He reached down to shift back into drive when a flurry of motion about a hundred feet up, and to the right, caught his attention. He turned toward it as three figures burst out of the woods. They stumbled up an embankment before staggering onto the road. Devon’s mouth dropped, his chest constricted painfully as they turned toward the vehicle.

The lights played over them, highlighting their figures against the dark night. Cassie’s golden hair shimmered in the bright glow; it glimmered as brightly and beautifully as the sun. It was the balm that he had needed, the wonder he had been searching for, the sight of her instantly calmed the furious monster raging inside of him. It brought back to him the warmth and joy that he had been missing for the past couple of weeks.

Though she was dirty, and bedraggled, her delicate features were the most amazingly wonderful thing he had ever seen. The scrubs she wore were torn, bloodied, and wet from the snow covered branches of the forest. Her bare feet were bloodied and raw looking.

She stared at them for a moment longer, her red eyes bright in the pallor of her face. It was those red eyes that terrified him most, that left him stunned and horrified. Had he lost her? Was she gone? Was she one of the things that had devastated this town? And just what was she doing with Julian and Dani? Her mouth parted in surprise, her eyes widened in horror as she stared at the vehicle for a long moment.

Julian was the first to react as he began to pull her rapidly toward the other side of the road. Devon’s eyes latched onto their hands, tightly entwined as Cassie scurried after Julian, Dani close behind. It was the sight of those hands that drove him into action. He would not lose her like this, he would not lose her to Julian, and he sure as hell was not going to let her disappear again.

He couldn’t survive if he lost her again.

Throwing the door of the SUV open he plunged into the cold. “Cassie!” he bellowed as they slipped down the hillside of the road and back into the woods.

Cassie froze instantly, stumbling slightly as Julian briefly pulled her onward. Her head whipped toward him, her hair billowed around her as the wind caught hold of it. Her eyes met his, widening even more as tears bloomed instantly within the bright ruby depths. Even from their distance, and above the howl of the wind, he heard her gasp his name.

“Devon!” she tugged her hand free of Julian’s. Using her hands, she pulled herself back up the embankment, scrambling through the shifting rocks that skittered under her feet. “Devon!”

He remained frozen as she reached the road, still too stunned by her sudden arrival, and her reaction to him, to move. Her reddened eyes suggested that she was something different, someone else, but her reaction to him was what he would have expected from his Cassie. The one that had loved him wholeheartedly, the one that never would have been holding hands with Julian. Her voice rang with pure joy, her face lit with the radiance of love as she reached the road.

He didn’t know what was going on, and at that moment, he didn’t care. Releasing the car door, he raced toward her, needing to hold her, needing to feel her, and touch her once more. “Cassie look out!”

It was Julian’s shout that alerted him to the danger he had forgotten about in his shock at seeing her, in his rush to hold her. The blur moved swiftly from the woods, emerging just feet from her as it raced across the road toward her. It was hunched over, using its hands and feet like an ape as it bolted across the asphalt.

Cassie’s eyes widened, her mouth dropped as it barreled toward her. “Cassie!” Devon shouted, terror tearing through him. The thing was closer to her than he was, closer than Julian, who had raced out of the woods after her. Devon was amazed, and startled, by the strange certainty that Julian would protect her from that thing, that Julian would not hurt her.

Cassie darted to the side as the thing launched at her, its clawed hands outstretched with deadly intent. Twisting slightly, she seized the creature by the collar of the tattered shirt it still wore, though the thing was clearly nothing even closely resembling human anymore. She moved swiftly, spinning to the side as she flung it away from her. Devon blinked in surprise, startled by the strength and speed she displayed. But his surprise didn’t slow him down as the creature rebounded to its feet. It screamed in fury and hunger as it raced back at her, causing Cassie’s eyes to widen slightly in fear. She was braced for the attack, ready to face it head on, but Devon raced past her, seizing hold of the creature before it got to her.

His hand tightened around its throat as he slammed it onto the roadway, smashing its head off the asphalt. It howled loudly, squirming beneath Devon’s tight hold, its fingers clawing at his hand as Devon squeezed down. Disgust curved his upper lip as he crushed the creature’s windpipe with a sickening pop.

The squeals and grunts were silenced, but the monster continued to claw and squirm beneath him. He glanced up at Cassie, horrified to find her watching as he slowly decapitated the pathetic thing. Julian arrived at her side, his eyes narrowed as they met Devon’s. He grasped hold of Cassie’s shoulders, spinning her swiftly away.

“Julian don’t!” she protested instantly, trying to wiggle her way out of his grasp. Julian held her firm though, refusing to let her turn back around, a fact that Devon was infinitely grateful for. She didn’t need to see this. “Let me go!”

Julian’s gaze remained focused on Devon, insolent and cold as he continued to hold her. Fresh rage tore through Devon as he took note of Julian’s hands resting so comfortably, possessively, upon her. With a growl of fury, he twisted the creature’s head to the side, yanking it sharply back. Its head gave way with a sickening crunch and horrendous tearing sound.

Devon tossed the head aside as he leapt to his feet, no longer caring about the Halfling, only caring about Cassie. Julian stared defiantly back at him for a moment, his chin tilted proudly, a sneer curving his upper lip. Fury flared through Devon as he took a step toward them, prepared to kill Julian if it came down to it. Julian glanced at Cassie, his eyes warming slightly as he squeezed her shoulder gently, his hand lingered briefly upon her shoulder before falling reluctantly away. Devon hesitated for a moment unsure what was going on between them, what had happened to them both, and why they were together. Unsure how to take this strange turn of events.

Then, Cassie turned slowly toward him. She stared silently up at him, her eyes wide and searching, as tears simmered in her ruby colored eyes. Her lower lip trembled slightly as she reached shakily toward him, seemingly afraid that he might disappear. He knew exactly how she felt; this was far too dreamlike and wonderful to be real. Far too unexpected after the weeks of uncertainty and terror. He was afraid that if he did touch her, she would disappear and all of this would prove to be some sort of torturous dream. He didn’t think he could take that if it happened.

Yet, he couldn’t stop himself; he needed to touch her, needed to feel her again. He had to know if this was real. Had to know if she was real. Unable to take one more second of their separation, he seized hold of her shaking fingers. Relief and awe pooled through him, the tight knot in his chest eased as his hand clenched upon hers, savoring in the silken, solid feel of her skin. Her fingers clenched tight upon him, her nails dug into his skin, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything now that he had found her again, now that he was touching her again. A small sob escaped her as he pulled her forward a step.

“Cassie,” he breathed reverently.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against him, wonder filling him as his hand tightened in her tangled hair. She felt so wonderful, so warm, and alive, and solid. And in his arms again, where she belonged, where she would always belong. He fought back the tears of relief that threatened to fall. More tears escaped her; she clung tighter to him, her small fingers digging into his back. She was the most magnificent thing he had ever felt, the most wonderful thing he had ever hoped to feel. Closing his eyes, he pulled her tighter against him, burying his face in her silky hair.

“Cassie,” he groaned, clinging tighter to her as her sobs increased and she tried even harder to get closer to him.

“I was beginning to fear I would never see you again!” she moaned, her slender frame shaking with the force of her tears. “I was afraid I’d lost you!”

He pulled slightly back from her, wanting only to look at her again, but the moment he saw her cherished face he knew he couldn’t stop himself. He cupped her face tightly, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks as he bent his head to hers. She gasped slightly, and then a small moan of pleasure escaped her as he seized hold of her mouth, taking fierce possession of it.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers entangled in his hair as she held him tight. He had never forgotten how wonderful and right she felt, but the memories of their last touch paled in comparison to actually holding her again. She eagerly met his kiss, her tongue entwining with his, her body melding to his. He lifted her up, crushing her against him as he cradled the back of her head gently, savoring in everything about her.

He wanted more of her, needed more of her. He had nearly lost her; he had been without her for so long that he was on the brink of losing complete control now that he had her again. He was closer to completely snapping and changing her than he ever had been before. If he changed her, he would never have to lose her again; never have to part from her again. He would be able to find her anywhere, and she would be immortal, safe from death, and far stronger than she was now. He pulled away from her, his head dropping into the hollow of her neck as he struggled to keep his wildly swaying emotions, and body, under control.

He didn’t care that they were standing in a road, in the middle of nowhere. He didn’t care that at his back was the man who had once been his best friend, but was now his greatest enemy. He didn’t even care that there was an unknown amount of monsters in the woods around them. All he cared about was holding her, touching her, possessing her. All he cared about was having her with him again. All he wanted was to taste her again, to savor in her blood to join with her, and to feel her in every possible way.

Her hands cradled his face gently as she pulled slowly away from him. Her fingers stroked over his cheeks as she gently kissed him once more, her soft lips lingering on his as she tried to ease the tension within him. She had always known him so well, always known when the beast inside was on the verge of taking control, always known how to soothe him and comfort him, and she did so now. “I love you,” she whispered, her mouth brushing lightly against his. “So very much.”

He kissed her again, cradling her neck softly as he struggled to control the monster inside of him. “I love you.”

His body pulsed with excitement as she opened her eyes to his. They were the spectacular violet blue color that he remembered and loved so dearly. “Your eyes aren’t red anymore,” he whispered, surprised and baffled by the sudden change.

She grinned up at him as he wiped a few streaks of blood from her delicate cheeks. Even dirty and bedraggled she was the most exquisite thing he had ever seen. “Neither are yours.”

Devon blinked in surprise. It had been almost two weeks since his eyes had been normal. Two long weeks since he’d had enough control over himself to keep the demon inside him securely locked away. It had been weeks since he had not seen the bright red eyes of a monster staring back at him whenever he caught a glimpse of his reflection. Her presence alone made him more of a man, and less of a monster. She made the man in him stronger, and more stable, than the demon that constantly lurked beneath his surface always wanting to break free.

He wondered if his presence helped to do the same thing for her. But why would her eyes be red when she was still in complete control of herself? Why would her eyes be red if her body wasn’t trying to turn into something else? What had been done to her? Where had she been? He wondered fearfully as he continued to stroke her face, savoring in the delicious feel of her. It had been far too long since he had been able to touch her, hold her; smell her. He just hoped that she had not been gone from him for too long, that she had not been changed beyond repair; that she was the same Cassie he had lost.

Though, he knew that he could not expect her to be the same. He didn’t know what had been done to her, but from the looks of her now, she had been through hell and back. He inhaled deeply, anger spiking through him as he caught the scent of her blood. It was not the same sweet scent that he remembered. There was something different about it. Something tangy and wrong. And beneath it all, he could smell Julian.

He tried to control his emotions, tried to keep them hidden from her, but jealousy and rage were beginning to fill him once more. What the hell had they done to her in there? What had they given her to cause her blood to smell so off, and her eyes to change without her losing control of herself? Why did he smell Julian on her? Was it because they had been together, or had something more been done?