gasp as my ethereal essence slithered over her beautiful dark skin before slowly penetrating it. Once again, I struggled not to be overwhelmed by the blissful sensation of a part of me taking root inside of her, anchoring me to my bride. But that wondrous experience was tainted by the growing stench of her terror. I would need to figure out what the fuck was causing this, but now wasn’t the time.
Naima attempted to double-over in response to the discomfort of this alien presence inside of her, but my arms held her up, tightly against me.
“Open the damn door, human, or you will face my wrath,” I hissed at the foolish man. “I will release her before I exit. You should know that I want her alive, not dead. She is mine, and I’ve achieved my goal.”
The older man hesitated and cast a worried look at my mate. For some reason, that pleased me.
“How can I trust you?” the fool asked.
The door I had closed suddenly burst open with three more agents storming inside the room. The older man raised his hand in an arresting gesture, preventing them from committing some regretful act that would have cost them dearly. I had no qualms draining every single one of those bastards. Then again, their emotions broadcast clearly that they didn’t want to harm my woman and, oddly enough, they didn’t want to harm me either.
“Your trust is irrelevant,” I snapped. “Make me ask another time, and I’ll just burst your doors open. Do you really want the Mist roaming freely inside your building?”
He must have sensed that I would do it, too. Yes, it would hurt, but I had enough energy to plow through. The biggest headache would be getting my mate to a safe place where she could comfortably spend the three days of the Mist. To my relief, he fished a remote control out of his pocket and opened the door behind me leading back to the corridor maze that still stood between me and freedom.
“Wise decision,” I said tauntingly while gliding backwards through the opening.
To my surprise, the older man followed us at a safe distance. Worry and hope swirled within him, while near panic was taking hold of the other agents who followed in his wake. I couldn’t help feeling a begrudging respect for the man. His almost paternal protectiveness—devoid of possessiveness—towards my mate pleased me. But so did their collective helplessness in controlling me.
“NO!” Naima shouted as we entered the maze. She stretched a desperate hand towards the agents.
“Hush, my love,” I whispered, nuzzling her nape. “I do not make promises I won’t keep. I will release you before the exit. You will not be harmed.”
“What did you do to me? Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“I made my claim official,” I said before lowering the zipper of her form-fitting leather top. The silly female jerked in my embrace, likely fearing I would molest her.
“Stop! What are you…”
Her words died in her throat when I slightly parted the collar of her top to show the dark swirls of my brand forming above her heart.
“This is me, my love, inside you,” I whispered, my index finger briefly caressing my brand. “I am a part of you, now. You are mine, forever.”
“Oh God,” she whispered, horrified.
That stung instead of thrilling and empowering me. I should be swimming in a pool of euphoria right now, but all her reactions—perfect though they were—triggered the wrong responses from me.
Navigating backwards was awkward, but a swift glance over my shoulder confirmed that, at long last, the door was only a few meters away.
“Open the exit door, human,” I ordered without slowing down.
A troubled expression crossed the older man’s face. Guilt, worry, and uncertainty warred on his features. His eyes rested on my brand on my woman’s chest. Whatever internal debate he’d been having, my emblem seemed to help him reach a decision. Raising the remote control, he opened the door behind me.
The strength with which Naima’s terror slammed into me left me reeling. I felt nauseous, hot, and cold all at once. A part of me wanted to move away from her while the other ached to appease and soothe her.
“You may go, my love. I will see you soon,” I whispered before kissing her ear.
I released her with an odd mix of reluctance and relief. The latter echoed hers, although laced with a hefty dose of disbelief: she hadn’t believed I would keep my word. That upset me more than