A week later, Katyia stroked her horse's head. Smoke nudged her hand, looking for sugar cubes. The inky black horse had streaks of blue and a flash of white through his coat, hence his name.

"Sorry, boy," she said. "No sugar today."

The horse tossed his head arrogantly in response, and she laughed. She'd spoiled him rotten over the years. Gavin delivered him yesterday along with a load of clothes for the entire camp. They'd all been grateful for the extra clothes, vampire and human alike. Leave it to her brother to think of how cold it must be for everyone. He'd make an excellent Regent. If only he'd been born with magic. Such was the way of Fate.

Lucern had gone to the manor and brought back some of her clothes a few days ago. Katyia wasn't sure who put them together, but they'd sent her pants, shirts, a few dresses, and her heavy winter boots and coat. She owed them. They'd saved her from frostbite.

This morning had started out dreary, and the cold drizzle promised a miserable day. She looked over to where Roman stood, barking out orders. Such a brute. But he wasn't. Not really. Sure, he was abrupt, stern, and quite rude sometimes, but underneath it all was a very kind man. She'd seen glimpses of his true character in the way he'd cared for her after her turn, from helping her learn to get a grasp on her bloodlust, to always making sure she had the things she needed. Not that she didn't want to throw very large, very heavy objects at his head sometimes. She did. Quite often.

A smile teased her lips. He was ornery, but she did enjoy riling him up just to see his face go all red. No one dared yell at him in camp, not even Greggor. Another thing she did quite often. Which wasn't like her at all. She tended to be quiet, reserved. Years of conditioning from Olivia made sure she stayed in the shadow of her sister. With Roman, all her inhibitions melted away and she stood toe to toe with him.

Katyia liked him. More than she should. She doubted she was more than a nuisance to him. One he had to deal with in order to get what he wanted. She snorted, causing her horse to give her a flat stare. He was not in the mood for her antics. No sugar for him meant the cold shoulder for her. She gave him a pat and turned her attention back to Roman.

Convincing him to take her to his uncle's stronghold hadn't been easy. She'd wanted to go the next day, but he'd refused until she got a little more control of her bloodlust. She wouldn't call it control. More like being able to tolerate the scent of a human for a few hours at a time without letting herself rip them to shreds. None of the other new turns experienced the same vivid images of violence she did. The ravager blood had to be the culprit. It made everything harder for her, but she was coping. Her desire for vengeance against her mother drove her to gain control of herself.

Roman gave her a purpose. She was indebted to him, but she cared for him too. Not that she'd admit that to him. He was the kind of man who would use that information to his advantage. A soft side, he might have, but he was ruthless too. Katyia never let herself forget that simple fact. He wanted something from her. And he'd use every tool in his arsenal to get it.

For a man determined to confront his uncle and regain his throne, he sure did hem and haw a lot, though. Drug his feet worse than her little brother when it came to taking a bath. It did make her wonder if perhaps he had started to care for her just a bit. Impossible pipe dream, but the notion stuck in the back of her mind. It was the only thing that made sense when it came to reconciling what she knew about him and his actions in response to taking her to the stronghold.

He saw her staring at him and looked none too pleased. Well, hell, what had she done now?

She plastered a fake smile on her face and walked over to where he stood with Lucern and Greggor and a few others she didn't know. They all nodded to her, but didn't say much of anything. None of the people here was quite friendly to her, but no one had been rude after that first morning. Mostly, they kept to themselves and ignored her. It bruised her feelings, but she understood their demeanor. She might act the same if she were in their shoes. They were all trained to flee and hide or kill a ravager on sight. Now they had one living in their midst against their will. She'd be hard pressed to be friendly either.

"Are we about ready to go?" she asked once she came to a stop beside Roman.

"We can put the trip off a bit longer..."

"No." She stopped him. "We need to get this done. You said yourself newborns are strongest in the first few weeks of awakening. That means my magic will never be stronger, it'll only weaken. Best to try this now."

His lips thinned, but he didn't argue further. He nodded to the other three men standing across from them. "This is Olaf, Javul, and Kreigel. They will be coming with us."

"Will everyone be safe with so many of us gone?" It worried her incessantly to have her people here, outside the wards, where they could be attacked at any moment.

"They will be fine."

"How do you know they will be fine?" she asked. "What if something happens? What if a ravager gets in..."

"Then perhaps we shouldn't go?" A sly look shadowed his eyes, turning them a darker shade of blue.

"I didn't say that. I'm just worried."

"You insult me by questioning the safety of our people." Roman's nostrils flared.

Katyia rolled her eyes. Men were such babies sometimes. "I don't mean to be insulting. When I have a question about something, I will ask. When I have reservations about something, I will speak up, and when I think something isn't right, I will argue. That is just me, Roman. Get used to it or don't, but stop getting all pissy about it. It's starting to annoy me."

The men around them stepped back. Roman looked thunderous, but she stared right back at him, her own storm clouds rolling in around her. He could make her go from happy and content to being so angry she seriously thought about turning him into a skunk for a few days.

He took her by the arm and walked toward the horses. She had to run to keep from falling. Brute! "Slow down!"

Roman slowed, but only a fraction. In a blink, they were at the horses and he had her pressed up against his massive stallion. War horses. She remembered her father telling her the people outside the barrier had bred the horses to be the big war horses of legends.

"Do not question my authority in front of my men, little one. I will not have my men see me as anything less than the leader they put their trust in. When you disrespect me in front of them, it demeans my authority. Are we clear?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't disrespecting you. I was simply stating a fact. I ask questions and I will give my opinion when it's warranted."

"Ask all the questions you want, Katyia, but do it when we are alone."

His rough voice slid over her and she shivered. After a week of constant contact with no real touching, her body was hyper-aware of his. Even his voice. "But I can ask questions and give my opinion?"

"Yes, little one. When we are alone, you are free to do and ask whatever you like."

"Is my opinion not as important as everyone else's?" Why would he make her ask in private? She'd spent long enough bowing to the will of someone. She refused to let herself fall back into that same pattern with Roman. She respected herself far too much to let that happen again.

"Of course it is."

"Then why don't you want me..."

"Perceptions, Katyia, perceptions. We've already spoken about this. If my men perceive that someone doesn't believe I can protect them or they question my authority, it makes me look weak. Everyone here knows I respect them and their opinions. They are free to express those opinions, only in private. I always take them under advisement. Only a fool wouldn't listen to the wisdom of one's elders."

Huh. So he wasn't being a Neanderthal to be one. She could understand the whole perception thing. She'd seen her father do the same thing a thousand times. Maybe she was being a little too touchy about it, all things considered.

"Do you understand, Katyia?" The sharpness of his tone brought her head back up. He had to go and ruin her nice thought about him, didn't he? But then, he'd been like that all week. Just when she saw glimpses of the man underneath the mask, he went out of his way to be rude or snappy or simply plain mean. Hitting him had crossed her mind a time or two.

"Yes," she whispered harshly. Did he have to be so cross? She hadn't known about his stupid rule.

He nodded curtly. "Good."

"Why are you so mean to me, brute?" The catch in her throat defied the fierceness of her pride.

He sighed. "I am not being mean. You just have to learn..."

She pushed him away and started walking toward her own horse. "I can't help it if I don't know all your stupid rules."

"Katyia..." He broke off and she looked over her shoulder to see Delia stopping in front of him. Probably to argue about Katyia. Delia truly hated her and had campaigned hard all week to have her banished from the camp. Not that she blamed her, but still. She'd done nothing to give anyone cause for concern aside from that one incident with Lucern, for which she'd apologized.

Storm nuzzled her shoulder and then dipped his head toward her pocket, looking for sugar. She pulled his head up. "Sorry, old boy. No sugar today."

"He's pretty."

Katyia turned to see a young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, standing behind her. Long, stringy blonde hair hung around her face. She stared with open curiosity at the horse.

"His name is Storm," Katyia said. "Would you like to pet him?"

"Can I?" A look of hope surged on her face. "He...he won't bite, will he?"

"No." Katyia laughed. "He doesn't bite, but he might search you for sugar. I usually give him a sugar cube every day, and I don't have any to give him."

"Poor boy." The girl approached him slowly.

Storm eyeballed her, looking her up and down. Katyia felt him stiffen under her fingers. He was still getting used to the vampires. When Gavin first brought him, it had taken Katyia hours to get him to come near her. He was fine now, but he was nervous around the others.

"Just hold your hand out and let him come to you." She kept a firm grip on Storm's reins just in case. The girl did as Katyia told her. The horse eased his head forward, sniffing. Katyia laughed when he neighed and nudged the girl's hand. "He's given you permission to pet him."

She reached and ran her fingers along his neck. The horse quivered all over in delight. Katyia shook her head. Male stallions were just as bad as male humans. Give them a little female attention and they went all gaga.

"My name's Katyia. What's yours?"

"Ava." Her fingers combed through Storm's mane and he let out a little sound of contentment. "He's so soft."

"Yes. He fusses if I don't brush him every day."

Ava looked up and a flash of fear crossed her face. "I'm sorry. I have to go. I like your horse." Then she ran off. Katyia turned to see Delia frowning at her. She must really be making waves if the sight of her scared Ava off. God only knew what she had people believing. Katyia gave her wide, catty smile full of teeth and a little wave before turning back to her horse. Eventually, she and Delia were going to have words, but not today.

She just wanted to get going and away from this camp for a little while.

***

Roman growled in frustration. The women in his life seemed to want to drive him mad. Delia stopped him to try to persuade him one more time to rid them of the devil in their midst. When would she get it through her head Katyia wasn't going anywhere? The woman was his mate. That fact couldn't simply be erased. Delia refused to accept it.

And he knew he'd hurt Katyia earlier. He hadn't meant to be so hard on her, but she had to understand. His ability to keep everyone safe hinged on his authority. She couldn't question it in front of everyone, especially since she was his mate. Not that he'd told her that yet. Something his brother kept pestering him to do.

He'd purposefully put up a wall between them. He still wasn't sure what to do about her. Being around her all week without touching her had been its own kind of hell. He remembered the taste of her, the feel of her beneath his fingers. Those memories haunted his dreams at night when he held her while she slept. He didn't know how much longer he could go without giving in to his instincts.

"She's more hurt than angry."

"I know," Roman said as his brother fell into step beside him. "I was too harsh."

"You let your temper rule your tongue." Greggor motioned to where Katyia leaned against her horse, her expression disheartened. "She's dealing with enough as it is. She doesn't need her mate making her feel like everything she does is wrong."

"I do not..."

"Yes, Roman, you do." Greggor let out a long sigh. "I know this all came as a shock to you, that you may not even want the gift you've been given, but that's still no reason to take it out on Katyia. She doesn't know our ways yet. Instead of being curt and angry with her, try being a little more understanding. She's not a soldier who can take the brunt of your bite. She's a young woman who feels lost and alone. If you keep up this attitude, you're going to lose her."

That stopped Roman cold. The mere thought of his life without her caused the strangest quiver in his chest. His stomach rolled.

"The people here will accept her eventually, and if you don't claim her and start acting like a mate, she might very well find someone who will appreciate her the way a mate should. Hell, Roman, if you don't want her, I'll take her myself."

Nails bit into his palm, he squeezed his fist so tight. His body vibrated in barely suppressed rage. Greggor wanted her? Blinded with sheer jealousy, he turned on his brother, his fist swinging before he realized what he was doing. Greggor went flying backward. People scurried out of his path as he stalked his brother down. He grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close. "Mine."

"Then claim her." Greggor spit out blood. "Or I will."

He tossed his brother and then found his horse. Once he was seated, he set the beast on a dead run. He leaned over as he passed Katyia and swung her up in front of him. Not an easy task even for a vampire, but he managed despite her squealing and flailing around like a drowning cat.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, her face half-hidden in his shirt. She sounded out of breath and clung to him for all she was worth. His horse sent the wind rushing against them, stealing their breath. Goliath could run.

"We need to talk."

"Did you have to do go all brutish on me? Why not ask me to talk like a normal person?"

Instead of answering her, he pushed the horse to run faster. He wanted distance between them and the party that would be riding with them. He also needed time to calm down. His instincts were out of control. Given where his head was, he'd be more apt to ravish her than to talk. His body roared with the need to claim its mate.

Goliath finally slowed, tiring. He let the horse ease into a walk. With Katyia wrapped around him, his own body had started to relax. The blind fury disappeared and left uncertainty in its wake. Had Greggor been serious about wanting Katyia, or had he only said it to make Roman do what he should have done the first day he'd met the girl? On some level, he'd recognized her as his mate when he'd rescued her from the ravagers. He should never have taken her back to her father. It hadn't set well with him when he'd handed her off to one of the guards, explaining what happened. She belonged with him.

She straightened, leaning back to look up at him. "What is wrong with you?"

His gaze landed on her lips. All week, touching, but not really touching...he gave in. His lips crashed into hers and he kissed her like a starving man. He consumed her and he made no apologies for it. She pushed at him, trying to get away, and he gentled the assault. His lips softened, coaxing hers into a response. It took her a moment, but when she gave in, her lips matched his own in a frenzy of need. His tongue invaded her mouth, demanding full and complete surrender. Her arms came up and wrapped around his neck and he leaned forward, tilting her head so he had better access.

He left her lips and moved along her jaw, reaching her earlobe. He tugged on it gently, swiping his tongue over it. A moan fell off her lips and it drove him on. Roman made his way down her neck, finding the vein that beat furiously against her skin. Her breathing sped up when he blew over the sensitive spot. His teeth slid down, the urge to mark her for all to see the only thing raging through him.

Mine.

The word beat against his skull and he tried to stop, tried to pull back, but instincts born thousands of years ago rode him hard. He sank his canines into the soft flesh at the base of her neck, and the magic that bound mates together took over, leaving an imprint only other supernatural creatures could see. A tattoo of sorts that would be mirrored on his own neck. She gasped, feeling the magic surround them, but helpless to do anything to ward it off or defend herself.

When Roman pulled back, euphoria clouded his brain, the beast in him sated. It wasn't until she slapped him that he came down out of the clouds.

"What the hell did you just do to me?" Outrage warred with anger in her expression. Her usually warm brown eyes were spitting fire at him.

He used his knees to get Goliath moving again. The horse apparently stopped sometime in the middle of the kiss. Smart horse. How to explain to her what he'd done when he couldn't explain the why of it to himself?

"What I should have done the first day I met you," he said after several long minutes of thinking.

"What does that even mean?" she snapped.

"This is difficult to explain." He used his knees to turn his horse toward the tree line, keeping them partially hidden. Ravagers weren't the only threats out and about. Rogue vampires and other creatures stalked the world outside the barrier.

She twisted around so she sat across his lap instead of all over the place. Her long legs were on full display in the skin tight pants she wore. He groaned inwardly. Now was not the time for his hormones to act up again. He needed to explain this to her. Once they all saw her neck, there would be no hiding the truth of what he'd done.

"I marked you."

"Marked me?" Outrage was the least of the emotions vibrating out of her. It sweetened her natural vanilla smell, spicing it up so much so he wanted to bury his nose in her neck and breathe her in. "Pay attention!" She snapped her fingers in his face, refocusing her.

He closed his eyes and worked on evening out his breathing. "I marked you because you belong to me, Katyia."

"I don't belong to anyone." Fire blazed in each word she spoke.

"Aye, you do. I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you. I just didn't let myself dwell on it."

She twisted again, trying to crane her neck so she could glare at him. He picked her up and turned her around so she straddled his legs and could look up without causing her neck to twist at odd angles.

"Brute, I belong to no one." Defiance raged in her brown eyes, but beneath that an aching hurt lay buried. She truly believed she belonged to no one. Not because that was what she wanted, but because she'd lost everyone, been thrown out and cast aside.

"You belong to me, Katyia, because you are my mate." He forced some of the hardness out of his tone. The beast snarled at her refusal to understand, but Roman tamped it down. She had to understand what this meant. For both of them.

"Your mate?" Disbelief shone in her eyes. "You're joking, right?"

"No, we don't joke about finding a true mate. It's rare for any vampire to find their mates since the world was overrun by ravagers. I assure you, little one, I am dead serious. I marked you so everyone will know you belong to me."

"What if I don't want to belong to you?" she asked, frowning. He wasn't sure what exactly was going through that pretty little head of hers. Nothing good, he'd bet.

"That's just too damn bad, little one. You are mine. Mine to protect. Mine to cherish. Mine to love." He gave her a moment to let that sink in. "That's how it is. Deal with it or not."

"You can't just order me to be yours. That is not how this works." Her nose scrunched up and he bent down and kissed the end of it.

"I'm not ordering you, little one. You asked me what I did, and I told you."

"Then I don't have to be your mate?" She eyeballed him much like he would a new brood mare. "You're surly and a brute. I may not want you."

His insides clenched and his beast roared to life. She flinched. His eyes had to be glowing because he felt the beast rising. As much as he tried to shove it down, it would not be denied.

"You. Are. Mine."

She leaned as far back as she could go. His arms snatched her back. "Roman, what's wrong with your eyes?"

"You are what's wrong." His teeth slipped down and he fought to keep from biting her to prove she belonged to him. "When we find our mates, our instincts take over. My beast, the vampire that lives in me, knows who you are. Hearing you say otherwise caused it some distress. It's hard to control when my emotions are running so high."

"I..."

He put a finger to her lips. "Don't say anything right now. I don't know how much longer I can control the beast if you keep denying you belong to me. Just think about what I've said and we'll talk more later tonight. Once you've had time to think."

She nodded, her face a mixture of emotions.

He cupped her face and tilted her head up to meet his eyes. "Know this, Katyia Dragonovich. You are my mate. I will protect you with every fiber of my being. You will always belong, always be wanted, and always be cherished. I may be the brute you call me, and I may not always have the best disposition. I will make you angry. I may even cause you pain without meaning to because of who I am, who I have to be around my people, but you will always come first in my life. You are the center of my world. You became that center the day I picked you up out of the snow, half-dead, but full of fire. Think about that before you deny you are my mate."

Roman picked her up and turned her around, her legs on top of his. One hand wrapped around her, the other held Goliath's reins. Today taught him one thing. He was still capable of caring, of maybe even love. He could only hope his words took root in her heart. She had already wound her way around his without even trying.