Once they left, she went back to the bedroom and slipped into bed beside Byron. She lay on her side and stroked Byron’s head. It was wonderful to see her sleep so deeply and settled, so different to the Byron who had run from their bed every night they spent together. But now it all made sense. The secretive business meetings, urgent emails and telephone calls as soon as they were getting intimate. Byron had been hungry for her, and trying to protect her, but when she returned from feeding on someone else, her passion was intense and solely focused on Amelia.

One thing niggled in Amelia’s mind since they’d finished making love. Did Byron feel that intimate, sexual experience with everyone she fed from? Was Amelia really special?

As Amelia’s mind whirled with this and many other questions she needed answered, she drifted off into sleep.

A few hours later Amelia woke slowly, and her eyes flickered open to find a smiling Byron gazing at her, and stroking her cheek lovingly.

“Morning. You look better,” Amelia said.

“I feel better than I have ever felt in my three hundred years, like I could scale large buildings in a single bound.”

Amelia laughed. “That’s my super vampire.”

Byron cupped Amelia’s face and whispered, “Good morning, my shining girl.” Then she kissed her and had to force herself to stop. She was so full of energy, and feeling well for the first time in months, that she wanted to run, spar with Bhal, and make love all at once, but she tried to calm knowing that Amelia would have a lot of questions.

“Thank you for giving me your blood and saving me from my darkness,” Byron said.

Amelia put her arms around Byron’s neck and hugged her tightly. “You should have told me straight away what you needed. I would have helped you no matter what. Even if a relationship didn’t work for us, I would have done anything to keep you healthy.”

Byron pulled back and looked in Amelia’s eyes. “It had to be your choice. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to me. You already didn’t get a choice about being bonded by blood with me, because of my mistake in the heat of passion.”

“Whether it was an accident or not, last night I accepted who I am in your life, your Principessa. I was always yours from the first look.”

Hearing Amelia say those words was more than she could have dared to dream in the past six months. “You have no idea what that means to me. I have never been happier.”

Amelia playfully poked her in the chest when she went to roll Amelia under her. “No more secrets, though. It doesn’t matter if you think I’ll be upset, scared, or all of the above. I need to be an equal partner in this.”