"I take it you found Devyn," Nolan said hopefully. "Yes." Her eyelids fluttered closed, open.

He clapped, a smile lifting the corners of his lips. "Wow. I didn't think you'd do it. Hurt the otherworlder, I mean. But look at you. Covered in the blood of your enemy. I'm misty-eyed. Honest."

Wait. What? He thought she'd killed Devyn? "I found him, but I didn't hurt him. This isn't his blood. Someone tried to abduct me, and Devyn actually helped me neutralize him."

A moment passed in silence. Then Nolan popped his jaw, irritation replacing his joy. "He helped you?"

"Yes."

"So now you think he'll never hurt you, right?"

"No, of course not." Maybe. "I recognize that look." His tone was grave. "You're smitten."

"I'm not smitten." She was, she really was. "That's ridiculous." Devyn might have pissed her off by forcing her to strip in front of him, but he'd also rushed to her rescue.

Why had he done that? she wondered for the thousandth time. She'd taken Nolan from him, outsmarted him in front of his friend Dallas, and threatened to cut off his balls if he hurt Aleaha. Yet still he'd come, still he'd decapitated her enemy. Because she was the only one who knew where Nolan was, as he'd claimed? No, couldn't be. He wouldn't have killed Tom like he had if he'd only wanted Nolan's location.

She didn't understand him. He was a seducer and a warrior, charming yet callous, self-involved yet kind. Back at the apartment, he could have forced her to lie on that bed, spread her legs, and welcome him inside, but he hadn't. He'd given her the sweetest of kisses, the gentlest of touches, and sent her on her way.

Why? He didn't care about her. She was one of a thousand, perhaps a million, to him. A novelty. Forgettable. Right?

I want to be more to him. The desire drifted through her, and she laughed bitterly. What the hell? No way. No damn way would she allow herself to care for him and dream of the impossible. Enjoy him, yes. She owed him three kisses, and she would give them to him. Because she was honorable, not because she craved them more than her next breath. But give him more than that? Hell, no. She valued herself a little too much to willingly be used and discarded.

"Bride?"

She blinked and pulled her hazy focus to Nolan. "Yes?" He sighed. "Thought you'd fallen asleep."

Fallen into stupidity, more like. "Almost. Like I said, I'm tired. If you want to keep me awake, tell me something interesting. Like how you were able to bypass Devyn's mind control of your body."

A calculating gleam filled those silver eyes, making them sparkle like diamonds. "Give me another glass of that wine, and I'll tell you."

Argh! "What happened to waiting till tomorrow?"

"That was your dumb idea."

She dragged herself up, stumbling along the way to the kitchen, and prepared him another glass. She was only able to squeeze a handful of drops from her palm. After she'd passed the concoction over, she flopped back on the couch, her fatigue a thousand times worse. "God, I don't even have the strength to smack you for making me move," she muttered.

Nolan downed every drop of the wine, then licked the bottom of the cup. "So. Good."

"Don't forget what you owe me."

"Very well. I told you that the disease inside me is alive. Well, it's able to learn and study and change to best defend itself. When the disease is most active, I'm weak and it's in control of me. During the battle in the alleyway, it somehow rewired my energy molecules, for lack of a better explanation. They were sporadic and swirling, so Devyn could never lock on them and force me to his will."

Bummer. No way would she allow herself to be infected just to beat Devyn. "Feel like sharing some details about your previous captivity?" Because, if she wasn't careful, the same thing would happen to her. God, what had she gotten herself into?

"Sure, why not? Beats sitting here in silence."

"How long were you locked up by AIR?"

He shrugged. "About a month. Maybe longer. Hard to keep track of day and night when you aren't allowed outside."

Bride maneuvered to her side, resting her hands under her cheek. "Are there others like you?"

"Not here. Not any longer. AIR killed them."

"And yet they saved you."

"Like I told you before, I know when and where my queen will land, so to speak." He eased onto the cot and peered over at her.

"Do you love her?" No. Wait. "You've never been in love."

Shame darkened his eyes before he lowered his lashes, blocking the emotion. "I despise her. She is the one who infected me."

"Why help her, then? You're putting the people on this planet at risk for someone you hate."

"I know." Whisper soft. "But the ... thing inside me will not allow me to betray her. Even the thought of it causes pain a thousand times worse than any I've ever known."

Like the thorns and fire inside her? "If AIR ran tests on your blood and found a cure, would you help them over your queen?"

He was shaking his head before the last word left her mouth. "It cannot be studied. Were I to cut myself right now, I would bleed, but the disease would stay inside of me because another host is not nearby."

"Oh."

"Yes. Oh. Finding new hosts is the only way to keep it from building up inside of my own body."

She could hear the regret and torture in his voice. He hated what he was, what he did. "I know you want to fall in love before you die, but is that a strong enough reason to place the whole world in jeopardy?"

"I could kill myself, yes." He laughed bitterly. "But that wouldn't stop my queen from coming. That wouldn't stop her from creating others like me. Wouldn't stop your world from crumbling. So why not live while I can?"

Good point, in a twisted way. "All right. Well. Think of it this way. To love a woman is to condemn her to the same death you will one day suffer."

"I know." Again, whisper soft.

Yet he still planned to do it. Selfish bastard.

"I don't want to talk about love anymore," he said. "Tell me what happened between you and Devyn. He wants me back, I know he does. What did he ask you to do with me?"

She sighed. "I'm supposed to take you to the pier tomorrow night-wait, I guess that would be tonight, since it's already sunrise-and trade you for my friend." If she worked the situation right, Aleaha might be sitting with her on this very couch by the end of the day.

Nolan laughed, and this time there was genuine amusement in the undertones. "A setup, no doubt."

"I agree." Why else wouldn't Devyn have tailed her? He'd let her go so easily, without fighting for her location. That seemed completely out of character. Not that she knew everything about him. But the intensity of his determination to get what he wanted wasn't hidden. It was there, etched into every sensual line in his face.

"Are you going to take me?" Nolan asked.

"I honestly don't know what I'm going to do." And she had very little time to figure it out. But she would. And she would win.

Devyn leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the ceiling, lost in thought. When Bride had called him, he'd heard the panic in her voice and gone running. He'd decided to kill her pursuer even before he'd learned the man's purpose. He'd wanted her safe, no matter the cost. But when he'd learned Tom's purpose, rage had bloomed inside him, eating at any mercy he might have harbored.

He'd had no right to feel that way. In the past, he'd frequented slave auctions with a wad of cash and a grin. And he hadn't been undercover or on a mission. Oh, no. He wanted to sample a morsel from every race, and sometimes buying a female was the only way to acquire something new. But the thought of the proud Bride on display... standing on a platform, naked for all to see ... to touch ...

His teeth ground together. Was this how possessive men acted and thought? If so, why was he thinking and acting this way? It made no sense. He was a hedonist who adored variety. Yes, Bride challenged him more than any other. Yes, Bride exuded all that sparkling energy. She was resourceful, a fighter, a survivor, powerful, and had he mentioned witty? She was flirtatious and sarcastic. And strong. She'd been covered in the human's blood, staring at his open wounds with naked desire in her eyes, wanting to drink him dry, but she had resisted. Hadn't even licked her lips clean.

But surely, despite all of that, he would desire someone else soon. Surely his interest in Bride would fade rather than continue to grow. As it was, he could hardly wait to see her again.

Because of the small, nearly imperceptible tracker he'd planted on her bra, he'd been able to follow her movements on his computer. He'd known where she was when she called him. He'd headed out immediately, even though he'd needed her to confess where she was. Otherwise, smart girl that she was, she would have suspected the tracker and removed it. She'd gone in circles for half an hour and would have lost a tail if she'd had one. Eventually, though, she had gone home. Now he had her current location. An apartment a few blocks from Dallas's.

In case Devyn had been unable to lick her and just in case she'd bitten him, he'd also injected an isotope tracker into his own bloodstream. She'd never gone for his neck, though. Why? Because she often sickened after drinking, as she'd told him?

How long since she'd had a full meal? Would she have been able to keep down his blood? He'd wondered before but now the question was a plague inside him. He liked the thought of a piece of himself, any piece, inside her. Might happen soon.

In just a few hours, the sun would be shining brightly and Bride wouldn't be able to run. He'd have her. Dallas would have Nolan. If Nolan was with her, that is, but Devyn was willing to bet that he was. Smart little Bride would have kept the otherworlder close.

A shame Bride was involved in this for Macy rather than Devyn's cock. Hopefully, he was well on his way to changing that. There at the end, she'd arched into him. He grinned, remembering, and wanted to beat his chest like the warrior kings of old. Feeling her rub against him, even slightly, had been the sweetest victory of his life.

Even better, there was more to come. Would she fight him harder than before or finally give in?

He didn't like that a soon-to-be lover had seen the dark coldness inside him as he'd ruthlessly tortured and killed that human, but it couldn't have been helped. There'd been a primitive need inside him to prove to Bride that he could protect her from any threat. That he would do whatever was necessary to ensure her safety. Like possessiveness, it was not something he'd ever experienced before, and he'd been absolutely unable to ignore it.

Was she frightened of him now that she'd had time to think about what he'd done? Before, she hadn't seemed to be. For a moment, just before he'd rendered the deathblow to the human, he'd actually thought pride shimmered in her lovely emerald eyes. As if he were already her man and it was his right to look after her. He'd liked it.

What would he have to do to engage her interest fully?

God, I'm a mess. Devyn lifted the beer he'd stolen from Dallas's fridge and drained half the contents in a single gulp. Dallas. The perfect friend. Only Dallas knew what he'd done, what he planned to do, but Dallas wouldn't rat him out. Rather, Dallas was going to help him.

They'd spent an hour talking and gazing at the holographic images the sketch artist had rendered of Devyn's supposed murderers. Only one face had been familiar to him, and it had indeed been a McKell vampire. The McKell vampire, in fact. The leader of the whole bloodsucking army.

Which meant, if Dallas's vision was correct-and they always were-the McKells were going to come for Bride. Probably sneak her underground. And they were definitely going to try and kill Devyn.

Was she someone's bride, and just didn't know it? Was that the reason for her name? If so, why had the husband let her get away? Why hadn't he searched the ends of the earth for her? Too late now, Devyn thought darkly. At the moment, she was not up for grabs.

His murder, he wasn't worried about. Now that he knew an attempt was coming, he'd always be on his guard. No one would get the better of him. Besides, there'd been other attempts-royals were always targets, and playboy royals who broke hearts like others broke bread most of all-but he'd always come out ahead. It was the idea of Bride returning to the underground, forever out of his reach, that disturbed him.

Infiltrating that dark, gloomy world without permission would be impossible. They had a millennia of security down there, and they'd never grant him permission to steal one of their own-even if he swore to bring her back when he was done with her. Therefore, he had to keep her aboveground.

He should have taken her tonight, should have scratched his itch sooner rather than later, instead of trying to prolong the enjoyment and make her crave him the way he craved her. Stupid-and a mistake he wouldn't make again. Or rather, for a third time. When they were next together, he would take her. Finally sate himself.

The thought made him grin. Just a few more hours, lovely Bride, and you'll be mine.

CHAPTER 11.

This place is a dump. Sure she's got him here?"

Devyn flicked Dallas an irritated glance. He was in front of Bride's door, disabling the ID scan, twisting wires and realigning them. "As if I'm ever wrong." At least, that's what he told himself he was irritated about. The affront to his tracking skills, and not the fact that his friend had insulted Bride's living space. Not everyone could afford luxury. "Now, keep your voice down."

"You're already in control of her body."

"Yes, but she's sleeping." All that sparkling energy was static. "I don't want you to wake her." She would be frightened, and too easily Devyn remembered the fear she projected while standing on that street, knowing slavers were after her. The green in her eyes had dulled, and her skin had turned so pallid he'd seen the blue of her veins. And then she'd trembled. When that woman trembled, it should be in pleasure. Only ever in pleasure.

"By the way, this place is not a dump." Damn it! Why had he added that?

"I just ... I guess when you told me vampires were real, I assumed they lived in eerie castles and stole their victims' money so they'd never have to work. Does she even have a job?"

"I'm not sure." And he didn't like that he didn't know. Didn't like that he wanted to know. Why did he need to know? What value would it have?

Footsteps suddenly pounded, a body turning a corner.

There was a rustle of clothing and a breeze of stale beer and sweat. A pause, a muffled curse. "What'cha doing trying to get inside Amy's apartment?" The human had stopped and now stood at the end of the hall, beefy arms crossed over a protruding middle. His expression was suspicious.

Dallas flashed his AIR badge. "Amy, you say?"

"A common name to help her blend," Devyn muttered. Oh, yes. She was a smart girl. His admiration spiked. Yet again.

"She done something wrong? Or are you guys ex-boyfriends wanting a tag team?" The newcomer was sneering as if the thought both disgusted and titillated him. "Well, good luck. She don't give it away to nobody."

"Back away and forget you saw us, understand? And take a shower, for Christ's sake. You could clear a sewer."

"No. You will stay," Devyn commanded, and the man obeyed, helpless to do otherwise because Devyn had mentally locked on his energy.

Dallas groaned. "We don't have time for this."

Devyn ignored him, pivoting and moving away from the doorway and toward the human. "The fact that you know she won't give it away leads me to believe you've tried to get some from her."

Fright filled the man's beady eyes. If he'd had control of himself, he would have run. Or fainted. "I -I never hurt her."

But he'd put his greedy fingers on her, Devyn was sure. Why hadn't she compelled him away with The Voice? Why hadn't she drained him dry? Not for one moment did Devyn think she harbored an attraction for the tag-teaming moron. Which meant there were only two possibilities. Either she was too kindhearted to hurt him or too unsure of her powers. Again, the fact that he didn't know her enough to figure her out irritated him.

"I'd be doing the world a favor if I killed you," he said.

The fear sparked into panic, but the panic didn't last long. It was soon replaced by bravado. "You're a damn dirty alien. You can't hurt me without AIR jumping all over your ass."

"AIR's behind me. You saw the badge. And the only thing I'm likely to get for my next action is a pat on the back." With that, Devyn reached a mental hand inside the man's chest and squeezed his heart.

Pain contorted his pudgy features, and he gasped. His cheeks burned a bright red, and his eyes clouded over. Devyn enjoyed the sight, more so than usual, and he couldn't deny it.

"St-stop. Please, stop."

"Dev," Dallas said.

Fine. When Devyn released his hold, the human sank to the floor, clutching his chest.

"Enjoy your heart attack," he said, and then, because he hadn't wanted to leave the guy alive but was doing so for Dallas, he punted the little shit in the stomach. Air whooshed, and blood even gurgled. "Have a friend call you a paramedic. And if you ever touch Br-Amy again or suggest such a thing to someone else, or hell, even breathe in her direction, I will return and finish what I've started."