She took a deep breath. Something monumental had just happened. For just a nanosecond, she‘d forgotten the vampire part and thought only of the human. Not a good thing. Because it was the vampire part that could kill her.

Chapter Four

Dacian watched the play of emotions cross Cinn’s face and enjoyed them vicariously. They were part of her humanity, something he hadn’t been able to claim for six hundred years. Emotions were a blessing and a curse. They’d made him feel alive, but they’d also made him vulnerable. And in the end, they’d killed him. Stephan had seen to that.

Thinking about Stephan soured his mood. He turned his back on Cinn and strode over to the corner, where Carla squatted with her merry band of misfits. If he hadn’t known better, Dacian would swear the plant was smirking.

“Wipe the grin off your…whatever before I do a little pruning in here.” That should put her in her place. He scanned the other five plants behind the Jaws of the greenhouse. “I don’t know what you guys do, but mess with me and you’ll be going to the great compost heap in the sky. I’m here to protect Cinn, so we’re working on the same side.” And talking to a bunch of plants was about as weird as it got.

Just before he turned back to Cinn, he felt a tentative probe of his mind. What the…? The touch wasn’t feminine, and it didn’t have the feel of Stephan. Then who…?

He swung toward the door. Whoever it was wouldn’t be far. “Someone is tapping on my mental door. I need to track them down.” People who tried to breach his thoughts weren’t usually friends. Yeah, so he didn’t have any friends.

Dacian had flung open the greenhouse door leading to the courtyard and stepped out into the night before Cinn caught him.

“Wait. That’s probably Vince.”

He glared into the darkness. “Fine. Who’s Vince? And he better have a good reason for poking around in my head.”

She sighed. “You won’t like this.”

He turned his glare on her. “Lady, I haven’t liked anything that’s happened to me since I got here. So let’s hear it.”

“Vince is my vinca minor, the common periwinkle plant to you. He senses that I’m upset and is trying to figure out why. He’s harmless.” She swallowed hard.

She was really afraid he’d destroy her plants. Isn’t that what you wanted? Her fear? Somehow the reality didn’t make him feel quite as good as he’d thought it would.