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Chapter 37
Edward's gun was pressed to Damien's head the next instant
"No!" I shouted, tugging at the ropes "Edward, you promised me you'd take care of him"
Edward frowned, confused "I a care of him"
"You know I didn't mean for you to kill him"
"I do?"
The roo at once
In the , Damien's eyes met mine I saw no one but him He'd revealed himself for me
Knowing Edward, he would die for it
"Silence," Elise snapped
Aly, everyone complied
"I don't need the blood of a live olf in hu
Her fingers held a full syringe "I already have it"
"Oops," Damien murmured
"Yes" Edward shoved the gun into Damien's ear "Oops"
"Take it outside," Elise ordered
"No" I struggled, again to no avail "Don't hurt him He's not what you think"
"Not the fanged and furry?" Jessie asked "What exactly does olf h?"
"He's different"
"That is what they all say," Edward murmured
"Why don't you tell us what you're talking about?" This was Will, a voice of reason always Despite his Forrest Gurow on me
"The broolf," I blurted "The one that was killing the others but not eating them"
"You?" Jessie asked Damien
He tried to nod, but it was a little hard with a gun in his ear
"Hi us"
"No, he's been helping Hector" Jessie drew her weapon
"He didn't know about the legend"
Jessie rolled her eyes "Are you that naive?"
My body stiffened as if I'd been hit with a cattle prod Every ed
I saw the one, and I lay there panting, aching, bleeding, but there was no blood
"I'd like to inject this before the first change," Elise said "Upsetting her is onlythat happen more quickly Perhaps we could let him live until I'm done here?"
"Fine, whatever" Jessie put up her gun
"Edward?" Elise murmured
Edward's gaze flicked toward her, then away "I will not shoot him Unless he makes me But I will not put away my weapon"
He reun from Damien's ear - barely With Edward, that was the best I could hope for
The fit, or whatever it had been, passed I was covered with sweat My skin seeled, as did the base ofa tail
"Get on with it," I ordered
Elise stuck e and shot every last drop into my vein
She pulled the needle out, pressed a cotton pad to the prick, lifted it, scowled "No blood," she murmured "The wound healed already"
"Is that good or bad?"
"I have no idea"
Oh, yeah, I was the guinea pig
I waited for so at all
Everyone stared at me I stared back We waited for what seemed like forever but was probably only an hour
"How do you feel, Leigh?" Elise asked for the fifth time
"Fine," I repeated
"Any strange visions, odd pains?"
"Not anymore"
"I'll stay with her," she said
"No," Edward stated, gun still pointed at Damien
"If she hasn't changed by , the serum works There's no reason for all of us to stay here Don't you have so to do?"
Edward glanced at Damien "Why, yes, I do"
"No!" I said "If the serum works, we can use it on him"
Daray-green depths I think it was hope
"She's right," Elise murmured
Edward scowled, but he lowered his gun "Do not make me come after you You will not like what happens then"
"I'h Ever"
"If the serum does not work, I will kill you"
"If the serum doesn't work, I'll let you"
The world receded, but at least I didn't smell the forest, hear the trees, feel the wind I didn't taste blood; I didn't even want to I had to sleep But before I did, just in case I never woke up, I wanted one last kiss
"Damien," I whispered
He knelt by the bed His fingertips brushed my hand I turned my face, and his mouth was there How had he knohat I wanted withouta word?
The kiss was gentle, sweet, everything I could ask for in a final eue tasted of mint -
fresh and clean, new He nibbledmy cheekbone
"Reverse Sleeping Beauty complex," Jessie muttered "His kiss puts her to sleep"
I fell into the satin darkness with a sled with mine
There was a tunnel or ht to stay away from - or perhaps run to
But the darkness was peaceful There was no one there but me No Jimmy, no family, but the best part
no Hector I went down that tunnel gladly and fell off the edge of the world
The next instant, or so it seeht of dawn shivered on the horizon I looked down I was still ood day
A soft footfall drew my attention to the door Damien stood in the entryway, barefoot, tousled, his chin shadowed, skin pale For an instant I wondered what had happened to the good doctor; then I realized I didn't care Daht now
"Did you sleep?" I asked
"Of course not"
"Wanna come to bed?"
His eyes widened His ed
"Untie me"
"Leigh - " he began
"Do it, Damien I won't bite" I let a slow smile spread across my face "Unless you want me to"
He crossed the roo down athim at a time like this - as the matter with me?
"You don't have to untie me," I muttered "Maybe you shouldn't"
"We can't - "
"We can I think we've proved that quite a few times"
"But we've never"
He was having a helluva ti
"Are you trying to say that we've never been together when I knehat you were and I knew that you knehat I was?"
He gave a half-laugh "So like that"
"Why do you think I want us to be together now?"
He lifted his eyes There was that hope again
"Why?" he whispered
I'd awoken this e bloodlust Maybe, one day, Daht have a future All I had to do was kill the demon anted to mate with me beneath the full moon
My life - what can I say? - it wasn't for sissies
"Why?" I repeated "Because I love you"
I hadn't planned to say that What if I had to shoot him? But what if he died - what if I did - before I told him the truth? At least Ji how I'd betrayed him
I pushed away the thought I needed to let the past go and focus on the future I'd been close to death and worse last night Every day froift
Dwelling on what I'd done, punishing et out of the game With Damien in my life, I knehich one I would choose
He knelt by the bed His clever fingers released the knots My hands went around his neck and pulled him close
"Tell ain," he demanded
"I love you"
Our lips , else No olves, no demons, no power eaters Just Damien and me - until Edalked in