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"How did you know?" she asked with a sigh "I didn't feel you in my head"

"Bite marks"

She touched her neck self-consciously She had barely been able to see thefor Thursday night dinner with the family

"There are only two vamps who can catch you Me and him, and I didn't do it," Xander added with some amusement "He scare you?"

"Yeah," she admitted "I didn't expect him to"

"But you're not satisfied"

"No"

They walked in silence for a few minutes Ashley didn't expect Xander to react so calrateful for it

"Get your fix of bad boys now I' you off to Damian's Texas ranch for a few years when this is over," Xander added

She hid a s his moody territoriality He was part of the reason she and Jonny hadn't gone to the Guardians already Xander didn't want his family used as pawns by anyone He ran interference with Damian for that purpose The result: she and Brandon had a pretty nor absorbed into the Guardian network

If he were conte back on his position, it was out of his concern

"I didn't think you'd be like this about it," she said

"You're playing a dangerous game, Ashley There are some actions that can't be undone I'd rather you never knohat thatin this direction"

She peered up at him once more Xander had the ability to see pieces of the future within a very narrow lane "You think sood, you don't walk aithout scars"

"Do you have scars?"

"Froods," he said with a rare smile "But I can handle the pain"

She sed hard It was the bluntest he'd ever been with her While it dae completely

It made her think she wasn't fully aware of what Jonny had beco ht of him

"He won't kill or vamp you," Xander added "He knows I'd find a way to destroy hientle lesson"

Recalling how hard he'd bitten her the second tiet caught again, to focus on attacking his vah it eance