Laney watched Dante as he slept. He’d drifted off once she’d finished sobbing like an idiot after the best sex of her life. But it wasn’t just the sex that had made her emotional. It was that he’d actually opened up to her and exposed a softer side of himself. His story still ricocheted around in her head, each new discovery fighting for dominance over the other. But one thing stood out above all of the rest: he’d had a child, too. A son. Now she understood why he’d acted the way he had. Why he’d freaked out when he’d seen her stretch marks. She even kind of got why he did the awful things he did. Sort of.

But it was more than that. For the first time, she’d acknowledged the connection between them was more than just their unusually high sexual attraction. There was a bond here, an attachment to him she’d been fighting. And it wasn’t the usual case of Stockholm syndrome, though she had wondered about that more than once since she’d woken up in his arms the first time. It was something much, much more. She knew that now. Her soul soared every time he was near her. It overrode the fear, the frustration, the anger.

She now knew that in spite of what had happened here in the past, he wasn’t keeping her in this damp underground to be cruel. He kept her here because he thought it was safe. It was where he felt safe. He was trying to care for her the only way he knew how, and he’d never really hurt her. Honestly, she had to admit that she didn’t think he ever would.

His horror at forgetting to feed her flashed through her mind. Well, she might have to make sure he didn’t accidentally starve her, but still, he was trying. She ran her fingers down his bare chest, and he sighed, tuned into her even in sleep. She was coming to realize that he had just given her a gift of the highest proportions. He’d given her complete control over him while he was vulnerable with lust. He’d given her his trust.

That said more to her than anything else. He claimed that she was his? Well, whatever the supernatural phenomenon that had brought them together, he also said he was hers, too. So she just had to figure out how to get him to let her out of this damn cave.

That may be easier said than done. She’d noticed the difference in him earlier almost immediately. The entire time they were upstairs, his eyes had constantly shifted around the room, even when he spoke to her. And a nervous tension had radiated from him. Nervousness that she once would have mistook for menace. It made her jumpy. Except for when he’d shown her that the sun wouldn’t hurt him, he’d stayed far away from the windows. He felt exposed up there, and it obviously didn’t sit well with him. Of course, now she knew why.

So, it appeared she had a decision to make. She could stay with him, and hope that maybe someday he would think twice before he ran around snapping people’s necks. She could accept him for who and what he was, or she could leave—one way or the other.

That last idea didn’t hold the appeal it had just a few hours before.

A phone began to ring and Dante’s black eyes popped open. His upper lip lifted in a snarl, exposing his fangs, before he sat up and searched her out. Upon finding her next to him, he did a quick scan of her face and what he could see of her body above the thin blanket. Seeing her looking back at him with a smile, he scowled, then rose to walk completely nude over to where his pants lay. Pulling a cell phone out of his pocket, he answered it. “Dante.”

Once Laney could tear her eyes from his powerful legs and backside and think coherently, the smile fell from her face. He’d had a cell this entire time? But the thought fled as he turned to face her with the phone still to his ear, something akin to fear on his face before he quickly turned away again. Pulling the blanket around her, Laney got up and started pulling on her clothes without having to be told. Something major was going down. He watched her from the corner of his eye, but didn’t stop her as he spoke to the person on the other end.

“I’ll be right up.” Hanging up, he ran a hand over his skull.

“What is it?”

Grabbing his pants, he pulled them on.

“Dante?”

When he continued to ignore her, she put a hand on his arm. His eyes closed at her touch, his shirt hanging forgotten from his hands. He inhaled deeply, and opened them again. But he wasn’t angry. His eyes roved over her face. “I’m trying to decide what to do,” he finally said.

“About what?”

“You.”

“What about me?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Laney put her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “Don’t worry about it?” she repeated. “If something is going on that involves me, I think I have the right to know.”

He went to put on his shirt, then tossed it aside when he saw it was torn in half. Powerful muscles rippled in the dim light of the candles. “I’m not used to this, little mouse.”

She raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question.

“This,” he said, moving his hand back and forth between them. “I’ve been alone for a long time. I’m not used to this. Especially not with a human.”

He had been alone. She could see that. But it was his own doing. In spite of all of the others around him, he had placed himself in a type of self-exile. So she chose to ignore the “human” remark, for now. “Okay. I get that. But you need to talk to me, Dante. I have a right to know what’s going on.”

Both hands rubbed his skull this time.

“Dante.”

“All right,” he ground out between gritted teeth. Then he took a breath. “All right. But we don’t have time to get into a long fucking discussion right now.”

“So just give me the main points.”

He searched her face again. For what, she didn’t know. But he seemed to find what he was looking for. “I told you about the whole fated mate shit, and that you’re mine.”

“Yes.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she tried to be patient. Instinctively, she knew to give him his space if she wanted him to open up to her, strange as that sounded.

“There’s more to it than what I told you earlier.”

She waited for him to elaborate. He didn’t. “Like what?” she prompted.

He stared down at her, and then paced away. Keeping his back to her, he stared out the doorway and down the dark passage. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to tell her.

After a few seconds, he turned around, but still kept his distance. “I told you that I knew the moment I tasted your blood, you were meant for me.”

“Yes.”

“I told you I needed you to live.”

“Yes, you need to drink blood to live. I get that. I’m familiar with vampires, although you’re the first one I’ve actually met.”

“No, little mouse. I need your blood to live. I can no longer drink from another and survive. Once mated, a vampire can only feed from his mate.” He glanced up toward the ceiling. “Well, let me re-phrase that, I could choke down their blood if I was desperate enough, but I would still die. It would just take a little bit longer.”

“So, if something happened to me, it would mean the end of you.”

“Yes.” As Laney absorbed the fact that his life was now, literally, tied to hers, he added, “There’s more.”

She couldn’t imagine what more there could be, but she asked anyway. “What?”

“As my mate, you are now as immortal as I am.”

Her arms fell to her sides. “Would you repeat that, please?”

“You’re immortal now, little mouse. You will stop aging. You won’t get sick. You won’t die of natural causes.”

“How does that happen?” she asked. “Just from you drinking from me?”

“No. From you drinking from me.”

Oh. “So, if I don’t drink from you—”

“Your body will pick up where it left off and you will start to age naturally again. You will also become susceptible to illness once more. But as you can see, it would behoove me to keep you alive. The longer you live, the longer I can survive.”

“So in a way, my life is as dependent on you as yours is on me.”

“No, for you would continue your natural existence if and when I die. I would not, if anything were to happen to you.”

A sharp pain shot through her at his words. “Don’t talk like that, Dante.”

His black eyes narrowed on her. “Why not? If I die, you will be free of me. Isn’t that what you want?”

He was right. The thought should make her happy. Yet, it didn’t. Not at all. It did nothing but cause her pain.

“Little mouse,” he whispered, his expression reflecting the anguish she was feeling. Between one heartbeat and the next he was across the room and right in front of her again. “What are you saying?” His voice was raw to her ears. One hand reached out to touch her, but dropped it before it made contact.

She stepped away and refused to look at him. Not ready to reveal the chaos of her feelings just yet. Besides, it appeared she didn’t really need to. He invaded her feelings just like he invaded everything else. “I don’t think I said anything.”

“Laney—” His cell phone rang again. With a growl of displeasure, he answered it. “I’m coming. No.” His jaw set in a stubborn gesture. “I said no,” he growled. “I need a minute.” Hanging up, he shoved the device back into his pocket. “I have to go upstairs, there’s some shit going on.”

He sounded worried. The nuance in his voice was slight, but she caught it. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know yet, but they wanted me to bring you upstairs.”

“And you’re not going to.” She didn’t bother trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

“No. It’s safer for you here.” He went over to get his boots.

“But what if it’s not?”

He stopped, looked back over his shoulder, and then he was suddenly in front of her. The heat of his chest made her breasts tingle, even through their clothes, the warm masculine scent of him heady in the small space. Vampires were not cold at all. Tilting her face up, he leaned down until his lips were but an inch from hers. “We will talk more. Later. For now, I need you to trust me, and do as I say.” His eyes bore into hers with a possession that was frightening in its intensity.

“Okay,” she breathed.

“But be ready. Just in case.” He kissed her gently, his lips soft and warm on hers, then he released her and finished putting his boots on.

Beginning to feel really scared now, Laney also put on her shoes. After what he’d recently admitted to her, she knew he wouldn’t be taking her out of here unless there was a very good reason. One that threatened one or both of their lives.

“Do you have a jacket in there?” he asked, indicating her backpack on the floor.

She shook her head. “No.”

“I’ll get you something upstairs if I need to come get you.”

“Okay,” she said again.

He stared at her as if he wanted to say more, but was uncertain as to whether he should. Laney didn’t press him, knowing by the look on his face that he would either tell her or he wouldn’t. He made to leave, stopped, and turned back again.

“The room that you found, the one where you got the knife.” He paused.

Laney didn’t want to ask, she really didn’t, but she needed to know. Shoving her hands in her front pockets, she shifted her weight nervously. “What happens in that room, Dante?”

His expression hardened. “What do you think happens in that room, little mouse?”

“I’d prefer to hear it from you.” Laney waited. Waited for him to tell her that all of that stuff was here when he’d moved in. Waited for him to tell her that he didn’t use the diabolical equipment in there. Waited for him to tell her that people weren’t tortured and killed by his hands. That he was a collector. That he had a good reason for that room.

He gave her none of those things. Offered no excuses. Displayed no regret.

“The bench, the one with the leather straps in the back corner. There’s a hidden latch under the front end. If you release it, you can lift the seat to reveal a tunnel that I dug out. There’s a ladder, but be careful. It will take you all the way out to the Puget Sound, if you find the need to run…for any reason.”

He was giving her a way out. A way to escape. “What is it exactly that I should be afraid of?”

He was in front of her again, running the tips of his fingers down her cheek. But all he said was, “No one will hurt you, little mouse.”

“Including you?”

“I am what I am, Laney. And I’ll make no apologies for it.”

A vampire. A beautiful, seductive killer.

As she watched him leave, she took a shaky breath and tried to calm her racing pulse. He looked back over his shoulder once, running his eyes up and down her form, and then he was gone.

* * *

Laney’s accusing eyes haunted Dante as he walked down the hall to Luukas’s, pulling a clean shirt over his head. He halted in front of the door, one eyebrow lifting in surprise that it wasn’t attached to its hinges, but rather propped haphazard in the doorframe. Moving it out of the way, he let himself into Luukas’s apartment. They were all gathered there waiting for him, lounging silently on the overstuffed furniture. Except for Christian, who was sitting on the fireplace near Ryan’s chair.

“Where is Laney?” Emma asked him from the couch she shared with Nikulas.

It appeared they’d been talking without him. “She’s none of your concern,” he told her.

The look of surprise that flashed across her features was quickly replaced by a stubborn skew to her jaw that he was becoming well acquainted with from these witches. “She is so my concern, you big oaf. She’s family.”

Big oaf? Dante cocked a half-amused eyebrow at the female.

“Em.” Nik put his hand on her knee. “I guarantee that she’s fine.” He looked up at Dante, daring him to say differently. “Isn’t that right?”

“Is there a point to this little get together?” Dante gritted out. He didn’t know why he was letting their lack of faith in him get under his skin so much. As they were all aware of his past run-ins with humans, and how they normally ended—with him well-fed and what was left of the human feeding the fish in the Sound—he couldn’t really blame them for their concern. Yet, it still irked him. Laney was not like the other humans. She belonged to him, and his very survival depended on her staying young and healthy. He would protect her with his life.

Aiden sat near Grace with his back to Dante. He cranked his head around. “Why don’t you come inside, commander, before I get a crick in my neck?”

Luukas nodded at him from his place by the windows, so Dante came inside, but only to the edge of the area rug. Stopping near Shea’s chair, he was careful not to touch her. She gave him a smile.

“Alrighty,” Aiden threw his arm around Grace’s shoulders and leaned back. “So you missed all the fun, commander. My demon made an appearance this morning,” he told Dante. “Overcome with brilliant intentions, he busted in here to give Ryan a warning and/or possibly a piece of advice.”

“Explains the door,” Dante commented.

“Ryan,” Luukas said, indicating for her to take the floor. “Please fill in those that weren’t here.”

She stood up and went to stand next to Christian. Wiping her palms on her jeans, her turquoise eyes glanced around nervously.

“Go on, she’ashil,” Christian encouraged.

She cleared her throat. “For those of you that don’t know,” she said, glancing at Shea and Dante. “Early this morning, I was up here with Keira working in the office. We’re trying to piece together our families’ histories since our coven split apart.”

“Since the new High Priest took over and the families that escaped in time scattered,” Keira clarified.

“Right,” Ryan agreed. “Anyway, Aiden came crashing through the door—”

“Not me,” Aiden said. “My demon.”

“We know that, Aid,” Nik told him, rolling his eyes.

“Just want to make sure we’re all on the same page,” Aiden said.

“Aiden’s demon came crashing in,” Ryan corrected. “He said he wanted to warn me that ‘they’ were here, and they’re coming after the box that Grace brought with her from China. He also told me to tell my brother what he said, except I honestly have no idea who that is. Just like I didn’t know about all of you. If I have a brother, I never knew about him. But he said that you, Shea, would know how to get a hold of him.”

All eyes turned to Shea. Uncrossing and re-crossing her legs, she showed no outward reaction to Ryan’s words. “I have no idea who you’re talking about.” She looked to Luukas. “Honest. I really don’t.”

He watched her with sharp eyes, but gave no indication as to whether or not he believed her.

Nik spoke up. “Originally, I was going to send a few of you to a safe place to put the box. We’ve just been trying to decide where. But with this new threat, I think we should all go, including the witches. It’s not safe to leave anyone here.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. Those that didn’t go would protect the others,” Dante said. He didn’t want to go anywhere at the moment if he didn’t have to. He had his own shit to work out here.

“We’re not taking the chance,” Luukas said. “Everyone is going.” He said this while looking straight at Dante.

Nik nodded. “I don’t think the demons would be able to overcome our security system, which includes the wards put up by Keira, but I’m not taking the chance of leaving my Emma here. I’ll feel better with her along. And I know you all would feel the same.”

There was a rumble of agreement from the other males. All except for Dante. “Why don’t we just burn the fucking thing? Then there’s nothing for them to find.”

“I want to know what it is first, and why they want it so badly,” Luukas answered. He paced away from the window. “Then we can use it to get them where we want them.”

All eyes turned to him.

“Things are moving at a faster pace than I had hoped. We’re not ready to face this threat yet, but we might have to. This group appears to be the leaders, as they are the ones taking the initiative to gather the boxes of clues, or whatever the hell they are, while the rest of them are biding their time. We’ve sent out patrols to track the ones in this area, and to try to keep their killings to a minimum. Mostly they’ve just stayed hidden. But if you haven’t noticed, none of them are straying very far from Leeha’s mountain, from the chains of the altar they were only just released from. Does that not seem strange to you all?”

Aiden rubbed his chest. “They’ve had it planned all along. To meet back there.”

“Exactly,” Luukas said. “We need to arrange it so we’re there to greet them.”

“But we don’t even know why they’re after the box,” Christian said. “How are we supposed to stop them if we don’t know what they’re after? Even if we destroy the bodies they’re in, they’ll just find new ones to possess, and we’ll have no idea who they are.”

Luukas looked at Aiden. “Can your demon recognize his kind in whatever body they’re in?”

Aiden nodded. “When he deigns to let me know, yes.”

Holding his hand out to Keira, Luukas waited for her to join him. His eyes roamed over her features, the look in his gray eyes so warm and intimate that Dante felt like he was intruding. Yet he couldn’t look away. He could practically see the connection between them.

“Are you ready for this, witch?” Luukas asked Keira. “I hate having you anywhere near those things again, but I see no other choice.”

She just smiled. “We discussed this already, Luukas. You worry too much. My girls and I will be fine.” Rising up on her toes, she kissed him. “Besides, we have our big strong vampires to keep us safe.”

“Keira, if anything happened to you—”

“It won’t,” she assured him.

Luukas swallowed hard, and with one last kiss on his mate’s nose, he released her and straightened. The tenderness was gone from his expression as quickly as it had appeared. “We need to leave as soon as possible.”

“I’m coming alone,” Dante informed him in no uncertain terms, and Shea looked up at him in surprise. “My…mate is below ground, as you know. She will be safe.”

Luukas shook his head. “No. If something happens to her, you will cease to exist.” A smirk lifted his lips. “And I’m rather fond of your ornery self.”

“With all due respect, Luukas, I’m not bringing her. She is safer here,” Dante said, crossing his arms over his chest. Having Laney with him would just be a distraction. Even if the things managed to get into the building, they wouldn’t find her. Once they realized the vampires were gone, they would come after them. She was better off where she was.

If she hadn’t already left, that is. Dante cracked his neck to ease the tension there. He’d given her the choice, and he would deal with whatever consequences that wrought.

“I’ll get Prickles,” Aiden told Grace.

“All right, then.” Nik rose from the sofa and pulled Emma up alongside him. “We’ll meet by the vehicles in thirty.”

Dante started walking away when he heard one of the females say, “What about the other people in the building? The people that live here? The humans? What about them and the people nearby?”

Everyone stopped, the vampires exchanging looks. It was Christian that answered Ryan’s question. “The guys have security measures in place, and Keira has a ward around the building. It’s us they’re after, or rather the box we have. All we can do is hope that they won’t get in, or if they do, that they’ll leave once they realize we’re not here.” He took her hand. “We’ll do all we can to make sure no one is hurt.”

Rolling his eyes, Dante took off. He wanted to stop by his apartment and check on the pets. Maybe he would grab Laney another blanket and take it down to her before he left, along with some more food. Brow furrowed in thought as he tried to think of anything else she may need, he picked up his step.