Page 39 of Forsaking All Others

“No,” I shake my head. “You need to know why I’m here. One day, I’m going to take everything he loves, everything he owns, everything he is. Then I’m going to kill him.”

“So this is why you didn’t care who you married on this show, as long as he was Vampire?” Jag nods. “You want help wreaking your vengeance.”

“You don’t take a pit bull to a fight when you can take a T-Rex,” I shrug. “I want someone powerful by my side, someone unflinching, someone with a reputation that makes men think twice before they mess with him. And I want to be immortal.”

He laughs quietly and shakes his head.

“I’ve been called a lot of things. A dinosaur is not one of them.”

I smile at his reaction, but subconsciously place my hand to my neck.

My motion doesn’t go unnoticed.

“I apologise for my brutish behaviour last night. I don’t know what came over me. I won’t bite you again. I asked you to wear the ribbon because seeing the result of my actions…” he frowns and looks down at his hands. “It won’t happen again.”

“Don’t lie to me, Viscount,” I shake my head. “Not after I’ve just been so honest with you. We both know you have to bite at the end of dates. You made that clear last night. And this show sanctions a death bite. You’re going to eliminate contestants by sucking them to death. I get that, although naturally I don’t want it to be me.”

“You don’t get it,” he shakes his head. “And I am being truthful, I’ll always be truthful with you, Catriona. I’m not going to bite you again; I won’t risk it. And I’m not going to bite anyone to death.”

“But… how will you choose a wife? Someone has to win the Game.”

“I couldn’t care less who wins,” he snorts, rising and beginning to walk back the way we came, clearly bored with the conversation now. “I’m going to leave it to the contestants to sort it out themselves.”

“But…?” I frown, trying to make sense of what he’s just said. “You won’t eliminate anyone?”

“I don’t drain women,” he murmurs, “not now. If anything, my attack on you last night just reinforced my fervent commitment to adhere to my vow. I agreed to nip, nothing more. I never anticipated harming you — I apologise again, I don’t know what came over me. If you would be so kind as to continue to wear a ribbon when close to me, I’d appreciate it.”

I bite my tongue. I suspect I know why I taste so good to him, but that’s not something I can reveal. If he knew who I really was, what I really was, he’d know the reason too. It’s more important than ever that I keep my identity hidden until I win The Games. But at least now he knows some of the truth.

‘But if HE isn’t going to kill anyone….’

“Let me get this straight,” I stop walking, forcing him to turn back and meet my gaze, “you’ll allow us to eliminate each other as The Game dictates, but you won’t kill anyone yourself?”

“Correct.”

“Huh,” I start walking again, the hacienda now in sight, the windows sparkling with golden light, the voices of the contestants and the tinkling of glasses carrying across the grass.

“You don’t seem surprised,” he says quietly, stopping to turn and look at me. “Even though I’m the first to ever make this decision on The Game.”

“I’m not really surprised, no.”

“Why?”

“Because everyone knows vampires drink donated blood. It’s not as if you hunt humans for food or anything any longer,” I shrug. “It stands to reason you’d be uncomfortable killing us.”

“You think we only drink donated blood because that’s what we want you to think,” he scowls, “but this game is not a place for secrets or lies, at least not between you and I. We kill for our meals. We always have; we always will.”

I look at him sceptically. My family, my kind, owe our wealth and position to a covenant made with vampires during the Dark Ages. We exist, our thirteen bloodlines never crossed with vampires and never consumed, to support and maintain vampire royalty as the rulers of humankind. We maintain the human financial, religious, propaganda and education systems that keep their power structures in place. I know my kind are evil; my father gave daily evidence of this. I’ve seen how we rule, how we operate. But my understanding was that we’re part of a covenant to protect both vampires and humanity.

‘Surely we wouldn’t allow humans to be eaten?’

“If what you say is true, there’d be murder reports daily,” I roll my eyes.

“It’s true,” he says quietly, his eyes earnest, “you’re right that vampires can drink donated blood; some do. But all royal vampires prey upon humankind. We would never pollute our bodies with stored blood.”

“Hang on,” I hold up my hand, unable to believe my ears. “You’re telling me you hunt and kill people for food? For real? Still?”

“Men. Yes.”