Robbie had risen from his misery-soaked crouch as soon as they appeared. He was standing in front of the big Sumo guy now, hands fisted tightly on his hips, as if to keep them from grabbing the vampire and shaking the truth out of him. “How is she, Juro? Is she alive?”

“She’s with Raphael,” Juro responded. “That’s all we know.”

“She’s alive,” Sophia said with certainty. “None of us would be standing here if she’d died.”

That made no sense to Colin, but it seemed to satisfy Robbie. He nodded and looked longingly up at the big house.

“There’s no need for you to leave, Rob,” Juro’s deep voice rumbled with surprising compassion. “We know you did all you could. Lord Raphael will know it, too.”

Robbie looked up, his face filled with gratitude, but he shook his head. “She shouldn’t have been there at all, Juro. It wasn’t—”

“We both know her better than that,” Juro insisted. And for the first time, Colin saw real emotion cross the huge vampire’s face. It was the same expression he’d seen on Robbie’s face in that bloody car. The same thing he’d seen on the faces of his buddies as they paced the sterile halls of military hospitals, waiting for word on whether they’d be attending another funeral or cheating death one more time. It was a look he’d seen on his own face in the mirror. They loved Leighton. Not as a lover, but as a friend, as a comrade-in-arms.

“Colin.” Sophia’s voice jerked him out of his contemplation of this new idea.

“Yeah?”

Her lip curled slightly, acknowledging his rudeness. “If I could have a word with you?”

He studied her for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

* * * *

Sophia gazed up into Colin’s eyes. They looked almost gray in this low light, but they were blue—a beautiful, crystalline blue that contrasted with the black hair now hanging wetly over his forehead. Black Irish, he’d told her, and she’d laughed at him, never having heard of such a thing before. He’d grinned then, but he wasn’t grinning now.

She gave a small sigh, trying to figure out the right way to talk to this man, this human who, despite their shared past, was a stranger in this place and time. He didn’t seem to appreciate the danger he was in, and she suspected it was because he knew so little about vampires. What she’d said a moment ago was absolutely true. If Raphael’s mate died, nothing would save any of them. That much power unleashed in a storm of grief would wipe out everything for miles before the vampire lord even knew what he was doing. He would kill friend and foe alike, not discriminating in his blind need for revenge.

But even if Cynthia didn’t die, there would be consequences. Colin and this other human, Robbie, had been with her when she was attacked. By Raphael’s reasoning that would make them responsible for failing to protect her. Robbie, certainly—he was some sort of bodyguard, after all. But Colin would be considered equally guilty by association. Raphael would remain with his mate through tonight at least. But when he finally emerged from his lair, he’d be looking for someone to punish. He’d hunt down those truly responsible, but his anger would begin with the first person at hand. And if she had anything to say about it, that person wouldn’t be Colin.

But how to convince Colin of that?

Aware of her vampire audience, particularly Juro, she turned her back on them and touched Colin’s arm, urging him away from the group and across the driveway. It wouldn’t stop Juro from hearing every word she said, but he wouldn’t be able to see her face when she said it.

Colin surprised her by not shaking off her touch. He walked with her a few yards off the driveway and onto the grass. There wasn’t much moonlight, but there were security lamps above the gate. And Colin seemed untroubled by the dark, his footsteps sure on the uneven lawn.

Careful to keep her back toward the gate and its vampires, she smiled up at him, a genuine smile of warmth and affection. He gave a little jerk of surprise at the change in her demeanor. He controlled it quickly, but she saw it. “You have very good night vision,” she commented.

His eyes narrowed, as if trying to figure out her angle. But she didn’t have an angle. Finally, he shrugged. “Years of night ops. It stuck with me.”

“Colin,” she began, her hand still resting on his thickly muscled forearm, “there’s something you need to understand about vampires, especially powerful ones like Raphael. Their—” She struggled for the word. “—aggression is very close to the surface. It’s part of what makes them who they are, what they are. Their willingness to fight for what they want, to defend what is theirs. And nothing, Colin, nothing is more sacred to a vampire than his mate. I heard the report from the human doctor—”

Colin’s expression brightened immediately. “You talked to him? What’d he say?”

Sophia smiled, marveling at the complexity of her human. Her human? Was that what he was? She sighed inwardly. “He told us she is very badly injured, that if she is to live, it will be Raphael who saves her.”

Colin shook his head in denial, a pained look on his face. “I don’t understand that, Sophie. Everyone keeps saying Raphael can save her, but how?”

A part of Sophia jolted with pleasure at his use of the nickname, but at the same time, she realized just how very little Colin knew about vampires. This wasn’t just about the power and aggression of a vampire lord; it was the essence of Vampire itself. And how much could she share with him? The vampire community held certain truths close and for very good reason. One of the most tightly concealed, and most dangerous, of those truths was the healing power of vampire blood.

She studied the familiar face of the man in front of her, so clear to her vampire sight. He was a handsome man, her Colin, with a strong jaw and square chin. The slight creases around his eyes testified to his easy laughter, creases that hadn’t been there ten years ago. She wondered if another woman had put those laugh lines on his face and felt a surge of jealousy.

The truth hit her like a jolt of electricity. She wanted him. Not for an hour or a night. She wanted him to be hers and no one else’s. Despair followed close behind, the knowledge that she might have destroyed whatever affection he once held for her when she’d made the decision to deceive him all those years ago.

Her jaw tightened determinedly. She couldn’t change the past. But if she hoped for a future with him, only the truth would do now. He was still looking at her, waiting for an answer to his question.

“Vampire blood is very strong, Colin, especially that of an old and powerful vampire like Raphael. A vampire mating is based on the exchange of blood. Cynthia’s human blood feeds him, but his blood keeps her healthy and young for as long as they are together. This is why most matings are between vampire and human. They sustain each other.”

Colin was utterly focused on what she was saying. He was listening to every word, visibly taking it all in and storing it away, and she was forcefully reminded that Colin Murphy was more than a strong body, more than a highly skilled warrior. He had a first-class mind, as well.

But Sophia didn’t want to say anything more about the healing properties of vampire blood, not in front of Juro and the others. She would answer all of his questions, but later, when they were alone.

Something in her expression must have warned Colin, because he cocked his head just a fraction and smiled slightly. “So he can save her life?” he asked.

“If anyone can,” she cautioned. “We won’t know for some hours and probably not until after sunset tomorrow. He won’t want to leave her side until she is completely stable, and perhaps not even then. I don’t know them well, but even I can see how much he loves her, and she’s important to these others, too,” she added, indicating the vampires around the gate and especially Juro and Robbie. “Their loyalty speaks, at least in part, to their master’s love for her.”

“So what are you saying, Sophie? What do you want me to do?”

She smiled gently. “I’m asking you to go home. It’s not safe for you here. If—if—the worst happens, Raphael will go a little mad, at least for a time. That’s why the doctor sent you and Robbie away in the first place. It’s not safe, especially for humans.”

“But Juro told Robbie he could stay, that it was—”

“And Juro is correct. It is probably safe for tonight. But Robbie has friends here, powerful friends who will argue on his behalf, perhaps even protect him as much as possible. You only have me.”

Colin stared at her.

“I will let you know immediately when we have news, good or bad,” she quickly added. “Trust me this much.”

He was still studying her. Finally, he blew out a breath and looked away, shaking his head. “Fine. I’ll go home. But I’m trusting you, Sophie.” He met her gaze evenly. “I’m trusting you,” he repeated.

“I know,” she said softly. “Thank you.”

He shook his head once and spun on his heel, walking over to where Robbie still waited. Resting a hand on the other man’s shoulder, he said quietly, “I’m going home to shower and change clothes. You’re more than welcome to come with me. I have plenty of room.”

Robbie looked from Colin to Sophia and back again. “Thanks. But I think I’ll bunk here. I’ll call you.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Colin’s head swung around, pinning Sophia with those perfect blue eyes. “You know where to find me.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Colin pushed away from his computer and checked the time, just as he had every ten seconds since he’d been back home. It was barely two a.m., but it had been hours since he’d left the vamp compound and he was going a little stir crazy.

He’d hosed down the inside of his Tahoe one more time, knowing if he left it as it was, it would attract every scavenger in the forest. He’d washed away the remaining blood, balling up wet paper and bandages and throwing them in the secure trash bin behind his house. It had eaten up at least an hour—an hour he hadn’t spent sitting around waiting to hear from Sophia.