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She smiled, a beautiful, perfect smile. And then she did something even worse.

Alessandra stared at his mouth. Her own lips parted, the invitation clear.

As long as he’d lived, and it had been a long time indeed, Kenton had never wanted to accept an invitation more. He wanted to kiss her so hard his lips hurt, lift that tantalizing sundress over her head and discover the treasures that lay beneath. He wanted to sink into her, his cock and his teeth, claiming her body and her eternity in one fell swoop.

But he could not kiss her. He could not make love to her.

The last person in his family to trust a Cheld, his father, had paid the ultimate price for it before the Cheld even had a name. His mother, who’d had the voice of an angel and the heart of a saint, had been snuffed out.

Alessandra had to die.

He lowered his head toward her neck and bared his fangs. Or tried to. This had not happened since those first few days after he’d turned.

Kenton’s body had betrayed him.

* * *

Every inchof her craved his kiss. A kiss she’d thought he was about to give her as he leaned toward her. Inexplicably, just as she felt the warmth of his breath on her neck, Kenton stopped and pulled away. She didn’t know why, and his eyes did not betray his thoughts. He simply stared at her, the tortured soul she’d always sensed evident in his expression.

“Go.”

She stared at him, his command not penetrating.

“Go,” he said more harshly, releasing her. “Now.”

His command was joined by one from her gut—an impulse to run that came in a powerful surge like the undertow of a wave. She didn’t question it. Or second-guess herself. Instead, Alessandra trusted that instinct and fled, running from the sitting room, through the hall, and out onto the front porch. She didn’t pause when Lawrence yelled out to her, just ran and ran and ran until she arrived back at home and slammed her front door behind her. She stood with her back against it and sank to the floor, attempting to make sense of what had just happened.

Shit.

What a friggin’ roller coaster. She hadn’t been expecting unicorns and rainbows when she’d made the decision to confront him, but nothing could have prepared her for . . . that.

If the odd sensations she’d been experiencing weren’t enough—the unusual strength and speed, heightened senses, and an increasing awareness of both Kenton and Lawrence—now she had to contend with the lingering taste of him on her lips. She could still feel the ropy muscles of his forearms beneath her fingertips. Closing her eyes, she let herself fall into the memory of their kiss. His large hands had cupped her cheeks so gently for one so . . . powerful.

Power exuded from him, in a way that went beyond his obvious wealth and strength, his buff and well-conditioned body. In a way that was similar to hers, but different.

I am a Cheld.

It was bat-shit crazy, but if Lawrence really did want to kill her, confirming it would be simple. She’d never sensed danger from him before, but she would simply ask him and trust these newfound Cheld abilities to guide her and protect her.

Scrambling up from her not-so-comfortable seat on the hardwood floor, Alessandra peered outside. Nothing. Nobody in view, and no sign of Kenton or Lawrence.

Opening the door a crack, she waited. Still nothing.

I’m either super brave or a complete idiot.

Not enough of an idiot to seek out either of the strangers just yet, but maybe there was another way to get some answers.

Alessandra pushed her way through the front door, then closed it with a thud and walked as casually as possible down the street, trying to ignore the smell of waffle cones from the Creamery. Kenton was right about her senses. They were keener than they’d been. And though her vision seemed much the same, she noticed a lot more now.

It looked like a typical late afternoon weekday on Main Street in Stone Haven. Locals mixed with a few tourists, the latter easily discernible as they stared at the shops in wonder. She’d done the same in the beginning, reveling in the throwback feel of what truly was the perfect small American town. Though she’d lived here for years now, she could still appreciate the simple comforts of her home.

Well, typically she could anyway.

But not today.

She peered down each alleyway she passed, waiting for Lawrence or Kenton to pop out, but neither of them appeared to be following her. A relieved sigh gusted out of her when she finally reached Curiosities.

“She already left for Murphy’s,” Toni’s aunt said as she entered the store and walked toward the register.