(JO POV) Two weeks had passed since we'd been confined to Deirk's room, and our initially cautious interactions had evolved into something much more intimate. Our days were now filled with constant conversation, laughter, and unexpected comfort in each other's presence, and our once-timid touches had grown into habitual cuddling. "Remember how I told you my stepmother used to scold me for forgetting my Spanish?" I teased Deirk, recalling when my stepmother insisted I speak Spanish at home. "Looks like you've become my new maestra." Deirk smiled and corrected my pronunciation: "It's 'maestro,' but I'm happy to take on the role. Your Spanish is coming back beautifully, by the way." To fend off the monotony, I finally gave in to Deirk's suggestion to play the array of children's board and card games he'd amassed. Watching a centuries-old vampire delight in something as simple as 'Go Fish' was heartwarming. "I never took you for a board game enthusiast," I remarked, amused by his chil

(JO POV)The wave of relief at seeing Dane again was overwhelming, a rush of happiness that momentarily eclipsed everything else. Yet, beneath that joy, a simmering anger lingered over his absence and the silence between us. Instead of unleashing that anger upon him, I remembered something Dane had been trying to instill in me since my arrival. If I had nothing nice to say, it was better to say nothing at all. And truthfully, nice words were scarce in my heart at that moment.Sensing my agitation, Dane didn't waste time. He orchestrated a swift exit from the school for me, a decision driven by his perception of my distress. We found refuge in Deirk's townhouse, a place close to the school I didn't even know existed.By the following day, my anger had dulled enough to allow for conversation without the fear of a total emotional eruption. Yet, watching Dane feed from Deirk, hesitant to approach me for fear of causing harm, stirred a complex mix of emotions. Witnessing the struggle and

(JO POV)The pressure in the room, and thus my anxiety, escalated rapidly as Dane vented his frustrations. "Well... How close you two are makes total fuckin' sense now," he yelled, his movements a blur of speed and agitation. His voice had shifted into that thick New York accent.Attempting to help, I stood to hug him, only for him to brush past me and say, "Not right now." His dismissal felt like a physical blow, sending my emotions into a freefall.Deirk intervened. "Dane... I think you need to feed more. Going a month without has taken its toll, and one feed isn't enough to stabilize you."Dane halted, turning to face Deirk with a steely gaze. "I'm trying to take it slow, considering she's likely to try to feed us both now. And we all know how that might end." His frustration culminated in a sudden blurred punch to the wall.The intensity of Dane's anger, his physical expressions of it, transported me back to darker times under my stepfather's roof. I began to shake uncontrollably,

(JO POV) Retreating to the bathroom, a sanctuary Deirk had introduced me to, I sought comfort in the sunlight. It was a small solace, feeling the warmth against my skin, a brief escape from the turmoil unfurling within the townhouse. The simple joy of basking in the sunlight, something so mundane yet profoundly missed, enveloped me in a moment of peace.When Dane knocked, signaling his presence, I reluctantly closed off my connection to the sunlight, sealing the window.He immediately surrounded me in a desperate hug. I noticed him smelling my forehead. "Oh my, he told you to smell me, didn't he?" I couldn't help but laugh a little."Yeah, he was pretty adamant about it. Made me promise I would," Dane admitted."I noticed him doing it, but he never told me why," I recalled Deirk's peculiar actions and occasional deep breaths when close."It's the sun, kitten. We can smell it on you," Dane explained."That's amazing. Can you smell it in your... sun garden too?" The curiosity was gen

(DANE POV) Watching her motionless on the bed, a wave of shame washed over me. I berated myself for letting the situation spiral to such a dire point. Her hand remained in mine, a connection to the bond I was so afraid of breaking now. I held on, desperate for any sign of her awareness and needs, any slight response to my presence. Deirk broke my cycle of remorse the second he walked back in. "Well, she has color again," he remarked. His observation, though meant to be reassuring, only reminded me of how pale I'd let her become under my care. The irony that I had always prided myself on being able to protect those I cared about, and I ultimately ended up endangering her, was not lost on me. The mishap had been a close call, too close. Failing to notice the disconnect when my wound healed, leaving us no longer linked in that crucial moment, nearly cost her life. It was a lapse that forced me to summon Magness for help. A decision made in utter desperation. "Yeah, and there