Alexander took my hand and led me away from the abandoned mill.

“I have other things on my mind tonight,” he said, his eyes still dreamy from the blood exchange, and he drove me back to the Mansion.

As I lay in my bed, I cuddled Nightmare in my arms. Alexander had finally taken my blood as his own. The moment felt as intense for me as it was for him. To be one of the few living humans in the world to have blood taken by a vampire thrilled me beyond belief. And that it had been done in a harmless and loving way made the whole event exhilarating and blissful. The most important part to me was that Alexander showed me that he needed me, craved me, wanted me. The feeling of connection I now felt to him was stronger than blood.

And that moment was much different than when Sebastian had taken Becky’s blood. One, she hadn’t known it had happened; two, she wasn’t aware that Sebastian was a vampire; and three — and most important — she wasn’t in love with him.

With Alexander, this was something we shared together as a couple. He needed me — inside and out, just as I did him. Heart, soul, and blood. And if he’d done this, something I never thought he would do, did that mean that he was one step — a big step — closer toward turning me? I threw my head back on the pillow in laughter. At this moment, I didn’t care about being a mere mortal. A vampire had taken my blood! I’d experienced much more beyond belief since meeting Alexander Sterling. I’d always dreamed that vampires existed, and now I knew. I’d fallen in love with one — and this very night, he’d acted as a true vampire and shown me how much he needed me.

But what should have been a uniquely blissful moment was complicated once again by the nefarious vampire twins, Jagger and Luna. If only I could spend time just thinking about Alexander. Finally our lives could be about just us. I wondered if that would ever happen.