The vampire smiled like he knew he’d caused me pain and liked it. “You won’t have forever. You won’t even have tomorrow. You will only have a lifetime of mourning.” His head cocked to the side. “Don’t worry, it won’t last long. It’ll only be a human lifetime.”

“No!” I screamed.

* * * * *

“Bao bei,” Abel called, gently shaking me.

My eyes opened and I saw him leaning over me. Instantly, I latched on, holding tight, pressing deep.

Abel rolled to his back, keeping me close.

“You had another dream,” he murmured.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“You remember it?” he asked.

I searched for it.

Nothing.

“No,” I whispered.

“Try, pussycat. It might be important.”

I tried but still got nothing.

“It’s gone,” I told him.

“That’s okay,” he replied softly.

“Did I say anything?” I asked.

“Just screamed ‘no,’” he shared.

I lifted my head to look at him. “Screamed?”

“Yeah, you sounded scared and I don’t like that for you, Lilah. But still, part of me wishes you’d say more so I might be able to get a lock on what’s happening.”

I didn’t like me screaming in my sleep either, not for me and not for Abel, but I agreed.

“Maybe I can get hypnotized or something so I’ll remember,” I suggested. Abel said nothing so I asked, “You don’t think that’s a good idea?”

“The situation we’re in, not sure I want anyone controlling your mind.”

At his words, it hit me.

“Do you think you can get in there?”

His brows drew together. “What?”

“When I’m dreaming. Do you think you can get in my head before I wake up? Use your mind-control abilities, see what’s happening?”

He shook his head. “Never tried that. Not sure I can even do that.”

“Maybe you should try it.”

He studied me for a second before muttering, “We’ll see, next time you dream.”

“Okay.”

“We got a big meeting today, baby. Best get up.”

I sighed and repeated, “Okay.”

But Abel didn’t let me go.

He rolled me to my back, him on me, his eyes to my neck where he also put his finger, trailing it like a whisper along my pulse point.

“First, I wanna feed.”

I felt my body relax and my lips smile.

He looked to my mouth, then to my eyes, and his got lazy.

“You wanna take care of me,” he said quietly.

I so did.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“My Lilah’s sweet, warm blood…for eternity.”

My head tilted on the pillow and I lifted a hand to his neck and stroked his jaw, feeling the ridge of his scar against the pad of my thumb, loving how he gave that to me.

But still, his words made a thought occur to me, so I asked, “Will it get boring?”

“No.”

I didn’t believe that.

“You sure?”