“I could probably make a fortune,” she muttered. On the other hand, maybe Andrei was right. Maybe becoming a vampire was the answer. She considered it a moment, then shuddered. No, there had to be a better solution. But what if there wasn’t? Andrei said word that her blood was poison to fledglings would spread quickly through the vampire community, but the world was a big place. There was no way to contact every fledgling. And what about the vampires who weren’t fledglings but not yet master vampires? Were they also hunting her?
She glanced at the doorway, wondering who Andrei was talking to, and how long he was going to keep her here. Not that she wanted to go back to her place. Her place! Bailey!
Tessa dug her cell phone out of her pocket, grateful her vampire-kidnapper hadn’t thought to take it away from her.
“Bailey? It’s Tessa. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Where are you?”
“I’m at Andrei’s. I don’t think you should stay at my place alone.”
Bailey paused before saying, “I’m not. Tristan is here.”
“Oh?”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“I . . . I guess not. Keep in touch, okay?”
“Okay. I’m glad you’re all right. Bye.”
Tessa tapped her fingers on the phone, wondering just what was going on at her house. Bailey was young, impressionable, hormones raging. Tristan was a little older, handsome . . . and they had the house to themselves.
She looked up when Andrei stepped into the room. “Everything all right?”
“Yes. That was Luke. I asked him to look in on Bailey.”
“I just talked to her. She said Tristan’s there.”
“Ah.” There was a wealth of understanding in that simple exclamation.
“Yeah,” Tessa muttered. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
* * *
Bailey’s heart skipped a beat when Tristan pulled her into his arms. “I’m crazy about you—you know that, don’t you?”
“You’re not just saying that to persuade me to be your life-mate, are you?”
“Of course not! Besides, I wouldn’t take you for my mate if I didn’t care for you. I mean, seriously, why would I want to spend the next hundred years or so mated to someone I couldn’t stand the sight of?”
“A hundred years!” Bailey exclaimed.
“Yeah. Didn’t you know? Were-creatures live a long time. I have an uncle who’s almost a hundred and fifty. We don’t age like normal people, either. Once you hit your twenties, the aging process slows way down.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that.”
He nodded. “You’ll be in your prime for a good long time.”
She digested that a moment, thinking that being a were-panther was looking better all the time. “So, if I agree to be your mate, will we get married, like in a church? I’ve always wanted to wear a long white dress.”
“That comes later. Being life-mated is kind of like being engaged. We’ll stand in front of the pack and pledge ourselves to each other. We’ll get married when you’re eighteen.”
Bailey pondered that a moment. It was just as well that they weren’t getting married now because there was no way she could afford a wedding dress. Or a wedding. The Fischers certainly wouldn’t pay for it, not that she would think of asking them! “I’d like Tessa and Andrei to be there.”
“I don’t know if that’s permitted. I’ll have to ask, since outsiders aren’t usually welcome.” His arms, corded with muscle, tightened around her. “I love you, Bailey. I knew you were meant to be mine the first time I saw you. Say yes and I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and make you happy.”
She gazed into his eyes, eyes that burned with a soft golden glow. She basked in the warmth of that glow, filled with a sudden inner peace and the sure knowledge that she was, indeed, meant to be life-mated to Tristan.
His kiss, when it came, was slow and sweet. It made her heart pound and her toes curl inside her sneakers. The warmth that had suffused her only moments ago quickly became a raging fire and she clung to him, her hands restless as they delved under his shirt to caress his skin. Skin that was firm and smooth. The mere touch inflamed her senses, as did his kisses and the sweep of his tongue.
All sense of propriety was swept away in that kiss. He wanted her. She wanted him. If they were destined to be mated, why wait?
Bailey was ready to surrender to the desire thrumming through her when someone knocked at the door. As one, she and Tristan sniffed the air and said, “It’s Luke.”
Sitting up, she straightened her clothing. “How soon are we supposed to life-mate?” she asked, breathlessly.