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  “Are you taking birth control?” he asked, because that was what a human man would do. Vampires could impregnate human women, but it was very unlikely, and even if she did get pregnant the overwhelming odds were she wouldn’t be able to carry the pregnancy to full term. Breeds rarely made it into this world. So far as he knew, no breed had ever survived more than a few days.

  Janie nodded, pushed his shirt back off his shoulders, and started working the button and zipper of his blue jeans. She was so small, so short, and standing together this way only emphasized the difference in their height and build. “Yeah. You’re healthy, right?”

  “Yes.” Healthier than she could imagine. “You?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m very careful.”

  The fact that she was here belied that fact, but Sorin didn’t think it would be wise to point it out to her at this moment. She was simply taking his word about his health, so she was either stupid, desperate, or so lonely she didn’t care.

  He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. His clothes were more off than on and hers were loose and askew. By the side of the big bed he finished the job, and naked, they fell onto the mattress. She pulled the covers over their bodies as if she were suddenly shy.

  Very slowly, Sorin pulled the covers back. “Don’t hide. You’re beautiful.”

  He could see her blush, smell the blood rising just under her skin. “Turn off the light, please.”

  “All right,” he said, because abruptly she seemed so nervous. After all, it wasn’t as if he couldn’t see almost as well in the dark, so she wouldn’t be hiding anything from him.

  He turned out the lamp. Janie reached up and put her small hand on the back of his neck. She pulled his face down to hers for a kiss that was sweeter than he’d expected. Soon the kiss changed; Janie’s body language changed. Her last bit of shyness fell away as he coaxed her to desire.

  There was nothing wrong with getting lost in the physical. Men and women were created differently for a reason—a very good reason.

  Sorin was aware of the precise moment when Janie let go of whatever had drawn her to him and gave herself over to the moment. Whatever man had driven her to another’s bed, she forgot about him. She was fully Sorin’s now, fully here with him.

  When he pushed inside her his own worries faded, because she wasn’t the only one in this bed who needed a refuge, a moment away from thought. She was warm and soft and willing, she took him in and cradled him there and they were, for a moment, alone in the world.

  Sex remained the most powerful act Sorin had ever known. Beyond feeding, beyond violence, it spoke most strongly to his primal self. As a human, as a vampire, it was a pleasure that never faded, that never lost its power—not that he didn’t possess more skill now than he had as a human. Seven hundred years of practice was bound to improve performance. Some vampires painted or learned to play the piano; some accumulated wealth or things or even humans. Sorin’s interests had taken a different path.

  Janie came quickly, and hard, but Sorin didn’t follow. He hadn’t brought her here for a quickie, which would be no more satisfying than a fast coupling in an alleyway. He slowed his movements, kissed her throat. That throat and the vein there were tempting, but he didn’t bite. Not yet.

  She closed her eyes and her hips moved in a gentle rhythm, matching his own. Just as she was on the verge of coming again—easy human—he withdrew entirely. She gasped and tried to pulled him back, but when he began to kiss his way down her body she quit fighting and just enjoyed the ride. He knew what he was doing, and left her breathless and flushed and shaking.

  It wasn’t long before he pushed inside her again, and she welcomed him with a sigh and a gasp. He teased her, brought her to the edge and back again, and then he pushed deep and they came together, a nearly perfect ending to a needed respite.

  Their rendezvous became entirely perfect when he lowered his head and bit into her throat, nipping the vein, drinking deeply, tasting everything that she was: satisfied, sad, angry, happy, in love.

  Not with him, of course, but still, she was filled with love that had done nothing but hurt her.

  She hadn’t felt the bite, but evidence of it would remain if he didn’t tend to the site. He licked; she laughed, unaware of why he was raking his tongue across her very delicate neck.

  “That was amazing,” she said. “Really, I had no idea sex could be so … amazing.” Then she laughed, because she couldn’t find another word other than the one she’d just used.

  Sorin turned on the light. Janie tried to pull the sheet up to cover herself, but he stopped her, took her chin in his hand, forced her to look into his eyes. “Whatever man hurt you, he isn’t worth the pain he’s caused.”

  “No man has …” she began, attempting to lie. The shine of tears gave her away. “He’s an idiot. I don’t know why I let him affect me this way. He cheated. I wasn’t enough for him, even though I tried so hard.”

  “Do you want me to kill him for you?” He made the offer, wishing she’d take him up on it. He needed to kill someone right now, because nothing else had worked out right today.

  She laughed and shook her head, thinking his offer was a joke. It wasn’t.

  “You love him.”

  “I wish I could love you instead,” she said, reaching up to touch his face.

  “That wouldn’t be smart.”

  She nodded, rested her hand on his neck, and pulled him to her once more. “Maybe not, but we can pretend for a while, can’t we?”

  “Yes, we can pretend.” As powerful as glamouring was, as truly amazing as a vampire’s gifts might be, not even the strongest of the kindred could manufacture or take away love. Tonight, if he couldn’t have the real thing, at least he could have the pretense … and damn if he wouldn’t glamour her before she left, so the son of a bitch who’d hurt her would be in for a whopping surprise the next time she saw him.

  That thought made him happy.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-ONE

  Sorin had left Janie sleeping and, decision made, headed for home. Well, for D.C.; it was home for now. His fellow rebels were the only family he’d known for a very long time. A common purpose had driven them together, and there was a strong bond in that commonality. Besides, if there was trouble, he seldom ran from it; truth be told, he usually ran toward it with relish. Why should this be any different?

  Maybe he’d gotten away with what he’d done. Three of the four conduits he’d been sent to kill were dead. Other hunters had been assigned to the remaining New York targets, and they’d all been successful, from what he’d been told. He hadn’t heard any talk about a missed target, no frantic phone call saying that Phillip Stargel was still alive, and what the hell had happened?

  He stood in Chloe Fallon’s driveway, long after full darkness had fallen, and stared at the empty house. The soldiers who’d been sent to watch Luca had arrived too late; their target had already departed. Lucky for them, he supposed. All the lights were off, not even the front porch light shone, but it was more than that which told him the house was empty.

  The house was forbidden to him, but he could feel the life, or lack of life in this case, inside. There were no heartbeats, no gently hissing breaths inhaled, no whispers of life. Luca had taken the conduit away, probably trying to keep her hidden and safe, though why he would bother was a mystery to Sorin. It didn’t matter where Luca took her, how hard he tried to conceal her; Jonas would find the conduit all over again. But then, Luca didn’t know Jonas was working with the rebels.

  He was tired of this. Killing the conduits was necessary, but what he wanted was for the war to truly begin, so he could fight in the open. The humans would resist, once they knew what was going on, and he looked forward to a good battle. Regina, however, had a plan and she insisted that it be followed. They were on the cusp of attack, on the verge of coming out in full force. First the warriors and the breaking of the spell, then the all-out battle that would change the world forever. Fine. He was ready for