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“I guess,” she sighed. If she failed, there would be no warm welcome for her at Michael’s home. Blane would have to choose between living with her and his family. It wasn’t fair.

“Don’t hurt her, J. I mean it.” Blane stood yards away with Gregory, Arracado, and Michael beside him. If Jonas actually did hurt her, she’d bet that they would have a hard time stopping him—even working together.

Jonas came at her so fast that it made her heart pound in her chest. He slammed her against a tree, back grinding into the bark.

“Fight me,” he said.

She shoved and managed to knock him back a little.

He laughed. “Stronger than I thought.”

With a snarl, he shoved her back against the tree and went for her throat.

Christiana pushed, but couldn’t move him. The new instincts kicked in immediately. Her skin burned and that heat moved through her body.

Someone gasped. It sounded like Elena.

The points of teeth pressed against her shoulder.

Christiana closed her eyes and let the love she felt wash over her. With it came the calm, white coolness that quieted the growl she heard rolling from her own lips.

“That’s it,” Blane said.

Jonas pressed harder. Her skin started to give under the pressure.

The instinct rushed back. This time, she let the heat flow and tried to channel it down her arms. All that power flowed down through her arms at once. Her skin burned and tingled.

If she could use the energy to push him—

“Oww!” Jonas leapt back. “Oh. Fuck!”

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Her eyes flew open and focused on the white-haired vampire in front of her as he jerked his shirt up.

Elena rushed to his side. “What’s wrong?”

He nodded toward the red, blistered handprints on his sides. “She fucking burned me.”

“Let me see.”

Blane was suddenly there beside Christiana, a wide grin stretched across his face. “How did you do that?”

“I don’t really know. I just sort of thought about where the heat was going.”

Jonas started to laugh. “It felt like you were boiling my blood. Think you could do it again?” His voice was high, almost giddy, like a child with a new toy. He let the shirt go and started to take a step.

“No!” Elena moved his shirt to examine the wounds. “These are deep.”

Michael moved closer to look at Jonas. He bent beside Elena for a moment, and then turned his head toward her. “You may be more dangerous than all of us.”

Blane pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “But she can control it.”

“Apparently.” Michael folded his arms over his chest. “We will discuss this more when Khalil arrives. He will have to know.”

Blane nodded.

“Until then, stay wherever you like. There is plenty of room at the estate and you are welcome there, Christiana.”

“I think we’d prefer to stay at the safe house.”

Michael nodded, then turned and started toward the darkness in the direction where they’d left the cars.

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“We need to go, too. We have an appointment,” Elena said with a smile and a wink in Jonas’s direction.

“Thanks, J.” Blane tugged Christiana toward the darkness.

Jonas nodded and lowered his shirt a final time. “Anytime. I owe Chris for helping us.”

“Chris?” Hmmm. “I think I like that.” A shorter version of her name. Maybe that’s what she would go by in her new life.

Jonas smiled and took Elena’s hand as she spoke. “Welcome to the family, Chris.”

“Thank you.”

The two wandered off. Somehow, even with these new abilities, the sight of them disappearing into the darkness together was frightening. With the knowledge that those two were out there, it was a little scarier place to be.

“Let’s go home,” Blane said, pulling her farther into the forest.

* * * *

“The sun’s coming up,” Blane said as he pushed the door open to the little brick ranch-style house in the middle of nowhere.

“But we have long enough.” Christiana smoothed her hand over his chest and stood taller to kiss him. She still couldn’t believe that after this much trouble, she had the energy to feel like having sex. But it wasn’t a slight urge; it was a need to have him, like the need to change came with the heat and the need for blood came with hunger.

He groaned and hooked one arm around her. With the other hand, he shoved the door shut. They certainly did have enough time.

In one swoop, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the basement.

He tossed her onto the simple bed there, then kicked off his boots. Christiana was naked

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before he was. Lying there, watching him in the pale light that filtered into the room from the open doorway, she was a goddess. Her blond hair was pale and her golden eyes sparkled. That unwavering adoration washed over him again and he climbed onto the bed on top of her.

“I love you, Blane,” she whispered, and raised her head to meet his.

Their lips met as he lowered himself onto her soft, warm body. With a sigh, she opened her mouth to him. Their tongues played slowly around one another while his hand played down her side.

Christiana’s skin was hot and getting warmer by the second until she pulled back from him.

“What?”

“I need to be on top. I can’t control myself this way.”

Blane nodded and rolled them.

Christiana’s blond hair cascaded around his face as she leaned forward. He raised his hands and smoothed it back, then pulled her face to his, locking their mouths together. He probed her mouth slowly, deeply.

Her hand gripped his cock and placed the tip at her opening.

God, she was hot. And so wet.

He shoved his hips upward, penetrating her.

She pulled her mouth away and gasped. “You’re going to make me burn.”

She already felt like a warm honey wrapped around his cock. The prospect didn’t seem so bad.

With one hand on his chest, she took a deep breath and slid down onto him. One slow inch at a time, she worked herself up and down, careful not to let her control fall away.

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Her body flexed around him, her thighs tightening against his hips. He wanted to grab her hips and grind her down onto him, but he settled for grabbing the sheet.

Christiana felt the heat building in her core. She was going to come and there was no way she could hold back the change that would come with it.

Her hands gripped the bed on each side of Blane. If she could just—

His body rocked under her, an orgasm swelling and then exploding inside her.

She screamed and tried to keep the heat focused on her hands. It flowed out in long waves that matched the ones in her abdomen. Her legs tightened until they held him still. Then her spine bowed and another long yell echoed in the room—

When the world settled again, she was lying on his chest.

And something smelled—

She gasped and sat up, looking down at Blane.

He wasn’t burnt. The bed, however, was another matter. Scorched fabric and tiny embers smoldered where her hands had been.

“Uh.” He glanced at them, then up to her. “Make sure you keep those things pointed away from me.”

She laughed. “Why do I feel like there’s going to be a learning curve to this?”

“Well, we’ll just keep this little incident between us. They’ll all freak out if they know you can do this.”

“Good idea.”

“Want to sleep upstairs? It’s not as secure, but we won’t have to worry about the bed catching fire.”

“Yeah.”

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“Go on up. I’ll toss this mattress outside and I’ll be right behind you.”

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Chapter Eighteen

“So, are you ready for round three?”

“You’re impossible.” Christiana threw a pillow at him, but Blane caught it in the air.

“We’ve got to meet them in twenty minutes.”

He huffed and slid off the bed. Why couldn’t they just stay in bed all night? For two guys who had new
compagnas
, they sure seemed set on ruining what should be like a honeymoon for them. Even if it was one where the bride turned furry and torched the bed. “I think we should just ditch them.”

She glanced up from the suitcase she was sorting through, her brows going high.

“They’re throwing a party for me.”

He groaned and pulled on a his boxers and jeans.
It had better be one hell of a party.