Choose pink roses.

JEAN LUC WASN'T SURPRISED when Ga?l asked to speak to him in his study as soon as they returned home. And the moment the door closed behind him, his brother didn't waste time confronting him.

"Emilia told me Etienne had her blood tested, and that we happen to be a near-perfect match. Is it true?"

"Yes."

Ga?l's expression hardened. "And your reason for withholding such information from me?"

"I wanted to wait until after Laura's wedding—-"

Ga?l swore under his breath. "For God's sake, Jean Luc. Why? Do you actually think I still have feelings for that bitch?"

"I believe you do, yes."

"That's fucking insane," Ga?l roared. "I hate that bitch—-"

"And is hatred not a feeling?"

"Goddammit, Jean Luc! Don't play these fucking games with me. I have every fucking reason to hate Laura, and you know it. She killed our daughter. Your niece. Have you forgotten that?"

Jean Luc's own face was ashen by the time his brother finished speaking. "None of us has forgotten that, Ga?l. We might never be able to properly conceive the magnitude of your pain, but she was our flesh and blood, too. Her death hurt all of us. It still hurts to this day. And that's why I know your pain and anger at Laura might make you do something you'll regret later on."

Ga?l's anger turned into fury at the realization that his own brother believed he could be so impetuous. "Give me some fucking credit! Are you thinking that just because I know Emilia Moretti is my near-perfect match, I'll offer to marry her and choose the same fucking wedding day as Laura's to publicly humiliate her? Do you truly fucking think, just because I know Laura's ego means everything to her, I'll plan my own fucking grand wedding just to force all of her guests to ditch hers—-"

"It seems you already have a plan," his brother pointed out.

"FUCK!"

Jean Luc was unbothered even as Ga?l's fangs flashed out in his rage. His younger brother might be deadly in the battlefield, but they were family. Nothing in this world, not even the greatest betrayal, could make them raise a hand against the other.

"Hurting Laura will not bring Rosey back," Jean Luc stated quietly, "and marrying Emilia will be no different from cutting your nose to spite your face."

"I know that," Ga?l grated out. "Do you truly think I don't know that?"

Jean Luc, seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere with his brother, tried another tack. "What about Juliette?"

Ga?l stiffened.

"Severin told me he saw you in Juliette's bedroom this morning."

"It's not what he thinks," Ga?l said curtly.

"Are you saying she's still a virgin?" The flush in his brother's face was answer enough, and Jean Luc chose his next words with care, not wanting to make Ga?l feel he had anything to prove. "I just want you to think about your ward. Think about how life can and will change for you and Juliette...before you make any decision."

JEAN LUC'S WORDS WERE like poison again, and for the first time since accepting Juliette's offer to give him her sangferia, Ga?l deliberately kept himself from visiting his ward...even when all he could think of was her.

His older brother obviously thought that finding out Emilia Moretti was his near-perfect match would leave him burning for vengeance, and perhaps...if this had happened even just a week ago, that would have been exactly the case.

His hatred for Laura would have made him seek a strategic alliance with Emilia, and he might also have been bitter enough to ensure that their wedding - if it indeed came to that - would fall on the same date as his ex-wife's.

Things, however, were different now.

Instead of giving a fuck about everything that was right with Emilia or everything that was wrong about Laura, all he could think about was Juliette...and he had no fucking idea why that was.

Logic told him that he should discontinue his agreement with his ward and pursue a new one with Domenico Moretti's sister. But if he were to give his ward up, wouldn't that mean letting another man touch her?

The idea alone made him want to commit murder, and the fact that it did only made Ga?l feel more restless.

In a bid to clear his mind, Ga?l decided to pay a visit to his baby girl. In honor of his daughter's memory, Ga?l had hired the world's best landscape artist to design a rose garden at the back of the house, and an adjacent gazebo had also been constructed to serve as the landmark for her grave.

Ga?l expected to be alone as he followed the paved stones leading to Rosey's resting place, but his steps came to an abrupt halt when he saw a a familiar figure seated next to her tombstone.

"Juliette?"

His ward was visibly stunned at hearing his voice, and she rose to her feet in clumsy haste. "G-Ga?l."

He took a step closer, and he realized why he hadn't been able to detect her presence early on. She was using the scent-masking spray that Jean Luc had invented, and it was vastly effective.

His gaze drifted back to his daughter's grave, and it was then he saw the pink roses on the ground. "Those are from you?"

She nodded.

"I see them often, and I wondered who it was that always left roses for my baby girl."

"I just felt Rosey would enjoy it," Juliette confessed.

There was a slight pause, and when her guardian spoke, his voice was taut with emotion. "I think she would, too."

Juliette's heart ached. "I'm sorry, Ga?l. I'm really so sorry." She knew it had been years since his daughter died, but she could see in her guardian's gaze that the pain was still raw and vivid.

"It hurts to think of her still," Ga?l said roughly.

Juliette could no longer help it, and she threw her arms around him.

"Rosey is in a good place now," she whispered. "I'm sure she's looking after you from heaven, and she wouldn't want you to stay sad like this."

Ga?l squeezed his eyes shut. "She was just too fucking young, you know?"

Juliette could only nod as her own eyes started to sting. If only she could take away his pain! If only!

Ga?l's arms eventually eased from her, but just as she started feeling empty, Juliette was startled when his hand took hers in a grip...and didn't let go.

They started walking, and having him hold her hand as they did made her want to cry. They had never done this before. Never. And because of what the future held, this might also be the first and last time he could ever hold her hand.

I love you, Ga?l. I love you.

She had always been in love with him. Always. It was something she was now absolutely certain of, but because she had also thought he was out of her league, she had never really thought anything would come out of it.

And yet now...

Juliette bit her lip hard when it started to tremble. The nights she had spent reaching the heavens in his arms had been so beautiful...and they had made her hope for more. She had even allowed herself to think they had a chance...until what Aprilynne had revealed.

Knowing what she did now meant that she would have to eventually close the door on her feelings. But before she had to let him go, there was just one last thing she wanted to do, and that was...

"Ga?l?"

They had just reached the back of the house when Juliette whispered his name, and he turned to her in question. "What is it, my darling?"

"May I go to your room tonight?"

His grip on her hand tightened. Even with all the times he had pleasured and made her cum, not once had Juliette taken the initiative. Not once. This was the first time...and the fact that it was made Ga?l unable to resist her invitation.

Juliette's heart pounded against her chest as Ga?l led her up the stairs, and she could barely breathe when they were finally standing in front of his bedroom door.

He glanced at her, and she knew he was giving her one last chance to back out. Are you certain about this?

Juliette nodded, and a storm of emotions assailed her heart as her guardian drew her in.

This was really happening...wasn't it?

Ga?l's bedroom was massive and masculine, and its furniture subtle in its elegance with its mix of dark wood and black leather. It was a perfect reflection of her guardian's personality, but she had no time to think beyond this with Ga?l suddenly sweeping her up in his arms.

Ah!

Her back hit the door as he started kissing her, and her legs automatically locked around his waist as she kissed him back. Whereas he always used to be gentle and tender, this time his mouth was moving over hers with rough hunger, and oh, how she loved it. He seemed just a little wilder and less controlled, and that was exactly what she needed, in order to carry out her plan.

His tongue dove into her mouth as he lifted her off the door, and she sucked on his tongue as he started to walk.

A breathless laugh escaped her when he let her tumble down and bounce on his big, soft bed, but the sound quickly turned into a moan that was just as breathless when he started undressing her.

"You're so damn hot, my darling."

A whimper slipped past her lips at the desire-thickened sound of his voice, and she could only whimper yet again when he had all of her clothes on the floor in moments. Just like that, she was completely naked under him, but when he started to move down her body, Juliette quickly shook her head and rose to her knees.

"It's my turn now." While Juliette somehow managed not to stammer, she couldn't help blushing when she saw the way Ga?l raised a brow as she placed a hand on his bare chest.

"What are you planning to do?" he purred.

"Pleasure you," she tried to purr back...but she ended up croaking in the end, and Juliette's heart skipped a beat as laughter gleamed from his icy blue eyes.

Oh, how she loved him!

"You're full of surprises tonight," Ga?l murmured.

"Is it bad?"

"I love it."

"Then..." Her heart started thudding at the thought of what she was about to say. "You'll probably love it even more if I tell you..."

Ga?l's gaze narrowed.

"That I've been dying to taste you?"

The answer was completely unexpected, and it had Ga?l groaning as his body became hard as rock. "If you keep this up," he warned gutturally, "I won't be accountable for what I might end up doing to you."

"I don't care. I just want to pleasure you." Doe eyes searched his. "Will you let me?"

"Yes."

Oh God, this was really happening!

Fear and excitement exploded inside of her, and it made Juliette barely able to hear her own thoughts over the ruckus her heart was making. She knew she was about to take the biggest risk of her life, but it was now or never, and she didn't want to spend the rest of her life tormenting herself with unanswerable what-ifs.

Rising up on her knees, Juliette reached for his shirt with trembling fingers and started unbuttoning them. It took her a lot longer compared to how much time he needed to undress her, but she did get to take his shirt off eventually, and she was now left swallowing at the bronzed, muscular wall of his chest.

Oh God, my guardian is so hot!

Ga?l could barely keep himself still as his ward worked on his jeans next. She had such a look of serious concentration on her face it nearly made him smile. It was just so fucking adorable, the way she was treating the whole thing like it was a test she had to pass, and he was tempted to laugh and groan at the same time when Juliette visibly jerked as her fingers accidentally made contact with the twitching beast under his jeans.

Another minute passed before she was finally down to his last piece of clothing, and he saw her gulp at the sight of his briefs.

"Do you need to take them off, too?" He only meant to tease, but Ga?l was startled when she actually nodded.

And then she was indeed reaching for his briefs, and fuck, fuck, fuck—-

By the time his briefs joined the rest of their clothes on the floor, his arousal was at its most engorged state, and Juliette was staring at it like she had a monster before her.

"It's too big," Juliette couldn't help whispering.

"Thank you?"

"It's not a compliment." She raised dazed eyes to his. "I know this is a cliché, but are you sure that's really going to fit me?"

"I hope it doesn't."

"Ga?l!"

"You know I don't lie—-WHAT THE FUCK?"

Ga?l barely managed to control himself from throwing Juliette off when she suddenly climbed over his lap before fully impaling herself on the thick, hard length of his cock.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

Juliette's tears flowed at the fury and disbelief etched over her guardian's features.

"What the hell have you done?" Ga?l couldn't understand why she had done such a thing. What the hell was she thinking?

"You s-said that the more I hurt, the more my sangferia would make me stronger."

"Dammit, Juliette, I did say that, but we haven't even reached the maximum amount—-"

His ward shook her head. "I keep track of your consumption rate, too. 99.9% might not be the maximum amount, but it's close enough, isn't it? So please..." Dark, tear-stained eyes locked with his. "Please drink it now, Ga?l."

Fuck!

" Please ."

And once again, he was unable to resist her.

Juliette watched her guardian grit his teeth as if he was also in pain while carefully lifting her off his cock. Every inch of movement hurt, but she simply bit her lip hard and reminded herself that this was what she wanted.

And while that was true, she still ended up sobbing when he was finally out of her, and the pain only started to ease the moment he started lapping up her sangferia... before moving to the vein pulsing in her inner thigh. His fangs punctured her flesh, and Juliette whimpered just before pleasure once again began coursing through her veins.

She could hear him drinking her blood, but whereas this same sound had given her nightmares a few years ago, it was so, so different when she knew that the one drinking her blood wasn't some vampire.

Instead, this was Ga?l.

Her guardian Ga?l, and oh, how she loved him!

After drinking the last drop of her sangferia, Ga?l moved back on top of Juliette and took her gaze captive. "Thank you, my darling," he whispered.

A wobbly smile touched over her lips. "I'm glad I was able to do my duty."

"So am I," he said huskily. "And now that's over..."

Blue eyes glittered down at her.

"I hope you're ready for a long night of fucking."

Juliette could only moan...and she kept moaning as his fingers started teasing her still-sensitive folds. Lost as she was in the lustful glitter in his icy blue eyes, and with his fingers ever so gently stroking her pussy, the pain eventually faded, and before she knew it, he was already thrusting one, oh God, no, he was thrusting two fingers inside of her sex, and it was so, so good!

Aaaaaah!

Her hands curved over his shoulders as his fingers began a rhythm, and her hips eventually started moving on its own as well. Soon, Ga?l had three fingers inside of her, and although those were more than enough to make her feel so wonderfully stuffed—-

His cock was a different thing entirely, and even though she was still nervous and afraid, she was also beyond excited when Ga?l finally replaced his fingers with his hardness.

"Gael."

His entire being turned hard and hot at the way his ward moaned his name, and she did it again when his cock was fully embedded inside of her pussy. He fought to stay still, wanting to give her as much time as she needed to get used to his size. But when she looked up at him pleadingly—-

FUCK!

"Please, baby, please—-"

Well, that was fucking it.

She had to know she would drive him out of his goddamn mind by calling him her fucking 'baby'.

Didn't she?

If she didn't, it was too fucking late, since he was now crazy with wanting her, and fuck, fuck, fuck —-

Juliette gasped as Ga?l started pounding in and out of her like a beast in heat, and all she could do was hold on to his shoulders as his thrusts became even wilder and rougher. This should probably have fed her fears, but instead it only made her want more.

"God, baby, please! Please don't stop, please!"

Her guardian growled, and it was the most deliciously feral sound...just before he suddenly bent his head and his hot breath caressed the side of her neck.

Oh God!

And then it was already happening, with her guardian's fangs tearing into her flesh so he could drink her blood even as he kept fucking and fucking and fucking her.

"Yes, baby, yes!"

Juliette let out a moan of protest when he forced himself to stop drinking her blood, and her eyes were full of yearning as their gazes met. Both of them were now panting, their bodies sweating, and with all the noise Juliette had made, Ga?l knew that all of his brothers would have heard her by now...and know.

He had made Juliette his, and by claiming her, he finally understood why he had always been too damn protective of her.

Jean Luc, as always, turned out to be right. There was another reason, and it was love.

The realization nearly made his mind explode, and his heart felt like it was about to fucking burst. But most of all, love also had an impact on his body. It made Ga?l want her more, want her to the point of madness, and when it had him growling with hunger, the sound had Juliette jerking under him in shock...even as her pussy became wetter and slicker while her inner muscles tightened around his cock.

"Ga?l..."

She whimpered his name like it was a plea, and the sound decimated what little hope he had for staying in control.

Wild, ravenous need took over, and Ga?l heard his ward gasp as he gripped her legs just before throwing them over his shoulders...and fucking her harder than ever.

Juliette's mind whirled at the incredible force of Ga?l's thrusts. It almost felt like he was hammering into her, and oh God, she loved it. She loved the feel of being conquered by his cock, loved the erotic sound of his manhood thrusting in and out of her pussy. She loved everything so, so much that the pleasure inevitably became unbearable. It was just so good. Everything was just so, so good that all she could do was gasp his name out as the pleasure started to consume her from within.

"Yes," her guardian said thickly as glittering blue eyes locked with hers. "Yes, my darling, come with me."

The thought of Ga?l cumming inside her and with her was also too much, and all Juliette could do was gasp as pleasure finally flooded her world. She came with a shuddering sob, and as her body arched against Ga?l's muscular frame, she heard her guardian groan her name just as his cock started ejaculating inside of her.

Oh, my love.

Juliette couldn't keep herself from crying as she felt the heat of his seed fill her channels. She wished with all of her heart she could tell her guardian she loved him. Wished she could tell him that she would always be his. But most of all, she wished she had been his near-perfect match.

But because she wasn't, and Juliette couldn't bear the idea of keeping Ga?l from becoming stronger because of her imperfect blood—-

Tonight might be her only chance to be with him, and when the day came Ga?l would tell her he had to be with Emilia Moretti, she knew that she would never stand in his way.

She loved him, after all.