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  The girl studied her before she turned to look at the woods. "A walk, huh?" Something flickered over her delicate features that caused a chill to run up Sera's spine. The girl smiled as she shook back her midnight hair. "No, that's all right. I was heading to my friend's cabin. They'll be worried if I don't show up. Maybe I'll stop on my way back."

  Sera felt as if there was something wrong with this girl, but she didn't know what, and she couldn't just let her walk through a blizzard without trying to help her. "Are you sure you don't want to come in and warm up for a couple of minutes first?"

  "No, I really should be going. My name's Elizabeth by the way, but everyone calls me Beth," she said as she extended a small, gloved hand.

  "Serendipity, but everyone calls me Sera. It's nice to meet you."

  "That's unusual, pretty though. It's nice to meet you too."

  "Thanks. Have a safe walk."

  "I will. Have a good day."

  Sera hurried back to the cabin and climbed the steps. She swung the back door open and stomped the snow from her boots as she pulled her gloves off. She stripped her jacket off and hurried into the warm kitchen. Danielle and Kathleen were sipping hot chocolate and bickering over a crossword puzzle as they sat at the island.

  "They back yet?" Kathleen asked.

  "No, not yet."

  "For not wanting to go very far, they've been gone a while," Danielle said.

  "Well over an hour," Kathleen muttered.

  Sera poured a mug of hot chocolate and held it in her numbed hands to help warm them up. "They'll be back soon," she said as she took a sip.

  "I hope so; it will be night soon."

  Sera moved over to the island and stared unseeingly at the crossword. The heat was rapidly sinking into her as shooting pains lanced through her numbed fingers. "I just met a neighbor of yours," she said to Kathleen.

  Kathleen frowned as she lifted her head from the puzzle. "A neighbor?" she asked. "Where?"

  "Out back, after you guys came inside. She was walking through the woods."

  Kathleen plopped her pen on the counter. "We don't have any neighbors, Sera."

  Sera frowned as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. "She said she was from a cabin about a mile down the road."

  Kathleen chewed on her bottom lip as she glanced back at Sera. "That's funny."

  "Why?"

  "Well, that would be the old McDonald place. His wife died last year, and Mr. McDonald died last month. As far as I know, no one bought the place."

  "Maybe she was a grandkid or something?"

  Kathleen picked her pen up. "Yeah, maybe."

  "She said she was going to a friend's cabin."

  Kathleen glanced inquisitively at her as she lowered her pen again. "Sera, were you hallucinating or something?"

  "No, I swear! Her name was Beth."

  "The closest cabin is five miles away. Unless she was planning on spending all night walking, I doubt that's where she was going."

  "I'm just telling you what she said."

  "Maybe you misunderstood her."

  "No, I understood her just fine."

  "Then she must have been lying."

  Sera glanced back out the window. She couldn't see anything through the snow blasting against the pane. Apprehension gnawed at her stomach as she noticed the sky darkening. She took another sip of hot chocolate and placed the cup on the counter. "Maybe," she replied. "But why would she?"

  Kathleen wrote down an answer.

  "Are you sure that's right?" Danielle demanded.

  "It fits, doesn't it? She may have been too shy to come inside."

  She didn't seem at all shy to Sera, but she couldn't think of any other reason. "Maybe," she agreed absently. "Do you think they're okay?"

  "I'm sure they're fine, stop worrying about it. Why don't you take a shower before the electricity goes out? I'm sure they'll be back by the time you're done."

  The idea of a shower was very tempting. She was exceptionally numb, and she needed a distraction from her anxiety. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll be back in a bit."

  "The towels are in the hall closet!" Kathleen called after her.

  Sera gathered dry clothes and practically leapt up the stairs as the warm shower beckoned to her. Stripping out of her wet clothes, she adjusted the shower to the hottest temperature she could stand and stepped inside. The driving needles and fiery warmth helped to melt some of the tension from her body. Once the sting of her frozen extremities began to fade, she savored the warmth of the water, and the steam rising around her while she leisurely washed her hair.

  The shower curtain suddenly ripped open. She cried out as she instinctively covered her naked body. Liam grinned at her as he stepped into the large tub. "Jesus!" she gasped, her hand flying to her heart. "Don't do that! Didn't you ever see Psycho?"

  He laughed as he wound his hands into her wet hair and pulled her closer to him. She scowled at him, not ready to forgive him for scaring her.

  "Sorry," he mumbled as he dropped a light kiss on her mouth. "But the idea of sharing a shower with you was too tempting to resist."

  Her irritation began to melt as he nibbled on her lower lip. Her hands fluttered to his chest. "You're freezing!" she cried as she dropped her hands.

  He grinned at her as he stepped under the warm water. "Come here and warm me up."

  She raised a haughty eyebrow at him. "You come in here, scare me to death, take over my hot water, and expect me to be accommodating?"

  The sensual grin he shot her warmed her more than all the hot water in the world. "Yes."

  She couldn't stop the small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. He tipped his head back to let the water run down his face and plaster his hair back. Sera's mouth went dry as her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest. He was magnificent. Water slid over his bronzed skin, ran over his broad shoulders and chest in tantalizing rivulets that made her wish her hands were the water. He was already rigid, and the throbbing tip of his shaft glistened with beads of water.

  She swallowed heavily as her body grew taut with anticipation. She looked up to find him watching her with a small smile and a feral gleam in his emerald eyes. He opened his arms to her, and she went into them eagerly. His mouth was savage as it seized upon hers. Sera was instantly swept away by his ardent need and her own.

  His hands grabbed hold of her waist as he lifted her up and thrust deeply into her. "Hold onto me," he grated hoarsely in her ear.

  She wrapped her arms and legs around him as he turned her into the wall. He braced her firmly and used his hands to guide her movements as she slid leisurely up and down, him. The water ran over her, flowing down her breasts and dripping off her nipples. His mouth took hold of one of them; he sucked upon the sweet bud as he licked the water from her skin.

  She cried out, arching against him as her fingers curled into his neck. His eyes landed upon the marks on her neck. His marks. His body tensed as a powerful hunger ripped through him. His teeth instantly lengthened, and the animal inside of him sprang forth. An inhuman urge to mark her once more gripped him. He wanted her sweet blood, needed the resurgence of strength it gave him. He wanted to brand her as his own again so everyone would know she belonged only to him. His hands tensed upon her hips, his need became savage as he relentlessly drove into her.

  Her hands dug into his back as she sensed his urgency and met it. His mouth began to water as her head fell back and he could see the blood throbbing through her veins. He almost drove his teeth into her neck. Almost took her against her will. He managed to take a ragged breath and rip his gaze away from her tempting throat. He had to stop; he had to get away from her before he lost all control and devoured her completely.

  "Sera," he grated. "Stop. We must stop!"

  His words barely pierced her erotic haze. When they did, she dropped her head to gaze at him. His face twisted with beastly need, his teeth long and pointed. She could see the struggle for control in his clenched jaw and flaring nostrils. Although he dran
k from her last night, he had never looked like this. This Liam was feral, primitive, and utterly deadly.

  "I can't," he somehow managed to say.

  He gritted his teeth as he tried to regain control of himself. He had never lost it before, and he wasn't about to lose it now. Not with her. He took a step away from the wall and released his hold upon her.

  "Get out of here, Sera. Stay away from me for a while."

  "No."

  "Sera!" he growled as he took hold of the hands wrapped around his neck.

  "I said no."

  Anger blazed through him as he met her determined gaze. "Damn it, Sera; I'm going to hurt you!"

  "No, you won't. I know you won't." Her simple words managed to dampen some of the beast within him.

  He groaned as his hands convulsed upon hers. "It's too soon."

  "Will it change me?"

  "Not if you don't drink from me, and I can control myself."

  "Then control yourself."

  "It's not that easy," he groaned. "Not with you."

  Her smile was seductive as she lifted herself up and slid back down his cock. She rubbed her erect nipples against his chest and nipped at his bottom lip. She rose again and slid leisurely back down, her muscles clenched as she drew him all the way into her. He made no move to meet her actions as he stood stiffly. She felt so exquisitely good, but she was playing with fire, and she was going to get burned. He couldn't let that happen.

  Sera rode him slowly, determined to melt his resolve; determined he would give her what she wanted. And she wanted all of him; consequences be damned. She bit lightly into his neck. "Sera!" he grated.

  She couldn't stop herself from smiling. No matter how much he tried to fight her, and himself, she knew she would win. She nibbled at his neck as his hands grasped her hips. His grip was bruising, but she didn't care. She bit into his earlobe, tugging on it as he trembled and groaned.

  Suddenly his grip eased as he pushed her against the wall. His body was hot as he throbbed and pulsed within her. His head fell to her shoulder, and she could feel his teeth pressed against her skin. His breath was warm as his inhalations became ragged and harsh. His body trembled as he fought for control.

  "Take me, Liam," she whispered. "Make me yours."

  He shuddered violently as her words drifted over him. All his control frayed. He drove fiercely into her as the creature within him took over. She tilted her head back as she rode him with abandon. He didn't know why she wasn't afraid of him, why she didn't want him to stop, and right now he didn't care. All he wanted was to own her, to have her, and to have her know she was his, and only his.

  With a savage growl, he bit deeply into her. She cried out in ecstasy as her hands tore at his skin and the overwhelming urgency for more threatened to destroy them both.

  It was a while later before Sera was able to rouse herself from her languid state. She felt thoroughly sedated, deliciously satisfied, and very well used. Somehow, they had managed to make their way to the plush rug upon the floor. She curled one hand into it and smiled with contentment as she nestled closer to Liam.

  His hand clenched upon her hip. She lifted her head to gaze down at his exquisite face and vivid green eyes. There was a haunted look in them as he searched her face. "Are you all right?" She smiled and nodded. "You should have let me stop."

  It was the self-contempt in his voice that caused her hand to still, and her smile to fade. "No."

  His hand took hold of hers as he levered himself onto his elbow. "I could have hurt you."

  The sweet smile flitting over her face tugged at his heart. "No, you couldn't have."

  Her blind trust and absolute belief in him caused an overwhelming wave of love to fill him. He had done nothing to deserve it, nothing to deserve her, and yet, he had her. Her eyes were dreamy as she gazed at him. Never had she looked more beautiful. A subtle glow radiated from her dreamy eyes. Her golden hair cascaded around her to spill onto the floor in a damp, wet mass he found impossible not to touch.

  "Come on, let's get you dressed."

  "Do we have to?"

  "Unless you want to spend the rest of the night in this bathroom," he said briskly.

  She grinned saucily. "This rug is rather comfortable."

  To his amazement, Liam felt himself growing hard again. Her body was supple beneath his and utterly tempting. He didn't know what was wrong with him. His need for her wasn't diminishing at all; it was growing stronger each time he took her. He had fed on her last night, caught a few rabbits today, and fed upon her again, but suddenly he found himself hungry for more of her.

  He would kill them both if this kept up. He shoved himself off the floor and to his feet. "Come on," he said more briskly than he had intended.

  He took hold of her arms and pulled her to her feet. "Is everything okay?"

  "Yes." He tossed her clothes to her and turned away. He couldn't look at her anymore. He needed to get out of this room. It was growing smaller by the second.

  Sera tugged her jeans on as she watched him. His back was tense, and his jaw clenched as he stalked over to turn the shower off. The water had long since grown cold, and the steam in the room had evaporated. She slid her turtleneck on and then tugged on her sweater. He stood by the sink, pulling on a pair of jeans as he kept his back to her. It was then she noticed the claw marks marring his smooth, taut skin. She couldn't believe she’d done that to him. A blush burned her face as she lowered her gaze. What had he turned her into?

  She bit her bottom lip as she searched for something to turn her mind away from her thoughts. "Was your walk successful?"

  "Yes. You ready?"

  His clipped tones drew her attention back to him. She frowned as she pulled her turtleneck higher. "Liam, what's wrong?"

  He kept his back firmly to her as he gathered the clothes off the floor. "Nothing."

  "Are you mad at me?" she asked in confusion.

  "No."

  "Then why are acting like it?"

  He scooped the last article of clothing from the floor and shoved them onto the counter. He ran a weary hand through his hair as he turned to face her. "I'm not mad at you, Sera."

  No matter what he said, his voice was still cold and strained. She stared at him in confusion. "Then what is the problem?"

  He frowned as he studied her. She was a little paler than normal, and there were shadows under her large, luminous eyes. "How do you feel?"

  "I feel fine."

  "I've taken a lot of blood from you, Sera, are you sure you're all right?"

  "I'm fine." Though her words did nothing to ease the harshness in his face and the coldness in his eyes. "Liam, what is wrong?"

  He opened his arms to her. "Come here." She hesitated before stepping into his embrace. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself, and I'm confused."

  Alarm constricted her heart. Was he confused about her? About the way, he felt about her? "About what?" she asked in a strangled voice.

  He pulled slightly away and tipped her chin up with his finger. "About the loss of control I have when I'm around you."

  She frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

  "Sera, what happened earlier shouldn't have. I should have been able to stop myself from changing, from feeding off you. But I had no control; it just took over. And now I would like nothing more than to do it again."

  He expected to see dread or revulsion in her eyes. Instead, they clouded with passion as she bit into her enticing bottom lip. "Oh," she whispered.

  Sera shivered with want as his words stirred something deep inside her. She had no idea what she was becoming, what he brought out in her, but words that should have warned her to stay clear of him, at least for a little while, only served to make her tremble with want and need. Was it because his blood coursed through her veins? Was there now part of a vampire inside her?

  The thought should have terrified her, it didn’t.

  He tugged at the edge of her turtleneck and pulled it down. He gazed at the two marks marring the c
reamy perfection of her skin. His marks. His eyes dilated as his teeth instantly lengthened. He wanted to brand her again, to taste her again, and to fill her veins with his blood.

  He ground his teeth as he willed the demon inside him to subside. Gradually, he was able to regain some control of himself and meet her eyes again. "I thought you said the marks faded," she whispered as she watched him.

  "They do when we use our saliva to make them close faster."

  Her brow furrowed. "Why didn't you do that with me?"

  His eyes flashed red for a second. "Because I wanted you to bear my mark. I want everyone to know you’re mine. And you are mine, Sera. No one else is ever going to touch you."

  Normally, she would have been irritated by his high-handed, possessive tone. She would have been enraged at the thought of anyone thinking they owned her. Instead, she found herself thrilled by it.

  "I mean it," his eyes flashed again as the creature within neared the surface. "If anyone touches you..."

  She placed her finger over his mouth to silence him. A muscle in his jaw twitched as his eyes gleamed violently.

  "I am yours, Liam," she whispered. "Only yours."

  He closed his eyes as he fought against the vampire seeking to break free and finish what it had started. Finally, her words sank in and helped ease his need. "Good."

  "And you're only mine, right?"

  He opened his eyes. He smiled at the ferociousness in her gaze as he traced her swollen lower lip. "Yes."

  She grinned as she stood on her toes to kiss him. "We better go before they send a search party for us."

  She pulled her turtleneck back up. Liam's hands clenched as he fought the urge to rip it back down so everyone could see what was beneath it. He knew he couldn't risk Kathleen and Danielle realizing it wasn't a hickey she bore though.

  Chapter Fifteen

  By the time they made it downstairs, the electricity had gone out. Kathleen had already placed candles around the house, and they followed the light of them into the kitchen.

  "So, what do you guys want to do?" Mike asked when they entered.

  Sera glanced around. Mike, Doug, and Kathleen were sitting around the middle island and smiling knowingly at them. Jack and Danielle were sitting at the table arguing over the same crossword puzzle from earlier. "How about strip poker?" Doug suggested with a mischievous grin.