The pain he was in hit her hard and stole her breath. But she pushed it aside. "Thank you, Nick."
He nodded before he withdrew and closed the door.
Dev took the box from her. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. I want to mate with you. To bond with you." Bonding meant that their life forces would be joined and when one of them died, they both would. It was something Dev's parents had refused to do while their children had been young--they'd been terrified of leaving them orphans. But once all their cubs were grown, they'd bonded and they'd died in each other's arms.
Sam brushed his hair back from his face. "Your life span is finite. Mine isn't. What say we bond and I stay immortal?" That way they'd never have to say goodbye to each other.
She hated the thought of death. This would be the best of all worlds.
Dev scratched his cheek. "We won't be able to have children."
She bit her lip, afraid of what he might say about her next proposal. "How do you feel about adoption?"
He smiled. "Works for me. All kids need love. But can you stand not being in daylight?"
And that would be different how? "Been five thousand years without it. I'm kind of used to it now and really have no patience with sunblock." She kissed the tip of his nose.
"All right then." He stepped back from her. "Let me go put this somewhere safe. Be right back."
Sam laughed at his urgency as she climbed into bed to wait for him. While she lay there, she turned her palm over to see her mark.
Dev's mark.
She still couldn't believe it was real. That her life had changed so drastically in such a short period of time. But then her birth as a Dark-Hunter had been every bit as quick and dramatic. One moment she'd been bathed in complete happiness and in the next everything had been shattered. It only seemed fair that the reverse could happen just as suddenly.
Dev popped into bed beside her.
Completely naked...
She laughed. He was ever a horn dog. "That was fast."
"We have a big safe inside a vault. I hid your soul well and now..." He pulled her close.
Sam let out a playful breath. "Why is it everything gets back to you being naked?"
"Nothing gets back to me being naked, baby. It's all about your bare skin." He kissed her stomach. Chills spread the entire length of her body. "Now let's see about this mating thing."
"Absolutely."
Three months went by faster than Dev could blink. Never in his life had he expected to be so happy. Sam was now working night shifts with him and they'd settled into an easy nocturnal lifestyle.
It was 3 A.M. and he was at the door, listening to Sam and Aimee talk over his headset. He was so glad they were friends. It made everything that much easier.
Yawning, he was about to comment on their lame joke when a flash to his left caught his attention. A fissure of supreme power rippled in the air around him.
He stiffened, prepared to battle.
The light above his head went out.
When it came back on again, he saw Savitar standing in front of him.
"What are you doing here?"
Savitar rolled his shoulders into an easy, laid back shrug. "Been hearing some things 'bout your club, Bear."
Aimee, Fang, and Sam came to the door.