Chapter 16 Annika
Annika
“Yes,” I coo at the bundle in my arms. “You and I are going to be best friends for eternity.”
Selene coos up at me, and I melt a little more than I already have. I turn, smiling at my aunt from where she’s taking a much-needed break in the chair next to me.
“You hear that? She agrees,” I say.
“Of course she does,” Oliva says, grinning at her baby in my arms. My aunt looks a thousand times better than she did six weeks ago when Selene was born.
Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are bright, and she looks well fed.
No doubt Ransom has been taking exceptional care of her and their daughter, as any mate would do.
The idea of a mate sends me plummeting right back to reality.
Goddamn it, I love you. Dagon’s words echo through my mind. Holding the baby and chatting with my aunt had given my overactive brain a much-needed break from all the unanswered questions plaguing me nightly.
Selene’s pacifier flies out of her mouth, toppling to the floor. I shift off the chair, easily scooping it up and crossing the room to her changing station to grab a fresh one. I bend down to the second shelf, tossing the dirty one in a basket to be cleaned later, then give her the new one.
“Omigod,” Olivia gasps.
I whirl around, triple-checking the perfectly fine and safe baby in my arms before I look at her. “Are you okay? Does something hurt?”
Olivia shakes her head, a smile breaking over her lips as she crosses the room, spinning me to touch the small of my back, where my shirt has hiked up.
“You have his mark.”
I blow out a breath, relief hitting me that she’s fine and not having some sort of delayed six-week-post-birth situation. Then my nerves tangle as I realize what she’s seen.
I hurry into the seat again, needing to sit before my legs go weak.
Olivia does the same.
“Yeah,” I say. “We haven’t accepted it yet.”
Olivia’s brow furrows. “Oh,” she says, tilting her head. “You two look happy. I thought you were just dating—”
“We are,” I cut her off, gently patting the baby, her eyes fluttering closed. “I mean…we…it’s complicated.”
Olivia huffs a laugh, leaning back in her chair, almost like her ease is directly connected to when the baby is happily asleep. “I understand that.” She eyes me. “Do you not want to accept it?”
“Of course I do,” I blurt out, then take a breath. “I do,” I say again. “And I know he loves me.”
Olivia barely holds back a squeal.
I can’t help but share in her enthusiasm for a minute. “He loves me,” I say again. “He told me.” Warmth flutters in my chest. “And he knows I love him.”
“And yet…”
“We haven’t told anyone.”
“Because you haven’t accepted it.”
I nod. “You know the hunters,” I explain. “Despite Ajax and Zachariah and Talon being happily mated, Dagon has openly expressed he views mates as a weakness.”
Olivia rolls her eyes. “That’s such a tired excuse,” she says. “Sorry, but it is. We’ve all heard it. Do I look weaker to you?”
“No,” I hurry to say. “But Ransom was a wreck your entire pregnancy.”
She looks like she might argue, but then concedes. “That’s fair.”
“So I can understand how he’s worried about what will happen if he accepts it. Especially with Samuel still on the loose.”
“I know,” she says, softer now. “And I’m all about accepting it on your own timeline. As long as both of you are on the same page with it.” She raises her brows. “Are you both on the same page with waiting?”
I cringe. “We haven’t exactly talked about it.”
She blinks a couple times. “What?” She shakes her head. “Surely you’ve discussed the mark. The bond?”
“Nope,” I answer. “It appeared the night we got called home and we haven’t discussed it since.”
Her lips pop open in shock. “Wait, you’ve told each other you love each other, but you haven’t talked about what to do about the bond?”
I shake my head. “It sounds ridiculous when you ask me like that.”
“It is,” she says, then flashes me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, but it is. You two are clearly in love, you should be able to communicate.”
“It’s difficult,” I say. “I’m worried if I press the issue, he’ll bolt.”
She gives me an incredulous look. “You can’t ignore it forever,” she says. “At least tell me you’ve had the monogamous conversation. You two are official in that capacity, yes?”
I bite my lip.
“Annika!”
“What?” I whisper-hiss so I don’t wake the baby. “I didn’t think we needed to. We’re together all the time.”
“True, but it’s not like he’s been public about you two. The only reason I can tell you are together is because you’re my niece. To the rest of the world? You both could be single.”
“And that’s a problem?” I ask. “Who cares what anyone else thinks.”
“You care,” she says. “Because what happens when some noble decides to shoot her shot with him?”
My eyes flare, anger spearing beneath my skin at the very thought.
“See,” she says. “I understand taking time to figure out the mating bond. It’s an eternity of a commitment. You have to be sure. But, it’s not something to play with. Burying it while also not setting boundaries makes you both dangerous.”
I blow out a breath, getting a grip on my emotions. “You’re right,” I admit. “I know you are.”
Olivia smiles at me. “Come on,” she says, standing up and gently taking the baby back. “Let’s put her down before dinner.”
I nod, following her out of the room. “What if I don’t know how to bring it up?” I ask as we’re heading to the dining room after putting Selene in the rolling basinet and pushing her here.
“You need a little help?” she asks.
“Yes,” I admit.
“Then trust me.”
Apprehension flies through my chest at her words, but I’ve always trusted her. We take our seats at the table, my eyes flashing to Dagon, who sits to my left.
“You good?” he mouths the words as the others funnel into the room, including not just our little group but several of the other assassins in training too. Now is so not the time to dig into my and Olivia’s conversation.
I nod in answer, focusing more on putting my napkin on my lap than him.
How am I going to broach this subject? It’s all I can think about as the room descends into chatter and the clanking of forks and wine glasses. I don’t want to pressure him. His feelings are absolutely valid, and if he needs a lifetime to decide, then I’m ready for that.
But Olivia is right too. We can’t keep moving forward without some exclusive boundaries in place in order to protect ourselves and any bystanders while we figure this out.
I mean, if just the thought of a noble vampire hitting on him makes me see red, I can’t imagine what it would really be like if I saw it play out.
“Corbin,” Olivia’s voice cuts over half the long table as she gestures to one of the younger assassins.
He stops digging into his food for a moment, giving her his full attention.
“Do you have a date for the queen’s ball yet?” Olivia asks.
“No,” he says a little too quickly. “Do you have someone in mind?” The way he asks and the look on his face says he knows more than he’s letting on.
My blood runs cold. I know what they’re doing before I can mentally make the move to open my mouth and stop them.
“My niece is as brilliant as she is beautiful,” Olivia says, smiling at me. “You should ask Annika—”
All the water in every crystal pitcher along the table starts to boil.
Corbin turns to me, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Are you available?”
My lips part open in shock as I shake my head.
“She’s really fucking not,” Dagon growls, shoving back from the table. His eyes meet mine, the pupils blown out as he hauls me from my seat, throwing me over his shoulder in the most caveman way possible as he bolts from the room.
Laugher follows us into the hallway, but my heart is in my throat as we make it into his rooms. He slams and locks the door behind him.
“I didn’t ask her to do that!” I gasp as he tosses me on the bed.
“My fault,” he says, his voice raw and guttural. He rolls his neck. “Annika.”
I prop up on my elbows as he climbs onto the bed, stalking me back a bit. “Dagon? Are you okay?”
“No,” he says, shaking his head as he shoves my knees apart, settling above me. “I’m really not okay, Annika.”
I swallow hard, my heart racing.
“Tell me what I can do to help you,” I beg.
“You can say yes to me.” He shakes his head.
“You shouldn’t. You really fucking shouldn’t.
I’m a hunter. An ancient one. All I’ve known since becoming one is death and pain and war and enemies.
I can’t guarantee that when we stop this war another one won’t pop up.
You bond yourself to me, and you’re signing up for an eternity of that.
You deserve better. You deserve to be safe.
But I can’t bury it anymore. I love you.
More than I’ve ever loved anything in my life.
You’re my match, Annika. Not just in power, but in every single way that matters.
” He drags his nose along my cheek, inhaling deeply.
“You understand me, challenge me, make me laugh.” He shakes his head.
“You drive me wild in the best ways. You are my world. And I don’t want another second of eternity where you’re not mine. ”
Tears fill my eyes as I press my lips to his. “I’ve been yours,” I admit. “Long before the mark appeared.”
“Annika,” he breathes my name against my lips, his hands flying to my clothes before becoming impatient and tearing them off me.
I do the same to his.
And then we’re bare to each other, a mess of touches and fangs and kisses.
“Say it,” he says as he kisses down my neck. “Say you want this.”
“I want you, Dagon. In whatever way that looks. If you want me like this, you’ve got it. If you want me as your mate?” I ask, my heart swelling. “I’m already there.”
“Mine,” he growls just as our bodies connect, his hard length sliding into me with one sure stroke. “I’m yours,” he continues, pulling out to plunge into me again.
“Yes,” I gasp, my head spinning as that connection between us lights up. “You’re mine.” I sink my fangs into his curled bicep just to the right of my head, the one he’s using to prop himself up while he has his way with me.
He groans at the bite, and I flutter around him as his blood hits my mouth.
“Annika,” he growls, pumping into me faster as my orgasm builds. “Mate.” He thrusts into me harder, dipping down to sink his fangs into my neck.
“Dagon!” I gasp as he drinks from me while pumping into me at the same time. It’s electric. It’s world-shattering. It shoves me right over the edge until I’m completely at his mercy.
“You’re mine,” he growls, spilling inside me, sending me into another release that has me seeing stars.
We catch our breath, our bodies slick with sweat, that connection between us burning with solidification at being accepted and acknowledged by us both.
Dagon smooths my hair back, eyes drinking me in. “I love you.”
“I love you,” I breathe the words, practically buzzing with the storm of power racing down our bond.
“Good,” he says, rolling us so I’m atop him. “Because you’re stuck with me forever now.”