Point of No Return by Tara Fox Hall

I
need him to love me, to protect me! I’m all alone here! We’re in
love!”
    Titus opened his mouth and growled at her,
revealing his many rows of teeth. Tasha screamed, her eyes wide.
That woke Theo from his stupor and he lunged for her again,
roaring.
    I grabbed a hold of Tasha’s hair, and yanked
it back. “Do it, you fool! Or I’ll kill you here and give your soul
to that demon!”
    “Never!” she screamed. “I love him!”
    “Do it,” Devlin snarled. “Or I’ll kill your
lover before your eyes. And you’ll kill yourself from despair
because of your Everlasting Love.” He yanked an explosive bullets
gun from his back, and pressed it to Theo’s neck. “You know I mean
it, even if they don’t. Release him!”
    “I release him!” Tasha screamed frantically.
“Don’t hurt him!”
    Theo went to his knees suddenly, then to all
fours, his body racked with tremors, pulling Danial down with him.
Devlin released Theo as he fell, and grabbed Tasha.
    Tasha struggled in Devlin’s grip, her eyes on
the gun. “No, please don’t kill me—!”
    Devlin tossed away the gun, then gave her a
wide grin, showing her his fangs.
    “Vampire,” she breathed, her eyes wide.
    Devlin sank his fangs into her throat to the
hilt. Tasha screeched, writhing, but he held her, swallowing her
down even as she fought him.
    “Don’t kill her, Dev,” Danial said.
    Devlin made no sound, gave no sign he heard,
still swallowing her down just as fast as he could. As she went
slack in his arms, he stopped, letting her fall to the floor with a
thud.
    Terian went to her side and put pressure on
her spurting neck wounds, giving Devlin a nasty look.
    “What?” Devlin said, licking his lips. “I
don't want that one coming back a vampire. I don't dare heal her,
but you can, if you choose.”
    “Devlin, Danial, get ready!” Titus rumbled.
“He’s coming out of it!”
    Theo had stopped shaking, and was pushing
himself up off the floor.
    “What will he remember?” I said quickly.
“Anything?”
    “Everything,” Titus answered. “But all he
will want is you, having you, however he can get you. He hasn’t
felt the full effects of what you share for years now. It’s going
to hit him like a sledgehammer—”
    Theo’s head snapped up at that moment and his
eyes darted, and then they focused on me. “Sar,” he said softly. In
that one word was all the love and tenderness I’d thought never to
hear again. Wanting and desperate need enveloped me, squeezing my
heart like a vise. I staggered, then lunged for him.
    “Hold her!” Titus warned.
    Danial grabbed hold of me. I tried in vain to
shake him off. “Let me go!”
    Theo exploded in movement. Devlin and Danial
together almost couldn’t hold him back. “Sar!” he screamed.
“Sar!”
    I had to get to him, had to be with him. “Let
me go!” I shouted, breaking free of Danial.
    “Sar!” Theo screamed again.
    Terian grabbed me, his skin hot. “No, don’t
go to him!”
    “Let me go!” I shouted
    “A little help, Danial!” Devlin yelled,
grappling hard and fast with Theo.
    Just as Danial grabbed Theo’s arm, Titus
passed his hand over Theo in a delicate movement. Theo slumped to
the ground, unconscious. Danial and Devlin both fell with him.
    “You could’ve warned us,” Devlin said
nastily, getting to his feet. He and Danial lifted Theo’s prone
form up and put him on the couch.
    I went to Theo’s side, clasping his hand. “Is
he okay?”
    “He’ll stay like this until you fall asleep,
Sarelle,” Titus said. “Then the dream will start for you two, as it
has before.”
    “Why is it always the same night?” I asked.
“Is there a reason?”
    “It doesn’t have to be, Sarelle. It can be
any place you want it to be,” Titus replied.
    “You mean it’s a blank slate?” I said in
wonder. “Anything?”
    “Yes,” he said, giving me a small smile. “Use
it wisely. I don’t expect you’ll ever have this opportunity
again.”
    “Thank you,” I said giving