Darcy battled back ridiculous tears. Her own childhood had hardly been a bed of roses, but she was beginning to suspect that it was nothing compared to Styx's past.

And yet he wasn't bitter or filled with a dark need for revenge. Instead of brooding on the sins of others, he had taken command of the situation and fought to better the world for all vampires.

How could a woman not fall in love with such a man?

"And you succeeded?" she asked softly.

"In part, but there is still much to accomplish." The haunting pain was replaced with a grim determination. "Beginning with our newest and most vulnerable brothers."

She studied him with genuine curiosity. "What are you going to do?"

"I will not allow foundlings to be abandoned by their makers. In the future they will be taken in by clans and not allowed to struggle to survive."

"You are a very good leader, Styx," she said softly.

He dipped his head to stroke her lips with a lingering kiss. Darcy felt the familiar heat, but before she could truly get down to business Styx was pulling back with a rueful sigh.

"A leader who needs to take care of Desmond," he admitted as he stepped back and reached for his heavy cape. "I don't want to leave you, angel, but I must."

"I know." Darcy wrapped her arms about her waist, disliking the strange chill of apprehension that trickled down her spine. "Just promise me that you'll be careful."

"That I can promise." He smiled before startling her as he removed the amulet that hung about his neck and gently pulled the leather band over her neck. With a jolt of power, the beautiful amulet settled between her breasts. He framed her face with his hands as he offered her one last kiss. "I will return to you," he swore against her lips. "I will always return to you."

"Styx..."

With a shake of his head, he pulled away and slipped silently from the room.

Once alone Darcy reached up to touch the amulet about her neck. Her fingers tingled as they brushed over the smooth stone.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but she could almost believe she could feel the presence of Styx contained in the amulet. The cool surge of his power. The fierce, relentless confidence that masked a vulnerability that few were allowed to see. The unwavering loyalty to his fellow vampires.

With a sigh she moved to stretch out on the bed. She was weary to the bone, but there was an aching emptiness deep inside her.

It was an emptiness she had to admit was directly caused by the absence of Styx.

Dang it all.

He might claim that he was the only one bound by their unexpected mating, but she knew the truth.

She didn't need any tattoos to tell her that she already belonged lock, stock, and barrel to a freaking vampire.

Chapter Nineteen

It was the delicious aroma of food that lured Darcy from her light sleep.

Rubbing her hands over her face, she sat up on the bed to discover Levet hovering in the doorway with a tray in his hands.

"Levet." She groggily glanced toward the still-dark window. "What time is it?"

"A little past three."

Meaning that she had only been asleep two hours. No wonder her brain felt as if it was stuck in first gear, and her eyes scratchy enough to use as sandpaper.

With a shake of her head, she struggled to form a coherent thought.

She wasn't remotely surprised by the first one that floated to the top of her mind.

"Has Styx returned?"

The tiny gargoyle gave a flick of his dainty wings. "Not yet, but Viper called just a few minutes ago to say they had managed to track the clan chief to a small house west of the city. They should be back well before dawn."

"Oh." She battled the stupid flare of unease. Jeez, couldn't Styx be gone a few hours without her wigging out? It was getting beyond ridiculous. She sternly turned her attention to her unexpected guest. "Is that tray for me?"

"Yes."

Darcy smiled as she slipped off the bed and stretched her stiff muscles. "Thank you. It smells delicious."

Strangely the demon hesitated. "May I enter?"

"Of course." Darcy frowned in confusion. "You know you don't need to ask."

Levet grimaced. Quite a sight considering his lumpy features.

"Actually I do."

"You do?"

"I'm not supposed to be bothering you."

Darcy gave a shake of her head wondering what was wrong with the tiny demon. Goodness knew he was hardly one to hesitate barging in wherever he wanted to go.

He was impervious to insult, entirely without manners, and had skin as thick as that of a ... well, a gargoyle.

"You're never a bother, Levet," she said in confusion.

Tell that to Mr. High and Mighty."

"Styx?"

"Sacre bleu. I have never encountered such a bossy-pants." Rolling his eyes, the gargoyle managed a credible imitation of Styx. "Darcy is hungry. Darcy is tired. Darcy must not be bothered. Darcy must be protected. Darcy must..."

With a small laugh Darcy held up her hand. "I think I get the point."

"That was only the beginning of the list. He even insisted that Viper's housekeeper be brought here so that she could fix your favorite dinner."

A small smile touched her lips as she glanced toward the waiting tray. Being independent was all well and good, but she couldn't deny a renegade flare of pleasure at Styx's obvious concern.

She had never been fussed over before, so why shouldn't she enjoy it just a little?

"I suppose Styx does tend to be a bit bossy, but you can't really blame him. He's accustomed to giving orders."

"I can blame him," Levet swiftly corrected. "And I thought you did as well. You did run from him, didn't you?"

Darcy shrugged. "Yes, well, like all men he is thick skulled enough that a woman must occasionally take strong measures to get her point across."

"I'd say you managed that. According to Viper . . ." Levet's words broke off as he tilted his head back to sniff the air. Then, without warning he was lunging forward. "Sacre bleu."

More startled than frightened, Darcy instinctively backed away, her eyes widening as the small gargoyle grabbed her arm in a firm grip.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"You're mated." Levet shoved up the sleeve of her sweatshirt to reveal the crimson tattoo that stained her forearm. He gave another sniff of the air. "Or more precisely, Styx is mated. The ceremony is not yet completed."

Jeez. Could she go one day without something sniffing at her?

"So it would seem," she muttered.

Stepping back, Levet studied her with a curious expression. "You're very calm about this. You do understand what's happened?"

Darcy battled the urge to laugh hysterically.

Understand what's happened?

Hell no.

Her life had been a blur of confusion since the moment that Salvatore had walked into the bar.

Vampires and werewolves and demons...

Oh my.

"Not entirely," she admitted, with a rueful smile. "Styx claimed that it means he is somehow tied to me."

"Somehow? There is no 'somehow' about it. He is most certainly bound to you for all eternity." The gargoyle gave a slow shake of his head. "Mon Dieu. Who would have believed that the coldhearted bastard was even capable of mating a woman?"

Darcy sent her companion a withering glare. Or what she presumed was a withering glare. She had never been entirely certain, but it always seemed to work in romance novels.

"He is not coldhearted. In fact, he possesses the most generous, loyal heart of anyone I've ever met."

Levet blinked in surprise at her fierce tone. "I will have to take your word for it, since he most certainly does not reveal it to the rest of us riffraff."

"That's only because he isn't used to showing his feelings."

"No shit," Levet muttered.

Why did everyone persist in treating Styx like the Darth Vader of the demon world?

He devoted his entire life to protecting those demons he considered his responsibility without asking anything in return. They should be showering him with gratitude, for goodness sake.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't have them. Or that he can't be hurt when he is constantly misunderstood."

"Perhaps." Levet appeared far from convinced, but he dismissed her arguments from his mind and allowed his attention to return to her arm. Suddenly he began to laugh.

Darcy frowned. "What's so funny?"

"It just struck me that you have leashed the most powerful demon in the entire world. I do not know whether to congratulate you or offer my condolences."

Ah.

Actually she didn't know either.

So far she had alternated between sheer terror and a peaceful bliss.

Not the most comfortable of mood swings.

"Styx is hardly leashed," she protested.

"Oh, but he is." Levet's smile became downright wicked. "And it's so deliciously ironic. Female vampires have been attempting to lure Styx from his self-imposed celibacy from them for centuries. They will be gnashing their fangs in fury when they discover he is mated."