Free SweetHeat by Jan Springer Page B

to help you. I have always known you are not as cold and independent as some of the rest of us. I should have warned you of the intensity you might face, but I wished your Vampira experience to be peaceful and for you not to look over your shoulder as I had to do.”
    Julie remembered Mati’s reluctance in helping her in the beginning, but then Mati had vetoed the other females’ decision. Julie had never asked why. She’d considered herself very lucky to get into Vampira and had relied on the support of the clique.
    She watched Mati get a faraway look in her eyes as if the female were looking right through her, as if she’d slipped into another time in her life.
    “The Davenport twins’ sires almost caught me in their seductive world. I must admit I was very happy with them in the short time I had with them. They pleasured me and loved me and I wanted so badly to stay with them. But their lives would be in danger if I stayed with them.
    “Besides, I couldn’t take the chance of being thrust into another type of servitude. A world of love. The love the three of us shared was very powerful, but I could not be with them. I craved freedom more than our love, so I left them. I heard they’d mated with another female and twin sons were a result. Twins with a powerful blood brother bond that would make any female love to feed off them. There had been an arranged marriage for the young brothers, but the female, you, ran away.”
    Powerful blood brother bond.
    Oh boy, they certainly were potent, Julie mused as flashes of their times together over the past several nights rushed through her. Both vamps taking her over and over again until she was screaming, begging, whimpering for them to bring her the release she craved.
    Mati’s voice grew higher. Her fingernails clenched painfully into Julie’s palms, making her gasp.
    “Have I taught you nothing? Have I told you to trust no one? To hide during your heating cycles?”
    Mati was shrieking now and Julie totally understood why. Mati had trust issues. Understandable with her past. Julie should have respected Mati’s wishes. She should have remembered what Mati and the others had done for her. But Zander and Caleb were irresistible. So powerful in drawing her to them. It just felt so right to be with them. She found herself smiling at the pleasure those two naughty vamps brought to her.
    “You must choose. Those two vamps or Vampira .”
    The shock of Mati’s words hit Julie in a gut-wrenching blow. Now it was her turn to feel betrayed. How could Mati turn so easily against her?
    “Choose now, Juliette. Choose now,” Mati’s voice shuddered thickly. “If you decide to stay with Vampira you must begin anew. A new face. New identity. Everything new.”
    Tears burst into Mati’s eyes and flowed down her cheeks, making Julie swallow at the clog of emotion. She shook her head.
    “No, I will not choose, Mati . I won’t.”
    “You must! I cannot have confidence in you if you stay with them. I cannot!”
    “You can trust me. You can,” Julie insisted. Tears stung her own eyes and she swiped them away.
    “I did trust you. This is how you have repaid me. I’ve never allowed myself to put faith in anyone outside of Vampira . I cannot and I will not do it now. Not even for you. And the fact we are having this conversation means I have my answer, doesn’t it?”
    Anger burst inside Julie. Letting go of Mati’s hands, Julie stood.
    “If you want to keep me in your life you’re going to have to believe in me that I won’t hurt you. Keep me inside Vampira , and I will prove to you that you can trust me and my lovers. That we can help protect you. You denied that chance to their sires. Do not deny their sons a chance to help you,” she stated.
    Mati sat, silent and looking stunned. The other females remained quiet as well.
    “Trust me, Mati ,” she urged, feeling desperation rip through her as she realized all these strong females were in fact not strong. They were in