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  “We can’t do that,” Robert’s father told her.

  “Yes, you can. Through the blood bond, the vampire to whom I become bound will have complete access to my thoughts, my essence, my very soul. In other words, he will have everything that is me. By that, I mean that I’ll be owned by him and him alone. Through that connection, he can create a link that will stop any harm coming to my friends—to my loved ones.”

  Robert watched her. She was hiding something, he was sure of it. She wasn’t worried about her siblings—she was worried about one particular friend. A female friend.

  “That is if a lifelong blood bond is brought into effect,” his father said.

  “I’m prepared to do it.”

  “Do you know what you’ll be agreeing to?” Robert asked.

  Sophie nodded but didn’t speak.

  “You’d be my woman, completely, to suck and fuck as I desired.”

  “Robert, stop being crude,” his father said.

  “By the blood bond she has a right to know.”

  “And by that very bond I agree to the terms set out before me. I might be a woman but I know my own mind,” Sophie interrupted.

  His father was not a stupid man. He was hard and blunt, but not stupid. A connection like this could strengthen his family. He would be able to sense great power—power that the Fords must have access to. Otherwise, their enquiry would have been pushed aside. Blood bonds like this, between a human family and an immortal, were few and far between.

  For the most part, humans were there for blood—nothing more. Maybe the occasional screw.

  Robert wished he could see inside her head and know what she was holding back from them.

  “You will come willingly?”

  The most important element of the blood bond ceremony was that the human taking part must be agreeable. The bond would not work without it—the mind and the body had to be in sync.

  “Provided my terms are met.”

  His father sat back, looking at Sophie with his head cocked to one side.

  A tiny little blonde—plump and delicious—full of attitude. She was hiding something. Robert could sense it, even if the others could not. Yet this girl was strong. Her destiny was as a bond mate.

  “The full ceremony will begin this evening. Take Miss Ford up to her chambers and have the ceremony room prepared and ready. I want this done immediately. Mr and Mrs Ford, your presence will be necessary for tonight only.”

  With a shove of his hand, he dismissed the humans. Robert watched as Sophie was led out by a female blood donor they kept on tap for whenever sustenance was needed. His mother followed close behind them. He knew they would collect his two sisters before they began making preparations.

  Sophie turned back once to look at him.

  He noticed the curiosity in her eyes. He had suddenly found a human female worthy of his attention and admiration. Robert smiled at her, watching as she blushed.

  Once all the women had gone, the real problems started for the Council, a select group of people who took the care of the vampire world seriously.

  “We already have too much at stake, what with all the bloody vampire hunters.”

  The Council members nodded their heads in agreement. All of them were prepared to agree to anything Robert Valentine Senior offered. His father was not only the most powerful among them, but, over the centuries, he’d been responsible for keeping relative peace between the vampires and the other species. He had gained respect through listening and taking his time to make a decision. Robert Senior fought battles with his head.

  “We need more protection in place.”

  “The wolves are responsible.”

  “The wolves wouldn’t dare.”

  “How can we know for sure?”

  The Council meeting went on and on. The fight about the wolves would continue for decades. Robert was more interested in the little blonde whom, in just a few hours, he would be bound to protect for the rest of their lives. He was looking forward to it.

  Several hours later, Sophie was shaking inside. Her long, silky blonde hair, brushed into a glowing mass, rested around her like a cape. She wore a white gown so sheer that she thought everyone present at the ceremony would be able to see her naked body underneath. Sophie had tried to argue with the vampire women, who’d prepared her without speaking a word to her. She had wanted to wear at least her underwear, but they had got rid of all of her clothes. Her face was washed and clean of make-up. Neither of the women spoke to her—instead she was treated more as an object than a person.

  She’d been told to wait for them to escort her down to the main ceremonial chamber. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

  Sophie wondered if she was doing the right thing. She shook her head. She didn’t have a choice. She needed to do this. Her friend would be protected. She loved her brothers, but they could guard themselves. And her parents had shown that they were more than capable of looking out for themselves, whatever the price. She would save them all through this bond, but Katie was the one who deserved it—who needed it. Once she was under the care of a blood bond, no one could get to her. She would be safe, even from the vampires.

  Sophie released a sigh of relief. After spending weeks planning for this, it seemed surreal that it was finally happening.

  She hoped she would have time to bask in the happiness she was feeling. It was as though a huge weight had been removed from her shoulders.

  The door to her room opened and the mother of the vampire she was about to be bonded to came in. Her smile was happy and cheery.

  “Are you ready?”

  Everything she had heard about vampires—all the rumours—had prepared Sophie for the prospect of dealing with evil creatures of the night. This woman turned her ideas upside down. They might not have spoken a word, but the gentle way the woman prepared her and the kindness Sophie could see reflecting from her eyes told her so much about the older woman. This woman—or vampire—wasn’t evil.

  Sophie nodded. The woman extended her hand, but Sophie refused to take it and followed close behind her instead. She couldn’t take in her surroundings. She couldn’t hear anything over her heartbeat. Every step felt like the tick of a great clock, marking away the remaining seconds of her life.

  Sophie, aged twenty-one, was about to enter into a lifelong contract.

  She wouldn’t break down. She needed to do this. She closed her eyes and pictured Katie. Her best friend. She was doing this for her.

  She entered the chamber through a heavy wooden door. Sophie believed she could sense all the other men and women who had faced the end of their lives in this very room. Those who had sold themselves for the protection of others. Her parents were on one side of the room, holding each other, and on the other side his family dominated the cramped space. Neither family acknowledged the other. On a dais in the centre of the room stood her intended bond mate. He wore a black gown, a darkness in contrast to her lightness. His mother helped her onto the dais opposite him. The closer she got to the man who would be her bond mate, the more her heart pounded in her chest.

  He was a darkness in more than just his robe. His hair was black, cut short and tight. His features were aged but not old, as though he’d matured into a man, then the aging had just stopped. He had crinkles by his eyes from years of laughter—eyes that caught her and held her attention. Never in all of her life had she seen black eyes. They weren’t scary, but watchful. He was staring at her, heating her body. Taking a breath, she stared back at him as her body awakened to the sensation of arousal. Robert Valentine might be a vampire, but her blood heated for him. She licked her lips, forcing herself to think of Katie one last time. Thoughts of her friend always stopped her thinking about anything but the protection she wanted for her.

  She turned away, not liking the effect his gaze had on her body.

  The priest at the head of the dais spoke. “We are here to join Sophie Ford with Robert Valentine Junior.” He began to chant in a different language.
r />   Sophie had no idea what he was saying but Robert moved closer to her. The ceremony was about to begin. She flinched when he took hold of her arms and pulled her to the centre of the circle. She couldn’t help but cast one last, lingering look at the door. An escape.

  But Katie appeared before her eyes, again, stilling any steps she might have made. She would never abandon her friend.

  Sophie tuned in to listen.

  “Who allows this union to take place?” The priest posed the question to the whole group.

  “I do.”

  “I do.”

  His father and her father came forward. The priest nodded and began his chanting again.

  “Is that it?” Sophie whispered. If all that needed to happen was some words, she would be able to get through this. His hands on her already offered her comfort. He hadn’t grabbed her in a vicious way, but gently. So far, the vampires she’d been in the presence of had been most accommodating.

  “Not yet.”

  Sophie turned her eyes back to the man—no, the vampire—in front of her. He closed in, trapping her against the hardness of his body.

  He was so strong.

  She couldn’t move from the pressure of his arms.

  One arm cupped her waist while the other lifted and moved her hair, exposing her neck to the crowd. Sophie stared into his eyes, mesmerised by the blackness within. She couldn’t look away. She was completely in his power.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispered in her head.

  His lips didn’t move but she knew it was him talking to her. Rather than question the sanity of her situation, she did as he instructed and closed her eyes.

  It seemed silly to argue with one of the most powerful vampires in the world.

  Sophie could hear the chanting of the priest, the noise of the other occupants of the room, but the feeling of being close to him dominated her senses. He had no breath, no heartbeat, but she could feel him—could feel the mass of energy he produced. It was like every little warning bell inside her head going off, to caution her about what was going to happen…

  Her head was tilted to the side. She swallowed down the lump of nervousness. She didn’t know what to do. Her heart was pounding, the blood pumping faster through her veins.

  She couldn’t see, but she anticipated…

  Was she nervous?

  Anxious?

  Excited?

  Millions of tiny thoughts processed inside her mind all at the same time.

  He struck.

  He bit down into the side of her neck, each long tooth striking the vein. Sophie felt her blood leaving her body, leaking out. She felt him pulling hard.

  She screamed. The pain was excruciating. Her life passed before her eyes—images of her life as a baby, as a toddler, as a teenager. Images of her two brothers passed. Her mother and father arguing. Christmases and summers. Her best friend, Katie. Her secret stayed buried. But Sophie had a feeling that this man—this vampire who was feeding from her—could see everything.

  Her body started to go numb, the pain lessening as she lost feeling. She became light-headed and all thought left her, until she collapsed in his arms. Sophie had no strength to hold herself up. She was light and airless. Her heartbeat had slowed and she could feel her self beginning to leave her body. She started to spasm and knew she was close to death’s door.

  Suddenly—the movement jerking her body—her head was pushed into the curve of a male neck. The smell of masculine spice permeated her senses, making her mouth water. Underneath the intoxicating scent she could detect the metallic taste of blood.

  She gagged, trying but failing to move. Her body wanted to live—the human instinct to survive was screaming within her. She swallowed down his blood and surrendered to the warmth, the crushing weight as he held her close.

  He held her against his body, supporting her. She took what she could, feeling the power of his blood surging inside her—consuming her.

  Sophie saw images of him as a boy. The whole five hundred years he had spent alive…and killing. A haze of images swam before her eyes until Sophie could take no more. She broke the contact, trying to force him away from her.

  He spoke in her mind again. Look at me.

  Sophie opened her eyes and looked at him as he took her down to the floor with him. They were both smeared with blood.

  “I bind you to me, Sophie, for eternity. I am bound to protect everyone you hold dear.”

  Katie flashed through her mind seconds before the consuming darkness came upon her.

  She passed out.

  Chapter One

  Three years later

  “Sir? Sophie Ford is here.”

  Robert Valentine glanced up from his paperwork. “Well, send her in.”

  “Um… Sir, she’s not here to see you.”

  Robert could feel the first stirring of his animalistic temperament.

  For three years, his mate had been plaguing him.

  “Who is she here to see?”

  Never before had he met a woman who’d literally run out on him and not returned any of his phone calls. Who’d wanted nothing more to do with him than to ensure protection for the ones she loved.

  For the first time in his existence, Robert had begun to feel jealous of humans. He had never considered himself conceited, but he knew he was a good choice for a woman. Sophie wasn’t like other women. The one human female he’d been interested in and she’d all but walked out and left him stranded. Whenever he thought about her, his cock stiffened and he had to relieve himself or stay hard until her memory dissipated. Even now, hearing her name was like a direct signal to the thing in his pants.

  “Well, show me her,” Robert snapped, his voice harder than he had intended.

  The human minion fumbled for the remote control that worked the plasma screen on the wall facing his desk. He used it to keep a vigil over everyone in the club. His minion pressed a few buttons and Sophie came onto the screen. The pen in his hand snapped from the pressure of his fist.

  Sophie was in his BDSM club, dancing and humping on his dance floor in nothing more than a miniskirt and bikini top. Men crowded round her as she swayed her luscious hips. Those hips were his and his alone. He ran a hand over his face, trying to gather his thoughts, already feeling exhilaration rushing over him—a strange combination of anger and happiness.

  It had been three years since he’d last seen her. The only times he’d even heard from her had been the occasional, distant phone calls she’d made. Never once had she set foot in any building he owned. Robert didn’t even think she knew he owned clubs like this.

  Her thoughts and feelings were pushing inside him. Having her this close was making it difficult for him to shut her out. It felt like Sophie was projecting at him, screaming for him to look up and take notice. Closing off his mind would be the only solution.

  He wasn’t a human adolescent male who couldn’t control his urges and he wouldn’t allow his mate to think he was.

  She was calling for him to come and get her.

  His body wanted so badly to answer that call.

  “How old is she now?” he asked.

  “Twenty-four, sir.”

  Sophie wanted his attention…and now she had it. For the last three years, he had watched and waited for her. He had known that sooner or later his blood would start to call to her. Visions of him would start to invade her every waking thought. Her dreams would be consumed by images of him. The final weakness and the test of the blood bond. Three years was a long time to wait, which proved Sophie was a strong mate. For three years, she’d rejected any chance of being with him.

  Sophie had no idea of the power he held over her. The bond was only the beginning. He would own her completely when he finally took that one, precious part of her body. Her virginity was the final element of his ownership. She wouldn’t be able to lie to him, then. She would be entirely at his mercy.

  But Robert hated that part of the bond. The obsessive nature it created. The craziness and lust
. He wanted Sophie to come to him of her own free will, not be forced by some nasty trick of nature. It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair.

  Still, a part of him was pleased to see her again.

  “Any news from my family?” Robert got up from his chair, moving around his desk towards the door. Trying not to let his mind stray to the beautiful vision on the screen.

  “Your father wants to know how it is going with Miss Ford.” His minion looked down at the floor.

  For three years, his father had pestered him to go and claim his mate by force. He wasn’t into force and he would never take a woman in such a manner. But it would seem that his father would get what he wanted—in a manner of speaking. The mouse had finally come to him.

  “Get William on the phone.” Robert watched his bond mate strutting her stuff on the stage. A man held her hips in place as he thrust against her backside.

  It should be his hands, should be him thrusting against her…

  His brother’s voice came over the speaker phone. “What’s the matter, Rob?”

  “Any news on Katie?” Ever since he had seen her best friend’s face pass through her mind—the love and care she felt for her clear—Robert had made sure she was watched twenty-four hours a day.

  Only William dared to call him Rob. He wondered if his younger brother wished for death, given the way he tried to rouse his temper. William wasn’t known for keeping the peace. If anything he was usually the one to seek a fight.

  Through the bond, he had no choice but to protect Katie. What his mate loved, he loved. It was plain and simple.

  “Look. I have no idea why this woman is so damned special to you. Nothing. Zip. She gets up and goes to work. She’s a frigging librarian, Rob. She doesn’t go out during the day. She leaves in the evening, works through the night, then goes home. Her cat has more bloody fun than she does,” William moaned.

  “I’ve told you. The reason for this protection detail has something to do with Sophie’s friend.” Robert was sure, down to his unbeating heart, that Katie White held the answers he was seeking.

  “You wouldn’t think that to watch her life.” William yawned. “She has to live the most boring life known to mankind.”