Reese

“Devin!” I scream at the top of my lungs, not caring that I’m dripping wet and Galen and I are both naked.

Galen’s blood is on my hands, the pool collecting under his head getting larger by the minute. I grab a towel off the rack and lift his head gently before applying pressure to what I’m sure is a fractured skull. Can vampires die from injuries like this?

The door bursts open, and Devin’s gaze sweeps over the scene. His cheeks turn pink when he takes in my bare breasts, but he quickly pulls himself together and kneels next to Galen.

“What happened?”

“I … I’m not sure. I think it was Sariel. Galen was fine, but he, uh, he denied Sariel his feeding and then …” I gesture to the crumpled form of Galen on the ground. “It was like he had a stroke or something. He let out a grunt like he was in pain and fell to the floor.”

Devin hands me a towel before hoisting Galen over his shoulder. “He’ll be okay. He just needs time to heal.” His gaze flits to the bruise over my left breast as I wrap the towel around myself. “I see he fed. That’s good. It’ll go quicker.”

I follow him down the hall and watch as he opens a trapdoor in the floor. Another basement hideaway.

“This is the last fucking thing we need right now. He should have thought better than to piss off his Watcher.”

I grimace, knowing that what I said probably hadn’t helped the situation either. Trailing down the stairs after him, I can’t help but feel a flicker of anxiety when Devin deposits Galen in the center of the big bed.

“I love Galen,” I say, staring at the man in question as he lies prone, eyes closed, eerily not breathing. He must have made an effort to breathe around me.

“That’s obvious to anyone with half a brain.”

Devin’s exasperated tone makes me snap my gaze to him. “I don’t think it’s obvious to him, even though I’ve said as much. He’s determined that I’m going to choose Sariel. That I’m meant for Sariel.”

“Reese, listen to me. Galen knows more than any of us do about Sariel. If he says you’re meant to be with the Watcher, that’s probably the case.”

My gut clenches. I know my own heart. At the moment, I barely feel anything stronger than apathetic disdain for Sariel. He’s taken the man I love, hurt him, and continues to push himself at me. But when I’ve talked to him, I can see the pain behind his beautiful gray irises. He’s lost everything and is clinging to me as his last hope of reuniting with her. I don’t know what to do.

Galen moans in his sleep. His brow is furrowed and his lips are pressed into a tight line. “Reese, no. Don’t go with him.” His words are clipped and soft, causing Devin to whip his head around and stare at his friend.

“Galen?” he asks. Galen’s breathing is steady and slow as Devin waits for an answer. An expression of pure disbelief washes over him. “He’s dreaming.”

I don’t know why Devin looks so shocked. “So? He’s sleeping.”

Devin shakes his head. “We don’t dream.”

Galen thrashes, calling my name, eyes still closed.

“That looks a lot like a dream to me.”

“I don’t know. I haven’t dreamt in nearly two hundred years. It shouldn’t be possible. You need a soul to dream.”

I can’t stop myself from walking to Galen’s bed. Sitting on the edge, I gingerly run my fingers through his hair. Blood is matted in the dark strands, but it looks like the wound has closed. Heaving a sigh of relief, I lean down to kiss him. His lids snap open, deep brown and frantic.

“Reese?” he asks, his fear palpable.

“I’m here,” I murmur, pressing my lips to his temple. “It’s okay.”

His arms encircle me, pulling my body to lie down next to him. The rise and fall of his chest is comforting as I nestle into the crook of his arm. I can hear the unnaturally slow beat of his heart and want to cry for the war he’s fighting inside. How could Sariel do this to him?

He’s asleep again. I can see his eyes moving rapidly under his closed lids. His soft muttering makes my heart squeeze. What is he dreaming? Is he fighting Sariel for control even now?

“Reese … no. Don’t leave me. I love you. You’re mine.”

I stifle a gasp at his words. He loves me. Sariel has to be wrong about me. I can’t be his and feel this way for Galen. It wouldn’t be fair.

“I’ll just … leave you two.”

I jump, heat creeping up my cheeks. I’d forgotten Devin was in the room. Looking behind me, I nod as he walks up the stairs, closing the door behind him.

I wrap around Galen, needing to be as close as I can get. Lulled by his slow heartbeat, I drift into a light sleep, dreaming of being pulled apart by a beautiful man with silver eyes and angel’s wings.

Sariel

Galen is screaming at me from his cage. I don’t know how he did it, but he broke free earlier. I had to use more strength than I thought possible to fight him back to his prison. He shouldn’t be so powerful, but his drive to be with Reese is astounding. Damn.

I can’t give him back. Not while he’s so strong. I may never get another chance at control. I’ve been without my love for millennia. I can’t give up now. If I let him be with Reese, I’ll never find her.

He pushes at me, the noise of his screams setting my teeth on edge. Shaking my head, I slam down a barrier between us. That should hold him for a while at least.

The bed is empty beside me. I blink in the darkness, surveying the state of my skull. A dull ache is all that remains of the fracture. I hadn’t meant for Galen to go down so hard in the bathroom. Hurting his body hurts mine.

It’s still night, with hours left until first light, and I have work to do.

“He can’t. Andrea what do you mean?” I hear Devin as he carries on a one-sided conversation. He must be on the phone. “Are you serious? If it’ll kill him, then why did you even tell him how to get rid of Sariel?”

My back stiffens. Where was I during this conversation? I have no memory of Galen talking to Andrea.

“Sariel is out of control. I’m not sure. He just went batshit crazy and nearly put Galen in a coma. I don’t know if he’s strong enough to fight Sariel off.”

I can hear Reese’s heart hammering. She’s scared. Scared for Galen. Despair clutches at my chest. How could I have been so wrong? This must be another punishment dealt to me by Him. Am I cursed to find love for others and never have it for myself again? Maybe that is the true consequence of falling.

I can hear footsteps. Someone is pacing the floor above me.

“When can you get here?” Devin asks, making my hair stand on end. I don’t want anyone else here, least of all Andrea. She knows too much about me.

“Fine, we’ll be wa—” Devin stops speaking, and the footfalls go silent. “He’s awake.”

Shit.

Soft steps hurry down the hall, and as I start up the stairs, the trapdoor opens, revealing Reese. She’s so beautiful, my chest hurts. How can I feel so much for her if she’s not mine?

“Galen, are you feeling all right?” she asks, taking my hand.

I keep my gaze averted and nod, wanting this moment to last. As soon as she realizes I’m not Galen, she’ll shun me.

As soon as I clear the top stair, I pull her against my chest, needing to take her in before letting her go and breaking her heart. I’m not giving him back. I’m leaving, putting her and the rest of this mess behind me. She squeezes me, inhaling deeply and sighing.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispers. I hear tears in her statement and have to grit my teeth as I push her away and walk in silence to the room Galen planned to share with her.

Shoving Galen’s belongings back in his leather bag, I quickly gather myself, snagging the keys to his rental car and heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” Her words are like a knife in my heart.

“Not sure.” I try to keep my tone neutral, hoping she won’t realize I’m not Galen. God help me, but I want her to think he left. I don’t want her chasing after us.

“What do you mean? You can’t just leave me here.”

“I can. I will.”

As I reach for the door, Devin stops me, barring my exit.

“You’re not leaving. You think sacrificing your happiness is worth it?”

“Leave me be.” I try for my best Irish accent. So far, no one is the wiser.

“You’re abandoning Reese … your child.”

I shrug. I have to make her think Galen doesn’t want them. If she comes for him, I’ll never find my soul mate. “I don’t want them. Now do as I say.”

Devin moves aside. “You’re a fucking asshole and a coward. You know that?”

“I do,” I say, stepping over the threshold and out into the night.

* * *

Reese

He’s left me. After all we said, after his dream, he still left. A deep-rooted pain takes hold in my heart, digging, spreading, and killing me. Pressing the heel of my hand to my chest helps a little, as though I’m able to hold my broken heart together. I’m not crying, and that surprises me. I’m usually such an easy crier. Maybe when the pain is this severe, my body just won’t let me. Like I’m not able to handle so much emotion at once. Instead, I lean against the wall and let my legs go limp, sliding down to the floor, where I sit, hand still pressed to my chest.

“Oh, darlin’, that wasn’t him.” Devin squats in front of me, placing a finger under my chin so I’ll look at him.

“What?”

“Can’t you tell by now? That was definitely not Galen. He’d never do that, not in a million years.”

“But it sounded like him.”

Shaking his head, Devin snorted. “Galen wouldn’t ever let me call him a coward. I don’t care how distraught he might be.”

Thinking back, I remember his short, clipped sentences. “I never saw his eyes. Did you see them?”

Devin shakes his head again. “My point exactly. That fucking crazy angel has hijacked Galen. Something’s going on, and I’m going to find out what it is.”

Hope blossoms in my heart. He has to be right. Galen wouldn’t leave me, not after everything. He’s shown me time and time again how steadfast he is.

“How can we get to him? We can’t let Sariel just take him.”

A shrug. That’s all I get from Devin. A fucking shrug.

“No. You did not just shrug at me. How do we find him?”

Shaking his head, Devin turns his gaze on me. “I don’t know. It’s not like I have a line to him. We don’t share the same blood, and I doubt he’ll answer the fucking phone.”

A sick feeling grabs me. Blood. “He’s got my blood in him. And the baby. The baby is linked to Sariel. If you feed from me, will that be enough?”

He balks. “I don’t think you understand what you’re offering, Reese.”

“Just answer the question.”

“Probably. Especially since he fed on you just a few hours ago. Are you sure this is something you want to do? Galen will know. He’ll always be able to sense me on your skin. I don’t know if he’ll be able to forgive a betrayal like that.”

That doesn’t make any sense to me. “It’s not like I’m letting you screw me. It’s just a little blood and it’s so we can find him.”

“It’s exactly like you’re letting me screw you. Feeding is the equivalent of sex for us. Don’t you think giving someone an orgasm is sexual?”

I frown. I hadn’t thought of that. “Is there a way to not make it feel good? Like a switch you can turn off or something?”

He grins. “I don’t know. I’ve never had reason to try. I like to hear them moan my name.”

Repressing a shudder, I take a deep breath. “What other option do we have?”

Devin takes my hands and pulls me to stand. “I don’t think we have one. Unless we can track him, there’s not going to be a way to find him.”

“And he just gets farther away the longer we wait.”

He nods. “Exactly.”

Shoving my sleeve up my arm, I expose my wrist. “Do it.”

He leads me to the couch, his movements cagey and nervous. I can tell he’s just as uncomfortable as I am. “Fine. Just remember, I warned you.”

Biting my lip, I look away as his head lowers to my arm. When his fangs pierce my flesh, I feel a momentary rush of pleasure followed by indescribable pain. It burns, fire racing up my veins with every pull. I try to think of Galen, of finding him, but the needles that race up my arm bring an ache to my chest. My hands are balled into fists, and I’m biting so hard, my lip starts to bleed. He pulls his fangs from my skin with a groan. Clearly it had been much better for him than for me.

“Fuck. You taste weird. Good, but weird,” he says, leaning away from me. “You okay?”

Bile rises in my throat. “No.” I dash for the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet.

“Shit. I’ve never made a girl do that before.” He stands outside the door, a wary look in his ice-blue gaze.

I rise on shaky legs and offer him a wan smile. “First time for everything.”

“Come here,” he says, handing me a wet hand towel. “You’re shaking and pale as death. I know I didn’t take that much.”

Taking my hand, he helps me make my way back to the couch. I twist out of his grasp, not wanting any contact with him just yet.

“It hurt like a motherfucker,” I admit.

As we sit, his eyebrows rise in surprise. “Really?”

Nodding, I inspect my wrist. It’s still bleeding freely. Holding it out to him I ask, “Would you mind?”

With a soft smile, he pricks his fingertip and heals my punctures.

“Did you get enough? Can you find him?”

He breathes in slow and deep. I sit, holding my breath as I watch him. Eyes closed, he mutters, “Ah, there you are, you Irish bastard. Think you can get away from me?”

Standing, he dashes for the door. “Back in a minute,” he tosses over his shoulder, and then he’s gone.

Leaving me alone. Again.