“That doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“It makes perfect sense to me.” He wrapped his arms around her, studying her upturned face with a possessive satisfaction. “You and I make perfect sense to me. Be my mate.”
Her heart soared, but there was one last hurdle they had to confront.
“What about my clan?” she reminded him softly. She’d already prepared to step down from being chief. Her people would always have her loyalty, but nothing was more important than Santiago. “Eventually I’ll be able to turn the leadership over to another. But for now—”
“I’m not asking you to choose between me and your clan, Nefri,” he interrupted her, frowning as if he was baffled she would even suggest the idea.
“But your life is here.”
Without warning he leaned down to kiss her with a blatant claim of ownership.
One she met with her own claim.
“My life is with you,” he said against her lips.
And that’s why she’d bonded with this vampire out of all the thousands and thousands of men she’d known over the centuries, she silently acknowledged, feeling as sappy as any overhormonal teenage girl.
He was arrogant and stubborn and possessive to the point of insanity, but he never tried to make her feel like she should apologize for her power.
He made her feel . . . proud.
Of herself. Of him. Of the partnership they were creating together.
“You could accept living beyond the Veil?” she pressed, needing him to be sure.
“Of course.” The wicked smile widened, giving a flash of fang. “I intend to open a fight club with a few fairies who know how to enjoy an orgy. . . .”
“Santiago,” she growled.
He chuckled, brushing his lips over her forehead. “How many times do I have to tell you that you make it too easy?”
“Actually I intend to make it very hard,” she warned. “Maybe if I keep you busy enough I can keep you out of trouble.”
With one smooth motion he scooped her off her feet, cradling her tight against his chest as he headed for the door.
“But you like trouble,” he reminded her, his expression promising all sorts of sinful havoc.
She looped her arms around his neck, the emotions she’d denied for so long flowing freely through her like the finest champagne.
“Actually, I love trouble.”
Santiago stood with Viper in the corner of Styx’s formal salon.
It had been three nights since they’d managed to . . . to what? He grimaced. He couldn’t claim they’d defeated the spirit. But at least it was contained and now in the hands of the Commission.
Since then he’d devoted his time to keeping Nefri tucked in his arms. Not only because his insatiable hunger for her was a constant ache, but because he was determined to make certain she was completely recovered before returning to her duties.
Unfortunately, Nefri had decided she couldn’t possibly be mated anywhere but in her private lair beyond the Veil.
So while he was fiercely happy to have her in his bed, he was growing restless to complete their mating.
Only when they’d shared their blood and bonded on the most primitive level would he be satisfied.
Tonight . . .
A tingle of anticipation raced through him as he watched Nefri move through the crowd that Styx had invited to send them off to the Veil.
He would have refused Styx’s offer of a party if he hadn’t known that powerful vampires from around the world had flocked to the Anasso’s home in the hopes of meeting the mysterious Nefri.
And if he were being perfectly honest, he enjoyed watching the guests fluttering around her in obvious awe.
She looked like the perfect ice queen dressed in a silver robe that brushed the floor and her hair falling in a river of ebony satin down her back.
Aloof and untouchable.
Until he had her alone.
Ready heat swirled through him, making him shift in discomfort.
How much longer did he have to play nice?
He’d shared his beautiful mate long enough.
He was ready to get her alone.
And naked.
Definitely naked.
Perhaps sensing he needed a distraction before he went “caveman” and simply hauled her off, Viper moved to stand at his side.
“Are you sure about this?” his former clan chief asked, looking like a Regency dandy in his ivory velvet coat trimmed in gold thread complete with knee breeches. His long silver hair was pulled back with a matching velvet ribbon and his midnight black eyes held a lazy amusement that didn’t entirely disguise his lethal power. “Living with a clan chief isn’t easy.”
“Never more sure,” Santiago answered without hesitation, a smile of utter contentment curving his lips. “And she’s a very special clan chief.”
“You got me there,” Viper admitted. “Still . . .”
“What?”
“You’re leaving me in the lurch here.”
Santiago laughed at his companion’s petulant tone. “Why, Viper, I didn’t know you cared.”
Viper snorted. “You’re a pain in the ass, but you’re one of the best managers I’ve ever had. Who the hell is going to replace you at the club?”
“Tonya.”
Viper hesitated, considering Santiago’s recommendation with a frown. “She has the brains,” he slowly conceded. “But she’s distinctly lacking the brawn.”
Santiago shrugged. He didn’t doubt for a minute that the shrewd imp could easily fill his shoes. And he owed her one. Not only for what had happened with Gaius, but because of the fact he’d failed to realize she’d hoped for more than a mere employer-employee relationship.
“You have plenty of brawn,” Santiago pointed out. “What you need is someone competent, creative, trustworthy, and capable of remaining calm when everything is going to hell.” He folded his arms over his chest. “And it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful enough to make grown demons beg for a smile.”
“I suppose I can give her a chance,” Viper conceded.
“Good.” He slapped his friend on the back. “Of course, you’ll need to keep an eye on her.”
“Why?”
“Because there are several other club owners who have tried to lure her away over the years,” he said. “And without my charming presence to keep her loyal . . .”
Viper was moving toward the nearest door before Santiago could even finish.
Santiago chuckled, then sensing the approach of his soon-to-be mate, he turned to wrap an arm around her slender waist, tugging her close to his side.