Moving faster than I expect, he gets up and leans over me. “I didn’t get stuck with you, Tilda. I demanded you recover here.”
“Why? I’m not your responsibility just because we were…intimate.” It’s an inadequate word for the time we spent together, but it’s all I have.
Sitting next to me, he drags me against his side and leans back. “You’re not a burden. There are a lot of things we should talk about, but maybe we can wait until you’re stronger.” He kisses my hair.
“Okay.” Tears pop into my eyes, but I push them back. “What happened to the boogeyman? Did you kill it?”
“I wanted to, more than I’d care to admit. Ion put it to sleep, and the monster authorities came and took it away.” A soft growl rumbles in his chest, then stops abruptly. “The chief came by and said they had it in a secure area, and it had healed from its wounds remarkably quickly.”
My mind is starting to clear. “You said Ion has been here?” I vaguely remember him outside the cave.
“Every day. He gave you a bit of his blood so your wounds would heal.” After several long breaths, he adds, “When the boogeyman’s poison kept you from healing, we feared you might not make it.”
“Ion’s blood?” The notion of an original vampire sharing his blood with me is both daunting and heartwarming. “In that cave, a swan would not have survived.”
“Maybe not, but a vampire did, and I’m grateful for that. I know you struggle with that side of yourself, but I wouldn’t change a thing about you.” He holds me close, and the hair on his exposed wrist tickles me. “Do you remember anything after I arrived in the cave?”
Closing my eyes, I search my memory while relishing the feel of my bigfoot holding me. “You took the monster from me. I don’t know if I was winning, but keeping Livi safe was my only purpose. I made her close her eyes and promise not to open them. I didn’t want her to see the blood, and I knew there would be blood.”
“That was smart. There was a lot of blood, both yours and the monster’s.”
The vision of black and red blood splattered on the cave’s walls is sharp in my mind. “You held it by the throat and told me to take Livi and leave. My legs felt as if they weighed hundreds of pounds. I reached the mouth of the cave, and Mari was there with Sam. I caught the scent of Ion, but I don’t remember seeing him. There was crying, and Livi was taken from my arms. Everything hurt.” I adjust my seat. “I still hurt,” I admit.
“Anything else?”
With a shake of my head, I search my mind, but find nothing. “Then I woke up here a few minutes ago.”
“I’m glad you don’t remember, and that vampires go into a trance when they must heal from such a trauma. I don’t think I could have borne watching you in agony this last week.” He combs several strands of hair out of my face.
“It was good of you to care for me, Max. I can go to my own house now.” More tears try to get out at the thought of leaving, and I have no idea why. “You’ve done enough.”
The air grows thick with his silence. “You should stay here until you’re well, and then, if you want to leave, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“Why do you feel responsible for me?” It was only sex. He can’t be made to feel like he owes me something. “Did Ion or Mari guilt you into this?”
“Oh, Tilda.” He lets out a long sigh. “No one forced you on me. As I said, I want to take care of you. The thought of you being anywhere else…” His growl rumbles against my side.
“Sex does not bind you to me.” This isn’t some Gothic romance novel. “I’m an independent woman with her own means.” My bones ache, and I realize hunger is the cause.
“I’m aware. Duty is not my motivation.”
I shift to try to alleviate some of the discomfort and to look at his face. Still weary, he also looks more relaxed than when I first woke up. His blood running through arteries and veins becomesthe loudest thing in the room. I fight my vampire needs. “What is then?”
His gaze shifts to mine. “I’m in love with you, Tilda.”
A knot forms in my throat. I try to speak, but no words will come.
“It’s too soon.” He runs a callused finger along my jaw. “I know, but you asked, and I don’t want to lie to you. There’s no need to respond.”
My pain intensifies. I have so much I’d like to say to him, but my feelings are pushed aside by my hunger. “I think you should leave the room, Max. I don’t want to hurt you and…” I run my tongue over my distended incisors.
With wide eyes, he focuses on my mouth. “I’m not going anywhere. If you need blood, you can have mine.”
The thought of sinking my teeth into his flesh sends pleasure pulsing between my legs. My nipples tighten, even with the agony in my starving body. “I’m ravenous, and I could go too far. You should leave and maybe catch me a rabbit.”
“Those will keep you alive, but they will not satisfy your hunger or heal your body, love.” He turns his head and exposes more of his throat.
The rushing of blood and the pounding of his heart sing through me. “When I was in that cave, the boogeyman taunted me, saying I was a monster and that Livi’s blood would be the sweetest.” I pull myself out of his embrace, and despite the ache deep in my bones and muscles, I straddle his lap.
