She could feel Gabriel's adam apple rising and falling as he drank her blood, the sensation mingling with the intense pleasure radiating from her lower body, leaving her throbbing and utterly intoxicated.

Liz could only surrender as Gabriel feasted on her. Her body writhed in a combination of pleasure and pain, but Gabriel held her tightly, and strangely, she felt safe.

It was a primal gesture, a reminder of their connection in that moment of heightened vulnerability.

"How can a prey feel safe in the arms of its predator?" Liz questioned her sanity.