"Let me rephrase that. I want us to be alone," I say to douse his concern.
He stifles the grin he wants to smugly display. Gage vaporizes from the room, a trail of anger following behind him. He's so pissed that I can actually feel his fury vibrating from his usually cloaked aura.
"Alyssa, I really am sorr—"
"It's fine, Drackus," I interrupt, wiping away my tears. "It's not like I didn't try to take you out, too."
He sighs out hard, guilt flowing through his eyes and breath. I look away and up to see the sweet face of the enemy I love, instead of the enemy who helped give me life. I feel so much stronger with Kane's arms around me.
"Let's go."
Kane walks in, carrying three bags of takeout. He looks so helplessly uneasy as he awkwardly sifts through enough food to feed an army.
"Are there people joining us?" I ask, confused.
"No," he says, shrugging. "I had no idea what you wanted, so... well… I might have gone overboard."
"Might have?" I ask, grinning.
I stand up as he lets his own beautiful smile slip free. He closes the distance between us before I even have to take a step, and his soft, perfect lips find mine. I lean into him, happy to let him kiss away all my dread.
His tongue becomes more demanding in my mouth, and I moan involuntarily as he picks me up and places me on the bed, falling between my legs.
"Tell me what to do," he murmurs against my lips.
"You've never needed coaching before," I tease, pretending like the last few days of my life never happened.
He smiles and then pulls back. "I mean what to do to make this better. I know you're going through a lot, but I can help... if you let me."
We've gone through absolute hell. He was so cold, but it was never him—not the Kane I love. This is him. Night stalker or not, he loves me, and he makes me feel at peace.
"You're doing it by being here with me," I murmur as his lips lightly brush mine.
He affectionately runs his fingers through my hair, staring down at me with so much concern.
"I was going to change you," he murmurs through a sigh, making me chuckle.
"Where did that come from? And change me into what?"
His eyes avert mine as he continues running his fingers through my hair. I slip my legs around his waist, tugging him closer to draw his attention back from whatever wasteland he has gone to visit.
"I've wanted to tell you for a while. I was going to change you—into one of my kind."
I tense under him, unsure how to respond to that. On one hand, it's obvious he loves me and wants to be with me for longer than a mortal life would have allowed, but on the other, he was willing to turn me into a monster.
I'm already a monster—one possibly worse than him. He didn't know that though.
"Were you going to ask me? Offer me the chance to say yes or no?" I ask, my voice rasp.
His weight presses against me more, though he never stops running his deft fingers through my blond strands.
"I was."
He doesn't elaborate, and I think I know the reason why.
"Would you have accepted no?"
He hesitates, which answers my question without words.