I'm the Vampire, That's Why by Michele Bardsley

Author:Michele Bardsley [Michele Bardsley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, General
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2006-09-05T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

“Jessica.” My name was a prayer issued from his lips—and that tender refrain whispered through me like a silken promise. Patrick placed his hand on my neck and murmured, “Mine.” I felt a tingling heat bloom and fade. Another honeysuckle? Or was Patrick’s symbol different?

“No!” Nara’s arm went up, her open palm swinging toward my cheek, but Patrick grabbed her wrist and flung it away.

“You cannot have him. He is mine!”

“No, he’s mine,” I said. “Fuck off.”

Realizing she’d lost this round, she screamed in fury then…sparkled away.

“What a bitch!”

“Jessica…” He shook his head, smiling. “You are impudent.”

“It’s a gift.”

“You are the gift.”

“Patrick, you’re twisting me into knots. You’re all smoochy and lovey and saving-my-life one second and all brooding and dark and driving-me-crazy the next. I don’t know what to do with you.”

“I could think of several things you could do with me.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it.” I nibbled my lower lip. “So…Nara…you, uh, were married to her.”

“It was more blackmail than marriage.”

His eyes went distant and I could feel him go back through the centuries. “She was beautiful. Seductive. Yet the only reason I agreed to the binding was because she had my father’s swords.”

“What?”

He nodded. “The swords had been stolen from my father—no one knew what had happened to them. Then, seven hundred years ago, Nara showed up and bartered with me. If I would bind with her, she’d give me the Ruadan swords. It’s tradition with vampire bindings for the couple to exchange gifts—usually these objects have great emotional value.”

“What did you give her?”

Patrick’s jaw clenched. “Nara would settle for nothing less than the coin made from Dairine’s fede. She hoped to force me into another binding to regain the coin.”

I thought about the Legend of Ruadan the First and I realized why Nara would try to blackmail Patrick into marriage. “You and Lor are the sons of the first vampire. You said the vampires had a class system. So, she wanted the power and prestige that was part and parcel of being your mate.”

I really didn’t like her. She had taken advantage of Patrick. She was vindictive, greedy, and coldhearted. I sooooo wanted to hurt her.

“I can’t undo the past,” said Patrick. “I spent a hundred years in hell…I wouldn’t give Nara another hundred, not even for the last reminder I had of my life with Dairine.” He cupped my face and looked into my eyes. “I am connected to you. You are the one I want. You are mo chroi. My heart.”

In the depths of silver, I saw the truth of his emotions for me. What I saw there scared the crap out of me. It was like gazing into eternity and knowing that I had a place in it. That I would never be alone and always be loved.

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah. Holy shit.” He kissed me lightly, silencing my questions. “Let’s go meet Lor.”

“Okay.”

We broke apart, and holding hands again, rose into the air.

“Lor?” called Patrick. “Lor!”

“He didn’t respond the other forty times,” I said.

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