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Chapter One

I held id, aloof, as I stood in front of Aiden I didjust beneath the surface Could he see her? Was the disguise I wore translucent, fooling no one but me? It’d been a week since I last spoke to or saw Aiden In that ti better--stronger Or at least I told myself I was The pain of Aiden’s betrayal stemmed not just from that of a deceived lover, but also a friend For two years I’d known the ued and confided in one another It was that friendship that grew into a romance However short it’d been, it’d been real

Aiden was charis across his forehead, peeking over his thick lashes and curtaining his bright blue eyes He was a masterpiece, and he’d beento it Aiden’s particular tragedy was his addiction to witches’ blood, or Brew as the vampires call it Maybe it was an honest mistake--his addiction Or one birthed fro, the vampire was, Brew took no prisoners Aiden wasn’t any different As soon as the ue it owned hi his stint as a Brew addict, not only had he killed a witch out of bloodlust, but he’d knohatand didn’t tell me The witch’s death stemmed from the addiction The deceit about Ian Despereaux’s plan was just plain greed As a spirit walker, I’m connected to the realm of the dead Within the shadoorld, demons lurkVael, made his own children--va story short, since I can pop into the realhosts live but demons too, I aht I could be turned into what is known as a hybrid--half vampire, half witch I still wasn’t sure if there was any truth to his wild idea, but it was enough to entice Aiden’s curiosity He’d seen an opportunity forwas that in his hopes of keeping me forever, he’d lost ht But the longer I stayed in his presence, the more I realized it was a bad idea I could have just as easily said what I had to say via email or text God help ot to me I’m not a stupid, careless woman, or at least I try not to be I knew damned well that just because a lion looks cuddly doesn’t le up to it I only wish I’dmy heart to one Vampires are, for a lack of a better word, predators The virus that runs through their bloodstream is tainted with centuries of evil That’s not to say that all va to change its stripes As e So so lier--temptation That kind of pull will cause a person to do all sorts of crazy things For a vaood" vampires fro as their willpower

Now, I know it sounds like I’ve jun", but it’s so much more than that I don’t hold any ill will towards the vamps; I just knohat they’re capable of now Before, ed was biased, na&iuoing, they’re still death incarnate--just like the lion Where Aiden had lost me from his selfishness; I’d lost ht more with our hearts than heads

"Gwen Aiden’s voice was soft as he spoke ile heart I looked up, shoving the reaction out of et sidetracked by my e towards me I shuffled backwards, afraid of the effect his touch would have on ment I still loved him I wished that love could be dissolved just as quickly as trust But love, real love, held on It wouldn’t ht, he was etched withinto let go and turn e had into a memory Not so easy when the wound was still so fresh

I ether, before the chaos and lies, visited my mind My eyes blurred with unshed tears, and I cursed, that I could get through this and that I wouldn’t waste another second crying for what I’d lost Standing in front of the , not when he looked at me like that I couldn’t move past our relationship--move on from him The tears pooled until they spilled over and trailed down my cheeks Only, I had to--I had to clutch ontochanged the fact that I did not trust Aiden, and that ht have been the hardest pill to s

"There is nothing I can say," Aiden began, running a hand through his hair It was a nervous gesture I’d come to associate with him "Except, that you’ll never kno truly sorry I aret I could tell you excuse after excuse to hide what I did behind lovely and heartfelt words But the action has been done and no words will justify it" Aiden paused, taking a step forward and then backing away His fingers flex against the side of his thigh His eyes held a hint of yearning I wanted to reach out to him as much as he appeared to want to reach out to ers Once passionate for one another, ere noard and unsure

With a quick swipe of my hand, I cleared the tears fro It reithin ht It wasn’t the first ti, and it wouldn’t be the last Aselse, it would fade

"Are you still drinking?" I ed to ask The NAWC (North A around the clock to fix the spell that protected our blood News of rapevine The addicts were desperate to get one last taste of what ran through our veins Unfortunately, replacing the spell was trickier than the NAWC expected, and it was taking longer to procure our safety

"If I ansould you even believe me?" Aiden asked

He had a point "Huic and force hiic to obtain what he should rightfully give seeain my trust for him if I had to steal it

"I have not had a sip since--"