Chapter 63

I stepped close to Lance, letting him wrap me in his arms and I laid my head on his chest. His breathing was rapid, but his heartbeat was much slower than a normal human's. I guessed that was normal with vampires.

Lance held me for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything. I just listened to the beat of his heart and the rhythm of his steady breathing. "I hope you don't mind that I intervened," Lance finally said. "But they weren't leaving, as you had asked."

I took a deep breath. "No, thank you for that." I shuttered to think of what would have happened if Lance hadn't intervened. They were taking advantage of me in my weakened state. Between the nausea, losing Steven, and the emotional strain that I had suffered over the past few weeks, I was weaker than I normally was and they were determined to take advantage of it.

"Do you think they bought it? That I was just passing by?" Lance asked, stroking my hair.