That set off a whole deluge of insults and shrillness.
"Loser? I don't want to hear it from a woman who dates a man who hasn't worked more than two weeks in the last three years."
"At least Eric has a soul."
"Kyrian has a heart."
"Oh, please. You think that makes up for it? Tell me, Mandy, are you willing to give up everything for him? Your life, your future? What can a vampire offer an accountant? You want kids. Can he give you those?"
Kyrian's heart sank as he listened to them fight. With every word out of Tabitha's mouth, he became more and more aware of just how right she was.
He looked at the daylight streaming into the house.
Daylight that was lethal to him and vital to Amanda. Humans needed sunlight as much as they needed to breathe. As long as she was with him, Amanda would never have peace. She would have to sacrifice all her dreams for him.
It was something he could never allow her to do.
Heartsick, he crept along the shadows, toward the stairs.
"Would you two stop fighting!" Esmeralda shouted.
Kyrian paid them no more heed as he went up the stairs.
Several minutes and a truckload of insults passed before Amanda realized Kyrian was gone. "Kyrian?"
"He went upstairs," Esmeralda told her.
Amanda started for the stairs, but Tabitha stopped her. "You can't do this to yourself."
"You know nothing about him, Tabby. He's a Dark-Hunter, not a vampire."
"Yeah, and Julian Alexander said there's no real difference between them. They both have animal qualities and are killers."
"I don't believe Julian said that."
"I don't care if you believe it or not, it's true. And while you're mulling that one over, let me tell you another thing Julian said. Artemis will kill your boyfriend before she ever lets him walk free."
Her heart screaming a denial, Amanda pulled away and went upstairs. She found Kyrian in the bedroom gathering up his things.
"What are you doing?"
"Leaving."
"You can't go outside. It's just after noon."
His face was blank, cold. "I called Tate."
"Kyrian..." She reached out to touch him.
"Don't touch me," he snarled, baring his fangs to her. "You heard what Tabitha said. I'm an animal, I'm not human."
"It wasn't an animal I slept with last night."
"Wasn't it?"
"No." She laid her hand on his cheek.
She saw him savor her touch for only an instant before his face went rigid. He removed her hand from his cheek. "You say that, Amanda, and yet do you know how many times I've had to pull back from sinking my teeth into your neck? How many times I have felt your blood under my tongue and have craved a taste of it?"