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Caitlin and Shauna stood, walked to the podium, joined Fiona

The three of them joined hands

"There will be peace," Fiona announced "Prejudice and intolerance killed our parents, and we’re not going to let those attitudes win We can pros The killer will be found And the peace will not be broken As Granny Caldwell said, our city is er was exhausted He’d joined David after theto speak with those anted a word, and he felt disheartened

One of the olves was certain the killer was the vampire down the streetA vampire was certain it was his shapeshifter hairdresser

He stayed, he listened, he carefully noted every complaint and tried each time to remind the accuser not to cast suspicion unless they had evidence Because of course none of the accusers had anything approaching proof

Of course, he realized he had his own suspicions While he believed in Billy Harrington, the nagging knowledge that Billy did have akept him in the picture as a suspect

Mateas Grenard was a newcoenda

And thenany shapeshifter out there

It was nearly light when he made his way to the MacDonald house, and he realized he was so tired he could barely make the shift into the mist that would allow him to enter unnoticed

He slipped into Fiona’s bedroom and discovered that he was not the only one as exhausted

She was sound asleep, lying on one side of the bed, as if she’d been waiting for him but been unable to stay awake until he arrived

He watched her sleep Not even Abigail, as young and innocent as she was, had ever looked so beautiful, he thought Fiona’s hair was splayed out in a glorious golden halo around her perfect face Her lips were slightly parted,that he was drawn to touch them with his own

But he didn’t

He didn’t want to disturb her

She was lying on her side, her arms around a pillow, partially covered by the drape of the sheet, the beauty of one long leg bared to his view

He sat carefully on the side of the bed and shed his shoes and socks, jacket, gun and holster, then stood to discard the rest of his clothing He lay quietly down beside her but kept his distance, propped on his elboatch her

Just to watch her

He was hopelessly infatuated, he realized

No, this was farher sleep, in watching her breathe

A sudden chill shook him

She was blonde, with immense blue eyes She was beyond beautiful

She was the exact type the killer see the possibility of vaed tothat basic connection until now

He ently into his arms She stirred, and a h she seemed to know, in the depths of sleep, that he was there

And she was content to be in his arms

He suddenly knew that if she was ever threatened, he would not be a cop He wouldn’t even be a vampire He would be a man ould defend her in any way he could, with his very last ounce of strength and being He would die a thousand times for her, or follow her into eternity, if that here she chose to lead

Holding her close, he felt the beat of her heart

He was afraid, and he was renewed

And he kneould move heaven and hell to end the evil that had entered their world

Fiona awoke slowly, aware that she wasn’t alone, and basking in the co exactly where she was, in the coer’s arht that he would co, and sleep had won out over her deterhten around her, and she opened her eyes slowly to find that he atching her She smiled slowly

"You certainly hed "If you snored, I’e of vitality fill her, and she rolled, casting off the covers, to straddle him "Tell , he slid his hands up her torso He cradled her nape, drawing her down to him, and their lips met in a liquid kiss Before she knew it, he had shifted just slightly, arched, lifted her, and brought her slowly back down over his erection, drawing her closer, filling her co a wild and abandoned desire in her

His whisper touched her ear "I’m not sure if it’s early or late, so"

Then he moved

And she moved

And the world moved with them

In ainst hi how she had lived without this, without the sound of his voice, without him so solidly in her world

Her sheets felt softer, the sun shone brighter, than ever before

He kissed her quickly and rose

"Another day, and another reason to work quickly," he said huskily, then started toward the bathrooet the shower firstor too," she said, racing after him