Chloe relaxed and enjoyed the feel of Tyrian’s hands soaping and cleaning her. She felt weak after being poisoned; she shivered at the thought. It would take awhile before her body was back in perfect working order.

When his hands dipped into her hair, she let him dunk her then shampoo and condition her hair. The feel of his strong, sure fingers massaging her scalp so gently, flared pulsing warmth inside her. She wanted, envisioned, prayed that his hands would dip down to cup her breasts, follow the trail of her stomach to her sex.

If her sisters would have told her two weeks ago that the Commander of the Atal

Warriors would be cleaning her and shampooing her hair in a few weeks, she’d still be on the floor laughing. It was amazing how quickly she was softening towards him, much faster than he was to her. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted to stop it or not.

She’d always been a risk taker, and that part of her now said ‘jump!’ ‘Take the leap!’ The bad part was her heart was entirely in on it too, happy to let herself go completely with the cold warrior. She’d seen those beautiful, warm glimpses inside him but it wasn’t enough. Could she get him to open completely? A part of her swore the he was dying to. In the warm, gentle caresses over her body, in the way he’d warmed to her even if he didn’t realize it.

“You are clean,” he announced. He didn’t meet her eyes as he scooped his arms under her and started to lift her.

“Wait!” He hesitantly turned to her, his face mere inches from hers. Her heart fluttered, stomach clenching with desire. Chloe licked her lips and said, “I need something else from you.”

Ice froze over his eyes.

“No. I shall bring Draven or Rayn or anyone else you wish here for you. I will not be doing that with you. I advise that you find a partner to secure your daily needs. I can’t do it.” He sounded almost desperate.

Honestly baffled, Chloe ran her hands over the wisps of hairs that fell over his cheek.

“Why?” He closed his eyes as if in pain then set her back in the tub. Her stomach tightened with that alarming feeling and quickly she added, “And don’t lie. Please.”

He stood completely and walked to the door. She thought he was leaving but he turned back at the last second. “A warrior does not tell his secrets to those who could use them against him.”

“But I would never hurt you.”

He looked away, a haunted look coming over his face. “One doesn’t always plan to hurt, but does anyway.”

“Please, tell me what you’re talking about. I wouldn’t hurt you. I told you...I care for you.” She hoped it was as simple as that because with the way her heart was beating it was telling her a different story.

“Some men are only so strong, Chloe. I’ve experienced my limit. By taking the

responsibility of you on, by doing what you want me to do...I just can’t. What you ask of me is impossible.”

Water sloshed as Chloe pulled herself out of the tub. “What are you talking about? Is this about your family and that, that room down the hall? Tell me about it because whether you like it or not, I’m not going anywhere.”

Jaw twitching, he shook his head, hard and brief. Chloe marched up to him, blood

coming to a boil. “Tell me, dammit! I have a right to know what the heck is going on here. I was uprooted by strange men from my hotel. I have been taken from my life. I had a job with customers I adored and who loved me. I had a nice life, but now I’m here with you, with some crazing demon thing after me, and you can’t even tell me why you won’t sleep with me!” She was fuming, her chest heaving, and hands curling into shaking fists. She realized one fatal flaw in what she said. He had slept with her. Several times, in fact. But he’d only shared one thing about himself with her. That was what she wanted. To know about him.

Tyrian stared at her, his eyes the coldest she’d ever seen. He turned on his heel and strode out of the bathroom. Chloe’s jaw dropped and she pattered on wet feet after him, uncaring of the water dripping over the floor.

“Stop right there, vampire!” She had no idea why, but he actually did. He turned around to face her and she saw the stress lines forming around his eyes and mouth. Her heart almost melted. She didn’t want to fight with him. She just wanted to know.

“Enough with the vague allusions. Just tell me, please, what your problem is. Tell me why you have a child’s room over there and a woman’s room with a painting of you in it.

Explain to me why sleeping with me is so horrible. Don’t you see that I don’t want anybody else? I don’t know anything about anyone else here except your damn frimar, a nd I don’t swing that way. Just tell me, please.” Chloe folded her arms across her stomach, feeling hopeless and dejected.

The longest minute of her life passed and she shook her head, close to tears, when he finally spoke.

“Maria and I married before the Great War, when demons roamed the earth next to

vampires and shapeshifters, and used magic to blend in with humans. There was no such thing as an Atal Warrior then. My father married a loose woman named Akiro. She had a litter of children but only me with my father. I don’t think he loved her so much as was infatuated with her. She had this way of stringing men along, always desiring her, always needing her,” said Tyrian in icy tones.

He walked to the window and looked out at the sky, his hands pulled behind his back in that familiar way. Chloe sat on the bed and waited, listening.

“I don’t know when the affair started, or perhaps it just never stopped, but when my father found out he was...furious. He might have killed her if she hadn’t left. And she did leave, with her demon lover. My father started the war after that.” Chloe gasped, her eyes huge in her face.

“Your father started the Great War because his wife left him for a demon.” The rumors were true then. The war wasn’t started because the demons were violent. It was one man’s vengeance.

Tyrian looked at her with a bitter smile on his face. “Yes, he did. See, father was charming. He could get anyone to do anything he wanted except, of course, my mother. Before I knew it, I was one of the highest generals in the newest organization, the Atal Warriors. We started a war with the demons, pushed every last one of them back into the rift.”

“What happened if they didn’t go?” Chloe asked.

“We killed them,” he said simply. “The demons grew to hate the Atal Warriors,

understandably. Some sought revenge specifically on my family. They succeeded in killing my father, but not me. Instead, they killed my wife, Maria, and my son, Aidan.”

Chloe gasped and at the sound, Tyrian rounded on her, towered over her, and said, “I keep their rooms as a reminder. See, you are but a child, an infant in my world. You just turned 29 years old,” he laughed, the sound bone chilling. “I have had to live for nearly fifteen hundred years. If I didn’t have those rooms to remember them by, I’d have nothing. I’d forget as all beings forget with time. And I can never forget them, Chloe. Not even for you.”

Chloe came to a stand, grabbing on to his shirt. “But I don’t want you to forget. I just wanted to know why, Tyrian. I want to know more about you.”

“Why, because you care? People who care are just setting themselves up to be hurt. Just leave me alone, Chloe. I don’t want you.” His cruel words were a slap to the face. Chloe blinked and felt the wetness escaping her eyes. He walked away and was nearly out the door when she ran after him, grabbing his arm and spinning him back around.

“You’re just trying to hurt me. You’re trying to push me away, but it won’t work.”

“And you have silly, romantic notions in your head.”

She didn’t know what to say to that, because he was right. So she went on her toes, pulled his head down to hers, and kissed him. He struggled against her, trying to pull away, but she held tight. Her lips clinging fervently to his, desperately trying to tell him that it was okay, that she wanted him still, no matter what.