Pagan's room was the one place out of the whole house that had seen the least damage. Someone had torn down all the sheer white material hanging around the bed and pulled the drawers out of the side tables and dresser, strewing clothes across the room. I'd spent some time folding and putting them away, but I still wasn't tired.

Thomas had moved on. He'd crossed over and was now with his family. I should have felt joy, but I didn't. I should have felt guilty that I hadn't done what Luke wanted. I had no banshees, no real power of my own to help Luke when he needed it most. When I helped Thomas cross over, I hadn't been thinking of Darla, I hadn't been worried about my own safety, my own need for magic—all I cared about at that one moment was seeing Thomas go into the light. Now that it was over, I had to face Luke knowing that I let him down when he needed me most. I felt no fear, no joy. Just a crushing indifference, a cold numbness that seemed to spread through my body and mind.

What's wrong with me?

Luke knocked on the open door. He held a blanket in his hand. "I thought you could use this."

We were both dressed in black sweats, but he, as usual, was not sporting a top.

Doesn't he get cold when he sleeps? I couldn't help myself—my eyes traveled down his chest and across his stomach. I waited for the usual hum, the wanting, the desire that filled my body and mind whenever I was this close to Luke, but there was nothing. Just that same cold void where my emotions should be. "Thanks."

He stepped closer. "Are you okay?"

After the second ritual, I felt different. Anger seemed to fuel my blood, but somehow the third ritual had washed that all away. Had it washed away all of my emotions? Was this unfeeling creature I'd become, the one who could raise the dead, all that remained?

My eyes met Luke's. "I feel numb inside. It's hard to explain. After what happened with Anna..." I shied away from saying the words after I killed Anna. "I felt this emptiness inside me, that has been getting stronger and stronger. Right now, I don't feel scared, or anger...I feel just...nothing."

Luke took step after step until he was only inches from me. His hand reached out and caressed my cheek. His fingers slid down my neck. He looked at me as if asking a question. He pulled me gently toward him. His lips pressed against mine. Heat spread across my body at his touch. My blood was on fire again, but not from anger this time.

He pulled away. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes," I whispered.

The blanket he held dropped to the floor, and he pulled me against him. We kissed again as he lowered me slowly onto the bed. Our bodies moved together as we fell against the thick white covers. We lay there together, his lips still on mine. My body tingled as his hand slid down the length of me. His fingers were in my hair, then running down my back.

The kiss stretched on, and with it came a heat that spread through my entire body. Each kiss became deeper, more desperate. I tried to pull him closer. I needed to feel his full body against mine. I no longer felt numb. Instead, desire, excitement, and overwhelming happiness—now swirled through me. I felt suddenly overheated, feverish.

Luke's fingers ran across my leg up until they slid against my naked stomach.

I shivered at his touch.

"See, you can still feel," he said suddenly pushing his thigh up between my legs.

There was this wanting, this desire, this heat spreading through me when his thigh pushed farther up and farther still until it pressed against that throbbing center, I cried out and began to ride him. My legs wrapped around him, my fingers pressing into his back. Bucking, arching wildly against him, I rode that rock hard thigh again and again, crying out each time it pushed against my soaked panties. Moaning out each time it parted me until finally a wave of pleasure came cresting over me and I found sweet relief.

"Did you enjoy that?" he whispered his hot breath tickling my ear.

"Yes," I moaned my legs still tight against his, my muscles still trembling.

"I love feeling you lose control." His lips pressed against my neck. "But I'm nowhere close to being done with you," he growled.

My shirt was lifted off, my panties were pulled off, and then his body hovered over me. His lips lowered and taunted my nipples making a slow path across the exposed skin of my stomach. But he didn't stop there. His mouth kept moving, down, lower, and then lower yet, until I could feel his hot breath against my inner thigh.

Strong fingers pushed inside me. Faster, harder pushing inside of me until those fingers were replaced with the heat of his mouth. The thrust of his tongue forced the air from my lungs. I sucked in harsh and uneven breaths. All thoughts were seared from my head.

Pleasure rolled over me as his mouth suddenly sucked hard against the center of my mound. I needed to let go. I was desperate for release, and he was in no hurry to give it to me.

Small and then larger tremors glided across me. I undulated and I whimpered. My body tried to wrench itself free, but strong hands suddenly surrounded my ass and forced my pulsating core back against his mouth. He was relentless—his tongue tasting every part of me, his mouth seeking the very core of me. My body could not take anymore. My hands went into my hair as I was forced into a violent arch and the word 'Goddess' was torn from my mouth as an earth shuddering orgasm ripped across my body.

Small explosions of pleasure still vibrated within me when he began to move away from me, and I started to cry out, but then he was over me again. He hard shaft entered me. Nothing about this was slow and gentle. He pushed himself deep inside me. My fingernails dug into his back. Our stomachs smacked together from the force of each penetration. Sweat now streaked our bodies. My whole being was focused only on the wave of passion that was building inside me. Those waves of ecstasy making me call out his name, again and again, until finally we came together in one earth shattering climatic moment.

I lay there underneath him, not wanting him to move, not minding that he was crushing me. The tremors of pleasure still slid across my skin as we lay there together.

We were here together. I didn't care about tomorrow. Now, right now, being in his arms, having him inside me was everything.

* * *

I woke to light streaming through the window. My hand grazed across my stomach. We had come together last night, but I was not worried about any accidently pregnancies. The special tincture I took to prevent such things wouldn't be wearing off for another couple weeks.

Luke lay beside me on the bed, the blanket wrapped around his chest. I sat up in bed and looked down at his sleeping face. The urge to run my fingers over his back was so strong that I pushed myself off the bed and walked over to the window. This guy was making me feel things I had never felt before. My body had trembled under his touch. The passion I shared with him last night both thrilled and terrified me.

I looked at him lying there, the sheets tangled around his legs. We had such intense feelings for each other from the start. He had become so important to me in such a short time, the emotions we had for each other burning so hot.

He looked so innocent in his sleep, and I wondered, what secrets does he have that he hasn't shared? Do I really know this man? Can I trust what I was feeling for him? Could this thing that burned so bright between us really last? I had so many questions racing through my head, but the answers, those would only come with time. That last thought stopped me cold. Time. Did I want to stick around and find out what kind of relationship we could build together? If I didn't stay, was there a place for me to go? I could not go back to my clan. I had no home or family that would welcome me with open arms. I was alone in the world.

But that's not exactly true. I looked down at Luke.

I'd lost so much already. I didn't know if I could allow myself to care for someone so deeply ever again.

If I opened my heart again, allowed myself to love someone, there was too much at stake. I could lose Luke. If that happened, I might finally lose myself forever in a cloud of grief and sadness. I might become so lost, I may never find myself again. Never be able to walk through this word happy again.

A part of me wanted, more than anything, to go back to bed, lay my body down next to his, feel his skin against mine, and have his lips kiss me again.

I want to love him. As those words echoed through my mind, I froze. This had all happened too fast. I hardly knew him. Circumstance had thrown us together. The heightened emotions constantly swirling around us were to blame.

I was falling hard and when I finally hit the ground, I might shatter into a million pieces.

Luke's eyes opened. He gave me a wide smile. "Good morning."

I was having a hard time meeting his eyes. "Morning," I answered before turning away and looking out the window.

"What time is it?" I heard him sit up behind me and stretch.

"A little after nine o'clock."

He got out of bed and came to stand next to me, wrapping his arms around me. "Do we have anything to eat for breakfast? Anything besides chili and corn?"

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against his shoulder. "I'm afraid the cupboards are bare."

"We can get dressed and go out to the market. Maybe even stop someplace for breakfast," he whispered in my ear.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" I whispered.

His hand reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "If they were after us, they would have found us by now."

"You don't think they're looking for us?" Why would they stop? They cornered us at the magic shop, they tracked us to Pagan's, and they chased us into the night and across open fields. They seemed pretty determined. It didn't make sense for them to just stop.

Luke spun me around, his face inches from mine. "I have no idea what they're up to. I just know that last night they left us alone, and for that I'm grateful." He kissed me.

I kissed him back for a long moment, enjoying the feel of his lips against mine. Then I moved back. I needed to keep my head—we still had big problems to deal with.

He looked puzzled for a moment but then smiled. "I call first dibs on the shower. I know the cupboards are bare, but please tell me there's some coffee left somewhere in this house."

I couldn't help it—I felt myself grinning. "I'll go check if you promise not to use all the hot water."

***