Another gut feeling proven to be valid. At this rate, Elijah would soon be able to predict everything.

“You will not shoot him,” the vampire said in that raspy voice of hers, suddenly in front of Casey. She waved a hand near the girl’s face, opal ring catching beams of moonlight and casting rainbow shards in every direction.

Casey froze, so still Aden couldn’t even see her breathing.

“You will drop the gun and leave, your memory wiped clean of this event.”

There was no hesitation as Casey obeyed. The gun plopped harmlessly to the ground; she turned and walked away, never once glancing back. Aden was both in awe and embarrassed. Victoria’s powers were greater than he’d realized. And he’d just been saved by a girl. He should be the one doing the saving.

“What the—” Ozzie began.

“You, too, will leave, your memory wiped clean of this event.”

The dreg’s eyes glazed over and he, too, turned and walked away.

“I need him to remember,” Aden said. Otherwise, when they both awoke with bruised and battered faces, Ozzie would know they had to have fought, but wouldn’t know he’d lost to Aden. Aden wanted him to have that knowledge. To be afraid of coming after him. Afraid of retaliation.

Reluctant, Victoria nodded. “Very well. I shall return his memory to him by morning.”

“Thank you. For everything.” Aden’s gaze slid over her. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and the long, thick length of it hung over her shoulder. Her lips were pink rather than their usual red. “How’d you find me?”

“You’re bleeding,” she said rather than answering. Or maybe that was the answer. As she spoke, her eyes began to darken, black pupils overshadowing blue irises. Closer and closer she floated to him. But she stopped herself just before reaching him and backtracked. Looked away. “I shouldn’t have revealed myself.”

“I’m glad you did.”

Her gaze returned to him. Or rather, to the blood trickling from the bleeding cut on his lips. “I can stop the bleeding, if you’d like.” Her tongue flicked over her sharpening fangs. “It…it won’t mean anything. It’s just something I can do.”

He wasn’t sure how she planned to stop it, but he found himself nodding.

“I won’t…will try not to…hurt you. I’ll be gentle. Won’t be an animal.”

He wasn’t sure whether the words were meant for him or herself, but once again she approached him. And then her mouth met his, pressing softly, gently, utterly warm, her tongue once again flicking out and wiping the crimson beads away.

He stood very still, savoring the feel of her, that honeysuckle scent. He had to fist his hands at his sides to keep from grabbing her and holding on forever. Where she licked, he tingled…ached…but it was a good ache. Don’t stop, he thought. Never stop.

But stop she did. She raised her head, eyelids at half-mast, expression blissful. “Delicious.”

“You can have more if you want it,” he croaked out, tilting his head to reveal more of his neck. If this was how he would feel when she bit him, he was ready.

“Yes, I—no.” She shook her head and backtracked again. “No. I can’t. Why did you let me do that? Why would you ask me to do it again? Have you no sense? Do you want to be my blood-slave? Addicted to my bite, unable to think of anything else?”

“I won’t become addicted,” he said, praying it was true.

“How do you know?”

He didn’t have an answer, so he ignored the question. “Does being bitten hurt?”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly. “I’m told it can feel quite wonderful,” she said—and then she disappeared.

He blinked, tried not to panic. Looked left, right.

“But liking it will be the least of your worries,” she said from behind him.

He spun.

Victoria had one shoulder pressed against the trunk of a tree. “You shouldn’t tempt me to do it, you know.”

He sighed. “Would drinking from me once cause me to become a slave?”

“No. It takes multiple feedings. But I will not bite you.” There at the end, her voice rose with determination. “Ever.”

“All right.” He studied her, doing his best to keep his heartbeat under control. She looked ready to bolt and never return. Dropping the subject seemed wise. For the moment. No reason to tell her that she would indeed bite him, whether she changed her mind or not. “How did you move so quickly?”

“All of my kind are able to do so.” With barely a breath, she added, “What are you doing here, Aden? This forest is dangerous for humans.”

Why was the forest dangerous for humans? When he realized what he’d just pondered, he shook his head. It was weird being referred to as a human. Even though that’s what he was. “I was looking for you. You left so quickly the other night and I have so many questions.”

“Questions I probably can’t answer.” She plucked a leaf from the tree, crumpled it in her hand and dropped the pieces. They floated to the ground, twisting and twirling.

Curious as he was, he couldn’t allow himself to give up. Rather than push, however, he decided to ask something innocent, something easy. Hopefully, answering him would become second nature to Victoria so he could then tackle the tougher questions. His doctors had used that method on him a time or two.

“Why do you wear robes? I would think you’d want to wear something modern and blend in.”

“Blending in has never been our goal.” She shrugged. “Besides, robes are what my father prefers.”

“And you always do what he says?”

“Those who disobey him end up wishing they were dead.” She turned away. “I should go.”

“Don’t,” he rushed out, stepping toward her. “Wait. Stay with me. Just a little longer. I’ve…missed you.”

That’s not treating a girl like crap, Caleb suddenly piped up.

We’ve talked about this, Eve said. Your crap theory is crap.

Aden’s jaw clenched. “Please, Victoria.”

She stopped, faced him. A thousand different emotions seemed to fight for dominance over her features. Hope, regret, happiness, sadness, fear. Finally, hope won. “Come,” she said. “I want to show you something.”

She held out her hand. He wondered what had caused such turmoil inside her, but he didn’t hesitate to close the distance between them and twine their fingers. The heat of her skin nearly singed him as she led him through the forest, deeper and deeper, the trees thickening around them.

“You’re so hot,” he said, then, to his horror, felt himself flush. “I don’t mean you’re pretty. Wait. You are. Pretty, I mean. Beautiful. I just meant your temperature is hot.” Could he sound any lamer?

“Oh, sorry.” She jerked from his hold.

“No, I like it.” Apparently, he could. He twined their fingers again. “I was just wondering why you’re so…um, hot.”

“Oh,” she said again, relaxing against his hold. “Vampires have more blood than humans. A lot more. And not just because of what we consume. That’s why our hearts work at a greater speed.”

They rounded a corner. He didn’t recognize the area, the leaves hanging from the branches so bright a red it almost looked as though the trees were bleeding. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

He hated adding to the distance between him and the ranch, just in case Dan awoke and came gunning for him, but he didn’t protest. Being with Victoria was worth the risk. Any risk.

His ears perked when he heard the nearby rush of water. “There’s a river here?”

“You’ll see,” she repeated.

They broke through a tangle of foliage and what could only be a bathing pool came into view. Boulders were stacked at one side, water cascading from them, bubbling and frothing at the edges. His jaw dropped.

“This was nothing more than a puny pond when I arrived,” Victoria said. “I worked all week to stack the rocks. Riley, my bodyguard, rerouted the water for me.”

Riley. Her bodyguard. He must be the boy Aden had seen her with that morning at the ranch. Which meant they weren’t brother and sister. Worse, they probably spent a lot of time together.