Derek’s massive body is stretched diagonally across my king-sized bed. One of his strong arms is around my waist, and the other is at his side. His lips are at my shoulder. I thread my fingers through his soft, thick waves, combing them as my entire body hums with a happiness so deep it seems unreal.

I wait for the darkest hours to pass, watching, listening. His breathing is smooth and heavy as if he’s completely relaxed, completely trusting. His blood warms my skin, and the level of possessiveness I feel toward him overwhelms me.

Mine. My voice speaks the word in my brain.

As I lay in the darkness, holding him, touching him, savoring the feeling of his strength inside me, I wonder if that’s how it works as a member of this strange club I’ve been forced to join. We bite, we drink, we claim. I consider Derek mine as much as my maker considers me his. The vital difference is I didn’t give myself. He stole. Derek asked.

Granted, I stole a little of Derek’s blood that first time, but I didn’t force him to drink. I didn’t hold his face against my chest so he had only one choice, drink or drown. The memory of the night I was changed stings my eyes. My maker was such a bastard.

This man is the absolute opposite. He’s fierce and powerful, yet at the same time, he’s protective and loving. My hero. All of these things I keep like little treasures. Touching the delicate heart at my throat, I think of them as precious mementos of the most powerful relationship I’ve ever experienced. Our intense moments are the icing on the cake.

At the same time… a shudder of fear passes through me. Up until dinner tonight, we’d only ever known each other in those stolen moments of danger. Sex in an alley where we could easily be caught, sex with my bites that could easily turn deadly…

It’s childish, but I can’t help wondering if once I’m free of this curse—if I’m ever so lucky—will I lose my allure to him? Will I simply be a girl? No danger, no mystery, simply Melissa. Will he walk away, his work here done?

Oh! The thought fills me with such terrible dread I can’t stand it. I turn onto my side, curling my body around his and burying my nose in the base of his neck. I inhale deeply his strong, masculine scent. It’s like warm fires and comfort. Closing my eyes, I can almost drift away on his heady aroma.

Through the slim crack in the curtain, I see the sky has gone from darkest black to thin grey. My eyes are starting to close, and I’m falling into that deep sleep. For now, Derek holds me as if I’m something precious to be protected. He’s pledged to save me, and I’ll hold onto that for now. It’s all I have, and I can’t let the demons win.

When I open my eyes again, he’s lying on his back in the bed beside me. Pillows prop him up, and one arm is bent behind his head. It takes me a moment to realize the voices I hear are coming from the television. I haven’t turned it on since I’ve been here.

“How long have you been awake?” For a moment, I’m afraid I’ve slept through the day like I normally do now.

He lifts the black controller and switches off the set. “An hour or so.”

Sliding down in the bed, he’s face to face with me. I’m suddenly aware of morning breath and pillow wrinkles on my cheeks, and do I have crust in my eyes? Oh, god! I don’t want him seeing me like this. Pushing myself to sitting, I grab a bottle of water off the nightstand and take a drink.

“What are you doing?” He watches me with a grin.

“I look terrible. I’m sorry.” My confidence has completely abandoned me this morning following my moment of self-doubt last night.

“You look like the best thing I’ve ever seen.”

My chin drops as I shake my head. He reaches for the bottle, and I hand it to him. Then I touch my eyes, checking for any offending debris. He takes a drink, swishes it around his mouth, and before I can think any more negative thoughts, he’s got me by the waist, pulling me down under him.

“Derek!” I squeal.

“You’re my vampire.” A teasing growl is in his voice, and his eyes sparkle.

My stomach thrills, but I argue. “I’m not something to be proud of.”

“I’m so proud, I’m arrogant, and you’re not even a vampire yet.”

Reaching up, I curl my fingers in the sides of his dark hair, smiling. My fears melt away in his arms. “What in the world made you want to hunt vampires?”

He doesn’t miss a beat. “I had a dream that one day I’d meet a beautiful, sad one with gorgeous blue eyes who’d steal my heart away.”

Every one of his words is a little boost to my feelings for him driving them higher and higher like a balloon in my chest. Clearing my throat, I press for more. “Seriously. What made you want to do this?”

I’m still encased in his arms, and he ducks his head to kiss the little heart at my throat. It’s like a red-hot brand to my skin.

“I’d been a Marine, so I knew about going into dangerous places, hunting down and eliminating truly bad guys—”

“You did it because you’re a Marine?”

“No.” Another red-hot kiss to the side of my jaw. I feel his erection growing at my thigh, and my insides immediately respond to him.

“Tell me why,” I insist, even though my voice has changed.

“Maybe I thought I could be like one of those knights of old… fighting God’s battles, searching out the evil one, setting the captives free.”

If the image of Derek in combat gear fighting terrorists was a turn-on, the thought of his broad shoulders filling out a suit of armor sends me over the edge.

“You’d be a perfect knight,” I say, but my words are lost in his kiss.

His mouth covers mine, pushing my lips apart, finding my tongue. I exhale a soft sigh, and his hands move up my waist to my breasts, circling and pinching.

Lifting his head, he looks in my eyes. “I want to drink you.”

My eyes blink wide. “What? Why?”

He pauses a beat. “It might help me protect you.”

“But… couldn’t it put you in danger?” I try to remember everything Mariska said about him drinking my blood, me drinking his blood.

He leans down and kisses my neck, pulling little bits of skin between his teeth. The friction of his body between my legs combined with his hands on my breasts, his teeth against my skin has me aching.

“I can’t lose you,” I say, astonished at the desperation in my voice.

He lifts his dark head and looks straight into my eyes. “You will never lose me.”

His tone is so commanding and stern, I’m not sure how to respond. He’s saying the one thing I need to hear most of all. It’s the answer to my fears from last night.

What’s happening between us isn’t about the supernatural or the threat of death. We’ve found something special, a deep connection through all of the danger around us. If anything, it’s intensified by those things. It’s enhanced to a level that’s almost overwhelming for the both of us.

My hands are on his scruffy cheeks. My fingers touch the line of his brow. I study his features now, my eyes heavy with need.

“I have to break your skin.” His voice is low. “It might hurt you.”

“I don’t mind. I trust you.” They’re the truest words I know.

He scoops another kiss from my lips. “I wouldn’t ask it, but I think it might give me an advantage.”

“What do you mean?”

“You hear his voice at times.” His lips trace a fiery line of kisses from the center of my neck along my collarbone and back to center. “I want to see if your blood allows me to hear him, helps me find him.”

It’s a brilliant idea. Of course my vampire-hunter boyfriend… can I say that? Of course my vampire-hunter lover would think of it.

“I’ll do anything to help you.”

Our mouths reunite, and I’m lost in him. His demanding tongue plunders my mouth. His hands hold my breasts, squeezing and tweaking my nipples before moving to my ass, which he hauls onto his pelvis in one swift move. Just like that, his thick shaft invades me, deliciously stretching me, claiming my body. I’m on top, riding him, bucking my hips and allowing the friction to build a steady heat on my clit.

“Derek, Derek,” I sigh, leaning forward to place my palms on his chest. My long hair is a dancing curtain around us.

But before we’re too lost he flips me onto my back again. He’s still buried deep inside me, my legs are open and yielding. When I see he’s holding a knife, a thrill of fear splashes low in my stomach.

It’s a small, shiny blade. His hips continue to rock, albeit a little slower as he lifts it behind my ear, just at the base of my hairline. With focused attention, he presses the razor edge against my skin.

“Oh!” I yelp in pain. My insides clutch him, and steel-blue eyes flicker to mine. The pain stops, and he leans into my hair. His mouth covers the spot, his warm breath dancing over my shoulders, and I feel his tongue massaging the wound.

My core tenses, flexing around his massive cock as he begins to drink. My back arches, and my eyes roll closed. I hear the noise of my heart beating faster. I hear the noise of his heart thudding strong. My breasts are pressed against him, and our hearts beat in time.

He’s dominating me, taking my blood. My hips rock with his, and I’m lost in a whirl of sensation. He groans against my skin, and like a trigger, my insides begin to clench as sizzling heat flares out, snaking down my legs, centered in my core.

He’s pulling more, and my clit begins to pulse with every suck, spasms of pleasure with each pull. “Oh,” I gasp every time. “Oh, Oh…”

Just at the moment when I’m afraid I can’t take anymore he breaks away, groaning into my hair and pulsing hard between my legs. His head lifts, and he’s on his elbows above me, looking straight into my eyes.

The ends of his dark hair hang toward his face, his blue eyes are clouded, and his lips are stained with blood. It’s the most erotic sight I’ve ever seen, and I have to clasp my eyes shut to keep from devouring him.

“Melissa,” he groans hoarsely. “My Melissa.” His words send shimmering tingles through my body.

“Yes,” I moan as my insides quake. The circle between us is complete.

When at last the waves subside, I turn into his arms, cupping his cheeks with my hands. Our eyes are drawn together, and his seem to glow.

“Do you feel different?” I’m not sure why I’m whispering, but the moment feels sacred.

“It’s different from when I take shifter blood.” He looks to the side, almost as if he’s listening, waiting to see what the change is like. “It doesn’t hurt.”

I want to say it’s because he belongs to me. I want to say it’s because we’re one, but I don’t know if that’s true. I don’t know how any of this works.

“What will you do now?”

My question draws his attention back to me. A large hand rises to smooth my hair back, pausing at my ear. His thumb traces a line across my cheek.

“I’m late to meet Stuart.”

Lifting my head, I check the clock. Noon. “I’m sorry,” I say, but I’m not sorry he waited for me to wake up, especially after what we just did. “Will you confront him today?”

“I have to find him first. Our source says a new, strong one entered the city two nights ago. It has to be him.”

At the mention of his presence, fear grips my heart. My hands still on Derek’s cheeks, and I gently press my palms to his skin. “Please be careful.”

Warmth fills his eyes, and he leans up to cover my mouth with his once more. “I’ll be back in your arms tonight.”

Our lips chase each other’s briefly before he rises to dress. “Stay close to Elaine. I’ll need both the shifters with me today.”

I watch with a heavy heart as he slips into his slacks and sweater. His shoes are on and his blazer is over one arm, but before he leaves, he leans over the bed one last time to press his lips to mine. “I’ll be back tonight. Don’t worry.”

Easy for him to say. I watch as he leaves, then I lie back on the bed holding the little heart at the base of my neck. His heart. He carries my blood in his veins. I carry his.

With a shudder, I realize mixed into mine, he also carries my maker’s. It’s an ominous thought that fills me with sudden dread. I want to call him back. Am I allowed to pray anymore?

I don’t know the status of such things now that I’m a killer. Just in case, I close my eyes, sending silent prayers. Please come back to me, my love…

* * *

Derek

Leaving Melissa is becoming more and more difficult. Holding her in my arms, loving her, has changed everything. Before, I was obsessed with revenge. I still intend to settle that score, but now, walking back to my hotel, I see planters hanging with ferns and flowers. I see the street vendors and the children tap-dancing for tips. I hear music in the air.

The idea of taking her blood came to me this morning as I watched her sleep. She lay so still beside me, yet her slim brow was still troubled. I thought about her words. She hears his voice in her head. It’s an experiment. She’s only a hybrid, but I had to try. My one regret is not being able to alert Stuart and Patrick beforehand in case there are… unintended consequences.

Pulling my phone out to text my partner, I turn on Bienville Street heading for Bourbon when out of nowhere, BAM!

I’m hit so hard, I almost drop my phone.

Falling back against the wall, I try to catch my breath, looking around for what it was. Nothing… I see nothing around me but tourists.

For a moment, I’m confused. Am I hallucinating?

It happens again—BAM!

An invisible weight slams into my chest. My throat tightens, and my vision clouds as if a fog rolls in around me.

I can’t see anything. Fighting panic, I grip the stucco wall at my back to hold me steady. Hissing fills my ears, and a surge of jealousy slams into my stomach like a fist. I stagger, still trying to hold myself up.

It’s him. I don’t know if he’s here on the street or if I’ve only tapped into his psyche, but he’s here.

I feel you, too.

His words crystallize in my brain.

My breathing picks up, and I look around fast. Still foggy. I flush hot then cold, and sweat breaks out over my forehead. My chest tightens. I’m alone and unarmed. I’m completely vulnerable, and neither of my partners knows where I am. How could I be so foolish?

Holding the stucco at my back, I step slowly toward the corner, making my way to my hotel. I’m only a half block from the door. I’ve got to make it inside.

As I approach Bourbon, the mist starts to clear. I see a wall of moving tourists where Bienville crosses the busy street. Straining my eyes, I scan the crowd for anything suspicious.

It hits me again, just as hard. BAM!

Rage slams into me like a sucker-punch. It’s so strong, it almost bends me in two. I hold my midsection and breathe deeply. As I lift my chin ice floods my veins.

I see him. He’s there.

He’s a silhouette, a slender man standing apart from the crowd. He’s across the street facing me in the shadows, and his features are obscured as if a smear has been put on a camera lens. It makes him appear to have no face, only two black orbs, his eyes glaring at me.

Despite all my strength, I shudder. I’m not ready for this.

You dare touch what’s MINE? His voice is a snake in my ears.

My one gift, my immunity to their glamour has vanished. Drinking her blood mingled with his must have taken it away. Only he isn’t using glamour. He’s blinding me. He’s preventing me from seeing his features. I push away from the wall, trying to move with the stream of tourists, to keep them between him and me.

Still, I know how fast he can move. If he chooses to strike, all anyone would notice is the flutter of a curtain. The sweat on my forehead is cold, and I push on toward the Royal Sonesta.

He isn’t attacking. He’s tracking, figuring out where I’m staying. I thought I’d find him, but the tables have turned. I’m the hunted.

From deep within, my insides rage at that thought. My vow to save Melissa fights back with a powerful anger. Instinctively, I push against the creature with my mind. He might be powerful, but he’s not indestructible. He’s just another monster.

I took back what you stole. My thoughts turn forceful. She’s mine now.

The haze slips from my eyes. I see the line of a smile, hard and sinister on his lips. Oh, yes. You will be fun to kill.

Blinking, I step forward to the street for a better look. As I do, he recedes further into the darkness. His face melts into the shadows, followed by his entire body.

He’s gone.

With a deep sigh, I wipe the sweat off my brow. I stand staring at the empty space, calming my breath, waiting for my adrenaline to cool. A woman bumps into me, snapping me from my daze. She apologizes, and I nod, pushing into the lobby.

I text Stuart, Meet me in my room now. Urgent.

We had planned to meet in the oyster bar attached to the hotel, but I go straight to my room. I’m there five minutes when he’s knocking.

A mixture of anger and concern are on Stuart’s face. “What the fuck happened to you?”

I’m moving swiftly around the room, pulling out the small gun, silver bullets, two wooden stakes, and a vial of verbena root oil. “I took a chance, and it might have backfired.”

“You smell like shit.”

Stopping, I face him. My stomach has been churning since he entered the room, but I chalked it up to my close encounter in the street. Stepping toward my partner, I notice the pain grows worse.

“What do you smell?” I ask, leaning in as much as I can tolerate.

“Vampire.”

“Call the witch.” I turn and go to the small dresser, pulling out jeans and a dark tee. “I need Patrick to handle some important business.”

Taking out my phone, I text Melissa. Need you to go with Elaine and Patrick to Algiers. Stay there until I come for you.

“What’s going on?” Stuart watches me. One of his hands is over his nose as if to shield him from my scent.

“I drank her blood.”

“What the hell?” That sends him pacing, shoving his hands in his hair. “Did she trick you into doing it?”

“I’m immune to their glamour. You know this.” Although now I’m not so sure. “It was my idea. She can hear him. I thought maybe I could, too.”

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! Are you trying to become one?”

My phone vibrates and I pull it up. Melissa. I’m worried for you. Also, Patrick makes me sick.

Adrenaline has me bouncing off the walls still her reply makes me smile. I’ll ask him to stay downwind of you.

Thanks.

When I look up, Stuart’s brow is knit with concern. “What should I tell the witch?”

“Have her meet us at the warehouse. We need a hypnotism.”

“On you?”

I point to the window. “Just now, out on the street, he spoke to me. He followed me back to this hotel.”

“Jesus!” Stuart’s hands are in his hair again. “She said he’s a powerful one. An old one.”

“She’s right. He could have finished me.” I’m quiet, thinking. “I’m not sure why he didn’t. Unless he has something else in mind.”

“He’s still looking for her.”

The very suggestion sends my fingers instantly texting Patrick. Take our girls to Algiers Point. Hide them with Demeter and stand guard. Don’t let them out of your sight.

I don’t have to wait for his answer. On it, partner. Happy to spend the day with my lady.

Will alert you when it’s safe.

That just leaves our end of the bargain.

“We should pack up everyone, including the girls, go back to Princeton, and take care of Sloan.”

“Sloan’s not going anywhere,” I mutter, stepping into my boots. “I have to handle the vampire here now.”

My focus has shifted to Melissa. Her blood is in my veins, but even more, her essence is under my skin. The thought that he might find her without me clenches my chest. Patrick will guard her, and in Algiers with the voodoo queen she’s temporarily safe. Only one thing will ensure her permanent safety.

My partner’s eyes move around my face as I think, and something changes in his expression. “You say you encountered him in the street just now?” From his tone, I can tell he’s in planning-mode, and I’m glad he’s no longer fighting me.

“He hit me like a cannon to the gut.” I check the barrel of my small gun to be sure it’s loaded before shoving it into my boot. “I couldn’t see his face. It was like my eyes were clouded.”

Stuart pushes forward. “So he’s roaming the streets, circling for her scent.” With a nod, he picks up my small knife. It’s the one I used to pierce Melissa’s beautiful skin. “You probably saved her by creating a distraction, a variable he hadn’t expected.”

“I didn’t think of that, but it makes sense.” I’m only partly relieved. The other part of me fills in the blanks. He’s still searching, and he’s close.

“I’ll text Star we’re headed to the warehouse. We’ll make a plan once she’s there.”