Rose was about to leave the room when Duncan poked his head out the bathroom door. "Hey, I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay," she called out, anxious to get home and see for herself just what was left of her house.

Rose hung up her phone after speaking with Michelle and her uncle. Michelle thanked her for the earrings she'd sent via Nigel and had wanted to hear all about Ireland. Nigel, true to his word, hadn't told anyone about her vampire status. Like anyone would believe him anyway, she thought. One day she would tell Michelle, but not yet.

"We're done, Ms. Sinclair," an older gentleman called from the doorway of her home, drawing her attention.

Rose approached him with a smile. "Thank you so much for all your help. How much do I owe you?"

The man shook his head. "Mr. Mordoor's already taken care of the bill. Have a great evening."

Rose said goodbye and watched him close the door behind him.

Without all the hammering and drilling going on, her house was achingly quiet. It was five o'clock and she still hadn't heard from Duncan. Even though she was disappointed, she had something she needed to do any way. Rose picked up her cell phone from the coffee table and dialed Our Home's nurses' station's phone number.

"Our Home," Helen answered.

"Hi Helen. It's Rose. I'm back from my trip."

"How'd it go, sweetie?" Helen asked, concern in her voice.

"I learned a lot about myself over the last few days," Rose answered truthfully. "Do you have my father's remains ready for me to pick up?"

"I sure do. Come get the urn whenever you're ready."

Rose took a deep breath. "I'll be by in fifteen minutes."

She hung up the phone, picked up her keys and purse and headed over to the retirement home.

As she walked up to her mother's grave, Rose's steps slowed. Ronan stood staring down at her mother's tombstone, his hands clasped behind his back. His long black ponytail blew in the wind as he turned his silver gaze her way.

She expected anger to rush through her at seeing Ronan again. Instead, she felt deep regret. Regret for the curse he had to endure and how that had changed the man he was. She sensed the inner battle within Ronan. He had nothing to ground him.

He glanced down at the urn in her arms, then met her gaze.

"I don't know that I can ever forgive you for taking my father away from me, but I'll be honest and say I'm glad he no longer suffers."

Ronan approached her. He looked a little more casual in jeans and a black T-shirt. Yet, the dark material didn't hide his muscular upper body. If anything, it accentuated it.

He stopped a foot away and Rose had to elevate her head to look him in the eyes.

"We still have a connection. I'm yer Guardian. If Duncan steps out of line, hurts you in any way-"

Rose cut him off. "Duncan is the only man I've ever trusted."

"Yet you aren't mated to him. Why?" Ronan demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rose stiffened at his drilling question. "It's none of your concern."

"I'm yer Guardian, Roisin."

He said that as if it explained everything. Rose sighed. "In all the ways that matter, Duncan is my mate." Then an idea struck her that just might work to get Ronan involved, to give him the grounding he needed. "But if you want to keep tabs on Duncan, the best way would be to join him in leading the Sythens. After all, they are your people, too."

Ronan snorted at her suggestion, then vaulted straight up into the air, shifting to a raven. The raven cawed and circled a couple of times. Ronan's voice entered her head as he flew away.

I'll always watch over you.

Staring down at her mother's tombstone, Rose reminded herself to have someone come engrave her father's name underneath her mother's as her father had asked her to do upon his death. She lifted the top off the urn and carefully poured her father's remains across her mother's grave.

Her spirits lifted to know her father no longer felt sadness. He didn't want a funeral or people crying over his grave. He just wanted to be with his Anna. "Now you're with Mom, Dad. I love you both," she whispered into the warm night air.

Rose drove home thinking about the comment she made to Ronan. "In all the ways that matter, Duncan is my mate." If she could say that to Ronan, then why did she hold back from Duncan?

She pulled into her driveway and cut the engine. The truth hit her as she stared up into the clear night sky and the stars sparkling like diamonds.

She didn't need to hold back any longer. She knew Duncan cared for her. Over time she was certain he'd open up. He'd already done so little by little. Maybe he just needed to know how much she cared about him before he could give back a part of himself.

Determination set in as she climbed out of her car. She'd show Duncan just how much she loved him tonight if it was the last thing she did.

Rose's heart rate elevated when Duncan drove up her driveway on his motorcycle. Standing by her window, she tugged at her leather miniskirt and gave a wry smile. Oh well, I'll make this sexy outfit work, even on a bike. Good thing it's really warm tonight.

After she'd pulled her hair back in a low ponytail to keep it out of the way while they rode, she opened the door to greet Duncan. He didn't say a word or even smile. Her spirits plummeted. What was wrong?

His amber gaze swept down her body, then back to her face before he grabbed her hand and tugged her behind him.

Rose stopped him long enough to lock the door behind herself, then allowed Duncan to pull her to his bike.

When he put his hands on her waist, she asked, "What's wrong, Duncan? Did the meeting with the Vite not go well?"

No talking for now, Duncan spoke to her mentally as he lifted her and put her on his bike.

His tone was gruff as if he had a lot on his mind. Rose took the helmet he handed her and put it on her head, then she scooted back for him to get on the bike in front of her.

Once Duncan put his helmet on, he surprised Rose by moving her to the front of the bike and hopping on behind her.

"I'm driving?" She glanced back at him in surprise.

Duncan flipped his visor shut and nodded.

Shaking her head in confusion, Rose started his bike and backed out of the driveway.

Where to? she asked him as she took off down the road.

Duncan wrapped his arms around her waist and molded his body to hers. Drive like you're going to Ian's place. I'll tell you where to turn when we get close.

As they sped across the open highway, Rose chuckled that she'd been thankful it was a warm night. Duncan's body heat seemed to surround her, blocking the cooler wind, even though it was an unusually warm spring evening.

At Duncan's direction, Rose turned onto a wooded path not far from Ian's home, then made her way deeper into the woods and up a hill.

When they'd neared Ian's house, Duncan spoke to his twin mentally.

Ian, I need your help with something.

What's up, Dunc?

Remember the connection you felt when you and I were both touching Rose at the same time? How you knew I called her Roisin?

Yeah?

Do you think Jax would be willing to help Rose understand what it means to have an Anima?

What are you getting at? Ian asked sounding intrigued.

We're almost to a high point in the woods behind your house. I'd like Rose to experience a full vampire mating. I want her to feel what you and Jax have...to know what she's missing.

Uh, you know what you're asking, right?

I know exactly what I'm asking. I want my Anima, Ian.

Let me see if Jax would be willing.

We're at the top of the hill. I see you walking outside toward Jax.

Ian approached Jax from behind. She stood on their brick patio, her hands on her hips. She never looked sexier than when she was in shorts and a tank top, her body glistening. He could tell she'd been working out after she'd practiced with her crossbow.

"I believe that tree is deader than dead, a ghra," he teased, staring at the fifteen or so bolts that scattered the target pinned to the tree twenty feet away. Ian wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her bare shoulder.

"Lucian's sister lied. Vampires do sweat," she said.

"Only when they push themselves as hard as you do," Ian teased, turning her around in his arms.

Duncan's here somewhere, she spoke in his mind, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Ian cupped her rear through her shorts. How far would you be willing to go to help my brother find happiness? he asked, planting a kiss on her neck.

Jax's breathing increased when his incisors scraped her skin. She met his gaze with a raised eyebrow, then gave him a sexy smile. I'm open to suggestions.

Hey, there's Ian and Jax, Rose said mentally, cutting the bike's engine. Once she removed her helmet and hung it on the bike's handle, she glanced back at Duncan and asked, "Why are we up here?"

Duncan removed his helmet and put it next to his foot on the ground. When he reached for her waist and pulled her back against his chest, Rose put her hands on his rock-hard thighs. She was glad he used his vampire powers to hold the heavy bike up in the upright position so she could be wrapped all over in his warmth from his hard chest to his muscular thighs.

"Look," he whispered as he set his chin on her shoulder.

Rose turned to see Ian kissing Jax, his hands wrapped around her upper back. Then his hand moved to her hair and pulled out the chopsticks holding the dark mass up. Rose's heart rate ramped up when Ian dropped the sticks on the patio then raised the hem on Jax's top as if her were going to pull it off.

Rose coughed, then spoke in a whisper, "Um, surely they don't know they're being watched. Why are we watching them?"

In response, Duncan's hands covered her breasts. Rose's heart hammered. She breathed out, "What are you doing?" at the same time she glanced down to see Duncan's hands were still on her waist, yet she felt someone tugging on her nipples.

"I'm seducing your body," Duncan said in a low tone.

Rose jerked her gaze back to Ian and Jax to see Ian touching Jax's bared breasts. He'd removed his shirt and hers. Jax kissed Ian as her hands moved to unbutton his pants.

Rose's sex throbbed at the sight before her. Even though she felt like a voyeur, for some reason she felt very involved, as if Ian had actually touched her breasts. The timing was just too coincidental. Her breathing turned erratic and her excitement elevated. She gripped Duncan's rock-hard, leather-covered thighs, crushing the soft material under her fingers.

Rose's nipples tweaked as if someone pinched them. The sensation went straight to her core.

"Dun-Duncan, I just felt what Jax felt."

"Are you excited, Roisin?" he asked in a husky voice.

"I..." She paused and swallowed hard when she felt fangs scrap against her neck at the same time Ian kissed Jax on the throat.

Rose gasped as her own fangs extended to their full length. Her body was in full arousal and hunger clenched her belly.

"Yes," she hissed out. Her skin pebbled in goose bumps and her body quaked at the scene before her.

Ian lifted Jax and laid her down on the wooden bench beside the patio, then he slowly spread her thighs with his hands.

Rose moaned when she felt invisible hands on her thighs, applying pressure. Instinctively her own thigh muscles relaxed and her sex began to throb in anticipation. When she felt fingers brush her entrance at the same time Ian touched Jax, she whispered in a shaky voice, "Duncan?"

"I'm experiencing everything you're feeling," Duncan responded. "Ian's not touching you. He's touching Jax. What you're feeling is what Jax is feeling, not your own response."

"But I am responding," she wailed.

"So am I," he breathed out in a husky voice next to her ear.

When she felt a finger slide across her clit, Rose tensed. "I can't..." she began.

Suddenly the sensation of Ian touching Jax stopped. The only thing left was her own throbbing arousal.

Duncan's hands cupped her breasts before he lifted her tank top over her head. Cool air teased her nipples, making them pucker and ache to be touched.

Duncan rolled her nipples between his fingers as he said in a dark, seductive tone, "Do you know what I'm looking forward to experiencing? What Ian feels when Jax feeds. I want that from you, Rose. I want you to want my blood, to revel in it. Just like Jax does with Ian."

Rose stared at Ian and Jax, watched him thrust deep inside his Anima, his hips rocking against Jax. Then she saw him kiss Jax's neck, but she knew he wasn't just kissing her. Rose's stomach tightened in sexual response. Ian had plunged his fangs into Jax's neck.