CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

“ W here?”

“Japan,” Brayden replied. “Twenty vampires dead.”

“Thank fuck that castle is all but unoccupied.”

It wasn’t the point, though, and they both knew it. The rebels were knocking over the Moretti castles one by one. First Spain and now Japan.

Despite everything going on around him, Craig’s mind kept flicking back to the redhead lying in his bed, all sexed up and needing him. He adjusted his pants and tried to focus, but something was nagging at him.

Okay. That was bullshit. He knew what it was but was ignoring it.

Craig had relegated her to a sexual plaything. Not that either of their bodies were complaining, but deep down, he knew he’d closed down when she had refused to give herself over to him completely. And why should she?

Everyone around her was telling her he was mated, although rejected, and he himself didn’t know if he was or wasn’t.

Why would anyone give their soul to an unavailable lover?

But fuck, it had pushed him an inch closer to the edge when she had refused. It was wrong. He knew it. And yet, he still felt the need to control and own her body. Like an obsession.

Craig pressed the button on the remote in his pocket. Just on low to begin with, and then slowly increased it. He imagined her right now in any number of situations, feeling the pleasure stimulating her pussy. Her thinking of him and aching.

For him.

Three hours later, he walked through his door. Hard. Eager. Needing. With expectations.

Instead of finding Brianna withering on the bed, wet with need, she stepped out of the bedroom wearing a long red dress and black heels.

What the fuck.

“Oh, hey,” she purred.

His forehead furrowed. “Are we going out?”

She nodded and put on a long necklace which hung between her breasts. Through the material, he could just make out the nipple rings. She’d kept them on.

His dick twitched.

“Well, we are. You’re not.”

What the actual fuck?

“I don’t think so,” he said, stepping up to her and discovering exactly what he thought he would.

No goddamn panties.

Again.

She felt his hand on her body and sighed.

“Panty lines, Craig. No girl wants panty lines. It doesn’t mean I’m going to fuck half the bar.”

They were going to a bar?

He let out a growl in the back of his throat and didn’t try to hide it. This was not what he had expected when he had walked through the door. Had she removed the egg?

He stared down at her and ran his fingers over her nipple, his own eyes dark with sex.

There. That.

Yeah, she was in need.

“Stop.”

A tiny smile crept onto his lips.

“Don’t,” she warned as he turned on the egg. All her composure disappeared, and she turned to jelly in his arms.

“Goddammit, Craig, I can’t take any more.”

He lifted her up and carried her to the edge of the sofa. Bunching up her dress, he nudged her legs apart and spread her. Down he went to find her soaking.

“God, yes.” He looked up, running his tongue through her pink flesh. “You need me?”

“Yesss.”

She was so wet, so open and ready for him.

“Pull your dress down and show me your tits.”

She did so immediately, and God, he needed his cock in her now.

“Relax your pussy.”

He put two fingers inside her and pulled the egg free. More licking as she cried out, pulling on his hair. Working her with his tongue, he flicked and sucked, soaking up her juices.

He ripped off his jacket and pulled his pants down just enough to get his cock out. Nudging her forward, he grabbed her legs and wrapped them around him before plunging in.

“You are mine, Bri. Goddamn it, you are mine.”

Thrust, thrust.

He held her strong and sure while he pounded into her. She flung her head back and screamed her orgasm as he filled her with his vampire seed, knowing there was no risk of impregnating her. Only a mate could impregnant another vampire mate. Brianna was not only human, but wasn’t his mate.

Probably.

A little while later, Craig sat in the armchair, waiting for her to return from rearranging her dress and hair.

“The king gave you permission?” he asked for the third time.

She nodded.

Fuck, he couldn’t override the king. What was the guy thinking?

“Kate’s going with you?”

“Yes, we’ll be fine. We’ll have two guards, plus Willow and Kate are small badass vampires.”

No, it wasn’t fucking fine. Unless those guards were him and Brayden, it wasn’t fucking fine.

“Males are much stronger than female vampires, Brianna,” he reminded her.

The queen and princess both had Moretti blood, so he wasn’t sure how true his statement was, but it wasn’t a conversation he could have with her. Or anyone.

Kate hadn’t attempted to fight the rebels off when she’d been captured during the recent coup, so it had left him wondering.

It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t trust anyone but himself with guarding the little human. She was unsafe in their world, and he was angry with Vincent for allowing this.

But he was the king.

If Craig could shadow her, he would. However, they’d received more intel which looked to have legs in the past few hours. That was clearly more important than his love life. Moretti castles were blowing up around the world, and it was his job to stop them. Well, his and Brayden’s.

Which made him wonder exactly how the prince was taking the news his mate was hitting the town.

You cool with this?

No fucking way. We’ve just had world war three here. And I lost.

What the hell is Vincent thinking?

He thinks they’re safer out of the castle, and Kate said they need female bonding time or some damn thing.

Fuck me. It’s not bloody spring break.

Add Timmy to their detail. Let’s focus on a war we can win.

Jesus. Perhaps he needed to chill out. If Brayden was willing to let Willow go, perhaps he was overreacting.

Damn. Fine.

They’re targeting our castles, not our females. You want to get laid tonight?

No. Not more than he wanted Brianna safe. She was more vulnerable than the other females. He knew they were all acutely aware she shouldn’t be in their world.

Hell, he needed to chill. After all, Willow wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

She’s human, Bray.

Three hours, brother. Let her stretch her wings.

“Like how much stronger?” Bri asked, snapping him back to their conversation.

He used vampire speed to get to her on the other side of the room before he lifted her and spun her around. Grinning at her squeals and laughter, he slid her down his front and waited for her to get her bearings.

“A lot.”

“Show off.”

Craig grinned. “Just be safe, okay, gorgeous?”

A knock at the door.

“Good evening, princess,” he greeted as Willow walked in and found them in an embrace.

“Hmm. Come on, Bri.”

She still wasn’t happy with their relationship, and he couldn’t blame her. The possibilities of him hurting Brianna were growing greater by the day, and until he knew she was his mate, he would remain acutely aware of that.

And yet, he couldn’t let her go. Brayden stepped in behind Willow and shoved his hands in his pockets. But that didn’t mean Craig was going to stand around and listen to another lecture on the matter.

“I’m jumping in the shower,” he said, and saw Brayden sneer at him. “I’ll let the prince walk you out to the car.”

“Oh.”

“Have fun and stick close to the guards, please.” He planted a kiss on her lips.

Willow coughed. Brianna smiled against his lips.

“I’m out too.” Brayden slipped out the door after dropping his own kiss on Willow and giving him a look across the room. “Kate is expecting you.”

Craig laughed as both males evacuated the room.

He liked Willow, he really did, but she was nearly as protective of Brianna as he was. Both he and Brayden knew she was projecting her own loss onto her friend, and they also knew that if Bri was in fact his mate, her future was with him in this castle. Or wherever he lived.

Hopefully, one of them would survive this damn nightmare.

And on that thought, he jumped in the shower and got focused on bringing down the rebels who were keeping him from doing what he really wanted to do. Protect the sexy human in the room next door.