“You’re the dumbest ass vampire I’ve ever met,” I hissed under my breathe for the umpteenth time. Dante lay quietly back against his pillows watching me gently bandage his arm. Giving him a black look I snapped, “I don’t know why you thought I would do a better job at bandaging than the doctors.”

“I want you to tend to my wounds. You’re the only one who makes the pain seem tolerable.” He replied looking up at me with his beautiful green eyes all injured and venerable. My heart became weak and all the anger that I felt earlier dissolved into warm fuzzy feeling. I stared back at for a few seconds, I was caught off guard by those eyes, I blinked and closed my eyes shut turning away.

“I need to get some er stuff.” I said making an excuse to move away.

The warm fuzzy feeling was growing inside me, radiating outward from my chest. Firmly I told myself, ‘I am not falling in love’. I tried to crush the feeling in my chest by thinking about all the nasty things Dante had done to me. But nothing could eclipse the fact he had saved me by taking the brunt of that brutal fall. I looked back at Dante who was lying helplessly on the bed covered in bandages. A pang of guilt swept over me. How could I try to think badly of him after what he had just done? Inside I felt torn apart. Part of me wanted to fall in love with him while the other half resisted, clinging onto false hope that I go back to the way things were.

“Lie next to me.” Dante called across the room.

I couldn’t refuse him, not while he was in this state. Swallowing hard I bottled any back chat that I felt like firing at him and obediently returned to his side and la next to him. He moved without speaking shuffling towards me.

I went completely rigid and shot him a suspicious look, “What are you doing?”

“I can’t comfortable.”

“I can get you another pillow.”

“I don’t want another pillow.”

“So quit squirming- wait what are you doing…wait...Dante!” I yelled as he lay back againt me like I was some giant pillow.

“I feel much better.” He said looking up at me with his incredible green eyes.

My heart fluttered and suddenly I had the urged to protectively wrap my arms around him and hold him until he fell asleep. I am not falling in love, I reminded myself. I’m just getting cught up in the moment. Dante reached out and took my hand interlacing his fingers with mine, he brought my hand to his lips and pressed a light kiss against my palm. I felt the heat rising to my cheeks and for a moment I was tempted to snatch my hand away but then he looked up at me with inconsolable sadness and asked, “Do I make you so unhappy that you would rather end your own life then spend your life with me?”

Guilt tore through me. Dante thought I wanted to commit suicide. Shaking my head I replied,

“It’s not like that. I wasn’t trying to commit suicide. I promise I won’t runaway this time.”

“You didn’t run away.” Dante said sharply, “You were taken.”

Maybe.

Maybe not.

I humoured Dante and smiled, “Of course.”

A strange idea flashed across my mind and I asked, “What do you think of my brother?”

Dante took a deep breath and said, “Your brother has been absolutely paramount in bringing you back to the mortal realms. He is the best man I know. A true supporter of the vampires, he was the one who first told me about the Fox and the dragon’s betrayal. Your brother worked tirelessly to see that you and I were reunited.”

“Oh, I see.” I smiled feeling physically sick inside.

Dante yawned, “We’ll talk more tomorrow.” He said.

“Okay.” I replied.

“Tomorrow we'll make a new start.” Dante said.

I murmured in agreement although deep down I felt that tomorrow would be the start of a more turbulent time. My brother was not to be trusted and I don’t think Dante is being honest about the past. Morgan needed my help and I needed to get back to the aviary and talk to the dragon to find out how I could help her. Suddenly I felt like the whole world was on my shoulders. Looking down at Dante peacefully asleep, I felt my heart melt a little. Trying not to fall in love with him was definitely going to be an up hill struggle.