Sorley's voice echoed down the long stretch. "Come on!"

They broke into a trot, and despite her uncertain footing and the uneven surface of the tunnel, Clarissa ran. Their flashlight beams bounced along, the light hardly enough to see by.

When Erin's flashlight beam illuminated Ronan lying on the floor, Clarissa gasped.

Blood had dried on his forehead and a large bruise had formed near his temple. His skin looked hard, pale and cold.

"It's just like the dream only worse." Clarissa dropped to her knees beside him and touched his chest. "Please. Damn it, Ronan, please don't do this to me."

Tears rose in her eyes again and she let them fall. Trembling, she touched his face and felt the icy surface. Emotional agony far deeper than anything she could remember before arrowed straight into her heart. She didn't care what anyone thought as her insides seemed to quake with pain.

She'd sent Ronan to his death.

Chapter Eleven

Lachlan knelt near Ronan's head, his expression filled with stark fear. He looked up at Sorley, who stood at his fellow vampire's feet. "Sorley, what do you think? Could he be...?"

Sorley looked shaken, bravado washed right out of him in the bleak moment. "If he fought the ancient one his body might have injuries. It would take him a little to recover.

But he should have come out of it by now."

Clarissa couldn't speak, couldn't believe the iced-over sensation encasing her heart. She leaned over and placed her lips against Ronan's. She rubbed her palm over that chest, still firm and powerful. A tremendous ache centered in her heart, so excruciating she wanted to cry out. Instead she touched his lips with all the tenderness inside her. She took a shaky breath.

As she did so she felt warmth growing in the vampire's lips. Before she could react, Ronan let out a soft groan and responded. His mouth stirred under hers and with one quick movement his hand speared into her hair. His lips opened and he kissed her deeply.

His tongue plunged into her mouth and she met it with her own in dazed and growing happiness.

She wasn't imagining this. She wasn't going mad.

Ronan is alive.

Of course I am, darlin' colleen.

For a few seconds she knew nothing, felt nothing but the overwhelming knowledge that he lived and his body heated by the second with immortal life. She put her palm to his cheek and his skin flushed with warmth. Alive and strong he kissed her like no one else watched them, as if he would devour her with his hot embrace.

She pulled back in stunned excitement, a smile breaking over her mouth.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," Sorley's voice went hoarse. "Feck me!"

Ronan's eyes popped open and a weak smile touched his lips. "Sure, and I thought maybe for a moment I was dreamin'." His accent thickened as his eyes glowed with the welcome fire of a vampire alive and kicking. His gaze centered on Clarissa. "If you aren't the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Lachlan laughed and soon the rest of them joined in, their voices rising in the darkness and overpowering the night.

Relief made her feel weak. She put her hands over her face and took a heavy, shivering breath.

"Clarissa." Ronan's deep voice touched her like a warm caress. "Are you all right?"

She took her hands from her face and wiped at her tears. "Am I all right? We thought you were..." she gulped. "We thought you were dead. Of course I'm not all right."

A broad smile broke over his mouth. "I thought Iwas dead. After the ancient one..." He tried to sit up and failed, sinking back to the ground with a gasp as pain flickered across his features. "Shit! I almost feel mortal."

"What's wrong?" Lachlan asked.

"I think my ribs broke during the fight." He explained how he'd encountered the ancient one and quickly discovered the monster had regained his power and then some. "I couldn't believe how quick he was. Quicker and nastier than any of the times I've met him before. When I hit the wall all I felt was pain. Then I was out. I woke up a couple of more times and it was bizarre..."

His gaze centered on Clarissa, simmering with something that almost looked-dare she even imagine it?-love.

Love.

"I saw you," Ronan said as he reached up and cupped Clarissa's face with one hand. "I thought you were real at first, then your image shimmered, as if you were a ghost."

"It's my dream," Clarissa said in wonder.

"Like an out-of-body experience," Micky said softly.

Clarissa nodded. "That's what brought us here. It's the reason we knew where to locate you." She leaned into his palm and enjoyed his skin against hers.

"Okay you two lovebirds," Lachlan said with a grin. "Let's get you out of here. Can you stand?"

"Wait a minute, what if his ribs really are broken?" Clarissa asked, concern spiking through her.

Ronan shook his head. "Don't worry. They've mended. They're just a little tender." He felt the skin along his forehead. "I probably had a concussion, too. I'm okay, now, though." He winked at her. "It was your kiss that brought me out of the coma. I heard you calling my name and talking to me. Then when you kissed me-"

"Enough," Sorley said, his grin caught between cocky and disgusted. "This is way too much information for me. Let's get him out of here before I start to blubber."

They all laughed again, and this time Clarissa's heart felt lighter and happier than it had in a long time.

"What do we do if he can't walk?" Erin asked.

Ronan grunted as he forced his legs under him. "Iwill walk." Jared and Lachlan looped his arms over their shoulders so he could amble along with maximum support. "Nothing keeps me down for long."

Clarissa felt a slow burn of anger rise up as she followed behind him. "Right. You've been unconscious for most of the night on top of most of the day."

"But I'm a-" Ronan started.

"I know," she said and her voice rose. "A vampire. So I found out. But only because your friends told me."

"Ah, shit," Ronan said.

Clarissa smirked. "Exactly, vampire boy."

"I think he's in trouble," Sorley said. "What do the rest of you think?"

"Definitely," Erin said.

"Without a doubt," said Micky.

Lachlan let out a sigh. "I'd say he's about as low as shit on a boot heel right now."