Devon watched Cassie as she slept soundly, curled up on her side with her hands tucked beneath her head. She was unbelievably beautiful and serene. It was the first time he had seen her at peace in long time. Even yesterday she hadn't slept soundly, but had tossed and turned and moaned. Not today though, today she was an angel with no cares, and that's the way he planned to keep it for at least a little while.

He was unable to believe she was his; unable to believe she gave her love and blood to him so freely, especially after everything he'd done in his miserable life. Though he could taste the remnants of Julian's blood in her, he didn't smell it upon her anymore as it faded from her system.

It was his blood he smelled upon her now, his blood pulsing through her system to mark her as his. Even though he coveted her by his side forever, for now he was more than content to hold her, taste her, and love her. He glanced around the cramped room, grateful for its distance from the others.

When they were out of this mess, he would think about taking her completely. He might consider making her his forever, but not here, not in this place, and not with the horror haunting them outside of this building. Not with the uncertainty of what that change might do to her hanging over their heads. She deserved something special, and she deserved the peace she hadn't experienced in years. He definitely didn't want her monster of a father anywhere near them when it happened.

She stirred and her sweeping lashes fluttered open. Her violet blue eyes were groggy with sleep, but she beautifully smiled up at him. He bent to kiss her; he could taste his blood upon her lips as he relished in her. His body tensed as he fought the urge to lose himself in her completely. But he couldn't do it, not right now anyway.

Pulling away, he traced the silken curve of her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," she purred as she curled up against him. "Simply wonderful."

He couldn't stop the satisfied grin spreading over his face. "Good. Are you hungry?"

"Not hungry enough to leave here right now." He chuckled as he pulled her against him and rolled onto his back. Her hair spilled across the both of them as she lay on his chest. "When will you change me Devon?"

He stiffened beneath her as his hands clenched on her back. "Because you can handle vampire blood doesn't mean the change wouldn't have dire consequences for you."

She yawned before shaking her head forcefully. "It doesn't matter."

He slid his hand through her silken hair. "And the fact that you can never be in the sun again?"

Her eyes darkened as delicate frown lines marred her forehead. "It's a small price to pay."

"Cassie…"

She propped her chin on her hands to stare down at him. "I want this more than I have ever wanted anything. I want nothing more than to know I will spend eternity with you."

He groaned as he closed his eyes and fought against his baser urges. "And if things go wrong?"

"We will deal with them then."

He cupped her cheek with his hand. "What if I lose you?"

"You'll lose me anyway if I stay mortal. I think my body can handle this Devon, I'm almost positive it can. You won't lose me, I won't allow it."

He couldn't help but smile at the conviction in her voice, the intensity in her face and eyes. "I'm sure you will do whatever you can, but…"

She shook her head; her eyes twinkled as she grinned down at him. "No buts, we'll get through it, look at how much we've already gotten through. This is a small hurdle compared to the others."

He smiled at her as he tugged lightly on her hair and twisted it around his finger. "Is that so?"

"Very much so." His grin faded as he stared at her beautiful features and hopeful eyes. "Besides, since I am your mate everything has to be completed right?"

His hand stilled on her. "That is the way it's supposed to be, but this is a special case Cassie. We may never be able to."

"We will," she said forcefully.

"Are you willing to give up children? A family?"

She snorted as she shook her head. "I gave up hopes of children years ago Devon, when I found out what I was. My family is here, with us. Just because we don't share blood doesn't mean they aren't my family. The one I do share blood with is the one I don't consider family."

Pain and resentment resonated in her voice, but there was also a steel rod of strength hardening her jaw and resonating from her eyes. "But you could have children; you don't have to give up that dream."

Her jaw clenched, her nostrils flared, as she eyed him. She was one of the most stubborn people he'd ever run across, and right now that little character trait was on fire. There would be no talking her out of this right now; he knew that, just as he knew he didn't really want to. He only had her best interests at heart, but he also loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone.

"No," she whispered. "I would rather have you."

He managed a sad smile for her. She deserved to have children and a normal life, but a normal life had never been her destiny. Even before he had walked into it, her life had been chaotic and uncertain. But if she was human she could have children, and she would make an amazing mother. "You share my blood," he said as he tried to distract himself from his turbulent thoughts.

He recognized the passion blazing through her and reacted to it instantly. "Yes," she murmured.

He tugged on her hair to pull her down to him and claimed her mouth savagely. Taking her blood on a regular basis helped to keep the beast within him under control, but he wondered if it would always stay that way.

A loud crash from downstairs tore him away from her. Wood splintered as glass shattered. Devon tossed the blankets from them and leapt to his feet as a startled cry echoed up the stairs. "Stay here!" he ordered briskly.

He didn't have time to make sure she obeyed his command as he hurried forward. He ignored the stairs as he jumped down and landed gracefully upon the floor. The front of the store was still secure; Cassie's father was still tied to the chair. Another crash sounded from the back as Devon bounded forward, oblivious that he wasn’t wearing shoes or a shirt.

* * *

Cassie leapt down the stairs behind Devon and landed soundlessly upon the hardwood floor. Her father's eyes bulged out of his head as he gawked at her. "Let me out of here!" he cried.

"Stay quiet!" she commanded.

Her blood pumped fiercely as a strange thrill of power pulsed through her. She was primed for this fight and determined to win. A loud crash shook the floor beneath her feet, but she barely felt it as she honed in on her prey. Passing by the racks of hunting equipment, she grabbed one of the knives they had placed there earlier. It was a wicked looking foot long Bowie knife with a honed blade.

She felt oddly tranquil and focused as she strode toward the chaos she could hear radiating from the back room. Her mind and instincts rapidly took in the scene as she stepped into the fray. Five of the creatures had burst through two of the back windows. Glass lay scattered across the floor amongst the broken bits of wood that had been used to try and blockade the windows.

Annabelle and Liam were fighting off one, and Julian was engaged with another. Devon had one, and Chris and Melissa were methodically beating on the fourth, while Luther and Dani were battling the fifth. Cassie aimed for the one Chris and Melissa were struggling with. Another one leapt through the window and squealed as it spotted her. Cassie braced herself for its attack; she was eager to take out some of her frustrations on something.

Cassie ducked away from its initial rush and thrust the blade upward as she drove it into the creature's chest. It howled and fell back as it clawed at the blow she had just delivered. Cassie felt no sympathy, held no remorse as she pulled the blade free and drew it deftly across the monsters throat.

Her mind seemed to turn off as she moved rapidly away from the mutilated monster toward her next victim. She barely heard Devon calling her name through the red haze of death encompassing her. Her world wasn't filled with thoughts of the living, and the people she loved; it was consumed with death and destruction.

She flowed through the motions of the scuffle as she drew on her abilities to help push her through. She blocked out everything else as thousands of years of intuition and breeding took hold.

* * *

Devon shoved aside the creature he had been fighting with as he fought to get to Cassie. She moved with the easy grace of a ballerina as she slit the monster’s throat. He was mesmerized by her grace, and the speed and confidence with which she struck.

But it was only for a moment, because then he realized it wasn't natural. She was almost as fast as he and Julian, and she seemed to be twice as deadly right now. Devon broke out of his daze as one of the creatures grabbed hold of her arm. He barely had time to move before she slammed her elbow into its jaw and snapped its head back. With the thing’s throat exposed, Cassie drew the blade swiftly across its neck before plunging it deep into the creature's chest.

She flinched and recoiled as blood splattered all over her. Devon's chest clenched, terror suffused him as she reached up with trembling fingers to wipe some of the blood from her cheek. The room was eerily hushed after the noise of the fight. Cassie held her hand in front of her as she stared at the blood on her fingers. She rubbed it back and forth between her thumb and index finger. Melissa winced at the piercing sound of Cassie's knife clattering onto the floor.

Cassie spun suddenly, her blood splattered hair flailed around her as she stormed out of the backroom. Devon burst into motion as he bolted after her, greatly afraid of what she might do. She didn't flee outside like he had half expected, but instead turned the corner toward her father. Devon cursed loudly and shoved a shelf out of his way to get to her faster. He didn't care about the noise as it bounced off the ground, and its contents crashed and rolled across the floor.

Devon caught up to her as she stopped before her father. Her eyes were a vivid red; her fingers trembled as she lifted the blood coated tips toward him. "What did you do to me?" she whispered in a desperate voice that broke his heart and caused tentacles of ice to encase him.

The man simply stared at the hand she held before him. A single drop fell from her tips; the muted splat on the wood sounded loud in the hush filling the room.

"What did you do to me?" Cassie screamed causing everyone to jump in response.

Her father's eyes gleamed as his lip curled. "What had to be done."

Devon felt the blast of fury blazing from her. It thundered through the room and filled it with her pulsating power. Her hands fisted, for a moment Devon thought she was going to hit him. Then, like a sucking vortex, it seemed to go back into her as the trembling of her body eased and her hands unclenched.

"You're not worth it," she breathed. "You're not worth anything."

A malicious smile curved his mouth. "It seems you may be one experiment that succeeded."

"Son of a bitch!" Julian spat.

Cassie held up her hand to keep him away. "Maybe I am," she agreed.

Her red eyes landed upon Devon as she turned away. There was a bleak hopelessness in them that tore at his soul.

"If you won't do it, I will." Melissa stormed out of the shadows. Before Cassie could stop her, Melissa slapped her father. The slap resonated throughout the building as Derek's head was knocked aside. "You deserve worse, but it's a start."

Shock filled Devon as Melissa glared at the man in the chair. Derek's head came back around; a trickle of blood had formed in the corner of his mouth. Then the smell of that blood hit him. Cassie's burst of rage was nothing compared to the one instantly engulfing him and ripping free of Julian.