Cassie rolled her eyes. “Boys.”

“Yeah, that was a long time ago.” He cleared his throat.

“Tell me about your parents.”

“They died in a car accident when we were all young.”

 “The coroner and police said the drunk driver was going at least a hundred and twenty. He hit mom and dad and smashed their car like a pancake, sent them flying off the road. They didn’t stand a chance.” Cassie knew that lykaens were strong but could still die under serious impact. No one was above death.

“I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. Your turn,” he shot a look straight into her. “Tell me about your family.”

Cassie wanted to crawl under the covers and die. He’d shared though and if she wanted to help him then she had to open up a little about herself too. She thought over her words carefully before speaking.

“My mother died in childbirth but probably not in the way you’re thinking. She had just given birth to me, the nursemaid was cleaning me up, and then Anton barged in. He was...well the story goes that my mother had an affair with him while mated to my father. She ended things to be with my father but Anton didn’t like that. Apparently, he also was homicidal because he murdered my mom with a knife to the heart just seconds after she pushed me out, and then he murdered the nursemaid. The guards said that when they got there he was just about to kill me too. They got to him first, luckily. I guess.”

“Where the hell was your father?”

“He was negotiating a treaty with another vampire clan or something like that. I don’t really remember. No one saw it coming though. He was a wreck after that. I grew up with him for five years before he finally gave up and committed suicide.”

Cassie couldn’t look at him. She smiled softly even as her heart broke. She’d been the told the stories so many times by the workers around the house. It was like she could remember these things actually happening as if she’d been there. She honestly couldn’t though. She was too young. The only memories she had of her father would good ones and for that, she was thankful.

Tears blurred her vision so she rolled away from him on the cot.

“It looks like we’ve both suffered the loss of loved ones.”

Cassie snorted. “What a way to get to know someone. I should have just asked you your favorite color instead.” She heard the soft, gentle sound of his laughter and the tight vice around her heart eased.

Of course there was always one thing she’d never understood. One thing that no one had ever been able to explain to her. Why her father had promised to marry her to Daniel when she turned twenty-five.

She missed her dad so much, and yet he was the cause of her problems right now. A thought hit her. Pulling her lip between her teeth, she nibbled on it. Could she do it? She glanced over at the dark lykaen sitting in front of the flames. For him, she could. Before she had to go, she had to help him. Cassie shoved the nasty thought aside with brutal force. She realized during her conversation with the lykaen just what she had to do.

The one time he was vulnerable to her was when she pleasured him. At least that was the road she was willing to take, because this whole baring your soul thing was too rough for her.

She had no idea if her plan would work, but she was thrumming with excitement to find out.

Darien, get ready to have your socks knocked off.

It took hours before Darien’s eyes closed and he finally drifted off to sleep. Cassie whispered a thank you that at least he had moved to the floor and not stayed in that blasted chair. Her plan would hardly work otherwise.

She crawled down next to him, gingerly testing the floorboards for squeaks. When it was safe, she laid down, resting her head in his lap as gently as possible. When he didn’t move, she sighed. The man really was a heavy sleeper. She almost laughed remembering how bad she’d been before. She’d never put her mouth on a man that way before and damn if she didn’t like it.

The idea of waking Darien up again by sucking his cock had her nipples tightening into points. She sighed. Soon, my lykaen. Soon.

She relaxed against his big warm body and drifted off to sleep with him. Tomorrow she’d start her seduction.

The second she fell into the dream world, he was there. His eyes were cold as he stalked towards her. She started to take a step back but he grabbed her shoulders.

“I saw you today. I’m close, Cassandra. I’m going to find you.”

She shook her head. “No!”

“Come back to me now. I won’t hurt you, you have my promise.”

Her wretched laughter grated on her own ears. “I remember how well you keep your promises. You might keep them in one way but you still punish in others.”

He pulled back his hand and slammed his fist into her face. Her head snapped back and sharp, hot, blooming pain burst around her nose and mouth. It was only a dream, yet the pain felt so real. He had the power to make it that way just like he had the power to invade her dreams.

“Where are you sleeping at, Cassandra?”

“In a tiki hut.” He pulled her hair hard, ripping several strands out.

“Try again,” he hissed in her face. She dragged open her eyes and cringed at the menace in his face.

“Bangladesh. I took a little trip there heard the food was good.” The environment around them shifted and contorted like a black tar monster rising from the ground. Globs rained down around her and turned white into the shape of a wall. The shapes fell flat and straightened into a tiny four-cornered room. Fear clogged her throat, sent her heart racing as he slammed her whole body back against the wall.

She needed to run. Just move! He could invade her dreams but they were still hers. She could make a door appear if she just focused hard enough.

She didn’t see his fist coming but she sure as shit felt it. Her head cracked into the wall and dry wall fell down around her.

“You are mine. You will always be mine and no one else’s.”

“Oh, yeah. Says who?”

“Said your father. Says me.” Cassie pushed him away with everything she had and made a dash to the left. She pushed her mind hard, envisioning a swinging door she could push right through. Relief filled her as it appeared. She ran into it but it wouldn’t budge. She screamed and slammed her fists into it, kicking it as footsteps came closer behind her.

“Nu uh uh. I’m not ready for you to go.” He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her arms to her side. A hand moved, cupped her breast, started fondling her it with a possessive touch. Revulsion and spitting anger engulfed her like fire.

“No!” She whipped her head back and caught his nose in a hard smack. He loosened his hold and she willed the door open again. This time it opened, and she ran through it.

“You better fucking run, Cassandra because I’m closer than you even know. I’m going to get you back!”

Cassie was running through the forest again, but suddenly the scenery changed. The cold in her bones left her in a quick rush that had her faltering to a stop. Her face no longer hurt from the hit nor did the top of her head from where she’d lost her hair.

Cassie looked around as suddenly she was back in the cabin with Darien. She wasn’t laying on his lap anymore because he had slid down beside her and now spooned with her from behind.

Was this a trick from Daniel? No it couldn’t be. He didn’t have those kinds of powers. He didn’t even know what Darien looked like if he could conjure a fake one up.

This must be her own dream now. Darien was pressed against her back; his heat like a big blanket around her.

He pulled up the front of her shirt and cupped her naked breast in his big hot hand. She sucked in a breath as his scratchy palm grazed over her soft nipple. He growled, thrusting his hips against her ass. He acted like a pleased animal, encouraging her sexual prowess with his growls and thrusts.