She gasped and drew back. "But how? Greg told me he lost his mate. How could you be his mate?"

"Erik saved us. I was only a child when I met him. He helped me grow, not only as a vampire, but as a person. I treated him like a father figure at first." She laughed. "I'd cling to him constantly, always begging for him to play with me or carry me around town. When I was scared, I'd run to him. He was my safe place." The tears flowed freely now, but she wiped them away and took a deep, ...