If I need a reason now, Dru, it will have to be you. I knew I hadn’t dreamed that bit, especially the

pressure of his lips against my own. That was right after he’d covered our escape from the other

Schola. The burning one, where he’d dragged me out of the flames.

And Graves had argued the wulfen into coming back to gather both of us up.

I took a deep breath. “Do you have any idea how creepy that is, that you were in love with my mom

and you’re so . . . all over me?” Maybe I should have put it a little more tactfully. But I was running

out of all sorts of things, and tact is usually the first to go.

“I’m also too old for you.” His smile was wide, brilliant, and unsettling. And those blue eyes, set

just so in his perfectly proportioned face, were hungry. “But give me some credit, little bird. Have I

done anything to make you uncomfortable?”

I found out I was rubbing my left wrist against my jeans. I almost spilled the latte, I was shaking so

hard. “Other than sucking my blood and being around every time vampires try to kill me? And scar-ing the royal blue fuck out of me? Other than that, well, I guess we’re peachy.” It felt like I needed

to add more. “I trust you.” I guess. Even if you are moving me around like a chess piece. Funny, it

was Graves who suggested that.

I really, really wanted to see Graves now. But how could I explain any of this? Where would I even

start? He understood a lot, yeah. He was a really understanding guy. But this . . . it would be like

telling Christophe that Graves and I were an item, kind of.

It struck me as a Very Bad Idea.

Christophe nodded slowly. “That’s more than I get from many of my so-called friends. Have I let

you down so far, Dru?”

I thought about it. The first time I saw him was after I’d shot Ash in the face. Christophe had driven

Ash away and told me to go home. Then he showed up at my front door, told me about the Order,

brought groceries . . . got up on the hood of Dad’s truck and told Graves to drive, busted through a

wall, and took on Sergej so I could escape. Not to mention pulled me out of the burning Schola and

covered our retreat.

Put his arms around me in the boathouse. And later, in the darkness, kissed me on the lips and told

me I was going to have to be his reason.

I flushed hot again at the memory.

And at least when Christophe was around I knew what to do. It was sort of like having Dad again. I

mean, not really. Because Christophe wasn’t comforting in that way. It was just like, well, I knew