"You changed them?" she blurted.
"No. She did."
"Then how is that your fault?"
"She changed them as a way to get to me. When I refused her, she went after them. She thought that if the others joined her, I would come to her too."
"But they didn't?"
"No, they didn't. Their reactions were just as strong, and volatile, as mine. When I found out what she had done, I swore I'd kill her if I ever saw her again."
"Have you seen her since?"
"No. She changed David last, probably because she found him last, and then she disappeared. None of us have seen her since."
"Is that why you came back to college here?"
He picked up another sweater and dropped it in the drawer. "Yes. David's coming back at the end of this semester. It's easier when we're all together, and the frat house is a perfect place for us."
"Why?"
Liam winced as he realized the mistake he had just made. They had just gotten off this topic, and he knew that he was going to have to tell her the truth. "Because there are lots of girls that we can control, and attract to us, even if they're sober. But when they're drunk it's easier to make them forget that we fed off of them."
"They remember?" she asked in astonishment.
Shrugging, he grabbed another sweater. "Sometimes they know what's going on, but we can make it so that they don't."
Her hand fluttered to her throat. "Have you ever done that to me?"
The sweater dropped from his hand. "No, I haven't. I wouldn't do that to you."
"Well, why not?" she demanded.
"Because those girls are more like cattle. I care way too much about you to do that to you."
She was suddenly very confused. She didn't want him drinking her blood, yet she didn't want him going elsewhere for something that she could give him. Mostly, she just didn't want him to not want her that way. "Is there something wrong with me?" she inquired.
"Are you serious?" She nodded, unable to speak. "There is nothing wrong with you Sera. Would you have preferred it if I had taken it from you, without your knowledge?"
"No."
"All right then."
"But..."
He sighed angrily and slammed the bureau drawer shut. "There are no buts Sera. I wouldn't drink from you without your permission." Sera was suddenly unable to meet his gaze. She felt like a fool. She was acting like a fool. "I can tell you that I've been very tempted too." Her eyes flew back to his as she gaped at him. He shot her a sly smile as he leaned against the bureau and folded his arms over his chest. "Seriously tempted. Your neck is very delicate, appetizing, and I can smell your blood, even from here. It's amazingly sweet."
There was suddenly a feral gleam in his eyes that was utterly thrilling, and totally terrifying. A shudder worked its way through her as she instinctively responded to him.
She forced herself to take a deep breath. There was still so much more that she wanted to know, and she couldn't allow herself to become distracted now. "Did you attract me to you?"
"No. I talked to you, it's different."
Sera's forehead furrowed as she recalled the first time that she had seen him, and the world had seemed to disappear. Had he used whatever powers he possessed to make her feel like that? Had he been using his powers on her all along? "I have never used anything on you."
"That first time I saw you..." her voice trailed off as her throat constricted.
"Never Sera. I felt something the first time that I saw you too, but I have never used my powers on you. I could have made you forget what you saw the other night and changed your memory, but I didn't do it."
