Page 5 of Blood Moon Bound

This male, this monster, had no idea that he was my savior. I only hoped he didn’t want to be my jailor as well.

Music began, and we were led to the dance floor inside a huge glass-walled sunroom off the main room. There would be just one, my first real dance, before we’d be taken away and whatever was supposed to happen to bind us under the blood moon would happen.

He pulled me against him, and I was close to hyperventilating. He was so incredibly tall, and there was no missing the immense power in his body as he held me to him, muscles straining against his jacket and trousers. Under the civilized suit was no gentleman. No, my mate was a commander, a brutal warrior, and a vicious and relentless killer.

And now I belonged to him.

He could do whatever he wanted to me, and I would have no choice but to let him.

He dipped his head. “You tremble like a frightened rabbit. Are you nervous, Delphine?”

I jumped, unable to stop myself. “Yes.” There was no point lying. There was no hiding it, not from this male. He would hear it, smell it, sense it.

He glided me easily around the dance floor despite his size. “You know what’s to come?”

His voice had grown deeper, rougher, and I picked up an accent.

I shook my head.

He growled, and his mouth dipped to my ear. “I’ll make sure you like it, bride.” My breath caught, and he chuckled darkly.

I forced myself to look up at him and knew I was wide-eyed and breathless, but there was nothing to be done about it. “You’re to be my mate, what should I call you?”

He smiled. It wasn’t pleasant. “Constantine.”

I realized I’d seen this male before. Just once. Douglas had left his laptop open on the table after breakfast one morning. When I’d walked by, a picture had caught my eye.

I’d frozen in place, taking in the bloody, battle-scarred vampire standing there. I’d studied every visible inch of him. The commander of The Five. His face had been concealed, of course, but I knew now that it was Constantine. He’d ventured into the fae realm after their king had threatened to murder several of our elders, making it clear they wouldn’t stop there, that they’d keep going until the river that ran between them and us had turned red with vampire blood. Constantine had spent months in enemy territory.

He’d returned with their king’s head.

I hadn’t recognized him in his suit, his face clean-shaven. But my mate-to-be was the most vicious male our race had ever seen.

My gaze flew to my stepfather. He stood there watching us, fury burning in his eyes. This was what he’d wanted.

Then why did he look so angry?

The song ended, and I stood frozen as the sunroom roof slid back, revealing the blood moon, its red glow shining down on us. When I looked back up at Constantine, all traces of civility had washed from his face. I was looking at a monster, a monster who was about to take a bite out of me.

One by one, the girls were lifted off the ground, their cries of fear and surprise spiking terror through me as they were carried from the ballroom.

“You’ll have to excuse my brothers,” Constantine said. “Some of us have been at war for so very long, without blood, without females, with only death and vengeance to keep us warm.” He breathed deeply. “And you smell…so very good.”

My gaze flew across the room, finding my parents again. Someone was handing Douglas a piece of paper. He looked down at it, and fury instantly filled his eyes.

“Time for the letting, little one,” Constantine said.

“The letting?”

Douglas strode forward, his gaze darting to his uncle, then back to Constantine. He looked up at the huge warrior still holding me close, his anger obvious, though he was trying to hide it in front of our audience. “This won’t stand.”

Constantine grinned. “Is there a problem, Douglas?”

“You can’t have her,” my stepfather said.

“She’s already mine.”

“W-what’s going on?” Unease filled me at the anger I felt radiating from both males, and I took a step back.