Never in his life had he felt anything as wonderful as she was, and he knew that nothing would ever compare to her. He cradled her for a long time, rocking her as her sobs and tears slowly subsided. She pulled slightly back from him, her eyes reddened from her tears but still breathtakingly beautiful. He wiped the tears gently from her wet cheeks, hating the sight of them. She deserved only happiness and light, not misery. Unfortunately, fate had cast them both into roles where darkness was their main reality.
She stared at him with wide, wonder filled eyes. The tips of her long dark lashes were matted with tears; the ends of them shimmered with water. She searched his face, seeming to savor in every detail. He was unable to resist the tempting lure of her as he bent down and pressed a light kiss to her rosebud mouth.
His skin heated, his body tightened as the feel of her burned into him. Hunger for her surged through him, but he kept it tightly under control, along with his fierce urge to deepen the kiss. Pulling reluctantly away, he stroked her face once more before turning to meet the newcomers in the room.
Luther, Chris, and Melissa stood just inside the doorway. Chris’s mouth was slightly ajar, his sapphire eyes wide in shock. Luther’s face was an impassive mask while Melissa’s cheeks had colored and she looked slightly uncomfortable. Rising slowly from the bed, he kept hold of Cassie’s hand as he stood beside her. He had nearly lost her, he was not about to let her go anytime soon.
Cassie abashedly wiped the remaining tears from her face, smiling shyly at them. “Hi guys.”
Melissa was the first to recover her usual aplomb. “It’s so good to see you awake!”
She moved swiftly forward, shooting Devon a confused look as she moved to Cassie’s grandmother’s side. She bent to hug Cassie quickly, careful of the wires and tubes that still ran from her. “It’s good to be awake.”
Chris eyed Devon wearily, his eyes dark and brooding as he joined Melissa. Stiffly he bent to hug Cassie, his gaze never leaving Devon’s. Devon bristled slightly when he touched Cassie; he hated the idea of another man touching her, even if it was Chris. His hand tightened around hers until Chris released her and stepped back.
“What happened?” Chris asked his voice tight and confused.
Cassie glanced briefly at Devon. Slowly, her hand clenching upon his as she spoke, she retold the awful events of the night. Anger slowly built within Devon, mounting to higher and higher levels as he sensed her rising distress. Though he had only tasted a few drops of her blood, they had been enough to forge a stronger connection between them. He could sense her emotions more clearly, and though he could not read her thoughts, he could almost feel them pounding against the edges of his mind. Stroking her delicate skin, he tried to soothe the anguish building within her. Her voice cracked slightly, her anguish was evident as she finished her retelling.
They all turned toward him, their gazes fierce and inquisitive as they studied him intently. “I think we have a lot to discuss,” Luther finally broke the long silence.
Devon nodded briskly. He supposed they had a lot of questions, as did he. “After Cassie is feeling well enough to go home, we can talk,” he assured him.
“I feel fine now,” Cassie interjected forcefully.
He scanned her beautiful face, noting the bright gleam in her inquisitive eyes. She had only been awake for a little bit, but her color had already returned. The severe blood loss had been traumatic, yet she appeared as if nothing had happened. Apparently Hunters rebounded quickly when they were injured.
“You need to rest,” her grandmother said softly.
“I’m fine grandma, really.” She turned back to Devon, smiling brightly. “I heal fast.”
“Apparently,” he said softly, his thumb briefly stroked over her skin as he studied her. She looked as healthy as if nothing had happened to her. Her brief, intense sleep seemed to have completely repaired the injuries that she had sustained. It was amazing.
“Cassie…”
“I’m fine Luther, really. I feel much better; I just want to get out of here now. I don’t like hospitals.”
“You’ve never been in one.”
“And now it’s time to go.”
Tossing aside her blankets, she swung out of the bed. Devon blinked in surprise, startled by the sudden, graceful movement and the speed in which she had done it. She stood before him for a moment before her legs began to wobble. He grabbed swiftly hold of her, swinging her easily up in his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather. He was once again reminded of how fragile she was as she stared up at him with wide, surprised eyes. The beast crawled through him, rippling just beneath the surface as the urge to make her immortal reared back to fierce life.
Seeming to sense the tension and need within him, Cassie reached out and lightly stroked his cheek, soothing the monster within him once more. He cradled her closer, refusing to let go of her. “I want to go home,” she said softly.
In that moment he realized that whatever she wanted, no matter how absurd or difficult, he would give it to her. Even if it went against his better judgment. “I’ll get the doctor.”
Devon reluctantly placed her back on the bed; loathe to part with her at all. “Devon…”
Luther’s voice broke off at the warning look that Devon shot him. Cassie was his now, and whatever she wanted, she would have. They just needed to realize that. Taking a small step to the side, Luther remained silent as Devon left the room in search of the doctor. There were still many things to learn, many obstacles to get through, but for now he was content to do whatever she wanted.
The questions could be answered later, the obstacles handled with time. Nothing but Cassie’s health and happiness mattered now. Nothing mattered but the fact that she still cared for him, even though she knew that he was a monster. Nothing mattered except for the fact that he knew he would belong to her forever, and one day she would belong to him.
For that was one thing he did know for certain, one day he would possess her completely. One day she would belong to him, for eternity.
CHAPTER 3
Cassie clung tightly to Devon’s hand, not wanting to release him, unable to part with him for even a moment. His hand was strong and calloused, slightly cool and secure around hers. She couldn’t stop herself from staring at him, reveling in the splendor of his hard, magnificent face. His strong jaw was clenched tight, the nostrils of his sculpted nose flared slightly as he faced the people surrounding him.
Sensing her attention, he turned slowly toward her, his vivid emerald eyes warming as they met her fascinated gaze. His full lips twitched, the corners of them lifting slightly in a small smile. His black hair hung around the edges of his chiseled face, curling boyishly at the corner of his right eye.