Savannah wanted to let her elation flood over her, but she was still stung by the way they'd left things back in Boston. "You hurt me, Gideon. You weren't honest with me. Without that, we'll have nothing."

"I know." He stroked her cheek. "I know, and I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. Let me love you." He caught her nape in his big, strong hand and pulled her to him for a brief, tender kiss. "Say you love me, and let me start being the man you make me want to be."

She let out a sigh, unable to resist him or refuse him. "I do love you, Gideon."

"Then let me bond with you properly, the way I want it to be for you, for us. Be mine, Savannah."

"Yes," she whispered against his lips. "Yes, Gideon. I will be your mate."

He pulled her against him, letting her feel his arousal. "Let's make it right, now."

She reached out with her index finger to push the ridiculous sungla.s.ses down on the bridge of his nose. Amber sparks shot through the pale blue of his eyes. "You're only a few hours out of death's doorway, and you want to make love?"

He grinned. "Oh, I want to do more than that."

"My sister is in the other room," she reminded him, whispering on a scandalized laugh.

Gideon was still for a moment, time during which the bedroom door quietly closed on its own volition, the lock softly clicking into place.

He kissed her, then trailed his lips along the side of her neck. Savannah's heartbeat throbbed in response to the subtle grazing of his fang tips at her pulse point. He dragged her farther up alongside him and rolled toward her, grinding his rigid length into her hip in invitation and demand.

"You're very bad," she said, as he opened his mouth over her carotid.

And then gently, sensually, she felt those razor-sharp points pierce her delicate skin. Her veins lit up, electric and hot with power, as Gideon drew the first deep swallow from her vein.

"Oh, G.o.d," she gasped, pleasure flooding her. "You are very, very bad."

And as her body melted into him, Savannah was thinking how a lifetime with Gideon was going to be very, very good.

Character Reference Guide (alphabetical order by first name or most common name) -A-.

Alexandra "Alex" Maguire Breedmate of Order member Kade. Alex was born and raised in rural Florida swamp region. When she was nine years old, her mother and little brother, Richie, were killed one night in a brutal attack by Rogues (though at the time, she didn't realize what the attackers truly were). Alex and her father, Hank, fled as far as they could, settling in a small Alaskan town.

Alex's best friends are her wolf dog, Luna, and a former Alaska State Trooper named Jenna Tucker-Darrow. At twenty-seven, and her dad dead from Alzheimer's, Alex ran the family bush-piloting business, until on a supply run to the interior, she discovers a horrific crime scene that resembles the attack on her family. This discovery brought her into the center of an investigation being conducted by the Order-and into the arms of Alaskan-born Breed warrior, Kade.

Hair: warm blond Eyes: brown Breedmate mark: on the front of her left hip Bloodscent: honey and almond Unique ability: internal gauge that tells her with a touch if someone is being honest Mate: Kade Heroine in: Shades of Midnight (Book 7) First mention in series: Appears in Shades of Midnight.

Alexei "Lex" Yakut (d.) Breed male, second generation. Son of a corrupt Gen One named Sergei Yakut. Living at his father's rustic but expansive woodland hunting lodge outside Montreal, Quebec, Lex served as right arm to his father, commanding Sergei's security detail, which included a female Breedmate bodyguard (see Renata).

Lex's arrogance and l.u.s.t for power proved his undoing when he arranged for his father's murder by Rogues and attempted to frame the visiting Order warrior, Nikolai, for the crime. In an attempt to insert himself into Dragos's inner circle, Lex arranges to hand over Niko to one of Dragos's lieutenants (see Edgar Fabien). Lex augments his bargain by offering up a child seer (see Mira) to Fabien for a sum of two million dollars. In the end, Lex himself is double-crossed by Dragos and his a.s.sociates, duped into thinking he was to be escorted to a VIP meeting and is instead slain by a group of Enforcement Agents sent on Dragos's command.

First mention in series: Appears in Veil of Midnight.

Amelie Dupree Human. Older half-sister to Gideon's Breedmate, Savannah. A former midwife, Amelie has lived at the Atchafalaya swamp for seventy years. She is widowed with two daughters and a son, and eight grandchildren. Her eyesight is gone now, leaving her with clouded, milky eyes, but she copes very well on her own. In contact with Savannah only occasionally since Savannah became mated to Gideon. Amelie is fond of Gideon, and is aware of the Breed's existence due to an incident that occurred outside her home three decades ago, when Savannah and Gideon were shot and nearly killed. Amelie saw Gideon save Savannah's life by giving her his blood, a secret Amelie has kept all the years since.

First mention in the series: Appears in Deeper Than Midnight.

Ancient, the (d.) The last surviving alien and grandfather to Dragos. The Ancient was believed killed during the Order's war against their otherworldly forebears, but Dragos's father (also named Dragos) secreted the Ancient to a mountain cave in the Czech Republic, where the Ancient remained in a hibernation chamber until modern day. The Ancient was later removed by Dragos to his breeding lab, but then escaped to Alaska, where he was killed by the Order in Shades of Midnight.

First mention in series: Referenced in Kiss of Midnight as part of original group of Ancients who crash-landed on Earth thousands of years ago; referenced specifically in Midnight Awakening; first actual appearance in Veil of Midnight.

Andreas Reichen Breed male, mate of Claire Samuels Roth. Born more than three hundred years ago in Germany, Andreas Reichen was leader of a Berlin Darkhaven. Reichen is smooth and sophisticated, cultured and cool-the ultimate charmer.

Although not formally trained as a warrior, Reichen has been long-acquainted with Tegan, who a.s.sisted the German Darkhaven leader with the elimination of a band of Rogues who'd been preying on civilians in his area in 1809. Reichen and Claire had been in love about fifty years before the timeline of Midnight Awakening, but the couple was betrayed (see Wilhelm Roth) and they endured a long separation before reuniting in Ashes of Midnight.

During his time apart from Claire, Reichen took a human lover, s.e.x club owner Helene. The relationship ended in tragedy when, during the timeline of Veil of Midnight, Helene was turned Minion and led Enforcement Agents into the Darkhaven to slaughter all inside. Reichen comes upon the aftermath and has to kill his human lover in an act of mercy. He then burns his Darkhaven to the ground with a ma.s.sive fireball, conjured by the power of his ESP ability.

Reichen and Claire are now mated and reside in their Darkhaven in Newport, Rhode Island. Reichen is currently a member of the Order, serving primarily on covert overseas missions while he works to gain control over his pyrokinesis.

Hair: chestnut brown waves, generally worn loose Eyes: hazel Unique ability: pyrokinesis Mate: Claire Samuels Roth Hero in: Ashes of Midnight (Book 6) First mention in series: Appears in Midnight Awakening.

Anna Breedmate and old friend of Elise Chase's. Elise encounters Anna at Andreas Reichen's reception in Berlin. Anna's Breed son, Tomas, had been friends with Elise's son, Camden, when they were boys. Anna had not heard of Cam's death and is clearly uncomfortable with the news. Friendly to Elise, offers to show her around Berlin if Elise were staying for a while.

First mention in series: Appears in Midnight Awakening.

Annabeth Jablonsky Human. Resident of Harmony, Alaska, and waitress at Pete's Tavern. Under the name Amber Joy, Annabeth used to dance at a strip club in Fairbanks, where Teddy Toms saw her perform and developed a crush on her. Annabeth was partying with friends and Teddy Toms the night Teddy and his family were killed by the Ancient. She also saw Kade at Pete's the night after Alex met him and thought he was s.e.xy.

First mention in series: Appears in Shades of Midnight.

Arno Pike (d.) Breed male, Deputy Director in the Breed's Enforcement Agency, secret lieutenant to Dragos and a loyal member of his inner circle. Pike had been mated, but his Breedmate was killed in a mugging about a year before the timeline of Darker After Midnight.

Pike is at the Agency's Chinatown sip-and-strip when Dragos arrives to bask in his victory over the Order, which had sent the warriors scrambling for new headquarters after Dragos helped expose the Boston compound to human law enforcement. Pike is anxious about a public appearance by Dragos, but capitulates when his boss insists on a private table and the best females in the club. Pike soon joins in, and the night ends in wholesale slaughter of all the humans in the club.

Later, Pike is captured by the Order and questioned about his connections to Dragos. Pike tells Lucan it's too late to stop Dragos, but he refuses to say anything more. Hunter is tasked with finishing the interrogation by reading his blood. But the first bite reveals that Pike has ingested poison, and Dragos's lieutenant takes the truth with him to his death.

First mention in series: Appears in Darker After Midnight.

August Chase (d.) Breed male, father of Sterling and Quentin Chase. August's Breedmate is neither present nor specifically named thus far in the series. The patriarch of the venerable Chase family, August groomed his sons to be morally pristine, accepting nothing less than perfection from them at all times. He had been Enforcement Agency Director for a couple of centuries before his death on patrol at an undated time prior to son Quentin's death, which was five years before the timeline of Kiss of Crimson. Although August never spoke the words precisely, Sterling Chase grew up feeling that his father already had the son he wanted in Quentin, leaving Sterling to feel redundant and never able to measure up to his older brother.

First mention in series: Referenced in Darker After Midnight.

Aunt Sarah (Fairchild) (d.) Human. Believed to be Tavia Fairchild's deceased father's sister, but is later revealed to be one of Dragos's Minions tasked with guardianship over Tavia since her laboratory birth. Working in concert with another of Dragos's Minions (see Doctor Lewis), Sarah makes sure Tavia takes her medications daily and sees her private medical specialist regularly. Both of these individuals, on Dragos's orders, have made Tavia believe all her life that she has a serious condition that requires constant monitoring and treatments. Sarah has also helped foster the lie that Tavia's odd pattern of skin markings (her Breed dermaglyphs) are burn scars from a house fire that killed her parents but that she survived. "Aunt Sarah" later killed herself after being unmasked as a Minion by Tavia, following Tavia's realization that she's been betrayed all her life about who, and what, she truly is.

First mention in series: Appears in Darker After Midnight.

Avery, Detective Human. Middle-aged police detective with the Boston Police Department. Avery is first introduced to Tavia Fairchild at the station, when she's brought in to view a lineup and identify Sterling Chase as the shooter at Senator Clarence's holiday party. Avery is a likable man, tries to make Tavia comfortable and a.s.sure her that she's safe. Later, after Sterling Chase breaks loose from police custody and flees the station to go after Senator Clarence as a certain link to Dragos, Detective Avery meets Tavia at the senator's office building and arranges for her safekeeping at a Boston hotel under police watch (see Murphy). Chase then confronts Avery to find out where Tavia has been taken. Avery tries to resist putting Tavia in what he feels is mortal danger from Chase, but eventually relents and gives up her location. Chase mind scrubs the detective, but leaves him unharmed out of respect for the human's obvious care for Tavia's wellbeing. Detective Avery is seen again, after Boston is in the midst of the ma.s.s Rogue attacks. He is in shock over the situation, like the rest of the population, but relieved to see Tavia is alive and well.

First mention in series: Appears in Darker After Midnight.

-B-.

Ben Sullivan (d.) Human. Former chemical engineer and research development manager for a cosmetics company in Boston, fired for his staunch opposition to animal testing. Ben's views brought him into veterinarian Tess Culver's social circle two years before the timeline of Kiss of Crimson, and the pair were briefly romantic, although Ben remains possessive of Tess after the breakup.

Ben is not as ethical as he seems; uses his chemical engineering skills to manufacture drugs for the dance club scene on the side. When an anonymous patron (see Marek) approaches him to make one of his concoctions, a red-powder substance similar to Ecstasy called Crimson, Ben takes the offer. Ben does not realize that his patron is a vampire and that Crimson has a devastating effect on the Breed. After he witnesses one of those reactions in a club-goer (see Jonas Redmond), Ben phones his patron to warn him of Crimson's unusual side-effects. After a meeting is arranged between them, Ben downloads his recipe to a flash drive and destroys all other records of the drug on his computer. He hides the flash drive in Tess's office for safekeeping.

After a confrontation by Dante and Sterling Chase of the Order, Ben eventually is picked up by his patron and brought to undisclosed location where he is ordered to surrender the recipe for Crimson or make a new batch on the spot for a.n.a.lysis. When he fails both commands, Ben is turned Minion by his patron. With instructions to retrieve the flash drive he stowed in Tess's office-evidence Tess has since discovered and turned over to Dante and the Order-Ben abducts her and brings her to the office where her a.s.sistant has been tortured and is soon killed (see Nora). Dante and members of the Order arrive not long afterward, and during a violent struggle, Ben Sullivan is killed by Dante.

First mention in series: Appears in Kiss of Crimson.

Big Dave Grant (d.) Human. Resident of Harmony, Alaska, frequent patron of Pete's Tavern. Loud-mouthed and combative, Big Dave instigates a wolf-hunting party with other men after the unexplained killing of the Toms family. On the wolf hunt, Big Dave instead encounters the Ancient hiding in a cave and is badly injured. Flown to the area medical center, Big Dave is later stabbed and killed there by Skeeter Arnold, who has been turned Minion.

First mention in series: Appears in Shades of Midnight.

Big Man (d.) Human. Berlin-area pimp who tries to intervene when Rio needs to feed from one of his girls (see Uta). Big Man pulls a knife on Rio and Rio is too close to insane with thirst to keep from retaliating. Rio kills the pimp in the alleyway.

First mention in series: Appears in Midnight Rising.

Bill Keaton (d.) Human. Art History professor at Boston University when Savannah was attending as a freshman student, circa 1974. Keaton had an eye for his female students, including Savannah's roommate, Rachel. Keaton and the girl are attacked by a vampire one night, after hours at the university, leaving Rachel dead and Keaton hospitalized. It is later revealed that Keaton was turned Minion during the attack and is working in league with one of Gideon's longtime enemies from England (see Cyril Smithson). Gideon kills Keaton following a confrontation that leaves Gideon severely injured.

First mention in series: Appears in A Touch of Midnight (novella).

Bobby Alexander Human. Dylan's stepfather, husband of Sharon Alexander and father of their two sons, Morrison and Lennon. Bobby was a drunk and a scam artist, responsible for the car accident that killed Morrison as a teen and drove Dylan's other brother, Lennon, to cut all ties to the family and join the military. When Dylan was a young girl, Bobby read her diary and saw entries about the dead women she saw with her ESP gift. He tried to cash in on his daughter's talent, but Dylan couldn't control her gift on command. Bobby eventually abandoned the family when Dylan was twelve years old and never returned.

First mention in series: Referenced in Midnight Rising.

Boston Police Department file clerk, unnamed (d.) Human. Working at the police station the night Gabrielle came in, already serving as a Minion for an unnamed Master (see Marek). Clerk calls his Master with Gabrielle's unlisted phone number and address after she makes her report about a vampire attack outside La Notte nightclub. He is later spotted by Gabrielle when he follows her in daylight hours while she is taking pictures. He took off and Gabrielle attempted to chase him, but lost him in the city.

The clerk is present at the station the next time Gabrielle arrives there looking for "Detective" Lucan Thorne. Clerk has a private altercation with another cop (see Officer Carrigan), during which time the clerk stabs the other man to death in a stairwell at the station. The clerk then goes after Gabrielle, after seeing her speaking to Lucan on the street. The clerk attempts to run Gabrielle down with his car, but Lucan intervenes. Realizing the human is Minion, Lucan kills him, tearing out the clerk's throat in front of Gabrielle, terrifying her and for the first time exposing Lucan to her as one of the Breed.

First mention in series: Appears in Kiss of Midnight.

Brent (d.) Breed male who picks up Gabrielle's friend, Kendra, at the nightclub in Boston. Kendra and Brent become inseparable, and it later turns out that Brent has gone Rogue, presumably under the influence of Marek, Lucan's corrupt brother. Brent is responsible for the suicide bombing in the underground train stop in Boston that kills Conlan, his ident.i.ty discovered by Gabrielle when she's at the Order's compound and views video surveillance footage from the scene.

First mention in series: Appears in Kiss of Midnight.

Brock Breed male, Order member. Mate of Jenna Tucker-Darrow. Born in Detroit, Brock is 110+ years old. He was recruited into the Order along with Kade, a few months after Conlan's death.

In the 1930s, Brock served as security detail and bodyguard for the Bishops, a prominent Darkhaven family in Detroit, Brock being personally responsible for one of their adopted Breedmate daughters, Corinne. When she went missing in the city at eighteen years old and was presumed dead, Brock blamed himself, a burden of guilt he carried even as he joined the Order. Good-natured with his comrades, but merciless with those who cross him, Brock felt unworthy of being loved or trusted with another person's life, until he was tasked with protecting an injured human woman, Jenna, brought back from a mission in Alaska that left her transformed in ways none of the Breed could have ever imagined was possible.

Hair: black, skull-trimmed Eyes: dark brown Unique ability: can absorb and diminish human pain and suffering with his hands Mate: Jenna Tucker-Darrow (human) Hero in: Taken by Midnight (Book 8) First mention in series: Appears in Midnight Awakening.

-C-.

Camden Chase (d.) Breed male, only son of Quentin and Elise Chase in Boston Darkhaven. At age eighteen, Camden began to rebel and ended up leaving home. He was one of a growing number of Breed youth who began disappearing from their Darkhavens during the timeline of Kiss of Crimson. It is later revealed that Camden and his friends were becoming addicted to a new narcotic called Crimson, which induces blood thirst and feelings of euphoria and power. Camden in particular was in danger, because he was a test subject of Crimson's creator (see Ben Sullivan). Cam was held prisoner and fed large doses of the drug. He developed Bloodl.u.s.t and soon turned Rogue, killing a human neighbor of Sullivan's and bolting when his uncle, Sterling Chase, shows up at the crime scene and attempts to reason with him. Cam later arrives home at his family's Darkhaven, fully Rogue. When the youth appears to be intent on lunging for his mother, Elise, Sterling Chase shoots him dead with a t.i.tanium-filled bullet in front of her.

First mention in series: Appears in Kiss of Crimson.

Carrigan, Officer (d.) Human. Carrigan was the soon-to-retire officer at the Boston police station who took Gabrielle's report about the vampire attack outside La Notte nightclub. Carrigan did not believe her, and is annoyed when she returns a few nights later looking for "Detective" Lucan Thorne (the false credentials Lucan gave her at her apartment). Carrigan treats Gabrielle rudely, then turns his bl.u.s.ter on a clumsy file clerk who turns out to be a Minion. Carrigan is stabbed in the neck by the Minion, who kills the cop in a quiet stairwell of the station after their verbal altercation.

First mention in series: Appears in Kiss of Midnight.

Chad Bishop Human. Resident of Harmony, Alaska. Chad was partying with Annabeth Jablonsky, Teddy Toms, Skeeter Arnold and others the night Teddy and his family were killed by the Ancient. Made fun of Teddy and his stutter. Chad is no relation to the Breed family named Bishop.

First mention in series: Appears in Shades of Midnight.

Charlotte "Lottie" Bishop Corinne's adopted Breedmate sister, grew up together at the Bishop family Darkhaven in Detroit. Lottie is five years younger than Corinne, and currently lives in a London Darkhaven with her mate. Has two grown sons, one of which has his own Breedmate and son.

First mention in series: Referenced in Deeper Than Midnight.

Christophe Archer (d.) Breed male from Boston, second-generation. Son of Lazaro Archer, father of Kellan. Christophe comes reluctantly to the Order with Lazaro, seeking help after Kellan's abduction. Christophe is the typical Darkhaven-bred vampire, wealthy, well-connected, looks down slightly on the Order and their aggressive methods. But when his son is in danger, Christophe is ready to do anything, give anything, to have him back. Christophe is killed by corrupt Dragos ally, Enforcement Agent Freyne, outside the building in Boston where Kellan was being held.