Sera woke slowly the next morning. The blanket was pulled firmly over her head and she snuggled in deeper seeking warmth. It was then she realized that Liam was no longer with her, and that was why she was cold. She sat up quickly.

The fire had recently been rebuilt, its bright flames leapt high as it crackled, and the smell of wood permeated the air. Kathleen was passed out on one of the couches, and Danielle was curled up in the recliner. Mike had abandoned his spot on the other couch, and Jack was gone from his mattress on the floor. Doug was still curled up on his mattress next to the couch, his mouth open as he snored.

Muffled voices from the kitchen drifted to her. She wrapped the blanket around her as she stood and made her way toward them. Their voices drifted to her, but she couldn't make out any of the words. When she entered the doorway, they stopped talking and turned to look at her. She glanced curiously at them as she made her way to the coffee pot and began to gather the ingredients.

"What's going on?" she asked as she turned to face them. Liam stood and made his way around the island to her. She stared at him, suddenly very disconcerted by his behavior. He seemed distant again. "Is everything all right?"

He brushed back a strand of tangled hair. "Yes," he assured her.

His face was still remote, but the familiar warmth was back in his brilliant eyes. "Sera, when you opened the door last night you invited Beth in like you knew her, did you?" Mike asked.

Her eyes flicked to him. "I had met her before."

Liam stiffened. "Where?"

"She came by when you guys were on your walk, and Kathleen and Danielle had come back inside. She said that she lived in the cabin down the road, and that she was walking to her friend's house. We talked for a few minutes and she left. Kathleen said the people that used to own that cabin are dead."

"That's probably where she's staying," Jack said.

Sera drew her cold hands into the blanket. "I don't know."

Liam stared at her for a minute, and then looked over at Jack and Mike. "You want to come with me Jack?"

Jack slid off the stool. "Absolutely."

"How far away is it?" Liam asked her.

"Kathleen said it was about a mile down the hill."

He reached under the blanket and clasped hold of her cold hands. She smiled as warmth swiftly spread through her body. "I have to go." She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when she saw the haunted look in his eyes. "I have to find her."

The snow was still falling, although it seemed to have eased, and the wind had died down. But how much was out there? Her gaze returned to Liam as she bit nervously into her lip. "Mike and Doug are going to stay here to make sure you're safe. I want you to stay inside. Okay?"

"Yes."

He squeezed her hands and released her. She grabbed hold of his shirt before he could turn away and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. For a second he was unresponsive, and then his mouth seared into hers before he pulled away. Sera's breath caught in her throat at the savage gleam in his eyes.

"Be careful," she whispered.

"I will. Come on Jack."

Sera watched as they bundled up and walked out the door. She was instantly swallowed by a wave of loneliness and loss. She closed her eyes as she fought against it.

***

The grandfather clock chimed out five o'clock as Sera sat, sipping hot chocolate, and watching the flames. Kathleen sat in the recliner, her eyes frozen on the flames as her hands twirled the mug in her hands. Danielle sat before the fire, her knees drawn up, and her arms wrapped around them. Mike and Doug had wandered off, bored, and tired of the silent treatment that Kathleen had been giving them all.

"You know, don't you Sera," Kathleen finally said.

Sera felt her heart clench. She had been wondering when Kathleen would confront her. "Know what?" she asked as she tried to bide her time.

"What's going on, you know."

"Kathleen..."

"Sera, you're my best friend, but if you lie to me one more time I'll never talk to you again."

Sera winced. "I can't say anything," she finally said.

Kathleen looked back at the fire. "Yes, you can. I don't care what they say, or what you may say, but there was something wrong with that girl. Something's not right. She's dangerous Sera. I could sense that, and she puts us in danger somehow. And so does Liam. There's something not right with either of them." Her gaze darted nervously toward the door. When she spoke again her voice was so low that Sera had to strain to hear her. "Maybe there's something wrong with all of them. I think that we deserve to know what."

Sera stared down at her mug as steam rose up in waves. She desperately wished that Liam were here to help, that any of them would show back up and help. Her glance fell on the clock. Where was he? He had been gone for so long. Way too long. Uneasiness had officially turned into full-fledged panic three hours ago. There was so much snow out there, it was cold, and Beth had said that she was stronger than he was. Was he laying out there somewhere injured, maybe dying? He wasn't completely immortal. Vampires could still be killed somehow, couldn't they?

"Sera," Kathleen said. "Answer me."

She took a deep breath as she tried to ease the growing knot of anxiety in her chest. "I can't say anything Kathleen," she said again.

"If your life was in danger, I would tell you why."

"It isn't my secret to tell Kathleen." She wasn't going to tell her that her life wasn't in danger, it was, and Kathleen knew it. To lie to her now would only cost Sera her best friend.

"It is your secret, if you know what it is, Sera."

She looked over at Kathleen, who was staring at her with tear-filled eyes. "I promise that you will have answers soon enough."

"We'd better. I'm serious Sera, no more lies."

"No more lies Kathleen," she promised. The fact that she may have just lied to her was something that she didn't want to contemplate now.

"Good."

"But some things are better off not knowing."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sera took a sip of her hot chocolate and pulled her blanket more firmly around her. "Just what I said. Sometimes it's better not to know. The truth isn't always the answer, but just the beginning."

Kathleen didn't speak as she turned to stare at the flames again. A loud knock on the door startled them all. Sera's hot chocolate spilled onto her blanket as she jumped up. Liam and Jack wouldn't knock, but maybe, just maybe, it was them. "I got it!" Mike yelled as he ran into the foyer. He pointed sharply at Sera. "You three stay in there."

Doug came into the hall as Mike flung the door open. Cold air, and snow, blasted into the house. "Jesus! You made it! Come in." Sera watched as a tall figure stepped into the flickering candlelight. "How you doing man?" Mike asked as he embraced the figure.

"Been better. Sure as hell been warmer. Help me get these freaking skis off. They're killing my feet!"

Sera moved toward the foyer as Mike shut out the blasting wind. Doug turned to look at her, but didn't stop her. "Come on in."

Mike frowned at her. "I told you to stay in the living room."

"Don't start Mike," she muttered.

He shook his head as he grabbed hold of her shoulders, turned her around, and gave her a nudge forward. "Come on, let's get David warm."

She scowled over Mike's highhanded manner and shot him a look over her shoulder. She would have argued with him, but the pleading look in his eyes froze her words. He was just trying to make sure that she was safe. She glanced over her shoulder as Doug clasped hands with David and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Where are Liam and Jack?" David inquired.

"They went to look for Beth. They've been gone all day."

Sera settled back onto the couch as Doug came into the room, followed by a very wet, very unhappy looking David. The skis on his feet clumped loudly over the hardwood floor as he settled into the recliner.

David was tall, and athletically built. His light blond hair was wet, and windblown. It added a boyish charm to his angled face. His eyes were a brilliant electric blue. His lips were thick, and a deep ruby red that were now chapped and sore looking. His nose was elegantly carved, but it was the only thing about him that wasn't perfect. It had been broken at one point, and was a little crooked, but it only seemed to add to his appeal.

He was almost as good looking as Liam, and Sera found herself staring at him in astonishment. She looked over at Kathleen and Danielle, who were both gaping at him. "This is Kathleen, Danielle, and Sera," Mike introduced as he gestured at them. "This is David."

"Well now," David said as he glanced at them. "Don't we all look cozy."

"Oh yeah," Danielle replied sarcastically. "We're a happy bunch!"

"How far did you have to ski?" Doug asked as he helped David struggle out of his boot.

"About ten miles. Freaking roads are a mess. Shit Doug, leave my feet attached to my body!"

"Sorry," he muttered.

Sera watched in amusement as Doug and David tugged and pulled at the boots. Finally, they managed to get them off. David pulled his leg up and began to massage his feet. "Do you have any dry clothes?" Mike asked.

"My bag by the door. I'll get them when I can feel my hands and feet again." David looked them all over again. "Which one of you is Liam's girlfriend?" Sera raised an eyebrow as his eyes settled on her. "You?"

"Yes."

David studied her a minute longer before turning away. Sera scowled at him. She had the distinct feeling that he had wanted to say something, or do something, but hadn't. "Hey!" Kathleen shouted. "I do recall a certain promise that revolved around this man!"

Sera closed her eyes and shoved the blanket off of her. "We'll wait to Liam gets back," Mike said.

"We've been waiting all day! I'm tired of waiting!"

"He'll be back soon," Doug said.

"I don't care!"

Sera stood up, suddenly exceptionally pissed off. She was tired of Kathleen's demands, and tired of all the lies. She was tired of being worried about Liam, tired of staring at the clock and not having him return. She needed him here. She felt as if a part of her was missing without him. She paced over to the window. It had grown dark out, but she could still see snowflakes as they continued to fall.

"How much snow is out there?" she inquired.

"About three feet," David replied absently.

Sera closed her eyes. Where was he?

"Would someone please tell us something," Danielle pleaded.

Sera turned and walked out of the room. "Where are you going?" Mike demanded.

"Bathroom!" she called over her shoulder.

She walked right past the bathroom and into the kitchen. Hastily lacing up her boots, she grabbed her jacket, and slid it on. She suddenly couldn't stand being in the cabin one minute longer. She didn't care what Liam had said, he had left her here and she needed to get out before she went insane. Flinging the backdoor open, she plunged into the thigh high snow. Wind howled around her, and the frigid air seared her lungs as she trudged toward the woods.

"Sera!" Mike yelled as she made it to the edge of the woods. "Sera! Get back here!"

She deftly ignored him as she plunged into the forest. Her breath was coming in ragged pants and her legs were tired from trying to get through the thick snow, but she forced herself to keep going. Suddenly, her leg got caught on a tree branch. With a cry, she fell into the snow. Her fingers were cold and raw as they buried into it and dug deep. She clawed at it as tears of frustration blurred her eyes. With a muffled cry, she collapsed, not caring about the cold as it seeped into her bones. She was just glad to be free.

"Goddamn it!" Mike roared as he shoved his way through the tree branches toward her. "What are you doing?"

"I needed to get out of that cabin. I couldn't take anymore of the anger," she answered. He loomed over her, a sinister scowl on his face as he planted his hands on his hips. She couldn't help but laugh at him.

His scowl deepened as he stared at her in disbelief. "I'm glad you think this is funny. Are you trying to kill me?"

"Of course not."

"Liam will kill me once he finds out that you did this! Sera get up!"

"He's not going to care."

"Not going to care! He's going to rip my head off! I found her!" he called out as footsteps sounded to their left.

"Is he coming back?" she asked.

"Of course he is."

Sera found herself unable to meet his gaze. "He's been gone a long time Mike, I'm worried."

"There's nothing to worry about, now come on, get up."

She had to gather her courage for her next question. It was something that had been nagging at her all day. Finally deciding that the best way to ask was to just say it, she turned back to him. "Do you think he might stay with her?" she whispered.

Her distress finally seemed to penetrate through to Mike as he sat in the snow next to her. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"No Sera, he will not stay with her. He's more than likely going to kill her if he finds her."

"But she said that she was stronger than him."

He ran a hand through his tangled hair. "She knows more about her powers, and she's more adept at using them than we are, but he will kill her."

"He seemed so unhappy when he left this morning," she whispered forlornly.

Mike tilted her chin up with his finger. "Trust me, he will be back. I've known Liam my entire life, and I've never seen him as happy as he is with you, or as possessive. He would walk through Hell to get back here for you, okay?"

She gnawed on her lower lip as she nodded. David burst out of the woods beside them. He was panting as he glowered at them. "Are you two trying to freeze to death? Get out of the freaking snow!"

Mike laughed and laid back. "I don't know, I think Sera's got the right idea. That cabin was driving me crazy too. The infuriated estrogen level was getting a little too high."

"Hey!" She punched him in the arm as he grinned up at her.

"You two have lost it," David muttered. "This shit sucks! I should know I've been stuck in it for hours!"

"It's worse in there," Mike said. "Trust me."

"Yeah," Sera agreed. "I don't want to go back."

"You two are going to freeze to death out here, and then Liam is going to kill Doug and me."

"Oh, stop bitching," she said. "I'll freeze to death, not you, you don't die."

David gaped at her as Mike burst out laughing. "She's got you there!" Mike cried.

Sera laughed and picked up a handful of snow to throw at him. She caught him square in the face, stopping his laughter in mid tirade. He blinked in surprise and then grabbed a handful of snow. She tried to scramble away, but it was too late, he grabbed the back of her shirt, and shoved snow down her sweater. She squealed as a freezing tremor wracked through her. She jumped on him and began tossing and throwing snow.

"Children!" David yelled.

Sera stopped attacking Mike, and lay panting on the ground. "I say we get him," she whispered.

Mike grinned at her, and they both hopped up and sprinted toward him. David didn't have enough time to get out of the way before Mike knocked him into the snow. Sera grabbed handfuls of snow as she charged forward to help Mike. They rolled around, shoving snow at each other as they squealed and laughed away some of their tension.

"What are you doing?" Liam roared.

They all froze, snow fell from their hands as they stared guiltily at one another, and then at him. Liam and Jack stood a few feet from them. Sera's delight at seeing him vanished in the face of his obvious wrath. Jack looked extremely uncomfortable as he glanced at the three of them, and then at Liam. He took a small step away from Liam. Liam's eyes burned with fire as they landed on Mike's hand upon her arm. Mike instantly released her.

"I told you to watch her!" he barked at Mike.

Mike ran a hand through his wet hair. "I am watching her."

"Hey, I do have a mind of my own! I'm not a child!" Sera yelled indignantly.

"You're acting like one!"

Sera's mouth dropped open. She knew that he was angry, and she supposed he had a right to be, but he was the one that had left her alone all day. And now that she was finally having fun, she was not about to stop just because he was mad. "Really?" She climbed to her feet, and brushed the snow off of her. David and Mike nervously shuffled along behind her.

"Yes, really."

"That's good to know."

She gathered the snow from her clothes and threw it at him. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Being a child."

She ran at him, and flung herself forward. The force of her small impact was enough to knock him into the snow. He cried out in surprise as she shoved snow into his face. Then, he started to laugh as he rolled her over, and pinned her down. She grinned up at him. His hair was now white, and wet, as it hung around his magnificent face. His eyes lit with desire and her body immediately arched into his. For a moment she forgot about everyone else as she gazed at him.

"Get him!" Mike yelled.

They were suddenly on top of them, throwing and tossing snow, screaming and yelling happily. Liam rolled off of her as he tried to fend them off. She was instantly on her feet and joining in the fray.

Ten minutes later they lay spent, and panting. Sera stared up at the stars, happy, tired, and freezing. Snow adhered to her clothes and skin. Her feet and hands were numb, but she didn't want to move. She didn't want to go back into that cabin to face Danielle and Kathleen.

"Come on," Liam said as he extended a hand to her.

"Do we have to?" she asked.

"You'll freeze to death."

"I'm thinking I might prefer it."

He smiled down at her as he took hold of her outstretched hand. "I'll give you a piggyback ride," he offered.

She wrapped her numb, wet legs around him as she tightened her arms around his neck. He carried her through the woods, moving with a swiftness that startled, and enthralled her. She nuzzled her face against his neck as she sought his warmth and strength. She kissed his cheek and rested her head upon his shoulder. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too." Her smile was so soft and angelic that it melted his heart. He forced himself to look away from her before he was completely lost. "How have you been?" he asked David.

"Cold and she seems to enjoy keeping me that way."

Sera laughed as she nestled closer to Liam. "Did you find Beth?" Mike asked.

Liam's hands tensed on her calves. "No, she wasn't there. She was at one point in time though; she left enough signs of that. We looked for her, but she seems to be gone, for now anyway."

"Wonderful."

They moved out of the forest, and Sera lifted her head to look at the cabin. It looked so peaceful, but she knew how much looks could be deceiving. "Well guys," Jack said. "Here goes all hell."

"Yeah," Liam muttered.

"It'll be okay," she said.

He squeezed her hand, and David opened the door. "Have you decided what we're going to do?"

"No," Mike answered. "We'll decide that now."

"Why don't you go join them," Liam suggested as he set Sera down. "We'll be right there." She stared at him for a minute before leaving the porch. "Sera!" She turned to him, a puzzled look on her face. "Stay here."

"Liam," David said quietly.

"She stays."

She had been out of his sight all day, and it had eaten him up. He had done nothing but think of her. He knew that she probably shouldn't be here now, but the minute she had turned to leave he had realized that he didn't want her where he couldn't see her anymore. He didn't know what was going on inside of him, but he did know that it was getting stronger, and it was getting worse. When he had come across all of them in the snow, he had almost attacked David and Mike. It had only been the fact that she was present, and might be injured, that had halted him. He had never even gotten into a fistfight with any of them, but he'd felt the insane urge to kill them both when he'd seen them with her.

"She is part of what we need to talk about." David took a step back as Liam glared at him. "It's not what you're thinking," he added quickly.

"If it concerns her, then she stays," Liam insisted.

"She may not want to hear what I have to say. You may not want to hear it. I'm telling you Liam, let her go."

He glanced at Sera standing just outside the doorway. He turned back to David and shook his head. "I can't."

David ran his hand through his hair. "Fine, but just remember that I warned you. Can we talk in here?"

"I don't want to be too far away from Kathleen and Danielle, just in case. But they shouldn't be able to hear us."

"I can go if you want me too," Sera said.

"No," Liam said brusquely.

She didn't say anything as he walked over and pulled her into his arms. Leaning against the counter, he braced her between his legs and relished in the refreshing, sweet scent of her hair. His body quickened as he heard the blood rushing through her veins. He could smell himself inside of her. That realization caused his mouth to water and the beast to stream forth again. His hands clenched upon her as he closed his eyes in an attempt to keep the demon at bay.

"So what do we tell them?" Mike asked. "Do you think they could handle the truth?"

"I don't know," Sera answered. "I didn't handle it too well and I love Liam."

"We can't tell them the truth," Jack said.

"Do you have another idea? Because I know I've been wracking my brain for hours, and I can't think of one," Mike said.

"Can we force them to accept another truth?"

"You can't do that!" Sera cried.

"It may be the only way," Doug said. "It will be trickier since so much time has elapsed, and they're not drunk, but with all of us we should be able to do it."

"There has to be another way."

"Sera, there may not be."

Liam's breath was warm against her neck. It sent shivers down her spine at the same time that tears sprang to her eyes. She turned to him. "Liam please," she pleaded. "I don't want to see them hurt."

He clasped her face in his hands and held her. "They won't even know what happened."

"And if Beth comes back and tries to harm them?"

The tears in her eyes, and the quiver in her voice, tore at his heart. He didn't want to see her hurt, but telling Danielle and Kathleen the truth only placed all of them in more peril. This was for the best, and she had to realize that.

"We will keep them safe Sera," he vowed.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at him with melancholy eyes. He wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "Promise?" she breathed.

"Yes, I promise. We all promise, right?"

"Yes," they answered.

"It really won't hurt them? Are you sure?"

"I am absolutely positive."

Sera's lip trembled as her head fell forward and tears spilled down her cheeks to wet his hands. He pulled her against him as she cried silently into his shirt. He closed his eyes against the anguish that filled him. "Go do it," he ordered in a hoarse voice.

It took all he had to keep Sera standing. "We need to talk about something else first," David said.

Liam ground his teeth. "I think it can wait!"

David looked at Sera and then back at him. "No Liam, it can't."

"David," Mike warned.

"Mike, this cannot wait. You're losing it aren't you? Losing control of yourself? Losing control of your ability to keep the demon at bay?" His gaze was focused on Liam.

Liam stared back at him relentlessly. "Yes."

David ran his hand through his wet hair. "I thought so."

Sera pulled away and tilted her head back to stare at him. His jaw was set, and his eyes were gleaming dangerously as his nostrils flared. "Liam?" she asked questioningly.

He glanced down at her before looking away, but she had already seen the torment in his eyes. Her hands clenched on his shirt. She had known that he was grappling with himself to be around her, but she hadn't realized how bad it was until right now. She had pushed him yesterday; she had completely ignored his need to get away from her, in her own need to be close to him. She was doing this to him. She felt like the most horrible person in the world.

She took a step away from him, but he grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her back. "No," he said so quietly that she knew no one else had heard him.

"But..."

"I said no!" his eyes flamed with fire as his jaw clenched.

"But it's because of me!" she protested as she squirmed to get out his embrace. His hands clenched upon her. She winced in response and he immediately eased his grip. "It is, isn't it?"

"Yes." It was David that answered her. Sera stopped struggling as she turned to look at him. David's eyes were pitying before he looked at Liam. "You've tasted her?" Liam nodded sharply. "And she has tasted you?"

Sera's face flamed hotly. "Yes," Liam grated.

"But she's not one of us," Doug stated.

Sera felt herself turning redder as she realized that they knew everything. "No, she's not," David said. "That's the problem."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Liam spat. His body trembled; his arms locked around her were as taut as a bowstring.

"I met some of our kind in Pennsylvania..." David started.

"How did you know they were our kind?" Jack interrupted.

David shot him an aggravated look. "Like knows like," he explained hastily. "You'll see when you meet others. Trust me." His gaze returned to Liam and Sera. "After I talked to you, I went and asked them about our relationships with humans. We are not meant to be with them, not seriously anyway."

"They told you this?" Liam demanded.

"Yes. You have marked her as yours Liam. When you let her feed from you she became a part of you, and vice versa."

"Beth did the same thing!" Liam seethed.

"It's not the same Liam, and you know it! You never loved Beth, but you love her and the thing inside of you needs her to be with you, forever. When we fall in love something happens, something changes. Inside, we are savage, and we need to mark our mates. You will kill anyone that hurts her, you will kill us."

"So he says," Mike muttered.

"So he will," David said firmly. "You'll also destroy her."

"No he won't!" Sera cried.

David's eyes were sympathetic as they met hers. "Yes, he will. He will turn you. He's fighting it now, but he will. He can't let you go Sera, not in any way. The demon inside him senses the mortality in you, the frailty of your life, and it will not have it."

"Then I'll let her go," Liam said even as his arms tightened upon her waist.

"No!" Sera was horrified and broken at the mere thought.

"Sera..."

"You can't," David said flatly.

"Of course I can," Liam insisted.

"No you can't!" Sera denied.

"No, he can't," David reasserted vehemently. "Don't give me that look, you can't Liam. Even now, while you're saying the words, you're changing."

Sera twisted to look up at him. He diverted his head, but not before she caught a glimpse of red eyes and elongated teeth. "Liam," she whispered as she touched his cheek.

He took hold of her hand and pulled it away from his face. "Don't!"

Tears welled in her eyes, but she withdrew her hand from him. She could feel him trying to put a wall between them, but she didn't know how to stop it. He was determined to try and keep her away from him.

"Look," David said. "I'm going to tell you what they told me about this. First of all, you can't let her go. We don't often find our mates, in fact, the two vampires I met are over two hundred years old, and they've never found theirs. From what they had been told, once we find our mates, if they are human, then all control for the vampire is lost. What you're going through now Liam is nothing. It will only get worse until you make her yours in every way. If you send her away, you will go insane; you will become a threat to everyone around you. She is the only thing keeping you from losing your sanity now.

"Simply put, you can't let her go, and she can't stay human."

"What about Beth?" Liam demanded. "We exchanged blood."

"You didn't give two shits about Beth, and no matter how much she fancies herself in love with you, she's not. She's obsessed with you because you didn't want her. You never had a problem with walking away from Beth, but I bet going for that walk today almost drove you crazy, didn't it?"

Liam refused to answer the question. "I thought so," David continued. "Our mates are ours. We know them when we find them, if we find them. It's instantaneous. You might not have recognized it at first, but if you look back over everything, I'm sure that you realize it now, right?"

Liam's resentment at David's words was growing by the second. However, he was right. Every minute he had spent away from her today had been horrendous. He had needed to get back to her. The beast within him had been clawing to emerge every second that they had been apart. It was only the knowledge that Mike and Doug would keep her safe, and that he needed to find Beth in order to ensure Sera stayed that way, that had kept him going.

David was also right about Liam not being able to leave her. His need to get her away from him, before he injured her, was nowhere near as strong as his urge to drag her from the room, and take possession of her in every way possible. One thing was for sure, his need for her was growing, while his control was weakening.

He took a deep breath and met David's intense gaze. David was also right about another thing. From the beginning he had needed to speak to Sera, he had gone out of his way to meet her. He had told himself to stay away from her, yet he hadn't been able to do so. So far, David was right about everything, and Liam was certain that this conversation was not going to end well.

"He was going to let me leave his room," Sera said. "After he told me what he was and I was terrified. He was going to let me leave."

David contemplated that for a minute. "He may have said that, he may have even let you walk out, but I can guarantee you wouldn't have gotten far, and he wouldn't have let you go for long. You went back to him?"

"I didn't even make it out the door."

"The women will not lose their men either. Listen to me Liam, she's not even one of us, and she's already possessive of you. Your blood has started to make changes in her also."

"He hadn't bitten me then!" Sera cried.

"That doesn't matter. A part of you recognized him. You have instincts Sera; they knew that you were meant to be together. That you are soul mates. If you had left that room, he would have come for you, and I don't think you would have put up much of a fight."

Sera lowered her head. "No," she admitted in a whisper. "I wouldn't have."

"His biting you did not precipitate this, it only sped things up a little. He's tasted you, he wants you, and he will change you. His blood in your veins marks you as his. If he had changed you, then we would be able to smell him on you, always." David's eyes shot back to Liam. "You want us, and our kind, to know that she is yours. It is our kind that you think are the most dangerous to her."

"I can control this," Liam grated. "I can fight this."

"No Liam, you can't fight this forever. You will not allow her to die a mortal death; you won't even be able to tolerate the risk of losing her for much longer. It will not happen. Look, if we never find a mate, then it doesn't matter. They said that there was a vampire over two thousand years old that has never found his, and he's just the same as us. If you find them, and they are human, that is when all hell will break lose. You have already killed for her Liam. You have never lost control like that before, and you will lose it again. If she dies Liam, then you die. You will either go insane or have to be destroyed, or you will destroy yourself."

Sera didn't speak as she absorbed everything that David was saying. If she died, then Liam died. If she stayed with him, then he wouldn't allow her to be human. It was all too much to grasp right now. Suddenly she didn't feel so good. Liam's arms tensed around her as he supported most of her weight. "So what are you saying?" Liam demanded.

"She can't stay mortal. Instinctively, you will not allow it, and as long as you keep fighting it the people around you are in danger. Including her."

"I am completely capable of controlling myself. I only killed Jacob because of what he was doing to her!" he hissed.

Sera shivered as she huddled deeper into Liam's embrace. "And when you lose control again, what then?"

"It won't happen."

But it would, Sera knew it would. She could feel it in him. She had seen it come over his face many times in the past few days. Saw it today, when he'd come upon them in the snow. Saw it yesterday, when Jack had been holding her shoulders. Saw it when they had been in the shower. He would go after them, and it would be her fault. But what could she do? She couldn't become one of them, she just couldn't. She couldn't drink blood, and she couldn't be a monster. She didn't even eat meat! She would have to give up her hopes of a home, and a family.

Sera closed her eyes as anguish tore through her. What good would a home, or a family, be if she wasn't with Liam?

"It will happen Liam, and it will probably happen with her."

Sera's eyes flew back open as her heart lurched into her throat. "He won't hurt me!" she choked out.

"He will change you. There is no chance that he won't. It's only a matter of when he will, and from the looks of him I would say that it is going to be very soon."

Sera shuddered as revulsion ripped through her. "That is not true," Liam grated.

"Yes, it is. Now the only question is, will she be willing, or will you force it on her?"

Four sets of utterly inhuman and savage eyes turned toward her in the candlelight. Liam's arms tightened around her. She was completely terrified to look at him, completely terrified of everything that was happening. "Well Sera, what will it be?" David asked.

A choked cry escaped from her as her legs buckled. Liam swung her easily up. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were burning orbs of resentment, and hopelessness, as they flashed rapidly from red to green, and back again.

"Take care of those two," he ordered, as he strode across the kitchen.

"Liam, what I said is true," David said.

He paused in the doorway to look back at him. "I know."

Sera dropped her head against his chest and began to sob softly.