Why on earth did she feel bad about hurting him when he’d felt no compunction about hurting her?

“We need to know what you know,” she told him crisply. He simply stared at her, his face emotionless, his eyes flat. “I know that Julian is useless against you.” His hard mouth quirked to one side in amusement. “But Devon’s not.”

The smile slipped from his face, his eyes darted worriedly behind her as the others filtered further into the room. “I will fight it.”

“And he will destroy you if you do. You will either tell us, or you won’t be the same afterward. Those are your only choices. You have until tomorrow to decide.”

She turned away from him, suddenly needing to escape. Needing to get as far from this monster as possible before she snapped completely. Her skin itched, her heart beat rapidly in her chest; her need to escape became almost frantic. Devon came swiftly toward her, seeming to sense her intense desperation. “Come on.”

Taking hold of her hand he led her into the small side room. Cassie was surprised to find a ladder door pulled down into the middle of the room. She frowned at it, her gaze darting up the ladder to the dark space beyond. “What is that?”

“The attic. Luther found it while we were gone.”

He helped her up the ladder, staying behind her as she climbed swiftly up the rickety stairs. She stepped into the small attic space, glancing around at the wooden beams that ran across the ceiling, and the old curtains that covered the tiny windows. It was slightly colder up here; she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to fight off the chill.

Devon appeared behind her, crouching down to avoid the beams that ran across the ceiling. Moving slowly along, he was bent nearly double as he tugged a group of sleeping bags from behind a few old boxes. “I put these up here earlier. I thought you might need some time alone.”

Cassie nodded, tears of gratitude burning her eyes as he laid the sleeping bags swiftly out. He made a makeshift bed quickly before turning back to her. She could only stare at him for a moment, admiring the play of shadows across his magnificent face, and the glow in his emerald eyes. Her heart swelled with love and pride. He was hers and there was nothing that she wouldn’t do for him, nothing that she would not give him.

“You know they have already given me vampire blood, and I am no different than I was before.”

He looked slightly taken aback by her words. His mouth parted in surprise, his eyes widened slightly. But she could also sense the spark of hunger, want, and need that shot through him. The hunger and need that he would never admit to, and tried to keep as hidden from her as much as possible though she knew that it was always present. “Cassie…”

“I want this Devon,” she whispered.

He stared at her for a moment, hesitant and worried. “As do I,” he groaned in a hoarse voice. “But there is no way of knowing what would happen if you were changed.”

She bit her bottom lip nervously, hating the fact that he was right, hating the fact that she could not be with him completely right now. It had taken her awhile to even decide that she wanted to join him. And it seemed that from the moment she had decided she wanted it, everything had gone to hell, everything had aligned against them ever being together completely. She didn’t want to think that it was some sort of omen, didn’t want to think that the fates had aligned against them, but it was hard not to sometimes. She just had to remind herself that it was not fate that had aligned against them, but horrid men like the ones tied up below.

Taking a deep breath, Cassie decided to try another route, one that would give them both what they wanted. “Then don’t change me, not yet anyway. Not until all of this is over, and I won’t be needed for the battle as much...”

“Cassie!” he hissed, his hands fisting. “This has nothing to do with needing you in battle, and everything to do with my fear over what could happen to you.”

Cassie sighed softly as she nodded. “I know that Devon,” she whispered, hoping to ease the tension radiating from him. “But I want to be with you forever, and once this is over I want you to change me, consequences be damned.”

“Cassie…”

“But until then, I just want to know what it is like to taste you, to have your blood inside of me.”

He inhaled sharply, his hands fisted so tight that the corded muscles of his arms stood out starkly. She could see the fierce war he was waging with himself, the struggle for control that he was trying to maintain. She thought that he would deny her again, that he would argue with her. Instead, he bent to pull the sleeping bags back, holding his hand out as he beckoned welcomingly to her. Cassie’s heart leapt into her throat, excitement tore through her. She desperately needed this, desperately needed him. She did not hesitate as she hurried forward, slipping her hand easily into his.

He helped her between the blankets before sliding in next to her and wrapping it tightly around them. Cassie savored in the strength of his hard body, pressing herself closer to him as he enveloped her. She could feel the excited hum of tension radiating from him as she rested her cheek on his hard chest.

He ran his hand over her hair and face, caressing her gently. She lay with him for a long time, relishing in him, and his love. She lifted her face to his, kissing him gently, losing herself to the feel of his hard lips against hers, losing herself to the wonder of him. His hand tightened on the back of her head, pulling her tighter, deepening the kiss. Cassie’s body thrummed with excitement, her heart hammered wildly in her chest as she opened her mouth to his invasion.

His tongue swept in, caressing her, loving her. Cassie sighed softly, going limp against him as she gave herself over to his touch, smell, and taste. There was nothing as wonderful as he was; nothing as all consuming and needed. And she did need him, desperately. She needed every aspect of him.

He rolled her slowly over, pressing her into the sleeping bags as he continued to touch and caress her. Unlike the other times when things had become this passionate and intense, she felt no panic, no sense of self consciousness. She did not think about the many women in his past, but only of him and everything that he was to her, everything that he would always be.

“Cassie,” he breathed in her ear.

She shivered, her fingers curled into his back as tears of pure joy burned her eyes. His lips pulled back, his teeth brushed lightly over her neck as he scraped his fangs against her skin. Cassie clung tighter to him, shaking in anticipation of what was to come. She gasped, ecstasy filling her when he bit deep. Tears spilled down her face, her fingers dug into his hair as she cradled him against her. His contentment filled her; his hunger suffused her. He encompassed her completely, filling her with the golden warmth of his pure love and joy.

He pulled slowly away from her, not closing the wounds in her neck as he bit deep into his wrist. Cassie winced at the pain it must have caused him, but he showed not even a flicker of response. He watched her intently; his eyes ablaze with desire and need as he lifted his wrist to her mouth.

Cassie stared at him for a moment before grasping hold of him and bringing his wrist slowly to her mouth. His eyes widened and then narrowed with pleasure, his arm tightened around her as he pulled her closer. Cassie hesitated, it was blood after all, but it was the want in his eyes, the tension and desire in his body that drove her forward.

He groaned when she bit down, his eyes closed in ecstasy as he pulled her against his chest, holding her gently. The blood was strange, metallic tasting and warm, but it was not unpleasant, and in fact it had a sweetness to it that she found surprising. Cassie drifted on the contentment that flowed through her, drifted as he filled her. She could stay like this forever, never changing a thing, never leaving the secure embrace of his arms.

***

Devon watched Cassie as she slept soundly, curled up on her side, her hands tucked beneath her head. She was unbelievably beautiful and serene, her face lax, her features gentle and calm. It was the first time he had seen her at peace in so very long, even yesterday she had not slept soundly, but had tossed and turned and moaned as if she were in pain. Not today though, today she was an angel with no worries, no cares, and that’s the way he wanted to keep it. At least for a little while.

He cradled her gently, unable to believe that she was his, unable to believe that she gave her love and her blood to him so freely. Unable to believe that he had been blessed with such a wonderful person, especially after everything he had done in his long, miserable life. He nuzzled her hair gently, savoring in the sweet scent of her. Though he could taste the lingering remnants of Julian’s blood in her, he did not smell Julian upon her anymore which was a good sign that Julian’s blood was swiftly fading from her system.

It was his blood he smelled upon her now, his blood that pulsed through her system, marking her as his own. Even though he wanted her by his side forever, for now he was more than content to hold her, taste her, and love her. He glanced around the cramped room, grateful for its distance from the others.

When they were out of this mess, he would think about taking her completely. He might consider making her his forever, but not here, not in this place, and not with the horror haunting them outside of this building. And not with the uncertainty of what that change might do to her hanging over their heads. She deserved something special and wonderful, and she deserved the peace she had not experienced in years. And he sure as hell didn’t want her monster of a father anywhere near them when it happened.

She stirred slightly, her long lashes fluttered open. Her violet blue eyes were groggy with sleep, but she smiled beautifully up at him. He bent to her, kissing her gently, tasting his blood upon her lips as he relished in her. His body tensed as he fought the intense desire to lose himself in her completely. But he couldn’t do it, not right now anyway.

Pulling away, he caressed the silken curve of her cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“Wonderful,” she purred, curling up against him. “Simply wonderful.”

He couldn’t stop the satisfied grin that spread over his face. “Good. Are you hungry?”

“Not hungry enough to leave here right now.” He chuckled softly, pulling her tighter against him as he rolled onto his back. She lay against his chest, her hair spilling across the both of them. “When will you change me Devon?”

He stiffened beneath her, his hands clenched at her back. “Cassie, because you can handle vampire blood does not mean that the change would not have dire consequences for you.”

She yawned before shaking her head forcefully. “It doesn’t matter.”

He sighed softly, stroking his hand gently through her silken hair. He knew that it was what they both wanted, desperately, but there were more consequences than what might become of her. “And the fact that you will never see sunlight again?”

She bit her bottom lip, her eyes darkened as delicate frown lines marred her forehead. “It’s a small price to pay.”

“Cassie…”

She shook her head as she propped her chin on her hands to stare down at him. “I want this Devon, more than I have ever wanted anything. I want nothing more than to know that I will spend eternity with you.”

He groaned as he closed his eyes, fighting against his baser urges. Fighting to stay under control while her wonderful words echoed loudly in his head. “And if things go wrong?”

“We will deal with them then.”

He sighed, cupping her cheek gently with his hand. She leaned into him, smiling softly as she stared innocently down at him. “What if I lose you?”

“You’ll lose me anyway if I stay mortal. I think my body can handle this Devon, I’m almost positive that it can. You won’t lose me, I won’t allow it.”

He couldn’t help but smile at the fierce conviction in her voice, the intensity in her face and eyes. “I’m sure that you will do whatever you can, but…”

She shook her head; her eyes twinkled as she grinned down at him. “No buts, we’ll get through it, look at how much we’ve already gotten through. This is a small hurdle compared to the others.”

He smiled at her in amusement, tugging lightly on her hair as he wrapped it around his finger. “Is that so?”

“Very much so.” His grin faded as he stared at her beautiful features, and bright, hopeful eyes. He wanted nothing more than to keep her by his side forever, but he didn’t want to risk the danger such a thing represented to her. “Besides, since I am your mate then everything has to be completed right?”

His hand stilled on her, his chest constricted. “That is the way that it is supposed to be, but this is a special case Cassie. We may never be able too.”

Her eyes darkened, her eyebrows drew tightly together as she frowned at him. “We will,” she said forcefully.