"Enough, mes amis," he cut them off. "Etienne, Marcel, Lucius, spread the news of our binding. François and Tomas, watch the lobby for activity. Bernard, you stay on this floor."
With that, they left. Gregor turned to me. I started to back away.
"M-my hand," I stammered. "I should bandage it - "
"No need," he interrupted. "Tis healed, Catherine, and you are not stalling me."
The hungry way he spoke froze me. So did him kicking off his shoes and removing his shirt. Gregor never stopped coming toward me, even as he stepped out of his pants, and they dropped to the floor, leaving him naked.
Gregor was big and muscled all the way down to his feet. He was also completely erect, and the sight of that would have staggered me if he hadn't grabbed me. He picked me up, striding into the bedroom and trapping me under his body on the bed.
I tried to wiggle back, but he stopped me. "Don't squirm so, cherie," he chided, unfastening the buttons on my dress. "You know you are mine now, why are you resisting?"
"Couldn't we, ah, wait a little bit?"
"Wait?" he repeated, like he'd never heard the word before. "You think to deny me my wedding night?"
He looked like he'd get mad any second. "I'm really nervous," I admitted.
His hand stroked down my side while one thigh rested over my legs. His body seemed to dwarf mine. God, he was so big.
"It's natural to be nervous your first time, ma femme. Just relax."
With his strength, it was not like I had a choice. I nodded, closed my eyes, and tried to make myself relax. Gregor kissed me again, undoing more buttons on my dress. Soon I felt him tugging it down until it was off completely.
"Beautiful," he whispered, tracing a hand up my stomach to cup my breast. I trembled, never feeling more vulnerable.
Gregor suddenly snarled a curse and leapt to his feet. I blinked before rolling away with a yelp. Coming through the open bedroom door were two men. One had power radiating off him so profusely, it seemed like it was choking me.
"You foolish child," said the tall, foreign-looking one.
For a moment, I thought he was speaking to me. But he stared at Gregor like I wasn't even in the room.
"Mencheres." Gregor's voice was defiant. "You're too late."
The vampire shook his head even as I scrambled to cover myself. "Gregor, you've interfered where you shouldn't."
"You do it all the time," Gregor barked.
"I use my visions to stop death, not to try and gain more power. You knew this was wrong, else you wouldn't have taken such pains to conceal it."
"You want her for the same reason I do, but she's mine now. I've bound myself to her." Gregor snatched me from my huddled position and shoved me forward. "Look at the blood staining her hand. Her throat also bears my mark."
The other vampire went into the bathroom and came out holding a robe. He handed it to me with his first words since entering the bedroom.
"Here, put this on."
Still in my bra and underwear, I was glad to have something to cover me, but Gregor flung the robe to the other side of the room. "She'll stay as she is to face the man who would sacrifice her to his murdering, whoring whelp!"
I'd guessed they were associates of the vampire hunting me, but having it confirmed made me feel worse.
"Don't do it," I said fervently. "I want to be with Gregor. Why can't you just leave us alone!"
I clutched Gregor's arm, staring at the two stony faces in front of us. Gregor gave them a triumphant look.
"From her own lips, she denounces your intentions. She's my wife now, and there isn't a thing you can do to change - "
I was thrown backward from the blast of power, landing on the bed. For a stunned minute, I thought it had been aimed at me. Then the sight of Gregor locked in some invisible struggle revealed who it was directed at. His arms moved with unnatural heaviness, like a slow-motion movie. Finally, he was frozen.
"What have you done to him?" I whispered in horror.
Mencheres had one hand out to Gregor. I couldn't see the tunnel of energy unleashing from it, but I could feel it. It was like raw lightning. Gregor could barely even talk.
"You will be punished for your interference," Mencheres said. "She will be returned to her home. You've failed, Gregor. She was never meant to be yours."
"That's a load of, of bullshit," I swore. "I'm not going to be turned into some homicidal slut, and if I ever meet that murderer, Bones, I'll kill him - or myself. I'd rather be dead than be a toy to some bloodsucking psychotic!"
With sudden inspiration, I sprinted into the other room. Both men watched me almost curiously. That changed when I grabbed the small silver knife Gregor had used earlier and held it to my throat.
"If one of you moves, I'll open my jugular," I vowed.
They exchanged a glance between the two of them. I dug the knife ominously into my neck. I wasn't bluffing. He'll kill your family, so you will have no one but him to protect you, Gregor had said about this Bones. Not if I could help it.
And then my arm felt like it was blasted with liquid nitrogen. So did my legs and other arm. The only things I could still control were my neck, head, and torso. That left me pretty much a stump. I could breathe. I could talk. Nothing else.
Mencheres walked toward me, and I spat at him, unable to do more in defense. He took the knife from my paralyzed grip.
"You see?" he said to Gregor. "You can take her from her home, poison her head with lies, convince her you are her savior, try to control her completely...and yet she is still the same inside. What did she do when threatened? She got a knife. It's my proof, Gregor. Yours is as empty as your intentions."
"I hate you," I spat. "You might take me home, but I know the truth. My mother knows. We'll run away from you and Bones."
Mencheres's face was thoughtful. "I believe you."
"You...can't..."
Gregor forced the words out. Mencheres gave him an inquiring look and flicked his finger. It was like someone switched Gregor's vocal cords back on.
"You can't manipulate her mind," he announced, the words rushing out with savage triumph. "I've tried, but her bloodline makes it impossible. She won't forget me, no matter what."
Manipulate my mind? Gregor tried to do that?
Mencheres made a sound that was almost a tssk. "Just because you don't know how to do something doesn't mean it can't be done."
He turned away from Gregor, another twitch of his fingers cutting off Gregor's shout of rage in midhowl. Then Mencheres considered me next, like I was a project that needed finishing.