enormity of what she’d actually
gotten herself into was sinking in, and walking away from it would
never be an option. It’s true nothing had happened for a while, but
now.... It wouldn’t matter if she broke it off with Ethan—which she
could never do anyway—as the dangers would continue to creep along
behind them because of what they’d done. The thought of running
away with Ethan slid back into her mind, but she pushed it aside
again. There was no guarantee that would solve their problems
either.
“The good news is that there are
many good vampires who want
to help us, and have volunteered to take guard shifts. We will have
more help when it comes to keeping you two safe. There are many who
want to protect the two who discovered the cure.”
“What happened with Alex?” Ethan asked.
“I gave Alexander a well deserved beating,”
Max said. One side of his full mouth lifted into a crooked grin as
he chortled. “He won’t bother Danielle again if he would like to
continue breathing air.”
* * * * *
Curling up onto the settee in Ethan’s room,
Danielle reached for the throw draped over the back of it, pulled
it forward and around her legs. She got comfortable even knowing
they didn’t have much time to spend together before she’d be sent
home. “We opened up a can of worms when we cured you, didn’t
we?”
Ethan sat down and slipped under the throw
with her. “Yes, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Danielle couldn’t help but wonder if he
really meant that. Yes, he loved food but now he was in as much
danger as she was in, with no way of defending himself except to
rely on Order members for protection. Beon and Max said they could
be trusted, but could a bunch of vampires who’d supposedly turned
over a new leaf really be trusted? Deep down she knew she would
trust Max, Beon, Cedric and even Seth with her life, but what of
the others? What about the ones who had killed, who had tasted
mortal blood? What if they turned sides like Celeste had or like
Alex had? And forget privacy after this.... “It doesn’t look like
the bodyguard situation is going to improve.”
“It might change,” Ethan said, leaning back
into the cushion.
“For the worse you mean?”
He leaned forward, his elbows braced on his
knees. “No. For the better.”
She studied his calm expression. “I don’t
understand.”
Gently, he dragged the backs of his fingers
along her cheek. She looked at him, wondering if he was going to
answer her question. His eyes darkened with soberness before he
asked, “Do you want to be with me forever, even with the problems
surrounding our relationship? Do you love me?”
Unsettled by the fact that he even had to
ask that question, she twisted further to face him more straight
on. Of course she realized she hadn’t expressed her love for him as
much as he’d said those words to her, but she didn’t want him to
doubt how she felt about him. “Of course I love you! You’re
everything to me.” She slung her arms around his neck and hugged
him tight. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and because of
that, I’ll face this with you.”
Just as Danielle finished her ramblings she
realized, with panic, that she didn’t know why he was bringing up
this line of questioning. What if he’d changed his mind about them
and hoped she had the same doubts? What if he thought it was too
dangerous for them to be together? Feeling color leave her face as
fear washed over her, her shoulders slumped.
A finger came up to her chin and Ethan
inspected her expression, the depths of her eyes. She realized that
he’d sensed the shift in her mood, as usual. And his response made
it clear he understood enough of what was going on in her head.
“Danielle, I feel the same. I love you, I adore you ... you’re more
valuable to me than anything in this world.” The finger holding her
face dropped to the pearl necklace around her neck as he spoke. “I
don’t want you to worry
gotten herself into was sinking in, and walking away from it would
never be an option. It’s true nothing had happened for a while, but
now.... It wouldn’t matter if she broke it off with Ethan—which she
could never do anyway—as the dangers would continue to creep along
behind them because of what they’d done. The thought of running
away with Ethan slid back into her mind, but she pushed it aside
again. There was no guarantee that would solve their problems
either.
“The good news is that there are
many good vampires who want
to help us, and have volunteered to take guard shifts. We will have
more help when it comes to keeping you two safe. There are many who
want to protect the two who discovered the cure.”
“What happened with Alex?” Ethan asked.
“I gave Alexander a well deserved beating,”
Max said. One side of his full mouth lifted into a crooked grin as
he chortled. “He won’t bother Danielle again if he would like to
continue breathing air.”
* * * * *
Curling up onto the settee in Ethan’s room,
Danielle reached for the throw draped over the back of it, pulled
it forward and around her legs. She got comfortable even knowing
they didn’t have much time to spend together before she’d be sent
home. “We opened up a can of worms when we cured you, didn’t
we?”
Ethan sat down and slipped under the throw
with her. “Yes, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Danielle couldn’t help but wonder if he
really meant that. Yes, he loved food but now he was in as much
danger as she was in, with no way of defending himself except to
rely on Order members for protection. Beon and Max said they could
be trusted, but could a bunch of vampires who’d supposedly turned
over a new leaf really be trusted? Deep down she knew she would
trust Max, Beon, Cedric and even Seth with her life, but what of
the others? What about the ones who had killed, who had tasted
mortal blood? What if they turned sides like Celeste had or like
Alex had? And forget privacy after this.... “It doesn’t look like
the bodyguard situation is going to improve.”
“It might change,” Ethan said, leaning back
into the cushion.
“For the worse you mean?”
He leaned forward, his elbows braced on his
knees. “No. For the better.”
She studied his calm expression. “I don’t
understand.”
Gently, he dragged the backs of his fingers
along her cheek. She looked at him, wondering if he was going to
answer her question. His eyes darkened with soberness before he
asked, “Do you want to be with me forever, even with the problems
surrounding our relationship? Do you love me?”
Unsettled by the fact that he even had to
ask that question, she twisted further to face him more straight
on. Of course she realized she hadn’t expressed her love for him as
much as he’d said those words to her, but she didn’t want him to
doubt how she felt about him. “Of course I love you! You’re
everything to me.” She slung her arms around his neck and hugged
him tight. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and because of
that, I’ll face this with you.”
Just as Danielle finished her ramblings she
realized, with panic, that she didn’t know why he was bringing up
this line of questioning. What if he’d changed his mind about them
and hoped she had the same doubts? What if he thought it was too
dangerous for them to be together? Feeling color leave her face as
fear washed over her, her shoulders slumped.
A finger came up to her chin and Ethan
inspected her expression, the depths of her eyes. She realized that
he’d sensed the shift in her mood, as usual. And his response made
it clear he understood enough of what was going on in her head.
“Danielle, I feel the same. I love you, I adore you ... you’re more
valuable to me than anything in this world.” The finger holding her
face dropped to the pearl necklace around her neck as he spoke. “I
don’t want you to worry
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