Sera's lids fluttered open and then closed again. She felt so weak, so drained and exhausted. She inhaled deeply as she tried to gather the energy to move. A million different scents assailed her at once. Apple, vanilla, cinnamon, wood, sex, and blood permeated the room. Beyond the door she could smell eggs, bacon, waffles, syrup, and butter. The smell of snow, and something feral drifted in from outside.
She could hear the pots and pans in the kitchen, catch bits and pieces of the conversation being held there. Outside, a squirrel yelled angrily as it fled from its tree and crashed into another branch. Her eyes opened. She could make out every grain of wood on the door, and see the scratches upon the brass handle.
She closed her eyes again; she was too tired to assimilate everything now. Liam lay beside her, his strong arms encircled her as his firm body spooned hers. She could smell herself on him, in him. She could hear the thumping of his heart, and the blood that pulsed through his veins.
"The world is different."
She didn't have to look at him to know that he was awake. "Yes, it is. It will take a little while to get used to, but eventually you'll adapt."
"It's so loud."
"That's the worst part. I'll teach you how to tune it out."
"Soon?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes. How do you feel?"
He pushed back strands of her hair. She turned slightly to look at him. His face was as magnificent as she recalled, but suddenly she could see every bristly hair on his cheek, and jaw. She had thought his eyes a pure green, but there were flecks of gold within their depths. She frowned and closed her eyes again.
"I'm tired," she whispered as she stifled a yawn.
He dropped his head to her shoulder. "You need to feed."
A tremor of revulsion and delight racked through her. Suddenly, she was very hungry, but she knew that food would not satisfy her. "Come here."
She opened her eyes as he pulled her into his arms and rolled her over. She looked down at him as her hair fell across his chest. He smiled as he pushed her hair over her shoulder. The marks on her neck were vivid against her creamy skin. He eased the bandage from her chest off. His eyes focused on the scratches that marred her delicate skin, but they appeared to be healing well. Her gaze followed his and she gasped.
"You'll heal faster now."
"I can see that!"
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. She turned into it, nuzzling him as her eyes drifted closed. "Are you hungry?"
Her eyes sprang open. Surprise, revulsion, and obvious hunger radiated from their depths. "It's all right," he said. "You only need to feed off of me, remember?"
Her gaze traveled down to his neck. A spark of something shot through her, something that she didn't understand, but it rocked her body. She quickly looked away, ashamed, and frightened. "It will be just like last night," he soothed.
He could feel the tension in her, the yearning to fight against him and what she was feeling. He remembered that feeling. He had fought so relentlessly in the beginning, but in the end the demon had given in to Beth's demands, and its own urgent needs. He had been repulsed and frightened, but it was a feeling that had faded.
"I know how you feel, it will fade Sera, I promise. But you must. The change isn't complete yet, not until you feed. You need the blood." That spark shot through her again and a shudder ripped her. "I fed for the both of us yesterday."
Her body was trembling with the turbulent battle she was waging, and her eyes were flashing from blue to violet, to a vivid red. Her elongated teeth caused blood to flow forward as she bit into her bottom lip. She whimpered as she instantly released her lip.
Liam's eyes were locked on that trickle of blood. He pulled her down to him, lightly licking her lip as he used his saliva to close the wound. Her teeth pressed against his lip as he stroked her mouth with his tongue. He pulled her away from him and guided her head down to his neck.
"Sera you must," he urged.
She shuddered again. Her mouth was warm and wet as her teeth pressed against his neck. He shuddered in anticipation as his hand dug into her skull. He wanted this so bad that his entire body was tensed with anticipation and his breath was frozen in his lungs.
"Sera," he breathed.
Her teeth sank deep. Liam's hands convulsed on her as a wave of pure ecstasy shot through him. Her mind opened to his. In the beginning her hunger was the only thing he could sense, but it started to ease as she filled herself on him. Then, other emotions began to come through. He could sense her revulsion, but beneath that was pure pleasure. He could feel the possessiveness that radiated from her, the urge to mark him as hers and he smiled as he recognized the feeling.
A sense of completeness began to steal through him as he caressed her hair and her back. She whimpered as she squirmed against him. Her desire slammed into him with a force so fierce that it hardened him instantly. Her thighs parted as her hands dug into his neck and she bit deeper to convey her urgency to him.
He rubbed his cock against her, pleased to find her wet with longing. He slipped into her, stretching her tight muscles as he filled her completely. She sighed in contentment as her bite eased and he filled her in every way.
***
Sera woke again sometime later. She felt sated, still a little tired, but utterly complete, and blissful. Her head was nestled into Liam's steel shoulder. She snuggled closer as she dropped a light kiss on him. He murmured in his sleep and turned to envelop her in his embrace.
"Go back to sleep," he mumbled.
"I think we've slept enough. It's already afternoon."
"I know."
Of course he knew, she had known without having to look too. "I can't believe Kathleen hasn't come in to drag us out of bed."
"Neither can I," he admitted ruefully.
"Liam."
"Hmm," he replied sleepily.
"What can kill us?"
She knew that he was instantly wide-awake. "Why?"
"Well, I am one of you, and I think that I should know. I know what I've heard about vampires, but you can go out in the sunlight, so what else isn't true?"
"Sunlight can kill us."
"Huh?"
He chuckled at the confusion in her voice. "Some of us," he amended. "We can all still go into the sunlight because we haven't become cold blooded killers. The more you kill, the stronger you become, but the more limitations are placed on you. Vampires that kill lose the ability to be in direct sunlight, they will die from it. Beth can't be in it."
Anger rippled through her at the mention of Beth's name. Her hands dug into his back as a wave of possessiveness shook her. He was hers, and that was final. Liam's chuckle only served to infuriate her more. "I met Beth during the daytime." The name was bitter on her tongue.
"You met her during a snow storm. There was no direct sunlight."
"Oh," she mumbled. "You've killed."
"Yes, I have," he grated, and he would do it again if anyone attempted to harm her. "And the sun has become more grueling for me. It stings my eyes more, burns my skin more. It also tires me out faster."
"I'm sorry."
He pulled back to look down at her. "For what?"
She shrugged as she caressed his well-muscled chest. "It's my fault that the sun bothers you now. If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have killed Jacob."
An involuntary growl escaped him at the name. She smiled as she lifted her lashes to gaze at him. It was good to know that she wasn't the only one that became angry and possessive. "It's not your fault," he grated. "And I will kill anyone else that tries to harm you. No one will take you from me."
"No, they won't," she promised as she rubbed his chest. "No one will take you from me either, right?"
"Right."
She feared that he would meet someone else, someone better though. He would grow tired of her and move on. He could have any woman that he wanted, and he already had. Eternity was a long time; there were a lot of women out there. Prettier women, smarter, sexier, better.
"Would you ever leave me?" he inquired.
"No!" she cried in horror. The mere thought of it ripped her heart to shreds and brought instant tears to her eyes. To lose him would destroy her.
"That's the way that I feel Sera. I can sense your thoughts, and you're wrong. There is no one better, no one else for me. You are it."
"But..."
He placed a finger over her trembling lower lip. "No buts. Don't you remember what David said? Together forever. The passion only grows."
"What if he was wrong?"
"He was right about everything else."
"What if you don't want me in a hundred years? What if you grow tired of me? Or you meet someone else?"
"Sera stop it. I will never leave you; never find anyone better. There is no one better. Look in me and feel it for yourself if you don't believe me." She searched his intent gaze. "Open yourself to me."
She allowed herself to open to his thoughts. She couldn't exactly read them, not like she could when she was feeding off him, or he off her, but she could sense them. She knew that he loved her, knew that he cherished her, but she suddenly sensed the full depth of his emotions toward her. It shook her to the core as she recognized in him the same emotions that lived within her.
She pulled out of him as she searched his intense gaze with awe. He would never leave her, never grow tired of her, she felt it; she knew it. She brushed a strand of black hair off his forehead. "Eternity is a long time."
He pulled her closer. "Not long enough."
"No, it's not," she agreed. "So what else can harm us?"
"Crucifixes and holy water are like the sunlight. The more you kill, the less you can tolerate them. Otherwise, a standard stake through the heart, beheading, and fire are the other ways."
"Oh. I've seen you eat regular food, does it do anything for us?"
"No. We can eat it, but it doesn't fill us, eventually you even lose a taste for it. Alcohol still affects us."
Sera frowned, there were so many foods that she enjoyed, she especially didn't want to lose a taste for cheesecake. She winced as Kathleen's shriek suddenly pierced through her ears and into her skull. "Ow!" she cried as her hands flew to her ears.
He grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her head. Her face scrunched with pain as Danielle and Kathleen both screamed. "Look at me Sera; listen to me, not them."
She focused herself upon him as he explained how to control all of her new senses, and her new world.
It was late afternoon before they finally emerged from the bedroom. "It's about time you guys got up!" Kathleen cried. "I was beginning to think that we would never see you again!"
Sera blinked against the sunlight as she stepped into the snow. The giant snowman had been assembled. He was sporting a carrot, black button eyes, a gray ski hat, and a cigarette dangled from where his mouth was supposed to be. "Yours?" she asked Mike.
"But of course, and if we don't get out of here soon Frosty's going to be parting with his mouth."
Sera was suddenly hesitant to meet his gaze, to meet any of their gazes. "The electricity's back on," Danielle said. "And the phone lines are working. We called the town and they said that they should have the roads plowed out tomorrow."
"Thank God," Jack groaned.
"Being snowed in wasn't such a bad thing!" Kathleen protested. "I was thinking, since it's almost the weekend, we might as well stay and check out the ski resort."
Jack and Doug groaned. "I agree," David commented as he clapped snow from his hands.
"What?" Mike demanded.
Liam wrapped his arm around Sera's waist. She glanced up at him, but his face was impassive. "I think we should abandon ship before it starts snowing again," Doug said.
"I'm with him," Jack agreed.
"I trekked ten miles through the snow to get here. I think I deserve a little relaxation and fun," David argued.
"Why did you do that?" Danielle asked.
Jack rolled his eyes and walked away. "Damn idiots can't keep their mouths shut, we can't keep changing their memories," he muttered as he walked to stand beside Liam.
David shrugged as Mike and Doug scowled at him. "Felt like some skiing," he muttered.
"See!" Kathleen cried. "We should stay. It's not fair to expect David to come out here for nothing!"
"Why don't we talk about this later," Mike suggested.
"I think that's a good idea," Liam said.
Sera glanced back up at him. His face was still remote, but there was a flicker behind his eyes that told her he was troubled about something. She frowned at him questioningly, but he shook his head and kissed her forehead.
Sera cast a sidelong glance at Jack. His hazel eyes were knowing as he grinned at her. Sera felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she lowered her gaze again. She chanced a glance at Mike, Doug, and David to find them all eyeing her with that same knowing gleam in their eyes, and identical goofy grins. She focused her gaze on her boots.
Liam scowled at the four of them. Their grins grew bigger, and Liam gave up trying to intimidate them. "Well, come on!" Kathleen cried. "I'm starting to freeze. Not all of us have been in bed all day!"
She nudged Sera as she bounced through the snow to the house. Sera shook her head as she turned to follow her back to the cabin. "So, how are you feeling?" Mike asked as he appeared at her side.
"Fine," she muttered.
"Mike," Liam growled warningly.
Mike laughed as he slapped Liam on the back. "I can see that your good humor has been restored."
Liam couldn't help but smile as Mike grinned. He could feel her chagrin, but he couldn't stop the pleasure that swept over him. She really was his now, and he was hers. He pushed the backdoor open and stepped aside to let her enter. Everyone filed into the tiny space, bumping and jostling as they tried to remove their snow gear. Doug bumped into Sera and instantly jumped back as he shot Liam a worried glance. She looked up, her brow furrowed with apprehension as she turned to Liam too. He had felt a spark of annoyance when Doug had touched her, but it had faded almost instantly. He smiled reassuringly at her as he pulled his jacket off. Her frown vanished as she returned his smile with a carefree air he hadn't seen in awhile.
"Thank God," Doug muttered.
Sera silently agreed as she pulled her scarf off and hung it on the hook. It was so much more enjoyable to have this Liam back with her. Until then, she hadn't realized just how much she had missed his smiles, laughter, and easygoing demeanor. He had changed so fast that she hadn't had time to recall what he had been like before. She had been frightened by the new alterations in herself, and the world around her, but she knew now that she wouldn't have changed a thing, and she would do it all over again just to have him with her once more.
Love burst so intensely through her that she couldn't keep herself from running over and throwing her arms around him. He grunted and wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you," she whispered.
He closed his eyes as he held her. He hadn't realized just how bad he'd been until now, just how close he'd come to being something that he'd never wanted to be. But everything was all right now; he was all right now. She made him complete. He glanced over his head at Mike, Doug, David, and Jack. They were no longer grinning stupidly but staring at them in amazement.
"Oh, for crying out loud, you guys have been in bed all day, could you please stop pawing each other!" Kathleen cried.
Sera pulled her head out of Liam's shoulder; she smiled at him and kissed him. He grinned as he released her. Kathleen grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the mudroom. "Now that we've got you for a few minutes I'm not letting go!" she declared as she shot a pointed glance over her shoulder.
Liam finished pulling his jacket off and hung it on the hook. "It's good to have you back," Jack said.
"Yeah," he mumbled.
"So, are we going to stay or not?" David asked.
Sera, Danielle, and Kathleen were gone as he entered the kitchen, but he could hear their voices drifting in from the living room. "If we get the chance to get out of here, I say we take it," Doug said.
"I agree," Jack muttered.
"Beth is still out there, she will come back," Mike said as he cast a worried glance at Liam.
"What are we going to do when we go back? She found us here, and she's already found us at the college," David said. "It will be more difficult to protect them at the school. They'll be more open."
Liam shifted as he crossed his legs before him and folded his arms over his chest. He could feel his anger steadily growing. Instantly his mind sought Sera. He could feel her happiness, her joy as she laughed and talked with Kathleen and Danielle. He took a deep breath as her presence helped to pacify him.
"So what are you suggesting we do?" Mike demanded.
David glanced warily at Liam. "Honestly, I think the two of you should leave."
Liam stood away from the counter. "And go where?"
"Somewhere, anywhere."
"She'll find them," Mike said. "She'll track him through her blood, and she'll find them. Leaving isn't going to do them any good."
"And what about Kathleen and Danielle?" Jack asked.
"I think Beth will leave them be, if Liam and Sera are no longer around," David answered.
"But you can't be sure," Liam said coldly. "And I can't leave them unprotected."
"We would still be here."
"Leaving isn't going to solve anything," Liam replied. "Only one thing will."
"We already tried to find Beth."
"She can track us through our blood, we could probably do the same thing," Doug said. "We've never tried it, because we never wanted to find her. What if we try it now?"
"I did try," Liam told him. "When Jack and I went looking for her. I couldn't sense anything. She is stronger than us, if she wants to keep us blocked out, then I'm sure that she can."
"Then you could probably do the same thing."
Liam unfolded his arms. "Maybe, but Sera couldn't."
"But... oh," Jack said dully.
Liam's jaw clenched as he glanced out the doorway of the kitchen. Beth would be able to find Sera through his blood and Sera was far too new to understand her abilities. "Until Beth is dead, there will be no peace," he said. "When we get back to the college, Sera will stay with me."
"Kathleen and Danielle?" Mike asked.
Liam closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know. I'd like to say that Beth would leave them alone, but I know she won't. She'd kill them, or turn them, just to hurt Sera."
"Maybe it would be better if we did stay. At least we're all together, and if the ski resort opens tomorrow, we won't have to be concerned about food."
"Beth can come in here anytime she wants," Jack remarked.
"But with all of us here, she can't get to them. Not if we stay aware, and awake," David said.
"So, for now, we stay," Liam confirmed.