Page 52 of Quintus

“She might hear you,” Viktor cautioned.

“I want her to hear me. The Alpha’s right. Bonds…matings…they don’t just get broken out of nowhere. I have a lot of questions about what she’s been doing in Hell. I’m not saying it was her fault, but I’d like to know who put her there. Something off about this whole situation.”

“I’ll be back in a few hours,” Hunter said as he turned toward the foyer.

“Thanks for your help tonight,” Quintus acknowledged.

“You’d better go talk to Mao. I can stay here if you’d like,” Viktor offered.

“No, I’ll handle things.”

“I’ve gotta shower.” Viktor sniffed. “Fucking demon. I can smell him on me.”

“Thanks for tonight.” Quintus gave a sigh and walked away, turning down the hallway.

He’d detected a hint of sulfur in the air. Mao. When Absinthe and Thorn had presented her, he’d been shocked at the sight of his former mate, but the love he’d once felt had been dulled. A distant memory, she wore an emptiness in her teary eyes. The connection they’d once shared no longer existed. He neither sensed her thoughts or emotions. Bonds could be ignored to a point but never broken.

Years ago, he would have trusted Mao with his life, but as he reached for the door handle and Hell’s scent grew stronger, his suspicion spiked. Even though his wards prevented demons and black magick, he’d willingly brought her to his home.

The hinges creaked as Quintus turned the knob and opened the door. He stepped into the room, concealing his disgust at the distinctive odor lingering in the air. He caught sight of Mao’s small figure in the corner. With her eyes lowered, she slowly turned to face him.

“You don’t trust me.” She raised her gaze.

“I don’t trust what happened to you,” he responded, studying the contours of her face. Her damp black hair brushed over her pale cheeks, deep brown eyes staring at him. Her small body swam in the white terrycloth robe. She was exactly the same as he remembered her, yet altogether different.

“I haven’t forgotten,” she began, her voice soft but steady. “That day…your master…”

“I’m so sorry. I couldn’t hear what he was doing to you.” Guilt haunted him. He’d been tasked with watching over another one of Baxter’s fledgling vampires in the forest and hadn’t been in her village. When he’d heard the screaming from afar, he’d gone to save her but was too late.

“I’d thought after he raped me, that would be the end.”

“I was weak. By the time I reached you. Fuck, Mao. I’ve thought about that day a million times and what I could have done differently. It was my fault. Baxter. He was a sadist. I knew that when I got involved with you. I knew how he tortured others. Hell, he tortured me for as long as I was with him. When he threw you over that cliff, I died that day with you.”

“After I fell into the canyon, I shifted. I began to fly.”

“You died,” he countered, stepping closer.

“My kind is rare. The demon who traded me to Hell claimed he’d made a fortune on me.”

“I failed you.” Quintus’ instinct warned him away, but his heart propelled him forward as he took each step toward her.

“There was nothing either of us could do. He was stronger than both of us.”

“But I should have protected you. We’d almost completed our bond.” As he said the words, he was reminded yet again that he felt nothing. Although tempted to comfort her, take her in his arms, doubt rooted in his mind. “I saw your body hit one of the rocks. But then you disappeared. I couldn’t reach you.”

“It was the first time I’d shifted. I don’t remember much. I flew into a web of magick. The demon took me that very night.” Mao licked her lips, and closed the distance, coming within inches of Quintus. “For over a thousand years I’ve been locked away. Tortured. But I never forgot you. Or us.”

As she reached for him, Quintus accepted her into his arms. Her small figure fit into his embrace, the memories rushing over him. Their first glance. First kiss. Making love. But even with her close to him, no emotion curled in his chest.

“Mao…” Quintus shook his head, pulling away from her. “I’m sorry…you must know…our bond…”

“I can feel you.” Mao untied her belt, revealing her bared breasts. She reached for Quintus’ hand and brought it toward her chest. “They tried to break me…to break our bond. But it’s still there…feel me.”

“Mao…” Quintus tugged his wrist away. “I can’t. I’m sorry. The bond. If this is…” If this is really you. He stopped his errant thought, cautious not to hurt her any more than she’d already been. “You’ve been traumatized.”

“Make love to me. Take my blood,” she pleaded.

“I can’t.” Quintus reached for her lapels, gently pulling her robe closed. “I loved you Mao. I grieved your death. And when I say that I mean my gut was ripped out…” It almost fucking killed me. “I grieved every single day for over a thousand years. And now here you are. But Mao, I’ve got to be honest with you. There’s someone else.”