The Way You Bite(74)

“I don’t remember exactly what I said. I was scared.”

“I know. I tried to help as best I could, but I made a mess of it.” His tone reflected honest regret. “When this is over, are you going to accept us as together?”

“According to you, we’re already in this forever.”

“There’s more to it than me marking you.”

“Blay told me I have to bite you back.”

“You’re not answering me. Bite or not, are you going to commit to me? I need to know you’re mine. That there’s no doubt we’re together and we belong. I don’t want to be without you. No matter what happens, we’ll face it together. So tell me.”

She kept her gaze on his face. He sounded so tough. So inflexible. This was the hardened warrior protecting himself. He’d gone very still, as if nothing she said could hurt him. But the emotion swirling in his eyes said differently. He was waiting for her.

“I want to be with you, but don’t bully me. I’m not afraid of you. No one pushes me around. So, yes, I’ll marry you when this is done. That is what you’re asking, isn’t it?”

He nodded.

She said, “I have no idea what kind of future we’ll have. But—” She pulled down his T-shirt to expose his shoulder and struck, full teeth.

He gasped. “Oh, Christ.” His body trembled. “You’re pushing me beyond control. We can’t finish this with everyone out there waiting on us.”

She licked the area free of blood.

“Give the word and I’ll tell my boys to forget this plan with Ambrose. If you want to go through with it and help Blay, then back a few steps away. I…can’t. My wolf is fighting me. He wants out, and he wants you.”

She loved that she could make him this wild for her. “I want it all. A home, you there as much as possible, and kids.”

“Kids…I hadn’t thought about having more.”

“You have to be okay with all of that.”

He paused for a few endless seconds, searching her gaze. “Yes.”

“I also want a traditional ceremony. I don’t need a big wedding, but we need this to be formal in front of your people. Plus, I’d like to see you in a tuxedo.” She grinned when he blinked as if she’d laid down a request worse than death.

“A tuxedo? That’s…pure evil.” He glared. “Only dead men wear suits.”

“I just want you to realize what you’re in for.”

His glare deepened into a scowl. He stepped forward to tower over her. “You put me in a tux and I will retaliate.”

Her heart jumped. She liked the ferocious animal side of him, the one that always tried to intimidate her into submission. She grinned. “Whatever you do, I think I’ll end up enjoying it.”





Chapter Twenty-Seven


Lexan marched off the plane, frustrated by the need to finish what Vee started, but without the time to do so. And, furious he had to put Vee into the line of fire to end this with Ambrose. He wished he could send an assassin to take out Ambrose and be done with it, but they needed to know more about the modified virus, which he had a strong suspicion lay in Ambrose’s hands.

He snapped at Eric, “She called Ambrose. She set up a meeting him at his place north of Charlotte. We plan with that in mind.”

Eric’s gaze bounced to Vee as she sauntered off the plane. “Did you two resolve things?”

“We did.” Vee smiled.

“Almost,” Lexan said.

Her smile went straight to his groin, which hardened further and, damn it, he was already so hard that walking hurt.

He thought to her, “Tuxedos have to be optional.”

“Nope. It’s a package deal.”

“Fuck.” He scratched the roughness of his chin.

Eric laughed. Respect for her glimmered in his gaze.

Blay emerged from an SUV parked nearby. Several of his guys followed.

“What do you have?” Lexan asked Blay, hoping he’d provide a reason to prevent Vee from meeting Ambrose like identifying someone else had the viral technology.

“Ambrose has been busy… All that time in California was with a biotech company.” He turned to a wolf of Spanish descent on his left. “Tell us what you found.”

The Spaniard nodded and in a thick accent said, “He’s had fifteen meetings with RenCorp over the past few weeks. They specialize in medication trials, but they have a level three biohazard facility, which means they can work with lethal microbes.” He rotated his phone to show a photograph of Ambrose outside a concrete bunker shielding his face from a sun glare.

Now they had to talk to Ambrose. “Who’s paying for all this microbe work?”

The Spaniard said, “We don’t know. The accounts we can access that are his are relatively static. They pay for expenses but no significant deposits or purchases. I heard Viktor cut him off some time ago when he found out about some of Ambrose’s appetites.”

“He’s gay. Do you have a problem saying it?” Vee asked.

“No. I didn’t know if you knew and since you were betrothed to him…I didn’t want you embarrassed.” The Spaniard shrugged.

“I knew.”

Blay said, “Yet you agreed to marry him?”