"Let me guess. On your terms." The stormy note was back in his voice.
"No. As equals." She guessed what he'd say before he broke the thick silence between them.
"I'm not willing to do that."
Rejection hurt. It was hard to remind herself she'd done absolutely nothing to earn it in this life. Gabriel didn't like past-Deidre and wasn't willing to give her a chance. Or, maybe he tried and couldn't do it. It was a huge pill to try to swallow, knowing someone didn't like her for reasons she couldn't control.
"Then I'm sorry, Gabriel," she said.
He walked away. Deidre sensed his anger, though his movements were as controlled and purposeful as usual. She heard the door to the bedroom close and retreated from the chilly spring air back into her room.
Overwhelmed and upset, she wasn't sure if she wanted to run or cry. Or maybe, just leave. Go back to the real world, where there were no demons or Immortals or the sexy man who wanted to claim her heart while offering her nothing in return beyond his bed. With his looks, he'd have no trouble finding company for the nights he wasn't murdering people and stealing their souls.
She hated the thought. Deidre felt both alone and claustrophobic in the huge room. There was nowhere else for her to go, no more friends for her to run to. She couldn't return to her apartment, and her savings were almost gone. She'd withdrawn everything from her retirement account when she was diagnosed terminal. Determined to do what she wanted with her life, she'd been good with her money but didn't save anything. Dead women didn't need cash.
Unless they didn't die. She had no idea who was right: Wynn, who thought she was deteriorating, or Gabriel, who wasn't going to let her die, so he could exact some sort of passive-aggressive revenge over eternity. Or Darkyn, whose offer seemed so much more objective than either Wynn's or Gabriel's.
Was she a lost soul? Distressed by the idea, she found herself standing before the French doors again, looking at the green haze over the forest. It didn't appear to be far, and it was hours before she'd be asleep on her side of the world.
Anxious to be out of the Immortal stronghold, Deidre dug through her clothes to find the warmest she packed. She didn't need much beyond jeans and jackets for an Atlanta winter. She had a cute hat she'd picked out and stuffed in one pocket of her backpack. Dressed warmly, she left her room and stood in the brightly lit, spacious hallway, not at all certain how to leave the stronghold.