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Mercy crossed her arms, her expression hardening. “You know I work better alone.”
Brie’s eyes softened as she studied Mercy. “And yet, you stayed. You didn’t leave him behind.”
Mercy’s chest tightened. She hadn’t left. She couldn’t. Despite everything in her that screamed to turn her back on Hunter and walk away, something deeper, more primal, kept her rooted to the spot.He’s your fated mate,whispered a small inner voice.
The realization had hit her the moment she’d laid eyes on him again, and it terrified her. She didn’t want this. Didn’t want the connection, the bond that tied them together, but it was there, undeniable and persistent.
She glanced at Brie; her voice softer now. “I wanted to leave him. I really did. But I can’t. He’s… my fated mate.”
Colby let out a low whistle, leaning against one of the stone walls. “Well, that changes things.”
Brie studied her for a long moment before nodding. “We’ll take care of him at the abbey. You’re welcome to come by if and when you’re ready.”
Mercy gave a brief nod, her throat tight as she watched them lift Hunter’s unconscious body from the floor and carry him out. She stayed behind, her mind racing. The sense of relief she expected never came. Instead, she felt strangely hollow, as though something essential had just been torn from her.
Her fingers itched to reach for the door, to follow them, but instead, she sank into the chair she’d been sleeping in earlier.This is what I wanted. To be alone. Not to be bound by anyone or anything.
She stayed there for a few minutes longer before finally dragging herself up and out of the library. She still had hours before work officially began, but she needed a shower, some fresh clothes, and at least a vat of coffee to keep her upright. As she drove through the still-silent streets of the village, the events of the night swirled in her mind. She felt stupid for falling asleep in the library, for letting her guard down in such a vulnerable place. But now, none of that seemed to matter.
When she finally returned to the library later the next morning, her heart sank. Hunter was gone. Of course, he was. They had taken him to the abbey, just as they said they would, but the sight of the empty space where his body had lain left her feeling strangely deflated.
Why do I care?The question echoed in her mind. She didn’t want anything to do with him. She didn’t need anyone. She liked being on her own, free and untethered. And yet…
She forced herself to get to work, slipping into her usual routine as patrons trickled in throughout the day. She greeted them with her usual polite smile, helping them find books, and recommending titles, but her mind wasn’t in it. She felt restless, her fingers itching to take to the skies, to feel the wind under her wings and escape the strange sensation tightening her chest.
The humans who came into the library were kind enough, but they didn’t really understand her. They never had. Even as a child, she had felt like an outsider, her abilities setting her apart in ways she could never explain to anyone. She remembered one woman, Mrs. Fenton, who had taken a liking to her as a child, always bringing her cookies and warm tea when she’d come to the library. But even she had sensed that Mercy was different. Odd. Not quite like the others.
She’d learned to hide it, of course. She didn’t flaunt her abilities, didn’t let on how much she knew about the world beneath the surface. But the feeling of being an oddity, ofbeing someone who didn’t quite fit, never left her. Even now, surrounded by familiar faces and comforting routines, she felt that gnawing sense of isolation.
The day dragged on, the hours ticking by as she helped patrons and cataloged returns. But her thoughts remained on Hunter. She couldn’t help it. Every time she glanced at the clock, she found herself wondering how he was doing, how he was recovering. The curiosity gnawed at her despite her attempts to push it aside.
Finally, as the last patron left and the library grew still once more, she made a decision.
She would fly to the abbey. She needed to see him. To satisfy the growing urge that tugged at her with each passing hour.
By the time the sun had dipped below the horizon, Mercy was already in the air, her silvery wings slicing through the cool evening breeze. She soared high above the village, the world falling away beneath her as she let the wind carry her toward the abbey.
CHAPTER 4
HUNTER
Desire flared white-hot inside him, burning through every rational thought. He gripped her hips, hauling her flush against his body as he walked her backward until the back of her thighs hit the edge of the library table.
Without breaking the kiss, Hunter hoisted her up, sending papers and books scattering to the floor. Mercy wrapped her legs around his waist, her nails raking down his back as she pressed herself against his growing arousal.
“I don’t want to be mated to a vampire, Hunter,” she gasped, her voice throaty and laced with want and need. The sound of his name on her lips was his undoing.
He tore his mouth from hers, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and down the elegant column of her neck.
“It doesn’t matter what you want or what I want. This is fate, destiny. It’s your fault. Vampires don’t have fated mates. But here we are, and we can’t do anything about it.”
Mercy tipped her head back, offering him better access—at least, that’s what he told himself. He nipped at the sensitive skin—a lingering instinct left over from his time as a wolf-shifter—soothing the stinging bites with the flat of his tongue.
Inhaling deeply, the scent of her coppery blood wafted through to his nostrils. God, how badly he wanted to sink his fangs into her, but would it be to mark her or to drink from her?
“You feel so good,” she moaned, her hips rocking against his in a primal rhythm.
His hands glided up her sides, fingers hooking beneath the delicate straps of her dress. With one fluid motion, he yanked the fabric down, baring her upper body to his hungry gaze. The sight of her flushed skin and lace-clad breasts would have stolen his breath, had he any breath to steal.
