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"No If he did, it would change their feelings toward each other It is a different kind of relationship and would break their connection as lovers"

"Soed He doubted there were any ie Cirilda Any vampire who sired her would have her loyalty and an unbreakable bond for eternity, possibly interfering with her loyalty to him "She may not want to become a vampire, Natalie I don’t know"

"What will happen to her?"

"I iine he will take care of her until she dies, unless she wants to leave He is an honorable man" Why was she so troubled? "Are you worried about her?"

She shook her head and moved farther away from him, which displeased him "No It’s none of "

"I, uh…" She stood up and grabbed her purse "I’ soon?"

She was lying, but she did have a point They had little tieles, find a safe place to keep her, then speak to his father Ernesto wouldn’t be pleased, but there was little he could do about that This problem of the murdered humans had landed on his father’s back porch, courtesy of a visitor froe to Ernesto’s authority froerous test from the cartel Either way, the time for sentiment was over His father would have to deal with this, and he’d have to speak to Baojia

"Wow" Her laugh was tense and nervous "Whatever it is we have to do tonight, it doesn’t see forward to it"

He stood up and walked to the kitchen to leave a note for Tulio Who knehen the vaet on the road We have a long way to drive tonight, and I have athat can’t be put off Our host won’t mind if we see ourselves out"

She was quiet in the car all the way to Los Angeles She was quiet as they exited the freeway in Pasadena and headed toward Matt and Dez Kirby’s house She was just… quiet Baojia alain His mind raced back to their kiss That hen her behavior had changed But she wanted hih she had backed away from his bite, she had been as affected by it as he had been He was certain

But perhaps he had been wrong Perhaps she still feared hiht sickened hi

"Natalie?"

"Hmm?" She t kHmmeles, finurned her head toward him, a polite distance in her eyes, and he realized rong Their kiss on the couch in Tulio’s cave had affected her But then ca about Natalie, it was that she didn’t ask needless questions

What will happen to her?

She hadn’t been asking about Cirilda; she’d been asking about herself