“Oh God!”

He fucked her harder, faster. The second climax built, then slammed through her. She didn’t cry out that time, too breathless from her heavy breathing. Veso groaned and ground his hips against her ass, slowing his movements. She swore she could feel him coming inside her.

The pain when he bit her actually felt good, had her arms shaking, almost collapsing.

Veso slid his arm under her before she face-planted onto his bedding and held her up. It was so hard to think but she knew what he was doing. Kira had told her all about the mating habits of VampLycans.

He groaned again and kept pumping his hips, his cock still hard inside her. His body trembled over hers and he suddenly threw himself to the left, taking her with him, since he had his arm locked around her chest. They hit the mattress on their sides.

Veso let go of her throat, licking the throbbing area he’d bitten. “You’re mine. Mate me. Say yes.” He reached up and she turned her head, unable to see his face since he lay flat on his side. He suddenly shoved his arm in front of her and she gawked at the bloody bite on his inner arm, almost at his wrist.

“Drink my blood, Glen,” he urged.

She hesitated. It would mate them for life if they exchanged blood during sex. He was buried inside her pussy still. That technically had to count, despite both of them just getting off. She moaned when he used the arm wrapped around her, trapped under her ribs, to cup one of her breasts, playing with it. Her nipples were sensitive, and she shivered.

“Drink. Mate me.”

Blood from his arm dripped onto the bed inches in front of her face.

“Please, Glenda…”

It was the pleading in his voice that did it. He really wanted to make her his.

She squeezed her eyes closed and leaned forward a little. Wet warmth touched her lips as she pressed them against his arm.

Blood.

She couldn’t look.

Veso adjusted his body on the bed, pressing his arm more firmly against her open mouth.

“Drink,” he gasped, starting to slowly fuck her again. His voice deepened to an inhuman tone and he breathed on her throat. “Swallow for me.”

He was great at distracting her from the fact that she had a mouthful of blood. She almost expected to gag as she drank some down, but didn’t. He lifted a leg, pinning her on her side better, and drove his cock into her deeper.

He bit her again, in the same spot. It felt even better that time, and a new sensation filled her. Heat began in her throat, spreading down to her stomach and quickly to her sex. Her clit throbbed and she moaned, sucking on his skin to get more blood. Whatever weird thing was happening to her body, she suddenly wanted more.

Veso thrust slowly, in and out, and she rolled her hips, desperately wanting to come. He understood and fucked her faster. A third climax struck so suddenly that she jerked in his hold. He pulled his arm away from her mouth and hugged her as he snarled. His body tensed along her back and he released her shoulder.

“Mine!”

His arms around her eased a little but not by much. She opened her eyes, staring at the wall across the room. Her lips were coated with his blood, the iron taste of it in her mouth as she tried to catch her breath. Her body felt way too warm, as if she were running a fever.

She’d just mated Veso.

He cleared his throat. “Say something.”

She blinked, trying not to panic. They were mated. He’d seduced her into it. No, she couldn’t totally blame that on him. He hadn’t been fucking her when he’d asked her to drink his blood. She’s the one who’d opened her mouth and shoved it against his arm.

“Glen?” He lifted his head and she turned hers.

The sight of blood on his mouth too, his chin, knowing it was hers… “You bit me,” she got out.

“Twice. I’d have let you bite me but you don’t have these.” He curled his upper lip, revealing his fangs.

“So we’re officially mated now?” She needed him to verbally confirm it, to hear the words.

His features softened. “We’re mates. That’s a wonderful thing.”

He wiggled a little and she lifted up, freeing his trapped arm under her ribs. He bent that arm after planting it on the bed, holding his head up but firmly wrapping his other one around her waist to keep them intimately linked. The fact that his leg still pinned hers wasn’t lost on her too. He probably figured she’d try to make a run for it. She was his though. They were mates. Excitement and fear clashed inside her all at once. There was no going back, no changing her mind.

“Breathe.”

“I am.”

“Too rapidly. Slow it down, Glen. There’s no need to panic.”

She was. Her heart was racing and her lungs were working too fast. She swallowed, reminded of the blood she’d drank since she could still taste it. It was smeared on her lips, probably her face too. It was on his.

He leaned in, holding her gaze. “I love you.”

She searched his eyes, stunned. He looked sincere. He’d actually dropped the L bomb on her.

“I do. You’re strong, Glenda. Stop looking as if you’re about to faint.”

“Glen. You said you’d call me that.”

He had the nerve to smile. “You want to argue now? I just told you that you’re the owner of my heart and always will be. I’m laying myself bare to you. This is where you’re supposed to tell me that you love me too.”

“I…”

“I love you. It’s not so hard to share your feelings, Glen. That was my second time uttering those words. You can say them too.”

Please don’t break my heart one day. “I love you, Veso. I’m just still a bit scared,” she admitted.

“We’re mates. Love is natural between us. I know it’s not easy to accept. I fought my instincts to mate you at first, not trusting them because of the blood injected into us at the mine. We’ve had time since then for it to have worn off. You just drank my blood because you know inside that you’re my mate. Try to imagine a life without me. I’ll give you a minute to think on it. I’ve done that…and I didn’t like what I pictured.”

He made it sound so simple. Life never was.

“Just close your eyes and think ahead five years if I let you return to your world alone.”

It wasn’t all that much to ask and it beat staring at him, because the blood on his face still made her feel slightly disturbed, reminding her of how she must look too. She closed her eyes, putting herself back inside her apartment. She’d rarely be there because she worked at least six days a week, ten- to twelve-hour shifts she didn’t even get all the overtime pay for. It had been lonely. All those meals she ate in front of her TV and the nights she slept alone. Her life had been sad and kind of pathetic.