CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“ T hank God!” Lance ripped open the balcony’s sliding door and raced across the room. He heard the vomiting. “Sofia!”

More dry heaving noises.

Lance paced outside the bathroom.

“Fuck. Damn. Goddamn it. Can I come in?” he asked, slamming his fist on the wall.

The door ripped open, and Sofia glared at him. Her eyes were red, swollen, and she looked fucking terrible and beautiful all at once. He pulled her into his arms as she slammed her fists into him.

“I hate you!” she cried into his chest.

Lance lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. He laid on the bed and pulled her into his arms, where she cried and thumped him for God knows how long. He never let go. When she stilled, he moved her gently so he could look into her face.

“Did he touch you?” he growled quietly.

“No.”

He lifted her chin. “Are you telling me the truth?” Sofia nodded, but her eyes looked dead. He didn’t blame her. After what she had seen tonight, any vampire would fare the same. “God, I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Sofia pushed away and climbed off the bed.

He sat up. “What is it? Talk to me, please.”

She pulled on a thick dressing gown over her sweatshirt and jeans, hugging it around herself. It looked ridiculous, but he knew she was feeling scared and vulnerable.

“I need to know what this is,” she demanded.

His eyebrows rose even when he tried to stop them. “Us?”

“Yes.”

“Sofia, I told you those females were nothing. They were just some girls we met weeks ago. Kurt and Marcus took them home.”

“Did you go with them?”

He stood and walked to her. “No. I returned to the castle and came to your room. It was the night we nearly kissed.”

Big eyes stared up at him. He cupped her face.

“So this is real?”

“Scary as fuck, but real,” Lance confirmed, holding her stare. “I don’t know if you are my mate, Sofia, but at this point, I don’t care. I am not going anywhere.”

A tear slipped down her cheek, and he caught it.

“I thought...” she began, taking a long breath. “I thought this...us...that you were only doing it to get information out of me. I wasn’t sure.”

He stared down at her for a long moment. Hadn’t she felt what he had over these past few weeks? He’d been the one forcing them to take it slowly because of their situation. And yes, he didn’t know if he could trust her, but what if he lost her?

Would he regret not showing her?

Their situation was beyond fucked up. Surely now he could trust her.

What if something happened and he never got to show her how he felt?

He’d already lived a long life of regret after Janie took her life. He wasn’t going to do that with Sofia.

“Then I’ve been doing a shit job of showing you how I feel, and it’s time we remedied that,” Lance said, slowly lowering his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, warm, but tentative. He felt her fingers dig into his biceps, but she pulled away.

“What is it?”

Her eyes darted away, then returned to his.

“I can wait, Sofia, if that’s what you want. But I’d like to show you how I feel—no, I need to show you how I feel. So you know. So you really know,” Lance explained desperately as he pulled her hips closer to his.

She placed her hands on his biceps. “Show me. Show me how you honestly feel. And then we talk.”

He really wanted to focus on the seriousness of her last comment, but his cock took over. She was in his arms, against his lips, and the dressing gown was toast in seconds. Next, her sweatshirt flew across the room along with his shirt, both their jeans, and their shoes.

“No foreplay. I just need you inside me,” Sofia demanded.

“ Oh, Dio ,” he groaned, slamming her against the wall and ripping the side of her panties so they slipped to the floor. “Spread your legs.”

She did and wrapped them around him, her vampire strength proving helpful. He reached around and slid his fingers through her pussy. She was wet, warm, and ready. Without delay, Lance plunged in. They both cried out.

“Hard. Go. Move,” she commanded him.

This wasn’t how he had imagined their first time, but they’d been playing for weeks, desiring each other for far longer, so their bodies were ready. So fucking ready. He pumped into her, one palm slammed against the wall, the other around her lower back. Thrust after thrust he went deep, filling her completely.

“Yes, God, yes , you feel so fucking hot and tight,” he cried out.

“I want...I need...”

Lance looked down at her and pushed away from the wall. He took the few steps to the bed and lay down, keeping her on top of him. “Ride me deep, baby.”

Sofia fell over him, her breasts perfectly positioned for him to lift and suckle them as she began to move.

“Holy hell,” he groaned.

“Oh God, oh , Lance, God ,” she moaned. He felt her clit rub against him with every grinding motion she made. Her head thrust back, eyes squeezed and ecstasy written all over her face.

His cock swelled. He had waited a long time to be inside this female, and now all he wanted to do was fill her up, over and over again. He took her breasts in his hands and pinched her nipples. With her, he didn’t need to be gentle. She was a vampire and made for passionate lovemaking.

“Lance,” she cried.

“That’s it, oh yes. Come, baby, come for me now.”

Pleasure roared through them both as she clamped down on him. His hands gripped her hips, and he moved her deeper, faster, as her body began to contract around him in the waves of an orgasm.

Then he came.

“ Fuck .”

Sofia collapsed against his chest. Lance wrapped his arms around her and frowned quietly to himself. She had barely made eye contact with him. He could have grabbed her chin and forced her, but that wasn’t how he wanted it to be between them.

She was wounded. He knew that. Each step was small but momentous with her, and Lance would do whatever it took to heal her wounds and help her open up more to him.

He carried her into the shower, and they slowly washed each other. As she bent down, soapy shower puff in hand, Lance stopped her from going lower (and God, he was a saint for doing so), but he was eager to get her warm and dry and get to the talking bit.

Said no guy ever.

But vampires were suffering while the two of them were enjoying each other’s flesh. He’d needed her, but now he had a job to do.

With a cup of hot chocolate each, they sat on the sofa facing each other as Sofia played with his fingers.

“You have such big hands,” she murmured.

“All the better to touch you with,” he growled in his deepest vampire voice, smirking.

“They feel strong and protective,” she added, ignoring his teasing. Lance sensed her fear returning. “But I’m not sure you can.”

He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Baby, you have my protection now and always. We just have to be more careful next time so you won’t be out of my sight. Now, let’s start from the top. Tell me what happened.”

She pulled her fingers away and clutched her mug, looking into the dark hot liquid as if the answers were in there. “Stefano wants me to move in with him.”

Lance’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. That was not fucking happening. Not damn ever.

“What the fuck? Why? Is he moving his team into one location?”

She shook her head and stared.

His blood froze.

“Tell me,” he growled, his fangs forcing their way out. He didn’t try to stop them.

“He...” She looked down at their drinks and then back up at him. “God, Lance, he wants me to be his mate. To move in and pretend we’re a couple.”

Lance slammed his mug on the table and hot liquid splashed everywhere. Sofia flinched.

“He fucking what?!”

She slunk back into the cushions at his abrupt anger, and he knew he should apologize, but he was too angry. “What the hell did you say?!”

Angry eyes found his. “I didn’t say anything. I just wanted to get away from him,” she snapped. “He thinks we can be faux mates, and my father will approve it.”

Lance growled. “Your father has no say in this. Anyway, you’re my—”

“Your mate? We don’t know that!”

He frowned at her. “Don’t you think we are? After”—he pointed to the bedroom—“that!”

She gave him a little shrug.

His eyes shot to his hairline. “Sofia?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had a mate before. I...it’s hard to understand my feelings with so much happening.”

Ugh.

He ran his hand through his hair and paced the room.

“Lance. Stop. You know he’s insane. What can I do? I can’t do anything.”

His pacing continued as he tried to outthink the motherfucker. “What would he gain from having you as his mate? Or perceived mate, because you are fucking NOT his mate.”

She shrugged and shook her head, pulling a cushion onto her lap and hugging it. A low growl escaped his throat as he dropped onto the sofa and pulled her into his arms. She immediately melted into him.

Of course, it was all too much for her. From being sexually abused, being arrested by strangers, finding out the human species knew about them, and now being a spy for the royal family, Sofia’s life had been turned upside down.

And the cherry on top? Watching vampires be experimented on, a vampire’s worst nightmare.

Then he showed up and declared she was his mate. Maybe. Not even with any certainty. God, he was an asshole.

“I hope you’re my mate,” Sofia whispered.

“I hope so too.” He cupped her cheek and kissed her. “I’m sure of it.”

At least 90 percent.

Lance let out a long sigh. He had to update Craig. They would want to debrief her urgently, but she needed some rest first.

“Can you sleep?”

“I don’t know if I can stay awake much longer, but I’ll sleep better if I know you are here. Will you stay?”

“I’m not going anywhere. Ever again.”

They both knew his words were a lie. If Stefano called, Craig would demand she find out more about this sick and terrifying operation. With Sofia back inside the rebellion, Lance would be forced to stay in the shadows, knowing she was vulnerable and without the kind of protection he could provide. The kind she deserved.

“I don’t want to do this anymore,” she sobbed, tears falling down her face.

His chest tightened as he fought to keep the scream inside him.

“Fuck, Sofia, if I could change this, I would.” He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled her to his chest. She sobbed into his shirt until he finally carried her to the bed, placing her gently down. “Sleep. I will be here when you wake up.”

Once she fell asleep, he stepped out of the bedroom and opened his laptop, connecting with the team. They answered immediately.

“How is she?” Craig asked in a surprisingly caring tone.

“Fucked up.”

“Not surprised,” Brayden said, moving to stand beside the commander with his arms tightly crossed. “That shit would mess with even the toughest vampire.”

Lance nodded, frowning. “She’s sleeping, but I’ll call again when she wakes up for a full debrief.”

When the two enormous vampires gave a nod in agreement and began to end the call, he stopped them.

“There’s something else.” Their expressions darkened. “Stefano asked Sofia to move in with him as his faux mate. She has a week to decide.”

“What the fuck?” Craig asked, his head jolting backward. “Is that even a thing? I’ve never heard of a vampire doing that. Humans, yes, but not us.”

Brayden just shook his head in disgust.

“I know this is out of line, and whatever the consequences, I’ll take them, but I cannot allow her to go back in. I’m pretty sure Sofia is my mate,” he said, holding his hand up. “I know she’s technically our enemy, but goddamn it, you know he’d abuse her again, every damn day, if he got his hands on her. Tonight was a fucking close call. I just can’t—”

Brayden held up his hand.

“Stop. De Luca, I understand. The king is due to return from Geneva soon; we’ll combine what we know and put a plan together to get our vampires out. In a week we could have Stefano’s head.”

Thank fuck he hadn’t had to fight them. As he’d lain with her while she fell asleep, Lance had already been considering either New Zealand or Australia to hide her away in.

“Are we taking his head?”

Brayden’s lips slowly turned up at the edges before he shrugged. “You know that’s Vincent’s decision.”

Yeah, he did. No one could order a beheading except the king, unless it was in self-defense. And damn, he hoped he had the opportunity one day. Soon.

But Sofia’s safety was his top priority, no matter how much revenge he wanted.

“Tell Sofia to keep him hanging until the end of the week. Hopefully, it won’t get to that,” Craig indicated.

Brayden leaned forward, squinting. “So, is she your mate?”

Lance lifted a shoulder. “Still don’t know. I think so.” A lot weighed on her being his. He just hadn’t realized it. He still didn’t fully understand what it would mean, but right now, he just had to keep her safe and alive.

If she was his, the Morettis would treat her with more care. As fucked up as that was, it was how things worked.

“Teleport back to the castle when she awakens. We’ll make it short, but I want everyone here in person,” Brayden instructed.

Lance signed off and went to join Sofia in bed. Curling up next to her, he pulled her into his arms, letting out a long sigh. It had been a fucking long night.

Now he didn’t want to let her go.

If everything went well, he would never need to, but something wasn’t sitting right in his chest. When he thought back on Brayden’s words, he hadn’t explicitly said he would put a halt to Sofia having to go through with Stefano’s request of her.

Lying there, Lance knew that if it served the race for Sofia to go through with it, the Morettis would ask her to do it. And she wouldn’t be able to refuse.

For the first time since joining the Moretti Royal Army four hundred years ago, Lance felt his loyalty waver.