"I will back off, little one, if you would be so kind as to not unman me just yet. I may have something there that we can both enjoy later, if you'd like," Colin told her.

Colin and Sara both turned to look at Aaron as a feral growl emanated from him.

Colin lowered her very slowly. There was something, he would imagine, about having a very sharp knife at your d.i.c.k that would make any reasonable man pay attention to details. Once she had both feet planted firmly on the floor, Colin stepped away from her. The next thing Aaron knew, she had flipped both Colin's feet out from under him. As he landed on his back with a whoosh, she was straddling his chest with her blades at a cross at his throat. s.h.i.t, he thought, she's fast as well as dangerous.

"I put you down as you asked, little one."

Colin put his hands up in surrender. Aaron decided not to interfere. If he p.i.s.sed her off more, which he usually did, she might kill his friend out of spite.

"Yes, you did. You also opened my wound, and made me bleed again, vamp. I don't want to bleed anymore in this house, understand? I'm going to get off of you, and you will lie very still until I am standing over there near the sink. If you don't comply, I'll have your master dead so fast, if you blink, you'll miss the show. Deal?" Colin nodded.

Sara moved off of him and to the sink very slowly. Colin watched her every move. So did Aaron. Once she was where she wanted to be, Colin got to his feet and bowed to her. She had just bested one of Aaron's best warriors, and Aaron had never been so relieved in his entire life.

*CHAPTER SIX*.

Colin stared at the woman for nearly a full two minutes. She watched him as well. She never squirmed or gave any indication that she was frightened in anyway. He was impressed with that. People, especially women, did not like to be stared at by such a large man; they began to think of ways to get as far away as possible when he did that.

It was not as if Colin was not a handsome man. He was, indeed. He had dark brown hair worn slightly long with two small braids down the left side of his face, which if nothing else, gave testimony to his heritage. His eyes were as blue as the bonny sky that extended over his birthplace. He stood just over six foot, and while a large man at two hundred and fifty pounds, there was not an ounce of fat on him. Yes, he thought, this human deserved further study.

"Colin Larimore, I'd like you to meet Sara Temple. She is the warrior I was telling you about," Aaron told him.

Colin jerked his head around to Aaron. Then back at the girl. "You took out six vampires?"

"No. There were seven, if you count him and the Carlovettis. I took out three; he took out one," Sara told him, as if it was nothing at all.

Colin looked back at his master and friend. "You didn't tell me she got more kills than you." Colin's opinion of the girl just went up several more notches. First, for killing three full vamps, and secondly, and most importantly, for saving Aaron.

"Shut up, Colin. I didn't tell you because it doesn't matter."

Colin grinned. He thought about pointing out that she was a mere human and he a bada.s.s vamp, a master vamp at that, but reconsidered. That did not mean that he couldn't tease him about it later, he thought. And looking back at the girl, a woman he guessed, he wasn't so sure she was completely human anyway.

Sara snorted. Both men looked at her. With a shrug, she started for the door out of the kitchen.

"Sweet bearded Jesus! You're bleeding! s.h.i.t! I didn't even smell it," Aaron yelled at her. Colin hadn't even noticed it himself until Aaron had said something.

"That's because I didn't want you to. Why is this always a surprise to everyone? A house full of bloodsuckers, one bleeding human, do the math and I bet you come to the same answer. I'm gonna find Duncan." This time, she was stopped by Aaron who stood between her and the door out.

"I'll take care of your wound. Sit over there. Colin and I have some questions for you."

Colin raised a brow at his tone. "b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, Aaron, let the child get fixed up first." Colin was surprised at his att.i.tude toward the girl. He had never heard him be so rude to a woman before. This was going to take some thought.

Sara turned to glare at Colin. When Duncan came into the kitchen a few minutes later, it was to find Sara and Aaron standing toe to toe screaming at one another. Colin thought it was the funniest thing that he had ever witnessed. Sara, in his estimation, was one or two up on his friend in zingers.

"I will not! You, sir, while an a.s.s of major proportions, are not my boss!" She shouted at Aaron, Colin thought, for about the fifth time too.

"You will do as I say, right now, or so help me G.o.d, I will paddle that pretty b.u.t.t of yours until you are begging me to give you an order."

Colin leaned over in his chair slightly to get a look at her pretty b.u.t.t. Yep-very pretty indeed. He sat up when he heard Aaron growl at him.

"Are you even sane? Are you listening to yourself? Begging you for an order, oh my G.o.d, you are seriously delusional, did you know that? I have to get out of here before I need to be locked up right along with you." She was walking toward the door as she made this prediction.

Just as Colin started to watch her again, he noticed that Aaron was looking at him.

"Good heavens! What has happened now?" Duncan asked him when there was a lull in the noise.

"Well, let's see... He wants her to strip down to her bare skin. Then let him tend to her, and she is taking exception to that. Actually, I think she's taking exception to a lot of things. But I think it's mostly to his tone. Or it could be his 'G.o.dlike feelings about himself,' I believe is what she said." He laughed with Duncan.

"Colin!" Aaron snarled at him. "You are not helping. If you can't keep your opinions to yourself, then I'd prefer it if you'd leave the room."

"Yes, sire. I'll try to be good." Colin's look was one of pure innocence, but anyone who had known him for more than ten minutes knew that he did not have an innocent bone in his big body. And right now, he was having entirely too much fun to let Aaron's foul mood and temper bother him.

"I've had enough. Duncan, she is bleeding again, tend to her. Colin, don't let her out of your sight. I will be back in an hour." He looked directly at Sara and said, "I need to feed. When I return, we will have a talk, and I will get some answers." With that, he turned on his heel and left the big kitchen.

Sara promptly sat in one of the kitchen chairs and burst into tears. Colin could not blame her really; over the past several days, she had killed three men, been shot, dragged to a house owned by someone whom she did not know, nor did she want to, manhandled by him, and now she was bleeding again.

Colin looked to Duncan. He appeared to be ready to sit in the other chair and join her. Duncan didn't have a lot of experience with women, Colin knew. He would also bet that Duncan didn't have the slightest clue how to handle a crying one. When Duncan looked frantically at him, Colin sighed. Oh well, he thought, no hope for it.

"Come here, la.s.sie. Let me see what all the fuss is about." He pulled her over to him, chair and all. He winced at the rough sound the chair legs made as he dragged them across the tiled floor.

"First I'm a child, now I'm a dog. You vampires sure have a way with women, don't you?" While she was no longer sobbing, big fat tears were falling down her cheeks. He hated tears from a woman. They could turn him inside out faster than anything.

He murmured to her softly, not really saying anything while he inspected the b.l.o.o.d.y stain that now saturated her shirt front. When he started to unb.u.t.ton the shirt, which looked suspiciously like something Aaron would wear, she slapped his hands away.

"You gotta let me see this, sweetheart. Can you lift up your arm for me?"

When she tentatively lifted the front of the shirt up above the wound, he hissed. "Holy Mary, Mother of G.o.d, child, what's happened to you?"

"I was shot a few days ago. You just threw me against the wall. I've had a bad few days. I want to go to my own bed." She was starting to cry again. Duncan set a large box of tissues in front of her.

Duncan then busied himself with pulling out clean bandages, scissors, and tape. Colin nodded his head thanks and continued with Sara.

"I donna think he's gonna let you go today, love. I'm sorry I hurt you, though. Did you really save Aaron's b.u.t.t? Wish I could have seen that, I do." Colin tucked the shirt hem high into the pocket of her shirt to keep it out of his way while he worked.

Once Colin got the padding pulled away from her skin, he was able to see the bullet wound. It was now just seeping blood instead of pouring as it must have been doing earlier. He was shocked to his core that this woman was walking around as if nothing had happened. She had not made a noise when he had slammed her against the wall. She had, in fact, fought back. He had known grown men who would have been felled by less than this woman.

"You know, I could heal you right up with a couple sips of my blood, the bruises too, if you'd like." He did not offer his vein often, seldom, if truth be told. She seemed to understand this without much acquaintance with him.

"No, but I thank you," she said demurely.

Colin found her politeness, bravery, and hardheadedness a huge turn on and had had a semi-erection since he had held her against the cabinets. It had not gotten any better when she straddled him on the floor either. He made no move to touch her, however, other than to tend to her wound. Colin was aware somehow that she belonged to Aaron, even if he had not claimed her yet. The growls coming from his friend were too funny. Colin thought about the way Aaron had spoken about her last evening when he called him to ask for his help.

Aaron had asked Colin to come and see if he could get a clue as to what "his little warrior" was, or who she was. Colin doubted that she was full human, but as yet, he was not getting anything at all from her. He had not even been able to penetrate that considerable hold she had on her mind yet.

Duncan helped Colin get Sara put back together with fresh, clean bandages. Duncan also persuaded her to take a couple of pills to ease her pain a bit. Colin noticed the bruising around her backside. With a quick look at Duncan and with a small shake of his head, Colin decided that he would not ask her about it, but he would Aaron.

When Aaron arrived some twenty minutes later, he was in a much better frame of mind. Maybe not a better mood where Sara was concerned, but that seemed to be the way with the two of them.

"What I'd like to know, is what are you, Sara?" Aaron asked without preamble as they adjourned to the living room. The Carlovettis joined them there.

Sara looked dumbfounded. "What do you mean, what am I? I'm a female, you dolt. I would have thought someone as old as you would have heard about the birds and the bees by now. Mr. Larimore, perhaps you could tell his d.i.c.kship, oh sorry, I meant his lordship, the difference later."

"I know d.a.m.n well and good that you're a female. That's not what I...s.h.i.t." Colin watched his friend take several deep breaths before continuing. "You have the ability to cloak yourself against our kind, and you're a telepath. And just today you threw me in the tub without touching me."

Colin burst out laughing. "You threw him in the tub? Oh, right and good. Wish I could have seen that. Did he make a pa.s.s, love? Ah, probably not. Yeah, love, I'll have a little talk with him about s.e.x for you. Poor lad, I'd have thought...well, like you, I would have thought he knew his way around the female form."

Aaron turned on his longtime friend and growled, which to Colin's amazement, made him laugh all the harder. "Ah, Aaron, you canna begrudge me this? She's just a slip of a thing, and in the few hours I've been here, she has gotten the better of you several times."

"Sara has never gotten the better of me. I meant I slipped. And if you will remember, I think she got the better of you as well." Aaron was back to snarling again, Colin noticed, and he burst out laughing.

Colin had to leave the room. His mirth was such that he was afraid that if he had one more outburst, Aaron would truly kill him. Oh, but what a way to go.

"I don't know what you're talking about. As I have asked several times now, I'd like to go. I have things to do. And believe it or not, they don't involve hanging out with you." She was beginning to hurt again. And d.a.m.n it, she was hungry.

"Sit down. You aren't going anywhere. Not until I have some answers." Aaron plopped down in the largest wingback chair she had ever seen and propped his feet up on the beautiful inlayed coffee table. He fully expected to be completely obeyed, she thought with amazement.

She looked to the Carlovettis.

"Mr. Carlovetti, do I still have a job with your airline?" She hated putting him on the spot, but without the job and a steady income, Mel wasn't going to be found.

"He isn't going to answer you. It's ultimately my decision who works for the people I protect. Now, sit your b.u.t.t back down."

She ignored him and turned to look at April.

"Mrs. Carlovetti. Do I still have a job? I understand that you have to answer to...him. But I have to ultimately answer for myself." She gave Aaron what she hoped was a look of disdain, but she did not think it had the intended effect. He just laughed at her.

Sara stiffened in response. Not from the laughter itself, but the feelings it stirred within her. She felt his laughter throughout her entire body. At that moment, she would have done anything to get him to do it again. It felt like a touch, a caress down her spine and through her core. She wanted him to pull her close, kiss her like he had in the kitchen. Touch her breast, her nipple. She wanted, no, she needed him to touch her. The kiss in the kitchen had not been enough, not nearly so.

Putting everything she had within her to work, she immediately built a wall around her feelings, her emotions. If he knew how he had made her feel, she knew that she would never be able to leave this house again. And right now, she was not sure she wanted to.

Aaron crossed his arms over that ma.s.sive chest of his and answered her. "You will be able to keep your job so long as I'm satisfied that you aren't a threat to what I'm here to protect. I have to make sure all the vampires in my realm are safe. I'm sure you understand."

She turned to glare at the man. If she had not staked him by morning, it would be a miracle, she thought.

"Like you protected them the other day? Like you made sure that Mrs. Carlovetti and her child were safe? You brought those men to them because you are so full of yourself that you couldn't go out without a guard." Her voice was calm and controlled, nothing like the turmoil running through her body. He brought out such emotions in her. Most of which she did not completely understand.

She knew she had gone too far the moment he moved toward her. She turned to run from him. She only got as far as the door when he was on her. As before, instinct kicked in and she fought back.

Just as he pushed her against the wall, she slammed down both wrists hard against the wall to arm herself. Twin blades were instantly in her hands, as before. As she swung the first blade in an arc toward his chest, he jumped back, narrowly missing having his gut sliced open. She marched him back, swinging the blades to and fro. Sara knew she could kill him with a single slice, but could not make herself do anything more than back him away. He took a few nicks to his clothing, but nothing to cause him to lose blood.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone had her face down on the floor, a large weight holding her in place. Unless she could flip him off of her, she would not be going anywhere. Her head exploded with pain. Dizziness, then weakness slammed into her. Within seconds, blackness swam in her vision. She could feel herself sliding away, and there was nothing that she could do about it.

*CHAPTER SEVEN*.

Colin lifted his body from Sara's, scanning her for injuries in much the same way she did when searching a room or other people. He a.s.sessed extent of her injuries and was not happy to know that he had caused a concussion, and her wound, yet again, was open and bleeding.

"s.h.i.t! She's bleeding again. So is her head, Aaron. I'm afraid she has a pretty good concussion this time on top of everything else."

Colin rolled to his back. He was pretty sure that there would be h.e.l.l to pay for this.

For the third time in as many days, Dr. Reilly was called in to have a look at the little human. And just as Colin had predicted, Thomas was royally p.i.s.sed.

"You want to tell me why my patient is currently upstairs sporting a nice concussion, more cuts, and has had my st.i.tches pulled out again?"

Aaron knew that Thomas would blame him. Of course, he was at fault, but still...

"Please, tell me that you didn't have anything to do with this, or so help me G.o.d..." Thomas continued.

"Sara tried to attack me, and Colin only meant to get her away. He was protecting me." Aaron thought that this should be enough to make his point, but apparently it was not.

"What, by running her down with a freight train? You do realize she is mortal, don't you? p.r.o.ne to damage from, oh let me see, everything sharp, hard, and fast? I don't believe this. I just don't f.u.c.king believe this. What the h.e.l.l were you thinking, or were you? You do have a brain in that thick skull of yours, don't you?" Thomas snarled at him.

Aaron was getting angry himself. He did not want her hurt anymore than Thomas did. Aaron knew that he had provoked her into attacking him. He had been aggravating her in one way or another since she had walked into the hangar days ago. He just could not seem to help himself. It was either have her p.i.s.sed off at him all the time, or he was going to throw her over his shoulder and take her to his lair. She affected him in ways he did not understand.

Sara had said that she'd had a...momentary lack of good judgment. Did she want to live now? If so, then why? And most importantly, why now? d.a.m.n it, she was driving him crazier every day.

"If you keep this up, she...will...die. Is that the plan here? 'Cause if it is, just stop calling me in to patch her up again."

Aaron turned away from him and growled, "No, d.a.m.n it, I don't want her to die. She needs to live. I think...she may...well, d.a.m.n it. I can only smell her when she's unconscious, so I'm not sure yet. d.a.m.n stubborn girl." Turning back to his friend, his bewildered mind raced. "What the h.e.l.l am I supposed to do with her, I ask you?"

Thomas stared in confusion. He waited for Aaron to continue. Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up with understanding.

"Holy s.h.i.t, she's the one? She's your mate?" He started laughing. "Oh, this is too funny. You have yourself mated to a human who hates your guts."

Heat welled up in Aaron's veins. He tightened his fists. "I don't see what is so f.u.c.king funny about any of this. Do you think I want this to be happening just now...with her? She's human!"

Thomas stopped laughing and blurted, "What the h.e.l.l does that have to do with anything, I ask you?"

"I don't need this. What am I supposed to do with her if she is my mate? I have a whole realm to organize and make work. Do you have any idea what the last master did to the people here, what he took as his due as their leader?"

"Yes, I do," Thomas said somberly. "He was a horrible, s.a.d.i.s.tic man who should have been challenged years, if not centuries ago. As your mate, Aaron, she would be able to help you. Isn't that the way of our kind? Our mates are chosen to complement us, to be a 'mate' to us in all ways. What have you told her?"

"Nothing." Aaron turned away with a wave of disgust. "And I don't plan to either, not until I have some answers from her."

Thomas decided to stay the day within the mansion. Sunrise was very soon, and he wanted to be there to make sure that they left her alone for at least a few days, he had told Aaron.

Later that night, Aaron was sitting in his office when there was a small knock at the door. He wanted to ignore it, but was worried it might be about Sara. "Come in," he finally said.

"May I have a word, master?" April barely came across the threshold and would not look him in the eye.

"It's Aaron, April, please call me that. What can I do for you?" He motioned for her to have a seat in the chair across from his messy desk.

He had inherited the mess on it and the one in his realm when he had killed Carlos. He had not thought of either for several hours now.

"I'd like to know what you plan to do with my friend Sara."