Jennifer smiled gently, "Oh yes? The world is truly full of wonders and surprises. Is that person a close friend of yours?"

"No," William stared at her intensely, his eyes burning as if he were making a lifelong vow. "That is someone I love very much and am willing to spend my entire life protecting."

His voice was hoarse to the extreme. "I haven't seen her in so long. There have been many times when I thought I would never see her again in this lifetime. So when I saw you just ...