However she was tricked into it, however she was forced to agree, what was done was done. Shea was promised to Julian, and unless he set her free from her vow, she was trapped.
“You didn’t want me, Colton. It hurt. I had to deal. You told me that nothing was going to happen between us. I promised.” Her voice broke a little on those words, the heat vanishing as quickly as it came. “The last thing I want to do is bond myself to a vampire, but I promised.”
He stared at her for a second, an unreadable expression on his gorgeous face. His upper lip curved, just enough to reveal his canine fang. “You can't be pledged to him if he’s dead, right?”
“Colt—”
“The cops gave me free rein to take down the threat. He’s the head of a Nightwalker clan that’s already killed at least one witch. I fucking refuse to stand by and let them add you to that total.” When Shea opened her mouth to argue, Colton added, “Or your brother. Donors are ending up dead, Shea. Because he means so much to you, I’ll make sure your brother is okay, too. And when I take Julian Koenig’s head, that blood exchange won’t mean shit.”
“You… you’d do that for me?”
“You’re my mate,” he said gruffly. “I'll do anything for you.”
The crazy thing was, even when Colton was saying the opposite, his actions proved he… he might mean it.
The way he consistently checked up on her, even when he was using the meet to ask about her research. The diamond gift. Getting her window repaired after he stood up for her during Rafe’s unexpected visit. His jealous reaction when he found her at Bloodlust.
Goddess, he offered to bring her soup and tea just the other day.
Still, Shea couldn’t let herself fall for it. Right when she’d given up on chasing after him… right after she sacrificed herself to save her brother… this was when Colton wanted to claim her?
It wasn’t lost on her that her jealous shifter only decided to say he wanted her after he found out that Julian had chosen her as his betrothed. Was it a case of “wanting what you can’t have”?
Oh, well. If it was, too bad.
Colton was too late.
“Why now?” she blurted out, her heart aching at the unfairness of it all. Why couldn’t he have decided she was worth it before she gave her word to Julian? “You can’t have changed your mind. You don’t even like witches!”
“To be fair, I don’t really like anyone,” Colton said, moving closer. “But, damn it, Shea. I like you.”
She could get away from him. He was stalking closer, a predatory gleam in his eye that warned her exactly w
hat his intentions were. He’d worn that same determined expression the night in her living room right after he shifted back from his wolf. He’d kissed her then, and she hadn’t been expecting it.
If he moved any closer, she would fall into his embrace.
She swallowed. Before he took another step, she held up her hand.
He was stalking her, moving in like a predator cornering his prey, but she knew Colton. Knew what kind of man he was, even when he insisted he wasn’t one. He would never force her.
She was right. As soon as she gestured for him to stay back, he went absolutely still.
He didn’t stay frozen for long. His stormy blue gaze brimming with possession, he shifted in his stance, angling his body toward her. She couldn’t tell if he did it on purpose or not, but by planting his boots on her floor, his legs spread as he leaned into her space, Colton was showing off the erection barely contained in his jeans.
She gasped, her eyes glued to the bulge.
Colton threw out his arms. “I’m done pretending otherwise. I’m done fooling myself that I’d be happy being a lone wolf. I’ve been a miserable fucking prick for way too long now. So, what do you say? Will you be my mate?”
Mate… it was such a loaded word.
The bond had formed almost immediately. Colton knew she was tied to him from the second she touched his arm and he dropped her commissioned dresser on his ankle in surprise. Shea experienced echoes of his injury the instant the bones shattered. Then, when that rogue witch tried to kill him and he got thrown from a sixth-floor window, she’d healed him because, well, it was what she did.
As far as she was concerned, as soon as she laid her hands on Colton’s unconscious form, relieving her sympathy pains the same time as he began to heal, Shea knew she was fated to be his mate.
But that was only one part of it.
What about mating?