How had he managed to fall for such a wild woman? His wife had been a strong woman, no doubt, Africa chewed you up and spit you out if you weren't...but Edie was so vastly different. She was strong, stubborn, and lively with her personality practically demanding all eyes on her. Edie was so full of life it drew Kato to her like a moth to the flame. It was that very same life that scared him too. She walked so headlong into the world that she didn't recognize her own fragility and it left Kato with the dread that he'd lose her at any given moment. If only he could be there, always, to keep her safe...keep her from herself.

Her admittance that this wasn't the first time she had let a vampire feed from her had Kato clenching his jaw. Her tears had him on the edge though, every fiber of his being wanting to stand firm on the issue but his heart wrenching seeing her so upset. Perhaps he had gotten his point across to her, scared her enough to realize that the path she was taking was dangerous and one he couldn't be a part of. Kato's gaze lingered on her arms where his marks remained then back to her face at her pleading for him to stay. He decided he would have hated himself even more if he left her, even just to sleep outside, when she was like this. "Ok." He exhaled deeply, his fingers intertwined with hers, easily pressing her back as he guided her to lay back down on the bed. This wasn't how he had planned the evening to go but at least she was back, alive, and at his side.

He curled an arm around Edie to pull her against him as his other hand swept a thumb across her cheeks to wipe away the tears there. "You have no idea how much you mean to me, Little Dove." He whispered softly as he curled his index finger beneath her chin to gently raise her head to look at him. "My heart can't take worrying about you. This...this path you're on worries me. I can't....I don't want you to see that vampire, any vampire, and let them drink from you or you drink from them. If we're going to be together...then I don't want some other guy touching you." Boundaries had never before been made between them. But this was the next step in a relationship wasn't it. "...I love you Edie...you're mine alone to make feel good." Hesitantly did he shift to brush his lips against hers, tasting the saltiness of her tears when he did so. His hand which had held her chin graced down her side, relishing the smooth porcelain skin beneath his fingertips to ever so gently grip her hip and pull her to him.