Cassie refused to release Devon as she sat in his lap. She was exhausted, but she was afraid to go to sleep. She was petrified this would all turn out to be a dream, and she would awaken in that cramped cell again. She shifted on Devon's lap; her hand curled into his shirt as she pressed against him, trying to assure herself he was real.

His chest was solid beneath her hand and slightly cooler under his shirt. His lean muscles rippled as his hand entangled in her hair, and he held her close. She glanced up at the rigid contour of his jaw, taking note of the dark bristles lining it. He’d always been clean shaven, but now sported a few days worth of growth.

He was just as magnificent and handsome as she remembered. His presence filled the hole that had been present since she'd been ripped away from him and placed in that horrendous cell. He made her complete. He was everything good and right and just within her.

His beautiful emerald eyes warmed with love as he pulled her closer against him and dropped a kiss on her forehead. Cassie met his lips for a brief kiss she wished was so much more. She longed to be out of this cramped vehicle, and to have some time alone with Devon.

Not that she wasn't grateful to see her friends too. Especially Chris and Annabelle, as she'd feared Dani had done something awful to them, but they were here before her, alive and healthy. Tears filled her eyes as she stared at the back of Chris's blond head. He'd always been her best friend, her anchor in the world, but it was Devon she needed now, and in a way she never had before. She'd been kidnapped, tortured, brutalized and changed in ways she didn't even know. She needed his caring and unconditional love more than anything right now. Trailing a finger under his jaw, she relished the feel of his coarse hair against her skin. She admired the way his black hair fell across his face and outlined the gorgeous contours of his refined features.

Reluctantly she turned her attention away from him as the SUV made a right hand turn onto a strangely deserted street. Though it was still dark out the sun would be coming up soon, there should be at least a few people moving around. Some lights should be on in the windows as people brewed their morning coffee, showered, and dressed for work.

"What is going on around here?" she asked as they drove down another deserted street.

"We don't know," Chris answered. His sapphire gaze was troubled and questioning as he turned toward her. Cassie frowned at him. He had been staring at her strangely ever since she'd gotten into the vehicle. He had hugged her, had even shed a few tears, but he hadn't stopped looking at her as if he didn't understand her, or even know who she was.

"Where are we going?"

"The General store," Melissa answered with a small quiver in her voice.

"We're staying here? We're staying in this town?" she was unable to keep the tremble of alarm from her voice.

"It will be ok." Devon rubbed her arms as he tried to calm her.

Her heart hammered as she turned back to him. "No, those people and those things are in this town! They'll take us back there, if they find us! We can't go back in there!"

She was nearly shrieking by the time she was done, and shaking so fiercely her teeth were chattered together. "Cassie…"

"No!" A sense of impending doom settled over her; she wheezed as she tried to get air into her tortured lungs.

Devon kept hold of her as she tried to get free of the vehicle and the pressing weight on her chest. Julian leaned over him, grasped hold of her chin, and forcefully pulled her head toward him. "Enough, Princess!" He told her as Devon released a ferocious growl that caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.

"Get your hand off of her!" Devon spat.

Julian chose to ignore him as he continued to hold onto her. "I promise you, we are never going back in there. They will never touch you again. You have to keep yourself under control because we have got to figure out what is going on here. We have to know what they were trying to do to us down there, and what they have done to this town."

Cassie fought back the wave of tears filling her eyes. "Or what they did do to us," she whispered as her thoughts turned to her red eyes and the strange control she'd had over herself earlier. She recalled the shots they’d injected her with that had turned her veins a different color.

"Yes." Cassie tried to breathe through the pressure in her chest.

Julian's full mouth twisted into a small smile. "You survived down there, you will survive this."

Cassie nodded, a single tear slid down her face as she set her shoulders in resolve. "You're right," she whispered. "And don't call me Princess!"

He grinned at her and squeezed her chin before retreating to the far back of the vehicle. Everyone stared at her in bewildered silence, and then their gazes flitted toward Julian. She could sense their confusion and uncertainty, sense the questions in their minds, but no one said a word. She squeezed Devon's hand as she tried to reassure him, but she wasn't sure she succeeded.

Devon was her heart, but he was going to have to accept that Julian had become her friend and they had forged a strong bond while imprisoned together. Their bond had become so strong that she considered Julian as good of a friend as Chris and Melissa.

The fact Julian had kissed her was a detail she decided best left between her and Julian for now. There was no reason to burden Devon with it at this point. He would destroy Julian if he learned about it, and she couldn't allow that to happen, especially since she’d allowed the kiss to happen. She’d been confused about her feelings toward Julian. She knew Devon possessed her heart and soul, but Julian had become a big part of her life, and she loved him. She could never love him like she loved Devon, she had doubted that, but Julian never had.

She thought back to Julian's words after he had kissed her. "I know, Princess, I know. I just needed this."

At the time she hadn't known what he meant, she understood now. She’d been lost and confused, but Julian had known she would always choose Devon over him. Julian had understood she did love him, but Devon was the only one for her. Though it had happened once, they both knew it would never happen again.

Tears clogged her throat as she pressed closer to Devon. It wasn't a secret she would always keep from him, and one day she would tell him, but she couldn't do so now. Devon had to learn to trust Julian as much as she did. She couldn't lose Julian now; she needed him to help get her through all of this. She would always need him she realized.

Devon had to realize Julian was different and wasn't their enemy, or the same murderous monster who had once been Devon's best friend. No, this Julian was evolving, becoming someone different, someone good and trustworthy. He was learning to care for someone other than himself; he was becoming more human again and less of a monster. He had become someone who would do anything to keep her safe, and she would also do the same for him.

Even if the person she had to keep him safe from right now was Devon.

Cassie squeezed Devon's hand again, seeking reassurance as she leaned her head against his chest to savor the scent of him. His hand entangled in her hair, crushing her to him with a desperation that left her breathless and on the verge of tears. She ached for the loss and confusion he had gone through, and still seemed to be going through. He bent his head to her, his lips pressed against her forehead and cheek, before finally resting against her neck.

She felt the rapid increase of tension and hunger coursing through him. Closing her eyes, her body tingled with excitement as she felt the hot press of his fangs against her skin. She wished they weren't here, that they weren't trapped in this unending nightmare, and they were alone so she could truly enjoy his love and strength.

Cassie's eyes flew open as the vehicle came to a stop. She had to be strong now. Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly pulled away. He kept hold of her hand as she rose up to look at the large red general store. "Why are we here?" Dani inquired.

"Supplies," Luther answered briskly.

"Julian and I will go in first."

They had just found each other again; she wasn't ready to part with him yet. "I'm coming with you."

"Cassie…"

She shook her head and brushed aside the strands of hair that fell across her eyes. "No, I'm coming with you."

Devon glanced warily at the store then back at her. "She'll be fine; she's been through far worse than this. Now let's get going, the sun is coming up," Julian said briskly. "Luther, open the back door."

Cassie found herself staring back at them with her chin tilted up. She knew she wasn't the same Cassie they'd known before her kidnapping, but she was really getting tired of their questioning looks. She may be tougher now, but at heart she was still the same person. Mostly, there were a few changes that were unsettling. Changes she wasn't sure she would ever understand.

Luther sighed before leaning forward to push the button that opened the back door. Julian slid out the back and slammed the door down behind him. Devon hesitated, but Cassie continued to hold onto his hand, unwilling to let go. "Ok," he relented.

"I'm coming too," Liam said as he shoved open the door and plunged into the brisk predawn air.

Cassie shivered in response. When they had fled their prison, she had been too hyped up on adrenaline to really feel the cold, but now it seemed to pierce her to her bones. Devon slid out of the car and helped her out behind him. Cassie winced as her brutalized bare feet hit the ground. She absently noted she’d somehow lost the nail on her right pinky toe. Shuddering in revulsion she quickly looked away from the bloodied mess of her feet.

"Are you ok?" Devon demanded as he studied her soiled and bloody feet.

She managed a feeble smile as she nodded. "I heal fast, remember?"

A small smile curved his full mouth but his eyes remained hard. "I remember. I'll carry you."

He bent to pick her up, but Cassie quickly shook her head and held up her hand to ward him off. "We're both going to have to be ready in case something happens. I'm fine Devon, really."

"The door is open." Cassie glanced over at Julian as he slipped through the darkened doorway. A moment of panic descended over her as he disappeared from view.

"Stay by me," Devon ordered in a low voice.

Cassie nodded as they entered the dark store. Her eyes instantly found Julian amongst the shadows as he surveyed the building. The store smelled tantalizingly of oats, honey, corn, sweet feed, and leather. The sweet scent of food caused Cassie's stomach to rumble. Liam searched for a light switch, but Julian seized hold of his arm. "They'll see the light if you do that."

"You don't think they haven't already seen the headlights?" Liam retorted.

"The lights stay off," Devon told him.

They moved into the store cautiously. Although it was dark, her eyes picked up most of the details. She kept her ears trained for any hint of movement, any furtive sound that might signal the impending attack of one of the monsters haunting this town.

The wooden floor boards squeaked under their feet as they crept forward. They passed by the glass countertop with a cash register placed at the end of it. Oddly enough, inside the countertop was an array of jewelry neatly tucked next to some brutal looking hunting knives. Next to the counter was a large display of penny candy with even more candy bars set up on the wall behind it.

"Those will come in handy," Julian's eyes were latched onto a foot long bowie knife.

"Good thing this is a hunting community," Liam muttered as he focused on the back row of the store.

Hung on the back wall was a vast assortment of crossbows and long bows. A thrill of excitement shot through her; she itched to get her hands on one of those crossbows. It had always been her favorite weapon, and she excelled at it. Devon pulled her to the side and led her past rows of brown Carhartt jackets, pants and coveralls. Across from the outdoor gear was a row of sweaters, sweatshirts, and long johns.

Devon paused to pull a jacket from the hanger. He slipped it around her shoulders and tugged it into place. She hadn't realized she'd been shivering until the warm material encircled her and drew her attention to the goose bumps covering her skin. The sleeves were too big but Devon rolled them back and snugged them into place.

Love filled her as he brushed the hair back from her face. "There's some food over here," Liam announced.

Cassie's hand easily slid into Devon's as they moved further down the aisles. Liam and Julian were standing in the far left aisle that ran the length of the store. Freezers full of soda, ice cream, and frozen goods filled the wall. A row of canned foods, bagged foods, and junk food lined the shelves on her right.

Julian's ice blue eyes gleamed in the glow from the coolers as he strode toward the back of the store. Broad double doors opened into a large room packed nearly to the ceiling with bags of animal feed. There was food for dogs and cats, but most of it consisted of cow and horse feed, with a stack of grain in the back for chickens, goats, and sheep.

"Everything you could possibly require in one little store," Liam muttered.

Cassie walked over to the back wall of windows. The room was held up by stilts, and the backyard sloped down a steep rock and dirt hill. Staring out the window, she wasn't surprised to find a mixture of tractors, mowers, trailers, and other assorted equipment in the back. There were also a few chicken coops and dog pens. Nausea twisted through her, bile rose up her throat at the carnage of what remained of the animals that had once lived within those pens.

Devon rested his hands on her shoulders as he pulled her away. Julian shook his head as his lip curled. "Disgusting, vile creatures," he muttered. "There is one thing we don't have in this little store."

"Blood," Cassie answered for him.

"Yes."

The three living dead stared at each other. Cassie was uncomfortably aware she was the only morsel in front of them. "Let's gather some supplies and get out of here," she said.

"We're going to be here for a while." Julian pointed out the window to the rays breaking over the horizon. "Not all of us are lucky enough to withstand its rays."

Cassie winced as she recalled what had been done to Julian while they'd been prisoners. Cassie could still see the remnants of a burn at the edge of his platinum blond hair. "Aren't we?" Devon inquired.

Cassie shot Devon a stern look. He couldn't know what had happened to Julian in there, but there was no reason to provoke him. Julian quirked an eyebrow in amusement, though it did little to cover the tension thrumming through him. "I may have been on this earth for hundreds of years, but that is one trick I haven't managed to master. Let's get the others."

He turned away and glided gracefully back down the aisles. Cassie started to follow him, but Devon held her back. "Cassie I don't know what has happened to you, or to Julian, over the past couple of weeks. I don't know why the three of you are together." He broke off as he studied her. Cassie knew he’d like an explanation, but she wasn't ready to relive that awfulness right now. "I know you feel we can trust him, but…"

"I do trust him," she interrupted. "I know it's asking a lot of you Devon, but you must trust me on this. Julian will not do anything to harm me."

A strange look crossed his face, a flicker of hurt and apprehension flashed through his eyes. "Fine" he relented. "If you trust him around your friends, I will also. For now."

"I do, Devon. I trust him completely."

She knew her words baffled him, but she couldn't help it. There was no time to explain now, and he had to stop provoking Julian. "Then let's go."

She followed him back to the front of the store and outside. Annabelle was standing by the SUV rapidly searching the surrounding area. "We'll be staying here for now," Julian announced.

Annabelle's shoulders slouched in relief as she nodded briskly. She turned to the vehicle and threw open the driver's side door. "Come on," she called into it.