Ethan stood before his master, ready to take his medicine.

Or rather, to not. He was getting no blood meal today.

"The balas remains with the Romans," Cruen hissed, his pale blue eyes changing color to match the stormy sea behind him. Wearing white robes and standing knee-deep in water, he was trying way too hard to channel Jesus. "You disappoint me once again."

"Displeasing you is never my intent, my lord," Ethan said tightly. "I live to serve."

"Yourself," Cruen said, his lip curled into a sneer. "Let's not play games anymore. I grow weary."

"Whatever you wish, my lord," Ethan said, his eyes searching the beach for Pearl, finding her several yards down, on a raft, floating in the water.

Things were growing uneasy in this little world with this uncontained, ancient powerhouse. He needed to get his human, his balas off this plane soon before there was trouble, an implosion of some kind.

"You placate me for blood," Cruen continued, "just as I use you and your idiotic crusade for the Impures to get the sons of the Breeding Male morphed."

The sounds around Ethan ceased-the tide, the breeze

-everything went silent. He turned to face his master, the one who had championed his cause so long ago, fed him, made him strong, gave him powers beyond al other made him strong, gave him powers beyond al other Impures, beyond Purebloods. And it had been nothing more than a way to morph the Romans.

Cruen was grinning at him, red fangs descended. "And soon Lucian Roman too wil be morphed and I won't need you anymore."

It was a lie. Al of it.

Staring at the ancient one, Ethan understood now, saw everything clear as glass. Cruen had no Impure blood, no shame, no hope for the Impure Uprising to succeed.

And as he'd said, soon no need for Ethan himself.

Kate remained close to Nicholas as they entered the house. She felt as though they were something of a couple now-a disjointed, unsure, mishmash of a couple, but something bound together. There was a protection in their closeness, as though whatever and whomever they encountered as they walked through the living areas, up the stairs, down the hall, wouldn't be able to intrude or harm them in any way.

Maybe it wasn't the prudent thing to al ow herself such a romantic fantasy when things were so up in the air and new, but Kate had rarely, if ever, let herself be drawn into the safe and peaceful feelings of a paven's care. Was it real y such a big deal to let it continue for a few more minutes, until she got to her door and said good night?

But Nicholas didn't stop at her door. With his arm around her waist, he continued on to Ladd's room, where he opened the door.

The light from the hal spil ed in and il uminated the bed and the balas in it. As always, Ladd hugged his pil ow to his bel y as he breathed even and peaceful.

"He's a fine boy," Nicholas said softly.

"He is."

"Funny . . ."

She laughed softly. "Very."

"And decent to look at, yes?"

"Very handsome. Just like his father."

Nicholas looked over at her, his eyes soft with affection. "I must do right by him, Kate."

"You will."

"He needs to know he is worth something. He needs to feel as though he belongs to someone." He turned back to the boy and said with fierce passion, "Everyone should feel that-everyone should know that they belong to someone, don't you think? Even if it's only for a little while."

Nicholas may have been talking about the boy, and maybe even himself, though she knew he'd never admit it.

But regardless of whom the words were intended for, they cut straight into Kate's chest and squeezed her unbeating heart.

It was time. Had probably been time back at the club, but that chance was over now. No matter what happened between them, what their future looked like after tonight, and even if it was only for a little while-he needed to know that he too belonged to someone.

Kate slipped out of his embrace and took his hand. "Let the boy sleep. I want to show you something."

Nicholas closed the door gently, then fol owed her to her bedroom. Inside the large, yet cozy space, Kate led her paven to the armchair beside the unlit fireplace. The blinds were open, revealing the half-moon light and the city that was like a vampire herself, sleepless and untamed. She sat him down, but didn't back up. She needed him to have a front-row seat-to see everything, every line.

For one moment, she gazed at him, at his long, lean legs stretched out past her, his wide chest and shoulders taking up residence, as though the chair were an extension of himself.

"I've kept this hidden," she began, her skin humming with nervous energy. After revealing herself to both Alexander and Sara earlier in the night, Kate had begged them to keep her secret until she could reveal it to Nicholas herself.

"I've kept it hidden until I knew I could trust you with it."

Nicholas didn't say anything, just watched with a heavy brow, lips that were set and eyes so black they mimicked the night outside. With deft fingers, Kate pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it on the bed. Then she unclipped her bra and let it fal too.

She could barely breathe, she was so nervous. His reaction, she realized, meant far more than she'd ever imagined it would. Probably too much. And as she stood there naked from the waist up, her nipples hardening in the cool air, her eyes lifting to meet his, she found herself actual y praying that he wouldn't reject her.

A low growl sounded in Nicholas's throat, and as Kate locked onto his face she saw that his eyes, glittering like black sand in the sun, were sweeping hungrily over her flesh, his nostrils flaring as he took in her bel y, her breasts, her nipples. Then suddenly, his expression changed. His eyes narrowed as he fought to register what he was looking at. It felt like hours . . . hours of being inspected like a-

He reached out suddenly, took her hand, and pulled her onto his lap. Kate gasped at the abruptness of the move, then braced herself both physical y and emotional y for what was coming next. Would he be angry? Hungry? Would he want to get the hel out of her room and never come back?

But Nicholas didn't say anything. Not at first. Transfixed, he put a hand on her bel y and slowly worked his way upward until his palm covered her right breast. He stared at the mark, his mark, through his splayed fingers.

"How long have you known?" he whispered, his voice hoarse and heavy with wonder.

The club, the bathroom mirror and her reflection in it surfaced in her mind. "That night in the club bathroom. It appeared just after we were together."

His lids flipped up, his eyes locked on her, jaguar black and hungry. "After you came?"

She nodded, her breath tight inside her chest. There was no denying it, this paven made her body weak, made her skin itch to be touched. Made her feel an affection that she was sure was the blossoming begins of love.

Without another word, Nicholas was up and on his feet, carrying her in his arms as he walked across the room and into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked, al of sudden slightly panicked.

"Drawing you a bath." Nicholas set her down on the thick bath mat, then turned and cranked on the water in the tub.

Steam began to rise, thick and predatory.

She didn't understand. "Why?"

He didn't answer, just started unbuttoning her jeans.

Was he angry? She couldn't tel -couldn't tel what he was feeling.

He pulled down both her underwear and her jeans and tossed them aside, then went to lift her into the tub.

"Stop," she said. "Nicholas, seriously. Stop for a second and look at me."

He glanced up. "What?"

She stood in front of him completely nude, her eyes searching his for answers, for the reason why he was trying so hard to get her in the bath, get her clean. And then her insides began to twist. "Oh my God."

"Kate-"

"It won't come off, Nicholas, if that's what this is about."

His brows drew together in a frown. "What?"

She shook her head. "No matter how hard you scrub, it won't come off."

Nicholas looked perplexed; then his gaze dropped to her right breast. "Oh, my beautiful Kate."

His arms went around her and he leaned in and kissed her. A slow, gentle kiss that made her dizzy and properly breathless. Then he dropped his head and kissed her mark too, lapped at it with his tongue until Kate's eyes closed and she moaned with the delectable sensation of it.

"This is mine," he growled, running the tips of his fangs across the imprint, the brand, the curve of an upper lip-the kiss. "You are mine." He lapped at it with his tongue. "I thought . . . God, I wondered if it could be true. If such a perfect creature could be mine."

His words, his claim on her should've made her want to push him away and run. She did not want to be owned, claimed. But this was different. Something else entirely.

Something biological, in her code, DNA, that got her al hot and wet for his fierce, animal ike declaration. And then there was the smal fact that she was fal ing in love.

He took a step back and removed his shirt. She watched

-stared eagerly, in fact-at the visual gift before her. It was a first, her first time seeing him bare, and he was impossibly beautiful, like a statue in his perfection. His skin was smooth, hairless, and the color of light caramel, and from tapered waist up to wide powerful shoulders, he was one ripple of muscle after another.

Kate felt her fangs drop, felt saliva form in her mouth. She wanted a taste, a suckle at each of his nipples. Lord, at the very least she wanted to feel him . . . She leaned in to him, let the tips of her breasts brush against his skin. He hissed at her and she sucked in air through her teeth.

"Bath first, Kate," he said, lifting her from where she stood, the muscles in his arms flexing impressively as he placed her in the water. "After my rough manner earlier tonight, I thought a soothing bath was in order. Relax your muscles a little before I take you again." As she lay back in the water, her body stretched out before him, he dropped to his haunches and placed his hand over her mark again.

"Because make no mistake, my beautiful veana, tonight I wil take you. Again." He brushed his thumb over her nipple.

"And again"-another featherlight brush-"and again."

Heat surged within Kate, and she wanted to tel him to forget the bath and take her right now. Better yet, get in the water with her. But before she had a chance, he was standing up and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked, sounding forlorn even to her own ears.

Oh Lord. Pathetic, needy chick, party of one.

"A surprise." Grinning, he left her, closing the bathroom door and leaving her in darkness, except for the strip of light where tile met the hardwood.

For a moment, she felt strange, almost claustrophobic-

like she was in prison again, and the idea of sitting up and waiting for him to return sounded like a stel ar plan. But soon the heat of the water mixed with the cozy darkness began to calm her, cast a spel on her mind and body, and she relaxed. Her breathing slowed, her mind brought forth the image of Nicholas without his shirt and his pants and suddenly her hands were diving below the surface of the water and resting on her core.

Her eyes closed and she played, her fingers running through her hair to get to her clit. Even in the water, she felt her slick juices. Nicholas. He did that to her, would always do that to her . . .

She didn't notice when he came back into the room, didn't notice he had knelt beside the tub until she felt his hand over hers.

"Yes, Kate, just like that," he whispered.

She smiled as he fol owed her movements, adding just a hint of pressure to the ridge of her clit as they stroked her together.

"Sore, my dear?"

She shook her head. "Not even a little."

"What about here?" He guided her fingers lower, inserted al four of them gently into her cunt.

She moaned. "Oh, Nicky, please . . ."

He laughed softly. "I like when you beg. And I like when you cal me Nicky."

She smiled in the dark. "Please, Nicky, spread my legs and put your thick, hard-"

His brutal growl cut off her words, and she felt arms under her, lifting her out of the water. Once she was tucked against his chest, he yanked open the bathroom door so hard it nearly flew off its hinges. They were through it and in the bedroom in under five seconds.

Through drowsy eyes, Kate stared at what was happening in the bedroom. A fire was lit in the hearth and several white towels were stacked up nearby. The bed was turned down and there was music coming from somewhere she couldn't see-a soft groove that was nowhere near romantic, but more like Nicholas-driving and a bit plaintive.

His surprise.

He carried her over to the fire and stood her up on the rug before it. Then he knelt down, grabbed a towel, and began to dry her skin. Her feet to her ankles, the sensitive backs of her knees to her thighs, to the curls that stil glistened with both bathwater and excitement. His gaze lingered on her core a moment, and after exhaling heavily, he leaned in and drew his tongue al the way from the entrance of her cunt up to her swol en clit.

Kate moaned softly and reached for his shoulders to steady herself.

"You taste so sweet," he whispered against her, the heat from his breath teasing her sensitive skin.

"And so wet," she whispered.

"So wet when I should be drying you off."

She laughed softly, then sucked in air as he circled her clit with his tongue. His strokes were featherlight and quick, and within seconds she was breathing heavy, her hands moving in his hair, gripping his scalp.

Nicholas slipped his hands around her, fil ed his palms with her ass as she continued to ride his mouth, easing her hips toward the rapid movement of his tongue.

With the buildup in the bathtub and the quick slashes of Nicholas's rough, hot tongue, Kate couldn't hold on. She shuddered against his mouth, moaning loudly as she continued to thrust, as she gave herself over to the sweet torment of climax.

Nicholas drew back and stood, his face a mask of impatience as he picked her up and dropped her on the bed. Kate was soaking wet, and stil clenching from her orgasm, but in that moment there was nothing she wanted more than him inside her. She watched with greedy eyes as he stripped down to nothing but glorious skin and hard, thick cock. She opened her arms to him, and he lowered himself on top of her, took her mouth hungrily. His kiss took away her breath, every thought, and she moaned into his mouth, then whimpered as he slid his tongue deep inside.

Every inch of Kate was alive, electric; this is where she belonged-this is the paven she belonged to. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed her wet cunt against him, circling, begging for his shaft.

"Tel me you want me, Kate."

"I want you," she said breathlessly. "I want you so much."

"Tel me where? Where do you want me?" Nicholas placed both of his hands on her inner thighs, near her opening, and spread her wide. "Right here, sweetness.

Where it's so wet, so warm."

"Yes, Nicky, please!"

It was al she had to say. He pushed back just enough to grab the head of his cock and direct it straight toward the entrance to her body. With one crashing blow, he was inside her.

Kate gasped for air, deliciously impaled.

"Is that what you want, Kate?"

"Mmmmm," was al she could say as he slipped his hands under her and lifted her hips.

Nicholas began to move inside her, long heavy strokes, warming up her body, fil ing her al the way, until she could barely breathe he was so deep.

She moaned as he drew al the way out, then cried as he thrust back in. God, she loved the weight of him, how she anticipated every thrust, how her mind went blank when he slammed back into her-how his bal s slapped against her backside like a hand.

And then his hand left her hip and tunneled between their bel ies, his index finger finding the hard nub his tongue had lapped at earlier.

"Come for me again," he said, staring down at her as they moved together, their breathing labored. "I want to see you, watch your face, your eyes as you shudder."

As he drove into her faster and faster, his fingers dancing on her clit, she felt the wal s of the room closing in-or maybe she was expanding. Maybe she was going to explode . . .

How could she tel him? How could she make him understand how she felt at that moment? So safe, so happy

-so fil ed with pleasure. So . . . in love. She gasped, her legs shaking, the wal s of her cunt clenching, her fangs elongating, and when Nicholas dropped his head to her shoulder, gave her the ful expanse of his neck, she struck.

The moment blood hit her tongue she came.

Fast and hard, and stars behind her eyelids.

A groan escaped Nicholas's throat as she shuddered and quaked around him, as she greedily drank from him and clawed at his skin, as she fastened her legs around his waist and held on for the ride.

"My Kate," he uttered with a deep groan. "My sweet Kate."

He took her with one last earth-shattering thrust, and as she suckled his neck, as her cunt suckled his cock, Nicholas spil ed hot seed into her body.