"I don't want anything to happen to you," she whispered tremulously.
"Are you worried about me?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes."
He closed his eyes and turned back to the window. Anguish filled him, and a love greater than he ever thought he could experience engulfed him. "You know," he said. "I never thought I could love anyone like I love you. I never thought I would meet a person like you. I didn't believe they existed."
"Liam—"
"No one is going to harm me, Sera. You just need to promise me you won't tell anyone, please."
"I won't tell anyone anything you don't want me to."
He felt as if his skin was flayed away and his soul bared as he turned back to her. "I'm a vampire."
The words hung heavy in the air as she stared at him. Then, she began to laugh. Hitching in a deep breath, she managed to stifle her laughter as she stood. Her eyes blazed with fury, and her jaw clenched as she turned to him. "You know, there is something wrong with you. I've had it. If you don't want to tell me the truth, then don't. But don't pull this bull with me. I'm going to the police!"
"Sera—"
"No!" she shouted. "You have done nothing but lie to me. I've had it. I've had it with you! You've won whatever game you were playing. You've won! You can run around and tell everyone you made a fool of me; I don't care!" She turned and stormed toward the door. "You rotten bastard!"
He moved swiftly across the room. He was ahead of her before her hand stretched for the knob. She froze, unable to believe he’d moved so fast. Suddenly, her mind flashed back to the red in his eyes, and the killing rage radiating from him last night. The lack of blood on Jacob, on her sheets. For a moment, she wanted to believe him. For a moment, she did.
Then her mind snapped back into place, back into reality. There was no such thing as vampires. They did not exist. He had done nothing but lie to her from the beginning. She couldn't believe this insanity. It was impossible. Lifting her chin, she glared at him, her eyes full of a ferocity that rocked him.
"You can't go to the police. I'm not lying," he said coldly.
"Get out of my way!" she spat as her hands clenched at her sides.
He stared at her as he took a step closer. "Sera..."
She took a couple of steps back. Her annoyance vanished as despair washed over her. She'd had too much. She simply couldn't take anymore. "Stop, please," she begged. "Just stop it. I can't take this anymore. Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me? All I wanted was the truth. Even though you killed him, I didn't care! I would have helped you. I would have done anything for you! Just leave me alone, let me go."
She stood with her head in her hands as her shoulders shook with her sobs. He grabbed hold of her hands and forced them away from her face. "I'm not lying to you," he growled.
She lifted her eyes and froze. His eyes were a scarlet shade of red. His beautiful face twisted into something unrecognizable, something unreal and horrifying. His long, inhuman teeth hung over his bottom lip. They looked deadlier and sharper than any lion's teeth.
Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and then she screamed. He slammed his hand over her mouth, silencing her before she could make much of a sound. Liam wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. She clawed at his hand and kicked backward with such frenzy he almost lost his hold.
Tightening his grip, he lifted her off the floor. Her body shook and heaved as she dug into his skin. "Sera, stop it," he grated in her ear. "Stop."
She continued to scream against his hand as her chest heaved with her inhalations. He hissed as her teeth sank into his palm. "Damn it!"
He dropped her onto the bed. She bounced back up and scrambled to get away. He grabbed hold of her ankle and pulled her back as she cried out. "No!"
He clamped his hand over her mouth again. Her small fists beat impotently against his chest as he straddled her. Seizing hold of her wrists, he clamped them firmly together against her stomach. Her muffled cries became softer as tears spilled down her face.
She stopped fighting and went still beneath him. Her nostrils flared as she watched him through terrified eyes. He kept his hand over her mouth while he tried to steady his breathing and the pounding of his heart. This was not the way he wanted this to go.
"I'm going to take my hand away. Don't scream, Sera. I mean it."
She nodded, and he eased his hand from her mouth. She inhaled deeply; a tremor raced through her as she shivered beneath him. Blood stained the corners of her lips, his blood. He wiped it away gently. She winced and turned her head from his touch.
His head bent in defeat. Of course, she would be repulsed by him. He was a monster. But he hoped maybe, just maybe, she would accept him. He knew now she wouldn't. The knowledge ripped his soul to shreds.
"You're the one who wanted the truth!" he spat.
She flinched as his words tore at her. Yes, she wanted the truth, but who in their right mind could ever imagine this was it? That he was a monster and a killer. No one could. No one who was sane anyway, and right now she wasn't entirely sure she still was.
She couldn't stop the mind-numbing
