“Remy shot to her feet, eyes blazing. Her hands were fisted at her sides. “Don’t be stupid, Creed.”“What did you say?” I asked slowly.“Don’t. Be. Stupid.”I opened my mouth, closed it. “Why do you even care?” I finally asked.Remy’s eyes shifted away from mine. She was hiding something. “You’re giving up.”“No.” I shook my head. “Giving up would be giving in to the darkness completely. I haven’t quite taken that step yet.”“What’s stopping you?”“What?”“If you don’t care and you want it to be over, what’s stopping you from letting the evil inside of you destroy you?”You.“You need to leave,” I told her.“I can’t.”A low rumble sounded deep in my chest.“Are you growling at me?”“Are you scared?”“No.”“You should be,” I stated, moving for her.”

“Wait, so you do love me?" I asked, hope welling in my heart.She growled and pounded her fist into a locker, leaving a fist-shaped dent. "Stop it, Justin. Stop it!"I grabbed her shoulders. "Look at me and tell me you don't love me," I said. "Do it and I'll never bother you again.""I don't love you," she mumbled."Look at me when you say it!"She turned to me, her eyes hard but dull and faded. "I don't love you."I let her go. My heart turned to lead, the heavy lump sagging in my chest. "Well, if there are agents out there looking to kill me, I guess it would be a mercy."I turned to leave. Her hand gripped my shoulder."Please listen to me, Justin."I pushed her hand away but didn't turn to face her. I couldn't let her see the tears welling in my eyes. "Why? What does it matter?""It just does. I—I don't want to see you hurt."I took a deep shuddering breath. "You're not doing a very good job of it." I walked away and left her standing there.”

“Had you been lying all along? Mum gently stroked my hair. I whispered into her shoulder. “I can’t go back. Not yet. I can’t leave.” And she held my head tight to her chest and wrapped her arms around me. “You don’t have to,” she said, rocking me. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, not anymore.” And I cried.”

“If you love her as much as you claim you do, why can’t you let her be happy? She’s made her choice,” Lucas asked.“It’s because I love her that I’m trying to protect her from you. I could give her a better life in the heavens, away from danger,” Clyde fired back.Lucas chuckled, further maddening Clyde. “Maybe you could give her a better life, but you don’t love her. You know nothing of love, angel. If she chose you, I’d let her go because I love her. Above my needs come hers. That’s love.”

“He caught her hand. “What do you want from me, Grace?”That was easy. “Everything.” She wanted to touch his chest, but since he held her hand prisoner, she insinuated one leg between his legs, delighting in what it did to his breathing. “I don’t want you to hold anything back. I don’t want you to be so careful with me all the time.”“Grace….”“I want you to give me as much as I can take, and then I want you to give me more.”“Like I did last night?”His voice was rough, laced with self-disgust. God help her, she’d never loved him more.”

“You rescued me when I thought nobody would. When I thought I wasn't worth the effort. You gave me everything and asked for nothing.' She pressed her face to mine.'If this is love on the other side of the rescue, then I want to live it. With you. But,'She shook her head.'But if you give you to me, then'-she placed her palm flat across my chest-'come heavy”