“I have not tasted her, and though I do love her, it is not the same,” Julian said softly, his voice oddly thoughtful for Julian. The guy had never been thoughtful about anything. “I’ve touched you both, so I know that your feelings run deeper and stronger than anything I have ever felt. It is why I have stayed away from her, and why I have let you have her. But I also know that she means more to me than anyone I have ever known, and I want the best for her. For now, I believe that you are the best; you are what she wants. I cannot give her what you can; I’m not ready for that yet.” Devon stared at him in disbelief. Julian was actually being selfless? Julian!? It was utterly confounding to him. “I’m just not sure if you’re what is best for her right now though.”
“Excuse me?” Devon growled.
“I don’t want her hurt, and changing her could hurt her. And you will do it eventually, no matter what you think.”
“Do you have premonitions now too?” Devon demanded.
Julian grinned at him, a frustratingly maddening grin that Devon wanted to punch right off his face. “Nope, I just know you, and I know what you want. I also know what she wants, and she’s damn persistent and determined. And what she wants is to spend eternity with you, no matter what it might do to her. When it comes to you, she has no thought of herself, or her own safety.”
Devon was silent, his hands fisted and un-fisted as he glared at the man in the chair. There was too much frustration inside of him, too much anguish and hunger. He needed to take his irritation out somewhere; there just wasn’t anywhere to do it now. Not without risking all of their safety.
“If it weren’t for the fact that I know it would destroy her, that she would not survive the loss of you, I would take her away,” Julian said softly.
Devon spun on him, rage flaring instantly through him. “You even think about taking her from me and I will destroy you!”
Julian held his hands up as he took a step back from Devon’s wrathful advance. “I just said that it would destroy her if she lost you, I wouldn’t do that to her. But I fear for her safety around you Devon, and I fear for your sanity.”
Devon took a step away from him, his jaw clenched fiercely. His gums ached, he could feel the familiar tingle of his fangs wanting to explode, wanting to destroy and tear and shred as they drained the life from something. Devon shuddered, closing his eyes as he struggled for control over his baser, instinctive urges.
“Do what needs to be done here. Find out what they did to her, and why. Find out who he is, find out how many of those things they created, and where the children are. Do it quickly Julian. I want to get her the hell out of this town and away from this ass.”
“But don’t hurt him,” Julian muttered, disappointment evident in his voice.
Devon hesitated, wanting to uphold Cassie’s wishes, but desperately needing some sort of revenge, some sort of relief from the itching desire to kill that was suffocating him. “Do what needs to be done,” Devon growled. “Whatever it takes.”
Julian’s eyes gleamed, his eyebrow crooked. “That’s the Devon I know.”
Devon’s lip curled into a snarl. He needed to get out of here, he needed to escape this store, he needed to hunt and kill. Even if he normally tried not to kill the animals he fed from, tonight that was all he wanted to do. But he could not leave here; he could not escape and leave Cassie vulnerable to the monsters that hunted this town. He was beginning to fear that he may be turning into an even bigger threat to all of them then the creatures outside the building.
Devon turned away from Julian, leaving him to his own devices. Leaving him to decide what he wished to do with the man. Devon would not interfere with what Julian decided, no matter what Cassie wanted. This man had hurt her, repeatedly, deeply; Devon wasn’t about to make sure he remained unharmed. This man was still a threat to her, and as far as Devon was concerned it was best for all of them if he were dead.
Though, he knew that Julian would not kill the man. He may hurt him, but he would not kill the him, not if Cassie had said no.
Devon strode into the backroom, his eyes instantly latched onto her. She was standing by one of the back windows, helping to heap bags of feed before the shattered glass and wood. The other three windows had already been blocked off; the bodies had been stashed against the back wall. They would need to be removed soon, before they started to smell. But then, he had no intention of staying here for that long.
They would need to get free of here soon.
Cassie turned toward him, her gorgeous eyes widened upon him. She froze in her movements, before rising slowly to face him. Though he wished for nothing more than to keep the worst part of him from her, he knew that it was impossible. She saw everything, she knew him far better than he wanted her to.
She studied him, her eyes haunted and lost, her shoulders slumping slightly as realization and acceptance settled over her. He wanted her to come to him, but she did not move. She knew what he had done, knew what he was allowing to happen in the other room. Though Devon wanted nothing more than to make her happy, he could not give her this. Her safety was foremost, no matter what, even if it made her unhappy.
Even if she ended up hating him for it.
It was time to stop letting his emotions rule him, he had inadvertently placed her in this danger because of his emotions. It was time to start taking control. Even if it meant letting the monster rule part of him.
CHAPTER 11
Cassie turned away from Devon as Julian slowly entered the room. Her heart hammered, her hands shook with the fear and uncertainty pounding through her. She had never seen that look in Devon’s eyes before, but she knew what it was. Hardness enveloped him, determination clenched his jaw. He was cold, distant; hard. He was not the man that she knew, and he was terrifying her at the moment.
Would the man she knew and loved come back to her when this was over? Had she lost him for good?
Her heart raced even faster at the thought, the blood rushed through her, hammering in her ears. Tremors shook her, her hands fisted tightly at her sides. Julian’s eyes were hooded, his head bent slightly as he studied the floor for a moment. Then, ever so slowly, he lifted his head to look at her.
Cassie swallowed heavily, her heart flipped in her chest. Though she had always known that they were powerful, deadly; that they were two of the meanest, cruelest vampires to ever walk this planet, she realized now that she had never truly believed it. Or at least she hadn’t wanted to believe it. She had wanted to ignore that fact in the two men she had come to know and love greatly.