Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 251(@200wpm)___ 201(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 251(@200wpm)___ 201(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
“Oh? Where’s Carina?” Alessia asked Titus when she spotted him sitting where her friend had been earlier.
“Marcus came to claim her a while ago. You were sleeping so soundly, I let you doze longer,” Titus told her.
“Really? We should go home, and we can both sleep, right?”
“We need to do something first, Little mate.”
“What’s that?”
“The clan is ready to welcome you. Now that you’re a vampire, you will need the support and protection of an Elder and a clan,” he told her solemnly.
His demeanor underscored how important this was. A shiver zinged the length of her spine. So much was changing so fast. Was she ready?
“You mean Alaric and the others? They want me to join your club?”
“It’s more than a club, Little mate. These people are my family.”
Tears filled her eyes. In the last few years, Alessia’s family had valued her as a way to lock in Frankie’s fidelity or as an expendable spy to infiltrate Nightfall. The concept that the vampire clan wanted to welcome her as one of their own overwhelmed her. She blinked hard to keep from bawling.
“Little mate. You’re hurting my heart.” Titus picked her up and sat in her spot. He kissed her sweetly before cuddling her to his chest. “What is scaring you? How can I help?”
Sobs burst from her. Alessia hid her face against his hard chest. She mumbled, “I’m not sad. I’m overwhelmed that they want me.”
“Of course they want you. You are courageous and brave. You are a sweet friend to Carina and my mate. The clan celebrates growing stronger but only welcomes the right vampires.”
“And I’m one of those?”
“You are,” Titus spoke with reassuring confidence that erased her worries. More than anyone else in her life, Alessia trusted Titus.
Sitting up straight, Alessia wiped away her tears. She gathered her dignity around her like a cloak. If the clan wanted her, she would be worthy of that position.
Titus held his handkerchief to her nose. “Blow.”
She didn’t hesitate. Titus took care of her in many ways. She’d learned not to question that he truly wanted her to do as he instructed.
“Ready, Little mate?”
Alessia nodded. “Let’s go.” She didn’t ask him for any description of what would happen. Somehow experiencing whatever ritual the clan had devised without insight seemed most appropriate.
“Good girl.”
Titus lifted Alessia to her feet and rose to stand next to her. He guided her out of the room and down the hallway through the public area of Nightfall. She glanced around, remembering all her favorite memories she’d made here, from her relief in squeezing in that first night, watching Titus make his first Alessia, that impressive shimmy on the bar top, and meeting Carina and the vampires. She smiled at Titus.
“That’s a happy face,” he said.
“Best night ever when I got into Nightfall. Thank goodness the bouncer let me in.”
“That was Alaric. He never overrides Marcus’s routines. That night he directed the security at the door to allow you inside.”
“Really?” she squeaked. “Why?”
“We never ask Alaric why.”
A warm spot kindled inside her. That knowledge made Alaric less scary. Well, maybe not totally, she reconsidered. His blazing power was definitely intimidating. A thought popped into her mind.
“Does Alaric have a mate?”
“He does not,” Titus answered as he guided her through a dark doorway Alessia had never noticed.
A shadowy passage stretched out in front of them. As they walked, dark red glowing symbols appeared on the walls. Alessia tried to read the squiggles but couldn’t decipher them. Did vampires have their own language? She inhaled the primal scent deeply. Her fangs descended. Those deep crimson decorations weren’t made of blood, were they?
She squashed her curiosity, not willing to interrupt the silence. They moved through a series of hallways that disoriented Alessia. Soon she had no clue whether she was facing the front of Nightfall or the back.
Titus squeezed her hand, reassuring her as they stopped in front of a glowing pad. “Press your hand on the panel, Little mate. Do not remove it until you receive the sign.”
Alessia followed his urging hesitantly. It wouldn’t shock her, would it? To her surprise, the glowing rectangle was warm—alive.
“Welcome, Alessia, mate to Titus.”
The sound wrapped around her, sliding over her skin. Alessia savored the sensation. The disembodied voice seemed to come from all directions simultaneously. The impact of this powerful greeting reinforced her impression that this was life-changing.
Doors opened in front of them as the pad under her hand cooled and turned black. The dimly lit interior of a room beckoned her forward. As Titus urged her forward with a hand at the small of her back, Alessia stepped inside.
Dark paneling covered the walls, and sconces held flickering bulbs. She jumped as the doors sealed behind them. Alessia eased herself closer to Titus as an eerie chill and an unsteadiness settled into her bones. Several seconds later, she blurted, “Are we going down?”