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Don’t leaveburned in answer A single heartbeat, weak and uncertain Elation tre harshly, she dove deeper

"I need you! I love you! Don’t leave er this tiy was beginning to creep through her body, sucking the strength fronored it

Live, da the last of her energy, the last of her strength into him

Then the darkness claimed her, and she knew no ainst the wall and watched the dawn rise through the lace-shielded s Fro--Nikki’s heartbeat, recorded by the intensive care instru at last

Not that he needed the instruments to hear her heart The de sluain

He shuddered and clenched his fists against the need beating through his soul Three days had passed since he’d awakened and found her lying still and pale by his side, her life still hot on his lips He’d co her

He’d never thought to warn her against offering her blood It was the one thing he’d never expected her to try She ht share his life force and be impervious to most wounds, but he could still kill her He was her h his hair His need to taste her again was growing He had to get out of this hospital, had to go somewhere far away fro his deer risk to Nikki than Jasper had ever been The door to his left opened, and Jake entered Though he still wore the thick white bandage around his neck, hisacross to her bed

"Alive" Like a siren song, the pounding rush of blood through Jake’s veins called to the darkness in hithened in anticipation Michael sed and looked out the

"I was just talking to the doctors They said she’d lost alhty percent of her blood They have no idea how she ed to stay alive"

She was lucky she’d only lost eighty percent Lucky he’d awakened in time to stop his demon

"Don’t suppose you’d like to explain how it happened? I mean, you don’t take human blood, do you?" He didn’t have to turn to see Jake’s bitterness and sudden hts

"I was unconscious, probably dying She cut her wrist and offered it to ave me life"

"And you almost killed her in the process!"

Michael closed his eyes "Yes," he said softly