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“Really?”

“She liked me and I thought why not?”

It had been a little more than that. She had figured out that though girls were fun to flirt and mess around with, she wasn't cut out for a relationship with one.

Cian just arched an eyebrow. “We should head out now. The bartender has noticed your last two trips in here. ”

“I'll be the talk of the club,” she laughed.

“Something like that,” he agreed. “But we were more conspicuous with me coming in here with you. ”

Licking the rest of the blood from her teeth and sucking on her bottom lip, she shrugged, then nodded. “Yeah, true. ”

Cian's hand reached out and pulled her toward him. She went willing to him, knowing what he would do. His cool tongue slowly licked the blood off her chin and the edges of her lips. Her own tongue flicked out to touch his and he pulled away quickly.

Despite his grim expression, she could feel his desire to pull her close and bite her throat and taste the rich blood that now flowed through her. Pressing herself past his restraining hands, she rested her forehead against his and laid her hands on his shoulders.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

His mouth brushed over hers, then he easily slipped past her and snagged her hand. Pulling her behind him, they plunged back into the club and the tightly packed crowd parted for them without hesitation.

When they got outside, Cian kept walking quickly, pulling her along behind him.

“I told you I would fuck up your life,” Amaliya said to his back.

He let go of her hand, turned around, and his hazel eyes flashed at her. “I'm the one keeping you in my city. It's my mistake to make. ”

“Why are you keeping me here? Why don't you call your old boss up and say, 'Hey, guess who's here. Come get her!'. Or don't you have his number?”

“We both know he already knows you're here. He's probably watching us right now. My question is how long will he let us both go without interfering. ”

Amaliya blinked a few times, then said, “Oh, shit. ”

“You seem to forget that we are made of the same blood and we are both his little toys. He's left me alone for a very long time and now having you here has drawn his attention back to me. I am in danger, too. And probably the faster I teach you our ways, and then set you free, the better it will be for

me. Maybe he'll find my interference amusing. ”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“No one helped me. I told you that before. ” He shook his head and walked on. “I'm trying to help you because no one helped me. ”

Hurrying to catch up, she fell into step with him as they walked down the darkened street. They avoided 6th Street this time and ended up walking up a barely populated back street.

“Thanks,” she said, and meant it. He was risking a lot and he had that cute little thing back at his apartment that was madly in love with him. Amaliya wanted to feed from him again as he fed from her, but she couldn't' say she even liked him that much. She was drawn to him despite him being completely not her type, but she wondered if that had to do with blood and power.

“You're welcome,” he said after a moment.

Her fingers nudged his palm and his hand closed over hers. They walked along in silence for a few minutes.

“Sorry I made Samantha upset. ”

“She has a right to be. You have awakened in me long dormant aspects of myself. ”

Amaliya pondered this. “Huh?”

“I've been playing human for a long time. You make me remember that I am a vampire in every sense of the word. That is why you need to learn to take care of yourself and leave. ”

Though his words hurt her, she understood completely. Fighting back the sense of rejection, she nodded. “Yeah. I know. ”