“And forget the crimes you have committed against me?” he seethed.
At least he hadn’t accepted right away, Jane thought darkly, dryly. That he would turn on her so savagely…she could not forgive. Unless this was a trick. Unless he meant to gain Laila’s trust.
Hope eternal.
“It’s either that, or I let the healer wipe your memory once again. We’ve had to do so several times, you know.”
Tighter and tighter those hands curled. “You would trust me not to hurt you?”
“No. You will take a blood oath not to. Before I release you, and after you kill the girl.”
Jane gulped, her mouth going dry.
This time, Nicolai didn’t hesitate. “Very well. Release us from your magical hold, and I vow never to kill or hurt you. Help me slay my enemy, and I…I will kill the girl.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
SUDDENLY JANE’S FEET were freed. Nicolai snaked out an arm, catching her before she could bolt. Not that she would have. Or, yeah. She would have. Actually, even with his grip, she still could. All she had to do was disappear. To disappear, all she had to do was think of her home.
As the man she loved tugged her closer…closer…panic took over, her thoughts too chaotic to tame. Then, an unexpected calm took hold of her. This was the man she loved. The man who claimed to love her. The man who did love her. He might be angry with her—furious, even—but he wouldn’t kill her. This was a trick to trap Laila.
He wouldn’t ever hurt her. She knew that on a bone-deep level. He was beautiful and wanton, wicked and yet principled. She’d given herself to him body and soul. Now and forever, just as he’d given himself to her. Nothing would change that, not even her past. She trusted him.
Blind trust had never come easily to her. She’d always believed in proof. Testing theories, changing variables and watching reactions, but blind trust was what she was giving her man. He’d come through for her time after time, and he would again.
Yes, she knew there was a dark side to his nature.
Hell, she’d seen him in action on multiple occasions. No matter what, however, he would never turn that dark side on her. So, he had a plan. Pretending to want to kill her was part of it.
“Release me, too, princess,” Nicolai said.
“No. Just the girl.”
He growled, but that was the only indication he gave that he’d heard her.
Jane couldn’t let another moment go by without telling him how she felt. “I’m so sorry, Nicolai. I didn’t mean to—”
“Silence.” A lash, and yet he gave her the subtlest of nods, as if he wanted her to continue.
Still he dragged her closer, until her body was flush with his. His heat enveloped her, so familiar she relaxed.
“I worked for the government, and yes, I studied your kind, but I never tortured and I never killed. I didn’t know you at the time, and I didn’t know what I did would hurt you or someone you loved. I just tried to help my people understand what—”
“Be. Quiet.” His fangs flashed down at her, but again, he gave her the barest hint of a nod.
“I love you. No matter what happens or what you have to do, I will always love you.”
“What are you waiting for?” Laila snapped. “Do it.”
Jane could hear the rush of Nicolai’s blood. While his expression was calm, stern, his heart beat erratically. He was not as unaffected as he seemed.
He didn’t look away from her when he said, “I’m going to drink from her neck, princess. I’m also going to cover her mouth to prevent her from screaming.”
“Let her scream,” Laila said, anger soothed. “I’ll like it.”
“I will not have anyone rushing into this tent and watching. Nor do I want you nearing us until she’s…dead.”
Pretend. This is pretend, she reminded herself. Otherwise, he would have simply swooped down, savagely bit and sucked the life right out of her. Yet, here he stood, arguing with his tormentor, demanding certain concessions.
“Do not tell me what to do, slave. I—”
“Will accept my terms or we are back to where we started.”
A pause. Jane drew in a deep breath and tilted her head to the side as she exhaled, giving him easier access to her vein. His eyes widened, his pupils flaring. His fangs lengthened and sharpened a little more.
“I want her on the floor,” he croaked. “Release my feet, Laila. You can stop me again if I lunge for you.”
Another pause.
“Very well,” Laila said on a sigh.
A second later, Nicolai was urging Jane the rest of the way to the ground.
He loomed over her as he had countless other times. Her hair splayed around her shoulders, and her robe sagged.
“Nicolai,” she breathed.
“Not another word, Jane.” The gold flecks in his eyes seemed to swirl. Down, down he leaned. Breath emerged from her lungs and mouth shallowly. Just as his teeth sank home, he flattened his hand over her mouth.
Her eyes flared. Her body bowed. Warm, electric pleasure entered with his teeth, shooting through every inch of her. He was sucking slowly, so slowly, taking little sips. And his hand…his hand was cut, his blood dripping into her mouth, down her throat and swirling in her belly.
He was feeding her even as he drank from her. His fingers tapped at her cheek, a bid for…something.
She had only to reason this out.
He’d told Laila he would kill her. Therefore, he was pretending to kill her. And any time Jane had spoken up to soften him, he’d told her to shut the hell up but had really wanted her to keep talking. So…he must want her acting panicked and disbelieving while acting uncaring himself.
She tested her theory, struggling against him, giving Laila a show. When Nicolai grunted his approval, she knew beyond any doubt. She pounded her fists into his shoulders, as if trying to shove him away. She bucked, as if trying to dislodge him.
When the wound in his hand closed up, he ground his palm against her teeth to reopen the flesh. Once again, his blood trickled down her throat.
Then, he groaned, sucking a little harder at her vein, drawing a little more blood.
Enough, she thought she heard him say, but that was impossible. His lips were still on her vein. Enough. You have to stop. He lifted his head, panting, licked his lips, then dove back down, biting her in a new place. This, too, pumped pleasure straight into her veins.
Careful, careful, careful. Don’t take too much. Slow down.
Jane frowned. Nicolai was speaking, but he was doing so straight into her head.
Have to time this just right. Again, his voice drifted through her head. The pressure against her vein eased.
Nicolai?
His body jerked against hers. Jane?
Yes. I can hear you, and now I’m guessing you can hear me. How is that possible?
He licked her neck, careful not to let Laila see. Some blood drinkers share a mental connection.
“Hurry,” the princess snapped.
I need you to kill the princess for me.
Though he wanted the pleasure of doing so, he couldn’t. He’d vowed not to. Which meant, someone had to do it for him. So, that was his plan. To have Jane strike the lethal blow.
Consider it done.
Thank you. A pause. I’m sorry for what I did to you. Before. And now.
I’m sorry, too. Her heart skipped a beat.
The princess has lowered her defenses, just as we hoped, and I’ve absorbed some of her power. The spell that stopped anyone from hurting her is now mine. She’ll still be strong, however, just not as strong.
Nicolai didn’t drink much more. He even dribbled several mouthfuls of blood down Jane’s neck and onto the ground. He was creating a mess, she knew. The illusion of death. She forced her struggles to slow…slow…until sagging limply, arms falling uselessly to her sides. She lay there, breathing as shallowly as possible. So much so she knew not even Nicolai could see the rise and fall of her chest.