Devon was silent, staggered by Julian’s admission, rattled by the keen insight his friend had developed. “I see.”

“I guess I’m the crazy, weak, fool now.”

“No, you’re simply more of a man than a monster once again.”

Julian tilted his head, his eyes sparked with amusement. “Is that what this feeling is? Humanity?”

Devon laughed softly; he slid down to sit on the stairs. “It’s a bitch,” he muttered.

“That it is,” Julian agreed. He moved over to sit upon one of the crates stacked within the basement. “We can’t trust them you know. I may not have seen any plan for betrayal in them, but we cannot trust them.”

“I know.”

“Especially not Robert.”

Devon’s hands clenched tight, anger spurted through him. Julian’s gaze was hard, his hatred toward Robert apparent in the tight set of his shoulders. “No matter what the others believe, or want, he will try to kill her.”

“Yes,” Julian agreed.

“I’ll kill him first.”

Julian was silent for a moment, his head tilted to the side, his eyes distant and thoughtful. “No Devon, if he goes for her, I will take him out. I owe him for the last time that we met, but this time I will be prepared for the battle, and not taken by surprise.”

“Julian…”

“You cannot kill your own brother Devon, you were never able to. Even back then you were unable to destroy him, though you knew that he would kill you in a heartbeat.”

“If he goes for her…”

“I will take care of him. I owe it to him.”

Devon thought over Julian’s words before nodding slowly. Julian was right, Robert did hate Devon, and Robert would kill him if given the opportunity, but Devon had never been able to kill his brother. Until now. But Julian, well Julian would take great pleasure in destroying Robert, in paying him back for the ambush he had executed on Julian all those years ago.

“Brother,” Devon said on a snort of disgust. Even when growing up they had never been anything even close to brotherly, but once Robert had been changed he had grown to hate Devon even more. Devon had never understood his brother’s hatred of him. Robert had always been the favored son, the one that had stood in the spotlight while Devon slunk through the shadows, hoping to go unnoticed at home. “He must be kept away from her.”

“Yes.” Folding his long legs before him, Julian leaned slightly forward. “Are you going to do what they want?”

Devon’s head slumped, his hands folded tightly before him. “I don’t want to condemn her to this life,” he whispered.

“It’s what she wants.”

“I know that, but the consequences…”

“Are something that can be dealt with after. You know that this has to be done Devon, if you fight it they may very well kill us all.”

“What if things go wrong?”

Julian sighed softly as he folded his arms across his chest. “We all know that is a possibility, but this is something that has to happen Devon. Whether they make it happen, or you do it willingly.”

“I know.”

They sat silently together listening to the odd silence of the deadened town, interrupted only by the small snores or shifting from the sleeping people upstairs. Devon rose slowly; he wanted to get back to Cassie before she woke. He wanted to get back to her in order to hold her and find the solace that only she could bring to his wounded soul. Julian watched him; his eyes oddly alight in the warm glow of the sun.

“You will find your Cassie one day,” Devon said softly.

Julian’s mouth quirked, his eyes sparked with amusement. He shrugged as he rose to his feet again. “Maybe, but I’m not going to start looking for her anytime soon.”

Devon nodded. “I didn’t either, but one day she’ll be there.” Julian looked as if he was going to argue, but he remained silent. “You really have changed.”

“So have you. I actually like you again.”

Devon grinned at him, chuckling softly. “Same here, but if you kiss her again I’ll rip your throat out.”

Julian laughed loudly as he shifted on the crates. His grin was wild and cocky as he tilted his head. “It was a moment of celebration only.”

Devon wasn’t as amused as Julian about it, but he didn’t blame Julian, Cassie was irresistible and Julian was in love with her. He also knew that, to Julian, the kiss had been a way of expressing his love and saying goodbye to her. To Cassie, it had simply been something sweet and celebratory. It had also been a way of sorting her feelings out, of knowing where she belonged. And that was with him.

“She told you about it?”

Devon shook his head, leaning slightly against the thin rail. “I saw it.”

Julian’s eyebrows furrowed, he bit lightly on his bottom lip. “During the blood exchange?”

“Yes.”

Julian glanced away, his eyes troubled and distant. “I’ve never opened myself up to another person.”

“Neither had I.”

Julian’s electric eyes were back on him, a small smile curved his hard mouth. “No, you hadn’t.”

“I need to get back up there.” Julian nodded, but didn’t look back at him. Devon padded silently up the stairs, leaving his friend within the growing light of the morning. Leaving his friend to his pain, while he returned to his greatest joy. Guilt tugged briefly at him, but he forgot about it as his eyes landed upon Cassandra, curled tightly within the blankets, her golden hair spread around her, her tiny hands folded beneath her cheek. She was so wonderfully beautiful, so wonderfully sweet and loving and caring.

She was so wonderfully his, and always would be.

CHAPTER 18

Cassie woke slowly; blinking against the soft light that filtered around the old blanket that Devon had hung over the window. The attic was mostly in shadow, but there was a small amount of light playing over the boxes that had been stored there. Devon’s arm was wrapped tightly around her, his bare chest pressed to her back. A thrill of excitement and wonder shot through her as the sweet, joyous memories of the night suffused her. She hadn’t known that anything could be so amazing, and she greatly wished that they could just stay here, in this room, for the rest of their lives.

But, unfortunately, their lives would allow no such thing to happen.

His hand moved upon her, gently caressing her arm. “Are you ok?” he asked softly.

Suddenly she felt shy, they had shared something so intimate and special last night, but now she wasn’t quite sure how she was supposed to act, or react. Her voice caught in her throat, she could not get her words out. He touched her arm, rolling her gently over as he brushed the hair back from her face. His emerald eyes were bright with worry as they searched her face.

“Did I hurt you?” he demanded.

Cassie shook her head, forgetting her shyness in the face of his obvious distress. “No, no of course not.”

“I tried not to cause you too much pain, but I know I lost some control. I’m sorry Cassie…”

He broke off when she rested her hand against his cheek. “I’m fine Devon, really,” she assured him. “It only hurt for a moment, and then it was over.”

His eyebrows drew tightly together as he frowned at her; his eyes scanned her rapidly once more. “Are you sure?”

She nodded, offering him a small smile as she kissed him softly. “Positive.” His fingers stroked over her face, gently caressing her cheeks as he kissed her nose. “It was wonderful Devon,” she whispered, barely able to hear her own words over the increased beat of her heart.

He smiled softly as he kissed her again. “It was more than wonderful.”

“Yes,” she breathed, losing herself to him as his delicious kisses deepened, drawing her away from the room, and all of the many problems that existed outside of it. In here, with him, there were no problems; there were no worries or fears. There was only love and utter contentment and bliss as she lost herself to his body and the wonderful way that only he could make her feel.

It was awhile later before she roused again. The light in the room was fuller, and it appeared to be mid morning. Below her, she could hear people moving about; soft whispers of conversations were exchanged. Her hand and head rested upon Devon’s chest, his arm was wrapped securely around her. Though he did not make a sound, she knew that he was awake without having to look at him. She was completely in sync with everything that he was.

“We should go down,” she whispered.

Devon’s hand stroked over her back, running up to her shoulders before entangling gently in her hair. She lifted her head to look at him, propping her chin on her hands as she studied him. He was magnificent, amazing, and completely hers. She did not feel shy now, she felt loved, and so unbelievably secure in this small room.

“Not yet.” She frowned at him as he brushed back her hair; his fingers lingered upon the two sets of marks on her neck. Marks that he had left upon her. A thrill shot down her spine; she could not stop her toes from curling against his hard legs. His eyes sparked with amusement and desire, a smile curved the edges of his hard, full mouth. He touched her lips gently with his fingers, running them briefly along before reluctantly withdrawing from her.

She watched in confusion, her eyebrows drawing tightly together as he bit into his wrist. “You need blood, and strength.”

“I’m fine,” she assured him. Though she desperately wanted to share that experience with him again, she didn’t want him to think that he had hurt her.

“I took a lot from you Cassie, and there are shadows under your eyes. You need my blood.”

Cassie was silent for a moment, her eyes latched onto the glistening drops of blood upon his wrist. For a strange moment, hunger tore through her. The sight of that blood did not repulse her as it should. Instead, it excited and enticed her in a way that it never had before. Instead, she suddenly wanted it for more than just a stronger bond with Devon, but because she required it, craved it like a man in the desert craved water.

Confusion and surprise whirled through Devon’s eyes, but before he could question her, she grasped his arm and bent her mouth to him. She knew that once the bond was sealed, all doubts and questions would fade away as their minds mingled together. His hand wrapped around the back of her head as he held her tight, his fingers weaving into her hair.

Cassie closed her eyes, a soft moan of ecstasy escaping before she could stop it. His blood was delicious, wonderful, filling in a way that it never had before. She could feel his confusion and fear over her reaction to it, but he did not pull away. Instead he held her tighter, whispering reassuring words to her as her own panic and fear began to build. This wasn’t normal, it just wasn’t, but at the moment she couldn’t bring herself to care.

She fell into him, allowing his thoughts and love to entwine her in a warm cocoon of security and adoration. His mind opened to hers, she had experienced a similar sensation the last time they had exchanged blood, but this was far different as she was sucked into him. For a moment panic filled her, she tried to revolt, tried to pull away before she was ensnared completely in the whirlwind of his mind.

“It’s ok,” Devon whispered. “It’s ok, don’t fight it. You need to see.”

Cassie didn’t know what it was that she needed to see, but as he held her tighter, pulled her closer, she knew that this was something that he wanted from her. Pushing her fear and panic aside, Cassie allowed herself to float, to drift and mingle with his mind more intensely than she ever had before. And then suddenly she was there, where he wanted her to be, in his life, feeling what he wanted her to feel, living what he wanted her to live.

She was there, with him, as a young child with black hair, and wide green eyes. He was skinny and gangly and awkward, but amazingly adorable with his dimples and two missing teeth. He was so full of hope and mischief and exuberance. Until his father’s drinking started to get out of control, and his father’s anger was turned on him. Until his mother was beaten while trying to protect her youngest son, and his brother turned his back on Devon’s frightened cries. Until all of his hope and mischief were destroyed beneath his father’s heavy fist and only anger, resentment, and hatred were left to fester within him.

When Devon escaped the cruelty, and coldness of his home, he never wanted to look back, never wanted to step foot on the property again. He was eager to be free, eager to explore the world, and live the life of drudgery that he swiftly adopted instead of going to the university.

And when Elizabeth found him, and changed him, he had never been happier, never wanted anything more. The misery and anger inside him helped to feed the thirst and cruelty of the demon he became. He now had an outlet for all of the rage and hurt that had festered inside of him, now had a way to bury his misery in the joy and thrill of the hunt, and then the kill.