CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

“ O h, honey, males are dumb,” Willow comforted her.

Anna sniffed and blew her nose for the third time. “I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I’m so upset. He’s just a guy...who kidnapped me.”

Brianna let out a little giggle, and Anna stared at her.

“Sorry, but it’s kind of romantic.” Willow glared at Brianna. “What? It is .”

Anna let out a little laugh.

“You’re right. He’s a dumb male,” Anna agreed with Willow. “I’m not usually this stupid over a guy.”

“Honey, he’s your mate. Have you not realized yet?” Willow asked. “I was human, so I had no idea when I met Brayden. We were only supposed to spend a week together, and then, well, I learned about vampires and lost my goddamn mind...but that’s a whole other story.”

“I knew all about vampires and mates, but Willow was trying to keep me from being with Craig.”

Willow let out a little growl. “I was trying to keep you alive, excuse me!”

“Keep me human. Which I appreciate.” Brianna laughed. “But that big goof won my heart, and I couldn’t live without him. Literally.”

“Wow. I can’t imagine being a different species and having to deal with all the emotions,” Anna said. “But while I appreciate your kindness, Ben isn’t my mate.”

When they smiled at her, she added, “He’s not; he just walked away.”

Brianna smirked.

“Yeah, they do that,” Willow told her, pouring herself another glass of water. “Ignore it. He’ll be back.”

Anna doubted that.

She’d seen the final goodbye in Ben’s eyes, and while she hadn’t known him for long, she felt she knew him pretty well. He was a male who did what he said he would.

Ben was leaving.

Not just leaving her but leaving the country.

He’d promised her revenge, and for the rest of her long existence, Anna would have to live without knowing if Ben was safe or alive. She hadn’t told him about the device they’d used to kidnap her. The one that had all but burned her flesh and incapacitated her. What if they used it on him?

With Oliver gone, he could be in danger.

The Moretti’s knew about the device, but it wasn’t something she had been able to share with anyone else.

Even Ben.

And while it was clear he was a powerful and skilled warrior, that device was terrifying for any living vampire.

“In the meantime, we have the execution tomorrow, and I was wondering if you wanted to sit with Craig, Sofia, and me?” Bri invited her.

Anna gave her a sad smile and nodded. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that. Wait, where will Lance be?”

The females shared a look.

“Lance has the honor of taking his head,” Willow said. “I’ll be with Brayden doing princess stuff, otherwise I’d join you.”

“Lance is executing Stefano?” Anna gasped. “For Sofia?”

When the two females nodded, Anna’s mind wandered. He was taking revenge for what happened to his mate. This was the way of the mated male and had been for thousands of years.

Anna didn’t know much about what had happened to Sofia, but she knew enough to understand the huge decision the king must have made to give the honor to SLC Lance De Luca.

Was this why Ben wanted to protect her and seek revenge? Was it possible he was her fated mate?

No male had ever looked at her the way he had. Sex had never felt the way it did with him. Sure, he was gorgeous as hell, but all of that fell away when you felt a male within you. Sparks flew when they were together, but there was an intensity to it that went beyond just lust.

Even now, with her tears dry on her cheeks, she wanted to know where he was and what he was doing.

Was he okay?

Was he thinking of her?

Was Ben...her mate?

And if he was, what did that mean for both of them?