Fatal Cravings: Immortal Keeper Vampire Paranormal Romance Series by Daniella Starre (affordable ebook reader txt) 📕

against his open palm. “I did not save you from suicide so that you could be slaughtered by Viktor.”

"Why did you save me?" I demanded, even though I didn't expect him to answer.

And he did not disappoint.

“The only way for you to be saved from Viktor…” He glowered at me, as if he expected me to interrupt again, but I remained silent. “We must wed.”

“What?” I balked at the suggestion.

“We will wed.”

"Are you insane?" I snapped. "I will not give in to this, give in to you."

“I demand it.”

“You have no right to demand anything from me.”

He merely lifted his eyebrows as if to suggest otherwise.

The vampire had just brought up how he had saved my life…

But why? Why marriage, and why now? If he wanted to marry me, why not have claimed me at eighteen? Then, I would have been willing. Then, I would have followed him to the ends of the Earth.

Instead, I felt like I was in a downward spiral, freefalling with no hope of rescue, no end in sight.

“I won’t marry you,” I said coolly.

No way. No how. It was bad enough that I was a virgin. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought he desired me seven years ago. Before he left after I said I needed him, my gaze had fallen down his body, and his pants had been tented.

Although I only had ideas for Maxwell back then, I knew what sex was. I knew how a man’s body reacted to a woman he desired.

He desired me seven years ago, and he had fled, never to return again.

And as much as I wanted to hate him, this tether, this invisible bond wouldn’t relent. He asked me if I had a husband, and honestly, the thought sickened me. I couldn’t abide the idea of another man having me.

But a fake wedding?

“Don’t think of it as a fake wedding,” he dared to say.

“Then think of it as what?” I spat out.

“A marriage of convenience.”

“Convenience, huh? Convenience for me how exactly?”

“Just the fact that it would spare your life doesn’t strike you as enough?” he asked dryly.

“No, actually,” I said coolly. “It doesn’t.” I lifted my chin. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“So you believe. If I knew nothing about you, I wouldn’t have bothered with you.”

“You didn’t for seven years,” I grumbled.

He had no response to that.

“Why would you even want to marry me anyhow?” I demanded. “What’s in it for you? Because if you think…”

I trailed off. Yes, I made him hard once, but that didn’t mean anything. He was a handsome, rich vampire. He could have any woman he wanted—human or vampire.

Why would he want me?

I didn’t want him to answer that because the thing was, I didn’t believe that he truly wanted me. He had an erection, yes, but he fled because it had disgusted him.

I disgusted him.

“You need protection.”

“Yes, that’s what I need now,” I said, throwing up my hands. “I made a mistake coming here, coming to you. I thought…”

He said nothing, forcing me to continue.

"You were the first person I thought of who might be able to help me. I wasn't about to drag my parents into this, and not Amber either. By the way, she's doing great. Never had another nightmare ever, not one. She's married now to a surgeon, and they're trying to get pregnant. She's living right next door to my parents. They're doing really well, too, and you want to know something crazy? It turns out that my mom has a secret sister. I didn't know until two years ago that I had an aunt. Aunt Petunia. My mom's parents had been as poor as we were, and they could hardly afford to keep my mom fed, so when Grandma became pregnant again, she opted to put the baby up for adoption."

I was rambling, but I did that when I was nervous, and Maxwell hadn’t asked for any of this—not for the details about my family, not for this mess I created with Viktor.

"Don't you worry about me," I mumbled. "I'll be fine. Go back to your ball. Were you celebrating something? I know you're dabbling in all kinds of businesses, from finances to consumer services to real estate. Technology too. I can't imagine how you do it all, even with your super speed. And have you found other…"

I trailed off, horrified. I’d been about to admit that I had fallen in love with him as a girl.

Without another word, I walked away, past the golden fence, leaving Maxwell behind.

5

Not even thirty seconds later, my phone rang. Unreal. Did he know my number? No. Why would Maxwell bother to call me when he could be beside me in seconds even if he didn’t use his vampire speed?

My phone continued to ring and then stopped. It had gone to voicemail, but then it started to ring again.

Annoyed, I grabbed my phone from my bra. I hadn’t wanted to bring a purse, and I hadn’t exactly been thinking the most clearly when I came here. Not that I was on my alone, abandoned by Maxwell again this time by my choice, I no longer had the help of adrenaline, and the bitter chill ate away at me. My teeth chattered as I checked the caller.

Amber.

“Hey, Amber,” I said. “How are you? You—”

“Amber isn’t here.”

My heart skipped a beat at the cold voice. “Who is this?” I demanded, my tone far sharper than it had been when I snapped at Maxwell. Who knew I could sound so tough? As if my words were poison.

“Your sister’s murderer.”

I dropped my phone. It bounced. Shock had me frozen, and it took me a moment to recover.

I snatched up the phone. The screen had cracked. Maybe just the screen protector.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” I asked, my words more desperate than anything.

Only the line had ended. He’d hung up, or the phone had when I dropped it.

I went to return the call when my mom’s name popped up.