The clans Rose had lived with had never put such stock in their human lovers, certainly not when it came to the point of protecting a human against one’s own species. That choice was always clear: vampires came before humans. Humans were expendable. While she didn’t subscribe to this mantra herself, she’d seen enough to realize that this attitude was widespread.

“I suppose someone like him is rare.”

Nina shrugged and placed a couple of bottles onto a tray. Rose reached into the refrigerator and followed her example.

“That’s the only way I know them. I think all of Scanguards’ men are like that. Yvette, too. They’re tough, but when it comes to their mates, they’re like little tame kittens or cuddly bears like Amaury.” She leaned closer. “Just don’t tell them that we’ve figured them out, or you’ll get a show of testosterone.”

Rose laughed. She liked Nina. She hadn’t gotten a chance to exchange more than a couple of words at the party when she’d been introduced, but now that she was able to chat with her, she realized more and more that Nina would never let herself be used by anybody, least of all her mate. Which made Rose wonder about one thing: did she enjoy Amaury’s bite?

But she couldn’t ask her that. It was too personal, and it was none of her business. But since Quinn had told her at the party that a bite represented the greatest sexual pleasure a vampire could give his partner, she was intrigued.

Rose had never allowed anybody to bite her and quickly severed any ties to any vampire who’d even made the attempt. Whenever she had to feed off a human, she had put herself into a state akin to a trance, where she would not truly realize what she was doing. She’d separated her mind as much as she could from what her body was doing. She had never enjoyed it.

But now, remembering what she’d seen Samson and Delilah do, and knowing that Amaury and Nina did the same, she couldn’t help but wonder how two human women could remain so happy when at the same time, their mates hungered for their blood on a daily basis. What were Delilah and Nina getting out of this?

“Something wrong?” Nina suddenly asked.

Quickly, Rose pasted a smile on her face. “No, nothing.”

“You haven’t met many like them, have you? I mean—” She lowered her voice. “—vampires who are mated to humans.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but how can it work? There’s no balance of power in such a relationship. We’re so much stronger than humans. How can you not feel that you’re in an inferior position?”

Nina chuckled softly. “Because love is a great equalizer.”

“But when he bites you . . . sorry, forget it. I didn’t mean to get personal.”

Rose placed another bottle on the tray and closed the refrigerator door. “Where shall we put those?”

“Rose.”

She looked back at Nina. “Yes?”

“I love his bite. I crave it. I don’t think I could ever live without it.”

“I wish I knew what that meant,” Rose murmured more to herself than as a response to Nina.

When she turned away from Nina, she caught a movement at the door. Quinn stood there, looking at her, his eyes shimmering golden, his lips lightly parted. She stopped breathing, and for a moment she was transported back to their wedding night. He’d looked at her like that when he’d made her his wife. With such love, such passion.

She knew she could trust him with her body. But could she trust him with her past?

19

Quinn turned on his heels before he could follow his first impulse: to take Rose into his arms and sink his fangs into her lovely neck, to show her what his bite would do to her. It made no difference that she wasn’t human. His bite would have the same effect Amaury’s bite had on Nina.

He was glad when he ran into Blake as soon as he turned a corner. At least having to deal with his grandson would keep his mind off Rose’s enticing neck.

“You’re just the man I’m looking for,” Quinn said, and steered him away from the kitchen, knowing it hadn’t been made human-proof yet.

Blake grinned. “Hey, cool digs.”

“Come, I want to introduce you to one of your trainers.” Then he raised his voice. “Amaury, where are you?”

“Looking for you,” his voice came from the living room, before he popped his head out into the hallway. “Are we going over the rules?”

“Thought we’d start with that,” Quinn said, entering the room.

Blake followed him like a well-trained puppy. “Rules?”