The thick darkness did nothing to hide the glow of his deep red eyes. He pulled her into his arms, his heavy breath stirring the hairs that had escaped to frame her face. Thud… thud… thud… Her own heartbeat thundered in her ears, a deafening drum against the silence. Her wide brown eyes searched his, finding a universe of want in that crimson gaze. He drew her closer until his cold lips met hers, and her body erupted like fireworks. She didn’t hold back. She kissed him back, harder, more passionately—a silent scream of I love you that was louder than her voice could ever be. He hugged her closer, their breaths becoming one ragged, shared thing. His hands snaked to her shoulders, fingers gently pulling at the fabric of her dress. She flinched at the cool air on her skin, a tiny instinctive jerk, but she did not resist. He continued, his lips leaving a trail of fire as they traveled from her mouth, worshiping the column of her throat, the slope of her shoulder. Her own hands came up, fumbling with the fastenings of his garment, but the many linings and layers frustrated her, a complicated barrier to the closeness they both desperately sought. His hands left her body only to tear at his own garment. With a sharp rip, the frustrating layers gave way, and he cast the fabric aside. A slow, predatory smirk appeared on his lips as his gaze locked with hers, a silent question in the crimson depths: Is this what you wanted? She didn't flinch. Her answer was in the steady, wanting look she returned. He claimed her lips again, this time pinning her against the cold wall. The force of it stole her breath, and her own urge blew up like cannons inside her. A silent scream echoed in her mind: Claim me. Now. But as his shadow seemed to deepen, stretching and taking over him, his features sharpened. His fangs elongated, a glint of sharp white in the dim light. He fought the vicious urge to mark her, to make her his in every way possible. He could see it in her eyes, wide and trusting, filled with a longing that mirrored his own—but he knew, with a crushing certainty, that it was not the time. A low growl of frustration rumbled in his chest. He brought his lips to her ear, and instead of a bite, he blew a soft, enchanted breeze. Her body went limp against him immediately, succumbing to a magically induced sleep. Guilt and frustration warred within him, but he had done what he had to do. He would not take advantage of her trust. Cradling her unconscious form, he carried her to her room and laid her gently on the bed. For a few seconds, he simply sat beside her, admiring the peace that smoothed her features. A smile, tender and true, crept onto his lips, and his unbeating heart fluttered with a feeling more potent than any magic. He tucked the blankets around her, ensuring she was warm and safe. With one last, lingering look, he vanished into the night, a wisp of shadow and regret.