I looked at him, my heart pounding. Don’t do this. The words rose in my mind. Please don’t do this. I couldn’t bear the thought of watching Rafe kill Travis Jackson. I knew Rafe wanted the man dead, and maybe Jackson deserved to die for what he’d done, but not like this.

  Rafe’s hand tightened around Travis Jackson’s throat. I could feel Rafe’s struggle as he fought down the urge to kill Jackson. Because of the blood bond between us, I knew what Rafe was thinking, feeling. The desire for vengeance, the lust for blood, and the urge to surrender to what he was burned strong within him.

  And yet, for my sake, he fought it back. I saw it in the fading red glow in his eyes and in the gradual relaxing of his grip on Jackson’s throat, though he didn’t release him completely.

  “Jackson, look at me.”

  Travis lifted his fearful gaze to meet Rafe’s.

  “You don’t deserve it, but I’m going to let you live.” Rafe’s gaze locked with Jackson’s. “You’re going to go back to Texas. You’re going to forget everything you ever knew about hunting, about Supernatural creatures, and about the formula your grandmother concocted. No matter what anyone says to you, you will never remember any of this. To try to do so will cause you unbearable pain. You will forget everyone in this room, everyone that was in the lab. When you leave here, you will forget this place. You will go home and destroy any and all records and photographs that have anything to do with the Supernatural community, and then you will destroy any and all records, correspondence, and photos held by Edna or your grandmother or the school in Texas. Do you understand?”

  Travis nodded woodenly. “Yes, master.”

  “If anyone mentions the word Vampire or Werewolf to you, it will make you violently ill and you will refuse to discuss it. If you ever attempt to hunt me or my kind again, I will find you, and I will kill you. Do you understand?”

  Travis nodded again. “Yes, master.”

  Rafe’s eyes narrowed to mere slits. His power flowed through the room, making it hard to breathe. It whispered over my skin and caused the short hairs to prickle on my nape.

  Travis’s body tensed, then began to tremble. All the color drained from his face as he pressed the heels of his hands to his temples. “Stop,” he gasped. “Please.”

  “Remember the pain,” Rafe said, his voice harsh, “And do not betray me or mine again. Now get the hell out of here.”

  Moving like some kind of movie zombie, Travis left the room, one hand still pressed to the side of his head.

  Only then did I look at Susie. Cagin had freed her hands and was wiping her face with a washcloth. She moaned softly every time he touched her, and I recalled Rafe telling me that holy water burned Vampire flesh like hellfire. The left side of her face was raw and red, the right side didn’t look quite so bad. Rafe’s face had healed in a remarkably short time, but he had been a Vampire longer than Susie. I wondered if she would heal as fast as he did.

  I glanced around the room. The bodies of the two men Cagin had savaged were nowhere to be seen. They couldn’t have just disappeared, which made me think Cagin must have dragged them outside while my attention was focused on Rafe and Travis. Were they both dead? What had he done with the bodies?

  “Kathy.”

  I looked at Rafe, relieved to see that he was my Rafe again.

  “We need to get out of here,” he said.

  “You got that right,” Cagin agreed. “Let’s go.”

  I didn’t argue.

  I pulled a long sweater coat on over my pajamas, grabbed my keys and my handbag. Rafe picked up my suitcase, and we followed Susie and Cagin out the door. Rafe waited while I locked up, and then we got into Rafe’s car, which was parked out front.

  I glanced out the window as we pulled away from my house, wondering if I would ever see it again.

  “Drop us off at my place,” Cagin said when Rafe pulled away from the curb.

  “Do you think that’s wise?”

  “We’re not staying,” Cagin said. “I just need to pick up a few things.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m not sure,” Cagin replied. “Just somewhere the hell away from here until Susie has a handle on things. Then we’ll come back and get her kids and find a new place to live.”

  I looked at Susie. She sat very still, as if the slightest movement caused her pain. Fine white lines bracketed her mouth. The burns on her cheeks and down the left side of her neck looked raw and red, as if someone had tried to scrape away her skin with a dull knife. I hoped she would heal as quickly as Rafe.

  “I’ll miss you,” I said.

  “I’ll miss you, too.” She delved into her handbag and came up with a pen and a small notebook. She tore out a page. “This is my cell number, and my e-mail address.” She quickly wrote them down and handed me the paper. “Let’s keep in touch.”

  I tore off the bottom of the page she gave me and wrote down my cell number and e-mail and passed it back to her.

  A few minutes later, Rafe pulled up in front of Cagin’s house.

  “Thanks for the ride and everything,” Cagin said.

  “Yes,” Susie said, “thank you so much.”

  “Watch your backs,” Rafe said. “Don’t trust anybody.”

  With a nod, Cagin opened the door and got out of the car, Susie’s bags tucked under his arm.

  “Be careful, both of you,” Susie called before following Cagin into the house.

  I looked at Rafe. “Do you think they’ll be all right?”

  “I’d lay odds on it.” Reaching over, he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

  “Do you think we’ll be all right?”

  He slid a glance in my direction before putting the car in gear. “Don’t you doubt it for a minute.”

  With a sigh, I rested my head against the back of the seat and closed my eyes. Hard to believe I had moved to Oak Hollow for some peace and quiet. I sure hadn’t had much of it.

  After a time, I sat up. We should have been back at Rafe’s by now. A look out the window showed we were on a narrow two-lane road.

  “Where are we?” I asked. “Where are we going?”

  “A place I know where we can spend the rest of the night.”

  “There isn’t much night left.”

  “We’ll be there before dawn.”

  “Good thing,” I muttered. If there was one thing I didn’t want, it was to watch Rafe go up in flames. “Do Vampires really go up in smoke if the sun touches them?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Have you ever…never mind.”

  “Seen one?” A muscle clenched in his jaw. “Just once.”

  “Was it someone you knew?”

  He nodded.

  “A friend of yours?”

  He shrugged. “More of an acquaintance.”

  “What happened? Was it an accident?”

  “No, Thor wanted to die. He was an old Vampire. One night he told me he was tired of existing, tired of…of everything. In the morning, he walked out into the sunlight. I couldn’t stop him, couldn’t do anything but watch….”

  I shuddered at the image that rose in my mind. “What a horrible way to die.”

  “It was quick, like flash paper. One minute he was there, the next he was gone.”

  I couldn’t imagine such a thing. And even if it was quick, it must have hurt.

  Rafe spoke to the car’s computer, telling it where to go, and then he drew me into his arms. Utterly weary, I rested my head on his shoulder and slept.

  The slowing of the car roused me. Feeling as though I had been asleep for hours, I lifted my head, looked out the window, and frowned. We were in the middle of nowhere. A tall mountain thick with trees and brush rose up on our left.

  “Where are we?” I glanced at Rafe, and in spite of myself, felt a little frisson of fear slide down my spine. It was foolish to be afraid. I knew he would never hurt me and yet…

  “You’ll see.” He grabbed a large canvas bag out of the backseat, then got out of the car.

  I waited, my heart pounding, while he came around to open my door. Taking my hand, Rafe started walking toward the mountain.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, unable to disguise the tremor of unease in my voice.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  I hoped it was going to be a pleasant one.

  As we drew closer to the mountain, I saw the opening to a cave. When I tried to hang back, Rafe tugged on my hand. All I could do was follow as he moved unerringly into the darkness.

  “There aren’t any bats in here, are there?” I asked, and my voice echoed off the walls. “Or bears?”

  “No.”

  Gradually, the cave grew brighter, though no light was visible, and then, as the cave grew taller and wider, I saw a large flat area covered in dun-colored sand. Several warm, furry blankets were spread on the ground. Dozen of candles in all shapes, sizes, and colors sat on a narrow earthen shelf cut into the cave wall. I guessed that Rafe had lit them with the power of his mind.

  He dropped the bag he was carrying on a corner of one of the blankets.

  “What have you got in there?” I asked, my imagination working overtime.

  “Food,” he said with a grin. “I can’t have my bride going hungry.”

  Bride. Warmth spread through me. With all that had happened in the last few days, the fact that I had pledged my heart and soul to Rafe hadn’t been uppermost in my mind.

  I glanced at our surroundings. “I never thought I’d spend my honeymoon in a cave.”

  “It’s not where you are,” he murmured with a roguish grin, “it’s who you’re with.”

  “How did you ever find this place?”

  “When I first moved to Oak Hollow, I did a lot of exploring to pass the time. One night I stayed out too long. I was about to bury myself in the earth when I saw the cave. I spent the day in here. I came back whenever I needed to be alone, away from the temptation of too many beating hearts. And no,” he said, reading my thoughts, “I’ve never brought anyone else here. Only you.”

  And so saying, he took me by the hand again and led me deeper into the cavern. The walls grew closer together as we left the light behind. I thought I heard the sound of falling water, and then, abruptly, the cave grew wider again, and I saw a small waterfall that spilled into a placid blue pool. A profusion of night-blooming flowers and lacy ferns grew around the edge of the pool. Looking up, I saw that there was an opening overhead, revealing a patch of indigo sky dotted with stars.

  “It’s beautiful,” I murmured, enchanted by the fairy-like wonder of the place.

  “Feel like a swim?” Rafe asked.

  I glanced dubiously at the pool. “Isn’t it a little cold for that?” I asked, but Rafe was already undressing.

  A familiar excitement unfurled deep within me as more and more of his body was revealed to my gaze. Had there ever been a man with shoulders that wide, a chest so irresistibly touchable, a belly so hard and flat and muscular? My cheeks warmed as he stepped out of a pair of black briefs and stood fully naked before me.

  He flashed a knowing grin and then dove into the pool. He swam to the other side and back, then, treading water in the middle of the pool, he lifted a hand, beckoning me to join him.

  At his look, heat flooded my body. A chilly dip to cool my heated flesh suddenly sounded very inviting. Besides, how could I resist a chance to be in his arms?

  Acutely aware that Rafe was watching my every move, and feeling suddenly daring, I undressed as slowly and provocatively as I knew how. I had never done anything like it before, had never dreamed of such a thing, but now, with Rafe watching, it came as naturally as breathing. I only wished I was wearing something a little sexier than a pair of blue and white pajama bottoms, a T-shirt, plain white bikini panties, and fuzzy blue slippers. But if the look in Rafe’s eyes was any indication, he didn’t seem to mind.

  Naked, I stood poised on the edge of the pool, took a deep breath, and dove in.

  Expecting to plunge into cold water, I was pleased to find it was bathtub warm.

  When I came up, Rafe’s arms enfolded me. What a wondrous feeling, to feel his body next to mine, the sensuous slide of wet skin against wet skin.

  With one arm wrapped around my waist, he kept me afloat easily. His free hand played over my body while he rained kisses on my cheeks, my brow, my chin, the tip of my nose. I tilted my head back, affording myself a view of the stars overhead while granting Rafe access to my throat. I shivered with anticipation at the feel of his tongue against my skin, tangled my fingers in his long hair at the touch of his fangs.

  Pleasure shot through me from head to foot. Weightless, buoyant, I closed my eyes and gave myself over to the myriad sensations his kisses aroused.

  “I want you.” His voice rumbled in my ear, deep and husky with desire.

  I looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes. “Do you?”

  He growled low in his throat. “Don’t tease me, woman.”

  “How much do you want me?”

  He pressed his body against mine, letting me feel his erection.

  “Ohhh,” I purred. “That much?”

  He growled again, lower, deeper. “Do you know what happens when you tease a Vampire?”

  “No,” I said, stifling a grin. “What happens?”

  “This.” He carried me out of the pool and into the cave, showering me with kisses every step of the way.

  When we reached the blankets, he sat down, holding me so that my legs straddled his thighs and then, very slowly, he reclined, drawing me down with him so that my body covered his.

  He stroked my cheek, ran his fingertips over my lips. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured.

  “So are you.” His body was firm, his skin was unlined, his hair was black and thick, and he would always look this way. When I was gray and wrinkled, he would still be beautiful. When I grew old and feeble, he would still be young and strong. I tried to shake the troublesome thoughts aside, told myself it didn’t matter. I didn’t want to think about such things now, when I was in his arms, but I couldn’t stop. He would never change, never grow old or frail. Would I start to hate him when I began to age and he didn’t?

  “Ah, Kathy, it doesn’t have to be that way.”

  “Yes, it does.” I knew he was thinking about Susie. She liked being a Vampire, and that was fine for Susie, but she’d had no choice in the matter. I did, and I didn’t want to be a Vampire.

  “Do you want to live with one?” Rafe asked quietly.

  “Is there any way for me to keep you out of my mind?” I asked, exasperated that he read my thoughts so easily.

  “You can try.”

  “How do I do it?”

  “Erect a wall around your thoughts.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “Imagine it in your mind. Build it a brick at a time, as high and as thick as you like.”

  “And that will keep you out?”

  “If it’s strong enough.” He stroked my cheek with his fingers. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “I don’t know.” Tears stung my eyes. Only moments ago, I had been sure Rafe was everything I had ever wanted, but now…Tears of doubt dripped down my cheeks and fell on Rafe’s face. He didn’t wipe them away, only looked up at me through fathomless black eyes, waiting for me to go on. “Make love to me, Rafe. Hold me tight and don’t let me go.”

  Desperate and afraid to face the future, I needed to be held, needed to feel his arms around me, to hear his voice telling me that he loved me, that everything would be all right.

  For a minute, I thought he would refuse, but then he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me, slowly, deeply, each kiss longer and more intense than the last. Closing my eyes, I surrendered to his kisses, to the sweet seduction of his hands moving over my damp skin, large hands that gently caressed me. His voice moved over me like rough velvet as he whispered love words in my ear, sometimes in English, sometimes in a language I didn’t understand.

  I clung to him, holding him tight, tighter, afraid that if I let go, I’d be lost. When I was ready for him, when I was sure I couldn’t wait another minute, he wrapped one arm around me and rolled over, carrying me with him, so that he was on top. I cried out with pleasure as his body merged with mine.

  And even then, I knew he was saying good-bye.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  When I woke in the morning, Rafe was gone. The words gone for good echoed in the back of my mind, and I knew I had lost him and it was nobody’s fault but my own. Even though I loved him, I didn’t have enough faith in myself, or in our love, to believe it would last. I wasn’t brave enough to face the future at his side. I couldn’t keep from thinking that the day would come when he would turn to someone younger and prettier, or worse, to a Vampire who could share his whole life, who would understand him in ways that I never could or would.

  I sat up, noting that Rafe had covered me with a blanket and left the candles burning. His thoughtfulness brought quick tears to my eyes.

  I spent the day in the cave. When I wasn’t crying, I swam in the pool or napped in the shade. Late in the afternoon, I rummaged in the sack to see what Rafe had brought. I found apples and oranges, some string cheese, a box of crackers, a couple of bottles of water, and several of my favorite candy bars.

  Toward evening, I got dressed, and after gathering up the food sack and my handbag, I left the cave, wondering how I’d get back to town.

  I should have known Rafe wouldn’t leave me stranded out in the middle of nowhere. His car was still parked at the bottom of the hill.

  Driving home, all I could think was, how had things gone so bad so fast? One minute everything had been wonderful, and the next, I was pushing Rafe away because I couldn’t stand the thought that he would never change. People in love always talked about growing old together, and while I wasn’t looking forward to growing old, I knew I didn’t want to grow old by myself. But did I want to grow old without Rafe? It seemed a moot point now.

  It was still early when I pulled up in front of my house. I sat there for a minute, staring blankly out the windshield. There was nothing here for me now, I thought. I would put the house up for sale and close up the store, maybe go home and spend some time with my folks.

 

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