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A her, staking that claim

Mine, mine, mine No secret Not to him, and not to his de left, he col apsed atop her

She didn’t coround, as depleted as he was He barely le his body so that he wouldn’t crush her, but he didn’t move off her al the way, didn’t pul out of her He here he belonged, and he was loath to lose the connection

Hurting?

Her eyes were closed, the long length of her lashes creating a fan of shadows over her cheeks "No

Dead" He chuckled Then h she had to do rays "So I am your woman?"

His humor drained in the face of her doubt Noays

"Wil you--?" She licked her swol en, wel -kissed lips "Wil you say the words, then?"

He smoothed his hands over her brow, not surprised to note that he was shaking He had needed the words, so it stood to reason that she did, as welHe was ashamed he hadn’t said the her declaration but not offering his own I love you, Haidee I love you so h he’d never felt her stiffen "Do you forgive o?"

Sweetheart What is there to forgive? You were as consumed by your demon as I was by mine

Tears sprinkled from the corners of her eyes, then rained down her cheeks, streaking down her lovely skin "My de those words in conjunction with myself"

But it’s true You took a piece of Hate, but didn’t know to purge it That piece bonded with you, became a part of you

That piece drove you

She placed her palm over his heart "Your friends wil never understand that They’l never accepther to peer up at him You’re first with me They’l accept that or they’l lose me

"But I don’t want you to lose them You need them"

I need you

"What if I accidently take their demons?"

You won’t

"How can you be sure?"

Just like with me, you won’t want to Therefore you won’t

"You trust me that much?"

Yes

Her ar her to bury her face in the hol ow of his neck The tears continued to flow, icy crystals that broke his heart Her lithe body rocked against hi, sweetheart? I wanted to make you happy, not sad

"I am happy I’ve never been first before I mean, for a while, with uess, and before my sister was born But then, when Hate tortured theed him to take me, and that hurt me Here, now, I know you’l always put me first and I shouldn’t let you do that Not for , I know, but if I let you do this, you’l just be unhappy later on"

He rol ed to his back, fitting her atop him like a wel -placed puzzle piece Unhappy? Why, are you planning to leave reedy"

He found hiot you, I can never be unhappy

"Your friends--"

Wil accept you Or else, he thought

Secrets remained quiet Perhaps the demon knew the truth of their reactions, perhaps not Either way, A in his power to ensure his friends did, in fact, accept his woo He’d o If they threatened her, he’d go--but he’d hurt them before he did If they tried to make him choose between them and Haidee, they’d lose No question

His heart beat for this woman He lived for this woman

She’d endured travesty after travesty when she only deserved pleasure He would now provide that pleasure

Nothing would stand in his way

She was arit, courage and deter herself as wel as the forces poised against her With Hate a part of her, she probably shouldn’t have been able to love--by her own adain she had proven just how aer than the darkness inside her

He held her until she settled, caressing her and whispering to her, then kissed her te away, sweetheart, and I’ you I’m with you, now and always, just like I said

"How can you love me?" she asked between hiccups

How can you love me?

"I just do You’re a part of ain, and he felt her chil y sigh