Once again, his reputation preceded him. Sammy smirked.
“Yes.”
Releasing him, Henri took a step back and blew out a slow breath. “That really is quite unfortunate.”
For the house, maybe, and definitely for the vampire. Sammy felt pretty good about it, though.
The double doors opened without a sound, and light from the corridor stopped in a severe line at the threshold. Interesting.
Only when his mother passed through the doorway did he hear her pointed heels clack against the floor, the sound echoing to every corner of the room. Her floral perfume filled the air, overstated and offensive in the otherwise neutral space.
Rather than return to the shadows, the guard took up a wide stance near the exit with his hands folded behind his back, leaving Valerie to cross the room alone. She strode forward, head high and back straight, unaware of the danger waiting for her.
“Henri,” she purred, joining them in front of the fireplace. “What do I—”
“You lied.”
Her smile faltered, and she seemed taken aback, but as always, she recovered quickly. “I’m sure there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Grabbing Sammy by the arm, the vampire dragged him forward and pushed his head to the side so that his mating mark was visible. “Does this look like a misunderstanding?”
Valerie’s eyes widened, and her lips parted in a silent gasp. “I-I didn’t know,” she stammered. “I couldn’t have known.”
“The wolf broke him.”
“Actually,” Sammy muttered. “He fixed me.”
Dominic made him stronger and more resilient. More importantly, the wolf had given him a home, a place to belong, and a reason to fight.
“I did warn you what would happen if you crossed me.”
Valerie backpedaled, inching toward the door, her eyes darting around the room as she searched for an escape. There was nowhere to run.
“I didn’t know,” she repeated. Trapped, she turned to Sammy, her expression sharp, demanding. “Tell him.”
Honestly, he respected the audacity, and for once in her miserable life, she spoke the truth. Even if a small part of him had wanted to help her, though, he didn’t get the chance.
“Consider our contract null and void.”
“What?” Annoyance flickered across her face, her greed outweighing her fear. “No. I mean, that’s not necessary. I can fix this. I just need a little time.”
“Time, I have. My patience, however, is in short supply.”
“No, no, wait.” She held her hands up in a placating gesture when Henri took a step toward her. “We kill the wolf. It will sever the bond, and everything will go back to how it’s supposed to be.”
It didn’t work that way. He knew it. Judging by the disbelief on Henri’s face, the vampire knew it too. Despite being a witch herself, Valerie seemed to be the only one who didn’t understand how the mate bond worked.
It made sense, though. Why would she know when she had never cared about anyone but herself?
“That is your solution?” Henri asked, his tone deceptively composed.
If Valerie had been paying attention, though, she would have heard the icy threat beneath it.
“Everything will go back to the way it’s supposed to be,” she repeated with a decisive nod, clearly quite proud of her quick thinking.
Sammy almost felt bad for her. Almost.
“Even if youcouldkill him, which you can’t, we’re bonded,” he told her. “If he dies, so do I.”