"It doesn't matter because it didn't happen," I spit at him.
He runs a hand along the side of my cheek and down through my hair when I continue to struggle, as if I'm a spirited mare that he's soothing. And as much as I hate to admit it, I do soothe under his touch.
I glare up at him again, resenting him for his ability to soothe me. "There? Are you happy? Will you let me go now?"
"What was supposed to happen, little bird?"
I feel my cheeks flaming again as I realize he's not going to let this go.
"I was supposed to come into my power," I tell him, my voice dejected.
He studies me for a long moment. I prepare myself for his ridicule, but it never comes. Instead, he studies me thoughtfully.
"What kind of power?" he finally asks.
I scowl at him. "I don't know, and it doesn't matter anyway. Didn't you hear what I said? Nothing has happened, so it was obviously a false prophecy." My shoulders slump with defeat.
I had been so hopeful that I had some sort of untapped power within me, something to validate me and make me special.
"I heard what you said, little bird," he answers me, "but it's not true."
I raise my eyebrows at him. Does he know something I don't? "What do you mean?"
"Something did happen." He licks his lips as he looks back down at me.
"You becamemine."
Four
Jasper
I knew it. I knew the moment my lips met hers that she's my mate. Hell, I think I knew it even all the way across the ballroom. That's why I was so drawn to her. It doesn't make any sense because she's a human, but it is what it is.
One part of the legend that doesn't lie is that when you kiss your mate, you will know, and boy do I know. I felt that shifting within me. It's like she's suddenly a part of me and I've known her my whole life.
It doesn't even matter what her name is. It doesn't matter why she was trying to kiss a random vampire. This happened the way it was supposed to happen, and I don't know what she's talking about, unleashing some hidden power, butthis, this is what was supposed to happen.
She was supposed to kiss me and become mine.Mine. My mouth salivates at just the thought. I want to taste her so badly. No, I won't drain her of all her blood and turn her into a vampiress, though my heart wrenches at the thought of her going through a human's natural transition of life and dying.
I push that thought out of my mind, though. We've got plenty of time for me to pitch the pros of turning into a vampiress to her because I have absolutely no intention of letting my mate die now that I've found her.
I've never heard of a vampire having a human mate, but we'll deal with this together. It's my assumption that the human must be turned into a vampire. Otherwise, how will we be together forever?
If she dies, she'll leave me. My chest clenches painfully at just the thought of being without her now that I've finally found her.
"Let me go," her little voice trills out. She's struggling against me again, and I frown down at her.
Of course, whileImay realize she's my mate,sheobviously doesn't, and it's going to take some convincing.
That's fine. I have all the time in the world. Literally.
But there's no way in hell I'm letting her go.
"Never," I tell her, my voice serious. I mean it too. I'm never letting her go. I've spent too many centuries looking for her.
I wrap my arms around her and gather her close to me as I travel to my place. In the blink of an eye, we're standing in my library.
There, that's better. I already feel a satisfying calm seeing her in my place where she belongs. With me.