He kissed her. His mouth was desperate and hungry on hers. She couldn’t get close enough to him. His taste, his touch. She needed him so much.
“It’s all right,” Shane whispered against her mouth. “Everything is going to be all right.”
Her vampire was such a liar. There was no way things could be all right.
Olivia knew exactly what she’d done.
She’d raised the dead.
She’d forced a daughter to kill her own father. Just with a thought.
I just wished he’d die. That he’d feel the same betrayal I felt.
And then Chloe had acted.
I’m sorry, Chloe.
Shane pulled back a bit. Stared into her eyes. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“And the most dangerous?” Olivia asked, voice breaking a bit. It was almost funny. She’d once interviewed monsters, never realizing that she was the biggest threat out there.
Shane caught her hands in his. Stared down at her. Emotions swirled in his gaze.
She dared to ask, “Pate plans to keep me locked up, doesn’t he?”
Shane didn’t answer.
“It…it’s probably the safest idea. Until I can learn to control myself.” If she could. Olivia wasn’t sure it was possible. No…no, be honest. “I won’t ever control myself. I can feel it…the power inside. Like a black hole that’s stretching and trying to take me over.”
Shane shouldn’t be there with her. She wanted him close because—he’d gotten to her. Broken through her armor and reached the woman inside. Love shouldn’t happen so quickly.
But then, wishes shouldn’t go dark, either.
Life wasn’t fair. It was twisted—as twisted as her wishes—hard and cold. And beautiful. Sometimes, so beautiful and good.
She wanted to remember the good times. When she spent years caged up, the good memories would be all that she had.
“It won’t take you over.” He sounded so confident.
He didn’t understand that it already had. She’d killed, with just a thought.
But then Shane lowered before her, bowing down on his knees.
Olivia shook her head and blinked in confusion. “What are you doing?”
“I know you don’t believe in mates, but do you think you could believe in me? In us?” His hands held hers. “Because I do. And I pledge myself to you. Right here. Right now. I pledge that I will always be by your side. I will stay with you through any danger that comes. I will celebrate with you, and I will mourn with you.”
His words seemed to wrap around her.
“I will tie my life with yours.”
Those words…it almost seemed like some kind of ceremony that he was performing. “What are you doing?”
“Being with you, if you’ll have me.”
She wanted no one else.
He stared up at her. “I love you.”
Olivia shook her head.
“I wasn’t manipulating you. Wasn’t trying to seduce you into giving me your delectable body and, apparently, your all-powerful heart. I just wanted you. I needed you. And I would have done anything to have you.”
She would have done anything to have him. But it wasn’t just about what she wanted. It wasn’t safe for him to be with her. It wasn’t safe for anyone to be with her. “You should go.” She had to blink away tears. I have to keep him safe. He’s only safe when he’s away from me. Everyone is safe…away from me.
He stayed on his knees, and he shook his head.
“Pate won’t let me out.” He had to see that.
His lips thinned, and then Shane said, “We have two options.”
Her heart slammed into her chest.
“If you stay locked up, then I stay with you.”
No, that couldn’t happen.
“It won’t be Purgatory. It will be paradise, because I’ll be with you.”
“Bullshit,” Olivia instantly called.
His lips twitched.
“It will be prison,” Olivia said, “and I won’t have that for you.”
His hold tightened on her hands. “Then that gives us option two.”
She wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear this one.
“The djinn dies.”
Olivia tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go. “You’re…going to kill me?”
“I want you alive forever, Olivia. I don’t want to think of any world without you in it.” His gaze fell to her neck. “I can make you something other than djinn.”
And she understood. “Vampire.”
He nodded. “I’ve taken your blood. You know the pleasure to be found there.”
It was rather hard to forget that particular pleasure.
“If you drink from me, I can change you. Your human side will die, and your djinn side…it will either die, too, and you’ll become a full vampire…”
He trailed off. She waited. And waited a bit more. “Shane?”
“Or something else could happen.” His words were gruff. “When Holly gave her blood to Duncan, he became a blend of vampire and werewolf. You could change like that, too. Then you would—”
“I’d have the immortality of a vampire and the power of a djinn! Isn’t that rather like unleashing hell on earth?”
He surged to his feet. “Maybe you will be both, but maybe you’ll have control then! Maybe your djinn powers will be muted and the wishes won’t twist!”
“Or maybe they’ll be even darker.” Vamps weren’t exactly known for being all sweetness and light. More like known for being bloodthirsty and brutal.
“If that happens, then we keep you locked up.” His voice was soft. “And I stay with you.”
“Both of these options suck!” She glanced toward the video camera that had been mounted on the right wall. “Are these Pate’s options?” They sure sounded like him.
“He wants to keep you caged. Or he just wants to kill you. No transformation. Just death.”
Her heart stuttered in her chest. “Blood and fire.”
“That’s not happening.” He grabbed her. Pulled Olivia against him and kissed her. Deep and hard and long. “We are going to have forever. Say yes, Olivia, just say yes to my bite, to the exchange, and give us a chance.”
She wanted to, but Olivia was terrified.
“If something goes wrong,” he rasped, “you’re still here, locked up. You won’t hurt anyone.”
Unless her power strengthened too much for the markings on the floor to hold her in check. Don’t call them markings anymore. You know it’s a spell. Some magic that Pate is working.