Dominic planted a small kiss on Danny’s skin then drew a picture of his mark, a blood red tear falling from a half moon, over the pulse beating rapidly in Danny’s throat.
It wasn’t pretty. Dominic knew he would never be an artist. But it was done. He glanced up at Prince Zacarius, waiting for his next set of instructions. The prince had gone back to reading the words from his book in their ancient language. Dominic didn’t have a clue what he was saying.
He glanced back at Sully, but he was no help. He just shrugged his shoulders. Dominic started to look over at Devlin when the air in the room started to hum with life. Dominic’s heart started beating faster as the curtains blew up into the air and the flames on the candles flickered.
His eyes snapped up to the prince when the man began to speak again in a language he could understand.
“Prince Dominic Xavier Lucian Ruelle, do you accept Daniel Erickson as your mate from here to eternity? Do you swear upon your life to protect him from all harm and put his life above your own?”
“Yes.”
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“Daniel Erickson, do you accept Prince Dominic Xavier Lucian Ruelle as your mate from here to eternity? Do you swear upon your life to give him life and take into yourself the life that he gives you?”
When Danny didn’t say anything, Dominic leaned down and whispered into his ear. “Do you want to be my mate, Danny?”
“Yes,” Danny said without hesitation.
“Say it louder, Danny,” Dominic whispered. “Scream it for me.”
“Yes!” Danny screamed.
“So be it,” the prince said. “From this time forward, may your souls remain entwined with each other for all eternity, not even to be separated in death. May the blood you share give life to each other, and may the power of both keep you safe.” The prince nodded.
“Claim each other.”
Dominic could do that. He brought Danny’s body up to his, pressing his mate’s face into his chest. “Drink, Danny.”
When Dominic felt Danny’s tongue swipe across the cut over his heart, Dominic sank his fangs into Danny’s neck, right over the spot where he had drawn his mark. The sweet taste of Danny’s blood hit him like a freight train. Dominic expected that. He didn’t expect to suddenly feel like he was on fire as Danny’s blood infused his system.
Something moved inside of Dominic, blinding him to anything but the feel of Danny in his arms and the blood flowing into his mouth. Dominic groaned when his cock erupted inside of Danny. He hadn’t even moved. He had just been pulled over into ecstasy. He heard Danny cry out at the same time and felt the man’s release fill the space between them.
As they both came at the same time, something deep inside of Dominic snapped into place. All at once he was overloaded with sensations and emotions and a love so perfect it put Danny’s pure blood to shame.
Dominic trembled when he actually felt his life thread intertwining with Danny’s. No longer would he be alone. No longer
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would he wonder what love felt like. All he had to do was look at Danny or feel him, and he would know exactly why he was created.
“Chéri,” he whispered silently. “My mate.”
“Dominic,” Danny whispered back through their bond.
“I’m here, love, and I’m not going anywhere.” He could feel Danny’s light laugh through their bond.
“You’d better not. We have a blood contract, and I’m holding you to it.”
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Chapter 12
Danny was so nervous he could spit. Even standing next to Dominic didn’t squash the rebellion making his stomach clench.
Being mated to Dominic was everything he ever hoped for. Meeting the coven as Dominic’s consort sucked big hairy monkey balls.
Everyone was staring at him. True, they had stared at him before but never like this. Danny didn’t know if they wanted to kill him or drink from him. Both held distinct possibility.
Until Dominic growled.
The eyes in the room watching Danny quickly dropped, and heads tilted to the side in a show of submission. Danny blinked in shock. So, this was what it meant to be the prince. Must be nice.
“You will welcome my mate and royal consort into our coven with open arms or you will leave.”
“But, sire,” one brave man said, “he’s a blood donor. He’s not even a vampire.”
“He bares my mark.”
Danny swallowed hard when Dominic wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and tilted his head sideways, showing off the mating mark that had been burned into Danny’s skin when they mated.
Danny still couldn’t figure that one out, and neither could anyone else. Dominic was just supposed to draw his emblem on Danny’s neck in his blood, which he did. But when he wiped the blood away after the ceremony, the emblem remained, engraved into Danny’s skin like a tattoo. Dominic seemed thrilled to death about the permanent mark. He got frisky every time he saw it. Danny wasn’t complaining, but he was concerned about what it meant.