She was pleading with him. It was in her voice, in her eyes, in her mind. But they were locked together, and lifemates could not have untruth between them. As much as he wanted to spare her the truth, he could not. Aidan shook his head, but the dawning comprehension was already in her mind. Alexandria moaned and covered her face with both hands. "I'm not like this. I don't respond to men this way, I don't drink blood, and I am not a tease. What have you done to me? It's even worse than I thought. I'm some kind of vampire nymphomaniac." She attempted to pull herself out of his arms, but Aidan tightened his hold on her.

"Be calm, cara. Breathe your way through this. There is a rational explanation." Everything in him wanted to throw her to the floor of the balcony, claim what was rightfully his, and once and for all put himself out of a living h.e.l.l. But he could not do that to her. Her outrageous thought, vampire nymphomaniac, nearly made him smile. It certainly turned his heart over, even while his self- control was in savage, relentless meltdown.

Alexandria was very aware of the restraint he was showing, of how hard he was fighting his natural instincts, his belief in his right to have her. She swallowed hard and stayed very still, not wanting to enflame him further. She was trembling, fighting her own needs and desires, feelings she had never experienced. Why for him? Why did it have to be for him that she burned and needed? She drank his blood willingly. She drank it and wanted more, wanted to give herself to him, wanted him to touch her, to possess her, wanted to touch him. She groaned again, humiliated. She could never face him again as long as she lived. And, for G.o.d's sake, he had some pretty vivid and explicit pictures in his head, too. His intentions toward her were anything but avuncular. Aidan Savage wanted with her a desire, a hunger so beyond anything human, she could barely conceive of it.

"You are shaking, piccola," he pointed out softly, his breathing a little more ragged than he would have liked. He wanted to keep her right where she was. If he allowed her to run now, he would lose valuable ground. His hand moved over her silky hair in a soothing gesture. "We are both all right.

Nothing happened."

"What do you mean, nothing happened?" she demanded. "I drank your blood." The very thought of it now made her sick, and her stomach lurched convulsively. She had wanted to do it, needed to, and her hunger was sated for the time being, but her body was alive with need.

"I told you there were ways. You have no need to worry you will harm Joshua. I will see to all your requirements. It is my right." His voice softened to velvet. "It is my privilege." His hand found her throat, settled there possessively, her pulse beating frantically into his palm. The edges of her sweater were still parted, revealing the enticing swell of her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Alexandria didn't seem to be aware of it, still so shocked at her wanton behavior and her feeding on Aidan's blood that she couldn't think of anything else. The sight of her was not helping to cool his hot blood. He had a sudden desire to crush her to him, to bury his teeth in her, and drag her fully, kicking and screaming, into his life.

Alexandria carefully avoided looking down into his lap. His masculine body was exposed to the night, hard and thick, with no apologies. Unlike her, Aidan didn't appear in the least embarra.s.sed.

In fact, it was obvious he felt he had a right to her. She stared up at the stars pushing their way through the scattered wisps of clouds. The night was beautiful and calming. The feel of his hand wrapped around her throat should have frightened her, but instead she felt cherished.

Alexandria moistened her lips. None of her emotions, so intense, were characteristic of her. "Are you certain you didn't direct my actions?"

"You are my lifemate, Alexandria. Your mind and body recognize me as such. The bond between us will only grow, as will the need. Such is the way of our people. It is probably a protection for our longevity. Rather than paling over time, our s.e.xual need for each other gets stronger. There will come a time when we must give in, or the consequences will be dire." He tried to choose his words carefully, yet still be honest.

She picked the image out of his mind, blushing furiously. "Violence? We would come together in violence? I don't have experience-we've already established that-and I'm not even certain I like you. Why is this happening between us?"

His breath came out in a long sigh. At least she was talking instead of running. He had to hand it to her, she had courage. "You have never felt physical attraction for another man because you were made for me. Your body needs mine. You are my lifemate."

"I hate that word," she snapped resentfully. "You've taken my life away from me. I don't even know who I am anymore." Her blue eyes met his. "I am not going to just hand myself over to you without a fight."

His thumb brushed her jaw, sending waves of fire beating at her. "I have already taken over your life, as you have taken over mine. It is done."

"I don't think so," she objected, her chin lifting defiantly. All at once she became aware of her sweater gaping open. With a little gasp of dismay, she dragged the edges together. "Do you mind?"

she said indignantly, pointedly glancing at his all-too-masculine display.

He gave a lazy shrug. "It is not exactly as if I can comfortably put everything back together again."

She blushed furiously. "Well, don't talk about it, for heaven's sake!"

He found himself smiling in spite of the raging demands of his body. With unhurried movements he positioned himself within the confines of the tight cloth and b.u.t.toned the fly. "Does that make you feel safer?" he teased tenderly.

His voice sent a shiver of pure pleasure down her spine. No one deserved to have a voice like his.

And his mouth. She stared up at it, caught by the chiseled perfection of it. No one should have that tempting a mouth. Her heart was slamming painfully against her chest. His mouth was mesmerizing, like his voice. Close. So close. She could almost feel the heat, the hot beckoning of his mouth.

His lips brushed hers, and her heart stopped. His tongue traced her full lower lip, teasing an opening to sweep inside the silken interior. Her heart began to pound. There was only feeling, a curious shifting of the earth, a slow spinning that kept her senses off balance. He explored every inch of her mouth with complete authority, building the heat between them once again. It was Aidan who slowly, reluctantly, lifted his head. His strange eyes were hot, molten gold, roaming her face possessively. His thumb caressed her chin while his palm spanned her throat.

"You did that this time," he whispered, a dark sorcerer, ensnaring her further in his spell. "I deny all responsibility."

His voice whispered over her skin. She stared up at him helplessly. How did he do it so easily?

Wrap her up in s.e.xual feelings when she was so certain she had none?

"I did not do this," he reiterated. "You are looking at me as if I am some spider and you are the little moth caught in my web." He shifted again in an attempt to give his body some relief.

She felt every masculine muscle imprinted on her soft form. She wanted to stay there forever, never be away from him. Horrified, Alexandria wrenched herself up. She got nowhere. Her body hadn't moved an inch from his. The gold eyes never wavered from her face.

"Let me up. I mean it, Aidan. You're seducing me. You're doing something with your voice. I know you are. Like you do with Joshua.""If only I could, piccola. It would be nice to control you. It would present all sorts of interesting possibilities."

She could see the wicked thoughts in his mind, the tangled bodies, bare skin, his mouth moving over every inch of her. "Stop!" she cried-desperately, feeling her body going into meltdown at the erotic pictures in his head.

He looked innocent and nuzzled the top of her head with his chin. "I am merely enjoying the night, Alexandria. Is it not beautiful?"

She glanced up at the fading stars. Light was beginning to streak the darkness, turning the skies silver-gray. Her breath caught in her throat. Where had the night gone? How long had she lain here with Aidan? She didn't want to go down to the chamber and sleep. "I want to see the sun."

His hand stroked her hair. "You can see the sun, but you cannot be in it. And you can never forget dark gla.s.ses, or the time."

She swallowed fear. "The time?"

"You will become lethargic at first, then the weakness will hit and you will be completely vulnerable. You must be in shelter by noon."

His voice was calm, matter-of-fact, as if he was not crushing her, taking her life from her. All at once she hated his voice.

"What about Joshua?" she demanded. "What about his life, school, birthday, parties, sports? He might play baseball or football. Where will I be during his games, his practice sessions?"

"Marie and Stefan-"

"I don't want another woman raising my brother. I love him. I want to be there when he does these things. Can't you understand that? I don't want it to be Marie sitting in the stands when he hits a ball for the first time. And what about parent-teacher conferences? Does Marie do those, too?" Her voice was bitter, and once again the awful blockage was tearing at her throat, threatening to strangle her.

"Breathe, Alexandria," he commanded softly, his hands ma.s.saging her shoulders. "You keep forgetting to breathe. This is all so new. Things will work themselves out. Give yourself some time."

"Maybe if I saw a doctor. A researcher specializing in blood disorders. There must be a way to go back," she said desperately. The truth was the worst thing to face. It wasn't just the abhorrent practice of drinking blood. Evidently she could overcome that aversion; Aidan had just given her proof. It was her growing obsession with Aidan that terrified her. He terrified her. His dominating her life terrified her. She wanted all of that to just go away and leave her normal again.

He stirred slightly, the jungle cat stretching. She could feel his muscles rippling with power. His hand moved to her neck, and there was stark possession in his gaze. "You will not do such a foolish thing. There are those who hunt our people, and the methods they use to destroy us are not pretty. You would die a hard and ugly death. I cannot allow such a thing."

"I hate that condescending I'm-so-calm-and-you're-so-out-of-control voice you use. Don't you ever get mad?" she blazed at him, little sparks flying from her sapphire eyes. "I'm just going to ignore you. How do I know any of this is real? I've never acted this way before. This could all be a dream."

His eyebrows lifted, and a small, mocking, suggestive smile touched his mouth. "A dream?" he echoed.

"A nightmare," she corrected with a frown. "A very bad, very vivid nightmare.""Would you like me to see if I can wake you up?" he offered helpfully.

"Don't sound so arrogant and macho. It makes my skin crawl," she snapped, because her heart was pounding all over again with fear. Did he have to be so s.e.xy, so tempting? She didn't know the first thing about men, but surely they weren't all like this. Lethal. A threat to freedom.

A lazy smile softened his perfect mouth, instantly drawing her attention. "Was I sounding arrogant?" His thumb was stroking back and forth over her pulse.

She could feel each separate, caressing stroke go right through her body to collect in the pit of her stomach, to brush there like the wings of b.u.t.terflies. She turned her head to escape his penetrating golden gaze, to escape that perfect mouth, and she saw the thin ribbon of scarlet that formed a path down his chest, tangled in the fine gold hair, and trickled lower still to his flat belly.

Before she could think, instinctively, sensually, she lowered her head, her tongue tracking the ruby streak.

His every muscle clenched hotly, contracted and bunched. His teeth came together, and his throat worked convulsively. She possessed such a natural sensuality, and her body was so familiar with his. Her every instinct cried out for him. Alexandria was so innocent, so unaware of how close to peril she really was. Centuries of discipline were rapidly disintegrating, leaving only the dark, starving beast, needing-no, demanding-to claim its mate. Aidan couldn't help himself. His fingers tangled in the silken hair at the nape of her neck and held her to him while the earth spun and wanted to fragment, while his body pulsed and throbbed somewhere between pain and pleasure.

Without warning, Alexandria leapt up, shoving him as hard as she could so that, in his rather precarious state of arousal, he landed on the balcony floor with a thud. He blinked up at her through hooded eyes, trying to hold back the laughter that threatened to consume him. "What?"

"Stop being so... so..." Words failed her. s.e.xy. Attractive. Enticing. Hands on her hips, she glared at him. "Just stop!"

Chapter Ten

The kitchen was already warm from the blaze Stefan had built in the stone fireplace. The aroma of coffee and cinnamon laced the air. Alexandria walked beside Aidan into the room, their bodies brushing occasionally. He glanced down at the top of her bent head. She was wary now, afraid of him and the implications of her physical response to him. Yet now, without her knowledge, her body instinctively sought the shelter and comfort of his. She was beneath his shoulder, his arm sliding easily around her waist, across her back. She didn't even seem to notice.

The feel of her skin against his was driving him mad, but he walked with his usual easy grace and revealed none of his emotions on his face. He smiled at Marie as she turned from the counter, where she was beating an egg mixture in a bowl. She had so much warmth and affection in her for so many, not least for him. She humbled him with her ability to take so many into her heart.

"Aidan! Alexandria! I had no idea you were in the garden." She was smiling at them, but her sharp eyes were taking in his carefully blank expression and the shadows in Alexandria's eyes. "Joshua slept a little fitfully-I think he's really missing you, dear. He's such a sweet little boy. And his beautiful curls!"

Alexandria smiled. "He detests those curls."

Marie nodded. "What little boy wouldn't?" Alexandria wasn't nearly as pale as she had been all the other times Marie had seen her, and she certainly didn't look dead, as she had when Aidan carried her into the house. She had been well fed by Aidan, Marie was certain. She took a deep breath. "I wanted to thank you for what you did for Aidan the other night. It took courage. Stefan said Aidan would have died had you not gone to his aid. Aidan is like a son to me, or a brother. He is our friend and our family. Thank you for bringing him back to us."

Aidan stirred restlessly beside Alexandria, but she ignored him. "You're welcome, Marie, although I'm certain he would have found a way without me. Aidan is nothing if not resourceful. I'm indebted to you for all you've done for Joshua."

Aidan bent his head to brush a kiss onto Marie's temple. "I have told you for years that you worry too much about me. But you are correct. Alexandria saved my life."

Alexandria made a face at him. "And it was such a brilliant decision on my part, too," she whispered for his ears only.

His hand came up to caress the nape of her neck. "I thought so."

Stefan came in with an armload of wood. "Aidan! You're up." He beamed at them both. "And Alexandria, you certainly look better than the last time I saw you. But I give you credit-you know how to get things done."

Self-consciously she brushed a tendril of hair from her face. "I can be rather bossy, Stefan. I didn't mean to be. It's just that I've lived for so long on my own, caring for Joshua, that I'm used to doing everything myself and figuring things out. Besides, Aidan is so stubborn, and he seems to have everyone around here buffaloed."

She was taunting him, the little devil! Aidan knew it, and something inside him responded to the teasing. He felt, for the first time in centuries, for the first time since he was young, that he was not alone. He was in his home-not a house, but a real home-with his family surrounding him.

Joshua slept peacefully in his bed, Marie and Stefan were laughing and joking in the kitchen, and beside him was the woman who was his life, his very breath, the blood in his veins. She had given him a heart, so he was now capable of knowing love and laughter and appreciating the miracles he had been favored with.

"That handsome man came back," Marie suddenly said, her eyes bright and innocent. She remained very busy at the counter.Stefan choked on his coffee, and Aidan had to pound on his back. He looked suspiciously from one to the other. "What handsome man?" But he was beginning to have a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Marie touched Alexandria's arm lightly. "Your Mr. Ivan. He was quite upset and worried about you.

He even called the police when we wouldn't allow him in. They were by yesterday morning. Nice, polite officers. I believe you've met them, Aidan, a time or two." Marie was beaming.

"Thomas Ivan came by again?" Alexandria asked, shocked.

"Oh, yes, dear," Marie said guilelessly. "He was quite worried about you."

"He called the police?" Alexandria couldn't take it all in.

"Two detectives. They insist you and Aidan contact them as soon as you return. We told them Aidan had taken you to a private hospital, that you were very ill. Aidan has donated money many times to their causes and even helped a few out individually when they needed it. All on the up and up, of course. Loans with very little interest but certainly within the law. I had the impression Mr. Ivan had angered them with his accusations against Aidan."

"I can imagine he did," Aidan said dryly, glaring at Marie.

Marie didn't seem to notice the signal. "I thought it sweet that he was so worried about your safety.

One could hardly blame him for his concern." She smiled. "He wanted them to search the house, but of course, the officers refused. He left his number and wants you to call him, and he left something else. Let me just get it for you." She sounded like an excited schoolgirl.

Aidan leaned one hip lazily against the counter, but there was nothing lazy about his golden eyes.

He followed his housekeeper's every movement, unblinking, his stare like that of a great predator eyeing its prey. Stefan moved closer to his wife uneasily, but Marie didn't seem to notice, bustling over to the refrigerator.

"I have to talk to the police?" Alexandria asked, completely unaware of Aidan's menacing stance. "I can't talk to the police. Aidan." She reached for his arm, her hand shaking. "I could never do it.

What if they ask me questions about Henry, or something about those women? Thomas Ivan will have told them I was there that night. I can't talk to the police. What has Thomas done?"

With a great sense of satisfaction, Aidan curved an arm protectively around her shoulders. He swept her close to him, offering comfort. Marie pulled open the enormous refrigerator and turned, a huge bouquet of roses in her hands, the vase cut crystal. He felt Alexandria's swift intake of breath.

"For you," Marie said blithely, ignoring the black scowl on Aidan's face. "Your Mr. Ivan brought these for you."

Alexandria moved away from Aidan to cross the room. "They're so beautiful. Roses," she said breathlessly. "I've never received flowers before, Marie. Never." She touched one dewy petal. "Aren't they wonderful?"

Marie was nodding and smiling in agreement. "I thought we might put them in the living room, but if you want them in your private bedroom, that would fine, too."

Aidan's hands itched to strangle the woman. He had known Marie from the moment of her birth- sixty-two years ago-and they had never exchanged a cross word. And he suddenly wanted to strangle her. He should have ripped Ivan's throat out. Flowers. Why hadn't he thought of flowers?

Why hadn't Marie mentioned it to him first? Why had she accepted them? Whose side was she on, anyway? Flowers! He had the urge to rip those petals off one by one.

"Look," Marie cooed, "he even had the thorns removed so you wouldn't hurt yourself. What a thoughtful man."

"What time did you tell the police we would see them?" Aidan interrupted, afraid that if he didn't he would erupt into violence. He detested the way Alexandria kept caressing the petals of one of the white roses.

Stefan cleared his throat and glared at his wife. "They asked that you contact them at your earliest convenience. It seems that Ivan is particularly insistent, especially since two bodies, burned beyond recognition, were found a few miles from here. I told the police I was returning from the store when I saw the blaze and called it in from the car phone."

Alexandria's face went white, and she looked up at Aidan as if for direction. "Are they going to question me about that, too?"

Aidan reached out a hand, gently fingering her silky hair. "Of course not, cara. Do not be so alarmed. They believe I had already taken you to the hospital. If necessary, we will be able to prove such a thing. The police want only to answer Ivan's ridiculous concerns by seeing you alive and well. I a.s.sured him you were safe when he was here last, but he would not take my word. He has thoroughly insulted me."

In spite of her fears, Alexandria laughed. "You were lying to him, you idiot. I wasn't safe. A vampire had bitten me, remember?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Idiot? In all the centuries of my existence, no one has ever called me an idiot."

"Well, that's because everyone's afraid of you. Thomas had good reason to think you were lying.

Don't act like one of those ridiculous men in whatever century who fought duels of honor."

"I have fought more than one duel in my time."

"Idiot," she said disrespectfully, but she was laughing. Alexandria buried her face in the flowers, inhaling the sweet fragrance. Then she raised her head and caught Aidan looking at her with that possessive, masculine intensity that caused her heart to turn over. "Do I really have to talk to the police? Can't you just do it?"