The way to the stables turned out to be a maze of footprints, which revealed a pebble-stoned path that had been buried by snow.

Icy wind whipped strands of hair into my eyes as we neared the stables, a few miles out from Dannek castle which was impressive from a distance, superimposing and maybe even a bit frightening up close.

It sat on a flatland, somewhere in the middle of the Carpathian mountains and was made of dark brick, worn away by years of exposure. Round towers whose spikes stretched into the sky highlighted each corner of the massive stone structure like spears ready for war.

Where parts of the brick had been worn away, I could see the brittle stems of plants too weak to withstand the harsh winter months.

If I had to guess the distance, I'd say the stables were two miles away from the main castle and the path there was difficult, at least for me.

Slowly, I trudged behind Daciana.

Apparently, my half soulsucker genes were useless and provided no additional grace, my boots sinking into several feet of snow while she practically glided over the terrain.

Scowling, I cast a glance over my shoulder, at the sight of a slowly lightening sky on the horizon.

Soft flakes of snow fell from the heavens, settling like fog over an expansive bridge that connected the southern part of Dannek Castle to land.

A frozen moat idled beneath the bridge, and even from this distance it's stillness was unnerving. It's surface was like a black mirror, reflecting the suns weak rays back into the atmosphere.

"This way, hurry." It was Christian's voice who drew me from my thoughts.

He stood at the stable entrance, hand gesturing for us to move faster, his black hair dusted by white snow, his jaw set in a way that made his cheekbones more pronounced.

"Holy crap, you never told me your home was so, well, it's--"

"Please don't say magical." Daciana groaned as she glided past Christian and I and into the stables.

"Well it isn't Disneyland, that's for sure." I responded.

Pausing, she looked over her shoulder. "Disney-what?"

"Never mind."

Christian placed a hand on the small of my back that sent an electric current through me. Imagines of my shirt coming apart like butter between his slim fingers crept into my mind.

Briefly, his eyes met mine, darkening, and an angry blush traveled up my neck and onto my cheeks when I realized he'd probably heard that.

"Get inside." He said, voice low.

Stepping into the stables, though open at both its northern and southern ends, was considerably warmer than outside.

Upon entering, I found the source of the heat, several heat lamps, glowing red and nestled into each corner of the stables.

"Chris's doing." Daciana said with a flip of her hand when she saw me staring. "Loves these horses more than he loves people, I think."

Casting a glance at Christian as he hurried down the stables, I could see the tension in his shoulders, but despite it all, also the small smile that tugged up the corner of his mouth at Daciana's words.

"Not true, Ciana. I love you more than Windspear."

"Windspear is your slowest horse." She muttered dryly.

When Christian reached the last stable, he drew the door open, gesturing us through.

On the other side, I found a group of people sitting on blocks of hay.

"Hanna!"

I'd never been one to hug, but in that moment, seeing the girl who had tried to protect me from one of Stefan's crazy soulsuckers, with her baby clutched in her arms, I couldn't help rushing up to her and embracing her.

Despite the awkwardness of the hug, Hanna burst into tears.

"Aimee, I never--I never got to thank you properly."

"Thank me?" I said, as I pulled away. "You fought a soulsucker for me. What do you have to thank me for?"

"For saving my life." A lump traveled down her smooth, tan throat as she swallowed. "I saw death, Aimee but you brought me back. If it wasn't for you--"

"No, if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be a slave to some Soulsucker crazy right now. Consider us even."

Squeezing my hand, she looked up and I followed her gaze to where Brandon stood in a red velvet frock coat with a loose white cotton shirt underneath that reminded me of Lestat from Interview With The Vampire.

"I think of myself more as Louis. Dashingly handsome and with a slightly better moral compass."

"Get out of my head, vampire." I told him.

With a wry smile, I noted the way his eyes dashed toward Hanna, as if it wasn't already obvious that he stood by her like a body guard.

"I can't help it. You're the first mind I've been able to read in days."

"Bad reception or something?"

"Grandfather Nandru's charms, remember?" Christian explained. "As long as we are inside the castle, they prevent us from reading each other's minds."

"And he can't read my mind," Hanna chimed. "Because we're mortal enemies and all."

Was that a teasing smile on her lips?

Okay, I definitely was not imagining the intimacy between those two.

"It's important you all know why we are here." Christian said, abruptly changing the subject.

He leaned against the stable door, arms crossed over his chest.

Beside him, and to the right, stood a boy I hadn't noticed before but it was clear he was related to the Danneks in some way, his curly black hair and bright blue eyes nearly identical to Christian's and Daciana's though he appeared much younger.

Remembering how vampires aged, I realized he couldn't be that young but he certainly didn't appear older than thirteen.

"Something's happened, Henry" He said, swiveling to face the young boy. "That prevents me from staying here any longer."

"B-but you've just returned." Henry said, brow furrowing.

"It's no longer safe for Christian here." Daciana explained, releasing one arm from her red velvet cape to stroke Henry's mop of hair.

"It's no longer safe for any of us."

"Because--because of father?"

"That's right," Christian went on. His eyes darkened and it was difficult to tell which emotion raged within them. "So I've come to ask you--to ask all of you--to gather your items as discretely as possible and be ready to leave at a moment's notice. That is, if you want to."

The last part was aimed at Henry, I was sure. I couldn't imagine why Brandon, Hanna or the baby would want to stay much less me.

"What about mother?" Henry asked, uncertain.

"Mother can't know but I've arranged a trip for her and Grandfather Nandru to Georgescu's estate. We'll intercept them on the way and give them the same option."

"I don't understand. Why is it no longer safe? Is it because she's here?" Henry flicked his thumb at me, causing everyone's eyes to swing in my direction.

Christian gave me a once over, from head to toe, his gaze scorching with intensity.

"No, because of me, Henry. This was all my doing. I've done something that father won't forgive and as soon as that is in motion we'll have to leave this place. I'm afraid if you stay..."

"Henry, father is not a good man. If you decide to stay, I need to know that you understand that." Daciana said gently.

Shaking his head, Henry's eyes cast to the ground. "Of course I understand, I do, but...this is our home."

"Home isn't a place, young Henry." Brandon murmured with a crooked smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "It's where your family is. And I, for one, am ready to get, and pardon my french, the hell out of here."

"What do you say, Henry? Will you come with us?"

"I'll pack tonight."

Christian let out a breath and his shoulders visibly relaxed.

"When do we leave?" Daciana asked.

"It has to be soon. During the day, when father is sleeping."

"Chris, won't father be...extra vigilant of Aimee?"

"Yes, he will be." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Which is why Aimee and I will need to stay behind."

"What?" Hanna blurted. "No, we won't go without her. I mean, without you both."

My heart sank, realizing there might not be a way out of this for Christian and I. And I couldn't blame him for wanting to ensure his family's safety no matter the cost to himself.

"We'll be fine." I said. "Christian has a plan. We'll be right behind you."

But no one was fooled, not when my mind was going a million miles an hour in a panic and every vampire in the room could read it.

"Cousin," Brandon began, a note of warning in his voice. "I can't, in good conscience, allow you to stay behind."

In two long strides, Christian reached Brandon, gripping his shoulders as he looked him in the eye.

"I need you to protect my family. I've never asked you for anything without a secret, you know that, but this time I'm out of secrets to give."

"No need." Brandon said lifting a hand. "I can see the biggest secret of all in your eyes. Don't be an idiot by keeping it to yourself."

Christian stiffened, releasing his cousin's arms and taking a step back.

"Does that mean you'll do it?"

"I'll do it." Brandon said with a slight tip of his chin. "I'll lead your family to safety."

A few minutes later, and as the group dispersed, I stood outside the stables, arms crossed over my chest, noting the two burly guards standing sentry by the castle gate, their eyes unashamedly trained on me.

I felt the warmth of Christian's body as he approached me.

"You okay?" He asked, the soft baritone of his voice like a caress across my body.

"They're just standing there. Watching me."

The warmth of his hands was a shock as he wrapped them around my wrists and dragged just around the corner of the building.

Without the guards scrutinizing eyes on us, his hands flew to my face, cupping my cheeks.

"It's going to be okay." he said.

Everything about him was intense right then, from the power vibrating in his muscular arms to the look of unadulterated honesty in his eyes.

"H-how do you know that?"

"Because I'm going to make it okay. No matter what it takes, I will keep you safe. Do you hear me, Aimee?"

"I hear you." I whispered, looking away unless I became trapped in those eyes. Those icy blue eyes that seemed to weaken my resolve to hate him every time he looked at me.

"Good. And when we get out of here, Aimee, once we're far away and safe, I'm going to fuck you like you've never been fucked before in your life."

My breath caught in my throat, desire automatically shooting through my stomach and between my legs.

I made a small sound of surprise, my eyes casting to his face.

Before I could further contemplate his crass words, his mouth descended upon mine, warm and dominant, doing things to my insides no one had ever done before.

Not my first kiss, not my best kiss, not anyone.

Feverishly, his mouth molded to mine, incredibly soft and addicting.

"Don't fight me," he murmured against my lips, one hand tangling into my hair, drawing me closer when I tried to pull away.

His tongue brushed along my bottom lip, and I was a goner, lost to the sensation of his arm drawing me into the unyielding wall of his chest, my breasts squashing up against him.

I hoped he thought it was the cold that hardened my nipples and not this insatiable desire for him. Because I did desire him, with every fiber of my being.

And though I wanted to hate him, with his mouth over mine, his tongue exploring my mouth and his arms around me it was difficult to do anything but melt into him.

After a moment, he pulled away, breathless, and I sensed a change in him automatically.

He released me, leaving me with my arms suspended in the air where his shoulders had just been.

Turning, I caught the last whiz of his shadow as Christian rounded the corner to the stables.

Perplexed, I followed after him to find him standing still as a statue, boots sinking into a blanket of snow, fists knotted at his sides.

Following his gaze, I found what had pulled him away from me.

A cavalry of men clad in dark clothing, crossing the expanse of a bridge that deposited them right in front of the giant portcullis of Dannek Castle.

At one end, a sleek black jeep idled while four vampires guarded the entrance at the other.

The men in black came to a halt, their silence punctuated only by the howling wind.

Slowly, I neared Christian, until we were standing shoulder to shoulder.

Words were exchanged and a guard dashed into the castle.

It was a few moments later that the black-clad men retreated, heading back to their cars, something silver glinting at each of their hips.

Snow began to fall again, first a smattering of icy droplets, quickly whipped into a frenzy by the wind.

"Chris?" I muttered. "Who were those men?"

The jeep peeled away, onto a road that disappeared into dense greenery.

"It's too soon," He breathed, his breath forming clouds of condensation in the air. "It's too soon."

"Chris..." I said, trailing off uneasily as a shadow briefly cast over the sun.

Something fast and bulky descended from the sky, a blurry figure that barrel into Christian, sending him crashing into the earth.

When the cloud of snow settled, I found Henric, crouched over Christian with one hand clasped firmly across his throat.

I took a step forward with a start, my hands already buzzing with magic when two other figures swooped down from the sky, their feathered wings slapping icy wind into my face.

"You traitorous bastard!" Henric roared, lifting Christian as if he weighed nothing until he was on his knees at the same time that a pair of iron fists grabbed each of my wrists.

"Christian!" I shrieked, fighting to break free.

His blue eyes cast to me briefly, dark and worried.

Henric punched his son causing a shocking amount of blood to spew onto the white-blanketed earth.

"Stop it, that's your son!"

"My son? My son? No son of mine would betray his kingdom for a--for a--common whore."

"Don't you dare call her that." Chris growled, voice low and dark.

Henric chuckled, releasing Christian only for two other vampires to take hold of each of his arms.

"You are stupider than I thought. You care about her, this thing. This abomination of nature."

"You only hate her because her mother bruised your ego."

"Silence, you fool!"

My breath caught in my chest as Henric rounded on Christian who simply stared at him in silence.

"You know, I've changed my mind after all, son. You have compelled me. I will no longer execute Aimee."

Christian's brows furrowed, his chest rising and falling more rapidly as we both waited for Henric to continue.

Turning in a semi-circle to face his son with hands loosely clasped behind his back, and a sly smile on his face, he murmured gently. "She will now be my executioner. Beginning with you."