I woke up in my own bed, fully dressed in warm flannel p.j's and completely spotless. There were no blood stains on my skin, no bruises, no physical evidence of my...God, what would I even call it? Orgy? Gang bang? Cluster fuck?

Slowly, I sat up, wincing at the stinging ache hitting me from both the front and back. It was a painful reminder of Nero and Gabriel, Lucius, Duke, and Aiden. I groaned, putting my face in my hands.

I really did it. I thought, shocked. I fucked them.

Everything started to replay in my head; waking up chained to the floor, Nero being possessed, all the awful things Gildoroy said. And then I remembered Gabriel's sacrifice, and the memories he revealed to me, and my chest began to ache.

"You know, I think Audrey can tell when a vampire is around. Even before one of you speak." She said in a breathy tone. "She's usually doing cartwheels in here, but when any of your kind are near," she paused to shrug. "She just settles down."

"Perhaps she grows still from fear?" I suggested, disguising my own lingering fear as curiosity. "Perhaps she can sense my kind and stops moving in order to conceal herself for fear of discovery?"

She let out a light chuckle, and gave her belly a gentle tap. "It'd be pretty tough to hide this, don't ya think? Plus I don't think that's it at all. I think you bring her peace. That's how it feels to me. A warm, peaceful feeling. Like home."

My heart swelled at the thought. "She feels like home to me as well, Vanessa."

I felt like home.

That's what Gabriel had told my mother.

As I eased out of bed, I couldn't help but wonder if he felt that way now; now that I had screwed him and his coworkers.

Shame began to creep into my bones, tried to weigh me down, but I shook it off. I wasn't going to slut-shame myself for what happened. Yes, I had sex with five different guys at once...surrounded by dead vampires while high on vamp blood...and without any kind of protection.

I smacked myself in the forehead. God, how could I forget about pregnancy and STD's?

I began to get lost in a wave of panic and nausea when a quick knock sounded at my door.

"Miss Ridley, it's Dean Lachlan."

I didn't reply.

"I wanted to check on you." He said, voice muffled by the door. "May I come in?"

It took me a second to finally answer. "Yes."

The door whined as it opened, revealing Dean Lachlan in a royal blue three-piece suit.

Holy shit.

His white hair was combed back in it's usual style, handsome face bearing an enigmatic expression. And his eyes, those crystal blue orbs, they were heavy with apprehension.

The look sent a lump up my throat.

He quietly closed the door behind him, but made no effort to approach me. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded. "I did, thanks."

"How do you feel?"

"Pretty sore, but no worse for wear."

"Good." He seemed relieved, awkward. "Miss Ridley, I wanted to discuss yesterday's events with you. May we sit?"

"Of course." I motioned to the only places we could sit--the beds--and shuffled to sit on my bed. "I'm just not sure where Jo is, or when she'll be back."

He sat down across from me on Jo's bed, taking care not to get too close to me.

I appreciated the distance.

"I made sure she was busy visiting Mr. Malone in the clinic before coming to you."

"How is Connor?" I hadn't heard anything about him since the attack, and the news then was grave.

Dean Lachlan rubbed the back of his neck, seeming oddly fidgety. "His carotid artery was nearly severed, but Dr. Hadley managed to slip him some of her blood before he bled out."

Thank God!

"Does he remember anything about the attack?"

In all the chaos that preceded my time with the guys, I hadn't had a chance to get any details on what exactly happened to Connor. But it was clear that Gildoroy was involved, given that the attack took place moments before I was kidnapped.

Dean Lachlan shook his head. "No. Nero came to him and erased his memory. All Connor knows is that he tripped and impaled himself with a pencil."

I felt my expression change immediately, matching my flat tone. "Impaled himself with a pencil? Seriously?"

He looked the tiniest bit offended, confused. "What? It is a plausible cover story."

"It's really not." I smirked, remembering that it had been the same explanation I was given after I was attacked the first time.

"Do you remember what happened?"

The doctor asked, shining a tiny light in my eyes.

I shook my head as she checked my pulse. "Last thing I remember is getting out of the shower."

Why couldn't I remember? Had I hit my head?

Moving on from my wrist, the doctor retrieved a blood pressure cuff from my I.V stand and wrapped it around the place above my elbow.

"Well, you had a pretty bad fall this morning." She said, finished with checking my blood pressure. "You tripped and impaled your neck with a pencil."

"I suppose we could have came up with something better," he conceded with a smirk of his own. "But time was of the essence. And you seemed to find it believable."

"Barely," I playfully rolled my eyes. "What about Jo? Does she remember..?"

I couldn't finish the question. The memory of what Gabriel's father put her through, what he had said about our friendship, choked off my words. What if it really was fake? What if Jo and Connor were only my friends because Gildoroy Influenced them to be?

Hurt swelled in my chest at the thought.

Dean Lachlan crossed one leg over the other, posture rigid, tense. "No, she doesn't remember anything. And please," he added softly. "Do not take what my father said to heart. He is --was-- a master manipulator. Ninety percent of what spewed from his mouth was purely deceptive."

I carefully pulled my own legs up onto the bed, hauling them to my chest.

"If you are concerned about your friendship with Jo and Connor, don't be. Nero has assured me that Gildoroy was merely trying to get under your skin, nothing more."

His statement should have comforted me, brought me peace. Instead it only forced more questions to the surface.

"And the other ten percent?" Was the first thing to come out of my mouth. "If ninety percent of what Gildoroy said was lies, what was the other ten percent? Was it truth?"

Gabriel studied me for a moment, expression unreadable, before he finally sighed. "The best way to deceive someone is to plant a grain of truth in a field of lies. That was one of the first things Gildoroy taught me as a human. And though I did not condone the act--neither in my human life nor my vampiric one-- I found myself lying to the one person I never wanted to deceive. The one person who has made me feel like I was home every time she was near. And for that, I am truly sorry."

My heart stuttered, everything Gildoroy said raced through my head.

"Amazing, isn't it?" He went on, turning his back to me. "I can see all of Nero's memories, every single thought he has ever had."

He must have been trying to goad me, because he glanced over his shoulder to study my face. "He truly loves you, you know. With every single ounce of his being...unlike the others."

Had Gildoroy been trying to get under my skin then as well? Or was he being honest? How did the others really feel about me?

"The only thing Gabriel is the king of is deception. Your true mate and the true king is Nero. The only other being in existence born from a vampire lineage. You see, Royals are not turned, they are created, birthed. Did Gabriel not explain this to you?"

Gabriel...the king of deception?

Was that Dean Lachlan's truth, that he was the king of lies?

"So," I finally managed. "What was Gildoroy's truth? What was your lie?"

He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again. "I will tell you everything you want to know. But before I do, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the ball?"

I did a double take.

Accompany him to the ball?

He stood to hold out his hand for me. "I only ask because once you find out the truth, you will probably want nothing more to do with me. And I know I do not deserve it, but I would love to have at least one dance with you before come to loathe me."

It took me a second to speak, confusion settling in. "I don't understand. I thought the ball was on Saturday." Did he really expect me to wait a whole day for an explanation?

Now it was his turn to look confused. "Today is Saturday."

My jaw dropped. "I've been asleep for over twenty-four hours?"

How was that even possible?

Why didn't anyone wake me up?

"Perhaps I should give you some time." He let his hand fall, eyeing me with a mixture of concern and guilt. "It was selfish of me to make such an offer, considering all that you had to endure yesterday."

He took a step back, eyes softening as he studied my face. "Apologies, Miss Ridley. Please disregard my proposition. Whenever you feel up to talking, come find me."

He was probably right. Maybe I did need time to process, to accept what I had done...and how profoundly another near-death experience had affected me. But I didn't want to process. If I did, if I were left alone to really examine what my relationship with Gabriel and the others was doing to me, I might not...

"Wait," I grabbed his hand as he turned to walk away. "Give me a bit to get dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs."

There was a sudden heat behind his gaze when he faced me again, reflecting the charge sparking between us. He swallowed hard and licked his lips. "Are you certain?"

My heart fluttered, and I struggled to answer. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Alright," he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll see you soon, then."

Reluctantly, I released him and watched his back as he left the room. With a groan, I stood to start getting ready, grateful for the impending distraction from my swirling thoughts.

~~~

I was just finishing up my hair when someone lightly tapped on my door. Duke stood just outside the threshold with his hands behind his back. His smile was warm, caramel eyes soft, and like Dean Lachlan, he was also dressed in a suit.

As Jo would say: hot damn!

A flush of desire heated my skin, sped up my heart rate.

"Wow," he breathed. "You look breathtaking."

I blushed, suddenly feeling demure. "Thanks. You look pretty amazing yourself."

"Thank you." He grinned, a light blush creeping along his pale cheeks. It reminded me of the day I first found out that he could read minds, how befuddled he'd acted about it.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to intrude." Duke said with a blush. "But your thoughts just so easy to read." He paused, averting his gaze. "Not that that's a bad thing. I mean, it doesn't mean that you are simple or anything."

"Duke,"

"Your thoughts are just so loud. Honestly, it is impossible to think sometimes when I'm near you."

"Duke," I put my hand on top of his, giggling. "It's okay, you don't have to explain."

He gazed up at me, confused. "You're not angry with me?"

The memory made me smile, and Duke let out a wistful sigh.

"I can only hope you will be so forgiving this time around."

My smile vanished, and my head tilted curiously to the side. Instead of giving me an answer, Duke asked to come inside. I let him, of course, and once the door was closed Duke held his hand out to me.

"I heard your concerns about pregnancy and STD's," He began apologetically, opening up his hand. "And I wanted to help put your mind at ease. This is a morning after pill."

I took the little white pill from him, holding it between my thumb and index finger.

"Cross species pregnancies between a vampire and human are rare, but they can happen." It's how you came to be, after all. He added mentally. "And as far as venereal diseases are concerned, well...vampires cannot contract them, and therefore cannot pass them on to someone else."

I felt myself deflate. Thank God!

But there was still the issue of a potential pregnancy. I suppose Duke's gesture should have offended me--if it had came from anyone else it probably would have. He read my mind, though. Saw the apprehension a possible unplanned pregnancy brought me. And he wanted to help, even though his face looked a bit crestfallen as I swallowed the pill whole.

"Thank you," I smiled kindly at him.

"You're quite welcome," he dipped his head, wearing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

A chasm of silence spread out between us then, but it didn't last long. Duke rubbed at his temple, seeming abruptly irritated.

"Aiden is wondering what's taking us so long," he rolled his eyes. "He's thinking of coming up to investigate."

I rolled my eyes too, but with amusement. "Guess we should head down, then."

"Agreed. After you."

I stepped out first, and when Duke came behind me, I linked my hand through the arm he offered. You don't have to do this. You had a very trying day yesterday; no one would fault you for needing time to yourself.

I gazed at him as we exited the dorm hall, thinking, I appreciate your concern, but I really don't want to be alone right now.

I couldn't let myself think about what happened to me yesterday, or about what has been happening to me since first setting foot on Lachlan Island. All the blood drinking. The violence. The sex. It was too easy for me to accept, as if I had always been a vampire blood drinking, sex-crazed fiend. But why? Why was I able to take it all in stride when a normal person would have ran screaming for the mainland?

Was it because I wasn't normal?

Don't be so hard on yourself. Duke's thoughts whispered in my head. You did try to leave, as any normal person would. Surely that counts for something.

I don't know that it does. I thought back, just noticing we were downstairs.

The normally bright, gilded entrance of the university was now dimly lit with random flashes of neon lights shining in tune to music blasting from unseen speakers. An ocean of students gyrated and pumped to a Lizzo song that was beginning to end, then shifted into a gentle sway as the song changed.

"Dance with me?" He asked aloud, hopeful.

I gave him a nod and let him lead me into the crowd, grateful for the distraction. He cradled my hand with one of his, placing his other hand at the small of my back, and led me smoothly across the dance floor. He was careful to keep some distance between us, never allowing our bodies to touch besides where our hands rested. At first I thought he was trying to be a gentleman--and maybe he was. But then I thought maybe there was more to it. Maybe he was trying to give me the space he thought I needed while indulging my request to not be alone.

The thought warmed my heart.

I must have been smiling, because Duke gazed down at me, thinking, I would do anything to see that smile.

Just as the song ended Aiden came out of nowhere to take me by the hand and twirl me away from Duke.

"Mind if I cut in?" He grinned at me, shooting Duke a wink over his shoulder.

Duke shook his head, looking only mildly irritated.

Taylor Swift started blaring through the air then, and Aiden twirled me again. "I love this song!"

I giggled at his enthusiasm. "You do?"

"You don't?"

"No, it's okay." I shrugged, moving carefully to the music, minding my soreness. "I'm just surprised that you like it."

"Why?" He looked confused. "Because I'm a..?" Instead of saying vampire, he held two of his fingers out in front of his teeth, turning them into makeshift fangs, and hissed.

I let out a bark of a laugh. "What? No! Because you're a guy. I don't know of many guys who like Taylor Swift."

"You don't know many guys in general." He countered cutely, dancing circles around me.

I blew a raspberry at him in response and he released a hearty laugh. After that we danced in silence, aside from a few giggles here and there. When the song was over, Aiden pulled me close, reminding me of the day he and Duke gave me a tour of the campus.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

I rolled my eyes. "No, something else."

He nodded. "Shoot,"

"Why am I like snow?" I asked, studying his face. "The day you and Duke took me on a tour of the campus, you said I was like snow. Why is that?"

It was such an odd thing to say, but given Aiden's goofy nature, there was no telling what he meant by it.

"Oh, that?" His turquoise eyes suddenly grew intense, all traces of good humor gone. "It's because every time I look at you I get overwhelmed with a child like sense of wonder-- as if I were seeing snow for the first time all over again. You awe me, mesmerize me, and I can't help but get lost in your dazzling beauty."

I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but it definitely wasn't that. "Wow, Aiden. I don't know what to say."

"Plus, you're kind of pale and can be a bit frigid sometimes." He added with a smirk.

I giggled incredulously at his words. "Can't take being serious at all, can you?"

"Not even for a minute."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Jo and Connor on the dance floor, dressed to the nines. Connor looked a little pale, but otherwise seemed okay. Still, I wondered if he was well enough to attend a dance. His face lit up when he spotted me, and he gave me a short wave before nudging Jo. Her eyes grew wide when found me, then narrowed when she realized who I was with.

Uh-oh.

"Thanks for the dance," I turned to Aiden, speaking apologetically. "I hate to rush off, but--"

"Don't sweat it," he interrupted casually, casting a glance in my friends' direction. "You need to check up on your friends."

I nodded. "I haven't talked to either of them since before..."

Heated realization flashed in his gaze for a brief moment. "Oh, well then, don't let me keep you."

As I walked past him, I wondered if Aiden was trying as hard as I was to not think about yesterday. His touch, his mouth, his words from then scorched through my mind, sent desire to sit heavily deep in my core.

I was a foot away from him when he called after me.

Before I could finish turning around to face him, Aiden pressed his front to my back, and leaned in to speak against the crook of my neck. "Did you honestly think I was going to let you walk away without a goodbye kiss?"

His breath tickled my throat, sped up my heart.

"Aiden, please," I rasped, low and shaky. "I'm already going to have a hard time explaining our dance to Jo. Please don't make it worse."

Please don't make me horny in the middle of a crowded room.

"Relax," he purred. "She'll never see it."