"I think that's a yes. Time to go," Ashen says, pulling away to grab a tea towel for the bite. His wings disappear in a blur of smoke and sparks. The hellfire evaporates from his sword. We gather our bags and weapons and rush from the house, leaving the angel passed out on the floor.

"I feel kinda bad for him," I say as I slide into the passenger seat of Ashen’s car and clip my seatbelt closed. "He seemed nice."

"Of course he seemed nice. He's an angel. That's what they do. One moment they're talking about how much they love water, for fucksakes, and the next they're slicing your face up with their feathers," Ashen replies, twisting in his seat as he backs the car up at speed. The tires drift on the gravel as he slams his foot to the brake and shifts to drive. We speed away from the house, the pervasive fog thinning until it disappears at the road.

"We never got to hear his plan.”

"I am sure it was a genius strategy that involved him fainting at the first hint of a fight while you and I saved the realms."

I let out a conspiratorial laugh, which quickly dies as a wave of dread closes my throat. "About that... how are we supposed to do that, exactly?.."

Ashen lets go of a heavy sigh, his grip tensing on the wheel as he stares down the road that meets us. "I do not know, but we'd better come up with something fast. Time is not on our side."

"Well that's a shame, because I'm so fucking hungry I can't even think," I lament, looking out the window as we pass by fields of sheep.

I see Ashen's reflection in my window as he glances at me. He reaches to the back seat of his car for one of the bags. "There's a cooler in there," he says. I give him a half smile and open the backpack, rummaging inside for a bag of blood. I empty it into a thermal mug and sip away but it tastes bland and boring, too cold and flavorless to really sate my thirst, especially as Ashen's blood still tingles in my veins.

"Thank you," I say in a quiet voice. "It's not the same but it helps. But I'll need to eat properly before tonight."

"What's tonight?"

"Andy?.. The movies?.."

I feel Ashen's body tense beside me. I hear the quickening beat of his heart. "You're still going? With the detective with the ugly plants?"

I look out the window to hide my smile. "Well, it doesn't really seem fair to just text him. He's been trying for months to ask me out. I thought I'd go and then friendzone him afterwards." I glance at the steering wheel as Ashen's grip tightens across the leather.

"Can you not just... eat him?" he asks, and I burst out laughing.

"Eat him? No, I can't eat him, Reaper."

"Why not?"

"Why not? First of all, he's a detective. It'd be an uproar if one of the two detectives of Sanford went missing." My smile broadens as I see Ashen scowl at the road from the corner of my eye. "Secondly-"

"Really?"

"-secondly, Reaper. I'm on a douchebag-only diet."

"Seriously?"

"Yes seriously. It's a sustainable life choice. I only kill douchebags. It's not some fake food intolerance bullshit, it's an ethical decision."

We fall into a strained silence. Ashen glares his simmering fury at the road ahead. I look out the window again, hiding my growing smile behind my hand. The seconds tick by and it's harder and harder not to laugh.

"Ashen," I finally chime, unable to keep the amusement from voice as I wrap my hand over the hard muscle of his forearm. "You're jealous of Andy Cartwright?"

"I am not," he retorts, every word clipped.

"Really? Because it kind of sounds like you are."

Ashen scoffs and shoots me a menacing side-eye glare. "I am not jealous of some small-town human detective who thinks rubber plants are a romantic gift."

"It's a peace lily. And he did at least give me a romantically intentioned gift, so-"

"I gave you a sword! Not just any sword, but Tomoe Gozen's sword. Also a journal and pen. So you're welcome."

"Don't get me wrong, Reaper. Both were very thoughtful. I just don't know as I'd call a sword romantic. And the journal and pen were also because it was annoying for you to lip read. So, really, those were practical gifts. Both of which also benefit you."

I don't really believe ninety percent of what I'm saying; in fact, I thought the sword and pen choice were very touching. That said, I'm having too much fun winding Ashen up. He gives the road a death stare and we sit in deliciously awkward silence as I sip my bland drink.

"Well, I still do not think it's wise to hunt in daylight in Sanford," Ashen grumbles.

I take another sip and make a face. I can feel Ashen watching. "You're probably right, but this won't cut it either, unfortunately."

"Take more of mine," he says, and his voice is softer as the irritation from my teasing dissolves.

I scoff and look out the window. I feel heat creeping into my cheeks. I was hoping to maybe avoid this topic, but obviously it's coming for me and it's happening now. "Thank you, but no."

"Why not?"

"This?" I say shaking the mug as the blood sloshes within. "This is like rice cakes. Your blood is like pop rocks soaked in melted chocolate and... I dunno... truffle oil?"

"An intriguing combination."

"It's... decadent. And it's yours."

"So?"

I give him a dead-eyed glare and he glances from the road to me. I wait for the epiphany to dawn in his mind. It's taking longer than expected. I tap my finger on the center console as the seconds tick on. His eyes narrow, probably as he replays my words and tries to forge the connection. Then they go wide and his expression slackens.

And there it is. The realization takes hold.

"Oh."

I close my arms across my chest and turn my gaze to the window. I can almost hear the gears turning in his mind as he cycles through everything he knows about vampire mating behaviors. He probably wishes we could turn around and retrieve some books from the haunted library to refresh his memory.

"But it's not just about taking blood. There is more to the... process..." Ashen says as he reaches across the center console and lays a reassuring hand on my leg. I take his hand and throw it back toward the steering wheel.

"I don't need you to Reapersplain the mating habits of vampires to me. I'm familiar with how the process works, thankyouverymuch."

"I'm merely trying to say that you can still take some of my blood, if you want it. It will be easier than hunting in daylight," Ashen says, sliding his hand down my arm to pull my wrist free from where it's clamped across my body.

And right here, as he gently pries my arm free from its vicelike grip across my chest, I'm sure you're wondering, what the fuck is the big deal, Lu? He's trying to be sweet and you're kind of being a stubborn cow. And yeah, while I totally agree, you need to understand that the more blood that I take, the harder it will be to not want to mate with him. Like, properly. Not just sex but binding myself to him. And I'm already feeling the tug of it in my heart, the whisper of it from the box in my mind.

"You don't understand," I mutter, keeping my eyes trained on the fields and trees out my window, even when he pulls my hand to his lips and lays a kiss on my fingertips.

"You're right. I apologize, vampire," Ashen says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. There's a long pause of taut silence. "When you say you are familiar with the process-"