn’t have given you so much blood so quickly.”
No, I shouldn’t have accepted so much so often, but that was beside the point. “What does blood have to do with—”
“The more blood a pair drink during the first weeks of bonding, the faster the connection is formed and the better chance the bond has of setting.” He bowed his head before staring deep into my eyes and continuing. “I only had your safety in mind, Eden. I thought that if I gave you access to as much blood as you wanted, we’d be mated faster, and you’d be under my protection faster, immune to any of Titus’s normal methods of detecting made vampires. If I hadn’t, your alpha powers would have developed slowly enough for you to reconcile them and adapt.”
I flopped against the back of the chair.
I didn’t know what to do with that.
Should I thank him? Be mad? Fuck, I didn’t know anymore. Instead, I moved on. “I need to box that up and put it aside for the moment. Okay, you didn’t accidentally cause the initial draw. The mate thing that urges me to be close and sets my lady cave a-twitter when you get all low and growly.”
Julian leaned back in his chair, perfect face wearing a smug smile that I’d kill to smack right off. Then I’d kiss the red handprint.
“You’re talking about attraction, Eden. Normal, run-of-the-mill vampire attraction.”
“No. That can’t be.”Can it?
His smirk grew into a grin. “It’s no different than a human finding another sexually desirable. You’re simply experiencing the benefits of having enhanced senses.”
I gaped at him. “Are you fucking kidding me?” All this time, denying myself that gorgeous god-king vampire because I thought plain old vamp attraction was too close to a mind-altering substance?
“I wish you’d told me this sooner. I have a feeling we could have avoided a lot of—”
“Shush,” I cradled my head in my hand. “Just gimme a second, okay?”
The king fell silent.
I groaned out a long sigh. “Ugh! The magnetism and compulsion…it’s not such a stretch, right? We actually take away humans’ free will. And I guess I just naturally assumed that’s what was happening to me.”
When I found the courage to glance at him, Julian’s face was shrouded in darkness, turning the hard lines of his face menacingly magnificent. “What’s wrong?”
“None of this would have happened if that wretch of a king Titus hadn’t murdered your maker.”
For a second time, his words shocked me into open mouth gaping. My heart swelled, as much for Odette’s memory as for Julian’s fury at the one who took her from me.
“Who took you in afterward?” Julian’s question felt subsonic, rattling in me so that I couldn’t help but shift in my seat.
Jesus, these underwear were toast.
“Carisa, from Chester’s nest, found me after most of the damage had been done.”
Julian’s features became absolutely savage and the pine and cedar in his scent ticked up by about a thousandfold.
I couldn’t help the tiny smile lifting my lips.Julian. Protective? Of me?
“Damage? What damage are you speaking of?”
Right, because Julian didn’t know that bit.
“Stop chewing at your cheek. The scent of your spilled blood drives me insane.”
I stopped instantly.
“What damage, Eden?”
“Well, before I get into that, I just have to ask. As your potential new queen, I have something like immunity for past crimes, right?”
“Eden, for the Tzarina’s sake, just tell me.”