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I need him to understand my actions.

Need him to understand I wasn’t trying to run away from him.

I want him, and I want to be with him.

Raphael sighs against my ear. “The sun did hurt you, but you didn’t feel it.”

I pull back enough to search his eyes. “What do you mean?”

His gaze immediately slides away, as if he’s afraid to meet mine. “I think it’s another one of your powers.”

“Powers?” I ask, even more confused now.

“All vampires have powers unique to them. Most of the powers come from gifts we had as humans,” he explains. “I think one of your powers is no longer feeling pain.”

I’d wonder why he won’t look at my eyes, but hearing I can no longer feel pain takes priority. After years and years of enduring it, I’m finally free?

“This is not necessarily a good thing,” he warns, and I sense his fear, his terror for me threatening to send him into a rage.

Fighting it back, he grabs my hand and kisses my fingertips one by one. “You have to be even more careful from now on. You must be more aware of your body. While we may be immortal, we can still die if we’re hurt badly enough and don’t heal ourselves with blood.”

Thinking on what he said, I frown. “Ambrose told me the sun wouldn’t kill me. Only hurt me and weaken me.”

His terror spikes again and he gives my index finger a hard bite. There’s no pain as his fangs sink into my skin until they touch my bone.

Only the tingling sparks of pleasure I experience every time he touches me.

Withdrawing his fangs, he bites his lip until it bleeds then kisses the spot he bit. I watch my skin knit back together with fascination.

“The sun won’t kill you itself,” he says. “But if you’re weakened enough, something else can. Do you understand? An animal, such as a bear, could have smelled your injuries and decided to kill you because you were in its territory. Or you could have stumbled upon a human hunting…”

He shudders as countless scenarios and possibilities flash through his head.

All ending with me dead.

Hating his distress, I reach up and grab his beautiful face. Then I turn his head until his dark eyes meet mine. “But you reached me in time. You saved me again.”

Sensing my words give him no comfort, I lean forward and push my mouth against his.

Giving him a tender kiss, I say into the bond,“Thank you.”

Sucking his bottom lip into my mouth, I resist the urge the bite him.“Thank you for always saving me.”

I run my tongue along the seam of his lips until he parts them. Before I can thrust my tongue into his mouth, his is plunging into mine.“Thank you for being everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I’ve ever needed…”

Groaning in a mixture of pleasure and pain, he pushes me back on the bed.

His weight pressing down on me, I gasp in pleasure.“I love you.”

He kisses me hungrily, like he’s trying to pour all of his love inside me.

And Ifeelit.

Feel it spilling into the mark over my heart and spreading behind my ribs.

Fulfilling me in a way I didn’t know I needed.

Pushing my own love back into him, I let him know I’m no longer afraid of it.