Ember's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly in shock.

Donovan took advantage of the opportunity and dropped his mouth to her own, kissing her before she had the chance to fight back. Ember couldn't move for a moment, as she was completely frozen in shock at his action. A fire lit in her belly when his tongue touched her own in a soft, tentative way. Inviting her to kiss him back, yet leaving room for her to pull away.

This confused her already muddled mind.

He was a bloodthirsty vampire!

Why give her a chance to pull away? Why not take what he wanted?

'Why not take what you want?' a small guilty voice whispered inside her. 'Just this once.'

Ember couldn't deny her unbridled attraction to Donovan. While her mission was to infiltrate his home and assassinate the night stalker at his most vulnerable moment, she couldn't help the primal desire that filled her just at the sight of him.

Now, here she was, pinned beneath his body, inhaling the warm scent of spice off his skin, with the taste of her blood on his tongue.

All of the forbidden desire was bubbling to the surface and overwhelming her.

Before Ember could think it through, she did exactly what she'd wanted to do since they met.

With a soft exhale, Ember leaned into Donovan's mouth and kissed him back with the hunger she had been hiding over the course of the last few weeks. This time when Donovan growled, it wasn't animalistic, but filled with a human-like satisfaction.

Immediately, Donovan released her wrists and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her from the floor and bodily against him. Their tongues tangled in a dance for dominance as they released their inhibitions.

The fury for one another boiling into something even more dangerous.

Pure animalistic lust.

Ember blocked out everything that was wrong with what she was doing, deciding to deal with the consequences later. Giving her this one moment to allow her desire to come before anything else.

Even if it meant shutting off her morals just this one time.

A soft moan escaped Ember as Donovan gripped her nape gently, tugging softly at her long golden caramel hair.

Donovan's mouth was more sinful than she could have ever imagined, his tongue massaging hers with wicked, precise movements that sent thrills through her belly.

Tentatively, Ember brought her hands to rest on his broad shoulders, his muscles hard and powerful as he pulled her even closer to him.

Liquid heat was flowing through Ember's veins as he continued to undo her with his kisses. At one point her tongue caught the edge of his razor-sharp canines, but instead of shying away from him, it sent a wave of longing through her body.

Without warning, Donovan pulled his mouth away, leaving her chasing him indignantly.

Opening her eyes, she tried to calm her heaving breath.

Donovan watched her with a mixture of hunger and uncertainty. Ember watched him back, taking in the strong angles of his face, his dark lashes, and the thick dominant eyebrows that surrounded those endless onyx eyes. The black hair that had escaped his hair tie framed his rugged jawline.

There was something so ravishingly dangerous about looking into his eyes. To be locked in his sites like prey, yet desired as a lover.

Long moments passed between the two of them, their longing for one another heavy in the air.

Finally, Donovan broke the silence.

"Why did you come here, Ember?" he asked softly, his eyes narrowing on hers.

The use of her first name showed a glimpse of vulnerability she'd never seen in him before, which confused her even further.

Ember did not look away as she stared at him, contemplating her answer.

She had come here to kill him.

Yet, here she was, wrapped in his arms with the taste of his lips on her tongue.

It felt as if Ember were doused in cold water, the fire in her veins put out with the memory of her mission.

To kill Donovan Reign.

The Bloody Count of Sinaia.

To KILL him.

Ember's eyebrows knit together in anger.

What had she just done!?

How could she betray the mission, how could she betray herself like this?

Donovan must have seen the switch in her emotions because within an instant he had schooled his face back into a cold expression of indifference.

All vulnerability was gone, with nothing remaining but the brutal stare of a bloodthirsty murderer.

Ember didn't have a chance to react before he gripped her by the throat, cutting off her air and forcing her to the floor in a swift violent movement.

"Pity," he said in a low throaty voice. "I was so looking forward to spending more time together. Unfortunately, I must cut this dalliance short."

He released her throat and she coughed trying to catch her breath, but she barely had the chance before he snatched the hair at the top of her head.

Yanking her head to the side, he bared her throat to him. Ember clawed weakly at his hand holding her hair, but it was no use.

"What could have been, am I right Miss Woods?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his silky voice that didn't match the expression in his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll make it quick."

Donovan smiled menacingly, his canines glinting in the firelight.

Before Ember could draw her next breath, Donovan had dropped his mouth to her neck with lightning speed and sunk his teeth into her flesh.

Ember let out a cry of shock and pain before she felt the eerie sensation of blood being pulled from her body. A cool trickling sensation seeped from the wound and down her neck. Ember struggled fruitlessly under his grip, the morbid sound of him sucking hungrily at her neck flooding her senses.

"No!" Ember managed to scream weakly, still fighting against his attack.

But it was all in vain as Donovan continued to drink from her, cradling her gently like a lover as he drained the lifeblood from her.

The edges of Ember's vision were starting to grow dim and darkness seemed like a sweet caress that she could curl herself into.

Vaguely she felt him pull away from her neck and she caught a glimpse of his face which was hungry and possessive. Her blood trickled down his chin as he gazed at her.

"I'll make you mine, Ember," he said softly, a strange look in his red eyes as he brushed the hair away from her brow. "Forever."

Just before unconsciousness claimed her, she heard a loud bang and saw a bright light before she finally gave into the embrace of darkness.

***

"Ember?" a distant worried voice called. "Wake up, please."

The voice was pulling her from some dark and silent place. Through the darkness, she felt the stinging of pain and discomfort, so she tried her best to remain in the quiet. But other voices joined the first one, making it hard for her to stay in the shadows of her mind.

"I think she's waking up," the same voice said.

That's when she recognized who was speaking. It was Adrian, her most trusted friend.

But why was he here in this place?

Where was here?

Onyx eyes and blood flashed through her mind as she remembered all at once what had happened.

With a gasp of terror she shot into a seated position, clutching her neck with one hand and her chest with the other.

"It's all right," Adrian said in a soothing voice, reaching for her and holding her shoulders steady. "You're ok, kid."

Ember found Adrian's dark copper eyes and clutched at his strong forearms, sucking in a ragged breath as she tried to calm her heart.

"Adrian?" she asked in a weak dry voice. She forced herself not to succumb to how vulnerable she felt in that moment; bloody and shaking with weakness.

"I'm here," he said, pulling her into a soft embrace.

Through the dimly lit chamber, she could make out the figures of three other men, all dressed for a fight with light iron plates on their chests and shoulders. Ember searched them all for injuries, grateful to see that none of them seemed to be hurt.

Two of them she knew well, Malcolm and Turner. Both of them watched her quietly with concern in their eyes. Turner; dark-eyed and dark-haired held his crossbow at his side. Malcolm had dirty blonde hair and light brown eyes, and his sword sheathed.

The third was someone Ember recognized but wasn't particularly fond of.

William Cress.

He was watching her with disdain in his yellow-green eyes, his narrow mouth turned down in a frown, blond hair framing his face. If it wasn't for Ember's current state of weakness, she would have returned the nasty look he was giving her. Instead, she looked away from William and pulled herself out of Adrian's arms.

"Where's Reign?" Ember managed to say, her body feeling weak and shaky.

"He escaped," Adrian said, an edge of anger in his voice.

"Son of a b*tch," Ember hissed.

William chose that moment to walk up to her and Adrian. "After weeks of planning and managing to infiltrate Reign's domain, how did you manage to f*ck it up Woods?"

This time Ember shot William an angry glare, but before she had a chance to respond Adrian stood and faced him.

"Now is not the time, William," he said pointedly. "Do you not see that she was at the brink of death before we managed to break in?"

"That's exactly my point," William said ignorantly. "It was a waste of time and resources to rely on her to do the job, just so she would fail."

"That is enough-" Adrian started, his eyes flashing with anger before taking a threatening step towards William.

"Adrian," Ember intervened, "he's right."

Adrian looked down at her with shock in his eyes before shooting another dark look in William's direction. They stared at one another for a few more moments before Adrian scoffed and turned back to Ember.

"Let's get you out of here," he said softly, before swooping down and lifting her into his arms with ease.

"Adrian, I'm fine. I can walk," Ember insisted, trying to slip out of his arms.

"Don't argue, Ember," Adrian said firmly. "You are in no condition."

With a sigh, Ember conceded and let her head rest against Adrian's shoulder. While the last thing that she wanted was for William to see her in such a vulnerable state, Adrian was right.

She was completely and utterly exhausted and feeble.

Adrian carried Ember towards the two wooden doors of the great chamber with Turner and Malcolm in tow.

Turning her head, Ember gave the great hall one last fleeting glance.

This had been her home for the past month and while her last night in its walls was one of bloodshed, she would never forget the days she'd spent here with Donovan.

Shaking the memories from her mind, resolve steeled in Ember's gut.

The next time that she saw Donovan Reign, she would put a stake through his heart.