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I place e "Does that bother you?"

"Not at all I like older rin as she leans down to kissto decide how young I think she is "What is your age?"

"I’m twenty" I think she interprets the look on my face as a direct indicator of the distress I feel because she quickly adds, "But I’ll be twenty-one next month" As if one year really ood minute before I’er than Chansey" I re a relationship with a young girl I may have even called her a child but at least she turned out to be his intended Now I’irl and she isn’t o there I feel h"

"I know and I’ you’ve experienced in your short life I wish I could take it all away for you" She leans over and places her head on my shoulder She’s curled up like a child in my lap so I put my arms around her to hold her close "Don’t worry Vincent will never get to you again"

The"You don’t know that That monster could find me years from now"

I should tell her about the oath to protect her Maybe it’ll put her at ease knowing I’ve sworn to always be near her and keep her fro harmed "What do you know about sacred vows–I "

"I want you to look at ht and twists in my lap so she can see e It’s an oath that exists for the lifetihtly because it’s unbreakable and can’t be undone It’s a very old tradition but because there’s no going back, very few varasp it tightly Even if it’s only in the background, I’ll forever be a part of her life and I have no idea what her reaction will be "I’ve declared only one sacred vow in my two hundred and seventy-five years as a vampire It is to keep you safe at any cost"

I see her drawing a conclusion "By any cost, youyou if necessary"

She’s upset "No I don’t want that I’d never want you to die forit isn’t her choice toit"

"When did you do this?"

"The ht you to the coiven the choice"

She places her palainst my face "I can’t believe you did that for me"

I move her hand to my mouth and kiss it "I am your protector Always"

She leans forward and places her forehead against ainst ue into hertoward me at once I remember the way I felt when I kissed Lisette but it could never co this

Avery rises and turns so she may position a knee on each side of my hips She lowers herself to straddle er tap against the pulsation in her neck as she tilts her head to inviteShe wants ain I won’t but I lean forward to placevessel because I want to taste her skin

She places her hand on the back of ainst her throat "I want you to drink froain"

"It’s too soon"

"It’s not Twice in the sa to e blood loss but that isn’t the point "Fine isn’t good enough for loe connected like we did a few o"

Humans aren’tfrom you too soon is hazardous to your health and I think we just covered how co"

She sucks my lip into her mouth "You’d never hurt ht I wouldn’t and that’s why I won’t drink from you more than once every three days Your body needs time to coo that long without intertwining myself with you" A sad look comes over her face "Unless you don’t wantto pull that card on me "You don’t need to hear me tell you how ht I do" She puts her head on ainst my neck "Won’t you need blood more often than every few days?"

Not as of lately "I can do without"

"I don’t want you doing without You wouldn’t ask me to not eat"

She doesn’t understand what it’s like for ed "I don’t need as o three days between feeding"