Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“I have the ability to knock you on your ass,” she muttered.
“Always.” He palmed the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss.
I’d never really envied Lachlan, even in his rank as second in command, but in that moment, I did. If I could tell Jocelyn to stay home tomorrow, I would have, though I doubted Jocelyn let anyone tell her anything…ever. Every cell in my body rebelled at the thought of her being in danger. Funny how a month could change everything.
“So, Jocelyn,” Talon asked from across the table. “I’m hoping you’ll answer a question for me, since witches and vampires didn’t exactly get along in my day.”
“Ask away,” she answered.
“Is it true witches can have more than one mate?” He leaned forward slightly.
A low growl rumbled through my chest, and Jocelyn slipped her hand onto my thigh, squeezing gently.
“Consorts,” she corrected Talon. “Witches can have more than one consort. It’s not the same, since our culture doesn’t subscribe to the whole mate thing.”
“Mate thing?” Talon’s eyes widened slightly as he smiled. “Do tell.”
“Vampires mate or marry, right?” Her fingers trailed up my thigh.
“Right,” Talon agreed. “True mating bonds are rare, though apparently those of us made from warrior stock seem to be a bit luckier in that department.”
“Or unluckier,” Dagon muttered.
Talon rolled his eyes at his friend. “Some vampires wed, though we generalize it as ‘mating,’ and some of us…” he tilted his head. “What do you call it in this century? Divorce?”
“We just skip that whole divorce thing by never making the commitment,” Jocelyn explained, sipping at her wine.
She’s not talking about you. My hand covered hers under the table, anyways.
“You never commit...ever?” Ajax asked, his dark brow furrowing.
“That’s a plan I could get behind,” Dagon added.
“Consorts are for alliances and procreation.” She grinned. “Once either one of those loses its luster, we choose another consort. Think of it as a contractual obligation. Once it’s fulfilled, there’s really no reason to keep men around.”
I nearly spit out my drink.
“Holy shit,” Alek mumbled.
“Burn,” Ajax laughed.
Dagon blinked.
Jocelyn shrugged, glancing my way. Then her eyes popped wide. “Oh! I didn’t mean you, Benedict.”
I raised my brows.
“Of course she didn’t,” Ajax said with a straight face for all of five seconds before he burst out into another round of laughter.
“I mean, I’m a vampire now!” She squeezed my hand. “So I do the whole mating thing, obviously!”
“Obviously.” I drew out the word, trying to think of anything except Jocelyn choosing another male for her bed. That line of thought would only lead to a lot of bloodshed in this room.
“And it’s not like there’s that whole matriarchal power dynamic here, anyway, so it’s not like I’d be looking for another consort or anything!” She winced. “Not that you’re my consort! Shit!”
Zachariah snorted a laugh.
“How long do you think he’d last before he needs replacing?” Ransom asked Alek, a wicked grin on his face.
“At least a good couple of decades,” Alek answered, smothering his smile when I shot him a glare.
“Guy is like the energizer bunny on the training mat,” Talon noted. “It’ll probably take her that long to wear him out.”
I heaved a sigh and rolled my eyes at the Hunter.
“Oh. My. God.” Jocelyn blushed bright red, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. “I’m not replacing Benedict!”
“Jocelyn,” I said softly, stroking my thumb over her hand, which still clutched my thigh.
“It’s a witch custom, and I’m no longer a witch, remember?” She gestured at her teeth as if her fangs were out. She turned a glare on Talon. “And I’ll have you know that it would probably take millennia to even begin exhausting Benedict in the bed—”
I took her face in my hands and kissed her, silencing her words with my mouth and tongue. I kissed her until her pulse spiked and she melted against me. She tasted like sweet red wine and Jocelyn and there was no getting enough.
Her hands clutched at my shirt, and I titled her head and kissed her deeper, ignoring everyone else in the dining room until we were both breathless and the bond between us crackled with need.
Lachlan cleared his throat.
With one last graze of her lips, I lifted my head and grinned down at my mate, savoring the swirling stars in her eyes. “They’re teasing you, Jocelyn.”
“I’m sorry?” Her eyes widened.
“They’re. Teasing. You,” I repeated slowly, punctuating the words with soft kisses. “Well, it’s more like they’re giving me shit, but you get the picture.”
She leaned out of my grasp and turned a glare on every male vampire in the room. “You’re teasing me?”
“It means they like you.” I laced my fingers with hers with one hand, picked up my fork with the other and continued eating while all the males around me grinned like idiots.
“You know I could end you all with a flick of my fingers, right?” Jocelyn asked, summoning purple energy to dance on the tips of her fingers.