Sorry this chapter took so long. I hope you didn't think this story was over. And also, I should've said that this book is set between Huntress and Black Dawn. Hunter's not dead yet, okay?

The room filled with people was gone. I was in a foggy darkness, surrounded by nothing except inky black eternity. Someone's arms were around me. I was coming to. I'd been out for hours yet I hadn't known it. To me it had been only a few seconds I was left in that world of nothing.

My eyes flickered open. And there, right in my face, was Jude. He looked… gorgeous. I tried to not let it show on my face.
Think of all he's done to you. He bit you – he attacked you! A voice in my head said.
The other kept crying out: I don't care, I love him.

The other voice said: how the hell do you remember him?
I sat up. Jude noticed immediately.
"No, Tasha, don't move."
I blinked a couple of times – then rubbed my eyes. "That guy… Quinn. Wasn't he supposed to wipe my memory?"
I remembered now. And I realised what they were talking about. Sort of. I had a hunch that all the boys in that room had been vampires.
Who knows? Maybe even Rashel and the girl with Morgead were vampires too.

Jude blinked furiously for a few minutes. Then smiled lazily. "Well, I had to get your memories back. I'm very good at that. I taught Quinn everything he knows, but I didn't teach him everything I know."

"You can restore memories?" I asked.
Jude nodded.
I looked around. I was in someone's apartment – most probably Jude's. The furnishings were modern and suave. It was all very comfortable and had the touch of a teenage guy. A rich teenage guy.

"Where was that place and how did I get there?" I asked Jude. I had a million questions but it was best to start at the beginning.

Jude sighed. He didn't look very hostile. He looked… amiable. "When you collapsed at your house, Quinn jumped through the window. We'd had an argument in the car and I think he and Ash knew I was coming back for you. I had no idea they were Daybreaker scum…"

"Excuse me?"
"Nothing. Anyway, Quinn knocked me out and took us two to a Daybreaker outpost. Circle Daybreak is this type of cult thing for all types of creatures. Vampires, witches, werewolves, shapeshifters, humans… The nice side of the bad side if you know what I mean."

"W-Werewolves? Witches? S-Shapeshifters?" I spluttered. When Jude had said 'bad side' it sounded like he was lying. His voice had gotten softer and his eyes had begun to shift. I had an idea that Jude was the bad one. Not Quinn, or Ash, or Ash's girlfriend… even Rashel. They weren't evil.

Jude was rushing on. "They want to collect as many s-soulmate–" he paused, then carried on. It was like he hated saying the word. "… soulmate couples as possible. But they realised how bad I screwed you over and tried to make you forget."

He looked into my violet eyes with his own dark eyes. My heart melted.
"I'm sorry, Tash. I really am."
I took a steadying breath. "And now you're gonna turn me into a vampire. Just like you. Just like Quinn. Ash. Rashel…"

"Whoa, whoa! Rashel ain't a vampire." Jude waved his hands to calm me down.
I felt dizzy for an instant. "S-She's not?"
Jude laughed hysterically for a few moments, then came to. "From what I understand… she's a vampire hunter."

I swallowed. Oh. That explains the predatory stance, then.
"And that girl who ran in the room with the guy called Morgead?"
Jude looked more serious. "She's a halfie. Half-human, half-vampire. But she lives her life as a human. No one knows much about her except that her name's Jez. She almost had a Wild Power once. She had a knot of people and one of them was it, but…"

"Jude, you're wasting your time. I don't know what a 'Wild Power' is."
"Goo-od point," he yawned, stretching out the word 'good'.
I frowned. "Are you a Daybreaker?"

He laughed. "Not a chance,"
I looked at him seriously. "Why not? If we are a 'soulmate couple' then why don't we join?"
Jude stared at me through heavily lashed eyes. "I'm a born and bred Night Person – that ain't ever gonna change,"
I blinked. "'Night Person'?" I repeated.

Jude turned and pointed at something behind him. "For instance, to get back at that dirty cousin of mine – and my dear friend, Quinn – I'm gonna have a little… a little conversation with a relative."

"Oh?" I mimicked. I tried to see behind him at what he was gesturing at. I couldn't.

Jude flashed a grin. "Yeah. A really old relative. You could say that he started my family off. See it works like this..."

He leant in close. I gulped in air and held my breath as his cheek collided with mine. He was so near to me. I wanted him away but I didn't get the chance to speak.
"If anyone tries to take you away from me, they are effectively ending my life. Soulmates can't live without each other, I heard, so… let's see if Ash and Quinn can be in my shoes for a while."

"Jude, what are you talking about?"

"I'm gonna phone someone called Hunter Redfern," He turned to face the phone. I realised I was lying spread-eagled on a bed with Jude on top of me. He leant to the left and picked up a cordless handset from the bedside cabinet.

He smiled dazzlingly. I've never, ever seen anyone look as insane after that moment. "I'm not gonna wipe their soulmates memories. I'm not gonna kidnap them and lock them away. I'm gonna make sure that they get what's coming to them…"

"Jude?" I glanced behind him. There, on the carpet – tied and bound – were three girls. Rashel. Mare. And the red-haired girl Jude had called 'Jez'. I gulped. "Jude, no!" By the way they were lying they were either drugged or dead.

"How bad is it, sweetheart?" Quinn had said. I remembered how loving he sounded.
"Jude, don't. They love those girls you can't just… just…"

"They were just gonna take you away from me. Without even caring how much I love you." He was furious, but he caught my eye and started shaking me. "I may only have known you for a few hours. I may hate all humans. BUT I LOVE YOU!"

His teeth gnashed furiously. I saw his vampire fangs. I gritted my teeth. He wasn't calming down. "And you love me, too. You told me so! You can't go back on it now. We're soulmates, end of. So that means we stay together – right? We'll be together." He grabbed the phone and jerked it out of its holster.

The next instant he was dialling a number.
"Jude," I began breathlessly. "Jude, no." My begging didn't help. He thrust me down. I bounced on the mattress harmlessly.

And then I could hear the click of an answer on the other end of the phone.
"Hello?" Jude spoke. "I'd like to speak with Hunter Redfern. I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse,"

I tried to clutch onto the boy that was supposed to be my soulmate. He ignored me. I started crying. Whoever he was handing these girls over to was going to hurt them. 'Get what's coming to them' usually means to kill someone, right?

"Three girls from soulmate pairings. All humans except for one hybrid. I believe you'll recognise one. Her name's Rashel. She's soulmates with your 'son' Quinn. She's the girl you tried to kill. After all these years you can finally get to her."

There was talking on the other end. Jude's face widened with a mischievous smile. "What's in it for me? The reaction on their boyfriend's faces when I tell them they're dead,"

"NO!" I screamed and pushed the phone from his ear. Jude let out a startled gasp. The phone landed on the floor with a bump. There was a beep as it struck the disconnect button. The line went dead.

"You little–" he turned to face me and pressed me deeper into the bed. "Don't you understand that I'm doing this for us? To prove to you? Huh?"

"You're just being a ratting jackass!" I cried, intending to knee him where it hurts. "And you're wrong! If you keep acting like this I'm gonna hate you and I'm gonna leave!"

"You can't leave," Jude smiled. "I won't let you. And it's not possible for someone to hate their soulmate."
"IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE DISGUSTED WITH THEM?" I shrieked. Jude practically fell backwards in shock. His face was crumpled. He looked very serious, very surprised… very upset.

He did a double take and composed himself. "Are you? Disgusted with me, I mean?" he asked, leaning in close and holding me down again.
I gulped, not sure whether I liked the feel of his body holding me down like this. I felt ugly and used. Vulnerable. Terrified.

"I don't know. It depends whether you take those girls back…"

"What if I say I will?" he asked softly, breathing down my neck. He was doing a circuit of my face, pouting and rolling his eyes over me like he owned me. My breath came in short gasps.

"I might just forgive you,"
Jude smiled seductively. "Good," He leant in. He kissed me. I wasn't sure whether I was meant to kiss him back. That was until he held the side of my face tenderly with both hands. It was hard not to, then. Okay, maybe just one kiss…

One kiss was saying a lot. It went deeper than that. Much deeper. Before I knew it we were under the covers. We were naked. And the pink lights and lightning, which were customary of the 'soulmate connection', were so mind-blowing that I hardly noticed we were having sex.

He rained kisses up and down my body. I felt so at peace – I was in heaven. I knew he would do nothing to hurt me; he'd make it up to me.
"I love you, Jude."
"I love you, too, Tash."

It continued like that. I was worried the other girls would wake up, but they were unconscious – drugged. They'd be out for days.
I put my full attention on Jude. We didn't stop for hours. Until we were holding each other and I was falling asleep in his arms.

He'd make it up to me. He loves me, so everything will be fine.
I was wrong. He couldn't love me. And I couldn't forgive him.
Because the blow came when I woke up. When I opened my eyes – Jude was gone. And so were the drugged-up girls.