“Something’s wrong,” Julian said softly, tilting his head as he studied the silent store.

Devon strained to hear anything, but the night remained completely silent, still. Devon’s eyes narrowed as he opened his mind to the night, searching for Cassie’s mind. He came up against a wall of blackness, a dark cloud that left him startled and confused. The wall was thick, heavy. It encompassed her entire mind.

Panic filled him, his hands fisted as he struggled through the wall, pushing at the edges as he tried to make his way through the thick haze. Then her mind gave way. Pain exploded through him, searing into his skull as it slammed wildly against him. The pain was numbing, freezing, completely encompassing as it wrapped through him, over him, into him.

Devon retreated swiftly, before he was sucked into her agony. Retreated before he was trapped within her pain, and unable to escape from the iron tight hold it had over her. He blinked, trying to bring the street into focus as he fought against the lingering remnants of her pain clinging to him. The street snapped back. He cursed loudly, terror pouring through him as he bolted forward, he moved with more speed than he had ever thought possible.

Leaping forward, he turned sideways as he threw himself at one of the boarded windows. Glass shattered inward, the board caved easily against the force of his weight. He plunged into the store. Falling to the floor, he rolled swiftly before leaping back to his feet. Fury exploded through him, encompassing him as his attention was immediately drawn to the two creatures beside Cassie.

At his entrance they had both stopped feeding from her, but her blood still stained their mouths, and the smell of it hung heavy in the air. A fierce snarl of rage ripped from him. Her blood, blood that was only supposed to be tasted by him, had been ripped from her, causing the agony that he had sensed radiating from her.

One of the creatures released her, causing her to stagger slightly forward as it abruptly dropped her arm and spun toward him. Devon stormed forward, a bellow ripping from him as the other one continued to hold her, pulling her along with him as it tried to escape. Cassie tripped, her legs collapsing beneath her as weakness suffused her.

He grabbed hold of the other one that had been feeding from her. His hand encompassed the things face as he slammed it backwards, pounding its skull off the wall until he heard the reassuring sound of it caving in. Devon tossed him easily aside as another window shattered inward. Julian landed inside the store, Liam close on his heels.

Devon paid them no attention as he stormed after the one still trying to drag Cassie with it. He was going to tear the creature limb from limb when he got a hold of it. The creatures red eyes widened before narrowing fiercely upon him. It hauled Cassie against its chest, pulling her up by her arm when her legs proved too weak to support her weight.

A small moan escaped her; Devon could sense the weakness in her, the life just barely thrumming through her veins. Terror and fury motivated him as he leapt forward. The creature’s eyes widened in horror, it tried to keep hold of her as Devon slammed into it, shoving his arm up under its throat. The creature squealed loudly, its red eyes flared as it realized that it was about to be destroyed.

A moan of pain escaped Cassie; she tugged on her arm as the thing continued to cling to her. Devon seized hold of its arm, squeezing down until he heard, and felt the bone snap within his grasp. The creature squealed in pain, it didn’t immediately release Cassie though. Instead it clung to her, spilling her blood as its fingers grasped wildly at her arm. Wrath pounded through Devon, his vision blurred as a fiery haze of red exploded in front of him. He had never been so infuriated, never been this far out of control.

Dropping his arm down, he seized hold of the creature’s throat. Its eyes bulged, a wild cry escaped it as his fingers clenched down, digging into the things throat. With one violent tug, he ripped its throat out. Wild sounds of terror escaped the torn hole of its throat, but Devon ignored it as he shoved the creature aside.

Cassie staggered, nearly falling as its grip on her was finally lost. Devon scooped her easily up, holding her tight against his chest as he turned back to the store. Her hand curled into his shirt, clinging to him as she struggled to lift her head. Panic thrummed through him as he met her dazed, unfocused eyes. He could feel the lingering remnants of pain that clung to her. Her fingers twitched in his shirt, her mouth was pinched tight, and her jaw was clenched.

“Devon,” her voice was a bare whisper.

His eyes flew wildly around the destroyed store. Bodies were scattered about the floor, blood was splayed around the room, wood and glass littered the ground. The creatures that had not been killed outright had fled the room the minute they had arrived. Liam was helping Annabelle back to her feet, her shirt had been torn, and a deep cut marred her delicate face. Though it was deep, it would heal quickly, and would not leave a scar. Luther’s glasses hung askew on his face, his hair was standing straight up as he rose slowly to his feet. He was holding his arm, blood dripped down it, plopping off his fingers onto the floor.

Chris was leaning against the wall, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. He appeared uninjured. Melissa however, was unmoving. She was slumped against the wall, her breathing shallow, and her skin unnaturally pale. Blood had pooled beneath her, it poured down her side from the jagged wound that had sliced her. Julian knelt before her, turning her head as he checked for a pulse.

“Annabelle get over here,” he said crisply.

“Hold on,” she mumbled, kneeling beside Dani who was also unmoving upon the floor. “Just knocked out.”

She rose swiftly to her feet and hurried over to where Melissa lay. “Melissa?” Cassie whispered, straining against his hold on her. Fear widened her eyes as clarity began to clear the pain from them. She squirmed slightly, and then collapsed against him; weakness took hold of her body. Her eyes flew wildly to his. “Devon?”

For a moment he couldn’t move as she stared questioningly up at him. The demon in him was in control right now, and it wanted her. It wanted her badly. It needed her blood, blood that was supposed to be only his, because she was his. Blood that had just been stolen from her, from him. His fingers trembled as he brushed her hair back. His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched at the sight of the jagged wounds that marred her perfect skin.

“Devon?” she breathed, her eyes wildly searching his face. Her heart hammered, flipping wildly in her chest as she stared up at him, her mouth parted in surprise. He didn’t know what she saw on his face, but he did know that it was terrifying her. And the last thing he wanted to do was scare her, especially right now.

“Cassie.” She trembled in his arms as he bent over her. He could smell the creature upon her; smell its fetid breath against her skin. He grit his teeth against the urge to bite deep in order to renew his mark upon her, in order to reclaim his stake upon what was his. Instead, he nuzzled her neck gently, relishing in the smell of her delicious scent. Ever so lightly, he licked the jagged wounds, savoring in the blood that lingered upon her skin as he closed the marks. He pulled slowly away from her, took hold of her hurt arm and also licked those wounds closed.

He pulled slowly away from her, trembling as he fought to control himself. She was still weak, still beaten down from the blood that had been drawn forcefully, painfully, from her. Without thought, he turned away, sheltering her from the view of the others within the store. Though, none of them were paying him much attention as they knelt by Melissa’s side, trying to keep her alive.

He bit deep into his wrist, not feeling the pain as his blood rushed forth. She stared questioningly up at him, her beautiful eyes wide and questioning as she watched him. Shifting her slightly, he held his wrist out to her, knowing that his blood was the only thing that would help her recuperate from her ordeal faster. She hesitated, her eyes latching onto the blood dripping from his wrist.

She moved slowly, her small fingers wrapping around his wrist, drawing it closer to him. He moaned softly, ecstasy filling him as she brought his wrist to her mouth and bit down. His hand clenched upon her, his body thrummed with the pleasure her drinking brought to him. If his heart still beat it would be pounding wildly now, if he could still breathe he would not be able to do so.

Her eyes drifted slowly closed, she clung tighter to him as she bit deeper, taking more of his blood into her. Her joy suffused him, her weakness and need thrummed from her body into his. Devon bent closer to her, inhaling her scent as his blood flowed into her, slowly replacing the scent of the monsters that had fed from her.

Cassie bit deeper, squirming closer to him, her fingers clenched upon him. Her need for him radiated outward, he could feel her desperate desire for more, her fervent want to be with him, to join him, to be everything that he needed her to be. But over it all he sensed her terror over the fact that she might never be able to join him; that they may never be able to be together forever. She drank deeper, pulling his blood into her in large gulps as she tried to take as much of him as she could into her. He was overwhelmed with her need for more, overwhelmed with her longing to join him, and end both of their suffering. Overwhelmed by her fierce love and desire for eternity with him.

“Devon, Devon.” He turned further away, sheltering Cassie from Julian as he came at them. “Devon stop.”

A low growl escaped him as Julian’s hand seized hold of his shoulder, trying to pull him back. He huddled closer to Cassie as she clung tighter to his wrist; she was as unwilling to part as he was. Julian’s hand tightened on him as he jerked Devon back. “Stop this. Devon you could destroy her!” he hissed, his voice low yet frantic with urgency. “Stop this!”

Devon shuddered, he wanted to ignore Julian’s words, wanted to thrust Julian away, wanted to kill him for the interruption, but he couldn’t. There was only one thing that he wanted more than for Cassie to join him, and that was for her to be safe. If he continued this, she could end up being neither one of those things. She had sustained enough blood loss to make the consumption of too much of his blood dangerous to her.

“Devon!”

Agony tore through him as he pulled his wrist away from her mouth. She blinked up at him, her gorgeous eyes dazed and wounded at the loss of contact, at the loss of the bond that she had been thoroughly enjoying. His blood marred her full mouth, it stained her lips an even deeper shade of red. He groaned, shaking, barely in control of himself. It was too hard, and it was far too much, the monster inside of him was so very close to the surface. Hell, if he was honest with himself, he would admit that it was already on the surface, already in control. And that it had been for awhile now. If he was completely honest with himself, he would admit that the man had not been in control in a long time.

Julian was right, he was losing it, and he was going to hurt her if he did.

He spun suddenly, issuing a startled cry from Cassie as he thrust her at Julian. Surprised by the sudden movement, Julian just barely managed to catch her. It killed him to hand her over to another man, especially Julian, but Julian may very well be the only one that could keep her safe from him. Or at least he would try to anyway. “Take her,” Devon barked, struggling against the urge to rip her back from Julian. Struggling against the urge to destroy Julian so that no one could stop him from doing everything he wanted to her.

“Devon?” Cassie scrambled to escape Julian’s arms, her eyes were frantic.

She managed to get back onto her feet, but Julian grabbed hold of her waist, pulling her swiftly back, pinning her against his chest. His ice eyes were hard and unwavering as he stared hard at Devon. Though he would defend Cassie to the death, he was waiting, hoping that Devon continued to make the right choices on his own. Devon growled, reaching for her, wanting to draw her back to him, hold her. Wanting to finish what he had started, and end the torment that suffused them both. He stopped, his hand falling back to his side as the man managed to briefly regain some control of the monster. He couldn’t do this to her, he couldn’t risk losing her, couldn’t risk what the change might do to her. He couldn’t hurt her in this way. He turned swiftly away, moving before he no longer could.

Desperation urged him faster. Grasping hold of the shattered window frame, he heaved himself over the windowsill and into the dark, cold night. He needed to get away, but he could not go far. He could not leave her alone, could not leave her with the monsters hunting this town. No, he could not go far, but he also could not be near her right now. As long as she remained human, he may not ever be able to be near her again.

“Devon!” her terrified scream followed him. The torment in her voice caused his non-beating heart to shatter into a thousand pieces, but he did not slow as he raced further into the night.

***

Cassie stood in the shadows, her arms folded over her chest as she continued to glare at everyone every once in awhile. Julian remained rigid by the door, his hand resting upon it, his ice colored eyes focused upon her. The windows had been boarded back up, the bodies tossed into the basement, and the trapdoor blocked by a heap of shelves piled on top of it. No one was sleeping in the backroom tonight; they had all joined her and Julian in the front room.