Her heart fluttered slightly. It was a flutter he knew well, he had caused it in many heartbeats moments before he had taken someone’s life from them. It was the sound of that flutter that drove him into action. Bending over her, he pressed her close to him, nuzzling her gently as he inhaled her wonderfully delicious scent. She did not stiffen against him, did not try to push him away. She did not even remotely flinch away as she turned slightly toward him, her warm breath caressing his cheek.

He wished that he could believe it was because she wanted him to change her, but he knew that she simply did not possess the strength to turn away from him, or fight against him. She would not want to be a part of his world, would not want to belong to the darkness, and he was crazy for even thinking about condemning her to such a life. She deserved far better than anything he had to offer her.

Bracing himself, he pulled her hand gently away from the large wound. Blood pulsed out of the jagged cuts with every beat of her heart. His chest clenched at the sight of that blood, his teeth elongated instantly as hunger swamped him. It took him a few seconds to gather himself enough not to sink deep into her throat and taste the delicious blood pouring from her.

When he was in control enough, he bent his mouth to her neck. The sweet scent of her assailed him as he nuzzled her briefly, savoring in the feel of her. Her heartbeat picked up slightly, but he sensed no fear in her, only an excitement that confused him as well as aroused his hunger and desire even higher. Fighting against every one of his murderous instincts, he slowly licked the three vicious gashes in her delicate neck, sealing them with the healing agent in his saliva.

The taste of her blood slammed into him. It was the sweetest nectar he had ever savored, so full of strength and vigor. It pounded through him, hammering throughout his veins. His teeth throbbed with their desire to be sated, he was desperate for the ultimate pleasure her blood would bring him. Never had he tasted anything so sweet, so tempting and delicious. Never had he experienced so much power within one person. He had never even imagined one person could possess so much lure. He had tasted his fair share of Hunters before, but their blood had been nothing compared to this. Their blood had been as powerful as a goldfish’s compared to this. Her blood was ambrosia and he wanted more than just a little taste.

Then, her hand stroked over his face, the touch as light as a butterflies caress. It helped to soothe the shaking, thirsty beast trapped inside of him. She helped to keep him from draining her dry in order to satisfy the raging monster inside. Using every ounce of self restraint and control he had, he pulled slightly back; his eyes clashed with her tear filled, curious ones. She smoothed her hand over his cheek, cradling him gently in her grasp. Devon could not move; he was pinned within her gaze, guilt and horror tearing through him.

She was comforting him, and he was thinking about draining every last drop of life from her. She was comforting him, and he was on the verge of destroying her. Struggling to regain control, he unfolded himself from above her. Though the wounds were sealed, she was still a long way from safe. A fair amount of her precious life had been spilled. He needed to get her somewhere that would help her.

“Hold on Cassie,” he pleaded fervently. “Don’t leave me.”

Tears slid slowly down her cheeks, leaving a trail in the dirt and blood that marred her delicate features. He wanted to brush them away, wanted to kiss away her pain, but he was afraid to get to close to her again. He didn’t know how much torture and temptation he could take before snapping.

And if he snapped, he would keep her as his. A fate he was certain that Cassie wanted no part of.

He quaked with the reserve it took not to finish it, not to turn her. He would not do it; he could not take her youth, her innocence, and her life from her. She deserved far better than that. Far better than him.

Devon drew on every ounce of self restraint he had. Slowly, he was able to regain enough control to think straight once more. If he did not get her help, human help soon, she was going to die.

A branch snapped loudly. Devon spun, curling her protectively against him. He shouldn’t have let down his guard, should not have let his attention wander from Julian, but she had that affect upon him. He lost all his reason, all sanity, and all thought when she was around.

Now, Julian was back. Devon should have known that Julian would not quit, not when he had smelled her blood also, not when he had been in the throes of bloodlust. Devon used all of his powers and senses to hunt him down, but he could not find him within the woods. He did however pick up on three new minds within the forest.

He tensed in preparation as Chris, Melissa, and Luther burst out of the woods, skidding to a halt on the other side of the clearing. Their eyes widened in horror, their mouths parted slightly as they took in the limp, bloody form of Cassie in his arms. He knew what the three of them were, but he had no fear for his own safety around them. They were nothing compared to him, no threat to his survival.

“Cassie!” Melissa cried, rushing toward them.

Luther moved swiftly, grabbing hold of her arm he ripped her back as Devon cradled Cassie tighter, an involuntary snarl tearing from him. He did not know what had possessed him, he knew that they would not hurt her, but the idea of them even touching her made him want to rip their throats out. It made him want to destroy them all.

“No!” Melissa’s hand flew to her mouth in shock; horror filled her black eyes as she took in Devon’s twisted features, and deadly teeth.

Devon turned away from the pain, disgust, and condemnation burning from all of their gazes. He did not know them well, but he had grown to like them over the past few weeks, and he hated the revulsion in their eyes. Holding Cassie protectively against him, he turned away from their disgust, disappearing into the woods in a blur of motion. Feeling wildly unstable again, he plummeted through the forest, uncertain of where he was going. He just knew that he needed to get away from them, and he needed to get her out of there. He needed to get her somewhere safe.

Moving faster than he had ever moved in his long existence, Devon plummeted through the woods; keeping Cassie shielded from the branches and twigs that slapped at him. He knew that fear for her life was a big motivator for his faster than average speed, but it was also more than that.

The few drops of her blood he had tasted had already begun to change him. They had already made him stronger, far more powerful and faster. He didn’t know how it was possible that she possessed so much power, and he had not picked up on it. He did not know how she could even possess so much power. The amount of it was far from normal, even for a Hunter.

He did not know the answers to any of the questions swirling through him, and he didn’t really care. The only thing he cared about right now was saving her life. The only thing he cared about was keeping her with him for as long as possible.

He could only hope that she did not hate him for what he was. He could not stop to think about that. If he did, he would lose it. Devon sped through the woods, uncertain of where he was going, or what he was going to do with her. All he could hope was that she survived until he could get her help. Cassie curled tighter against him, her head rested trustingly against the hollow curve of his neck. He did not understand her trust in him, not after everything she had discovered tonight, but it was a trust that he was going to try and live up to. He could only hope that he did not snap and change her before he finally reached his destination.