****
It was much later, after hours of brainstorming over what Bradley and his gang of malcontents were up to that I finally admitted I could no longer stay awake and I said my goodnights. James wouldn’t even let me out of his sight to go to sleep. He walked up with me and as we lay down together, I remembered that I had something I needed to leave the house for this week after all. Something almost as scary as facing the Court.
“James, we still have my cousin’s wedding. If I cancel my parents will never forgive me.”
“I’ll be with you. You’ll be fine.”
“I know, but will you? You’ve never met my family.” I wasn’t entirely joking.
He chuckled softly.
“No seriously. I have never brought anyone home to my family. They would be all over you even if you didn’t look like you do.”
We lay facing each other and I adjusted my pillow so that I could see him unobstructed. “Love, I assure you that I have faced worse humans and supernatural enemies. I can handle this.” His tone changed. “Are you worried about me or are you worried about you? We’re going to be alone together.” The incident with Stephen earlier had shaken us both.
Putting my hand on the side of his face, I looked at him. He was the James I knew and loved. The flash that I saw of vampire James had been terrifying, but I felt safe because I knew his strength and violence would never be turned against me. “James, I can’t deny it was frightening to see you like that. Stephen’s my friend and I love you both. But I trust you with my life.” I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a playful smile. “I sleep in your bed. There’s no better proof of my trust than that.
I could see the relief in his jaw and the set of his shoulders. “I swore an oath, do you remember? I failed you once, but it will not happen again and you will never come to harm at my hands.”
We had not made love since that first night. Now that I lay close to him, I felt a need to be closer and leaned in to kiss him. He felt it and I saw the same need in him. It was quite some time before I drifted off to sleep.