Hello Everyone!

Again, wow I'm shocked by the amount of new readers and fans! Thank you all so much it really really makes me very happy!

Okay so this chapter is dedicated to one of my very loyal fans ;) (Yes his shirt will be off! )

And I wanted to say try reading this story:

http://www.wattpad.com/1947130-to-kill-or-love

Its written my my friend Alirah and although it's very different from my own story it's really really great! It's about vampire's and a vampire hunter forced to marry the vampire lord who killed her own family... ;)

Anyway: Lot's of love and enjoy reading the new chapter ;)

Vote and comment.

Robin

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'Are you alright a ghrá mo chroí?' Nathaniel said the moment I stepped into his bedroom. Well I guess it was our bedroom now...

I looked up from my feet to look at the man I was going to share a bed with. The man that I'd fallen in love with the moment I met him and the man that I had just moved in with even though I'd only known him for a little over two weeks.

He was sprawled out on the bed, dressed only in a pair of loose sweats that clung low on his hips. In the lighting his skin looked faintly golden and he looked downright edible the way the muscles on his chest were defined.

If it weren't for that nearly lethal aura he possessed he could have stepped right out of a magazine as a male model. But no model could look as dangerous as he could...

'Amelia?' he prompted me when I still hadn't answered his question. Not that he minded that much by the smirk on his lips, he liked that I had been staring.

Fighting the blush that wanted to color my cheeks red I nodded, 'Yes I'm okay... It's just that Hayden said something.'

Nathaniel arched a brow in question as he crooked a finger, 'Come here Ams.'

'Let me get my PJ's first,' I told him. I took them out of the wardrobe that still looked pitifully empty on my side and then hurried to the en suite bathroom. I ignored the faintly amused look on his face, it was clear he thought I should just change into them right there in front of him.

In the bathroom I quickly changed and then brushed my teeth. After a look in the mirror I decided to give my hair a brush too... I hated how it always got so easily tangled, it wasn't that I had particularly curly hair but it never stayed in place.

Frowning as I thought over the words Hayden had last uttered I walked back into the bedroom a few minutes later. What did he mean with it? I couldn't let it rest, tomorrow I'd have to carefully ask Hay what he'd meant.

Somehow the thought that my father had been visiting him at night was almost as unappealing as the thought that Hayden's real birth father had been visiting him. A demon or an abusive man?

I nearly screamed when I bumped into something hard, warm and very solid on my way over to the bed.

A pair of arms wrapped around me and a soft chuckle vibrated against me. 'You are very lost in thought...' Nathaniel said as he picked me up and carried me the last bit to the bed. There he deposited me on the soft mattress and folded his arms across his chest as he looked down at me.

I had to swallow twice before I could clear the sudden tightness in my throat and I didn't even try to fight my blush this time.

Those sweats hung way too low on his hips to be legal. Showing me that Vee dip that accentuated his hip bones. A soft trail of golden hairs that led down to lower regions, somehow I just couldn't tear my eyes away from it.

'My eyes are up here Ams,' he said, sounding a little husky and a whole lot amused.

At that I yanked my eyes up to his face, meeting his stormy gray orbs to see that they'd darkened to near black. Something I'd come to recognize as a symbol for very strong emotions. I'd seen them darken in anger but mostly in lust so far.

I hadn't looked up nearly fast enough, already having glimpsed the bulge in his crotch. He seemed completely unashamed about it though...

'You're mean,' I told him as I hurriedly crawled underneath the blankets. Hoping that it would hide my own embarrassment, I wasn't used to this. How could he be so open and confident about all these things? Then again, he was over three hundred years old, he'd had plenty of time to get used.

'How so?' he asked as he lifted one of his eyebrows again. He'd thrown himself down on the bed beside me, on top of the blankets but still close enough for me to feel his body heat.

Instead of answering I asked: 'How come you're warm?'

He laughed, 'Why wouldn't I be a ghrá mo chroí?'

I frowned as I thought about how to phrase my question. He told me himself he'd died sometime during the change so that meant he was some sort of undead wasn't he? Besides a lot of vampire myths said they were cold.

Luckily Nathaniel seemed to have picked up on my trail of thoughts, 'We're predators Ams. But we hunt humans not animals... Superior strength and speed are not a given for our race, warmth and charisma are.

Tell me, would you trust a cold person? Would you like it, to step into the embrace of someone as cold as a grave?'

I shivered at the thought then shook my head, of course not.

'That's why we're warm, to give humans a false sense of safety. Vampires also thrive on sex, it's in our nature. A cold embrace might be overlooked but no one has sex with a corpse... No one sane at least.'

Vampires thrive on sex? Really? I swallowed as my gaze automatically swept down his body. My face heating up as I realized what I was doing. Unbidden thoughts floating into my mind about licking that delicious skin, following that trail of tiny hairs with my fingers.

At Nathaniel's husky chuckle I managed to snap my thoughts away from that topic and to safer grounds. Shit had he been reading my mind? Or was I accidentally projecting them? I really had to ask him to work on that. Maybe he had some advice on those shields I'd tried out Friday night...

'So what did Hayden say that had you thinking?' Nathaniel asked curiously. It seemed he'd decided to give me a break, he'd gotten under the duvet.

He lifted his arm and tugged me against him, I didn't resist. It felt amazing to curl into his side, my head on his chest and one of my legs entangled with his. It felt so safe with his arm wrapped around me.

Of course tonight had once again shown me that he was one of the most powerful vampires in the region at the moment. Even this Thornten guy wasn't as strong as Nathaniel so it was perfectly logical that I felt safe.

Breathing out happily I focused my thoughts on the present and the words Hayden had said repeating them for Nathaniel.

'Are you certain that's what he said?' Nathaniel asked.

At my nod he cursed or at least I assumed that's what he did but I wasn't certain because he'd done so in Gaelic. 'If I'd known that I wouldn't have played nice with him this morning! Damn it Ams... If he's touched Hayden!'

He didn't finish his sentence but the threat rang clear in the silence. Of course... I hadn't told him about the resurfaced memory, the one that told me we didn't have the same dad.

'Oh...' I said stupidly and then I frowned. How could I tell him this? I didn't want him to hate Hayden, but he had a Demon as a father! How could people not hate him if they knew?

'Amelia? You're holding something back, don't tell me he really has touched Hay. Did you know?' Nathaniel's voice sounded cold with suppressed fury. His arm around my shoulders crushed me too him, his hand clenched tightly in my hair.

I shivered and shook my head, touched that he was so furious about something possibly done to my baby brother. But also cold inside at the thought that he wouldn't feel the same anymore if he knew Hayden was half Demon.

I still couldn't quite add the things up in my mind. Hayden's laughing face, his golden curls and eyes... The strong empathy he always showed and the deep rooted need in him to always make sure everyone was alright.

It was nothing like a Demon... Right? Or was my idea of a Demon wrong? Just like my ideas about Vampires hadn't been correct?

The image of the one Demon I'd seen resurfaced and I shivered. The red eyes and the evil smile...

Now awake I could look at the memory with a more rational mind. The Demon hadn't been bad looking, in fact he'd looked like a stunningly handsome man... It had been the red eyes, the look in them that had warned me he was evil, told me what he was.

'Amy!' Nathaniel suddenly snapped, pushing me back and rolling on top of me. His weight supported by one hand while the other clutched my shoulder tightly.

Shocked I blinked at him, 'What?'

'What is going on? You're hiding something! I want to help... I need to help but I can't if you don't tell me what's going on!' he said, his voice a half growl although he appeared to be making the effort to sound somewhat civil.

'Don't talk to me that way,' I heard myself say. I sounded so defensive and it wasn't what I wanted but I couldn't bring myself to say the words. To tell Nathaniel Hay and I didn't have the same father...

Nathaniel's eyes darkened dangerously and I felt a humming in the air. A second after that his skin started to glow as his power rose to the surface, there was no trace of the warm erotic touch like last time.

Just pure lethal power.

I guess I managed to get him mad... Still I wasn't afraid, Nathaniel would never hurt me. That was simply an absolute truth.

'Oh stop that! You're not going to hurt me!' I scoffed, pushing at his chest even though my muscles felt like jelly. My heart and mind weren't scared but the basic survival instinct in me was flooding my system with adrenaline. My heart pounding in my throat.

'You are scared!' he accused and instead of toning it down his power seemed to amplify. His hair ruffled by a breeze I could neither see or feel.

'I'm not! But I can't suppress my instincts... Now stop it, there's no need for this! You just have to accept that some things need time! I'll tell you when I'm ready,' I said pushing at him again but he didn't budge.

I forced myself to meet his stare without flinching. Somehow I knew that if I backed down now he'd unintentionally walk all over me again next time we had an argument. I didn't mind, fighting with Nathaniel was almost as exhilarating as kissing him was.

Suddenly his power was gone, it snapped into him so quickly that the it had my ears ringing. Still angry he rolled off me with a growl and then to my utter surprise folded his arms across his chest to sulk.

Yes sulk... Who knew Nathaniel Flynn, vampire extraordinaire sulked?

It was so absurd that I resolved into a fit of giggles. 'You're cute when you sulk.'

He looked up and met my eyes again with a frown, 'I am not sulking Amelia. I'm a vampire.' As if being a vampire automatically meant you didn't sulk...

I laughed, 'Then what do you call this?'

He seemed to contemplate about that for a moment before he replied, 'I'm thinking.'

'Right...'

His face softened as he looked at me, 'You're right a ghrá mo chroí, I should respect it if you do not wish to tell me something. Forgive me.'

Pleased that he'd agreed on that and incredibly relieved that I did not have to tell him the awful truth about Hayden's birth just yet. I scooted closer to him again and pressed my lips softly against his.

'Forgiven...'

He tugged my against his side again just like before and we lay in silence for a while. Only a little tense because I could feel the questions inside of him. He wanted so badly to know what was on my mind so he could help me.

I felt bad for hiding the truth from him, especially when he whispered: 'I only wanted to know why you're worried about Hayden. I want to help, he's your brother and because of that he's also mine. I protect what's mine Amelia.'

'I know Nathaniel... I'm sorry,' and then before I could stop myself: 'It's just that I remembered something this morning, something I'd forgotten. We don't have the same father Nathaniel... Henry Taylor is not Hayden's real father.'

I sat up quickly and stared at him. 'Did you just use your powers to make me say that?'

Nathaniel was frowning but slowly shook his head, 'I'm hurt Ams. I would never do that to you...'

I nodded, 'I guess... I just didn't actually mean to say that. Nathaniel... I... You don't seem surprised?'

He sat up as well and cradled my face in his hands, 'I'm not a ghrá mo chroí. At least I'm not surprised that Henry Taylor isn't Hayden's father.'

He looked down as he thought for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed once. 'But I don't think you and Hayden have different fathers. Your scent... Your mental pattern... It's too much alike.'

I was already shaking my head in denial, pulling back from his hands. 'No you're wrong... That can't be true! Why would my father say he is if he isn't related by blood? Why would he take us in? He cares only about status and money... It makes no sense.'

More so; I didn't want to share the same father with Hayden now that I knew it was a Demon. That would mean I was half Demon too! I didn't want to be something evil.

'Unless he got paid to do it Ams...' Nathaniel said and I couldn't deny that that was a definite possibility.

No, no, it couldn't be true. I wouldn't not believe it. What prove did Nathaniel have anyway? Just a scent? A mental pattern?

'I'm sorry Ams, come,' Nathaniel said, sounding genuinely sorry and a little worried. He tugged me into his embrace tightly, falling back down on the mattress so I was flush on top of him. Much like the way I woke up here the first time.

'I didn't mean to shock you like that... I just,' he hesitated a moment. His hand curling into my hair. 'I saw something in Mr. Taylor's mind when I... convinced him to sign the papers.'

Curious albeit a little anxious I shifted my face so I could press it into the crook of his neck, the tip of my nose skimming over his skin. Delighted by the goosebumps that appeared I said: 'What did you see?'

'Mmm...' a moment of silence and then he seemed to get his voice back: 'Oh, I saw the memory of him talking with your mother. You look so much like her that I just knew that was her. Your mother seemed upset and she was already very pregnant. She asked him to say the child was his.'

My fist clenched on his chest. 'You saw that in his mind?'

His hand softly started stroking my back, a soothing motion. 'Yes that's what I saw, she was holding a very heavy envelope that he took. He didn't look into it but I know he knew there was something very valuable in it.'

'Oh... I guess it does make sense.' I tried to make light of it; 'I suppose I should be happy I'm not related to that scumbag...' Only I kept thinking that the one I really was related to then was much, much worse.

Nathaniel laughed softly, 'I suppose you could say that... I love you Ams, no matter what your heritage is. That goes for Hayden too now.'

It was exactly the right thing to say of course. He set his mind open and flooded mine with warmth and love, showing me how much he meant those very words. Of course it also made me feel a little drowsy.

'So...What DID you do to convince my father, er I mean Mr. Taylor?' I suppose I shouldn't keep lying to myself by calling him father.

Nathaniel stilled completely underneath me. He wasn't even breathing although I supposed he didn't really have to breath, being a vampire and all...

Then he laughed again, 'Maybe... You'll permit me this one secret?'

'One secret you say?' I smiled.

'You have more secrets then any person I know! If you hadn't said vampires thrive on sex I would have said they thrive on secrets.'

'Well a ghrá mo chroí, we sort of thrive on both,' a subtle movement of his hips underneath me that made me very aware of the position we were in. 'If it weren't for secrecy, humankind would have hunted and killed us all by now.'

'I suppose...' I muttered. Then for some reason I had to ask: 'You didn't hurt him did you?'

'I didn't need to hurt him Amelia,' he replied. I could almost hear the word: unfortunately after that sentence.

'His mind was weak, most people consumed with greed are...' was his explanation.

We were both quiet for a while and I felt my head getting heavier with sleep. Nathaniel's even breathing was very comforting and relaxing, especially now that the tension had finally left his body.

When I was almost asleep he softly asked: 'Does Hayden know who his real father is? Was he talking about Henry Taylor or his birth father when he said "Daddy cant hurt me here."'

I shivered, that was exactly what I'd been worried about as well. 'I don't know...' I answered truthfully. I had asked myself that question before but I really didn't know the answer to that. It seemed telepathy ran in the family because Hayden had already 'talked' to me that way.

Who knows? Maybe he'd picked something up somehow... Combined with his strong empathy it wasn't unlikely I supposed.

The thought that a Demon was the one visiting him at night. How had he been getting into the house? Would moving here keep him from doing it again?

Did I have to tell Nathaniel about it? I suppose I was obligated to tell him it was a Demon that might be visiting his house...

'Alright... Let's leave worrying for tomorrow a ghrá mo chroí. Sleep,' he whispered.

I wanted to protest but he started humming that lullaby softly. It was so enchanting to listen to that I didn't interrupt and soon I felt myself drifting off.

At the last moment I felt a wave of fear crash over me. It was inevitable with all this talk about memories and heritage that banished nightmare memories would claim me.