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“The anger and the shaking… it’s gone. Why?”

* * *

Jericho remainedsilent since it was difficult to speak with fangs that had yet to recede. Keeping his back to Alex, he avoided her probing gaze. He needed a minute to compose himself without her sympathic abilities nosing in on his emotions.

He reached for the spatula and pulled away, clenching his fist. Damn it, nowhishands were shaking. He never should have let things go so far. All his noble intentions had flown out the window the second her legs circled his hips. His pulse leapt at the memory of her response, the way she melted in his arms.

She’d had a natural response to the venom in his bite. Nothing more. Not that it had mattered at the time. He swallowed the lump of acid at the back of his throat. Alex was Liam’s, and he’d been seconds from stripping his shirt from her curvy body. With little but a scrap of silk to deter him, he could have easily buried more than his fangs in her.

Colin’s words rang in his ears, taunting him.“What are you waiting for? I mean, I realize she was Liam’s and all, but she’s yours now. He gave her to you.”

Jericho shook his head, rejecting the dishonorable thought.

As though his body’s reaction wasn’t enough, his hunger for her had been two-fold and twice as hard to resist. Gods, the taste of Alex on his lips. He figured his first feeding with her would be intense, even more so with her being a sympath and his Chosen. But he hadn’t been prepared for this. No wonder Sivanah had never allowed him to feed from her.

All vampires formed a bond with their prey while feeding, drawing nourishment from both the body and the soul. Connecting with Alex had been shattering. Her appeal… It wasn’t just her taste. It was something deeper, her very essence. And his darker instincts had urged him to take it all.

I am better than this.

“Jericho?” Alex’s voice tore him from his thoughts. “Is everything okay?” Her bare feet smacked the tile after she scooted off the countertop.

“Yes.”No.

“Next time you’re feeling peckish, a warning would be nice.”

Jericho frowned. Why did she sound so calm? She should be railing at him for his loss of control. He deserved her anger. Hell, heneededher anger.

“You were already suffering. I didn’t want to waste time explaining. Besides, it was the fastest way to silence you.” He braced for the explosion. Five, four, three—

“Fair enough,” she muttered.

Alex was agreeing? He threw a cautious look over his shoulder to see she leaned against the counter, playing with a lock of her hair.

“So, um, about that. I’d like to apologize.” Horror flashed in her eyes. “I mean, for before, with the coffee. Not the other. Okay, well, maybe for the other, um…too. God.” She slapped a palm to her forehead, her cheeks flaming as bright as her red mane.

Who was this softer Alex, and what was she talking about? Was she light-headed from blood loss?

She lowered her hand and met his dumbfounded stare. “Anyway, I was just so miserable and angry. I’ve no idea what came over me. It was unfair to take my frustration out on you. It wasn’t your fault, and I’m sorry,” she said in a rush.

Now she was apologizing? He may have enjoyed the moment if not for the guilt cinching tight around his chest. “Yes, it was.”

“What?” she asked, not understanding.

He rubbed his face. It seemed Liam had kept her in the dark on several things. There was a good chance she wouldn’t like the explanation. “Sit down at the kitchen island, and we can talk while you eat.” And he could stop ogling her shapely legs. The ones she’d wrapped around his… Shit.Focus, dammit.

He filled a plate and slid it in front of her. She gaped at the mountain of food. “How many women were you planning to feed this morning?” The corner of her mouth lifted in a little smirk.

“Just you.” He caught himself staring at the teasing curl of her plump lips. He hadn’t seen her smile since before the shooting.She used to smile at Liam that way.At the reminder, his enjoyment dimmed.

She scooted the food around her plate, mumbling between mouthfuls. “So, how is it that a vampire knows how to cook, anyway?”

The innocent question had a less-than-innocent answer. There had only been a handful of females he’d brought to The Pound. Drawn to the darkness they’d sensed in him, they’d been all too eager for what he’d offered. After an evening of hard sex and feeding, it only seemed fair he provide for them in return. Once they’d beencompelled, he’d sent them on their way with a satisfied smile and no memory of what had put it there. No attachments, no emotional entanglement. Simple.

He refilled Alex’s coffee cup rather than meet her eyes. “I’m afraid my skills are limited to bacon, eggs, and pancakes. On occasion, I’ve had guests who’d stayed here until morning.” He returned with her cup and discovered her fork frozen halfway to her mouth.

“Right.” She swallowed with an audible gulp. “How considerate.”

She shook her head like she was trying to gather her thoughts. “So, are you going to tell me what happened to the aches and pains I’ve experienced the last couple of days?”