"Turn right up here," Kathleen directed from the backseat.

Liam turned the car onto a small dirt road that was beginning to get slick from the heavy snow accumulating on it. "Are we going to get snowed in?" Doug asked.

"Nah," Kathleen answered. "My dad leaves a plow truck here. There are a few snowmobiles too, so we'll be able to get around no matter what."

They bounced along the road over potholes, and rocks. Sera's head pounded with every rut they hit. She closed her eyes and forced herself to picture the cabin at the end of the road. She had come up here with Kathleen once during their freshman year, and she had loved it. When Kathleen had suggested coming up now, she had instantly jumped at the chance to go, despite her reservations about missing classes.

She had fallen behind already; she didn't need to fall behind any further. But the idea of spending a couple of days at the cabin, with Liam, was too tempting for her to refuse. She could do some studying here, and really crack down when they got back. So what if she didn't get straight A's this semester, in the grand scheme of things it didn't seem that important anymore.

The cabin was at the top of a steep hill and was set back in a grove of trees that surrounded it on three sides. Snow was just beginning to cover it, and old snow had been plowed into a big pile at the end of the road. Behind the large cabin, mountains loomed high against the night sky. Kathleen's family stayed here through the summer, and visited it often in the winter.

Liam pulled the car up and turned the engine off. "Thank God," Jack said, throwing his door open. "My legs are killing me."

They piled out of the car, and Sera took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air. Snow filtered down the back of her parka and caused a chill to run down her spine. When they had left Massachusetts the weather forecast had predicted a chance of snow showers in Vermont. When they had gotten to Vermont, they had begun to predict at least six inches.

The wind howled around them and Sera pulled her parka closer around her. "We'll get the stuff," Mike said. "You guys go inside and get the heat turned on."

"No problem," Kathleen said as she eagerly rubbed her bare hands together.

She bounded through the snow toward the cabin with Sera and Danielle following more cautiously behind. They huddled together on the huge, wraparound porch as Kathleen dug the keys from her pocket and threw the door open.

Kathleen flicked a switch and the lights came on. The living room on their right had a large, cathedral ceiling, with old wooden beams running across the top of it. The beams were the same dark mahogany as the floor, while the walls were a light, oak color. A large stone chimney took up the farthest wall, tapering slightly as it went out the ceiling. The room was furnished with two large, creamy white couches that were extremely comfortable. A forest green recliner was in between the couches, and a glass coffee table was in the middle of the room. The far back wall was taken up by a long bar with a green bumper running around the edge of it. The wall behind it was a mirror, and the glass shelves were lined with bottles of alcohol.

Kathleen turned down the hall on the left hand side and flicked on another light switch as they passed a doorway on the right. The small half bath was done in a pale blue that was warm and comforting. Kathleen moved onto the kitchen and to the thermostat on the wall. The floor of the kitchen was light blue linoleum. In the center was a small island crafted from a light oak wood. The kitchen counters were a pale yellow tile, and the cabinets were stained the color of dark wood. The curtains were long and a shimmery yellow that brightened the whole room.

Sera paused in the doorway and smiled as she leaned against the frame. She loved the cabin, with its elegant beauty and comfy furnishings. The smell of wood permeated the air to mingle with the hint of spices, crisp apple, cinnamon, and vanilla from the candles, and potpourri, scattered throughout the house.

"This place is beautiful," Danielle whispered.

"Thank you," Kathleen said as she turned up the thermostat on the wall. "I love it up here, but I never have a chance to come. Lack of transportation and all."

"We have to come here a lot more," Danielle said.

Sera looked around as a sense of peacefulness settled over her. This house was like a real home, a home that she wanted to have one day, with a family of her own. A family that would be nothing like hers. Her children would know that they were loved and cherished.

Sorrow flickered through her as she realized that the family she was picturing would never be. Not as long as she was with Liam. Sera closed her eyes and took a deep breath to ease the pressure building in her chest. She forced herself not to think about it, not now. For now she was going to enjoy her time here, and she wasn't going to let any depressing thoughts interfere with that.

Kathleen flicked another switch, and the back porch was illuminated. "Would you give me a hand?" she called over her shoulder.

Sera walked out to the screened in porch. Snow was billowing down outside as the wind howled through the trees. "It's getting nasty out there," Sera said as Kathleen began to grab piles of wood.

"We'll light a fire and cozy up," Kathleen said with a sly grin. "Just grab some wood for me."

Sera piled wood into her arms before following Kathleen back to the living room. "Danielle, why don't you put on some hot chocolate," Kathleen called over her shoulder.

The door opened with a blast of cold air as Mike, Doug, Liam, and Jack piled through. "Shit it's cold!" Mike called, dropping his arm full of bags on the floor.

Kathleen grinned at him and playfully bumped his hip as she walked past. "It is winter," she said.

"Actually Miss Wise Ass, it is technically still fall," he retorted.

"Where do we put this stuff?" Jack asked as Doug slammed the door.

"Just leave it there for now. I'll get the fire started. The heat takes awhile to warm this place up."

"Awesome place," Doug said. He took in the large staircase before him and the chandelier over his head before turning to follow Kathleen into the living room. "Sweet," he said, plopping onto one of the couches.

Sera grinned at him as she placed the logs next to the fireplace. Kathleen began to stack wood carefully inside of it. Liam sat on the other couch, while Jack slid in next to Doug. Mike plopped into the recliner, and popped out the footstool. "I could stay here forever," he said as he closed his eyes and leaned back.

"I'm sure my parents would love that," Kathleen quipped as she lit a piece of paper and placed it under the logs.

"Do they know that we're here?"

"They know that Sera, Danielle, and I are here. They wouldn't appreciate you guys, but what they don't know won't kill them, right?"

"True, true."

Kathleen stood up as the logs began to smoke, and a flame sputtered to life. She shut the grate and stepped back with a look of pride on her face. "Hot chocolate's done!" Danielle called from the kitchen.

"Great," Kathleen said as she held her hands over the fire. "Who wants some?"

"I do," everyone said at the same time.

"Jack or Bailey's?"

"I'm in heaven!" Jack cried. "What could be better?"

"You actually getting laid," Mike retorted.

"Screw you."

Mike laughed and leaned further back in the chair. Sera shook her head as she headed back to the kitchen to help Danielle carry out the pot of hot chocolate, and cups. When they came back to the living room, Kathleen had pulled out bottles of Jack, Tequila, and Bailey's from the bar and set them on the table.

"There are three bedrooms upstairs," she was saying. "One down here. The little bathroom's down the hall and the full bath is upstairs."

"So what are the sleeping arrangements?" Mike inquired his eyes focused on Kathleen.

She grinned at him flirtatiously. "Well now, we'll just have to figure that out later, won't we?"

Sera put the hot chocolate on the table, poured herself a glass, and added a generous shot of Bailey's to it. She sipped it as she slipped onto the couch next to Liam and kicked off her shoes. The fire crackled and sputtered as it filled the room with warmth. Liam slid his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled closer to him.

"Actually, I figured that Sera and Liam could have the room down here." Kathleen sipped her hot chocolate as she settled onto the floor. "Danielle and I will take my room, and the three of you can figure out the other two."

"Sounds good to me," Danielle said as she sat next to Sera.

She glanced over at Liam as he sat watching the flames. The light danced across his face and lit his eyes. A forceful wave of possessiveness swept through her. He was hers, and she was never going to let him go. No matter what happened, no matter what she had to give up for him.

She looked back over at the flames, feeling completely at peace in Liam's warm embrace. No one spoke as the fire crackled and the room steadily became warmer. The grandfather clock in the corner chimed ten o'clock. "This is wonderful," Danielle finally said.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I can't wait to go skiing tomorrow."

"The ski hills are about two miles down the road; we'll take the snow mobiles out there. There's a hill right behind the house, I've come down it a few times, but it's not very big and it's a bitch to climb."

They fell back into a lulled silence, watching the flames as they started to sputter down. Kathleen got up to toss more logs onto the fire, and then settled back down. An hour drifted by with little conversation. When the clock chimed eleven, Sera stood and stretched her legs. "I'm pretty beat," she said.

Kathleen stood up and stretched. "I'll show you the room."

Sera followed her back to the main foyer. She stopped to pick up her bags as Kathleen walked to the side of the staircase. "We don't use this room often," Kathleen was saying. "But it's private," she added with a sly grin, and a wink.

Kathleen stopped in front of the door behind the staircase and swung it open. Stepping inside she flicked on the light switch. Sera looked into the small room and smiled. It wasn't very big, but it was furnished with a large oak bed, a dresser, and an antique nightstand. A brass lamp with a rose-colored shade was on the nightstand, and the entire room was done in a pale, rose color.

Liam appeared in the doorway behind her. "Very nice," he said as he rested his hands on Sera's shoulders.

Kathleen grinned. "I knew you'd like it. I'll leave you guys alone. See you in the morning."

Sera had to fight the urge to grab her and tell her to stay away from Mike as she left the room. She kept her arms by her sides though as Kathleen left.

"What's wrong?" Liam inquired as he placed his bags by the dresser.

"I think Kathleen is planning something with Mike."

He looked up at her as he opened a bag and pulled out a sweater. "That bothers you?"

"Yes. I don't want him to hurt her."

"They're both adults."

"That's not what I meant." Sera put her bags down and walked over to the small window. "How do you survive?" she asked. She hadn't asked yesterday because her mind hadn't actually thought of the question, but it did now and she needed to know.

"Sera..."

She folded her arms over her chest as she turned back to him. "You said no more secrets, no more lies."

He ran a hand through his hair as he studied her. "I know what I said, and I meant it, but there are some things that are better left unexplained."

"I want to know," she whispered.

He leaned a hip casually against the dresser. "You won't like it."

"I don't care. I need to know."

"Fine," he relented. "It's easy enough to be able to survive in a frat house. Plenty of drunken girls, parties almost every night of the week. At first it feels like an annoying hickey, and then that goes away."

Sera blinked as she thought over his words. The thought of it disturbed her. How many girls had he done that too? She hated to think about it. She bit into her lip as another thought occurred to her, a more hurtful thought. He had never done it to her. Suddenly she felt as if there was something wrong with her, that there was something about her he didn't want.

She turned her mind from those thoughts, and focused her attention back on him. "Did you sleep with them all?" she whispered.

"Sera come on," he groaned.

"Did you?" she asked.

His eyes flashed angrily as he clenched his jaw. "Most, but not all."

Sera closed her eyes as pain clenched around her heart. Why had she even brought any of this up? All it did was upset her, and yet she couldn't stop herself from asking, from knowing. "How often," she had to stop and swallow heavily before finishing her question. "How often do you have to... to ah do this?"

"At least four times a week, preferably every day. Are you happy now?"

No, she wasn't happy. The thought of it turned her stomach in ways that she hadn't thought possible. That was a lot of girls. A lot more than she ever wanted to think about. "How did all of you become like this?"

He blinked at her, obviously thrown off by her change in topic, and from the look on his face, more than a little relieved. He pulled out another sweater, opened a drawer, and dropped it in. "I've known Mike, Doug, Jack, and David since we were kids. We went to school together, lived near each other, and joined all the same teams in high school. We were never apart. During our senior year, I met this girl at a party. She was beautiful, and vibrant, and she could have had anyone she wanted. For some reason, she wanted me.

"I saw her at a few more parties after that, and then she vanished. Last year, I ran into her again. She was at a frat party at my house in Buffalo. At first I was amazed that she even remembered me. It wasn't until later that I realized she had been looking for me."

He broke off as he bent and grabbed another sweater. "Why?" Sera prompted.

Liam shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know. For some reason she fancied herself in love with me. She had kept tabs on me over the years and had always known where I was. She came back for me last year because she thought that I was finally mature enough to be changed. Of course, I didn't know that at the time.

"I left with her that night. However, unlike the last time, she didn't just feed off me and leave. She changed me. She was lonely, and she wanted someone to spend the rest of her life with."

"And you didn't want to be that person?"

Liam ran a hand through his hair. "No, I didn't. I didn't know her, or what she was. When I found out what she did to me, I freaked out. Needless to say, I took it about as well as you did. The last thing I wanted was to ever see her again, let alone spend eternity with her."

Liam grew silent as he seemed to drift off to another place. It appeared he forgot that she was even there as he relived his own, tortured memories. "What about the others?" she prompted.

Liam's gaze remained briefly unfocused before settling on her again. "The others are my fault," he mumbled bitterly.

"You changed them?" she blurted.

"No. She did."

"Then how is that your fault?"

"She changed them as a way to get to me. When I refused her, she went after them. She thought that if the others joined her, I would come to her too."

"But they didn't?"

"No, they didn't. Their reactions were just as strong, and volatile, as mine. When I found out what she had done, I swore I'd kill her if I ever saw her again."

"Have you seen her since?"

"No. She changed David last, probably because she found him last, and then she disappeared. None of us have seen her since."

"Is that why you came back to college here?"

He picked up another sweater and dropped it in the drawer. "Yes. David's coming back at the end of this semester. It's easier when we're all together, and the frat house is a perfect place for us."

"Why?"

Liam winced as he realized the mistake he had just made. They had just gotten off this topic, and he knew that he was going to have to tell her the truth. "Because there are lots of girls that we can control, and attract to us, even if they're sober. But when they're drunk it's easier to make them forget that we fed off of them."

"They remember?" she asked in astonishment.

Shrugging, he grabbed another sweater. "Sometimes they know what's going on, but we can make it so that they don't."

Her hand fluttered to her throat. "Have you ever done that to me?"

The sweater dropped from his hand. "No, I haven't. I wouldn't do that to you."

"Well, why not?" she demanded.

"Because those girls are more like cattle. I care way too much about you to do that to you."

She was suddenly very confused. She didn't want him drinking her blood, yet she didn't want him going elsewhere for something that she could give him. Mostly, she just didn't want him to not want her that way. "Is there something wrong with me?" she inquired.

"Are you serious?" She nodded, unable to speak. "There is nothing wrong with you Sera. Would you have preferred it if I had taken it from you, without your knowledge?"

"No."

"All right then."

"But..."

He sighed angrily and slammed the bureau drawer shut. "There are no buts Sera. I wouldn't drink from you without your permission." Sera was suddenly unable to meet his gaze. She felt like a fool. She was acting like a fool. "I can tell you that I've been very tempted too." Her eyes flew back to his as she gaped at him. He shot her a sly smile as he leaned against the bureau and folded his arms over his chest. "Seriously tempted. Your neck is very delicate, appetizing, and I can smell your blood, even from here. It's amazingly sweet."

There was suddenly a feral gleam in his eyes that was utterly thrilling, and totally terrifying. A shudder worked its way through her as she instinctively responded to him.

She forced herself to take a deep breath. There was still so much more that she wanted to know, and she couldn't allow herself to become distracted now. "Did you attract me to you?"

"No. I talked to you, it's different."

Sera's forehead furrowed as she recalled the first time that she had seen him, and the world had seemed to disappear. Had he used whatever powers he possessed to make her feel like that? Had he been using his powers on her all along? "I have never used anything on you."

"That first time I saw you..." her voice trailed off as her throat constricted.

"Never Sera. I felt something the first time that I saw you too, but I have never used my powers on you. I could have made you forget what you saw the other night and changed your memory, but I didn't do it."

"Why not?"

"Because for better or worse I wanted you to know, I needed you to know who and what I am."

Sera's heart melted and she found herself suddenly able to breathe easier again. "Then what is this ability to attract people?"

"There's a power inside me that draws people in, but they don't do anything that they wouldn't want too."

"Even letting you feed off of them?"

"We have to survive Sera, what would you suggest we do? Kill them?"

"No!" she cried in horror. "But it seems wrong."

"Because it's not the nicest thing to do to a person, but most of them don't know what we're doing, and the ones that realize it, well, we just bend their will to ours and force them to forget it. No one leaves unhappy."

"Bend their will?" she croaked. "How?"

"It's easier when someone has been drinking. You just sort of make them forget. It doesn't hurt them, and they don't even know that we're doing it."

Sera was wishing again that she hadn't started this conversation. Her mind was beginning to spin. She didn't want to know what else he could do. What all of them could do, but there was one more thing that she had to know. "How have you been feeding since we got together? Are you still sleeping with all these girls?"

"No!" he cried indignantly. "Of course not. Sleeping with them was just an added bonus. It was a bigger rush, more power, more thrilling."

Nausea twisted in her stomach as she shook her head in an attempt to clear her befuddled mind. "More thrilling?"

Liam was silently kicking himself in the ass. He should have kept his big mouth shut, but she was being so obstinate and aggravating right now. His brain wasn't having enough time to tell his mouth to stay shut. "Sera come on; you don't want to hear this."

She bit on her bottom lip. No, she probably didn't want to hear this but she had come this far, and she couldn't turn back now. "Yes, I do. I need to understand Liam."

He groaned as he straightened away from the bureau. "Because we're pleasing ourselves in more than one way. The blood is a giant rush, and sex on top of it makes you feel like you could rule the world. Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to know?" he demanded savagely.

She blinked back tears as her stomach threatened to empty itself. "No," she choked out.

The distressed look on her face was enough to help calm him down. "It's my past Sera. I haven't slept with anyone since I met you, I don't ever want to, but I cannot change my past. No matter how much I wish I could now that I know you."

Sera took a steadying breath. "How are you feeding now?"

"I don't have to sleep with someone to feed off of them. I can make the marks go away almost instantly. I can feed off of someone, and ten minutes later send them back into a party as if nothing happened. Their neck may be a little redder, or they may appear to have a tiny hickey, but no one is ever the wiser. They don't even know that I was there."

Sera felt even sicker. She closed her eyes as she tried to block out the nausea in her stomach. She felt as if he was cheating on her, even though he wasn't. But she couldn't help feeling that he was going to someone else for something that she could give him. Something that he had never asked her for, or seemed to want from her.

What had she gotten herself into? What was she doing here? With him? With all of them? And now Kathleen was vulnerable to Mike. She wanted to run from the room, grab her friends, drag them out of the cabin, and back to safety. She opened her eyes. Liam was staring at her with a mixture of resentment, and indignation.

"Changing your mind?" he sneered.

She had wanted to know, and as he had promised, he'd told her the truth. She had brought this on herself. She had known what he was when she had stayed in his room yesterday. She had made her choice. She wasn't going to leave now. He needed to survive. She couldn't turn her back on him because she didn't like the way that he did it.

"Kathleen," she whispered.

"Mike won't hurt her. I know that he likes her and cares about her as a friend. If things progress, I don't even know if he'll feed off of her."

Sera felt like she was abandoning her friend, but there was nothing that she could do. She couldn't go barging up there and tell Kathleen to stay away from Mike. It wouldn't happen. In fact, it would only make Kathleen more determined to go after him.

Liam turned away from her. His shoulders were slumped as if he had the weight of the world on them. She walked over to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her chin on his back. He remained rigid before his hands enclosed hers. He turned around and she tilted her head to look up at him. He was so unbelievably gorgeous that it made her tremble with longing. She ran her hands down his shirt, and slipped them underneath to feel the warm skin pulled taut over his ridged abdomen. She pushed the shirt up. He lifted his arms so that she could tug it over his head and toss it to the floor. Stepping back, she took the time to admire his solid chest.

She smiled as she stepped close. His muscles rippled beneath her touch as he stopped breathing. Her smiled deepened as she realized the full extent of the power she had over him. The power that only a woman could hold over a man. She dropped a kiss on his chest and tasted him. His hands wrapped into her hair as he pulled her head away, and lifted her mouth to his. She kissed him passionately, her tongue entwining with his as her body began to tingle with anticipation.

His hands leisurely roamed over her. Breaking the kiss, he pulled her sweater over her head and unhooked her bra. His eyes were clouded with passion as he gazed at her. His hands skimmed to the waist of her jeans, he unbuttoned them and bent to slide them down.

She stepped out of them and kicked them across the floor. Stepping back to him, she pressed her full breasts against his chest as she slid her hands down to his jeans button and easily undid it. He watched her as she undressed him, making no move to stop her, or touch her. She pulled his jeans and underwear down. Her eyes flicked to his erect cock as a wicked thought crossed her mind. Before she could have second thoughts, she knelt before him.

Liam inhaled sharply as he realized her intent. He caressed her cheek as she bent forward and ran her tongue along his hard shaft. He throbbed and pulsed beneath her touch as she drew him into her mouth. His hands dug into her hair as his hips arched into her. Moving slowly, her tongue flickered along his head as she tentatively began to explore him. At first she had been hesitant, and more than a little afraid, but she became more confident as she felt his excitement rise, and his hands guided her. Her hands wound around to grab his firm ass and draw him deeper into her mouth.

He groaned as his head tipped back and his body trembled with pleasure. He had never seen anything as erotic as Sera kneeling before him, making love to him with her delicate mouth. He stroked one of her breasts, relishing in the feel of the taut nipple as he rolled it in his hand.

Her mouth and tongue moved faster, and he knew that he couldn't take much more of the exquisite torture. He pulled away suddenly, and bent to pick her up. He lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He turned the light off and laid her on the bed. Even though there was no light, he could see her in perfect, beautiful detail. Her body began to tremble in anticipation as he spread her legs and began to kiss her delicate inner thigh. His eyes locked upon hers as he levered himself between her thighs. She stared at him with a mixture of trepidation, and anticipation, as he parted her folds with his fingers and bent to her.

Pleasure soared through her as he pushed his tongue inside of her. She wound her fingers into his hair as he lifted her, and pulled her against him. His hand rubbed against her outer nub as his tongue dove ever deeper. She was like molten lava and sweet honey rolled into one. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably and she cried out as sparks of pleasure shot through her. He drove relentlessly into her and her body arched against him as he savored every drop of her sweet juices.

He pulled away, leveling himself over her as he captured her mouth again. She lay trembling beneath him, sated, and yet still aching for more. For all of him. Her hands wrapped around his back as she lifted herself against him. He teasingly rubbed the head of his shaft against her. She moaned and arched more frantically as she begged him with her body to take her. He couldn't resist her anymore as he drove into her with a loud groan. She cried out loudly as he stretched and filled her with exquisite heat.

She met his urgent pace with her own as she rocked against him. Her hands held onto his sweat slickened back as she wrapped her legs around his waist and drew him deeper into her. She relished in the feel of his body against hers. He left a trail of kisses across her face, her ears, and her breasts that caused her blood to heat everywhere that his mouth touched.

When he moved away from her neck to kiss her ear, she captured his head with her hands, and guided it back to her neck. "Sera," he breathed in her ear. "No."

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes."

His body was trembling as he waged an inner battle with himself. A battle that she was determined to win. She dug her hands into his hair, refusing to let him move his head away from her neck. She wanted this, she needed this, and she was going to get it. She had to know what it felt like. She eased him closer to her; his breath was warm and ragged against her throat. She felt trepidation trying to steel through her but she refused to give into it.

"Please Liam," she begged. "I need to know. I need to feel."

He began to slide in and out of her. She lifted herself to take more of him into her as she held his head firmly in place. She moaned; her hands clenched in his hair as she turned her head to allow him better access.

She could feel the need that drove his body savagely into hers. Yet, he still resisted. "Sera..." he groaned.

"Please Liam!"

Even if he wanted to fight her, he couldn't anymore. He could smell the sweetness of her blood; hear it pounding through her veins. It was too tempting, and she was so willing. He wanted her in every way. He needed to taste her, to have her. Suddenly he felt like a feral animal, needing to mark its mate as his, and only his. With a cry of possession, he sank his teeth deep into her neck.

She let out a startled cry as pain blazed through her. She fought against it for a second, but then it began to fade, and an overwhelming mix of emotions filled her. She could suddenly feel his overwhelming pleasure as he drank from her, and moved within her. She could feel his thoughts, and his love. Delight spread through her body as she realized that she was helping him, that she was joining with him, and that they were one. She was satisfying a deep hunger that pulsed throughout him, and burned in his veins.

She moved more quickly against him as his ecstasy spread throughout her entire body, and his need became fevered. His urgency drove her to primitive levels that she never knew existed, and never dreamed that her body and mind could attain. Her nails clawed into his back as her body exploded from within. Shivers of delight ripped through her, causing her to arch high, and tighten around him as her body shook with unending waves of ecstasy. She felt his orgasm rip through him, felt his pleasure as it poured from him into her mind and body.

He pulled away from her neck and looked down at her. His mouth was tinged with her blood, and there was a hungry, frenzied look in his eyes that revealed the thing inside of him. But his eyes were also filled with a love so intense that it melted her heart and made it impossible for her to look away from him.

She suddenly realized why he had never fed off of her. He hadn't wanted to hurt her. He was afraid that whatever was inside of him would take control, and he wouldn't be able to stop himself. She also realized just how hungry he was, how badly he needed blood.

She let out a breath as anguish for him bloomed in her chest. He touched her face as the turbulent look gradually left his eyes. "Do I scare you?" he whispered.

She wanted to tell him no, but she couldn't. "Yes," she admitted. "And no." She stroked his cheek as she sensed the distress that her words had caused him. "I know you would never hurt me," she whispered. "But..."

"But, you can't help but be afraid," he finished for her. "I can understand that."

She ran her finger over his lips and wiped away her blood. She held it before him, and he took it into his mouth, gently sucking on it. "You're not feeding well," she said.

He released her finger. "It's all right."

"No, it's not. Why?"

He dropped his hand away from her. He eased himself out of her and propped his head on his elbow so that he could stare down at her. "Sera..."

"If it's because of me..."

"It's not because of you," he assured her. "It's just..."

"You feel guilty," she said as realization dawned on her. She felt an acute sense of guilt, along with relief. She had thought that he also enjoyed being with other women, even if he wasn't sleeping with them. Now she realized that he didn't enjoy it, that he felt as if he were betraying her, and he was depriving himself because of it.

"Don't worry about it."

"Of course I worry about it. I worry about you. I admit that it bothered me, but I realize now that it's something you have to do to survive. I don't want you depriving yourself because of me."

"I'm not, really."

"Yes, you are. I can feel it in you; your mind was in mine. I could feel your desperation, your need. Don't lie to me about this."

He caught hold of her hand and dropped a kiss on it. "I'm not lying. Granted, I'm not feeding as well I used to, but I can handle it. Okay?"

She studied the planes of his face and the firm set of his jaw. "Yes," she said grudgingly. "Does your mind mingle with everyone?"

He smiled as he began to stroke her shoulder and down toward her breast. "No," he said as her body began to respond to his touch. "Only if I let it. I always keep my mind shut out of theirs, and theirs shut out of mine. It keeps them from knowing what's going on, and I don't care how they feel."

His finger caressed her nipple and teased it back to erection. "You knew what I was feeling too?" she asked, her voice husky with pleasure.

"Uh huh, every thought, every sensation." His hand skimmed along her body, and down between her thighs. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes," she whispered. She hadn't thought it was possible after everything that she had just experienced, but her body was beginning to ache again.

His lips traveled down her neck, and then up to her ear. "Good," he murmured as he nibbled at her earlobe.

"Did you?" she breathed, as he pushed her down and lowered his body over hers.

"Immensely." His hands traveled over her body as his eyes burned into hers. "Do you want to try something else?" he asked as his fingers slid into her.

She stared into his eyes as her body came alive with electricity. She ran her hands along his back, feeling the tautness of his skin, the sweat that still coated them both, and the texture of his muscles. "What?" she asked, her voice choked with passion.

"You can taste me," he said as the demanding movement of his hand caused her to moan. "Not enough to change you, but enough to let you inside of me again."

He kissed her neck; his tongue flickered out to brush against her flesh. "Do you want too?" he groaned.

He lifted his head to look into her eyes, kissing her, as his hand slipped away from her. It was the hopeful look in his eyes that made her want to do anything for him. "Yes," she whispered. "I want as much of you as possible."

He lifted himself from her and stood up. She admired his naked body as he opened the closet door and searched through his bag. He grabbed something and came back to her. His body glistened with sweat and his erect prick pulsed in the dim light of the room. He moved with the elegance and grace of a powerful jungle cat.

A shiver of pure possession ripped through her. This big, powerful man was all hers and she was never going to let him go.

He slid in beside her, his eyes fixed upon hers as he slid on top of her, teasing her with his cock. His eyes locked onto hers as he put whatever he had grabbed on the pillow. His hands skimmed down her body, and back up to her face as he slid into her. He touched her adoringly as his eyes burned passionately into hers.

Her immense love for him was consuming her as she kissed him, touched him; loved him with her heart and body. He made love to her slowly, caressing her, enjoying her, and making her ache all over with need.

He had never tasted anything so sweet, so wonderful. Her blood flowed through his body, burned in his veins, and made him stronger. He wanted all of her, everything, and he knew that he would never be able to get enough of her. Her hands roamed all over him as she learned every aspect of his amazing, perfect body.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you."

She could feel her desire mounting as he moved languidly within her. He stretched his hand over the pillow and brought out a knife. She watched nervously as he made a small slit at the base of his throat. Blood welled against his beautiful skin and began to flow forth. He guided her mouth to his neck and pressed her against him.

The blood was warm against her lips, metallic in her nostrils. She hesitated for a moment, suddenly frightened and unsure. His hands tensed upon her hair as he waited breathlessly. She could sense how bad he wanted this, how bad he needed it. She wanted to cry for the loneliness that she felt in him. She couldn't deny him this. She could deny him nothing.

"Liam," she murmured before opening her mouth to him. The blood trickling into her mouth was warm and surprisingly sweet. She closed her mouth around him, and began to drink deeply, sucking on his skin as she reveled in the taste of him. He moaned as he held her closer, urging her to drink deeper, and to taste more.

His body began to move faster with his urgency. She drank deeper, her body alive with pleasure as the need building within her reached a fevered level. She moaned as she clung to him, wanting more of him, needing more as his blood, his body, and his mind filled her. She felt the possession that he felt for her, and she knew that he would never let her go, that she was his. At one point in time that fact would have frightened her, instead it only served to arouse her further. He may think that she belonged to him, but he also belonged to her, and she was never going to let him go.

His mind begged her to take more, to have it all. She responded by biting remorselessly on his neck, and causing a fresh surge of blood to fill her. He moaned and pounded into her, grasping at her body frenziedly as an animalistic need overtook him.

Her body arched against his with the same wild need as his blood, and mind, overtook her. She was suddenly like a crazed animal that couldn't get enough. She would never get enough. She wanted all of him in her. Their actions became uncontrollable as their bodies ground together, and their minds whirled.

Her body exploded in a blur of pleasure as lights filtered across her eyes. He cried out and thrust deeply into her as his body found its sweet release. She held him as she continued to taste him, and love him, and wanting desperately for him to feel her love like she felt his.

"You have to stop," he said. It took her a minute to realize that his words had not been spoken, but were floating into her mind.

She didn't want to stop though; she didn't want him to leave her. She wanted to stay like this forever, feeling his love, and the peace that it brought her. He rubbed her head as his own aching need spread into her body. Along with his fear.

It was his fear that finally made her pull away. She expected to feel a huge sense of loss, but she didn't. As she stared at him, she knew that she would never feel alone again. That she had found her home, and she would never lose it.

She kissed him as he licked the blood off her lips. He stared at her with a tenderness that melted her heart. "Nothing will ever separate us," he whispered against her lips. "You are inside of me, and I am inside of you."

"Yes," she whispered.

Her eyes drifted closed as exhaustion slipped over her body. She could barely keep her eyes open as he settled in beside her and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her, and she smiled as she snuggled into his chest. She drifted off to sleep with the security of knowing that they would never be torn apart.