Page 43 of The Donor’s Dilemma

“Theo…”

“It won’t end well.”

“Ugh,” Verity threw her hands in the air. “It won’t end well. It won’t end well. I’m so fucking sick of hearing you say that!”

“It’s true.”

“What, because of Isabella?”

The car pulled over, stopping in the deserted street so that Theo could turn to her, face like thunder.

“Yes, Verity. Because of people like Isabella. Because of people like Petra fucking Rose.”

Verity choked, eyes wide as her heart thundered. “Rose?”

“Yes, Rose.”

An actual Rose. The family that owned Havenshire and every living creature within it. Verity had never heard of one by name, just as a whole. The Roses, as if they were a myth, a story to tell naughty children.

“If she tells you to sit, you fucking sit. If she tells you to hand over your human…” he trailed off, hand running through his hair.

“Was…” Verity almost didn’t want to ask but needed to know. “Was Isabella okay?”

He sighed. “When the village was quarantined, the baron wanted Isabella to receive the best treatment. I’d taken too much blood. I’d made her weak and her father sent her to a clinic by the sea to recover. The Roses wouldn’t let me visit.”

He stared out the window, but Verity didn’t think he was seeing the road. Memories of another woman, another time, dancing across his face.

“They called it the galloping consumption back then. She caught it from another patient… and died within two months.”

“Theo…” her hand found his as tears stung her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“This doesn’t end well,” he murmured.

“That wasn’t your fault.”

Brow creased, eyes dark, he turned to her. “Of course it was my fault.”

“But…”

“She was sweet and innocent and so fucking young and she died because of me. I left her there and did as I was told and she died, because of my selfishness.”

“But…”

“No, Verity. Just no. What’s done is done and it isn’t happening again. I’m doing what I need to. I’m keeping you safe.”

The rest of the drive was in silence. How could she argue with him about this? After what happened to Isabella, what just happened with Petra?

If she tells you to hand over your human…

For what? To feed or toy with? To hand over to someone like Abe who would take her away, never to be seen again?

She understood his fear now. She didn’t want to, wished she could pretend he was over reacting, but if that vampire said jump, Theo and Elliot would ask how high.

A deep ache settled in her heart as she realised he was right, for now at least. Too much was at stake for a fledgling relationship to bear. They needed to play the part, accept their roles and keep feelings out of it.

For a couple of hours, she had believed though. They had been together and happy and more content than she had ever experienced. More content than she had ever felt with a human man.

Elliot and Marcy, Charlie and Ed, they proved it could be done. Just not today.