Primal Lust (To Be Claimed Saga Book 3) Page 2

  “He left her?” First disbelief, then anger runs through me, awakening my senses and energizing my limbs. How could he leave his mate crying? She must be in pain! The very thought she’s suffering from his bite, from that unbearable heat, has me nearly in tears. How could he leave her alone to suffer?

  “It’s not what you think. She’s not in pain. She’s not human, so she won’t be feeling the same as you. She may not even feel anything at all.”

  “How could she not feel anything? How could she not feel that?”

  He chuckles and my instinct is to strike him for it. A member of our pack is broken down and alone. “She needs us.” He must hear the insistency of my comment because his grip tightens and his voice lowers to a serious timbre.

  “They’re working through other things right now. It’s best to leave them be.”

  My head shakes of its own accord. “She needs someone.” My whispered plea begs him to understand. Regardless of whether or not she felt the pain of Vince’s mark, she’s obviously hurting from something. “I want to go to her.” I’ve already started to stand as I make the statement, but Devin’s powerful arms constrict around my body.

  “It’s best not to interfere.” His words are hard and his tone is absolute.

  How can he be so cold? A moment passes and she sobs again, crying out for Vince.

  “I can’t sit here and do nothing. She needs someone.” His eyes soften at my words and his grip loosens. He doesn’t say anything, merely gazing into my hazel eyes before nodding his head and releasing me.

  As I step out of his hold and walk toward her, I’m suddenly very aware of the fact that I’m naked. Cold and naked, to be exact. With my arms crossed in front of me, I gather my courage and set the thought aside. They’re shifters, they don’t care.

  Well, she’s a vampire, but I doubt she’ll mind.

  Another soft cry for Vince is barely heard in the distance and any thought of modesty vanishes.

  She needs me. I feel a pull to her. A pull to my pack as I get closer to her. It’s a strange sensation that I haven’t felt before, almost like a pressure in my chest is pushing me forward, urging me to comfort her. My hand rubs at the hard knot growing in my chest as the pain becomes impossible to ignore.

  I approach slowly until I’m able to see her more clearly. Streams of blood leak down her face. Tears? She blinks and the whites of her eyes return to normal before clouding with the dark red liquid yet again.

  The terrifying sight is both shocking and frightening, and I gasp while taking a hesitant step back. At my reaction, Veronica’s head pulls up in a nearly violent fashion. My heart pounds and I can’t control the natural instinct. When her eyes catch sight of me, she immediately rises, and in a blink, she’s gone. Nothing but a blurred vision.

  She vanishes so quickly, I don’t believe it at first. I question my own senses. Did she run? Holy shit. How is that possible? I’d heard that vampires were fast, but to see it is something else entirely. Something eerie and startling.

  I swallow a scream as Devin’s hand comes down on my shoulder. My beating heart slows once I realize it’s him.

  “She ran.” I don’t know what else to say.

  “I saw. I thought she would. Like I said, it’s best not to interfere. It’s complicated, Grace.”

  My head shakes at his words. “No. She’s not okay. She needs someone. I need to help her. I felt a pull to her.”

  His tone changes at my admission. “You felt a pull?” He turns me in his arms to look at me. “You felt a pull?” he repeats. I nod at his question. That’s exactly what I felt. I rub my chest remembering the slight pain and growing knot. That’s all but gone now. “I felt a physical need to go to her.”

  Devin lips turn up slightly into an asymmetric grin of pride.

  “You were meant to be an Alpha, sweetheart. Fate has given me a strong mate.”

  “An Alpha?”

  He nods his head. “An Alpha feels the needs of his pack. And sometimes those who aren’t even his responsibility. You,” he says as his hand cups my chin and lifts my lips to him for a sweet, soft kiss, “you are an Alpha.” I smile against his lips, his words warming me with satisfaction.

  Pulling back slightly, I manage to remember Veronica through the needy haze of my heat returning. “Where do you think she went?”

  “I’m not sure. Vince is going to her now, though.” My confusion at his knowledge dissipates as I remember their ability to communicate even at long distances.

  “But how will he find her?”

  “He’ll always be able to find her. She’ll never be able to run from him. Not now that he’s claimed her.”

  I look back at the direction she ran. “But what if she doesn’t want him to find her?”

  He shrugs. “I suppose she’d have to keep running. Vampires are much faster than werewolves. She could outrun him forever, but she won’t.” I look back into his silver gaze questioningly. He gives me a small smile and a peck. “She may want to run now, but she needs him. And she knows it just as much as he does.”

  GRACE

  My body is so damn sore as I walk down the hall to Vince and Veronica’s room. Every movement makes me ache, but there’s also a deep sense of satisfaction knowing it’s from being claimed by my Alpha. A simper slips across my lips as my fingertips graze the wound on my neck. The moment I touch it, as if to check that it’s still there, I wish I hadn’t. I wince from the gentle touch. Fuck, it hurts.

  I remember being stunned this morning when I first looked in the mirror. My entire neck is bruised and his mark looks horrendous. It’s going to take a week or more for it to heal. Devin spent most of the morning licking and kissing it. A familiar heat rolls through my body at the remembrance and the pain is so easily forgotten.

  The sigh of contentment is met with regret as my gaze settles on Vince and Veronica’s door. Taking a moment to shake out my hair, I wipe the grin off my face. This isn’t what Veronica needs. I can already feel the venom she would give me if I were to prance in with puppy love, no pun intended, written across my expression.

  An image of her disheveled and broken appearance last night flashes in my mind and my heart drops, although my pace doesn’t slow. I have no business going to her with my happiness so damn evident. I clear my throat and compose myself before knocking hesitantly on the door.

  Thump, thump, my heart is only given a single second before the doorknob turns.

  Veronica opens the door slowly and raises her brows when she sees me. Given how well vampires hear, it’s obvious she’s not surprised to see me. Just surprised at the sight of my condition judging by how her gaze travels over my plain white V-neck tee and dark gray sweatpants. I was a bit too sore for jeans.

  “Well, that beast didn’t take it easy on you, did he?” She steps away from the door, holding it open and allowing me to walk through.

  My eyes widen at the sight of her in a deep burgundy satin robe. I nearly gape at her appearance. She looks just the same as she did yesterday—not during the ceremony, but before. The way she always looks, which is stunning. Her tanned skin is completely unmarked with the only exception being a very faint silver scar along her shoulder. I have to squint to make it out. Seriously? I look like shit, like my mate mauled me, and she gets to go back to looking like a runway model? Not fair. Swallowing the petty thought, I enter the room and feel slightly uneasy as she shuts the door behind me.

  It’s only when I clear my throat to speak that I notice how sore it is. If I had to put money on it, I’d bet Veronica’s throat isn’t hurting either. As I part my lips, I note how casual she appears while she makes her way to the window. She doesn’t seem to be in distress like she was last night. She’s entirely composed. There are so many questions that beg to be asked. So many thoughts filled with compassion and empathy that stay lodged in the back of my throat. Nothing is as I thought it would be.

  Devin was right when he said it’s complicated, and that’s in addition to the significance and difficulties Veronica being a vampire already brings.

  Before I can speak, she gestures to a high-back chair in the corner of the room by a desk. “Sit.”

  A brow of mine cocks up of its own accord. I hesitate and narrow my eyes, not liking her tone or the use of the word “sit.” Flashbacks of my first night with Devin run through my mind.

  With a corner of her lips pulling up, she adds easily, “Please,” while gracefully lowering herself into the desk chair. She crosses her long legs, which causes the slit of her robe to fall open slightly, exposing even more of her. I glance around the room before taking my seat.

  “Where’s Vince?” My posture mirrors hers, both of us resting our hands on the arms of our respective chairs. Suddenly, it feels claustrophobic in here even though it’s just the two of us.

  I’m alone in a room with a vampire … although Veronica’s lips perk up again, no doubt at the sound of my racing heart, her dark eyes contradict her countenance. Her gaze holds a sense of mourning in them that I wish I could ease.

  “I heard you were coming, so I asked him to get us coffee.” I don’t miss how she relaxes her posture, appearing far less dominating.

  “You must’ve heard Lizzie and I are practically caffeine addicts.” I grin, but Veronica simply stares back without any trace of humor. “Thank you, though.” I’m quick to add, “That’s really sweet of you.” At the word “sweet,” her crimson lips curve upward and a small huff of a laugh leaves her.

  “Yes, I can be very sweet.” The way she speaks makes me uneasy. Any semblance of ease vanishes. She stares back at me as though I’m her prey. I shift uncomfortably. She doesn’t seem to want my company, and I find myself regretting my decision to comfort her. She obviously doesn’t need it. I start to get up, but then that knot in my chest forms again. My hand flies to the center of my chest and I press on it to try to ease the discomfort.

  “Are you all right?” There’s a trace of concern in Veronica’s voice.

  Nodding my head, I plant my ass firmly back down in the seat. “It’s funny you should be asking me that, because I came here to ask you the same question.” As the words leave my lips, the hard pain dissipates, granting me freedom to breathe normally. Rubbing the spot, I’m amazed at how quickly it left me. I make a mental note to talk to Devin about what the hell just happened.

  It’s similar to the pull from last night. Something has changed and it demands attention.

  In the silence, my eyes find Veronica’s dark gaze. Her lips are pressed in a hard line.

  “I’m fine. I was mistaken about something last night.”

  “Mistaken?”

  Her eyes narrow and I hold my ground as a flare of anger passes through me. She was more than shaken last night, so beat down, yet she refuses to acknowledge it. It’s none of my business, except that she’s my pack and this damn restlessness prods me to push. Just like I have to with Lizzie.

  My eyes widen at the realization that Veronica’s pulling the same shit Lizzie does. I narrow my eyes right back at her and repeat the single word incredulously, “Mistaken?” She seems to be shocked at how brazen I am, but I’m not going to back down. This pull inside of my chest demands action.

  My voice is tighter than I’d like when I ask, “Why were you crying?”

  Veronica clicks her tongue while searching my eyes before she purses her lips. “Why does it matter to you?”

  “I hurt for you. You’re a member of my pack and I want to help you.”

  “I don’t need help, little human.” Her wicked grin returns and her hard mask resurfaces. “How could you possibly help me?”

  “I can’t answer that question until I know what the problem is.” I stare straight back at Veronica, unaffected by her arrogant tone. She’s not going to fool me any longer. We all have walls we build, brick by brick, to keep ourselves protected. Hers have tumbled down and I’ll help her rebuild them if she needs, but only if that’s the boundary she needs. My teeth sink into my bottom lip wondering if I should push her, and if so, how much harder.

  Her shoulders relax and she leans back in her chair while tapping her bloodred nails on the desk. “I didn’t like last night.” Her cool expression and flat tone are at least a bit more genuine. I’ll take the small opening she gave me.

  “You didn’t want him to claim you?”

  She shakes her head gently. “It’s not that. I’m honored to be his mate. I really am.” She takes a deep breath and adds, “I didn’t know fate would give me a mate at all.”

  “I don’t understand. Don’t you all have mates?”

  Her response is to give me a soft smile that doesn’t reach her dark brown eyes. “No, only werewolves, dear.” She watches her fingers tap along the desk for a moment before continuing. “Other shifters too, I suppose.” She breathes in heavily before meeting my questioning gaze. “Not vampires. We don’t have mates.”

  “But you have Vince?”

  “Only because Vince has me as a mate. Fate’s a cruel bitch.” She snorts a laugh although there’s no humor in what she said.

  “Why is it cruel?”

  “Well, for starters, she gave Vince a bitch for a mate. And then for me …” Her voice trails off and she straightens in her seat before staring into my eyes. “Fate decided to give me a mate. One person to love for my entirety. I will love him with everything I have, but I will live much longer than he will. I will watch him grow old, while I am ageless. I will hold his hand when he dies, yet I will live.” Red tears brim around her eyes as she smirks.

  “Like I said, fate’s a bitch. I never planned this.” She huffs that same humorless laugh. “I never wanted this. I never thought I’d have someone to love. And now that I have it, I’m not sure that I should. I wasn’t made for this. It’s not what I am.” Her voice turns hard at the end and it makes my body stiffen with fear. She’s a roller coaster of emotion ranging from disbelief to sadness and ending in anger. At first I’m taken aback by her honesty, but then I focus on what she said.

  “You never thought you would love?” She can’t truly mean that. “Do vampires not have the ability to love?”

  She laughs, with real humor this time, and leans back in her seat while wiping away the blood rimming her eyes. I grimace inadvertently at the sight and unfortunately she sees my reaction.

  “You don’t know much about vampires, do you?”

  “No. I’m sorry, I didn’t—” She cuts me off before I can fully apologize.

  “I’ve been a vampire for nearly two hundred years and I still despise some aspects of our species.” She wipes her fingers on a tissue and places it on the desk as if she knows she’ll need it again before trashing it; the bright red is vibrant against the stark white. “If I could change it, I would.”

  “You’re two hundred years old?” Holy fuck. I don’t have enough self-control to contain my shocked expression.

  “Something like that.” Her voice is flat. Then she tilts her head and a glint of happiness sparkles in her eyes. “Would you like to know how I came to be immortal? How I was changed?” Her smile widens, revealing her sharp white fangs. “I wasn’t always like this.” She shakes her head. “Vampires are a capricious species.”

  I clear my throat. From what I learned of vampires in school, that sounds about right. But then again, humans in general don’t know much about them.

  “Tell me.” She quirks a brow and I suppress my smile. “Please.” Her grin grows as we share a knowing look.

  “I was a little older than twenty. I don’t remember what day my birthday was because it’s been so damn long. I was unmarried because I had been raised religious and thought I would become a nun. The day everything changed happened sometime around summer. I know that because there was a big thunderstorm that had just passed through our area, and where I lived the rainy season began in June.” She rocks gently, glancing out the window as if watching her recollection playing out before her like she’s watching a movie.

  “I was in the rainforest foraging for my grandmother. She sent me out all the time to gather things. My mother and father had both passed away when I was a baby, leaving me alone with my grandmother to raise me by herself. She was in good health for her age and took care of me as any mother would.” A sad smile pulls at her lips. “She always said I looked like my mother.” That humorless huff of a laugh erupts from her throat. “I don’t remember her at all. I used to be able to, but it was so long ago that I can’t even picture her face anymore.” Veronica falls silent as she tries and fails to recall her memory.

  “I’m sorry.” My voice brings her back to the present. Her dark eyes find mine and her grin returns.

  “Don’t be, dear. My first twenty years were good years. Even if I suffered loss, I was still grateful for my life.” She visibly swallows. “At least until that day.” I settle into my seat as I watch her pull her legs into her body. “I was gathering pandan leaves in the rainforest when I found some mangoes. They were delicious; I remember that well. They were nearly overripe but I’d cut one open to taste it. Fruit is best when it’s almost too sweet, don’t you think? It was a little treat for me. A reward for going out for my grandmother.”

  Her smile fades and her voice drops as she continues her tale. “I traveled to my usual area, where I knew I’d be able to find most of what she’d asked for. I was at the last pandan plant with only half of my basket full. I knew she’d need more leaves, so I went out a little farther. There was a large clearing and on the other side I spotted more bushes. The storm the previous night had left downed trees and broken branches in its wake, but somehow this clearing had been spared. It was so pretty. Undisturbed with dewdrops clinging to everything and sparkling in the light. So pure. I almost felt bad crossing through it to get to the other side.” She gently shakes her head again and swallows. “But no one lived close to us and I didn’t think I’d ruin it for anyone but myself. So I continued into the other side until my basket was full.” Her lips pull down in a frown. “I knew my grandmother would be grateful. She would’ve been so happy to have a full basket.”