Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

His heart stopped, then started beating the hell out of his ribs. Was she saying…?

“How would you feel about transforming me?” she clarified.

She was. Awe engulfed him. “You’d transform for me?”

“For us,” she corrected, “so we could be together forever.”

“And have a greater chance of surviving future unplanned skydiving excursions?” he quipped.

She smiled. “Yes.”

Sean rolled her to her back and did his damnedest to kiss her senseless. Only when she hummed her approval and wrapped her legs around him did he break the contact. “There’s nothing I want more than to spend eternity with you.”

She grinned. “Because you’ve finally realized that I’m perfect?”

“Hell, yes, you are,” he said with a laugh. But she was far too vulnerable as a mortal. He sobered. “You’ve had too many close calls since I met you. I never want to lose you, Nicole.”

Her smile waned. “Would you be okay with not having children? If I transform, even artificial insemination with donor sperm will be out of the question.”

“As long as I have you,” he vowed, “I’ll be okay.” He kissed her. “Better than okay.”

“Maybe one day,” she proposed, “if you convince me I wouldn’t suck as a mother, we can follow Roland and Sarah’s example and adopt a gifted one.”

Fatherhood had certainly brought Roland joy. And since he seemed fond of Nicole, perhaps Roland could offer Sean a few tips on balancing such an unusual profession with being a dad.

Sean nuzzled her tempting lips. “You’d have to convince me I’d be a good father first. But there’s no need to rush. We have plenty of time.” He kissed her. “We’ll have eternity together.”

A tender smile lit her features. “Eternity together. I like the sound of that.”





Chapter Fifteen





Tessa strolled down a deserted sidewalk on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus.

Few students were out and about. She couldn’t decide whether they were all inside, studying their butts off because final exams were next week, or the cooler weather had caught them off guard and driven them to seek warmth indoors. A cold front had swept through and lowered temps more than the meteorologists had predicted. After a long summer loaded with record-breaking temperatures and a warmer-than-usual autumn, the chilly breeze felt positively frigid to some.

Fortunately, Tessa could control her body temperature.

An imposing figure sauntered along beside her, his strides shortened to accommodate hers.

She glanced up at Jared from the corner of her eye.

Why did so many people think large men were awkward and clumsy? If anything, the ancient immortal possessed a certain natural grace. Or maybe confidence lent his movements the smoothness that somehow conveyed both casual disregard and indomitable strength.

Anyone studying Jared might think he paid little attention to his surroundings. Yet his sharp gaze missed nothing, and she knew well the power he wielded.

As usual, he was quiet in her company. Tessa couldn’t decide how she felt about that. The guards at network headquarters often complained about his loquacious nature, claiming he talked their ears off.

Was there something about her that dissuaded conversation?

Did he mistake her quiet nature for aloofness or unwelcome?

Others had in the past. It sometimes seemed as if the more time people spent staring at their phones instead of interacting with others, the less capable they were of identifying or understanding something as simple as shyness.

Not that she was shy, per se. She was just often more content to let others do the talking.

Habit, Tessa supposed. She learned much more about people by observing them while they chatted than by jibber-jabbering herself. If one paid attention, it rarely took long to determine who was honest and who talked out of their butts. Who was manipulative and who was kind. Who delighted in tearing others down and who took pleasure in lifting them up.

Those were all essential details to know when you had a unique ability that would endanger your life if someone chose to deceive you and expose it.

“Thank you for hunting with me,” she said.

“It is my pleasure,” her partner responded with a slight bow.

She’d noticed that about him, too. Jared often reverted to more formal speech and mannerisms while in her company. “I was restless,” she confessed.

“I was aware.” Of course he was. Jared missed very little. “Does hunting help?”

Guilt suffused her. “Yes. Hunting with Sean was a welcome distraction. It helped me forget for a time.” Forcing a laugh, she looked away. “That makes me sound as crazy as the vampires, doesn’t it?”

“No.” Jared didn’t prevaricate either, something she admired. He was what her brother would’ve called a straight shooter and spoke his mind.

On this, however, she disagreed with him.

Stuart and the other vampires at network headquarters had an excuse for wanting to hunt. The virus chipping away at their minds also fueled a growing thirst for violence. Now that Cliff no longer battled insanity or needed the outlet, Bastien periodically took Stuart hunting with him to reduce the frequency of the psychotic breaks the young vampire suffered and give him an outlet for the vicious impulses the insanity spawned.