She sat up, pushing him back farther.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Believe me, I’m normally not supposed to. Our origins are a closely guarded secret from even the humans who do know what we are.”

“So you’re breaking the rules. Again. Do you have a death wish or something?”

“No. This time I have special permission. From the queen herself. I told her a couple of days ago that I thought you were one of the special humans who could be brought over to our world.”

“Why would I ever want to be brought over to your world?”

“You would inherit all of our strengths.”

“And all of your weaknesses.”

“True,” he said with a momentary frown. “But one of the strengths would be a long life.”

“And you think immortality is something I would want?”

“No one is eager to die. I would think you would like to avoid it if you can have that advantage.”

“I see,” she said. “What does this change entail?”

“It requires electrocution. It is not a pleasant experience, that much is certain. But you won’t die. Not with your makeup.”

“I don’t know why I would want to subject myself to that,” she said with a delicate shudder.

“Because you could live forever…or close to it. And you would get to spend that time with me.”

He never once looked away from her, needing to see her reaction. He watched the changes that swept through her face and eyes and held his breath. He didn’t know what she was feeling and thinking in spite of the expressiveness of her features. Did she want what he wanted? Did she want to spend a long life with him by her side? Or was the suggestion about to send her running for the hills? Was he asking too much of her?

“That’s a very long time,” she said softly. “You barely know me. How can you want what you’re asking for when you barely know me?”

“I know you. I know everything that matters. And what I don’t know will only make for exciting surprises through the years. I know you are strong and willful. I know you are fiercely loyal and dedicated. You are independent and yet soft enough to depend on another if needed. You are passionate both emotionally and physically. Yes, Renee, I know you.”

Her breath caught and he heard it. He held his as well. What would he have to do now to convince her? Would it have been wiser to introduce her to it more slowly?

“I’m glad you’ve told me how you feel. I’m…I’m glad you know what you want. And I’m happy that I am what you want. I’m just not sure…”

“That you want me in the same way?” he asked, trying not to sound hurt.

“No! It’s not that at all. You’re asking me to change everything about who and what I am all at once. You have to give me time to think about all of this!”

“I don’t expect you to make a decision right away about everything. But what I do want to know right now is…do you feel the same way about me that I feel for you? Do you feel as though the world would stop turning if I were to suddenly leave? Do you feel like you wouldn’t be complete without me? Is this the first time in your life that you finally feel like you’ve met someone you want to spend a lifetime with?”

Renee watched the passion in his expression as he spoke his words of devotion and she felt her heart swelling in response. She tried to rein in the feeling, tried to warn herself not to get carried away. Did she even know him as well as he claimed to know her? Could she even consider the wild things he was suggesting? She had learned so much in just a moment of time that proved how little she knew about him and his people. She couldn’t possibly consider otherwise.

“I love you,” she blurted out in spite of her logical intentions. And in the end, that was what it boiled down to. She had fallen in love with him. For better or worse, for alien or human, she loved him. She didn’t know when exactly it had happened; perhaps from the very first moment, perhaps when their lives had been in danger and she had been afraid of losing him forever. All she knew was that she loved him and wanted him more than she had anything else in her life.

“I love you,” he said softly, reaching to pull her up against his bare chest, hugging her tightly, his face buried against her fragrant neck. He breathed deeply of her. Of all the wonderful scents lifting from her beloved body. “I’ve never said that to anyone before.”

That floored her. “Not in three hundred years?”

“Outside of my parents and siblings, never.”

“You have siblings?” she asked with surprise.

“One living. A brother. You will meet him one day. He is abroad at the moment. I had other siblings, but they are no longer with us.”

“They died?”

“Most of them.”

“Most?”

“I…” He wanted to say he’d rather not get into it, but this was the woman he loved. He needed to be transparent with her. “My other brother…he became a sycophant. That is why I wish sycophants were reclaimable. I would do anything to recover my brother. But anyway, he is far beyond all hope. He has chosen an evil path.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” she said with deep feeling. She could feel how much it hurt him to talk about it, so she shifted the conversation back. “Where is your lawful brother?”

“He is an authoritarian in Portugal. He works very closely with the prince there. She rather dotes on him. He is presently running the country while she is here signing the treaty.”

“It is a shame he could not be here to visit you.”

“I will see him soon. I want you to meet him.”

“I have sisters,” she said.

“I know. You told me.”

“Yes, you seem to know much more about me than I know about you.”

“You are far more interesting.”

She laughed. “I doubt that. Come,” she invited him before sliding back on the bed out of his reach. “Come into bed.”

She didn’t have to ask him twice. He stripped off the rest of his clothes and climbed onto the bed. He drew himself close to her side, his lips raining kisses over her shoulder and collarbone. She let her head fall back with a pleased sigh.

“So…you love me?” he asked.

She chuckled. “Don’t get cocky now.”