Free On My Knees by Ciana Stone

damp cold dungeon, shackled to the wall and waiting for the pain.
    "Shhh." The soft whisper and gentle touch on her shoulder had her jerking.
    "Layla, you're safe."
    Augustus. Recognition sent relief washing through her, helping to calm the racing of her heart. That reaction was followed immediately by a slight cringe. You have to be out of your mind. This is the man who drugged and abducted you. Were it not for him you'd never have gone through this nightmare. How can you trust him? And love? How is that possible?
    "Will that forever stand between us?"
    She pulled the sheet up more securely and rolled over to face him. In the wane light, his eyes seemed to glow and his skin was bathed in a silver light, giving him the appearance of what he was. Vampire.
    Layla forced her gaze to his. "You can see inside me so you know. I…I have feelings for you, Augustus."
    "August."
    "August. I have feelings but how can I trust them with what has happened?"
    "You make a valid point, therefore I have a proposal."
    "What kind of proposal?"
    "Stay here with me for one month. If at the end of that time you cannot trust what you feel, or you discover that your feelings are not genuine, then you can leave."
    "What if I want to leave before the time is up?"
    "Then leave. I won't hold you prisoner, Layla, but I will ask that you give this time. You have suffered traumatic experiences and it will take time for you to recover from them, emotionally and physically."
    That's when she realized that she didn't hurt. Not anywhere. Layla ripped the sheet away, searching her side and chest for evidence of the Taser burns. They were gone.
    "How's this possible?"
    "I told you my blood would heal you."
    "That's … that's impossible. Isn't it?"
    "By human's current understanding, yes. To my kind, no."
    "But…" Her latest thought had excitement coursing through her. "Oh my god, Augustus – sorry August – no that doesn't sound right. Augustus. Anyway, do you realize what this means? Your kind could be the answer to – to everything. Disease I mean. Traumatic injury, cancer, you name it. Your people could be the answer to saving millions of lives.
    "Oh my god, you have to let the people in power know. If our leaders understood what your people can do for humanity they'd—"
    "Never offer peace."
    "What?" His statement stuck a pin in her bubble of excitement.
    "Layla, you are an amazing woman, but naïve."
    "Well gee thanks, you sure know how to flatter a girl."
    "I meant no disparagement—"
    "You know, it just dawned on me. Aside from your first words to me, you haven't sounded one bit like a cowboy or rancher or whatever you call yourself. Do you even know anything about ranching or is this all just a front? I mean if you're—what – a thousand years old then who are you really? You probably weren't born here so where did you—"
    His chuckle caused a spike of annoyance that had her pushing herself into a sitting position, securing the sheet snuggly over her breasts and under her arms.
    "I apologize, sweetheart. You simply delight me."
    "Yeah, I can tell. Look, I get that you're like a million years older than me and have seen things that I can't even imagine but—"
    "Layla, I was not making fun of you. I promise. I adore the way your mind works, the questions that pour from you and the fact that you aren't afraid to ask."
    She would not have been mollified by his answer had he not lowered his mental barriers. She didn't even have to reach out to touch his mind. It was simply there. Layla marveled at what it revealed.
    "You really don't think I'm some ditzy romance writer."
    "Not at all."
    That made her a bit ashamed of her behavior. "I'm sorry. I just… hey wait— what did you mean there wouldn't be peace if humans knew?"
    "You already know the answer to that."
    She did. What an idiot she could be at times. If anyone knew the power of Vampire blood, humanity would round up every Vampire on earth and turn them into a cure factory – experiment on