Chapter 4

JARED STIFFENED AT the touch. He felt Levi's breath against his ear as he spoke.

"One day you'll understand I don't want to hurt you."

"Sure. Right," Jared muttered, pushing away from the ring of his arms."Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"I wanted to see you again."

Jared turned and faced Levi. He wore dark jeans, a hole at mid-thigh, and a T-shirt with GOD SAVE THE QUEEN stamped across it in blocky green. He smelled like the outdoors. His hair was nearly as long as Jared's, rumpled from the breeze outside. His eyes were smoky and too light. Beautiful.

Mesmerizing.

Jared raised a hand."Maybe you could turn those off or something."

Levi laughed."I can't, sorry. Comes with the change." He looked around the room as if he'd never seen it before, taking in the balled-up clothes on the hardwood floor, the heavy wooden dresser with more clothes piled up on top, the rumpled bed.

"You've seen the place before. When you put me in the hospital that first time."

Levi sighed."I wasn't in control of myself. I told you." He gave Jared a wry look."As for your room, noticing what it looked like wasn't high on my priorities. I'd just been turned, remember. I was scared."

Jared sat down on the side of the bed again, trying to make his face a blank. He cleared his throat."So what do you want? Drink, sex, or both?"

Levi laughed."You know what you sound like, right?"

Jared sighed impatiently."It's kind of what I am to you, isn't it?"

Levi shook his head, looking surprised."What? No, I—no. Not ever." He frowned."I figured you knew better."

 Jared's shoulders slumped."Sure. Whatever." The window was still wide open, and a gust of night air lifted the curtains. He watched them rise and fall."You said you were scared that first night. So vampires are on their own after they're turned?"

"No. My maker was a rogue. I wasn't supposed to have been born. Nobody goes around making new vamps without permission." Levi shrugged, looking down at Jared on the bed."The others killed him. It happens. I'm not exactly outcast—I was named, like I told you—but nobody's going to babysit me. I have to prove myself, or my fate's the same as the one who made me."

Jared leaned over and pulled the window nearly shut, leaving it open by a couple of inches at the bottom. He looked at Levi."What was it like? Being turned?"

A car went by outside. Levi's eyes followed the twin beams of light piercing the darkness of the room. J