Author Note: I'm glad you liked my newest chapter If you wanted to be Grace then, wait till you read this chapter! It makes me want to be Grace too… Is jealous oh well, I've talked enough.

When Grace opened her eyes, she realized she'd fallen asleep, but had no more dreams. And she realized that Deacon was still with her. Her eyes went to the windows and she saw that the shutters were still down…he'd stayed with her the rest of that night, and into the day… His arms were around her and her head rested against his chest. She didn't dare move at first. But she had too. When she raised her head, she saw that he was awake too.

"You're really sweet, you know that?" Grace said softly, more of a whisper.

Deacon smiled, "Yeah, but don't tell anyone," he said.

"I mean it," she said, a faint smile touching her lips.

Sitting up, she looked away for a moment, "I'm sorry I was so childish last night," she said.

Sitting beside her, he looked into her eyes and said, "Don't apologize. You weren't childish." He gently caressed her cheek.

She gazed back, uncertain, "No?" she said, tone unsure.

"No," he said, leaning closer, "I love you." And he kissed her.

"I love you too, Deacon," Grace whispered, her lips meeting his.

But suddenly she pulled away, tilting her head to the side as she eyed the closed door.

"What?" Deacon asked.

As Grace stood up, she motioned for him to be quiet. She moved silently toward the door, and listened for a moment. Then she turned the doorknob, opened the door, and stuck her head out. After looking up and down the hallway, she closed and locked the door again.

"Thought I heard some one," she explained.

And indeed she had.

Walking back over, she sat down again, thinking a moment. "Do you really mean it?" she asked quietly.

"Mean what?"

Grace looked down for a moment, "That you love me," she whispered.

Deacon blinked, "Of course," he said, "Why?"

'I-I wasn't sure you did," she said, "All that time, you told me everything…everything but those three little words."

"Grace," he said, gently pulling her into his arms, "You knew I loved you."

"I knew," she said, clinging to him, "But it's not the same as hearing you say it."

Deacon held her closer, "My beautiful golden angel," he said before kissing her.

Returning the kiss, Grace closed her eyes, an excited tingle running down her spine. He loved her, he really loved her. She'd waited over three years to hear him say that. He spun her around, laid her down on the bed, and she opened her eyes for that one moment, gazing up at him. Then he was kissing her again, trailing down her neck. He slipped his fangs into her flesh and her reaction was an inaudible gasp that was soon gone.

A few stray droplets of her blood landed silently on the sheets, vivid red against the white. She felt pain, but not at all in a bad way. A sensation unlike anything she'd felt before. Though when the seconds kept ticking by, and they remained that way, she tried to gently push him away. But Deacon growled low in his throat, refusing. Using her strength, Grace rolled over, freeing herself in the process. Now she was on top, and her hair fell around them like a golden veil.

"Naughty," she whispered, getting a devious smirk from him.

And yet she found herself with her own fangs in his neck. She forced herself to pull away after a few seconds, now understanding, perhaps, his reluctance. Unexpectedly, he pushed her to the side, reversing their positions once more. He kissed her throat, where he'd bitten her, and she shifted uneasily. Taking both her hands in one of his, he pinned them above her head. Her heart began racing, and he knew it.

"Don't you trust me?" he said to her in a whisper, looking into her eyes.

She was silent a moment, gazing back at him. "You haven't given me a reason not to," she responded. And she kissed him again.

It was night when Grace again awoke. She blinked a few times, for one second confused, then she remembered everything. It took her a few moments to realize that all the emotions she felt were not her own. For a minute, she was startled, but when she turned over and saw that Deacon's reaction was the same as hers, she relaxed a little. So she wasn't going insane. His gaze was questioning as she tried to think of what could possibly be happening. Suddenly, she thought she'd found the answer…

"Blood Bond," she whispered.

His expression told her he'd heard of it too.

"It means we're…" she paused, searching for a word.

"Linked?" Deacon said.

Grace nodded, "…Linked, in some ways."

A small smile lit up her face, "Soul mates," she whispered.