Chapter 23

HAVEN

I was at a loss for words. The anxiety of telling her that I was the one who killed her parents was overwhelming.

Not the best way to start a conversation, but...there was no use in hiding it. I’ve been around long enough to know that secrets don’t stay buried forever. It was better to tell her now.

“I had been observing your parents for weeks. They even invited me into their home on several occasions, oblivious to my true identity. I saw how they treated you, and...it made me furious. I couldn’t stand to see such a young girl being abused so much. I would hear you crying yourself to sleep every night. I listened every night, and finally decided that they would make a good meal. That night, I snuck into the house and drained them of their blood.”

I paused, giving her time to process the information. Her eyes were wide, and her lips formed a silent ~oh~.

I tried to keep my emotions in check, but inside, I was falling apart. I was terrified that I might lose her because of this.

There was no way to undo what I had done. I didn’t even regret it. They were not good people, and she might have died if I hadn’t intervened.

Suddenly, she threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck, and began to cry softly. I held her tightly, whispering comforting words into her ear.

I couldn’t understand why she was so upset. I had expected her to be frightened and angry with me, but...why was she crying?

“Thank you,” she whispered between sobs. “I...I remember every beating, and...I prayed so much for it to stop. You saved me, my guardian angel.”

I felt my body relax in her embrace. I kissed her forehead and smiled warmly at her as I wiped away her tears. I was flooded with relief. She could always rely on me to keep her safe.

“You’ve called me that before,” I said.

“Really?”

“Yes. The night I found you in your parents’ house, you called me a guardian angel. I had just...killed your parents, and you called me a guardian angel because I was taking you to your grandmother.”

“I know I should feel...horrified, but...my parents were not good people. You really saved me by taking me to my grannie.”

I decided not to tell her that I had planned to kill her too. She didn’t need to know that. The thought of it now filled me with horror.

“How could I not? I knew then that you were mine. I just had to wait for you to grow up.”

“So my grannie...didn’t see police that night. She saw you? Why doesn’t she remember you?” she asked.

“Because...I erased her memory,” I replied. “I couldn’t let her remember me since I would be coming back for you, and I don’t age.”

She seemed to ponder this, and then she nodded. I was still feeling so relieved that she wasn’t angry with me about her parents. If I had known, I would have told her sooner.

“Is that all you erased? I don’t like the idea of you messing with my grannie’s mind.” She frowned.

“I promise, and I won’t do it again,” I assured her calmly.

“Okay. Did you...use that power on me?”

“No, never,” I replied, surprised. “I would never do that to you unless you asked me to.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Never. I...I have a lot of painful memories, but they made me who I am today. I don’t want to forget anything.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “I won’t do that without your permission, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you, angel.” She smiled at me, visibly relieved.

I chuckled before kissing her forehead again.

“We should...go to bed. We have to get up early tomorrow for work,” I said.

“You’re right.” She nodded. “Will you hold me tonight?”

“Tonight and for the rest of our lives, love.”

She beamed at me as I held out my hand for her. We walked back to our room, showered, and climbed into bed.

I was content with just that tonight, and I didn’t even think about my brother as I felt Grace fall asleep in my arms.

We woke up with the alarm to go to work. Grace snuggled closer to my chest and offered me her neck.

I had wanted to mark her yesterday, but my father had interrupted, so maybe she would let me do it today.

“Grace...” I said softly. “I want to mark you.”

“What?” she asked, confused. “What does that mean?”

“Vampires mark their humans to be able to have ears and eyes during the day. The humans become stronger and closer to a vampire while still remaining human. The vampire gains a loyal servant who has no will of his own and obeys their master,” I explained. “But soulmates also do that to strengthen their bond. In our case, marking you could lead other vampires to think that I chose a servant or a pet as some call it, but for those who know that you’re mine, they’ll know that I chose my lady.”

“But you won’t announce it officially...,” she said.

“No, or you would be in danger like the Lady of Paris with my foolish brother. It should keep you safe until you get pregnant. Then they’ll know that you’re not just a servant.”

“Let’s worry about that later.” She smiled at me. “I do want your mark. I want everything you’re ready to give me.”

“Come here,” I said in a low voice.

I leaned against the bed frame as she climbed onto my lap. I was already painfully aroused for her, but I wouldn’t rush her.

The mark was an important ritual, and I wanted her to enjoy every moment of it. It wasn’t a first for me, but it was the first time I marked my soulmate.

Her body, trembling with anticipation, melded into mine as I entered her. The sensation of her tight warmth gripping my hardened length was enough to make me groan in pleasure. It was a feeling I never wanted to end.

She moved with a slow rhythm, her hips grinding against mine. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes half-closed in ecstasy. Her breasts swayed enticingly in front of me, and I couldn’t resist reaching out to tease her hardened nipple with my tongue.

“Haven...,” she moaned.

Her moans were like a symphony to my ears, but I loved it even more when her voice pitched higher. I thrust deeper into her, and her moans grew louder as I stroked her from the inside.

My hands held her waist firmly, but I moved one to where we were joined, teasing her clit. Her grip on me tightened and her movements became more frantic. I knew she was close.

“Please, Haven,” she whimpered.

I released her nipple to trail my tongue along her neck. She shivered above me, but she wouldn’t let go until I gave her permission. She was already so well trained, my Grace.

“I’m going to mark you...here,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to the spot where I usually bit her. “Are you ready?”

“Yes!” she cried out.

I bit down gently, releasing my power to bind us together. She climaxed hard, her inner walls clenching around me, and she even squirted. I made a mental note to try and recreate that in the playroom next time.

I thrust harder into her as I drank from her, her screams of pleasure filling the room. I was intoxicated by the feeling. I never wanted to let go. Her hands tangled in my hair, pressing me closer to her neck as she continued to move against me.

With a final, powerful thrust, I released myself inside her, and she climaxed again. I licked her wound clean, and this time, the teeth mark disappeared, leaving only my seal on her skin.

It was subtle enough that no one would notice unless they were already too close to what was mine. I pressed a kiss to it before meeting her gaze.

Her honey-colored eyes were heavy with satisfaction as she basked in the afterglow. I almost didn’t want to move, but we had work to attend to. We would celebrate our union properly over the weekend. I already had the perfect plan in mind.

“I can feel how happy you are,” she murmured sleepily.

“So can I, love.” I smiled at her. “It’s a shame we have to go to work, but I have too many important meetings to skip.”

“We’ll always have time when we’re there.” She smirked.

“Naughty girl.” I chuckled. “You actually enjoy it when I take you in the office. You like being fucked by your boss, Grace?”

“I like being fucked by you,” she replied, her breath hitching.

“I like that too,” I growled.

I kissed her passionately, feeling her body heat up again. We didn’t have time for another round, but she was right—we could always wait until we were at the office. I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity.