Jesse glanced at Shea’s exquisite profile. After waiting for the sun to go down once they’d landed, they were now in the back of a cab, heading to the room he had booked at the New World Dalian Hotel not far from Zhongshan Square, where, from what Shea had told him in as few words as possible, the demons had dug up Aiden and Grace. He’d considered getting separate rooms, but had quickly discarded the idea. He wanted Shea to get used to being near him. No, he wanted more than that. Much, much more. This was not the time to give her space.

Of course, it would be easier if she would deign to speak to him. Or even look at him, for that matter.

After they’d boarded the jet back in Vancouver, Shea had found a group of seats as far away from him as possible and had spent the entire eighteen-hour trip staring out the window as they’d chased the night across the ocean. When the sun came up over the horizon, and the shades were pulled, she stared straight ahead.

Jesse watched her, fascinated with how completely still vampires could be when they didn’t have to keep up the charade of blending in with the humans. She wouldn’t respond to his inquiries or acknowledge his presence at all, really. Except to tell him to “please, shut up and go away” when he’d relocated to a seat across from her to get her to talk to him. He’d acquiesced to her request, knowing there was nowhere she could go, and had done his best to stay out of her head.

But he was impatient for her to accept what was, and more than once he cursed Leeha and her spite over Luukas’ rejection. The spite that led her to torture not only the male who’d rejected her, but to force Keira to curse every vampire he was close to—namely his Hunters. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now it affected him personally.

Jesse glanced over at Shea again. He couldn’t seem to help himself. His eyes were forever drawn to her stunning visage. Every tiny movement and nuance entranced him more than any spell she could weave. Weariness and sorrow sucked the animation from her features, and he knew she was not yet resigned to her new reality. He wished he could wave his magic wand and make it better for her. But this was something she was going to have to work through herself.

Now, Shea stood silently by his side as he got their key and paid for the room. Speaking perfect Mandarin, he thanked the desk clerk and headed to the elevators with their bags and Cruthú. He knew Shea followed him by the many sets of male eyes that couldn’t seem to keep from staring at a point just behind him. As he understood their fascination, he couldn’t really hold it against them. She was a contradiction in motion—soft and tough, elegant and awkward, alluring and terrifying.

And she was stunningly beautiful.

Setting Cruthú down on the muted, striped carpet, he used the key card to unlock their room and allowed Shea to go inside first. As expected, she dug in her heels and spoke to him for the first time since they’d left Vancouver.

“I’d like my own room.”

“No. You’re staying with me, where I can keep you safe.”

She quirked one eyebrow. “I’m a vampire. I am perfectly capable of protecting myself.”

Jesse wasn’t going to stand in the hall arguing with her. Picking up Cruthú’s cage, he left her there and went into the room, propping the door open with her bag. Setting the raven on the dresser and his bag on one of the double beds, he went over to the window to check that it had sufficient curtains to block out the daytime sun. As a precaution, he had asked for a north facing room. It wasn’t much, but at least the rays wouldn’t shine directly in the window.

Satisfied with the window covering, he moved his bag to the bed closest to it and went over to open the cage so Cruthú could get out. She flew up to his shoulder with a croak of thanks, and clicked in his ear.

“I know. It was a long trip. I’m very sorry I kept you in there so long,” he murmured as he stroked her silky feathers. He heard the door click shut, but resisted the urge to look in that direction. He knew it was hard for Shea to give in; he wouldn’t make a big deal about it. She set her own bag on the nearest bed and went into the bathroom. He heard the water come on in the sink.

When she came out, she sat down and traced the pattern on the white comforter with one elegant fingertip. Jesse gave her the time to work out what she wanted to say.

“There are two beds.”

It amused him that the beds were the first things she was worried about. She appeared unable to decide if she was happy about their sleeping arrangement, or disappointed. He tried to hide his smile, but was unsuccessful. So, he made a pretense of setting Cruthú on the sitting chair by the window and bent down to unpack his things. “Of course. I want to keep you near, Shea. However, I wouldn’t want to cause you pain, even accidentally, as we sleep. And I am much more comfortable in a bed than trying to sleep in a chair.” Opening one of the dresser drawers, he started putting his things away.

She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips.

“I only need the drawers on this side.” He indicated which ones with a nod, as his hands were full of clothes. “You’re welcome to use the rest.”

“I normally just live out of my bag when I travel,” she told him.

A survivor through and through. Always ready to run. Why was he not surprised? “Well, if you change your mind, there’s plenty of room.”

“Thank you.”

Her voice cracked, and Jesse spun around on his heel, clothes forgotten. “Shea? What is it?”

She shook her head.

Angry that she still refused to open up to him, he helped himself to her thoughts, and quickly got the gist of what was upsetting her.

Basically, everything. The entire situation.

“I wish you would talk to me, Shea. Please talk to me.”

But she just looked away.

Patience. He needed to have patience. “I’m going to take a quick shower. I would ask that you not leave this room.” Once he’d ascertained that she wasn’t going anywhere, he went into the bathroom. Leaving the door cracked open just enough that he would see her if she ignored his request, he quickly and efficiently got cleaned up and dressed in black cargo pants and a forest green, short-sleeved pullover. When he came out, Shea was still sitting right where he had left her. And she was still worrying over things that were out of her control. It wouldn’t solve anything.

The remainder of his unpacking forgotten, he went to sit near her. She stiffened—her automatic response whenever he got too close, it seemed—but didn’t move away. Jesse had the passing thought that if he were a normal male without his many abilities, he would be quite convinced that this female wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Luckily, he was not a normal male, so he knew exactly what was upsetting her.

“Shea, I will fix this between us. And the others will come around. You’ll see. They’re just angry right now, and striking out.” He supposed he would do the same, were the situation reversed. “And understandably so.”

She looked up at him then, and her green eyes were shining with unshed tears. “I hope you’re right.”

“I am,” he told her with maybe a little too much confidence.

One corner of her mouth turned up in the barest hint of a smile. Then she sniffed and took a breath. “So, what do we do now?”

“Now, we go find out the location of the demon’s blood. But first”—he stopped her from getting up—“we feed you.”

At his words, she immediately recoiled and shook her head. “No. I’m fine.”

But Jesse was adamant. “You’re not fine, Shea. You’re pale and shaky, and your lovely eyes are beginning to look too large for your face. You need to feed.” His tone would brook no argument, and for once, she didn’t push it.

“I brought the bags. I’ll drink one of those.”

His heart dropped, and he had to quickly hide his disappointment. But he pushed aside his own feelings of rejection, happy that she would be getting some nutrients, even if he wasn’t the one providing for her. Giving her a nod, he left her to her meal and went to clean Cruthú’s cage. He had eaten on the plane. It would hold him over until he could find a store to stock the room.

“So, how are you paying for all of this?”

At least his vampire was still talking to him. This was good. “I am quite wealthy,” he said without preamble. He wasn’t bragging, but said it as a statement of fact. “Vampires aren’t the only ones who know how to work the system.” Setting the last few things inside, he shut the drawer and turned to Shea just as she tipped a bag of blood up to her mouth.

Her face screwed up in disgust, but she managed to take a few swallows. “Oh my gods, that’s disgusting.”

He eyed her steadily, his mouth twitching only slightly as he said, “I’d be more than happy to slit my wrist for you.”

Shea glanced down at the wounds from the day before. They were still healing, and she quickly looked away. She shook her head, holding up the bag in her hand with a grimace. “I’ll manage with this. It’s practically the same thing.”

The mood for teasing left. “You’ll have to drink from me again eventually, Shea. You know this as well as I do. I will find a way to cease the pain it causes you to touch me, if it even exists. The substance in that bag won’t sustain you for long.”

“No, but it will do for now.”

“Until you can bring yourself to deal with the shame of being mated to me? Or until you allow the thirst to kill you?”

“Jesse—”

But he held up a hand, palm out. “No. Don’t bother. I need to make a call. Shower if you’d like. I’ll wait for you downstairs in the lobby. Do not leave the hotel without me.” Leaving one of the key cards on the bed next to her, he pocketed the other and left the room, silently telling Cruthú that he would be back soon.

One day soon, his vampire would be begging for his lifeblood, and with a solemn heart, he knew that he would give it to her without hesitation. He would give her anything.

Except the demon blood.

Punching the button to the elevator, he whipped out his cell phone just as it started to ring. “I just arrived, and will be going soon,” he told the creature on the other end of the line. “I have someone with me. She is not to be harmed in any way, shape, or form, or the deal is off.” Hanging up, he put the phone back in his pocket just as the elevator doors opened.

Jesse stepped inside. As the doors slid closed, he let his shoulders slump with exhaustion as his head fell forward, chin resting on his chest.