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He lifted on brow. “Want to tell me about it?”

“I had this idea … I was thinking, what if the Methuselah Stone could make you human again? Think about it! We could have a baby of our own.”

“You want me to be human again?”

The excitement faded from her eyes. “Well, why not? I was a vampire for you for a long time.”

He nodded slowly. He couldn’t argue with that. But to be human again was the last thing he wanted.

“I guess it wasn’t such a great idea, after all.” Turning away from him, she picked up a wooden spoon and stirred the spaghetti sauce

“Kadie …”

Blinking rapidly to keep from crying, she said, “It’s all right. Forget I suggested it.”

At a complete loss for words, Saintcrow stared at her back.

He didn’t want to be human again. Even if it was possible, which was doubtful after so many centuries, there was no guarantee he would be able to father a child after such a long time, just as there was no guarantee that Kadie was still able to get pregnant.

Possible or not, it wasn’t something he wanted.

He liked being a vampire, enjoyed the power it gave him, the ability to do a hundred things humans couldn’t do.

He had forgotten how real food tasted, forgotten what it was like to be weak, vulnerable, sick, afraid.

He clenched his hands at his sides. The only thing he feared now was losing Kadie, something he realized might very well happen. What if she loved being human again more than she loved him? What if she decided that having a baby of her own was more important than their relationship?

He swore under his breath, felt a sudden, gut-wrenching rage as he imagined her in the arms of another man, bearing his child. Dammit ! He would kill any man who dared lay his hands on his woman. His wife.

Kadie felt his rage like a palpable presence in the kitchen.

For the first time in years, she was afraid of him again.

She told herself he loved her, that he would never hurt her, but at the moment, she couldn’t make herself believe it.

She knew about his past, knew what he was capable of when he was angry.

“Kadie, look at me.”

Slowly, she turned to face him, the wooden spoon clutched tightly in her fist.

“I can’t do it, Kadie. I can’t be human again, not even for you. I’ve been a vampire too long.”

Two sparkling tears slid down her cheeks. “I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry.” She turned off the stove, dropped the spoon in the sink, and removed her apron. “I’d like to be alone,” she said, and left the kitchen.

With his preternatural hearing, he heard her go up the stairs to the blue-and-white bedroom and quietly close the door. A moment later, he heard the muffled sound of her tears.

He was going to have to choose, he thought bleakly. A single lifetime with Kadie, or an eternity without her.

Feeling suddenly trapped, he transported himself to a nightclub in Cheyenne.

Saintcrow wasn’t surprised when Kincaid appeared on the barstool beside him. “What took you so long?” he asked wryly.

“You were so upset I wasn’t sure I wanted to be around you. What’s going on?”

“Kadie wants me to be human again. She figures since the Methuselah Stone made her human, it should work on me, too. She’s sure that if I was no longer a vampire, we could conceive a child.”

“She’s still on the baby kick, huh?”

“Yeah. She was content to adopt one until she thought about the Medallion.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m afraid she’ll leave me if I don’t let Izabela give the Methuselah Stone a chance.”

“You’re kidding!”

“She hasn’t said anything, but I’ve got the feeling we’re about to have separate bedrooms.”

Kincaid frowned. “I don’t think the Methuselah Stone had anything to do with her becoming human again. I think maybe it was an unexpected by-product of Luca’s curse that made it happen.”

Saintcrow shrugged. “Maybe. There’s no way to know for sure.”

“Do you really think Kadie would leave you after all you’ve been through together?”

“I’m afraid so. She has a legitimate argument.

She agreed to be a vampire to stay with me.

The least I can do is be human for her.” But he hated the idea, hated the thought of being weak and vulnerable, of growing old and helpless.

Dammit, he was one of the most powerful beings in the world, yet he was at the mercy of one human female.

Taking a deep breath, he went home to tell Kadie she’d won.

At least for now.

Kadie bit down on her lower lip when Saintcrow, looking grim, materialized in the bedroom. For a moment, neither one moved and then he sat down on the edge of the mattress and took her hands in his.

“You win,” he said, his voice flat. “I’ll ask Izabela if she can work her magic with the Medallion.”

“Do you mean it?” At his nod, she threw her arms around his neck. “I promise you won’t be sorry.”

“But you’ll still have to wait until Eleni is no longer a threat.

” He wondered what his sire was up to. It had been weeks since their last meeting.

Had she given up her determination to take him to her bed?

Found someone else? Dared he hope she had left Wyoming?

“I might be able to defeat her as a vampire, but there’s no way in hell I can do it as a mortal. ”

Kadie nodded. Eleni. How could she have forgotten about that despicable creature?