Chapter 43 Vampire Heads at the Gate

Chapter 43 Vampire Heads at the Gate
Roman –  Vampire Heads at the Gate 

The roar of Nikolai’s engine faded into the distance, swallowed by the night—but not the sound that tore from my chest. 

It wasn’t just my turmoil and emotions. It was Reaper. The cry echoed through every part of me. Loss. Possession. Frustration. The desperate instinct to chase after what belonged to us. 

The howl was like a living thing, raw and desperate, vibrating through my ribs, through the trees, through the goddamn earth under my boots. The two dogs howled back and then whined, miserable without their favourite person. 

He kept howling.  A sound that would make lesser wolves whimper and hide. It carried everything I couldn’t say out loud… fury, betrayal, a longing so sharp it felt like claws raking my insides. 

You let him touch her. Reaper’s voice slammed into my skull, snarling, venomous. You let him take her. 

He was pacing in my head like he was high on drugs, canines bared and he wasn’t done. You stood there like a neutered pup while that bloodsucker wrapped his pale fingers around her and smiled at you with his dead eyes. I should tear out your throat and claim her myself. 

I winced, feeling his rage. “Not helpful,” I gritted out, stomping over the gravel path where the car had been. The scent of Sienna, jasmine and honeysuckle, soft and warm, was already fading, tainted by the metallic stink of the vampire’s cologne. 

Nathan leaned against his truck, arms crossed, watching me with that look he got when he was about to say something I didn’t want to hear. “I can feel reaper cutting you a new one. He’s can’t say he’s wrong. You know what you have to do.” 

I shot him a glare. “I’m not going to—” 

Nathan cut me off “What mark her? Mate her? Bind her so tight she can’t even think about leaving without feeling like she’s ripping her own soul in half? 

He pushed off the truck and walked toward me, his boots crunching on the gravel. “I know you, Roman. You want her to choose you. To come to you because she wants to, not because some primal bond forces her. That’s noble. That’s beautiful. That’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard from a five-hundred-pound Alpha wolf with fangs that could shred steel.” He scoffed. 

Reaper snarled inside me. See Nathan gets it. You are a fool. A sentimental, weak-balled fool. I will howl until my throat bleeds and then I will howl more, and you will suffer every note because you deserve it. 

“Fix your wolf or shut him up,” Nathan said, rubbing his ear. “I can hear him from here.” 

“He’s loud,” I admitted. I could already feel a headache coming on. 

“Loud? He’s practically screaming ‘castrate the vampire’ in Morse code through your aura. Every wolf in a mile radius knows you’re losing your goddamn mind.” 

I dragged a hand through my hair, tugging at the roots. The image of Nikolai’s hands on Sienna’s, touching her, nuzzling her burned behind my eyes.  

That fucking entitled smirk that said. “Game on.  I’ll have her purring in my bed before you even get your knot up.” 

“He’s taking her to lunch.” I said flatly. “Just lunch. His father will be there. “ 

Nathan snorted. “And that says everything. He is serious enough to introduce her to his family while you pace here like a kicked mutt. Great plan, Alpha. Really inspiring leadership.” 

That Walking Dead extra is courting our Mate. Our fucking Mate. Fucking kill him already. Reaper hissed. Let me do it.  I will rip his spine out through his throat and use his hairless corpse as a chew toy. Then I will mount his head on the packhouse gate so every vampire knows what happens when they touch what is ours. 

I felt the same way but as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t start an interspecies war. I clenched my jaw. "No." 

Nathan looked at me quizzically. “Reaper says he wants to rip apart Nikolai and mount his head on the pack compound gate,” I translated. 

“I’m not opposed,” Nathan said grinning. “But maybe let’s try a less murder-y option first. Like taking her to the packhouse. Letting her meet your parents, the pack. Let her see what we are.
“ 
You think he’s actually interested in her? He wants to steal a mate from an Alpha. That’s a trophy, Roman. You’re the hunt.” 

I knew he was right. I hated that he was right. And I decided there and then to make a decision. “I’m taking her to the main packhouse next week,” I said. “She’s going to meet my parents. See the pack.” 

“Next week?” Nathan’s voice cracked. “Roman. You’re taking chances. The vampire could make his move anytime. Don’t be surprised if she has afterglow and fang prints on her neck if you don’t—” 

I cut him off angrily, Reaper growling at just the thought. “She’s innocent.” The words came out rough, shaky. “I was her first kiss. I’m not going to throw her in the deep end and mate and knot her. She deserves to know what she’s getting into before I claim her.” 

Nathan stared at me for a long moment. Then he laughed—a short, disbelieving bark. “You’re an Alpha. You’re possessive. You’re territorial. You literally have a wolf inside you screaming for blood. And you’re trying to be a gentleman.” 

“I’m trying to be a good mate.” I snapped back. Reaper howled again, this time low and aching. She is ours. Every fiber of our soul screams for her and she feels it too. But you let her walk away. You let her get into his car. I will haunt you for this, Roman. I will go feral if I scent him on her.” 

I felt the truth of it like a punch to the gut. 

Nathan clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Look. I get it. You want her to come to you with open arms. But fated mates are too rare to risk playing fair. The vampire doesn’t play fair. He’s going to charm her, seduce her, fill her head with pretty lies about eternal night and immortal passion. And what are you? A hairy beast who howls at the moon and eats raw deer.” 

“I don’t eat raw deer.” I denied, raking my hair in frustration. 

“You did last Tuesday.” He said deadpan. 

“That was a dare. By you arsehole” My eyes flashed with my wolf. 

Nathan grinned, totally unbothered. “All I’m saying is—mark her. Not the full mate bond, if you’re too chicken. Just a scent mark. Or a bite on the shoulder. Something that screams mine to every supernatural in the city. It’ll give you time, and it’ll make that bloodsucker think twice before he tries to claim what’s already spoken for.” 

I considered it. Felt Reaper’s grudging approval. He stopped pacing. If you bite mark, I will stop calling you a coward for exactly three days. 

I rolled my eyes at the blatant blackmail. “Three days?” I pinched the bridge of my nose. Sometimes I genuinely wondered how wolves had survived as a species. 

Take it or leave it. Or do you want the howling to start again? he snapped back snarkily. 

I let out a long breath. “Fine. When I see her again, I’ll scent mark her. But I’m still taking her to the packhouse. I’m still giving her the choice.” 

Nathan threw his hands up. “And I’ll still be here, cleaning up the pieces when Nikolai tries to seduce her anyway. But hey—at least we’ll have vampire heads for the gate.” 

Reaper chuckled darkly inside me. 

That was the first thing he’d agreed with all day.