She nodded. It had been briefly, but she had already forgotten.

“In a short time you learned to tone down your extraordinary hearing or use it only when needed. In time you will be able to use all your abilities easily, just as I do. The intensity between us will grow, as will our bond. But it is not magic, Alexandria. It is love.” Aidan’s voice was so tender, so gentle, and so certain, she felt her heart somersault.

Chapter Fifteen

The ocean waves rose high and raced toward the shore, spilling foam and salt spray before crashing against the rocks of the cliff and cascading back into the roiling sea. Alexandria trickled sand through her fingers as she watched the spectacular display nature was putting on. The late hour and wild winds ensured that she had the beach to herself.

She sat on a sand dune, resting her chin on her knees and watched the waves. She had always loved the ocean, but after her experience with the vampire, she’d thought she’d never be able to face it again.

Aidan had changed all that. He had brought beauty and joy to her world again. She could sit here, alone in the dark, surrounded by the wailing wind, the crashing sea, even the ominous clouds gathering overhead, and realize the magnificence of it all. Aidan was working on one of his many businesses, and she had slipped out of the house to be on her own. While part of her loved the closeness Aidan demanded, the way he was constantly slipping in and out of her mind, she was used to her freedom, used to doing things on her own. And she had needed to just sit quietly and allow all that had happened to her begin to sink in.

Aidan was unhappy with her. She could feel the weight of his disapproval. He was with her, in a quiet corner of her mind, but at least he hadn’t tried to force her compliance.

I should have.

Alexandria smiled at his complaint. It’s a good thing you didn’t. You need to learn I don’t mind you the way Joshua does.

Another one of your annoying habits?

She laughed out loud, the joyful sound carried down the beach by the wind. Ifit isn’t, I’m going to be sure to cultivate it.

You are going to do exactly what I say.His voice had dropped an octave, until it was a black-velvet caress, a blatant seduction.

She instantly felt the answering heat in her body. Get back to work, sex fiend, and leave me alone for a while.

Just for a short while. That is all the time I can manage to be without your body beneath mine.

You’re wicked, Aidan. Very, very wicked.She was laughing, her head back, her heart light and filled with joy after such a long, dark journey.

Miles away, the sky lit up briefly, a white flash illuminating the dark clouds, and then she heard the distant rumble of thunder. A storm was riding the waves in, feeding the sea’s playful mood. She leaned back and felt a drop of water splash her cheek, rain or sea spray, she couldn’t tell. She didn’t care. Her life was coming back together; she was finding her strength again. And now that she was accepting what she had become, she would find a way to deal with life again.

In the darkness a shadow shifted overhead. She blinked, sat up, and tilted her head to scan the skies. She detected no movement. Perhaps it had been merely one black cloud gliding in front of the others. Still, she felt uneasy. She was alone on the dunes, close enough to the water that she could detect the finned predators beneath the surface. And that realization suddenly unnerved her, that beneath the beautiful waves glided prehistoric creatures, forever seeking prey.

A slow smile curved her mouth. She was beginning to let anything spook her. Who would be out on a night like this? The ocean roared, slammed into the rocks, and sent plumes of froth into the sky. Her uneasiness increased with the wildness of the storm.

Perhaps it would be better for you to listen to your lifemate and be alone in the house or on the balcony rather than out in a storm.

His taunt was irritating, and she scooped up another handful of sand in defiance. Still, despite her determination, Alexandria felt a heavy, oppressive weight on her chest, and she anxiously scanned the sky, trying to remain calm enough to feel her surroundings, to detect another’s presence. Suddenly, without any real reason, she was certain she wasn’t alone, and whatever was stalking her was evil.

Get out of there,Aidan commanded at once. His voice was cool and determined, and in response to the increasing strength of her instincts, she sensed he had taken to the air.

She stood, her eyes searching the immediate area. The wind tugged at her hair, whipping it across her face. She dragged the long strands away and saw a man teetering high on the cliff. The wind was vicious, and she could see he was in trouble, the edge of the embankment crumbling beneath his weight. Alexandria shouted and began to run, instinctively reaching out as if she could somehow prevent his fall.

How could she not have seen him earlier? Felt his presence? Why had she been so selfishly certain that she was the one in danger? How long had the man been up there and in danger?

What is it, cara?Aidan’s voice was calm and soothing, and he was closer now, which was reassuring.

She grabbed on to him like a lifeline. A man on the cliffs— he’s falling.If only she hadn’t wasted time feeling sorry for herself, for what she had become. She could have saved him. She should have been learning from Aidan, everything he could teach her. She could have moved with his blinding speed and caught the man before he hit the jagged rocks below.

I am coming. Stay away from him!Itwas a demand, but one she couldn’t obey. Though she had little hope of saving the stranger, she had to try. She ran barefoot over the wet sand, her gaze riveted on the cliff. For one moment she thought the world darkened. Then a burst of lightning danced and sizzled, and a fireball exploded through the night, heading right toward the man.

Alexandria screamed as he tumbled forward, his fall seeming to happen in slow motion, a torturous descent of forty feet or more. The wind whipped her shout back into her face like a slap. She was still a distance away and far too late, but she ran anyway. Without warning, at a full run, she hit something invisible. The impact knocked her to the ground.

Heart beating fast, she sat up, shoving the wild, wind-whipped tangle of her hair from her face. She didn’t see an obstacle, the impact hadn’t hurt, yet when she reached out, her hand met something solid.

How could you, Aidan?She was bewildered that he would restrain her this way, stop her from going to the stranger’s aid. She slowly got to her feet, shaken.

The fog rolled in swiftly from the sea, carried on the wild winds. Out of it, on the other side of the invisible barrier, a man began to materialize. At first he was shimmering, translucent, but then he solidified further, becoming a dark, shadowy being. He was tall, like Aidan, with the same roped muscles. His hair was as black as the night, long and held with a leather thong at the nape of his neck. His face was beautiful, his mouth both sensual and cruel, his jaw strong. But it was his eyes that captured her attention. They were pale, almost light itself, a quicksilver brilliance impossible to ignore.

Alexandria was suddenly very afraid. Aidan exuded power, but this man waspower. No one, nothing, could ever defeat such a creature. She was certain he was not human. One hand crept protectively to her throat.

The stranger casually waved a hand, and the barrier was gone in an instant. She had never seen the obstruction, yet now she knew it was gone, that nothing stood between them but air. She was terrified, for herself and for Aidan.