"Gotta get Burnett," Kylie answered as a few hot tears trickled down her cheek.They landed with a thud on Holiday's porch and hadn't taken one step when Burnett yanked open the door while still zipping up his jeans. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Do you know where Lucas's grandmother lives?"
He looked confused, his eyes still dazed with sleep. "Yes. Lucas called about ten minutes ago, he was going to check on her."
"We need to get there."
"Why?" Burnett asked.
"She's dead," Kylie blurted out as more tears filled her eyes. "He doesn't need to be the one to find her."
"Oh, hell!" Burnett rushed back to the bedroom with his phone. He looked at Kylie. "He's not answering."
"You stay here," he said to Della, and then he and Kylie took off. Her feet only hit the ground three times before she was in full flight beside Burnett.
In less than ten minutes Burnett finally started his descent. They stopped at a large one-story white brick house. It spoke of money and a love of gardening. The yard looked like something from a magazine.
Not that Kylie spent much time appreciating the landscape. Her feet had barely hit the manicured lawn and she was listening for life inside the house.
She heard deep intakes of air that expressed grief and sadness. "He's already here," she said to Burnett. "I'm going inside."
Burnett stepped in front of her. "No. I'll go in."
"No!" Kylie demanded, and started forward, her heart aching for Lucas.
"Kylie!" Burnett caught her arm. "When a were is distraught, especially this close to a full moon, he sometimes lashes out with anger. He can't control it. Especially with a vampire."
She brushed a few tears from her eyes. "You don't get it. He loves me. He won't hurt me. He would never hurt me."
Burnett hesitated.
"It's just like you and Holiday," Kylie said.
He exhaled and stepped back from the door. She moved into the house. It smelled like the lemon Pledge that Nana used to use. Everything in the house, from the antiques to the fancy oil paintings, spoke of wealth.
"Lucas," she called his name.
He didn't answer. She moved down the hallway where she heard the sounds of anguish.
Lucas sat on the edge of the bed. His grandmother's lifeless body was centered on the mattress.
"Lucas," she said again, and walked in.
He swung around. His eyes were the deepest, darkest shade of orange she'd ever seen.
"Leave!" he growled.
"No," she said. "You need me now." His grandmother had said so.
He bolted across the room and backed her against the wall. There was nothing but wild pain in his eyes. He growled, and for the first time she saw his canine teeth extended.
"It's me, Lucas," she said, feeling his fingers dig into her forearms.
She felt the instant he came to his senses. He dropped his hands from her arms, shifted away from her,and pressed his head against the wall.
She went to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face between his shoulder blades, and held him.
"She's gone," he said, his voice hoarse with grief.
"I know." She hugged him tighter.
He turned around and pulled her to him. They stood there for the longest time, just holding on to each other.
"I'm so sorry," Kylie whispered, and she felt his pain, remembered with clarity how she'd felt when they told her Nana had died.
He released her, and then met her eyes. His gaze was still bright, but the wildness was gone. The dampness on his cheeks wasn't a sign of weakness, but a sign of devotion, of the love he felt for the only real mother he'd known and then lost.
"I knew she didn't have long, but I wasn't ready yet. I thought I had another year, maybe two."
Kylie reached for his hand. "I'm so sorry. I know how it feels."
He exhaled and looked back at the bed and her body. She heard his breath come short. She pulled him out of the room.
When she stopped, he met her gaze. "How did ... how did you know?"
"She came to see me. Told me you might need me."
His eyes filled with more tears. "Even in death, she was watching out for me."
He fell back against the wall and let out another low growl. "I'm going to miss her so damn much. She was my grandmother and my mother rolled into one. She was the only one who cared about me when I was a kid."
Kylie moved to him. He folded his arms around her and held her. She finally pulled back and looked at him. "She said there was a letter for you in her desk drawer."
"I'll look." He ran a palm over her cheek. "I left a message on my uncle's phone. He and the other family members might be here any minute. I need you to go."
"I want to be here," she said. "I want to be here for you, Lucas."
"I know, and if it were my choice you could stay. But the were custom to prepare one for death is closed only to blood relatives." He reached down and kissed her. "And even if it weren't the custom, you are a vampire right now. I can't chance you being hurt. Please understand," he said. "Because if anyone lays a finger on you, I'll kill them."
She nodded. She didn't like it, but she understood. "Will you be okay?"
"Thanks to you," he said.
"I didn't do anything." She pressed a hand to his chest, knowing his heart was breaking.
"You came." He stopped as if remembering something. "God, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you when you first came in?"
"No," she said.
He pushed the sleeves of her T-shirt up and no doubt saw bruises on her arms. "Damn it! I did." He closed his eyes in more pain.
"It's nothing but a couple of bruises." She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently, hoping to ease his pain. "I'm fine, Lucas. Look at me."
He opened his eyes. She smiled. "I'm fine."He let go of a shuddering breath, then tilted his head up and sniffed the air. "Is that Burnett outside?"
She nodded.
He frowned. "He shouldn't have let you come in. He knows it's dangerous."
"He tried to stop me. I insisted. I knew you wouldn't hurt me."
"But I did," he fumed, and glanced down at her arms.
"This is nothing. It will be gone tomorrow."
He looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, Kylie Galen. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do."
She smiled. "I love you, too."
The shadow of pain in his eyes changed for one second. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "Did I hear that correctly?"