Mark said, “You look fantastic, and hi yourself,” he grabbed my hand and led me to the car as he said, “I missed you last night, but I hear you had your own problems to deal with.”

  I nodded, “We did what we had to, but I’d really rather not talk about it. I’ll just get angry, and it’ll ruin our night. I assume Dana gave you a complete report on the incident.”

  He replied, “Fair enough, and yes she did. But if you need to talk about it, I’m here.”

  The conversation paused for a second, as he closed my door and rounded the car to get in the driver’s seat. I wasn’t even sure where we were going that night, and I wasn’t sure that I cared. He’d just said to dress nice, and all I really cared about was being with him. I’d missed him as well last night, and my body was still zinging from that kiss.

  I was a controlled person, and didn’t often let myself go, but I’d gotten used to his effect on my body. Which I seemed to have no control over and even enjoyed now. I never felt more alive than when I was being swept away by his presence, and his touch. I belonged to him, and the most shocking thing about that statement is that I loved that fact.

  “Everything go okay for you?”

  He nodded, “Rogue, found her holed up in the Hyatt with three men under compulsion.”

  Her? Three human men? That was new, and not very common. Usually it was the male vampires gone bad that were pigs, and who collected women for their pleasure. It was an ugly thing, but typical. Vampire men who go rogue almost always give in to their base impulses and instincts, and illegal use of compulsion made it too easy for them. Something that was dealt with quite firmly, meaning they were killed when caught.

  “She?” I asked in a shocked voice.

  Did I even want to know what she was doing with them?

  He laughed, “Pervert, not how you're thinking. She did sleep with one of them, when she fed, but mostly it was about draining their bank accounts.”

  Oh, I blushed.

  “It’s all your fault,” I accused nonsensically.

  He snickered, “How so?”

  “It just is. Because I said so.”

  Clearly, his kiss had corrupted my brain and thought process, but I wasn’t about to admit to him that his kiss had done any such thing and put sex front and center in my mind. Of course, he knew anyway. He no doubt scented my arousal quite clearly, another thing I’d gotten used to the last three months. I kind of even liked it, it made me feel naughty, him knowing exactly what he did to me and my body, and that was something that was very much unlike me. Only Mark brought it out, and I was his, as he was mine.

  It wasn’t just that of course. It wasn’t quite that tawdry. There was a level of love and intimacy between us that made the lewder parts special to me, if that made sense.

  He smirked, the bastard.

  “Of course, dear. I’m sorry,” he said in a teasing voice.

  I laughed, “So, where are we going?”

  He replied confidently, “Nakato’s, then I’m taking you home with me.”

  Yes please, both his confidence and plan sent a pleasant tingle down my spine.

  Of course, I raised a skeptical eyebrow, I couldn’t make it too easy for him. Even if he could see right through it.

  “Assume much?”

  He grinned, “I’m not assuming you’ll make us breakfast in the morning, but I’m hoping.”

  I snickered, “You’re incorrigible.”

  He nodded in agreement.

  I mock sighed, “I suppose I could be persuaded to make breakfast.”

  He said, “I love you.”

  I snorted, “You love your stomach,” but I smiled over at him.

  He said, “I do love you, and there’s something we need to talk about, unless it’s still too soon?”

  I cleared my throat, suddenly thrilled and terrified both, as my imagination went in several directions at once, “What’s that?”

  He said, “The future, us.”

  “Isn’t that my line?”

  He smirked, “I told you on our first date, I don’t date for fun. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Danielle. I’m sure of you, but if you need more time I can wait, for a bit.”

  “Why don’t you just knock me out, and drag me back to your cave by the hair?”

  He tilted his head, “Would that work?”

  I giggled, “Maybe? Might end up getting your ass kicked though, so it’s up to you if you want to try it. But seriously, which seems to be hard for us at times, I’d be happy to discuss it. I love you too, you know.”

  He cleared his throat nervously, which definitely got my attention. My Mark was if anything overconfident about things. Not that he was wrong about me being crazy about him, but it was a point, it was rare to see him nervous.

  “I don’t want to lose you, ever.”

  My mind spun for a second, and then froze when his meaning sunk in. We’d been talking about deep subjects and the future for a while, but I still hadn’t seen that one coming. I’d thought of it of course, in three hundred and fifty years I’d be old and wrinkled, and he’d still look twenty-three.

  “You want to turn me?” I asked in a shocked voice, a tone of voice I wished in that moment I could take back. Though, my disturbed lilt didn’t seem to bother him. It looked like he’d almost expected me to react that way, or perhaps worse.

  He explained, “In about twenty years, when you look at least twenty, a couple of years younger but I won’t look like I’m robbing the cradle anymore. Also, after the kids. You won’t be able to have any, after I turn you. Maybe even longer if you want, till we look the same age in about forty to fifty years.”

  My heart skipped, “Kids?”

  He laughed, “You know vampire men can still have children, it’s only the women that become barren. I want it all, a family, and you with me for however long we live.”

  I nodded, the air magic on a vampire continuously regenerated their bodies to the same state it was in when turned. It wasn’t true healing, more a biological stasis, which is why they didn’t age. So it didn’t so much make women barren, as it would undo conception if it ever happened. Same result, and not worth being a stickler about. For men it was different, they’d be as virile as they were when turned, and that would never change.

  I also knew that because I’d been using my own magic to kill off his sperm since the first time we’d slept together, magical prophylactic of a sort, and a more reliable form of birth control than science could provide. Not something I’d recommend to most, since condoms were important for more reasons than birth control. But vampires never got sick, I was clean, and we were both faithful. Neither of us had to fear transmitted disease.

  In that moment, I also blushed furiously at my body’s immediate and intense reaction to such a statement, but I couldn’t let instincts and his control over my body decide such an important question. Still, the idea of building a family, being a mother, and being his for a very long time, all sounded like wonderful things. I assumed marriage, me moving into the coven mansion, and all sorts of other implied things were included in that.

  Almost too good to be true. I knew we were going strong, but… wow. I wanted it so badly in that moment it scared me, was I really ready for that? My body, and my heart, were on board with bells on, but my mind was short circuiting.

  “Umm,” I said brilliantly.

  He smirked, “Take your time. It’s not a small commitment, and I can tell I shocked the hell out of you with it.”

  I said, “Okay.”

  He looked at me sharply, then looked at the road, “Okay, you’ll take time, or… okay okay.”

  “Yes.”

  I giggled, that probably made me a bitch, but I was enjoying his strange moment of uncertainty entirely too much to clarify right away.

  He said with admirable patience, “Which one?”

  I imagined my smile was radiant, as I said simply, “Yes. To all of it. But… won’t that mean I’d have to feed on someone else, and couldn’t feed you anymore?”

  He nodded, “In twenty to fifty years, yes. It’s different though. Sure, there’s an element of sensuality to it, but our desire and love for each other makes it… far more potent between us. You’ll feel your body’s needs spike and a rush of pleasure during feeding, but there’s no connection at all with the person your feeding from if you don’t know them. It’s easy to resist crossing lines into cheating, and it won’t mean we’re unfaithful. No more than you’re cheating on me when moaning over a morsel of chocolate.”

  I snickered, “Alright, but only me until then.”

  He smiled, “Easy promise to keep, why would I want to feed from anyone else?”

  I felt a little dazed, but extremely happy and like I might explode, when we pulled into the Japanese steak house parking lot. I knew nothing was truly forever, despite not aging our lives would end one day, it was inevitable. But… at the same time I couldn’t imagine ever not wanting him in my life, and by my side. It was like I was made for him.

  Oh, we’d argue, I’d even win most of the time, but that was normal. Nothing was perfect, but he was damned close, at least for me he was.

  “Will it change me? Who I am I mean?”

  He shook his head, “Nope. Craving blood, and loving the taste, is a little weird at first, but you’ll get used to it. Other than that, all your current desires and cravings will be the same, mentally and emotionally, as well as morally. The only other changes are all physical, sensitivity to light, stop aging, faster, stronger, better hearing and scenting, and of course compulsion. You also don’t need to worry about it quite yet.”

  I nodded, that was true enough. We had marriage, kids, and sending the kids off to college before I even considered making that change. I had to put my worries in order.

  “You sound pretty sure, but some vampires go rogue.”

  He snickered in amusement, which made me look at him sharply, but he held up a peaceful hand.

  “Yes, from being unable to resist temptation, or temper the deeper ambition the power engenders. You’re already far more powerful than I’ll ever be, Danielle. If you give into ambition, it won’t be because of the slight and relatively small edge that being a vampire gives you.”

  Oh, right. Good point. I’d be a faster, stronger, and have compulsion, but I wouldn’t be any more powerful than I was in that moment. Speed of body, thought, and perception would help of course, but not appreciably.

  The way he looked at me then stole my breath. The love, confidence, and surety that burned in his gorgeous eyes, and his soft kiss lingered with a passion that shocked me. I’d never imagined I’d find the one, but Mark was the one for me. It’d only been three months since we’d gotten together, but for me that was more than long enough to make the decision.

  Maybe that was naïve, but I supposed I’d find out in twenty to fifty years, if he still wanted me forever or not. Now all I had to do was tell Katie I wouldn’t be moving in our own new house at the end of the week, although I’d still have a room there. That… wasn’t going to be easy for me, but I’d always be close to her, and my lover was a very busy man running the coven. I’d probably still spend half my nights with my best friend and cousin.

  It’s just, I’d be in his bed every night… our bed. Yeah, still dazed about the whole thing, but joyful at the same time. A lot of things would change.

  My body felt flush and heated, as we got out and headed into the restaurant.

  Turned out his confidence wasn’t misplaced, and we did follow his plan. He took me home afterwards and we made love deep into the night. I even made him breakfast the next morning.

  It was one of the most magical nights of my life, and for a brief time, I didn’t even give a single thought to the horror of the night before. Of course, it was all about to come rushing back.

  Chapter Six

  “Jerry Siegler, CNN news, can I have a moment of your time Miss Shields.”

  I frowned, it was the second time that I was successfully ambushed by a journalist outside of my office, some sorceress I turned out to be, apparently. Admittedly, I’d had my head in the clouds, and my thoughts were still back at the mansion and Mark.

  “What is this about?” I asked cautiously.

  Jerry said, “What’s your involvement with Sidney Sevier and her escape overseas.”

  If I’d been half awake and dreamy a moment ago, I was certainly fully awake after that question.

  “None.”

  Jerry frowned, “Care to elaborate?”

  “No.”

  Let’s see them edit one-word answers to misrepresent what I said. Bastards.

  Jerry said, “So, there’s absolutely no correlation between the facts you were hired on Monday by Joe Sevier, and a military group of some kind stormed a compound to free her the very next day.”

  “Of course not, I have no military connections, and I’ve never been overseas. I was as surprised as anyone else when I located her through the press’s efforts. I have no further comment.”

  He started to ask another question, but I pulled the door open and slipped inside.

  Dana looked up as I walked into the office.

  “What the hell happened?”

  Dana grimaced and said pointedly, “Good morning, boss.”

  I sighed, “Morning, Dana. Happy?”

  She grinned, “Yes. Here.”

  She turned on the television. It didn’t take long to figure out what’d happened, Joe Sevier had given an interview. No doubt the press had circled him like the vultures they are as soon as they got their hands on a list of the young women that had been freed from sexual slavery, and Joe had promptly thrown me under the bus.

  Joe had no details of course, never mind a shred of proof, but he was firmly convinced I’d had a part in it. In today’s joke they called news, apparently that was enough proof for them to run with a story. Of course, in this case they weren’t exactly wrong, but that didn’t change the facts they had no proof or attributable sources.

  “Damn, so much for staying insulated from it.”

  Dana nodded, “We should’ve compelled him not to talk. In hindsight, he was our one weak link and connection to what happened over there. Still, he has no proof, and has even admitted it’s hard to credit such a quick turn around.”

  I snorted, “When has anything like not having proof, or the facts being unlikely, ever slowed down the news media?”

  Dana giggled, then looked at me apologetically.

  I waved it away, “We’ll deal with it like last time, just ignore it. Most should chalk it up as coincidence. Any military professionals they get on their shows should shoot down the idea quite thoroughly. Getting together a team and building a mission plan would take a whole lot longer than twenty-four hours, much less actually implementing it.”

  Dana sighed, “For humans maybe, except everyone in our world knows what you are.”

  Oh crap, that was a good point. At least there were no clues at all to the supernatural, never mind real proof of it. The actual operation wasn’t even being questioned as odd or impossible. I wasn’t too worried others of my kind would start to hunt me as a rogue and risk to exposure. I hoped.

  “Maybe they don’t watch CNN. Anything else going on?”

  Dana snickered at the first, then answered, “Not at the moment. It’s still early, and the phones have started back up full steam.”

  “You love it,” I accused.

  Dana sighed, “I’m going to have a talk with my other boss, telling secrets.”

  I snickered, and after getting some coffee I headed into my office.

  My practice was a whole lot more intense that morning,. It was a struggle to keep focus on what I concentrated on, ignoring all the other emotions and connections screaming in my head. It was always like that, the first week or so after my power expanded was always the hardest as my mind adjusted to the new stronger input.

  It took me about ninety minutes to tie up another case. It wasn’t a typical one I’d usually take, but it was worthy of my time. It was still a case to find a person, but I’d been hired by an insurance company to track down a Jace Nugent for an inheritance payout. I was sure they had their own investigators on the payroll, but I didn’t look too closely into why they hired the case out.

  Dana came into the office, a coffee cup in her right hand.

  “Got a new case for you. An urgent one, or I’d have just thrown it in the queue. Aiden Williams, four years old. Kidnapped out of a mall two days ago. Apparently the mother, Stephanie, was changing her baby daughter’s diaper, and the boy was just gone when she finished up and turned around. Father is out of the picture, killed two years ago on tour in Afghanistan. She’s been single since.”

  “Any demands?”

  Dana shook her head, “Not yet. I sent the address, number, and other information to your phone. The cops are looking. From what she told me, the cameras were a dead end, whoever took him avoided all that.”

  I nodded, no contact with demands after two whole days wasn’t a good sign. Being taken from a mall bathroom while the mother was at a changing station also likely ruled out family. That left a child predator of some sort, which really put a time limit on things.

  “I need to go then… Wait, the father died two years ago, how old is the baby?”

  Dana’s eyes widened, but she shook her head and shrugged. I’d figure it out.

  It wasn’t long after that I was in my car and heading across town to the address.

  Stephanie Williams lived in a four-bedroom house on the nice side of town. It wasn’t actually all that far away from the coven’s mansion. The neighborhood was quiet, the houses well-landscaped, though in winter most of the bushes were bare.

  Stephanie’s eyes were bloodshot, and she looked like hell when I answered the door. She was in her mid-twenties, with dark brown hair and eyes, and her clothes were very expensive if a bit wrinkled at that moment. The baby girl in her arms was at least eighteen months, which solved my earlier mystery quite nicely, the timing more than worked out for that. It was more than obvious to me she was worried ragged by her son’s disappearance.