At least with that she unquestionably spoke the truth.

“So you’re assisting me as well as giving me your protection,” he stated.

“Yes,” she confirmed.

“If that’s the truth, I also give you mine, to the death,” he returned, and her head jerked.

“Is that a vow?” she asked.

“It is,” he answered firmly.

Her eyes again grew wide and she breathed, “A vampire vow?”

She clearly knew that no vampire would break a vow, not for any reason. They’d kill to keep it, or die for the same reason.

“I am vampire and I just verified it was a vow, so yes, obviously, it was a vampire vow,” he answered unnecessarily.

“Well then.” The mask slipped as a smile dawned and her hand came out again. “We just became a team.”

Heaven help him.

He stared at her beautiful face, then he stared at her small, lovely hand.

Slowly, he lifted his and curled his fingers around hers, engulfing her hand in his.

She didn’t let him go as she asked, “What’s your name?”

“Yuri.”

“Promise me something, Yuri,” she said, still holding his hand.

“What?” he asked.

“When you meet my mother, be cool. No choking or the like. She’s already gonna flip. I’ll talk her around, but there’s no talking around choking, and…erm, the like. Not with my mom. She’s awesome, but I’m sure it won’t surprise you that vampires are not her thing, like at all. She’ll be big on helping to save the world, but she won’t pretend to like doing it with a vampire.”

Yuri did not like where this was going. “And why would I meet your mother?”

She continued to hold his hand but lifted her other one and his tightened around hers when she flicked out her fingers.

A profuse scattering of pink and blue particles flew from her hand and twinkled for but a moment before they exploded into hundreds of butterflies that drifted about the room, lighting it with a glow from their shimmering gossamer wings. Then they exploded in miniature fireworks and disappeared.

Yuri was six hundred and ninety-seven years old and it was one of the most beautiful things he’d seen in all his history.

Slowly, he turned his head back to her when she tugged his hand.

He found her grinning even as she leaned in, her mouth moving.

“Because I have juice, but my mom…” Her grin turned into a smile he definitely felt in his cock. “She rocks.”

Bloody…fucking…hell.

Chapter Seventeen

Brother

Abel

Abel sat in the passenger seat of the SUV beside Callum in the early morning dark before dawn.

And he did it feeling shit.

He’d lied to Delilah.