“It’s just that—”

“You need a little time to be sure I’m not going anywhere. I don’t blame you for it. I understand.”

“That’s not what I was going to say. It’s not that I doubt you. I trust you and I—”

“You don’t have to justify it, Imani, I’m not trying to pressure you. I walked away from you once before, so of course you’ll want to be sure it isn’t going to happen again.”

“That’s not it. If you’d let me speak, I could explain,” I said a little haughtily.

Lips twitching, he swept out a hand, inviting me to continue. Smart ass.

“Like I said, I don’t doubt you. I just find the thought of Binding a little...worrying.”

He blinked. “Worrying?”

“I’m not a full vampire anymore. I’m physically weaker than I was before. I bruise and I don’t heal as quickly. It’s why you and Paige are panicking about me being part of the battle. There’s really no such thing as immortality—anyone can die. And now that I’m a little vulnerable, I could die a lot easier. If I was mated to you and that happened to me, you’d die too.”

Eyes narrowed, jaw hard, he arched a brow. “Let’s get something straight. You are not rejecting the idea of Binding with me out of some misguided idea that it will protect me. No fucking way.”

“Butch—”

“If you want to make this about protecting me, let’s look at it another way. If we were officially mated, I’d be able to feel you through the connection; I’d know where you were, that you were alive, and I could help boost your strength. It would keep me sane in battle, which would mean I wasn’t distracted worrying about you.”

“Yeah, but—”

“And if we were mated, I’d fight harder, faster, and dirtier to keep you safe. And you would do the same, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course.”

His mouth curved smugly. “So your worries are pointless, baby.”

“It’s easy for you to say. If you thought mating with me would make me vulnerable, you would be just as hesitant as I am.”

“Yeah, I would,” he admitted instantly, not at all repentant. “And what would you say to me?”

That there was no way I’d let him refuse to Bind with me out of some stupid idea that it would help protect me. I’d be prepared to take the chance. I sighed, “Point taken.”

“Good.” He kissed me, his tongue licking into my mouth as his hand slid into my hair. “I hope you’re done fighting me on this. I want us to Bind. You’re it for me. There never has and never will be anyone who’s as important to me as you are. I know what it’s like to be without you. I know how much better my life is with you in it. Got no intention of letting you go again. As far as I’m concerned, you’re already mine. Binding would just solidify that.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He lifted my hand. “I want to look at this finger and see a Binding knot that says you belong to me. I want a matching knot on my finger. Can’t say you’re getting a good deal here, but I’m not kidding, baby, I’m not letting you go again. Not ever.”

“Why would you think I’m not getting a good deal?”

“I’m a realist, Imani.”

Not when it came to himself, thanks to his past. “If you want, I can hunt Kylie and smack the bitch down.”

He chuckled, dragging me on top of him. “I’m not sure she’s even alive. If she is, she’ll be in her seventies by now. Anyway, she probably messed up her own life. But the gesture is appreciated.”

“I don’t think you realise that I’m completely serious.”

“What I think”—he flipped us so that I was beneath him—“is that we should forget about her.” He sucked at my pulse, making my inner muscles spasm. “And you should lie there like a good girl while I pound you into the mattress.”

“So romantic.”

“Ain’t it though?”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

(Imani)

I’d spent years of my vampiric existence in hiding, so I was no stranger to it. But I’d never liked it. Never liked that feeling of not facing danger head-on. I supposed it went against a vampire’s predatory nature to hide. The only reason I wasn’t mentally bristling now was that this time I wasn’t running from the danger that was coming. I was simply tricking it.

Concealed among vine-covered trees with Butch and David on either side of me, I waited impatiently for the dragon shifters to arrive. We knew they were close because a certain member of the legion was able to sense when danger was approaching—he could even estimate how long it was before that danger arrived.

It seemed like hours ago that Jared had telepathically sent out a five minute warning, but it couldn’t have been longer than a few minutes.

Where were the fuckers?

I didn’t realise I’d said that aloud until Butch looked at me. “They’ll be here soon,” he whispered into my ear. “Remember, don’t go far. Be vigilant. I need you to stay alive for me.”

I kept my voice just as low. “I need the same from you, so watch your ass.”

His mouth kicked up in one corner. “I’d rather watch yours. It’s hotter than mine.”

I just snorted, not fooled by that smile. He was still brooding about having to leave my side during the battle. The fact that both David and Paige had sworn they would flank me throughout the entire fight only barely mollified him.

The majority of the legion was spread across the perimeter of the island. Sam, Jared, and our squads were in the centre, because that was where Butch’s shield needed to be. We wanted the dragons to fall smack bam in the middle of the island so that the legion could box them in the moment that Sam’s shield went over us.

She’d enlarged her shield many times in training, and I had every faith that she could do it here and now. As she’d once said herself, this had to work. We’d all be on Shit Street if it didn’t.

David’s impatient sigh seemed like a boom in the quiet of the night. The forest was unnaturally silent—no doubt Alora had ‘spoken’ to the wildlife and told them to keep quiet so that they didn’t make noise that would alert the dragons. She had probably also recruited the predators to join the battle. Good.