“I accept.”

She started to make her way down the platform but Dominic grabbed her arm, pulled her in close. “You got this.”

It wasn’t a question. He believed in her. She told him she loved him and pulled him down for another kiss. She didn’t hurry it either, but kissed him to her heart’s content. When she pulled away she sent him a wink then strode toward her fiery haired nemesis.

Helena’s gaze tracked down Felicity’s body taking in her clothes. When she finished she didn’t smirk so much as glower. She looked positively wicked.

“You look ridiculous,” Helena said.

“Funny, I thought the same thing about you.”

Pretty blue eyes narrowed on her. Felicity shook her head. Just what had Dom seen in this woman aside from a pretty face on a pretty body? There had to have been some redeeming qualities. Felicity and Helena circled each other; one dressed for a fight, the other ready to waltz at a ball.

As Felicity circled Helena she realized she had no idea how to begin a fight. Did she reach in and go for the hair or maybe start with a punch? It didn’t matter though because Helena moved first. Felicity caught the glint of silver on her fingers as Helena lurched at her with the kind of speed that came from a long vampire life; a life much longer than Felicity had lived.

The slap came across Felicity’s face, hard enough to jerk her head to the side. People cried out and gasped but no one could do anything. Felicity’s cheek burned as blood surfaced to the angry area.

The burn felt too intense to come from just a slap though. Felicity cupped her cheek then sought Helena’s ring hand again. Her eyes narrowed at what she saw—silver rings. One on each finger. Helena had made her own vampire form of brass knuckles. She came here to win.

That cheating bitch.

Something hot and very angry came over Felicity as she straightened. Helena’s gaze flicked to the mark she’d left and she grinned like a hyena. Felicity took all that anger boiling inside her and leaped.

She slammed into Helena taking them both to the floor. Helena’s back made a nasty crunching sound as it hit first. Felicity pulled back her arm, made a fist, and let it fly. The complete and utter satisfaction that came with the sound of her fist connecting to the bitch’s face could only be described as elation. Never had anything felt as good as watching Helena’s lip bust open and blood dribble out.

They fought hard. Helena squirmed and pushed, but Felicity locked her legs around the woman’s waist and held on. Helena hissed sending the blood from her lip down her chin as she reached up and grabbed hold of Felicity’s hair. She pulled hard and strands tore. Felicity screamed as she smashed her hand on top of Helena’s to stop it.

Helena brought her other hand forward, the ring hand, and jabbed Felicity in the head. Helena didn’t really have the leverage to put power into the punch, but the rings sure burned like a son of a bitch.

Felicity jerked back and Helena took the opportunity to shove her backward sending her reeling. Felicity landed on her back and Helena leaped on top of her. Her face took a blow, then another as she scrambled to get her arms up between them to block her.

“He’s going to be mine! He’s always been mine.”

Felicity jerked her head left and right, dodging blows. The words did it. They snapped something raw and violent loose inside of her. “You wish.”

Felicity rocked her hips forward then thrust up and slammed her knees into Helena’s back. She went rolling forward, landing awkwardly on her belly, unable to really move or roll with that ridiculous dress she wore. Felicity stood, crossed to her, brought her leg back, and let it slam forward. The kick caught Helena’s stomach and spun her back around. The hoarse cry she let out made her feel a whole lot better.

“Do you concede?”

Helena blinked up at her. Her bloody lip was swelling and the blood had sprayed across her chin and was steadily working its way down her chest.

“Never.”

“Really? I hate to do this.” Felicity pulled back and set loose another fierce kick. This time she flinched and Helena screamed as a rib snapped. “Yeah, please, concede now. This whole...kicking your ass thing sounded great in my head but it’s a little too violent for my tastes.”

Helena struggled to put herself in a sitting position. She grabbed her side, cradling it like a babe. Her eyes glared fiery hatred at Felicity. “I hate you.”

“Concede,” Felicity said.

Wincing and grunting, Helena struggled to stand up. Her hair was askew, her dress wrinkled, and with the blood on her face made her look like she belonged in a horror movie. Felicity stepped forward and swiped her legs out from under her sending her back to the ground.

The woman was persistent, never wanted to give up. Felicity stepped over her, pressed a foot into her ribs and pressed down hard. Helena howled so she let up. “Concede that he’s mine right now and this ends.”

Hands latched onto her ankles but was too weak to throw her off. Felicity put muscle into it until she squealed again in pain.

“All right! All right! I concede.”

Felicity stepped off. The crowd stood and applauded like she’d finished performing some great deed and was getting an encore. She even gave them a little bow. Turning back, she saw Dom and couldn’t help but smile. He looked positively stunned and impressed.

He came forward. “I had no idea you were so ruthless.” The way he said it, so dark and erotic, made her stomach flutter.

“Oh well, I had some time to contemplate it. Plus, I was dressed the part. She wasn’t.”

He pulled her close and at once he was touching her, cupping her in places he had no business touching in public.

“What are you doing?” she asked, pushing him away with a laugh.

“Making sure you aren’t hurt. God that made me hard.”

“H-hard? Here, now?”

He pulled her into his chest, ran his lips down her neck, and arched her into his body. At once she felt the hard length of his erection. “Yes here and now. So passionate, sweets, so beautiful. I want to be inside you right now.”

Her breath caught. “But the priestess still has to finish the ceremony.”

He growled, the sound quite scary though she knew it wasn’t for her. Then he was tugging her back up the platform. To the priestess he ordered, “Finish it.”

The priestess got the crowd under control and then they finished the ceremony. Felicity’s wrist was slit over a golden chalice. Next they did the same to Dom. The scent of his blood reached her senses and her eyes nearly rolled back into her head. Dom’s eyes shot to hers and glowered with the look. Her knees nearly quaked in the spot.

He wants me right now.

At the priestess’s order, they each drank from the cup until it was empty. Then the ceremony finished with a final kiss between the new mates. The kiss grew wet as he slid his tongue inside to taste her. They both tasted of each other’s unique essence, of their blood.

His kiss trailed over her jaw to her ear where he whispered. “Now.”

He spun them around and gave her only a few seconds to wave to the crowd before he lifted her into his arms and ran out the back door. The door led to an empty kitchen area. He raced through it, found a staircase, and followed it up to the second floor of the hall. Several rooms lined the hall. He tried one, cursed when he found it locked, and then went for another.

The door opened to an office. The desk was covered in papers. A filing cabinet stood against the wall with a drawer partway open and there was a bookcase next to it packed tight with books.

“Maybe we should wait until—” Her words came to an abrupt stop when she caught the look. “Or right now is good.”

She smiled up at him. This was a new feeling for her, being carried in his arms. She definitely put it on her list things she loved about Dominic Blackmoore. She kissed him then kissed her way up the smooth warm line of his jaw to nuzzle his neck. She’d already tasted his blood but her body warmed into hot syrup, ready for more.