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he
growled.
    When she didn't move a muscle,
he blew out a sigh and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. She
stiffened when he tucked her into his side so that her head rested on
his chest. He put his hand on her waist and held her, feeling her
body press against his.
    “ Go to sleep,” he
said gruffly. “I'll just hold you, and...” He sighed
deeply. “...sleep here beside you.”
    She held herself perfectly
still for a long time, but finally he felt her hand curl up under her
chin. He didn't move at all, not wanting to spook her further. His
hand rested on the sheets, quavering slightly on the curve of her
waist.
    “ Where did you go
tonight, Gabriel?” she asked softly.
    He froze as she lifted her
head to squint at him. Her gaze was firm and steady, but the
hardness was gone. She was looking at him with curiosity and
concern, and a small furrow had appeared in the middle of her
forehead as she studied him quietly.
    “ Were you out looking
for something? Something important?” she said. Her gaze was
appraising, astute. “You...don't seem happy.”
    “ I...” His throat
felt too dry and tight.
    “ That makes two of us,”
she muttered and shrugged. Looking up, she smirked at him. “Well,
misery loves company.”
    “ Why did you...”
he began, gesturing vaguely at her body. “Why did you get
naked?” he blurted out.
    She looked down and swallowed.
She suddenly seemed self-conscious and angry as she tried to inch
away from him. His arms instinctively tightened around her. He
would not let her get away from him.
    Her face reddened and she
looked away. She seemed to be regretting her actions.
    Finally, she said very softly,
“I wanted to seduce you.”
    Before he could respond, she
rushed on, “I thought...I'd use sex as a weapon. Since you've
taken away all my weapons, I have only...” Her voice trailed
off. “I'll just use what I have, to get out of here alive.
But...you're not going to let me live, are you?” She laughed
bitterly. “You're going to kill me, or turn me. As a human,
I'm just your toy and your food. And after you've turned me, I'm
your slave. Isn't that your plan for me?”
    She looked straight at him,
and he read the fierce promise in her eyes. But I will seek the
sun, Gabriel. I will rather burn for eternity than be your slave for
the rest of my pathetic, immortal life!
    “ I'm not going to turn
you, Eva,” he said, the words falling from his lips even before
he was aware of them. I'm not going to hurt you.
    She let out a shuddering
breath. “Thank...” She clamped her mouth shut and
swallowed. Finally, she asked without looking at him, “Is
it...going to hurt?”
    “ What?”
    She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Your bite,” she whispered. “When you drain my
blood, will it...hurt much?”
    Gabriel reeled back almost as
if she had sucker punched him in the gut. Her words were like
knives, twisting and burrowing into his core. He shook his head
hard.
    “ No.”
    He saw her attempt a small
smile, but it looked too much like a wince.
    “ I mean, no, I
won't...hurt you.”
    Slowly, she pulled her knees
up and tucked them tightly under her chin. It was clear that she
didn't believe him.
    “ Then why won't you let
me go?” she whispered.
    “ I...can't.”
    She turned back to face him.
“You mean you won't,” she said flatly.
    “ I...”
    She turned away sharply to
stare stoically at the far wall. She seemed to have frozen to stone,
and he just couldn't stand it. He wanted her to turn back to him, to
look at him, talk to him, smile at him. Now...why would he want
that? His own strange, inexplicable reaction to this human woman was
highly frustrating and completely out of reason and character. But
he just had to talk to her, and...touch her.
    But he wouldn't force her.
    Inhaling deeply, Gabriel began
to speak, letting his voice float out into the darkness, “I was
out looking for someone tonight.”
    “ You were out hunting?
For another prey, another prisoner?” she