Chapter 12
Christian descended the stairs, berating himself for confessing his true feelings to Tiffany. He’d known she hadn’t been ready to hear them so he had no right to be angry, but he was nonetheless. Those rancorous feelings she’d been projecting toward him may have softened some and she probably was grateful to be alive, but she still didn’t understand the real reason he’d turned her. He loved her too much to stand by and watch her die.
When he reached the landing in the foyer he paused, deciding where to go while he waited. He could hear women’s voices and laughter coming from the back of the house where the kitchen was located. He was in no mood for gayety or socializing. Instead, he chose the parlor and found Dimitri sitting on one of Nathan’s elegant, antique Victorian sofas. The man held a folded newspaper in one hand, an iced highball glass of vodka in the other. Christian could smell it and although he wasn’t partial to vodka, alcohol sounded good at the moment.
Dimitri lowered the paper and offered a cordial smile. “How are you and the lovely Miss Tiffany this evening?” he queried in a thick Baltic accent.
Dimitri was a Lithuanian immigrant who had come to the states around the turn of the last century. His English was nearly perfect, but he’d never lost the accent of his mother tongue.
Christian snorted then went over to a fancy buffet which had been set up as a bar and took advantage of some of Nathan’s ridiculously expensive aged scotch. “She’s fine. I’m just killing time while she finishes her transfusion.” He took a seat on a matching red velvet sofa opposite his friend.
Dimitri laid the newspaper on the coffee table between them. “Nathan told me Tiffany is yours. Congratulations.”
Christian harrumphed, then tossed back the contents of his glass. “Yeah, well congratulations are a little premature at this point. She’s struggling to come to terms with life as a vampire. She’s nowhere near ready to think about me or life mating.”
Dimitri nodded, leaned back into the sofa and took a sip of vodka, his expression contemplative. “Understandable. Of course I don’t know Tiffany as well as you, but I realize she’s a bit temperamental and often tries to hide her true emotions behind sarcasm and dry humor. Perhaps she just needs some time?”
Christian snorted again and slammed his empty scotch glass on the coffee table. “Time? Try a century. She’s a fucking emotional Fort Knox, Dimitri, and she’s driving me crazy. Not to mention she has the temperament of a cornered rattler when she’s riled. Before all this happened, I thought we were making some progress. Now? All I know for sure is she’s nowhere near ready for a relationship. Based on things Mia’s told me about her past and her father, I’m not sure she’ll ever be.”
Dimitri chuckled. “I understand your frustration, my friend. When a male vampire finally discovers his life mate, his singular goal is making her his and quickly. Unfortunately, obstacles can stand in the way of that goal. Let me assure you, fate will have her way, and Tiffany will not be able to evade fate’s course. However, life mating is not something one should rush. It is a delicate endeavor, a dance which can be both frustrating and enjoyable. It requires patience and often a great deal of seduction, which also can be very enjoyable.” He flashed a knowing grin.
Christian stared at him, considering his words. Seduction, huh? Well, he’d tried that and where had it gotten him? He had to be the most sexually frustrated vampire in the good state of Louisiana.
He sighed, knowing emotions ruled his head. Dimitri was right. He needed to exercise patience and he needed another drink. He walked over to the bar and poured three fingers of scotch, saying as he walked back to the sofa, “She’s not ready for seduction at this point, Dimitri. It’s probably best I just give her time and a wide berth.”
He chuckled. “She will need time to become vampire. Her thinking is still very human, I’m sure. However, you’ll not reach your goal by giving her berth. That’s probably what she expects of you right now. To leave her alone to build a case about why she shouldn’t be with you would be counterproductive for you. I believe what she really wants is your patience and understanding. Meanwhile, a few good pushes on your part in the romance arena couldn’t hurt.” He flashed a sage smile.
Christian made a scoffing sound, then downed his scotch in a single gulp. “I’ve been ripping my hair out trying to be patient with that woman. Night before last she bit one of my partners and tore up my clinic waiting room. I wanted to strangle her scrawny, little neck for that one.”
Dimitri burst out laughing. “Julia told me of the incident. I’m sorry for your partner, but not surprised by her behavior. We both know she’s a very spirited girl.”
“True and I’ve always admired her fire. Her hissy fits are a different story.” However, Christian knew the real reason she acted out had been due to lack of trust in him to keep her healthy and safe. The restraints hadn’t given her much reason to trust, he supposed.
“Tiffany aside, how are you faring? I know Nathan and Dominic are working on a theory regarding the troubles at your clinic. Hopefully, there have been no more incidents?”
He shook his head. “Fortunately, no. My partners, Noah and Asa have been working themselves into an early grave trying to figure out how these women and Tiffany came into contact with these substances. I hope Nathan and Dominic can shed some light on the identity of our culprit, but my gut is telling me our killer is an employee of the clinic.”
“True, but perhaps one hired by Nathan’s enemy to cause this horrific chaos in your life.”
He nodded. “Anything’s possible I suppose. I can tell you this, I won’t rest until this person is caught and neither will my partners.”
Dimitri sighed and shook his head. “I cannot imagine what you must be going through, Christian. I’m so very sorry. I hope you get to the bottom of this soon.”
So did he. He’d placed the brunt of this disaster on the shoulders of Noah and Asa far too long because of Tiffany. Her blood work had been negative for VHS for two days. Now that she was safe and healthy, it was time to redirect his focus and help his partners solve these crimes.
* * *
Tiffany was bored. She’d spent the first few days at her mom and Nathan’s place in bed, sleeping or watching TV, avoiding family, phone calls, emails—basically the world in general. The stress over her attempted murder, her turning and Christian’s declaration of love had left her emotionally and physically drained.
He loved her? Why would he say something like that? Wherever he had in mind to see their relationship go, it could never be permanent. She was so stupid, thinking she could handle a fling with Christian. The two of them hadn’t even had real sex and already emotions had gotten out of control between them.
Christian, her turning, the attempt on her life—all of it was too much. Tiffany just wanted life to go back to the way it had been before Christian made her a vampire. In order for that to happen she had to be proactive. So, this morning she decided it was time to emerge from her cocoon of self-pity and do some more software research online, maybe return some phone calls from reps. She headed downstairs to the kitchen for a cup of coffee to kick start some productivity. She found her mom and Julia at the sink talking and loading the dishwasher. They turned toward her with welcoming smiles.
“Hi, Honey. You missed breakfast but I made you a plate. It’s in the microwave. Let me heat it up.”
“Don’t bother. I’m not hungry. I just need some coffee.” Tiffany had barely eaten anything since she’d woke up vampire. She’d refused to eat hospital food so her mom had brought in her favorite foods but she’d had no appetite. She still didn’t. She was just too depressed about this new unwanted life she now had. Every time Christian gave her a transfusion, it was another reminder of the freedoms she lost when her human life had been stolen by that maniac.
She’d spent the last few days wracking her brain for likely V clinic suspects, but kept coming up empty because she was still too new there to judge anyone’s actions or motives. Christian was having no better luck himself. No more incidents had occurred, but sadly it appeared it would take further ones to catch this person in the act.
Tiffany walked over to the cup cabinet, pulled out a mug and poured herself some joe.
“Did you sleep well, my Darling?” Julia asked.
“You bet. Like the living dead.”
Silence followed her lame vampire joke. Normally her sense of humor even edged with sarcasm gained a laugh, but it was hard to be witty and jovial with this unshakable cloud of gloom hovering above her head.
Her mother and Julia shared a strained look, then her mother sighed and dried her hands on a dish towel. “Look, TJ, I know you’re struggling to deal with what’s happened to you, but Honey, you’re alive and you need to start acting like it. You’ve barely touched food for days and you’re spending way too much time in your room, brooding. It’s time to let those of us who have gone through this same thing help you deal with things. Me, Julia, Dannie, all of us have been right where you are as new vampires. I can’t speak for them, but for me turning was horrible at first. I was so angry. I didn’t want this life and for a brief time I even wished Nathan had allowed me to die, but thank God he didn’t. Look at my life now and how full and rich it is. Your’s will be too one day. I promise. Just give it time.”
“Your mother is right, Cher. The beautiful girl that is within you has not changed. You will always be Tiffany. Yes, there will be some difficulties, but you are a strong young woman and you will learn to cope. Every turned vampire struggles at first. It’s only natural.”
“Look you guys, I appreciate the vampire life pep talk, but right now it’s falling on deaf ears, because I’m pissed and frustrated. I’m pissed someone tried to kill me. I’m frustrated with the fact too many people have been in charge of my choices recently. I can’t stand it.”
“Honey—”
Tiffany held up her hand, interrupting her. “I love you, Mom. You too Julia, but I just want to go back to the life I had. I know why you, Nathan and Christian feel I need to be here, but I miss my apartment. My job. The freedom to get in my truck and drive wherever I want to go without a babysitter.”
Nathan informed her he’d assigned a bodyguard to follow her everywhere she went outside this house until this was all over. Yea! More crap-tacular news. At least she still had her job. Christian assured her once the crisis at the V clinic passed, her position would be there waiting for her.
Her mother let out a little sympathetic tsk and approached her. “I completely understand. I too felt like a prisoner after my turning while I was under Christian’s care. I wanted to go home so badly, but I couldn’t have survived without him. At the time, he was my lifeline because…well I didn’t trust Nathan at that point. However, the point I’m trying to make is you not only have Christian to help you through this, but your entire family.
She understood where her mom was coming from and was grateful for the concern, but she needed time to mourn the loss of her humanity. Her mother hadn’t been human in over twelve years. Julia over eighty. Apparently, they’d forgotten what is was like to take the sun for granted or to not worry about blood lust or how loud noises set her nerves aflame because she’d only had vampire hearing for a mere week.
Julia stepped up beside Mia and offered Tiffany a sweet smile. “We will all do whatever we can to help you. Everyone in this house loves you so much. Christian too. How blessed you are to have a man as wonderful as Christian as a life mate. His love for you is so evident.”
Tiffany felt her eyes go saucer round and her mothers did too a second before she elbowed Julia in the ribs. Julia slapped a palm over her mouth and glanced between them with a guilty look.
Apparently, Julia realized she let the cat out of the bag. She could be a bit dingy at times and she definitely sucked at keeping secrets. The cat she’d just released was the size of a cougar and had Tiffany seeing red because that information could have only come from Christian.
Why would he say something like that? She knew he cared about her and when she’d nearly died it had affected him deeply. Hell, he claimed to love her, but for him to make such a leap in judgement didn’t seem Christian-like at all. It scared her.
“Tiffany, let me explain,” her mother said.
“Yeah. One of you had better get to explaining real quick.”
Neither replied immediately, just continued to look guilty which only fueled her fire. “Who told you Christian and I are life mates? Never mind. That’s obvious. We had a couple dates, but it was no big deal. If he’s been telling you we’re life mates, I can assure you it’s a load of crap.”
Her mother scowled at Julia with reproof, then turned a stern look her way. “Look T.J., I know you and Christian have been intimate in the way of vampires. I also know you well enough to realize that wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t have strong feelings for him.”
Oh, this was completely screwed up. Her family knew more about her and Christian’s relationship than she did! What the hell had he been telling people?
She backed up a few steps and pressed her fingers against her temples where a rage headache built momentum. “What did Christian say about us?”
Her mother sighed heavily then crossed her arms, her expression firm, but a bit sympathetic. “The truth without details. Tiffany, you’ve been part of a vampire family for over twelve years. How does a vampire recognize his or her life mate with unquestionable certainty?”
She blinked at her mother for a few seconds as her brain gathered data. It didn’t take long to compute. Thoughts and emotions became one when life mates fed from one another. She had experienced that melding of mind and soul with Christian when he fed from her. At the time, she’d thought it just a vampire thing; Christian projecting his thoughts and emotions and picking up hers. Now looking back, Tiffany realized they’d sealed the deal. At least in Christian’s mind.
Right now she didn’t care if they were life mates or not. If he thought he could go blab to everyone about their relationship status while leaving her clueless, he was about to have his ass chewed and handed to him on a platter.
She stormed out of the room.
“Tiffany, wait!”
She ignored her mother’s attempts to stop her. Tiffany’s destination was the clinic, but a big burly human in a monkey suit stood at the front door and she skidded to a halt. One of Nathan’s goons, she surmised, having dealt with these kind of guys before. She sized him up while figuring out the quickest way to disable him if he chose to be a dick and not let her pass.
He flashed a pleasant smile then said, “Good morning, Ms. Peebles. I’m David Townsend, your bodyguard. If you wish to go somewhere, I’ll be happy to escort you.”
She slapped her forehead and muttered, “Dear God, save me. I’m gonna kill Nathan.”
She’d known this was coming, but preparation didn’t make acceptance any easier.
He chuckled. “Well, I can’t help you with that because Mr. Davenport signs my checks, but I’ll drive you wherever you need to go.”
Okay, a goon with a sense of humor. She could work with that. “Fair enough, David. I need to go to work. I’ll give you directions.”
“No need. I’ve been briefed on your regular destinations.” He turned and took a step toward what she termed the sunglasses table. A basket with dozens of sunglasses sat on top so any vampire exiting the house had access to a pair. David picked up one that was decently feminine then extended them to her. “Will these suffice?”
She blinked at him for a second, then took them. He seemed like a cool enough guy and good looking in a gym worshiper sort of way. His light brown hair was short, neatly styled and he had kind, pretty silver/blue eyes. Not vampire pretty, but nice for a human.
“They’ll work. Thanks. So I wonder how long this babysitting gig’s going to last?” She said aloud, but more to herself than him.
David hunched a shoulder. “I couldn’t say. Mr. Davenport has assigned me to watch over you indefinitely. I think I can say, it will be an interesting, if not enjoyable duty.”
Tiffany rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Oh David, don’t be counting chickens just yet.”
* * *
Tiffany allowed David to escort her inside the clinic. “Wait here. I won’t be long.” she told him when they entered the empty clinic waiting room. Or what was left of it. The front doors had been locked and Grace was absent too which probably meant they were routing patients in and out of another clinic entrance. Thanks to her.
David’s brows bunched with concern. “I’m afraid I can’t do that Miss Peebles. My orders are to never let you out of my sight when you go outside the Davenport household.”
“What I have to do is private, David. And non-negotiable. I won’t be long.”
“I can’t allow that. I take my orders, directly from Mr. Davenport. Wherever you go I go.”
“Oh yeah? Watch this.” She wrangled her cell out of her purse and called Nathan, gave him a brief explanation of what she was about to do and where he could go if he didn’t like it, then shoved the phone at David.
He took it and blinked at the hologram of Nathan above the screen. Uh, good morning Mr. Davenport.”
“Good morning, David. You have my permission to give Tiffany her privacy this one time. I know you can hear me Tiffany. Don’t take this incident for granted. David has been assigned to you for your safety. Go find Christian and do what you need to do, but go nowhere else in that building. Do you understand?”
“I get it, Nathan. I know my would-be assassin is somewhere in this building most likely and I have no desire to run into him. I won’t be long. Promise.”
“All right. I’ll see you at home later.” He disconnected.
David chose the settee missing two legs for a seat, settling on the unbroken end. Slowly he began to slide down the buttery brown leather toward the end missing legs until he was scrunched against the armrest.
Tiffany tsk and glanced about the room which looked like a tornado had whirled through. The sofa and arm chairs were in far worse shape than the settee. The walls were going to need some serious work. There were a couple of major gashes in the drywall. A result of a chair and end table she’d thrown at Asa, but missed.
She really did owe him an apology. The CNA’s too.
At some point, she’d ask Christian to take the damages out of her next paycheck. That is if she didn’t choke him out first.
She waved her security card over the scanner, then headed to the V clinic’s nurses’ station. Katie and Blake were there seated at opposite ends writing on some charts. Both of their heads shot up when she walked into the large cubicle.
“Oh my goodness! Tiffany, how are you?” Katie exclaimed gaining her feet. She flashed a welcoming smile.
“Peachy. Where the hell’s Christian?” She was in no mood to be making chit chat over her health and new species status with her co-workers. She was here to read Christian the riot act and she had her speech well honed.
Blake stood and stared at her for a second, his expression as shocked as Katie’s. “Uh… He’s with a patient. As soon as he’s free I’ll tell him you’re here.”
“Thanks. Please do that. I’ll be in my office.” Before either nurse could reply, she took off down the hall immediately feeling bad for her curt tone and attitude.
“There go two more apologies on my ever-increasing list,” she muttered as she opened the door to her office.
Once inside she began to pace. God, she was pissed and so ready to give it to Christian. How dare he go flapping his lips to her family about their relationship! If one could even call it a relationship after everything that had happened since the night they’d made love. Hopefully he’d wised up and realized she’d be the last person he should be thinking about spending the rest of his life with.
Sure, they’d experienced something tremendously hot that night at her apartment, but not that sacred emotional bond every vampire prayed would happen when they drank from a person they were attracted to. Or had they? How would she even know?
What if Christian was right and it was real? That possibility was daunting and one she couldn’t contemplate right now. She was simply too angry.
She paused from her pacing and tapped on her mouth with her index finger, thinking about the crush she’d had for him all these years. What if it wasn’t a mere crush? What if it really was love? How would she feel if she walked away from this job, her life in New Orleans and never laid eyes on him again? The answer that came to mind caused a deep internal ache between her stomach and heart which scared her back into concentrating on the mission that had brought her here today. After an hour passed and still no Christian, Tiffany was about to tear her hair out. Respect for his patients and practice was all that kept her from tracking his ass down and unloading on him with both barrels. By the time, he finally arrived she was seething with anger and impatience. The fact he strode into her office with a big grin, looking all curious and innocent was like tossing diesel on a flaming round bale.
“You big mouthed dick!”
That sobered him up right quick.
“What’s wrong?”
Tiffany gapped the distance leaving mere inches between them to give her reply. The only thing she regretted was he was a good six inches taller than her and she couldn’t put her face in his. She used her finger instead. “Who the hell do you think you are, telling my entire family that I’m your life mate?”
He backed up a step and had the good sense to appear chagrined. “Damn it, Tiffany, it just came out one night with Nathan when you were still in critical condition. From there it just spread and I had too much on my plate to worry about gossip. I was exhausted, dying inside, fearing I’d lose you.”
That doused a bit of her fury, but it by no means excused his loose lips. “Okay, you had a weak moment. Fine. So, explain to me why I’m the last to know? I know when you figured it out. The night we had vampire sex. Now let’s see, how long ago has that been?” She paused there and tapped her chin for punctuation. “Almost two weeks. Yeah, I think that’s plenty of time to say, ‘Hey Tiff, I figured out you’re my life mate.’”
He slammed his arms across his chest and glared at her. “Had I told you immediately when I discovered the truth, what response would I have gotten?”
“That’s beside the point.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s exactly the point. What would you have said?”
Tiffany didn’t want to answer that question. Truthfully? It probably would have scared the crap out of her and she would have told him he was crazy. She hadn’t been ready for forever with Christian.
“Well?” he pressed.
“I don’t know. Probably that I’m not ready for that yet. Damn, Christian, we haven’t known each other that long.”
He took another step back, gaped at her and shook his head. “Are you kidding me? We’ve known each other for twelve years. What? That’s not long enough for you to figure out who I am, your feelings for me?”
“That’s not what I meant.” She pointed a finger back and forth between them. “I mean the way we know each other now as somewhere between friends and not. I honestly don’t know how I feel about that. You knew I never wanted to be vampire, but now that I am…” She broke off and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m too mad to even think about us right now.”
An irritated scowl claimed his features. “What haven’t you been mad about recently? What the hell are you doing here anyway? You could have called me to chew my ass. If you recall, someone here tried to poison you which is why I never had a chance to tell you we have the life mate connection.”
That made some sense. He couldn’t very well tell her while she’d been unconscious, but he’d had ample opportunity recently. Then again what would she have done if he had told her? The answer wasn’t difficult to determine.
“You had no intentions of telling me, did you? Not until something happened between us the way you wanted it to happen. Am I right?”
His jaw clenched and she knew she pushed him, but didn’t care. She wanted honesty.
“Yeah, you’re right. I didn’t want you or anyone else to know until you admitted your feelings to me, but it didn’t work out that way. I know you love me, Tiffany. I also know you won’t admit that to yourself, but you did allow me into your mind for a few minutes. I felt your desire for me, the heat, the passion, everything that was you in those moments. I know you’ve had a thing for me for years, same as I have for you. I know you aren’t ready to admit even to yourself how deep those feelings go, but I knew one day you’d have to address them. That was the day I’d planned to tell you. The day you told me you loved me. In my mind to tell you when you were confused and scared about us would have been selfish. I’d go so far as to say cruel because it would have only confused you more. Obviously, I’m right. You weren’t ready for me to tell you my feelings when I did so the other night.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She couldn’t have handled it back then. She still couldn’t. But he made a good point about why he’d said nothing.
She blinked at him, suddenly realizing she’d been a class A bitch on wheels since the moment she came awake as a vampire. The knowledge made her sick to her stomach. What was wrong with her?
“I need to ask you something.” She pivoted and took hold of the arm of a chair in front of her desk, then sank into it. “Could I be having a reaction to your blood or am I losing my mind? I mean that. I feel like I’m going crazy. I don’t even think I know who I am anymore.”
He was silent so long she had to prompt him. “Christian?”
He heaved a loud sigh and propped a hand on his hip. “Neither. What you’re going through is completely normal. You died Tiffany. You’re human body anyway. That’s a loss which would bring a tidal wave of emotional trauma even the strongest of individuals couldn’t take in stride. Denial. Anger. Fear. Pain. All of those emotions are normal and necessary before you can get to acceptance. And I’ve been no friend or any kind of doctor by allowing my emotions to be moved by yours. I should have been far more patient. I’m so sorry.”
Tiffany didn’t know what to say. She had been an emotional cauldron, acting out ridiculously. She hadn’t been herself. Christian hadn’t been himself either. He was the most laid back person she’d ever met in her life, which was part of why she’d been so mad at him for not being more understanding. “I think you’re way wrong about us, Christian. Life mates feel each other’s emotions especially when they’re running forth gear high side. But you obviously didn’t. You reacted to my emotional outbursts and rightfully so. I was awful. Out of control.”
He stepped around her and took a seat in the empty chair beside her, turning it so they were face to face, knees nearly touching, then took hold of both her hands. “No, Tiffany, it’s just the opposite. I’m realizing now why you were making me so crazy. Through all this, I was feeling volatile, raging emotions that I’m not used to feeling because most of that time the emotions weren’t mine. They were yours. That’s something only a life mate can do. You are mine. If I ever had an inkling of a doubt, this realization just knocked any trace of it out of the ballpark.”
The range of emotions she’d gone through since walking through the V clinic doors had left her drained. Tiffany didn’t know what to believe. “I don’t even know how to respond to that. I believe everything you’re saying. It actually makes perfect sense, but it leaves me feeling without choice in the matter. It’s like—like I don’t get a say. You say I’m your life mate due to some connection we shared that I don’t understand and what? I just have to say, ‘Oh cool?’”
He squeezed her hands remaining far calmer than she would have if the shoe had of been on the other foot. “Of course you have a say. Everyone has the God-given right of free choice in life. Humans and vampires alike. Life mating is a gift from God, not an obligation or yoke to be put on a person. Look at it like this if you will.” He reached over to his desk and grabbed a pen. “Pretend this is a little black velvet box and that I’m just any human guy, you’re any human girl and that guy pops open the box. Inside is a beautiful ring and he asks the girl to marry him.”
Tiffany gulped. “Okay. Point?”
He smiled and extended the pen. “The girl has one of two choices. Right? She can accept it or say no thanks. Same goes for vampires. The only difference is we’re guaranteed, and I firmly believe by God, that the relationship is for life if we choose to take it on. How’s that really any different than this?” He waved the pen at her. “Or if you really wanna get deep, how is that any different than the gift of eternal life given to all men by God? The only thing you have to do to get that gift is believe and take it. I used that analogy because your momma’s been pounding that theory into your head since you were knee high. Well, and because I’ve done more praying since the day you came into my life than I have in the last fifty years.
She laughed. “She has and I can only imagine how hard you prayed for me to come through this alive. Thank you for that.” She’d lost sight of that truth he’d spoke of though, and the reason had nothing to do with her new species. She’d been mad at God for years because she felt cheated of what everyone should be entitled to, yet few obtained—an un-fractured family unit.
“I’m using God as a relationship reference here so you can understand we’ve been given a gift, but no laws say we have to take it. Whatever our future holds, as far as I’m concerned it’s up to us both.”
“I don’t know what to say, Christian, except I really love your deep side. I don’t know if I’m ready for that pen there right yet, but after everything you just said I know you’re worth the challenge.” She meant it. A romantic relationship with Christian scared her to death, but a life mate thing was completely different. As a vampire, Christian naturally wanted a life mate and he would never do anything to screw up the relationship with the woman he believed was his. At least she hoped.
“Come here.” Christian pulled her into his arms and held her close, chest to chest, knees interlocked. It was the first true comfort she’d felt since the day she woke up vampire. Yet it was far better than mere comfort. His embrace was soul warmth that touched a place so deep, she started to cry. Good tears, cleansing tears came out which had needed shedding for days. When all emotions were spent, what remained in her heart felt suspiciously close to love.