Darkness Everlasting (Guardians of Eternity #3)(95)

His teeth snapped together as he realized the cowardly direction of his thoughts. He feared no man, and certainly no woman.

Not even Sophia.

Forcing himself to lean casually against the desk, he was calmly sipping his brandy when the door was pressed open and the beautiful pureblood strolled into the room.

A faint smile touched her lips as she halted before him and allowed her brazen gaze to roam over him.

"Poor Salvatore, you don't look particularly happy for a man about to bed his consort," she drawled.

He sighed with deliberate boredom. "Go away, Sophia."

The green eyes flashed with annoyance. She was a woman who expected every man in her vicinity to be panting with desire when she was near.

"How can I?" Her gaze dropped to his half-empty glass. "As a mother I must be concerned when I discover my daughter's mate drowning his sorrow in brandy."

"One shot is hardly drowning."

"Ah, then you're drinking because it's the only way you can force yourself to do your duty?" She gave a mocking click of her tongue. "How sad."

"Shut up, Sophia."

"You don't find her attractive?"

"I find her considerably more attractive than her mother."

"Brutal." She gave a short, brittle laugh. "Tell me what's bothering you."

Salvatore drained the last of his brandy and set the glass on his desk with a loud click.

"Your daughter has decided that she doesn't particularly care to have me as her consort."

"What does it matter?" Sophia gave an indifferent shrug. "She's here now and in your power."

"And unwilling." He abruptly straightened, resisting the urge to backhand the woman. Sophia liked her men rough. He wasn't about to give her the satisfaction. "I don't rape women."

Easily sensing his smoldering violence, Sophia offered a taunting smile.

"Surely you don't doubt your powers of persuasion? Really, Salvatore, I thought you had more balls than that."

He gave a low growl. How in the hell that sweet, innocent child upstairs had ever possibly come from this woman's womb would forever be a mystery.

"My balls are not the problem. She believes she's in love with the vampire."

"So? She'll forget him in time." Sophia reached out to draw a manicured nail down Salvatore's cheek. "Love is nothing more than a false elusion that men use to trap women into perpetual bondage."

Salvatore grimaced. "Charming."

"Surely you don't believe in love?"

Salvatore kept his expression impassive. Love among the Weres was now no more than a myth. The pursuit of children had become the consuming goal, and nothing so mundane as emotions, even passion, was allowed to interfere.

It would be seen as nothing less than a fatal weakness if he were to admit that in the depths of the night he longed to discover that one woman who could be his true mate.

Realizing that Sophia was studying him with a growing curiosity, Salvatore forced himself to give a nonchalant shrug.

"It doesn't matter if I do or not. As long as Darcy.. ."

"Oh, for God's sake, just go upstairs and get it over with," Sophia growled with annoyance. "Once you have her pregnant you can hand her over to someone who doesn't possess your refined sensibilities. What about Huntley? He has a taste for forcing himself on reluctant women."

Salvatore stiffened. He couldn't believe even Sophia would be callous enough to hand her daughter over to such a savage animal.

"You really are a bitch."

"Yes, I know."

Reaching up his hand, Salvatore was on the point of physically removing the annoying woman from his study when he came to an abrupt halt.

His senses sharpened to full alert as he tilted back his head and sniffed the air.

"Something comes."

Sophia gave a sharp hiss. "Damn, it's the vampires."

"Good." A cold smile touched Salvatore's lips. All thoughts of Darcy and his unpleasant duty were forgotten as a flare of anticipation raced through him. This was what he wanted. The opportunity to rid himself of the bane of his existence once and for all. Rightly or wrongly he held the vampires entirely to blame for the decline of the Weres. And more especially, Styx. They would pay for the wrongs done to his race. "Once Styx enters my lair I will be free to kill him. Not even the Commission could condemn a Were for protecting his territory."

Sophia paced the room with obvious agitation. "You think he will be so foolish?"

"Don't you pay attention to anything?"

She sent him a sharp glare. "If you have something to say, just spit it out."

"He's mated her."

"Mated?" She stumbled to a halt.

"I could smell him all over her. Nothing will halt him from trying to get to her."

"Are you insane?" Sophia was pale as her hand raised to her heart. "A mated vampire? He'll kill us all."

"I'm not without skill in battle, Sophia," Salvatore snapped, his pride stung. "I already have the curs in place and a number of nasty surprises prepared. They will not find us the easy prey that they expect."

Sophia gave a humorless laugh as she headed toward the door.