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  He eased her down until she stood and lessened his tight hold. She trembled against him. He paused and drew in his wings. His shoulder blades throbbed a little as the skin started to mend around the damaged flesh.

  She tried to wiggle away, and he allowed it. He stayed between her and the edge. She spun, her eyes still wide and her lips parted.

  “You could have fallen to your death. You don’t have wings!”

  “I know that.” She took a step backward, then another.

  “Watch it. There’s a planter behind you. Don’t trip.”

  “I want to leave here.” Her voice sounded stronger but she still looked unsteady on her feet.

  “That was your great escape plan? To plunge to your death? Do you know how easy it is to fall? You don’t even have climbing equipment. You’re damn lucky I happened to wake and see you. Otherwise I might have heard your death scream on the way down.”

  Jill glanced back, spotted the tall round planter, and surprised him by taking a seat on the edge of it. Her knuckles whitened from the grip she kept on the rim. “You can’t keep me here forever.”

  Some of his temper cooled. He didn’t blame Jill for attempting escape. “I can. You’re not safe anywhere else, Jill.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  He strode forward but she jerked back, landing on her butt in the dirt-filled planter. He crouched down in front of her. “Take a deep breath.”

  She blinked a few times and sucked in air to her lungs. It would have amused him at any other time, seeing her in that position, sitting on a large pot resembling some ancient toilet. He reached out to touch her but she flinched away. He withdrew.

  “I’m not going to hurt you. I just saved your life.” He didn’t want to lose another woman to death. “Let’s go inside and get you fed.”

  She shook her head. “I’m good where I am.”

  “I didn’t mean to frighten you but those holes you were using to cling to aren’t stable. Do you understand that? Never do that again. It’s safe for us since falling isn’t an issue. You can’t fly, Jill.”

  “I just wanted to leave.”

  “By killing yourself?” His anger returned. “How far do you think you’d have gotten?”

  “There were other ledges but they were all blocked by rock. I couldn’t see that until I got lower. This one didn’t have any holds to reach it.”

  “Those are homes of other members of my clan. Be happy they were sealed. Otherwise you’d have invaded their space and they would have attacked you, believing you were an enemy.”

  She paled.

  “Let’s assume you managed to climb all the way down. You wouldn’t have stood a chance, but what then? Do you know where you are? How far you are from one of your cities? Would you like to talk about the kind of wildlife you may have run into if you’d managed to sneak out of my home undetected or get past my clan members? There’s nowhere for you to run.”

  “I don’t belong here.”

  Regret surfaced. He didn’t blame her for desiring her old life. “You know about us now, and I can’t protect you if you go home. Don’t you think those two men I beat the living shit out of might want to seek revenge if they’re ever given the chance?”

  “They won’t come after me again. They’ll think I’m here with you.”

  “Are you certain they won’t keep checking?”

  She bit her bottom lip. “I’ll be prepared for them.”

  “They are VampLycans. Do you know what that means?”

  “I can’t forget. Half Vampire, half Werewolf.”

  “How will you prepare? You shoot one and they get up. You’re lucky they wanted you alive and unharmed. They are stronger and faster than anything you’ve ever faced before.”

  “I’ll buy silver bullets. Those kill Werewolves, right? I could soak them in holy water and have a priest bless them. That way I’m covering both my bases for those half-breed freaks.”

  He grinned. She did amuse him.

  She suddenly appeared annoyed. “What is so funny?”

  “That’s in movies and books. It’s not reality. Crosses and holy water don’t work on Vampires, and silver bullets don’t hold any special qualities besides being harder to come by. You’ll only injure a Lycan with bullets but they won’t stop coming.”

  “What does kill them?”

  He considered it. “I could.”

  “I mean stuff that I could get where I’m from.”

  “Do you have grenades? Blowing one up would work. Of course, they’re fast. They’d just see it coming and jump out of the blast range. At best, you’d end up with a slightly injured one who’s super pissed off.”

  She seemed to be considering it, and he bit back a laugh. He loved her spunk. He moved closer to her again and extended his hand. “Come inside. You’re shaken up.” He could see her trembling.

  “I’m fine here.”

  “Do you really want to learn how to kill other races?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then come inside.”

  She seemed to debate it for a few seconds but refused his hand. She got up on her own and brushed off the back of her pants. “Just stay back.”

  He retreated a few steps but kept between her and the edge of his balcony, not willing to risk her doing something else that could endanger her life. He made a mental note to seal every opening inside his home immediately. He wouldn’t give her the opportunity to climb outside again.

  “How do you kill them?”

  “Inside,” he reminded her. “I’ll make you breakfast.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  He didn’t believe that. He could hear her stomach grumbling. Her tactics made no sense. He’d fill up on food, making him as strong as possible, and plot his escape if he were in her place. She seemed to be on a hunger strike. Women. I’ll never understand them no matter how long I live.

  She entered his lower secondary living room and glanced around. She didn’t like it, from her frown. He studied the room for the first time, trying to imagine what she might be thinking. It was masculine and dark. The fireplace probably needed to be cleaned. He had stacks of books on a few tables from his library. The smaller kitchen he’d had put in for Lane’s use was across the open space. Down the hall were two bathrooms and bedrooms.

  Jill walked to the table and fingered the cover of a book.

  “You like to read?”

  “Yes.” She turned and faced him. “Some of these look really old.”

  “They probably are. You won’t find a bookstore out here.”

  “You have internet, don’t you?”

  “No.”

  She glanced around. “No TV, either?”

  “Not in my home. Some of the others have satellite dishes.”

  “Oh my God.” She strode over to his couch and sat down hard. Both of her hands rose and she covered her face. “It’s like hell.”

  “It’s not that bad.”

  She lowered her hands to her lap and glared at him. “What do you do all day?”

  “I rule my people and keep them safe.”

  “I mean in your off time?”

  “I read. I take walks in the woods or go for a fly. Train for battle.”

  “Stop.” She glanced away, staring at the fireplace.

  He didn’t like to see her unhappy. “I could get a television for you.”

  “How nice.”

  He identified her sarcasm. “I want you to be happy here.”

  “That’s never going to happen.”

  He strode over to the fireplace and leaned his arm against the mantel. “Do you understand that you can’t go back?”

  “Why?”

  “You’re being stubborn. I already told you of the danger you’d be in.”

  “I wouldn’t be if you killed those two men who kidnapped me. Situation handled.” She stood up. “What would that cost me?”

  “I’m not…” He paused, unable to tell her he wasn’t a killer. He’d done a lot of that in his lifetime an