Bound to You, a Paranormal Romance (Book 3 of the Spellbound Series) Read Free Page A

his engulfed body and sat in my desk chair, enjoying the show he made of “stopping, dropping and rolling”, in an attempt to kill my flames. I snapped my fingers and the fire evaporated and I willed the vampire’s skin to knit itself back together again. I waited until he stood to repeat the process. Twice more. I should kill him—just end his miserable vampire life, but my thoughts went back to Toni. She would kill me.
    Her friend came and took her in such haste, leaving me here with the cocky vampire, who thinks he one up’d me. My office still smelled of them and the sex they just had on my desk. I turned up my nose and my lips went to a thin line at the thought of my Antonia sleeping with someone else.
    I should have taken her with me and never left her with him. I looked at the overly smug smile Benjamin had on his face. She would have understood if I took her with me to see Zeus, but maybe not the outcome. Zeus had no compassion for mortals, or immortals, unless he was in between their legs. And his paltry slap on the wrist for Persephone was nothing compared to the damage that she had done.
    Demeter and Persephone were all too convincing when they spoke with Zeus. Neither should have been able to say anything, seeing that they are a minor goddess’ and co-conspirator in killing my Antonia. Demeter will do anything for my ill forgotten wife, Persephone. She has always been a thorn in my side that I can’t seem to get rid of. Now that my love, my one true love, Antonia, is back in my life, I will have to get smarter about how to get Persephone out of my life.
    The smug face of the vampire brought me back to the moment. Her body, in death, changed into a vampire because of him. That is the only bit of gratitude I afford him; for otherwise, she would have been gone forever. The plus side is that now I will never have to watch her age; but the down side is that she will forever be tied to him. She doesn’t know that yet, or at least I hope she doesn’t.
    He’ll always be able to influence her, not to mention the bloodlust they have in common. That was a spectacle in itself, watching her wake from death to become a vampire. She instantly killed Annie, the witch who betrayed her, and then kissed the Vampire, with no regard to me or the fact that I was watching.
    But now, the only thing that matters is that I love her and must tell her that, before she makes the hideous mistake of choosing the vampire. Maybe I can mind fuck the vampire into sabotaging himself. I mean, I do own his soul; but Antonia would never forgive me if she found out that I used him to win her heart. It’s clear that her friend Dawn, the daughter of Circe, judges me not by my love for her friend, but by the fact that I am tied to Persephone. Perhaps a little self-doubt for the vampire will work in my favor.
    “You must know, Vampire that your little dog and pony show in my office will mean nothing to Antonia.” I pushed past him to pick up my journal before I sat in my chair. He spun around to face me with a smug grin still on his face.
    I had it in my mind to banish his soul to Tartus, but I knew that Antonia would never forgive me for that, either; and that it might sway her choice to go live with him there. So, I am stuck competing with the likes of him.
    “That was no show, Hades. That was the real thing. You’ll see she’ll pick me.” Ben leaned against the desk and ran his finger along the edge, with a sadistic smile to frustrate me. “Your desk is exceptional.”
    It took all in me not to snatch the life from his body. Instead, I stood up to leave him with his moment, since that’s all he’ll ever have. Again.
    “Wait.” his eyes met mine. “What happened with you dear wife Persephone?” It was like rubbing salt in a wound, hearing someone call her my “ dear wife”. Nothing was dear about her.
    “It is not your concern, vampire.” I held my journal in my hand and walked toward the door.
    “The hell it’s not!”