Shadow's Claim (Immortals After Dark #13)(122)

Close enough that she could take in his addictive scent. It still scrambled her thought processes.

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, looking as confused and miserable as she’d been feeling for weeks.

Were his thoughts scrambled as well?

Part of her was outraged by his behavior; part of her was stunned that they were together. I’m with him; he’s just here.

No, he’d abducted her. Sure, deep down she’d wanted him to come for her—but she’d never imagined a reunion like this. Why couldn’t he have shown up, proverbial hat in hand, asking for another chance with her? Not even hat in hand—how about just looking at her with a steady gaze as he admitted they had some things to work out?

How quickly she would’ve folded. But nooo, he had to kidnap her with a crazed gleam in his eye! And he’d taken her to this one-way realm? Just when she was getting the hang of ruling her own kingdom? “If you think I’m going to be stuck down here, think again. You trace me back or I’ll . . .” She trailed off, catching sight of a metallic sparkle out of the corner of her eye. His vast weapons collection! “Or I’ll . . .”

. . . take every single one of those with me?

Lances, maces, axes, long swords, shields, blades. Arms classed in groups, divided by epochs. Shining. Flawlessly curated in gold cases. Like a monument to tissue disruption. It would take her days to investigate all the items.

When she could drag her gaze from the collection, she peeked around him to survey the rest of his home. A solitary chair with books stacked around it sat in front of a great hearth. A lazy fire burned, illuminating a luxe interior. Artwork lined the walls; she thought she recognized a few . . . from infamous heists?

One corridor branched off from this sitting area, opening up into a wing with scores of bookshelves. Through another corridor, she glimpsed a bedroom—with a bed of furs low to the ground.

A vampire’s library lair.

“Investigate all you like,” he told her in a rough voice. “Familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. We have all the time in the world. . . .”



Even in the midst of his turmoil, Trehan felt pride over his home, over the luxuries that his sorceress so obviously appreciated.

He stood taller, knowing she was impressed. Before, he’d brought nothing to their union—other than a coveted crystal and one family sword. Going forward, they would enjoy the wealth that he provided.

Now that he’d abducted her, this plan struck him as brilliant. Strange that it took a mad vampire like Lothaire to teach me that I need to be a vampire. Dimly, he wondered, What else are we Dacianos to be taught?

“So are you and I going to talk about what happened during that fight or not?” Bettina demanded, tossing her long hair back, as if preparing to spar. “You have to know why I did what I did.”

“You made that abundantly clear!”

“I never imagined that you would shake off the poison so quickly.”

His jaw slackened. Brazenly admitting it?

“But if I were in the same situation, I’d do it all over again!”

“What?” he roared, punching the closest wall. The building rocked.

Strangely, she didn’t flinch, just took his measure with glittering eyes. “Obviously you’re still unwell. I’m not going to fare any better with you now than I did the last time we talked. You need to take me home, Trehan.”

“I’m not done with you, Bride.” Will never be done with you. “As you once told me: resign yourself.”

“I won’t be kept here against my will.”

He raised his brows. “And what will you do to stop me?”

“You forget I have my power back.” Light glowed from her raised palms.

“How could I ever forget that?” He stalked to her, looming over her. “Do it, sorceress!” He bowed his chest against her hands. “At least my heart will feel altered from its current wretched state.” Stopped heart, lost heart. What did it matter?

Chin raised, she shoved at him with both hands. He felt heat rising from them and tensed against the coming pain.

But she didn’t go through with it, dropping her hands with a frustrated sound.

“You hesitate to use your power to help yourself? Yet you wielded it so readily to protect that demon.”

“Of course I protected him! I always will if I can.”

Fangs gone sharp, Trehan vowed, “He can’t want you like I do—no one can! Even if you do worse than you already have, I’ll still come for you.”



Before Bettina could even react to his baffling words, Daciano had clamped her around the waist and traced her. An instant later, she perceived furs beneath her. He’d taken her to his bed?

“Vampire, stop! Just think about what you’re doing!”

Without slowing, he followed her down, pinning her arms above her head, stretching his body over hers.

When he grazed the side of his face against hers, seeming to breathe her in, she peered past him at the vaulted ceiling.

His own scent called to her—his skin, his need—and she found herself responding to him. Gods, she’d missed him so much! “I-I don’t understand what’s happening.” Maybe if she had more experience with relationships, or with his kind in general, she’d be able to decipher his words, his wild emotions. “I don’t understand any of this.”