kerestyan regained control of his dark side just as his fangs scraped logan's throat. he closed his eyes and slowly pulled back from her neck, all while sternly reminding himself that before he engaged with her again, they needed to have a very serious discussion about a vampire's beast.

he released her wrists and opened his eyes, not at all surprised by the dazed expression on her face. "i'm sorry, logan. if i'd known you intended to use that method of coaxing, i would have advised otherwise."

"wow."

he chuckled. "i take it you approve?"

she smiled wide. "wow."

he carefully separated their bodies and set her on her feet. "i'll gladly take that breathless admission as a yes."

she stepped away on shaky legs and tipped her head back under the water. after pushing her wet hair out of her eyes, she arched a brow at him. "did you bite me that time?"

he stared at the droplets cascading down her face, still flushed and pink from their last session, then followed as they fell from her cheeks and slid down her chest, converging between her beautiful breasts.

he blinked and raised his eyes when he heard her repeat the question. "no, logan." he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, knowing it was a far safer place than her lips. "when i bite you, you'll know."

her eyes slid down his body, lingering just below his waist as he slowly backed away. "are you leaving?"

he forced the shifting animal down when she licked her lips before meeting his eyes. "if i stay here with you, we'll never make it to the meeting on time. you have five minutes to bathe and get dressed. meet me in the living room when you're finished."

kerestyan turned and walked away after she nodded and stepped back under the spray. if he watched her naked body any longer, they might never get out of the bathroom.

he rubbed a hand down his face as he opened the door to his room and made his way over to his closet. nervousness clawed its way up his spine as he chose his clothes and tossed them on the bed before entering his bathroom.

surely his father would see the raw potential in logan and allow her to serve the nelek family, if not become a full member of it. he couldn't resign her to death, not when vouclade, the second eldest, had found enough reason to comment on her intellect and superior survival abilities.

she deserved, if nothing else, a chance to prove her worth.

she'll do fine. kerestyan nodded ascent to the voice in his mind then quickly showered, dressed in his perennial black button down shirt and black slacks, then made his way to the living room. he stepped out of the kitchen to find logan sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

she stood up and grinned as she smoothed the arms of her tight black sweater. "what took you so long? did you need a little extra shower time?"

he smiled at her. "i have more hair to deal with than you do."

she actually wagged her eyebrows. "only on your head."

he reached out and curled a finger around one of her belt loops then tugged her to him. "now is hardly the time to discuss my personal grooming techniques. besides, it became rather obvious after our kitchen rendezvous that you indeed found the razor odin waxed so poetic about."

she responded by burying her face in his chest like an ostrich.

with precious seconds ticking away, kerestyan wrapped his arms around logan and concentrated on nelek castle. it was only after he felt the cold winds begin to swirl around them that he let his thoughts return to the woman shivering in his arms.

under no circumstances would he stand by and allow her to be killed, even if it meant facing the very man who created him so long ago. because not only had logan ellis found a way to survive when the odds were overwhelmingly stacked against her...but she was slowly filling what was once a very dark and very empty place in his ancient heart.

chapter 10

"you can open your eyes now, logan. it's over, i promise."

logan unburied her face from kerestyan's chest and tipped her head back, trying to focus on his wavering image instead of the furious churning of her stomach. "i think i'm gonna puke."

his lips formed a fuzzy smile. "i'm sorry. i should have warned you it would last substantially longer than before. it takes a little more time to get from new york to chicago than it does to get from one side of a city to the other."

she pushed away from him and swayed before she bent over, head firmly tucked between her knees. "you definitely should've warned me." she sucked in a series of deep breaths then blew them out, uncaring that her cheeks puffed out like an angry blowfish. she groaned and clutched her cramping abdomen. "oh, god, kerestyan, you really, really should have warned me."

he rubbed her back, his strong fingers tracing her spine. "just breathe and try to focus on something else for a few minutes. you'll be fine."

she stared down at the snow covered sidewalk and gulped more frigid night air. finding something else to focus on that wouldn't make her vomit was a lot easier said than done, especially because all she could think about were the possible repercussions the impending meeting would have on her life.

if she had a life when it was over...

the thought of dying didn't make for an effective antacid.

"she is gonna puke on dad's boots, isn't she?"

logan cringed when she heard odin's loud, almost giddy sounding voice somewhere behind her. he was the last person, mythological legend or not, she had the patience to deal with right now.

she straightened then slipped behind kerestyan and leaned back against him. "tell him i'm having menstrual cramps. tell him i'm pms-ing. tell him i'm in love with him and want to have his baby."

his shoulders tensed. "why would i tell him any of that, most importantly the latter?"

"that's the kind of shit that makes any sane member of the male species take off running. and they don't even look back. i've seen it, kerestyan. they'll practically chew off their own appendages to get away from a diamond or midol wielding woman."

"hey, bones, if you love me and you're bleeding..."

"odin," kerestyan growled. "don't even think about finishing that sentence. logan is not bleeding, nor does she love you. she's simply having a few minor difficulties adjusting to our method of travel."

"oh." odin's black eyes peeked at her from around kerestyan's shoulder. "would a glass of water help? i can have alfred bring one out for you."

she cast a quick glance down the desolate, tree lined street, feeling a sudden and overwhelming urge to run away as fast as her legs would carry her. "why are you being nice to me?"

his eyes narrowed. "considering you're about two hundred yards away from satan himself, i thought it would be a polite gesture. but if you'd prefer i antagonize you for what could possibly be your final moments, i'd be happy to oblige. now, do you want a glass of water or not?"

final moments... she ignored the new flutters in her stomach. if he was trying, as strange as it was, she might as well return the favor. "i don't think putting anything into my body is a good idea right now, but thank you for the offer."

"you're welcome. i hate to be the bearer of bad news and all, but you really shouldn't keep him waiting. technically, you've only got about three minutes."

logan squeezed kerestyan's hand when he laced his fingers between hers and gently pulled her around to face him. he gazed down at her, his blue eyes burning with emotions she couldn't place. "are you ready?"

she did her best to offer him a confident smile, but ended up shaking her head. "honestly, no." she reached up and smoothed the cascade of black hair spilling over his shoulder. "i was just starting to come to terms with being your prisoner, lord vampire."

she shivered as he brushed the backs of his warm fingers down her cheeks before curling them behind her neck. he pressed his forehead to hers then closed his eyes and inhaled the steam her breath created as it mingled with the cold air.

he didn't say anything. he didn't move. he just stood there, his soft lips barely touching hers, breathing in her breath as though he needed it as much as she did.

"oh man, you two aren't gonna start necking like two horny teenagers, are you?"

for the first time since she'd met him, logan felt a surge of relief when odin's snide voice interrupted. there was something about the intensity rippling the air around kerestyan as she gazed up at him, something about the way her skin tingled and leeched the heat from his fingertips that made her feel strange and uncomfortable.

when he finally smiled, she turned in his arms and locked on odin. just because she appreciated his rude but timely comment, that didn't mean she intended to let it go. "there's no need for necking right now." she swung her hand down and smacked kerestyan's muscular thigh before she squeezed extra hard for effect. "i defiled your delicate flower of a little brother before we got here." when odin's nose began the wrinkling process, she rubbed her teeth together and growled, "twice."