The wind picked up, tearing at her exposed flesh. Camila shivered.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Declan apply liquid to a cloth. Her mouth was dry as a desert. She swallowed.

His left hand circled her waist, flooding her body with warmth.

"What are you doing?" Camila focused on her words, keeping them tense and angry. "You're not supposed to touch me."

"Relax. If you're not still, the wound could tear."

"Do it quickly then."

His hand tensed against her waist. Quietly, he said, "I suppose you could always pretend I'm that vampire bodyguard you're so fond of. Tell me, are you actually fucking him or do you just dream about it, trailing after him like a lost puppy dog?"

"Really, Declan?" Camila kept her face expressionless, but inside she was boiling with anger. "Ever heard of etiquette?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, not meeting her gaze.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"What do you think's going on?" Declan growled.

"I have no idea!" Camila ran an exasperated hand through her hair, forgetting about the pain for a moment. "One second, we're friends. The next, you're murdering people left and right and, for some reason, you're the one mad at me!"

Declan laughed. The sound was wild, almost crazed, but his eyes were dead serious and locked on her.

"Goddess, Camila. I can't think around you. That's the issue."

"Yeah, that still doesn't-"

"You ran away. You're dreaming about another man. You don't want me to touch you."

"I'm not-"

"You said his name when you were sleeping!" His eyes flashed. "We're soulmates, Camila. And that little bracelet keeps you from feeling the full effect of the bond, but for me, not being able to even hold your hand? It's physically painful."

Camila tried to come up with a reply, but her mind was blank, processing what he'd just told her.

Declan lowered his head. His ears were tinted pink, almost like he was embarrassed, and a muscle flexed in her jaw. "I should probably clean the wound. You ready?"

She reached for his hand.

Camila knew she would regret it. Even in the moment, she was gripped with a sense of trepidation, like she was crossing a line. But he looked almost sad. And she'd never seen Declan look sad and she could use some comfort too.

Their fingers wove together, his hand warm against hers. Declan relaxed visibly. His thumb moved in small circles against the back of her hand. It was a small touch, but it soothed her, calming her trembling limbs and slowing her breathing.

"I'm ready now." Her voice was strong and clear.

Cold liquid hit the wound, dripping down her exposed back. At first, it stung gently, like soap on a paper cut. That's it? After all that buildup?

And then it started to burn.

It felt like her back was on fire, flames devouring already damaged flesh. Stars danced at the corners of her vision. Her fingernails dug into Declan's skin. She ground her teeth together—she couldn't afford to scream.

Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, the pain stopped.

Her chest heaved, her hands shook, and tears burned at the corners of her eyes. Camila tried to breath, gulping in big mouthfuls of air.

"Hey." Declan's voice was so gentle Camila didn't recognize it at first. He squeezed her hand. "You good?"

Spoon yipped quietly and bumped her snout against Camila's knee. Camila tried to scratch behind her dog's ears, but her muscles quivered like jelly and it was easier to keep her hand still, resting on the corgi's fluffy back.

"I'm good."

"I'm going to bandage you up, okay?"

Camila nodded, not wanting to speak. She loosened her grip on Declan's hand, but didn't let go. It was a mistake, but how much could a few more minutes really matter?

"Camila."

She swallowed, her throat dry. "Yeah?"

"I need both hands." There was a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Oh, right." Camila let go of his hand, blushing slightly. "Of course."

Bandages pressed gently against her skin. Declan moved quickly, efficiently, winding the gauze under her arm and around her waist. He was so close, Camila could practically feel him.

"Why'd you do it?" Camila voiced the question without thinking. She needed a reason, some way of rationalizing with his actions. "Why'd you kill him?"

Holding the bandages in place with one hand, Declan peeled off a piece of medical tape. It held.

"I can't tell you that."

"Right. Of course." She pushed herself forward, ready to slide off the truck bed.

"Wait." Declan's hand captured her wrist. She froze. Was he finally about to tell her something useful?

"Let me help you walk. You've lost a lot of blood."

He hopped down from the truck with a fluid ease and held out his hand. Camila considered not taking it—for Goddess sake, of course she could walk!—but she was exhausted and her pride wasn't worth another argument.

She stumbled on landing. His arm caught around the waist, careful not to disturb the bandages.

"I did it to protect you. You might not believe me, but it's the truth."

"And furthering your own agenda, that had nothing to do with it?"

Declan tilted his head to the side, a slight smile on his lips. "Eh. Maybe a little. Mostly I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Yeah, safe and captive." Camila opened the passenger seat. She got in and slammed it closed harder than is strictly necessary.

"Yep." He flashed her a grin. "I actually think we're bonding a bit. It's fun."

"Keep dreaming." A small, irrational part of Camila stifled a laugh. Was it just the bond? It was hard to be mad at him—she forced herself to remember the dead vampires.

"You know, next time you get injured, not that there will be a next time, but next time you get injured, I think we should kiss."

"What?" Camila snapped, glaring at him. "Are you crazy?"

"I feel like it's a natural progression. This time we held hands, next time we kiss. It's common sense."

Camila sighed. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to yell at him. Her emotions were a tangled mess of desire and lust, reason and memory. What was real and what wasn't? 

"I'm going to sleep. Wake me the next time we get attacked."

"And if you get injured..."

"You can shut up now."

Thank you, thank you, and thank you for reading! I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoy writing it.

Questions: Is Alex alive? Is it just the bond or does Camila actually like Declan a little bit? Is Spoon the best character or the bestest character?

-Harley