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doorknob rattled, the sound loud in the quietness of the room. Keely jumped, anticipation washing over her before quickly changing to dismay. She wasn't prepared to face Kosmas, not yet. The events of the evening were still too fresh to her, his utter disregard of her feelings too grating. She came to her feet before turning to face the sturdy door. “Go away,” she yelled petulantly. “You've already made your feelings pretty clear. I don't want a repeat, at least not tonight.”
    Kosmas didn't demand she let him in, nor did he even try the doorknob again. Instead, the tall wooden door came crashing in, revealing the furious vampire standing in front of it. His dark eyes flashed with anger as they briefly rested upon her as he stepped in, his mouth set in a tight line.
    Without saying a word, he picked up the door. It dwarfed him by several feet, but he carried it easily. Turning back to the opening, he rammed it in. Surprisingly, it held, blocking out anyone that might have been curious enough to peek in from the hallway. It looked horrible, though. Even the frame would have to be replaced.
    Keely stared at him with an aghast expression on her face. “You're going to have to take it back off,” she informed him, waving her hand at the ruined door. “Because you decided to put it back with your body on the wrong side of it. I meant what I said, Kosmas. You're not sleeping here with me tonight.”
    The very air in the room changed. As he stared at her he slowly started to advance, his steps measured. “Who said anything about sleeping?” The anger in his eyes changed to determination, everything about his body, from the sensual twist of his lips to his walk, screaming seduction. Kosmas had a dangerous air about him, but it wasn't fear that filled her. It was lust, and her arousal was increasing by the second.
    “Stop,” she ordered him, her voice low, sounding more like a plea than a protest. She held up a trembling hand, as if it would be enough to ward him off. Even from a distance, Kosmas had the ability to storm her defenses. Up close, she wouldn't stand a chance.
    He didn't comply. “You're my mate,” he informed her harshly, as if she needed a reminder. Instead of pulling her to him, he slowly walked around her, stopping at her back. “Your blood runs in my veins, just like mine runs in yours. Yet you want to deny me, to cast me from my bedchambers like a piece of trash?” His hand wound in her hair, easing her head back to expose her throat. “Never.”
    Kosmas lowered his head, the edge of his fangs brushing against her skin pleasurably. Keely shivered, but she was no longer cold. In fact, she'd never felt hotter. “I won't accept this,” she warned him.
    “Oh, but you will,” he grated. “You'll accept every hard inch, and you'll beg for more. And after it's over you'll apologize, and you will give me your word that you'll never behave like that again, especially in front of others.”
    “So this is punishment?” Keely spat, yanking her head away from his mouth. At least as much as she could. His hand was very effective at holding her in place. “I'll never apologize for protesting against the girl being taken. And I'll never forgive you for humiliating me in front of your men like that. For God's sake, Kosmas, she's just a child. How can you even condone such a thing?”
    Kosmas released her hair, spinning her around to face him with a speed that made her gasp. “And how could you ever believe that your mate, the man that you agreed to share an eternity with, could be such a vile creature? Had you shown me just a little bit of faith or trust, I would have been happy to convince you of my decision to keep her here. But you didn't, did you? No, instead you decided to humiliate me as a leader, and yourself in the process.”
    He didn't release her. His fingers tightened around her upper arms, like thick bands of steel. “Her name is Abby,” he informed her, his voice harsh. “She's thirteen