Immortals After Dark 12 - Lothaire

home, but maybe one day the male before me will bring me back there.
    In a weary tone, he said, “Tell me why you kissed the boy.”
    “To find out if I desired just about any male after my prison stay, or if it was only you—”
    “And?”
    He’s holding his breath. Dear God, she might truly have a shot at Lothaire. “I didn’t feel any desire for him, because I was wantin’ . . . you.”
    “Me.” Pride fired in the red depths of his eyes. “Good. I don’t . . . I didn’t want to have to behead Thaddeus. Or to string you up at the demon crossroads.”
    “Really? Oh, Lothaire, this is huge! This is what I’d call a breakthrough moment.”
    “Shut up.”
    She grinned.
    His gaze dipped to her mouth. “You want a real kiss now? From your own male?”
    My own male. She nearly swayed. Lothaire had never treated her like his Bride; now his gaze upon her was heated and possessive. “I do, Leo, but I’m gonna want it for a lot longer than a week.” I want to live!
    He cupped her face with pale hands. “I’m keeping you, Lizvetta.”

    “Do you mean”—Elizabeth’s eyes started glinting—“I don’t have to die?”
    What monster could kill such a one as she?
    I’d been planning to. No, worse than death. “You’ll never die! Keeping you forever.”
    Because she would be . . . his queen.
    At Helvita, he’d recognized Elizabeth as the Bride fate had chosen for him. Now he gazed upon the cunning queen he’d chosen for himself.
    Somehow he would figure out a way around his vows to the goddess. He was Lothaire, after all. He could figure out anything.
    “But what about Saroya?”
    “I’ll take care of her.”
    “How?”
    “The ring’s still in play, is it not?” he said. “You will live, and I will take care of Saroya, but in return, you must . . .” He grabbed her shoulders. “I’m ordering you to forget what went on between us before.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Hag told me you wouldn’t be able to get past my treatment of you.”
    “Ohhh. Like the threats against me and my loved ones? Like the mental anguish and never-ending mockery? Like putting me on death row?”
    He scowled. “If you want to live, then all that must be forgotten, just as you’ve done with your miseries in the past. You told me you’ve done this before!”
    “I have, and I will now. All I ask is that you vow never to hurt my family, by your hand or order. Do we have a bargain?”
    “Always with the vows,” he muttered. “I add my own condition. In the next few weeks, you do not question me about my plans and actions. You trust me to decide what is best for both of us.”
    She hesitated. “Agreed.”
    “Then I vow to the Lore never to harm your family by action or order.”
    “And I vow to let you decide what is best for us. For three weeks.”
    He narrowed his eyes at her qualifier, but let it slide. “You also told me you could make me happy.” He curled his finger under her chin. “You’ve got your work cut out for you.”
    “I’ve heard—probably just a wacky rumor—that sex makes males happy. You wanna seal this deal, Leo?”
    He drew her tightly into his arms. “You think I don’t want to claim you?”
    She tilted her head up at him. “But you believe you’ll hurt me.”
    “When a human male hurts a female during sex, what happens?”
    “I guess she might walk funny.”
    “I can lift a fucking train, Lizvetta. What would happen to you?” For the first time in his long life, he regretted his strength—though he’d paid so dearly for it. Now it was an obstacle.
    Not to mention his vampiric instincts. He was no turned mortal; he was of a different species, a born vampire with no human impulses totemper his predatory behavior. “Imagine if you tried to wrestle with a butterfly, but knew you couldn’t dust its wings. It’s equivalent to our situation.”
    She dragged her forefinger down his chest, saying in a sexy drawl, “What if the butterfly rode you like a lazy horse?”
    He stiffened all around her. “Continue.”

    “Instead of grinding on you like I did when we were on the sofa,” Ellie said, “I could ride you.”
    The vampire’s interest was definitely piqued. But then he shook his head. “I haven’t had sex in millennia. What makes you think I won’t lose control?”
    “I just know you won’t.” Ellie had made up her mind that this was going to happen. She believed that she was his Bride—though he hadn’t specifically acknowledged the fact yet—which