A Mate for York(35)

Cassidy nodded grudgingly. “Fine.” Even though she and York had agreed that it was only for one night, she still struggled to separate sex from emotions. They’d always gone hand in hand before. If she was honest with herself, she liked York and wanted to spend more time with him. She realized it was better if it didn’t happen though. It wasn’t like they could be together.

“York…I’m not asking you, I’m telling you”—Brant narrowed his eyes—“stay the fuck away from this female.”

Zane made a grunting noise. “I’m curious.” He paused. “Did you drink from the female last night?”

Cassidy could see York hesitate to answer. He glanced at her and then back at the kings. “Two smalls sips.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but refrained.

“Twenty lashes, York.” Brant said while rising to his feet. “You can’t get away with this. An example needs to be made one way or the other.”

Cassidy gasped. “What? Lashes?…As in across the back? You can’t be serious?”

York actually looked relieved, like he had gotten off lightly. He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. “Twenty lashes is for pussies. It’s like a scratch for us vampires. I’ll heal in ten minutes. Don’t worry about it.” He winked at her.

“Careful, I might double it.” Brant turned his hard eyes on her. “It will take longer than ten minutes to heal and it will hurt like a bitch.”

York growled next to her, she even saw a flash of a fang but he kept his eyes averted.

“There are silver spikes on the end of the whip. As most humans are aware, silver is toxic to us non-humans. His back will be a bleeding mess, the silver will slow the healing process.”

Brant was a sick bastard, he actually took pleasure in telling her all this knowing that she would be affected. Cassidy worked hard to keep a handle on her emotions.

Zane turned to Brant. “York doesn’t have bloodlust. He said he would prove that he didn’t have it and he did.”

Something didn’t sit right with her about that statement. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was. The conversation continued before she could put her finger on it.

“He disobeyed an order. He doesn’t deserve a place in the program.” Brant raised his brows.

“We said we wanted proven warriors, only the best to continue our line. I hate to tell you but that’s him” Zane said as he gestured to where York was standing.

Brant let out a huff of air. “Twenty fucking lashes and you stay away from the humans during the next two days. You can rut all you want when the chosen females arrive. Keep it in your pants until then. For a second there I thought you were turning soft.” Brant actually smiled, looking anything but happy. “I thought you really went to see this female to talk with her…to apologize.” He was talking about her like she wasn’t even in the room. “When your main reason was to prove that you didn’t have bloodlust. That’s why you rutted her and why you turned yourself in. Fucking genius.”

The nagging feeling she couldn’t put her finger on. Brant voiced it, summing it up perfectly. Anger and hurt warred inside her. That would explain why such an attractive, out of her league guy was interested in her.

What hurt the most was how he had faked being so turned on by her. How he genuinely seemed to enjoy her company when it was all an act to ensure that he got enough of her scent on him and vice versa. She felt like a fool for sharing so many private details from her life when in the end he only wanted back in the program. It was all about using her so that he could still get one of the chosen humans so that he could start a family. It was never about her. Never genuine.

“That’s not true.” York said, but they were just meaningless words. She knew better. People lied and broke trust all the time. Sean had taught her that. It was all about number one in the end, that was what her ex boss Mark had always maintained. He said it all the time, only she chose not to believe it and she was a fool.

The joke was on her.

Cassidy turned away from York, not wanting to see him. Trying hard not to cry. “If that’s all, I’ll be leaving now.”

Brant didn’t move a muscle. “You’ll receive your contract amendments before close of business. Be sure to sign them.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

Brant looked at his watch. “You’ve missed breakfast, your first session starts in twenty minutes.”

Cassidy nodded again while biting onto her lip to try and stop it from quivering. She was such an emotional idiot. It wasn’t like she even knew York. There was no way she had any real feelings for him. What was wrong with her? Why the hell was she on the verge of tears? She shouldn’t let this get to her.