“Oh, you are a lovely one.”Armaros circled Morlie close as he lightly caressed the nape of her neck with the tip of his finger before he rested it against her fast-beating carotid artery.“Such flawless golden-brown skin.Makes one thirst for a taste,” the Vampire master hissed.
“You keep your fangs out of her if she isn’t yours,” Dov growled with his arms folded over his barreled chest.
“Semantics,” Armaros arched a brow at Dov but kept his gaze trained on Morlie.“I bet you taste divine...everywhere.”
Morlie jerked away from him so hard her chair scraped against the floor.“Don’t touch me.”
“Oh, come now, marked one.”The Vampire glided before her, gazing down at her.
Morlie stared up at the Vampire; her eyes squinted, and her lips pursed.“My name is Morlie.”
Aodh could not help being proud of the bravery she showed.
Armaros locked his gaze with Morlie’s.Even as she shifted around and tried to look away, she could not fight against his compelling hold.Armaros brought his palms together, so they made an arrow toward Morlie’s lap.He flicked his wrists outward in a flash, and Morlie’s knees followed his gesture.
She whimpered and tried to struggle against the Vampire's silent commands, but he was too powerful.
Keeping a deft eye on Armaros, Aodh prepared to stop the vamp if he went too far.Armaros, the cunning, sneaky bastard, liked to skirt the lines of the law.
“Let.Me.Go.”Fear and anger brightened Morlie’s gaze as she forced words out through her tight jaw the Vampire’s power held.
Armaros tsked, “In time, my sweet.I need to get a good smell of your mark.”Dropping down low before Morlie, the Vampire leaned in toward her lap.In an instant, he extended a finger with a sharp-tipped nail and sliced along the inside seam of Morlie’s pants.
Before Aodh knew it, he was rushing forward and grabbing Armaros.His hand tightened around the thin frame of the Vampire’s shoulder.
At the coven master’s actions, Liekki emitted a loud rumble from his chest.Like Aodh, he would try and protect Morlie.
“Hey!”Dov called out.
Chanin let out a low, ominous growl.
If Aodh hadn’t kept an eye on Armaros, he’d have questioned the tone of the Lupine Alpha.
Snapping his head around, Armaros glared at Aodh with bloodshot eyes and fangs elongated over his open mouth.
“Try it, vamp, and lose both those teeth you hold so valuable,” Aodh growled.
“I have a right to see the mark.”
It was true that they were allowed to see the mark even as they scented the person.However, to exhibit such violence was unnecessary, and it pissed Aodh off to have his mate’s sister treated in such a way.
“Armaros, you should have your answer by now,” Iskah declared from her perch on the table's edge before her seat.“Move back so others may see, and we can finish this.There is other business we need to discuss.”
Sighing, the Vampire master walked back to his seat.“You all can be such spoilsports.”
Marceline laughed.
“Who is next?”Iskah waved at Dov and Chanin.
Dov raised his hands.“Based on how she responded to Turi, I doubt her mark aligns with Ursine traits.But I’ll still check.”
Aodh knew what the bear-shifter stated was possible.Because Morlie fought so hard against Turi, it was doubtful she matched them.Even though the rise of genetic coding made humans detectable by the preternatural world, it didn’t make them full shifters in any way.Still, it caused an uncanny susceptibility to the matching alpha and often their beta.Even though it was rare, the person was a match for an alpha.Since they had been exchanging with the human government, the protocol for all of them was that once they discovered who the person belonged to, the alpha took the marked one back to their territory.They presented them to their people in their own way, and the mark’s true mate would claim them.
Dov drew Aodh’s attention as he strutted closer to Morlie.He didn’t put on any theatrics by making a circle around her but brought his hulking girth down.At eye level with Morlie, he smiled at her.“If you would kindly show me your mark, Morlie.”
Morlie, no longer compelled by Armaros, looked from Dov to Aodh with confusion distorting her features.
“It’s at the top of your thigh,” Dov answered her question.
