“Don’t tell me you don’t wonder, don’t th—” “I fucking don’t!” He grabbed her upper arms, held her in place, the raw fury in his voice a wild thing. “I made my choice, and I chose you. Don’t you do this. Don’t you destroy us.”

“Tell her we don’t bite.” “I don’t lie to my friends.”

“I don’t want to lose my memories. Don’t make me forget. I would rather die asElena, than live as a shadow.”

“Don’t run from me, sweetheart, he thought as he took the final steps to her. I only bite a little.”

“He leaned a fraction closer. “My lovers have always been warrior women. Strength intrigues me.” She refused to let him play with her like this, even if her body disagreed. Vehemently. “Do knives intrigue you, too? Because touch me and I will cut you up. I don’t care if you throw me off the nearest balcony.”

“Most of those men don’t want to sleep with you,” he said in blunt rebuttal. “I reserve the right to introduce my fist to the faces of the ones who do.”

“I’ll wait for you to find me again. So don’t take too long.”