Eternal Captive: Mark of the Vampire Read Free Page A

long sniff.
    The mistake of it hit him instantaneously.
    His fangs dropped to needle sharpness against his lips, and all he could see was blood, and all he could taste was sex.
    All he could do was place his blade to her throat.
    Bronwyn’s eyes slammed open at the feel of cool metal. “You.”
    “Not who you were thinking about, Princess?”
    Her arms shot out from beneath the covers; her fingerswrapped his wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?”
    “Don’t move.”
    “Get off me, you bastard!”
    The scent of her fear did nothing to stall him, only pushed his madness further. “Don’t talk. Even your breath on my face makes me want to scratch at your skin to get inside.”
    Her gaze narrowed on his. “What’s happened to you? You look—”
    “I said don’t talk!”
    “If you’re here to kill me,” she said, her nails digging into his skin, “don’t expect me to die easily or quietly.”
    Her lips pressed together, fear tensing her jaw and the skin around her eyes—though the scent of arousal still lingered temptingly in the air.
    The blade still held to her throat, Lucian’s fangs dropped even farther as he uttered, “I hate you.”
    She stared up at him, unblinking, her nostrils flaring as she breathed in and out. “Hate me or yourself?”
    He leaned in closer. “You’ve turned me inside out,” he whispered near her mouth. “Do you understand that? I can’t feed. I can’t fuck.” His head began to pound, his muscles too…Damn it, he wanted her mouth under his, her blood rushing over his tongue—her death on whatever was left of his conscience. If he pressed the knife just a hair closer, he could have it, have it all…“That night you came to me—”
    “I didn’t plan it, Lucian,” she interrupted fiercely. “Goddamn it! I didn’t plan to feed—”
    He cut off her words, pressing the blade nearer toher throat. “Another word and I will be feeding from you.”
    “Release the
veana,
Lucian. Now.”
    Before Lucian even had the chance to respond, the knife was ripped from his fist. For one brief moment, the cold metal hovered in midair, then shot past his face and disappeared behind him.
    Lucian whirled around to face the intruder, in the back of his mind hearing Bronwyn slip from the bed, taking her freedom. But his gaze, his focus was pinned on the hooded figure lurking in the shadows near the window. He snarled, “What do you want?”
    “To keep you from harm,” replied the ancient
paven
.
    Lucian sneered at his father, the Breeding Male—the Order. “Too late.”
    “It will be if you continue on this path.” Titus raised his hooded head toward the corner of the room. “I am sorry for this, Mistress Kettler.”
    Lucian turned and narrowed his eyes on the
veana
who, even in her fear, stood tall and imperious.
    “I thank the Order for its help in this matter,” she said, nodding at Titus. “Now, pray, get him out of here before my parents awake.”
    “Come with me, Lucian.”
    Instantly, Lucian felt the pull of his father, magnet to iron. It was a solid yank, and yet Lucian was immobile, his eyes locked on Bronwyn. He uttered a pained, “I cannot.”
    Bronwyn turned to look at him.
    “She is to be mated in the morning,” Titus said tightly.
“She will feed from another and he will feed from her.”
    “Shut up!” Lucian roared.
    “Your torment will pass.”
    “My torment has only begun!”
    Lucian’s gaze caught on the mark near the base of Bronwyn’s thumb. The
paven
’s mark—her
paven
. Feral rage slammed through him, and he shot across the room, forcing her deeper into the corner. She belonged to him. Her mouth, her gaze, her neck, her vein, her voice, her cunt. He grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips. But just as his fangs entered her marked skin, he was yanked back, slammed into the one who had given him not only life, but the curse of the Breeding Male.
    No blood met Lucian’s dry tongue, but Bronwyn’s cry of pain ripped through his black