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We don’t speak about what is coming. The Book of Arcainia scans and all other evidence of research have been put away.

Max arranged a two-week sabbatical from work, having given the excuse of addressing a family emergency.

Every day, he has taken me somewhere. We have made day trips to the mountains, seen underground caverns in Pennsylvania, and taken in a very loud, but fun, rock and roll concert at Madison Square Garden.

He has made sure that I have tried every cuisine possible.

I’ve tasted everything from amazing coffee from a street vendor to an award-winning crème brulee at a five-star restaurant.

I don’t think there is much left that I want to do before I go, except spend as much time with him as I possibly can.

We make love every evening, sometimes it’s slow and intimate, and sometimes wild and guttural.

It’s those nights I struggle to keep the demon inside from breaking through.

Twice now, I've growled at him, and my eyes have blackened more than a handful of times. Thankfully, he’s gotten pretty good at ignoring it when it happens.

I only have three days left, and as we arrive home from a romantic sunset carriage ride through Central Park, I sense a new tension between us. I suppose we need to talk about the plan to get me back to the crossroads portal. I’m not ready. I wish I could slow down time.

We ride the elevator in silence, and I catch him running his hand through his hair several times. He passes me a smile, but not with his eyes. As we enter the apartment, I know what’s coming.

He pulls in a deep breath as we make our way to the couch, exhaling loudly as he plops down onto his favorite corner spot. “I think you know what we need to talk about.”

I nod, taking his hand. “Yes, and it’s okay. You’ve made my time here better than I could have ever wished for. I feel like I have lived more in the last week alone than most do in an entire lifetime.”

He opens his mouth and closes it a few times, and his eyes are watery. “Daph, I’m so sorry.”

He covers his face with his hands, and his shoulders gently shake, ripping me apart. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Max. There is nothing you can do.”

His voice is muffled through his hands. “I gave up too easily. I should have tried harder.”

“Stop this,” I say firmly, and he slides his hands down to reveal his puffy, bloodshot eyes. I move closer to him and throw my arms around him. “This is not how I want to spend my last hours. I just want to be happy and snuggle with the man I love.”

His body tightens under my embrace. “You love me? Like, really love me?”

I’m confused because I thought it was obvious. I thought he knew. “Of course I do. And I feel as though you love me too, and that’s enough for me.”

“I have fallen in love with you, Daph,” he says quietly. “That just makes this all so much worse. I don’t want you to go. You’ve brought me back to life, and I don’t want to be without you.”

“Everything will be fine,” I say. “I don’t want to leave, but I am lucky that I got to experience any of this at all.”

“Lucky?” he scoffs. “This doesn’t feel lucky to me.”

I place a hand on his cheek and he leans into it, turning me to butter. “Yes. Lucky. But enough of all of this.”

He nods and drags the back of his hand across his eyes. “Is there anything special you want to do tomorrow? We have to leave before sunrise the next day, if we are to make it to the portal on time.”

“How about we stay in and make love all day?” I snuggle into his shoulder.

“And order all of your favorite foods?” he asks, his voice strong again.

“Sounds like the perfect last day to me,” I say. “In fact, I think we should start now. Race you to the shower?”

I pop off the couch, and he grabs at my waist, almost securing me, but I slip through and sprint for the bathroom.

“Cheater!” he yells, running to catch up. “You will pay for that.”

Reaching the bathroom, a split second before him, my eyes blacken as I turn to him, panting a raspy growl. “I wouldn’t mind a good spanking.”

A hungry smile creeps onto his face. “Oh, one of these kinds of nights. I like this kind.”

My heart pounds in excitement as I allow my dark side to stay and play. I’m about to give him a night he will never forget.