Emma's POV

"I care about you deeply, Emma, and nothing will change that."

The curse cannot be broken, but Blake helps me feel at ease with it.

He helps me forget about it.

"The note might have been left behind for me to find. He might know I'm here," I confessed breathlessly, the front of my body pressed to his. "I might have to leave to protect myself and your family." Blake's hands reached out deliberately to comfort me. One blanketed the warmth in my cheeks from the heat rising in his bedroom, and the other rubbed my arm in a way that was both soothing and painful.

Soothing, because it was Blake. Blake always brought out the human in me, but it was painful, because I was creating a monster in him.

Restlessly throughout the night, I twisted and turned, unable to get any sleep.

If only you knew where my head's laying tonight...

Even I was completely stunned...

I never had any experience with someone who cared about me. Can I recall a single time where Sheila and Frank showed they cared about me? No.

What about Raphael? No.

The realization that Blake cares about me sent a thrill through me.

The undercurrent in his plush eyes pulled at me lightly, expanding at a steady magnitude. "I'm yours, and you're mine, and nothing will change that," he muttered, his tender voice unmasking a bit of possessiveness.

He said it didn't matter what I told him about who I was or who might want to hurt us, but I still couldn't say anything that could jeopardize the moment we're having.

      The way his smooth, carved chest glistened with a sheen of sweat and his eyes sought me wistfully, I felt an overwhelming need to escape from the path that was laid before me. Blake was mysterious and attractive, like a tornado that whisked me away to a distant dreamland. I know I shouldn't be with him, yet I craved the forbidden fruit. I felt like Dorothy when a bubble descended and beckoned her on a great adventure. I couldn't resist the temptation.

"Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?" I asked, gasping for air like I had just run outside to catch the ice cream truck before it disappeared around the block.

      "That's all you, Em," he replied.

       Before I could say anything else, he kissed me unexpectedly. My eyes widened in relief when he did that. Not only was I scared of what my appearance would look like after being human for this long, but I was also scared of rejection. It felt good to know he felt the same way. And not only did I kiss him back eagerly, but I also felt devoted to him.

       Blake was everything my body craved. Our kiss was electric, his lips moving tenderly away from mine to my cheek. As he explored, it was a delicious and dangerous commitment when he moved my hair aside to place one small kiss on my neck to see if I was into it.

It turned out I was wild for his touch.

He leaned back in, his lips returning to my neck gently yet firmly. Oh, yes, like that. Just like that. Keep going. "I'll protect you from everything that threatens us, even if it means becoming the monster you fear."

Oh, the irony...

He's willing to become the very thing he thinks will protect me, even if it means becoming what I fear most. And if he becomes what I fear most, then it means I'll never be able to get him back once he lets the monster in. Does it really matter if he becomes the monster? Then we could both share the burden of this curse and fight for our freedom together, even if it means dying side by side.

But what if we died?

Oh no, Liam!

Oh my gosh, what if we died?

Would Blake die for me?

          Do I believe in sacrificing for love?

Still kissing me everywhere greedily, he fell to his knees as if in worship. He moved to the edge of my shirt, slowly lifting it to reveal my stomach. His lips met my skin there, erotically kissing his way upward. He paused at the edge of my shirt, hovering it over my breasts, savoring every moment.

"You're absolutely perfect, Emma," Blake rasped.

"You're not so bad yourself," I said with a teasing smile.

"Not so bad?" He chuckled marvelously. "I might have to work a little harder to impress you."

"No need to impress me, just inject me with your love. Your heart. Your spirit. Your strength," I quipped pleasantly, eager to kiss him back with equal pleasure. "Inject me with the innocence of your life and the charm you bring, for once you discover what I am, there might never be a night like this again."

          "Don't you dare say that. You're perfect for me," Blake growled, his irises turning to flawless orbs of shock and awe. "You have no idea how much that means to me to have someone like you who believes in me." His voice trembled in the same octave as mine when I spoke about the abuse. His eyes sparkled at me like I placed the star at the top of the Christmas tree every year.

        Due to my toxic parents, who weren't really my parents, I never had the chance to enjoy the holidays.

        Hopefully, one day that changes, and I find a family that's just right for me.

        "Let me be there for you" were the words that brought me to my knees. His voice was a gentle caress against my ear, and without looking in his direction, I could tell his eyes were fixated on me. He made my heart race and my skin crawl with every whisper. "I want to be your sanctuary, your home. I want to see what this world has to offer us."

          Blake embraced me with his lips once more. Every kiss, every touch, every word felt like a sworn oath. A silent vow. The world around us faded into the background as he lifted my shirt over my head and tossed it to the floor, leaving only the warmth of his flesh meeting mine.

          Our kisses grew feverish as he walked me until the back of the legs hit the bed with nowhere else to go. He lifted me into his arms, my legs hooked around his hips, and he lovingly laid me down on the bed. The scent of his cologne mixed with the crisp linen sheets, grounding me in this moment.
      
          One thing's for sure. I should have regretted this, but I didn't.

          Because I knew deep down, this is what I truly wanted.

          Love, and a place to call home.

          ...

  Raphael's POV

          I was fueled by suspicion and frustration, taking control of my thoughts as I prepared to hunt down my target. My doubts about Emma intensified over time. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, and I needed to recognize when I was being manipulated and by whom. Emma had always been secretive, but lately, her behavior was more suspicious than ever. Every time I tried to get information from her about this family we're trying to recruit, she dodged anything concrete or specific.

          With the wind howling in sync with my presence, I spotted her through the window, curled up in a man's arms. As a human, which violated the rules. She would have to face the consequences. Her bare figure was tantalizing, the light reflecting off her skin as if she had just stepped out of a shower. As a natural-born leader, I possessed the advantage of stealth and agility. I scaled the wall to reach the rooftop. Some might call me a peeping Tom. I wasn't afraid to peek in the window, because there shouldn't be anything to hide. Her head rested on his rising chest, secure in his warmth. She instinctively protected him with her body, posing a threat to me. She was guarding someone who no longer belonged to her. I remember saying that having sex, starting families, and even falling in love with the ones we're recruiting was the quickest way to get yourself killed. And she didn't listen.

        He was meant to be mine, just as she was meant to be mine. If I don't act quickly, Emma could outsmart me and escape with her crimes. She's either on my side, or against me.