“Enough!” ordered Tyrian. Chloe couldn’t help but laugh as they climbed into the

elevator. Instantly she remembered what they’d done in this same elevator mere days ago. She looked up at Tyrian but he didn’t meet her gaze. Chloe sighed. Oh well. She would just pursue the commander later tonight. After all, she hadn’t put on this dress for nothing.

Rayn met them outside of the demon’s headquarters and warped them back to the castle.

Lily kissed her goodnight and said she was off to bed to dream of her demon. Rayn

drooled after her, and Chloe didn’t know what to do. Tyrian left quickly and soon she was standing in the room alone.

Lily’s words ran through her mind. Take a chance. Be brave. She hesitated for a moment, then stalked after him. He was not getting away from her tonight.

Henry climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel. He looked at his complexion in the mirror and noted how pale his skin was getting. He’d have to feed soon.

He didn’t keep a frimar as many of the warriors did. Some even shared their blood concubines. In return for their blood service, the women were gifted with fine luxuries like jewels and clothing. Henry had always thought it seemed very...mistress-ish. It was probably his demon side that made him think so since no one else seemed to feel the same way.

He also didn’t need blood as often as full-blooded vampires did. So when he did find himself needing, like he did now, he would usually go into town, find a dark-haired woman and charm her—one of his demonic gifts. As he sat on the edge of his bed and towel dried, he couldn’t help but feel dirty. It shamed him what he did.

That it was another he pictured while taking whichever female’s vein he’d chosen. But it was so easy to see her there, her beautiful dark skin waiting to be broken, waiting for him to sink his fangs into and suck.

He shuddered and gripped his cock that now stood like an erect flagpole between his legs.

“Shit.” He briefly considered jacking off but fuck that. He climbed under the bedsheets, but sleep eluded him as usual.

He stared at the ceiling as thoughts of her poured into his mind. They were sappy

thoughts too, like how he wished she’d accept his half-blooded arse and mate with him.

God, did he want her. He could have had her body by now, that he knew with the way

she’d pursued him lately. Damn if he didn’t want more, though. She’d never do it, and her brother would never allow it. He was a half-breed, a mutant, a mistake.

How he wished he were some man whore type like Draven or Rayn. Men who would

easily accept the luscious body offered to them eagerly. Henry couldn’t do it though. Not when he knew he cared for her on a much deeper level. He respected her too much, and he respected himself.

Being with her would be like jumping into a pit filled with spikes just ready to cut you.

The fall down would be exhilarating, a rush. A sweeping heart-pounding moment, but then he’d land and be screaming in agony. That’s what she would lead him to.

He scrubbed a hand across his face and stared at the alarm clock on his table. Had only five minutes passed? Shit. If he didn’t get his mind to slow down, he’d never get to sleep.

His cock was still a heavy, hard mass tenting the damn comforter. “Go away,” he

grumbled. “You can’t have her.” God, how many times had he wished things were different? He had no doubt that if he were a full-blooded vampire her brother would accept him with open arms. But now he was practically a contagious virus. Course, she was grown, logic argued. She could just choose him over her brother.

“Yeah, right. The last family she had living.” She wasn’t going to disobey his wishes anytime soon, if ever. So what was he holding his breath for? God. A fucking chance. He wanted her so badly he could practically taste it. He wanted to wake up next to her every damn day.

Wanted to give her his vein and have hers in return. He wanted to fill her with his child.

He growled viciously and slammed his fist into the bed. The spring coils groaned in protest.

Slowly, anger left him. Numbness filled him instead. It was the closest thing to tranquil he had. He closed his eyes and pictured another time, another place.

A time where he was a full-blooded vampire just like her. Where her brother pushed the match of them together, where she still looked at him with those sharp, sexy eyes. She’d be his, completely. He would finally be able to taste her dark golden skin, finally see the shape of her breasts and nipples.

She was curvy in places he wanted to bite with his teeth. Her breasts pushed flat against him when she pressed close. Was she larger and rounded, or smaller and pert? Would her nipples be dark like her lips? A gorgeous sun-kissed color that reminded him of pyramids and older times.

Damn, he was a pussy. And a masochist for even thinking such things.

Eventually his thoughts slowed, and his body relaxed. His eyes fluttered close and sleep finally came.

Movement brought Henry’s eyes blinking open in the dark room. His night vision quickly triggered to accompany the dark environment. He cursed as his eyes locked on the source that woke him up. Nanu, beautiful and looking unsure, sat on the other side of the bed.

“What are you doing here?” His first reaction was that something was wrong. “Are you sick?” As she turned to look at him in the dark, her eyes bright and clear, he knew she wasn’t sick and he was in trouble.

“No, I’m not sick. I came to talk.”

Yeah, right. Henry checked the time to be hours after midnight. “At three in the morning?

Can’t it wait? I just finally got to sleep a little while ago,” he said, scrubbing a hand over his face. He pulled himself to a sitting position in the bed and pondered how he could get away from her since he was literally naked under the sheets.

“No, I’m sorry, it can’t.”

Sighing, he said, “Then say what it is and get out.” She took a deep breath then faced him on the bed, one leg dangling off.

“I want you so badly, Henry. Tonight I couldn’t even sleep. I just lay in bed thinking of you, wishing that I’ll hear a knock on my door and it’ll be you there. Do you know what that’s like?” she asked, yearning in her voice. Henry could have laughed.

“Yeah, I’m well aware of what that’s like, Nanu. I live it every single day.”

“Then why won’t you let us be together?” she said, almost shouting in her frustration.

“You know why. You know what I want. I want you. Completely, totally, mated.”

She gasped, her eyes widening.

“And you know that your brother will never allow it. Hell, that doesn’t bother me as much the fact that you wouldn’t fight for me, Nanu. I have just enough self-respect to want that.

To want a woman who loves me back, who wants me as much as I do her.” Henry couldn’t stand it anymore and threw back the covers, stalking naked to his dresser to pull on some shorts. He heard the bed dip as she stood.

“That’s not fair! I don’t see you pushing my brother, fighting with him to win me. You walk out of the room every time he’s near.” Henry jerked as if she’d slapped him. His mind quickly tried to deny it, but he couldn’t. She was right. He spun around.

“Fine. I’d do more than fight for you, but I won’t fuck you and leave it at that. I can’t. I want you, the whole you, in my bed every single night, waking up next to me, sleeping against me. I want to share my vein with you and take yours. I want a mate, Nanu. I want you.”

Nanu was breathing hard, her hand clutching near her throat. “You...you really mean that?” He nodded once, gravelly. Henry couldn’t look at her. He felt like his heart was about to explode out of his chest. He waited for her to say something, to do something, and it was the worst torture.