Calhoun was utterly taken aback by the sudden appearance of the crescent moon symbol. That was not supposed to happen, especially not with a normal human like this woman.
He frowned as there was a sudden transfer of information regarding his new mate into his mind, including her name, Celine Seymour.
Celine, on the other hand, had no idea what had occurred within her body. She was under so much heat and pleasure, even a simple kiss from this man had her craving for more.
She wondered why this man stopped touching her and kept staring at her, so she reached up to touch his cheek, tracing her fingers along his jaw, "Please do something, Jaime. I'm feeling weird…"
She had never imagined herself uttering such words, let alone daring to address him by his first name.
But after she got bitten, something deep inside her had changed, and after the symbol appeared on her collarbone, she quickly felt an instant connection with Calhoun, which assured her that Calhoun wouldn't hurt her.
It was a foreign feeling that she was hesitant to acknowledge, but there she was, begging for this man to ravage her body. She knew it was her lust talking, but at this point, who cares?
Calhoun swallowed hard. With the appearance of the symbol came a flood of information about Celine that surged into his mind.
He felt a bond with her that shouldn't have existed and another rush of intense desire when she used his first name, something he had reserved for only his parents and a future mate.
Surprisingly, he found himself relishing the sound of his name from Celine's soft lips.
Thomas had been watching the entire scene, and he was the one who was shocked the most because he knew what that crescent symbol meant.
"S—She is your—"
Before Thomas could finish his sentence, Calhoun shot him a fierce glare. His eyes briefly turned golden, and the lanky vampire found himself paralyzed on the spot, unable to speak or escape.
"You're not the only one who can hypnotize, weakling," Calhoun commented as he walked towards Thomas until they were facing each other. His arms wrapped securely around Celine to ensure her modesty, knowing that only he could see her in her naked state.
He leaned in and whispered into Thomas' ear, "I was thinking of sparing you at first, but not anymore. Not when you've seen her naked body."
Calhoun's authority and strength proved to be overwhelming for the vampire. Thomas was frozen by fear and unable to break free from the petrification.
"I heard your kind can do telepathy, right? Tell them this woman is mine, and they have to kill me first before they can touch her,"
Calhoun turned around and howled to summon his kin. While waiting for them, he regulated his breaths to calm himself. He knew that his instinct almost took over his body, and he might've impregnated this human right now if he had lost his control.
The white and red wolf soon arrived and were surprised by the sight of their Alpha turning his back while cradling a woman in his arms.
"What happened?" The white wolf inquired. "And who is that woman in your arms?"
The red wolf approached to check on the woman, but Calhoun bared his fangs, warning the red wolf to back off if he didn't want to get killed.
"Kill that scrawny vampire and return to the Den. I have something to talk about," Calhoun ordered before he left.
Calhoun sprinted through the woods at incredible speed, causing Celine to cling tightly to him to avoid falling. She wrapped her arms around Calhoun's neck and shut her eyes tight.
Calhoun stopped running after he reached their destination. Celine slowly opened her eyes and was amazed by the beautiful mansion in front of her.
The mansion stood like a radiant beacon amidst the dark woods, its boxy architecture exuding grandeur, with expansive glass panes reflecting the surrounding landscape. Its luminous presence contrasted the night, offering a glimpse into its opulent interior. Without the curtains, it was quite open for everyone to see what was happening inside, but this was in the middle of the woods, so she doubted anybody would go to take a peek.
Calhoun led her inside and brought her to a room on the second floor.
With great care, he set her on the bed and immediately distanced himself, determined to prevent himself from acting on a fleeting moment of lust.
"This is my mansion," Calhoun said. "You're safe here. Get some rest first, and we will talk about this tomorrow. You must cover your boobs if you want to get out of my room, wear my tee. It's in the wardrobe."
Calhoun turned around and headed toward the door, but Celine gathered her courage and asked, "Tell me what happened in the woods just now? Who is that vampire, the werewolves, and why did you bite me?"
Calhoun paused momentarily before looking over his shoulder and replied in a firm yet grim tone, "You are my mate, Celine Seymour."
"M—Mate?!" Celine's world turned upside down the moment she heard that word. She had no idea what becoming a mate of a mythical creature entailed, but she knew nothing good would come from it. She shook her head fervently, "No, there must be a mistake!"
Calhoun's eyes grew cold in an instant. He sneered, "You're right. I'll find a solution to this mistake. A damsel like you won't survive a day with me."