"what did you do to yourself?" she asked.

"what i had to do."

she pushed herself up and gripped my hand. she went into the bathroom and stared at her blood-stained lips. after cleaning her face, she emerged with a sad look.

"how much blood did you give me?" she looked green. "did i feed directly from your flesh?"

i shrugged. "no, i let the blood pour into your mouth. as for how much, i have no idea. i passed out."

she gently took my injured hand and kissed it. her eyes glistened. i wrapped my other arm around her waist and pulled her to me. i pressed my lips to hers and tasted salty tears. i wasn't sure if they were mine or hers. after a moment of joyful kissing, i checked her shoulder and was relieved to see the vampling bite had healed.

she jerked upright and put a hand to her cheek. "oh crap. i've got to text my parents. they're probably flipping out right now."

"what will you tell them?"

she grabbed her phone and entered the password, justin.

"my name is the password?"

she flushed crimson and gave me a stern look. "not another word."

i nodded as she tapped out a text to her mom: vampire trouble at morningside. taken care of. lost my phone or i would've texted sooner. sorry.

"will they buy it?"

she sighed. "i think so. it's not the first time something like that has happened." she leaned back against the headboard and focused those beautiful but tired eyes on me.

a question that had been simmering at the back of my mind burst out. "are you the one who killed the moggy a few nights ago and saved me?"

confusion clouded her face. "huh? a moggy?"

unless she was still dazed from almost dying, her expression convinced me. "uh, oh, nothing. i must have had a nightmare after i passed out. are you feeling okay?"

she nodded. "i thought we were going to die."

"so did i."

"i've never been so scared."

i squeezed her hand. "you were scared? you didn't look scared."

"you looked totally scared."

"no i did not."

she grinned. "you were wetting-your-pants scared."

"if i had to rank that on my all-time scare list it would probably rank a five. maybe a six."

her mouth dropped open. "you've got to be kidding me. a five or a six? what would you rank a ten?"

"clowns."

she giggled. it was music to my ears. "what do you want to do today?"

"how about a movie?"

"a movie?"

"you heard me. i have been chased by the undead, fought vampires, freed my dad from a crypt, and brought my super-hot vampire lover back from the dead by letting her drink my blood. man, i need something normal."

she pursed her lips. "i'm your super-hot lover?"

"yep."

"want to prove it to me?"

i locked the door to my bedroom. took her in my arms. kissed her and the world fell away.

"do you like the princess bride?" i asked.

"it's my favorite movie! do you have it?"

i kissed her again. the heat from her lips ran through my chest and tingled down to my toes. "of course i have that movie," i said after coming up for breath.

she smiled and pecked a kiss on my nose. "we should watch it."

i grinned back at her. "as you wish."