KILLING THE BLOODLUST
By
Terry Spear
Triskelion Publishing www.triskelionpublishing.com
Published by Triskelion Pu...
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KILLING THE BLOODLUST
By
Terry Spear
Triskelion Publishing www.triskelionpublishing.com
Published by Triskelion Publishing
www.triskelionpublishing.com 15508 W. Bell Rd. #101, PMB #502, Surprise, AZ 85374 U.S.A.
First e-published by Triskelion Publishing First e-publishing February 2005
ISBN 1-932866-76-0 Copyright © Terry Spear 2004 All rights reserved.
Cover art by Triskelion Publishing
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters places,
and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
A light whiff of spice drifted to Crystal Anderson when she stepped into her dark apartment. Her stomach clenched with a sense of foreboding. Where had she smelled that scent before? With trepidation, she groped for the light switch then flipped it up. The place remained as black as an
underground cave, just as she feared. Her heartbeat quickened. She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a retractable knife. Snapping the knife open, she stepped forward, leaving the front door ajar in case she needed to make a hasty retreat. Her knee came in contact with the sofa. Using her hand to feel her way around, she bypassed the loveseat. Not one to give in to flights of fancy she skirted the coffee table and headed for
her portable phone. Before she assumed the worst, she had to determine if anything else was amiss. After grabbing the phone, she turned it on, and raised it to her ear. No dial tone. Damn. The electricity being off wasn’t a coincidence. Time to depart and regroup. She dropped the phone and hurried for the door – then stopped abruptly. The door was closed tight.
She’d never even heard it shut. The blood rushed in her ears as she contemplated her next move. Her hands grew clammy. How could she get caught without a backup plan for dealing with the menace? Suddenly, her phone rang, jarring her already raw nerves. A shiver slithered down her spine. She whipped around to face the phone. Whoever had turned off the electricity, was in the house. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to control the panic rising in her
system. The tantalizing scent of spice drifted to her again. Then she recognized it. Nicolai’s scent. How did he get in without an invitation? The phone stopped ringing and her answering machine took over. Games. He loved playing games with her to show how clever he was – and how powerless she could be. She took another deep breath. Nicolai was close, but where? His night vision surpassed
hers. Undoubtedly he watched every move she made. He wanted to prolong her fear...taste it. But she was determined not to show how rattled she was. Her eyes might not adjust to the dark the way his could, but she knew the position of every piece of furniture. She wasn’t totally disadvantaged. She crossed to the kitchen and eased open the drawer where she kept her flashlight. Her trembling fingers touched cold metal wrenches and
screwdrivers, but no flashlight. Had he moved it? Or had she misplaced it again? Once more, she drew in his spicy scent, but couldn’t judge where it came from. The hair on her arms stood up. She headed for the breaker box in her bedroom closet. The metal breaker door squeaked open, shattering the silence. One by one she clicked up the switches. Her living room lamp came on with the third flip of a switch. Just as
quickly, the bulb broke was broken with a crash. Adrenaline coursed through her body as she dashed back into the living room, knife at the ready. The front door closed with a slam. Crystal hesitated. He wanted her to follow him outside. After locking and bolting the door, she turned the lights on. Then she searched each of the rooms, making sure he
didn’t have an accomplice hiding in the apartment. In her bedroom, a note sat on the ice blue satin pillow. She grimaced. He’d made it personal this time. His last note was only placed under her windshield wiper. This time it was not only on her bed, but a rose sat on top of it. Blood red. She pulled off her Army boots and Battle Dress Uniform, replaced them with black denims, a matching turtleneck, and black boots.
He’d targeted her and she had to kill the bloodsucker before he got her first. Even if she couldn’t kill Nicolai tonight, she had to try to get some of his blood-bonded family. She’d prove to Nicolai she’d retained her huntress abilities even without her family’s support. She’d prove that she wasn’t going to be an easy target just because she had misgivings about killing them. Grabbing the note off her
pillow, she unfolded it and read,“Lovely Crystal, as a vigilante force of one, you’ll never beat me. Join me instead. You’re not cut out to be a huntress. Yours truly, Nicolai.” She crumpled the note and tossed it into her wastepaper basket. He was right, of course. Preferring a real job, she’d obtained her bachelors in business administration and become a personnel officer for the Army. Her family punished her by shutting her out. Well, for taking the job in the Army
and for being different...especially for being different. She lifted the rose to her nose and smelled the sweet tea fragrance. Dammit, she couldn’t help that she had an aversion to killing vampires. Most vampire hunters didn’t work a day job. They killed vampires and were paid bounties by local authorities. Often they received additional rewards from families once their wealth was reclaimed
from vampires who’d taken the victims’ money and properties. But none of the vampire hunters went against the family’s wishes without living to regret it. None, but Crystal. She glanced in the mirror and ran her hand over her cheek, reddened from the cold. Being a huntress ran in her blood, a calling that all her line had from birth. She couldn’t ignore it...it’s what made her so intriguing to Nicolai. A
huntress who hated hunting. At least that’s what she believed interested him in her. She and her kind were much stronger than the humans, having a superhuman strength, but they weren’t as strong as the bloodsuckers. That’s why the hunters hunted together...traditionally. The biggest problem facing the hunters was that vampires turned humans into their own kind whenever they wanted, whereas hunters’ special genes didn’t pass on to all of their
offspring, making vampires vastly outnumber the hunters. But it would never be Crystal’s problem. She’d never be suitable for any man, not when she couldn’t kill vampires without hesitation. She’d risk a hunter mate’s life as well as her own because of her reluctance to kill. She blinked away the tears. Having a child would never be an eventuality for her. Taking a deep breath, she considered her appearance in
the mirror. Her blonde hair had loosened from the upswept bun she wore to work. She pulled the pins out. Clasping a gold clip over it, she fashioned it into a ponytail. Her blue eyes sparkled, but wearing all black made her appear paler than normal. Easily she looked like one of the human hosts, giving up their blood for the sensual arousal they derived from it. The idea disgusted her. Her thoughts returned to Nicolai, her main concern.
Once he’d found out about her, he’d wanted her for his own, a vampire huntress who’d been cut off from her family...vulnerable and alone. Was it that Nicolai wanted her special abilities and he wouldn’t stop until he’d turned her into one of his own kind? But he couldn’t turn her, could he? She’d always been taught a vampire couldn’t bite a hunter- hunter blood was poisonous to vampires. But the only way a vampire could turn
anyonewas to bite them. If he knew he couldn’t turn her, what did he want her for? To kill her slowly? To prove to the other vampires that the hunters weren’t all powerful? She wouldn’t be safe until she killed his converts and him. And yet the idea repulsed her. She took a ragged breath, determined to keep her Army boss from learning about her nighttime activities. Some in the military didn’t
want hunters in their ranks, feeling that they were ruthless nighttime vigilantes, barely better than the creatures they killed. Her boss was one of them. It was a warped view, but nonetheless, one that permeated the branches of the Armed Forces. If he discovered her evening excursions, her Army career could be jeopardized. Her only recourse would be to kill vampires for the rest of her life. The job she hated most. She strode toward her front
door. Killing never came easy. Couldn’t her family understand? She put them all in danger every time she hunted with them due to her reluctance to kill. Minutes later, Crystal slipped into her black Cougar. The cool damp air chilled her. The Texas spring weather entered the scene with the same kind of unpredictability as Nicolai’s actions.
Finding one of his lairs wouldn’t be difficult. Not tonight. Not with Nicolai wanting to toy with her. He’d have one of his many minions posted somewhere so she could follow him...like he’d done before. She’d tried to make them understand she didn’t want to kill them, but they weren’t receptive. With dread pooling in every fiber of her body, she was determined to attempt to convince them again.
First, she drove south, hoping she’d see one soon. Yawning, she knew she needed more sleep before she ventured into one of their bashes. Her stomach clenched. Undoubtedly, her apartment manager had welcomed Nicolai into her apartment. Now Nicolai could enter her place anytime he wanted. Would he visit her sometime in the night again? Most assuredly. And then what? She had to end the game soon if she ever wanted to have peace
of mind. But she wanted to end it peacefully...not by killing more. He wasn’t giving her a choice however. She refused to be his. Then she saw one of Nicolai’s converts. He stood on a corner with a woman, and pointed to his blood red Mustang. Crystal pulled up to the curb on the opposite side of the street, turned off her lights, and let the car idle.
Dressed entirely in black, he spoke to the petite woman, who wore a cocktail-length black dress and heels. Her straight black hair didn’t match her blonde brows. And her skin was as pale as the full moon on a cloudless night. She was a vampiric human host. Crystal shook her head. The woman must be crazy to mix with vampires, allowing them to feed on her, without turning her into one of their own. She’d be easy to kill, if she got in Crystal’s way, though the
family code taught avoidance if possible. The vampire assisted the woman to the car, with a backward glance at Crystal. He knew she was the huntress. And he lured her just like he lured the host. To her utter annoyance, she yawned again. All night duty at Fort Hood the previous night had tuckered her out. And with a repeat performance the next evening, she had to turn
in earlier tonight or she’d be a zombie the next day at work. Once the Mustang took off, she turned her car around, and followed him from a distance. She lost him at a light, but soon picked him up again as he paused on the side of the road. The element of surprise wouldn’t work tonight. She glanced in her rearview mirror. No one followed her. She turned her New Age music on, attempting to placate her
nerves with the sounds of pipe whistles and flutes of a South American band. She hadn’t killed for four years. Not since she’d left her family’s way of conducting business. The vampires had left her alone too. Until recent weeks. Somewhere along the line, Nicolai had caught sight of her and wanted her for his own. For weeks he’d stalked her. And she’d had to kill again, against her wishes. Three times
his minions had attempted to take her. Three times she’d killed. She shuddered, the vision replaying in her mind again as the handsome creatures turned into white raisin-skinned, bony monsters at death. But tonight was the first time Nicolai had actually entered her home...her only place of refuge during the deadly evening hours. Why the change in strategy? Had he tired of the cat and mouse game? Was he ready to end it
now? She sped along the road keeping up with the Mustang, only slowing when a cop hiding in the dark caught her eye. But he never followed the speeding vampire’s car. Had the bloodsucker wiped the cop’s mind of his breaking the law? Probably. Crystal lost him at another light, but beyond this, found him parked curbside waiting
for her. He pulled out once he saw her headlights. Goosebumps trailed her arms. The notion that he led her to their lair unnerved her. For several miles she drove after the Mustang, then slowed as his brake lights colored the night cherry. He parked at a curb. The two-story Greek revival house painted gray with dark gray shutters, illuminated inside with cheery lights, welcomed her.
Entering a vampire’s home without the element of surprise was suicide. Using a show of force usually worked well too, but going it alone? She must be as crazy as the human hosts. Glancing at the cars parked on the street, she noticed her twin brothers’ blue Trans Am. Had they crashed the party catching the vampires unaware? She took a deep breath to
calm her nerves. Her brothers wouldn’t like it that she’d arrived there too. To hell with them. She had an open invite. The vampire helped his host out of the car, glanced in Crystal’s direction, and smiled. Then he led his victim up the brick walk and entered the house. Crystal waited. Nicolai must want her badly. But she wasn’t sure why. If he wanted to kill
her, why had he waited so long to strike? She couldn’t fathom any other reason. Unless he considered a vampire huntress living alone, interesting prey…great sport, until he grew bored with her and terminated her. She grabbed the door handle. A dark-haired man exited the house. She paused. His dark brow wrinkled as he strode down the path. Tall, broad-shouldered, chiseled facial features, as handsome as a smooth-faced god.
Too bad he served as another idiot host, apparently, judging by his short-cropped hair. Most vampires wore their hair long, usually secured in a ponytail...unless this one had recently been turned. She opened the car door. He looked in her direction as she stepped out of the vehicle and glared at her. Her heart skipped a beat. But then she tilted her head up in defiance. Maybe hewas a
vampire and not a host after all. After slamming her door shut, she watched the six-foot tall man, wary that he might attempt to strike her as she headed for Nicolai’s house. He was dressed in black clothes, just like everyone else. He seemed to wish to speak to her as he parted his lips slightly, making her hesitate. Suddenly, he veered off toward his car, a white convertible of some sort.
Maybe he was a host after all. She’d never seen a vampire driving a white car. She strode up the walk, though her mind told her to sneak around through a back window. But they knew she was coming. Most likely they observed her from the house. They’d know too, then, if she attempted to enter the place in some other manner. Before she knocked on the door, she turned to see why the man in the white car hadn’t
driven off yet. He watched her. Human hosts didn’t care anything about other hosts. Did he think she was a vampire? She hmpfd. What an insult. Then she laughed inwardly. Maybe he hoped she’d feed off him next. Before she knocked on the door, it opened. The female human host, who’d ridden in the Mustang, motioned for her to enter. “Do you have an invitation?”
“Nicolai invited me.” The woman’s blue eyes widened. “He’s not holding this party.” Crystal’s heart stopped. If Nicolai hadn’t lured her here, who had? The vampire who’d brought the woman to the party joined them. “She has an invitation. Let her in.” “But, she said Nicolai had invited her. He’s not holding
the party.” The man smiled. “She has an open invitation to any of our parties.” What was Nicolai up to? The man standing before her bowed his head slightly. “I’m Kostya. Come in.” “Who wants me here, then?” “Me,” a deep voice said behind Crystal.
She whirled around to face him. The man had an uncanny resemblance to Nikolai, who she’d met only once face to face. Same square jaw, shoulder-length hair pulled back in a leather strap, same penetrating raven-colored eyes, similar Roman-style nose, and shoulders broad enough to carry her away. His brother? He seemed to read her mind. “Nicolai’s older brother, Dimitri.” Damn. Now she had two of
them to kill. If she killed only Nicolai, his brother would come after her. It had quickly become a family affair. “Come, enjoy some wine.” A glass of wine, as tired as she was, would put her under for certain. Soft classical music of piano, harp and flute melodies played in the background. A soothing tune to relax their human hosts for the evening meal. Vampires and their hosts
stood talking in small groups of two to three. Dark and somber, they all looked like they attended a wake. Several vampires glanced at her with interest. The intensity of their gazes made her skin crawl. Was it because she was an unknown commodity that intrigued them? They undoubtedly knew she served as a huntress...and they knew Dimitri’s brother wanted her. That alone made them interested, too.
Dimitri cleared his throat to get her attention. She turned to him. Like the others, he stared at her, his thin lips smiling slightly, his eyes concentrated on hers. He tried to control her mind. She smiled. He couldn’t. Just because she didn’t hold with her family’s tradition of vampire hunting, didn’t mean she didn’t have their abilities any longer. Her fingers twitched. Like vampires had difficulty controlling their bloodlust, she had to curb the innate urge to
destroy the bloodsuckers. She couldn’t help it. The huntress gene she carried made her that way, but her heart wasn’t in it. That was the problem. Even so, she knew she couldn’t attempt to kill him now, despite the inborn need to do so, or the whole house of vampires would attack. Not to mention the human hosts...though they couldn’t bite her, they could kill her in other ways. “Not thinking of trying to
kill me, are you?” Dimitri asked. She was as transparent as her kitchen window. Taking a deep breath, she folded her arms. “Why did you want me here?” “Come with me. We can be alone.” Alone. She stood a chance of killing him if she were alone with him. But he, like his brother, must have ruled families of vampires. He’d
been around for over a 150 years. Vampires were an arrogant breed. Crystal came armed to the teeth. The vampires, on the other hand, preferred taking advantage of the hunters in the ancient way, through brute strength. If the vampire felt overwhelmed, he could always vanish and reappear somewhere else. But most times, they persisted to the end, conceited enough to believe they’d win the battle. Willing the hosts to help in
their cause could be an obstruction to the hunters also. Suddenly, she wished she hadn’t come. No matter how much her blood stirred to kill the vile creatures, the whole notion disgusted her. Dimitri said, “I won’t harm you...not yet. Nicolai’s claimed you for his own. And unless he changes his mind, you’re safe with me and mine.” He touched her arm. A jolt of electricity ran through her
body. She stepped away from Dimitri. He smiled. “My brother says you don’t want to kill us, not really. It’s the only reason I’ve agreed to this. Come. Show me what you have that makes my brother want you so.” She glanced over at the female host now reclining on a black velvet sofa. Kostya ran his hand under her dress and up her thigh, then sank his teeth into her exposed neck. He sucked briefly. Then he turned
to see Crystal watching him. His extended canines dripped in blood and his lips were colored with the sticky substance. The woman pulled at his arm to get his attention again, to offer him more of her life sustenance. Crystal’s stomach wrenched. How could hosts give in to the bloodsuckers like that? He smiled at her. Wanting to kill Kostya so that she could free the woman from a life of servitude, Crystal
knew killing one of the vampires in front of the others would ensure her speedy demise, whether Nicolai wanted her for his own or not. She noted some of the crowd had dispersed to spend time alone with their intended victims. Others sat on black sofas stroking their human counterparts’ necks before drawing blood. Dimitri grabbed her hand suddenly. Momentarily befuddled, a breeze stirred in
her face, and everything turned dark. She blinked her eyes and realized he’d transported her to a bedroom...his bedroom, she presumed. For a moment she fought being disorientated. Then concern filled her, as the blood rushed to her ears. She attempted to squelch her disquiet as she focused on her new predicament. Black velvet drapes trimmed in gold braid hid a canopied bed in darkness. Dimitri drew close to her, and
cleared his throat. “Want to join with me there?” She shifted her attention back to him. What was he saying? She frowned. The notion a vampire could have sexual encounters with human consorts had never occurred to her. The thought of Dimitri and her intertwined together in his bed stirred longings deep inside her, but at the same time, her stomach turned with revulsion. He studied her response, his
brown eyes, darkening to black again, then raised his brows. “You don’t think we can pleasure a woman?” Then he smiled. “Oh, but you do. I can see from the darkening of your blue eyes, you’re interested, despite fighting the notion.” He motioned to a black velvet sofa, but she remained standing. Her heart beat out of control. Did Nicolai know what his brother had in mind to do with her?
Dimitri reached his fingers out to touch her cheek. She leaned back from him. “Yes, we very much enjoy the companionship of a woman. Kostya himself is an example of the union between a vampire and a human. He was born, not turned. There are others also. But not here.” Dimitri tried to touch her arm. She sidestepped his grasping fingers. Her blood turned to ice. She wasn’t human. Dimitri and Nicolai had to be mad to consider a sexual union
between a vampire and a huntress. “Kostya wants Lila to carry his child. And she will too, once he’s bonded with her sufficiently.” The room seemed to grow colder. Nicolai couldn’t truly want that with her, could he? A huntress? Her thoughts grew fuzzy with the notion. “Why do you cover your throat?” Dimitri touched the knit collar of her turtleneck,
and fingered the top edge. “You know we cannot bite you without infecting our blood.” His voice was soothing, almost whispered with passion. Dimitri wanted her. But being a vampire’s concubine would be worse than death. She brushed his hand away and triggered the dagger at her wrist to reveal its shiny blade. Better to die a huntress in the end, then become the pet of a vampire.
In the next instant, she thrust the knife at his chest, but he jumped back to avoid getting stabbed. Passed down from generation to generation, the ancient magical blade, when plunged into the heart of a vampire, would end its otherwise immortal life. But she’d missed her chance. Just as quickly, he leapt forward, and grabbed her wrists with superior vampire strength. He slammed her
against a wall. Her spine radiated with pain on impact. She gasped. Irritated with herself, she’d reacted too slowly again on the rebound. She just wasn’t cut out to be a huntress. “Tsk, tsk, my brother might be wrong about you. I’ll have to speak to him about your behavior here tonight. Not at all friendly.” He nuzzled his smooth cheek against hers, surprisingly warm. Had he recently fed? The thought made her swallow hard. Most
likely. His cheeks were full of color. He smiled and ran his tongue over her lips. “And yet, you hesitated to kill me when you’d had the opportunity. Perhaps there’s hope for you yet.” He suddenly jerked his head toward the door. “I’ll be back for you later,” he growled. He released her hands and before she could strike at him again, he vanished.
She ran for the door and jerked it open. In the hall a female human host screamed, then ran down the stairs to the first floor. A dark-haired man grabbed Crystal’s wrist and bared his wicked, bloodied canines at her. The electricity from his touch sent her adrenaline into overdrive. His unbridled action meant he intended to kill her. She had no choice...kill or be killed. He released her wrist, then
grabbed her neck with both hands, intent on crushing her windpipe, the vampire’s method of choice for killing hunters. Before he could squeeze her throat, she shoved the spring-loaded wrist knife between his ribs and deep into his heart. The special blade worked its magic. He crumpled to the floor, the skin of his hands and face wrinkling with age. She grabbed her throat. Coughing, she jumped over his wizened body and headed for the
stairs. Instantly, she saw what the commotion was about. Her twin brothers ran out of separate rooms, their swords dripping with blood. The vampires must have relayed their trouble to Dimitri through mental telepathy. Her brothers excelled at infiltrating vampire parties. She’d walked through the front door, but they’d undoubtedly sneaked in some other way. Relief washed over her to see them there, but in the next second, concern.
Her blond-haired and bearded brother, Boniface, noticed her first and scowled. “What the hell are you doing here?” He didn’t wait for a response as two vampires charged up the stairs at them. His identical twin, Victor, tackled the one while Boniface handled the other. With their strength and skill, the brothers swung their swords and severed the weaker, newly turned vampires’ heads from their bodies.
Crystal twisted around to find a female behind her, hideously hissing at her, blood-soaked teeth bared. The vampire reached her hand out with lightening speed, and grabbed Crystal by the neck. Crystal seized the woman’s wrist trying to keep the pressure off her throat, then jammed her knife into the creature’s heart, ending its reign of terror. Boniface grabbed Crystal’s arm. “Get out of here, now!”
She glared at him. They’d given her up for dead. No way would she be ordered about by any of her family. Not ever again. Her brothers bolted down the stairs. Crystal headed for the rooms looking for Nicolai. She still planned to convince him to stop pursuing her. Her thoughts reverted to her apartment. Damn. Nicolai could return there
anytime he wanted. She’d have to stay somewhere else tonight. Great. She opened one of the bedroom doors. A woman cowered behind the bed. A human host. Crystal hurried to the next room. Two vampire corpses, mummified in appearance. Her brothers had been busy. Hurrying back into the hallway, she planned to leave the house, and return home to
pack. Suddenly, Kostya blocked her path, his dark eyes, as black as the sea, and just as deadly as a swift undertow, bore into her as if he tried to control her thoughts. She readied her knife, her mind warring with her heart over what she had to do next.
Chapter 2
When the human hosts fled from Dimitri’s house, Robert Parker knew the vampires had found his handy work...two dead bloodsuckers in one of the bedrooms. He’d had every intention of leaving the scene after that, but the woman
who’d arrived in the Cougar intrigued him. Was she a human host? Or a vampire? She seemed different somehow. Or was it just that she was way too attractive? Her blue eyes sparkled, but they shouldn’t have. Not if she was one of them. Her pink frosted lips had surprised him too. Lip smacking gorgeous, full and nearly pouting, totally kissable. Not blackened with dark lipsticks, Goth style, like most of the female hosts colored theirs.
A human host wouldn’t have been interested in speaking with him either, and yet she seemed to have wanted to make the effort. Her lips had parted, luscious, for the taking. He’d nearly been drawn into her charms, before he reigned in the unfamiliar longings for the woman raging through his system. Her hair was long and blonde, not dyed dark like the human hosts’ hair. Was she a vampire then? Considering the way she
walked in through the front entrance, he knew she was one of them, either already turned, or a host. Maybe, he could use her to find the bloodsucker that killed his sister. Or was there some other reason he couldn’t get his mind off the woman? A kind of devil’s magic that made him feel something sexual for a woman he’d never even met before? The way her black denims hugged her narrow hips and her firm butt. The way the turtleneck caressed her breasts, like he wanted to. A
traitorous tightening of his boxers followed. Jeez, he felt like a hunter in puberty. He glared at the house through the darkened windows of his car. Where the hell was the woman? If she were a vampire, she could vanish and reappear anywhere she’d been before. Anywhere. But if she were a host, she’d run out the door like the rest of them, with fear in her eyes. He folded his arms. He’d wait a bit longer. She’d return
for her vehicle in any case, wouldn’t she? Then he’d follow her, and find out where she lived. Somehow, he hoped to get the information out of her. Where was Yorovitch hiding? That’s what he wanted to know more than anything else in the world. Then he’d end the vampire’s life as soon as he could get his sword into Yorovitch’s wicked heart. ***
Crystal readied her special blade to strike at Kostya’s heart, hoping instead, he’d let her leave Dimitri’s house without a fight. To her surprise, he didn’t advance on her like most would do. He smiled a simpering little smile. “Nicolai is making a mistake with you.” “He’s right about one thing. I don’t want to kill vampires. But he’s given me no choice. I won’t be his.”
His posture was relaxed, not tense like one might expect of a vampire facing his own extermination. “We’re at an impasse. He doesn’t want you harmed, but I won’t let you kill me either. And now even his brother is interested in you. What am I to do?” She maintained her defensive posture, her knife readied if he wouldn’t oblige. But her palms grew sweaty and a bead of perspiration snaked its way between her breasts. “Step out of my way,
and I’ll let you live for the night.” “I can’t let you go.” Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm the uneasiness filling her system. “Then I’ll have to kill you.” He quirked a brow, seemingly sensing her reluctance to make short work of him. “Have you ever killed a vampire born of the womb before?”
She hesitated to answer. She hadn’t even known they existed before tonight. Would he die in the same manner as the others? “I didn’t think you’d killed one of my kind before.” Kostya took a step forward. Instinctively, for selfpreservation, she thrust her knife at him. He dodged back, then vanished. “Coward,” she grumbled under her breath. In her heart, she knew he wasn’t afraid of
her. Rather, he didn’t want to fight Dimitri or Nicolai if he disobeyed them concerning harming her. She ran down the stairs. The velvet couch had been overturned along with tables and lamps. But there was no sign of any vampires or their human hosts. The party was over. She dashed outside and looked to the right...no cars or people, just well-maintained yards and an empty street.
Looking left, her blood chilled. The white convertible still sat parked at the curb up the street. Except for her Cougar, it was the only other vehicle still there. Her skin tingled at the nape of her neck as she tried to make out whether the driver was sitting in the car or not. The darkness of the windows prevented her from seeing inside. But then the ignition switched on and a slice of concern unsettled her. What in the hell was he all about?
Had he wanted her to follow him to another one of Dimitri’s bashes? Or was he Nicolai’s host and would report back to him about her being with Dimitri? Nothing mattered now except getting some much needed sleep. After cleaning off her knife, she snapped it back into its concealment. Then she pressed the keypad and unlocked her car door. Climbing in, she realized her heartbeat was way out of bounds. She took several deep
breaths trying to calm the adrenaline still coursing through her body. Now if she could only return to her apartment and pack some of her uniforms for the rest of the week without finding Nicolai there again, she might make it through the night yet. Driving home, Crystal noticed the moon and stars had disappeared. The wind blew her car around on the road like a leaf tossed to and fro.
She imagined she looked like a drunken driver swerving into the other lane in the gusty wind. As soon as she drove into her complex, she noticed lights illuminated her living room window. She hadn’t left any on. She took a deep breath trying to settle her discomfort. Had Nicolai returned? At twenty-five she was getting too old for this. After parking, she dashed
up the stairs to her second-floor apartment. With knife at the ready, she unlocked her door, then slammed it open. It banged against the wall. Her brothers, Boniface and Victor, jumped from the couch, their swords readied. Both stood six-foot-two, and their impressive size gave them a decisive advantage. With her petite stature of five-foot-four, they towered above her. Relieved she wasn’t their target tonight, she took a
deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves. Boniface wrinkled his brow at her. His blue eyes appeared as stormy and deadly as they’d been when he cut the head from the vampire tonight. “You have no business fighting vampires.” She secured her knife. “What business is it of yours what I do?” Victor snorted. “Family business.”
“I’ve been kicked out of the family, or haven’t you heard?” She collapsed on a blue velvet loveseat. Boniface sat on the matching blue floral sofa with Victor. “You put all of us at risk when we have to save your butt.” “I didn’t see you rescuing me.” “You must have noticed
Boniface’s car parked outside the house. Why did you come in?” “I had my own demons to fight, Victor. And again, it’s truly none of your affair.” Boniface rubbed his whiskered chin. “The word has spread among our cousins; Nicolai claims you for his own. The vampires are stronger than us. That’s why we hunt together. You’ll never be able to fight them all on your own. The weaker ones, sure, but not
the stronger of their brethren.” Victor nodded. “If Nicolai turns you, we’ll have no recourse but to kill you ourselves.” Crystal leaned back on her couch as she stared at Victor. “They can’t turn me. They could never turn one of our people. You know that. They’d have to bite me and my blood would kill them, as theirs would most likely poison mine.”
The brothers exchanged glances. A secret communiqué was delivered between them. She narrowed her eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?” Victor cleared his throat. “You’re no longer one of us.” “Maybe not a member of the family. But I’m still a huntress, genetically. Because of this, they can’t turn me.” Boniface shook his head.
“They openly invited you to their parties. Don’t you think it odd?” “Yeah,” Victor added, his deep voice just as harsh, “and Nicolai’s been here. We saw the note.” “You dug through my trash?” Her jaw tightened with irritation. The vampire had violated her by gaining entrance to her apartment through his persuasive powers. Now her own brothers had searched her place without her
permission. Her blood boiled in anger as her face heated. Boniface leaned forward. “We saw the broken light bulb and the rose on the bed. And yes, when we investigated further, we found the note. We figured he’d gotten to you.” “He has not gotten to me. You’re wrong, both of you.” Pure malice coated her words. She loved her brothers, but they were going too far to say she was no better than a vampire’s plaything.
As mad as she was at her brothers’ accusations, an inkling of warmth curled in the pit of her stomach to see them again. She wished they’d stay, if for nothing more, than to watch her back while she packed. Boniface folded his arms over his broad chest. “You can’t stay here any longer if he’s able to get in.” Deep down inside, they did worry about her, warming her
through and through. “My idiot apartment manager must have let him in. I need to pack some of my things and stay at a motel or somewhere for a few days until I can find another place to live.” Boniface glanced at Victor. She knew he wanted to offer her his place to stay but sought another family member’s approval first. Victor stiffened his spine. “Just don’t allow anyone to let him in the next time. ”
Always the more sensible of the two, he’d dashed her hopes. She wouldn’t find any help from her family, as she suspected. No way would she beg though. If Boniface had allowed her a safe place to stay the night, he could be banished from the family too, if others found out. She sighed deeply. “It’s so good to see you again. But I’ve got to pack and get some sleep tonight. I have staff duty again tomorrow night.”
Boniface grunted. “That inconsequential job of yours.” He took a deep breath. “We’ll wait.” She smiled. “Thank you.” She rose from her seat. “Did you want something to drink?” Boniface’s face darkened. “We never came here, Crystal. None of our family must ever know of our breaking protocol.” She knew that. He hadn’t had
to remind of her of that. She stiffened her back, resolute to be sociable despite her family’s attitude...no matter how disagreeable they felt toward her. After all, she didn’t have to sink to their level. “Of course. Did you want something to drink?” she offered again. Victor frowned. “A beer, if you have one.” She looked at Boniface. “Same.”
“All right.” She hurried into the kitchen, retrieved the beers and returned to the living room. She handed the ice-cold bottles to her brothers. “It won’t take me long.” After packing uniforms, civilian clothes, and personal items, she rolled her bag out of the room. Her brothers stood. Victor grabbed her bag. “We wish you well. Always have, Crystal, though we’re not supposed to tell you. But don’t get in our way again, if you
arrive at a party we’ve crashed. They’ve gotten to you, whether you realize it or not. A split second hesitation on any of our parts can spell our deaths.” “I know the drill, Victor.” She pulled her door closed behind them. “But you still barged in on the party we attended,” Boniface said. Were her brothers right after all? Had the vampire brothers gotten under her skin?
Victor loaded her bag into her car. “Where are you going?” “Haven’t a clue. And for your own peace of mind, the situation is probably best left that way.” Neither of her brothers argued with her, making her heart ache. Yet, she knew it had to be that way. She’d been cut off from the family, and it would remain so until she died.
“He’ll be watching you. Even now as we speak. He’ll know where you go better than we will.” She nodded. “I’ll just have to hope he doesn’t convince anyone else to open my new place up to him.” Her brothers exchanged glances as she waited for their response. Boniface stepped forward and hugged her. Victor followed suit with a warm embrace. She doubted she’d ever have any further kindness
from her family. For the moment, her whole body warmed with their tenderness. She sighed deeply. “Take care.” “And you,” they said in unison. She climbed into her car, started it and drove out of the parking lot. Her brothers watched her until she was out of sight, she noted through her rearview mirror. A couple of tears rolled down her cheek. She’d made the
decision to go against the family’s wishes four years ago and knew the consequences. No sense in reopening the hurt now. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself. She clenched her teeth, trying to squelch the pain. And yet more tears graced her cheeks as she attempted to get her mind off her family. How could she help that she was so different? Feelings had to be controlled in the business. Unchecked emotions could mean death. Despite having the
skills and special abilities to fight vampires, she hadn’t the heart to kill them, or anyone else for that matter. She didn’t feel any remorse once she’d killed the bloodsuckers that threatened her own life...not once she saw how hideous they were when the life was sucked from them. But killing a living being, or at least one who appeared full of life, had always proved difficult. And her hesitation to kill one outright without provocation had put her family
at risk several times. Why couldn’t they understand, they were better off with her working at something else? But no, despite her inadequacies, they preferred her doing the kind of work they did. They said she’d harden up with time. But she couldn’t. Fifteen minutes later, she drove into a well-lighted, two-story hotel. She glanced in her rearview mirror. A white convertible followed her. Her heartbeat quickened. How long
had he been there and was it the same one she saw at Dimitri’s house? She couldn’t be certain. Wrapped up in family issues, she hadn’t been as alert as she should have been. She pulled up to the front so she could register in the hotel lobby. To her relief, the convertible drove on past. She hurried into the hotel. Already, the time approached midnight. Determined to get to bed and quickly, she tapped on
the bell at the counter to get someone’s attention. A gray-haired man with eyes the same smoky gray, dressed in a similarly colored suit, strolled out. “Do you have a nonsmoking room for three nights?” she asked. “Yeah.” He pulled out a room key as she offered her credit card. She cleared her throat to get
his attention as he rang up the account. “I must have complete privacy. I’m an Army officer and have all night duty tomorrow night, so under no circumstances do I want to be bothered.” “No room service?” “I’ll pick up fresh towels after work, but no. I don’t want anyone coming into my room. Not housekeeping, not anyone posing as a husband or friend or long lost brother. No one.”
“Understood.” He nodded. “Problems with an ex? My daughter has a court order against hers. I totally understand.” “Thanks.” Crystal grabbed her key, and headed back to the car. Maybe, just maybe Nicolai couldn’t get to her this time. She drove her car to a parking lot as close to the stairs as possible. After parking, she hurried to retrieve her bag.
Again, she glimpsed the white convertible parked across the street this time at a fast food hamburger joint. Damn. Either the driver was a human host that Nicolai or Dimitri had sent to follow her, or maybe the stalker was a vampire himself. Anger bubbled in her veins. Being tired, she didn’t have time for this nonsense now. But once she was well rested,stalker beware . She carried her bag up the stairs with little effort. Her superhuman strength had
made it difficult when she’d trained in hand-to-hand combat, trying to ensure she didn’t injure any of her fellow officers...especially the more aggressive males who expected her to crumble easily under their brute strength. She smiled at the memory as she pushed her hotel room door open. Before turning on the room lights, she closed the door, then stepped to the window. The white car had vanished. Guess he knew where she
stayed now and could report back to his master. Didn’t matter. Tonight, she’d sleep like the dead. No one would disturb her. She yanked her curtains shut and turned on the lights. Two matching queen-sized beds covered in black and white floral bedspreads took up most of the floor space, with a table between them. A desk, television and a chair made up the rest of the furniture. She placed her
suitcase on a stand and opened it. Time to unpack, take a shower, and hit the sack. In the middle of her shower with her face covered in vanilla-scented soap, a deafening bang rang out. She jumped and screamed. Blackness enveloped her. She rinsed off in a hurry, then grabbed a towel. Nicolai couldn’t have gotten in. Not this time. Could he? Stepping into the bedroom,
she sniffed the air. No spicy scent. She took a deep breath, and headed for the window. Intermittent forks of lightening and sheets of white light illuminated the blackness as volumes of rain dumped outside. All the lights for the buildings across the street were out. It was just the storm. After grabbing her satin nightgown, she tugged it on. Another boom shattered the quiet. Her heart raced. If she didn’t get enough sleep tonight...
*** The next thing Crystal knew, the clock-radio alarm was ringing in her ear at five the next morning. She rolled over and groaned, fumbling to turn off the ear-shattering noise. Dog tired, she felt as though she’d tried out for the triathlon and lost the race. Being a huntress, minor injuries healed themselves quickly and aches didn’t last long. But the weariness from not getting enough sleep still
plagued her. She’d have a devil of a time staying awake all night for staff duty. In slow motion, she dressed in her Army fatigues and once she’d secured her hair in a bun, she exited her hotel room. As soon as she spied the white convertible sitting across the street at the hamburger place again, her jaw clenched. Okay, he wasn’t a vampire, not if he was out in broad daylight. He had to be a human host. But she wasn’t being stalked any further, damn him.
She climbed into her car, intent on finding out who he was and what he wanted. But as soon as she turned the key in the ignition, he drove off. Damn. She gripped the leather-covered steering wheel in her fingers, wishing it was the host’s thick neck...or at least she assumed he had one. She didn’t really know as her gaze had focused on his dark, dangerous glare. She took a calming breath. She’d get him...later.
After a morning of handling personnel staff actions, preparing a welcome brochure, and working on the Army Emergency Relief Campaign, it was time for lunch, and a stiff caffeine-filled soda. She pulled into a fast food Mexican restaurant on post. Inside, she tapped her combat boot on the floor while she waited in line. The girl who served the customers in her line was undoubtedly new.
When she reached the girl, Crystal’s mouth dropped open. Lila, the human host, stood ready to take her order. The girl smiled slightly at her. “Nicolai was mad his brother lured you to his house last night. They had quite a row afterwards.” Crystal frowned. She’d have assumed her brothers and her killing of Dimitri’s bloodsuckers would have incensed them more.
“Nicolai wished to see you last night after you left the bash, but you had company.” Nicolai had watched every move she’d made, just like her brothers had predicted. “He was disappointed you left your apartment to stay at a hotel. Why did you do that? He wished so to see you last night. To explain that his brother wasn’t to bother you any more.” The customer behind
Crystal grumbled under his breath. “Service ain’t what it used to be.” Lila leaned over the counter, and grabbed Crystal’s hand. Her cold touch made Crystal shiver. “He wants to see you again tonight. He’ll find a way, if he hasn’t already.” Crystal yanked her hand free and Lila smiled. “So what would you like to eat?” No longer hungry, Crystal stared back at the woman. How could she allow Kostya to
drink her blood and make her carry his child? Lila was like a drug addict, needing Kostya’s bite to give her a rush. She turned, grabbed a basket, and filled it with two cheese enchiladas. Then she gave Crystal a cup. “Meal’s on me. You’ll need to keep your strength up to manage Nicolai.” Her strength. Yes, she had to keep it up. She pulled her money out of
her wallet. Lila shook her head. “It’s on me, being you’re one of us now.” Crystal’s face burned with anger. She tossed the money on the counter. “Wrong, Lila. I’m not one of you, now or ever!” The girl’s smile broadened. “That’s why Nicolai likes you so much. You’re a challenge. The others...they come to him too easily. But not you. That’s why Dimitri wants a go at you
too. I’ve never seen the two of them fight over a woman before. You don’t know how lucky you are to have the heads of the family desire you that much.” Like a cult follower, she’d been totally brainwashed. Crystal studied the petite, blue-eyed girl, whose natural blonde hair showed at the roots. The bloodsucker had hold of her good. Crystal couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. There seemed to be no one to fight for her cause...to save
her from Kostya’s plans for her. Crystal grabbed the meal and glass. Then she had an idea. Maybe she could free Lila from their clutches. What if Crystal could use the fact she was different from other hunters to help a human host. That’s what she hoped for. Though her family would have told her otherwise. Vampires brainwashed humans for good...that’s what they’d say. But maybe not. Suddenly, her spirits lifted. Perhaps there
was a reason for her being so different - that she could make a positive change in someone else’s life. After filling her glass with soda, Crystal crossed the terra cotta tiled floor to an empty booth. Before she could unwrap one of her enchiladas, Lila approached the table. “My break time. Can I sit with you?” Making friends with a human host was forbidden in
her family’s tradition. But Crystal wasn’t part of the family anymore, so why not? And perhaps she could save the woman before it was too late. She motioned to the other seat, ready to take on a new mission...save a human host from being turned. Lila sat down. “Where are you from, Lila?” “Here in Killeen.”
“And your family?” Lila shrugged and sipped a soda. “All gone.” The tension in Crystal’s muscles returned. “Gone where?” “Don’t know. Can’t we talk about something else?” Had Kostya killed the woman’s family? Families sometimes interfered when a vampire targeted one of the family members for keeps.
Legally, law enforcement handed the cases over to hunters to rectify, if humans brought the cases to their attention. But more often than not, the vampires targeted inconsequential humans, those who wouldn’t be missed. If the vampires killed other family members though, they’d wipe the images of the killings from the targeted host’s mind. To the host, all they knew was their family just vanished. The vampires’ overwhelming presence in the host’s life, made them care about nothing
else. That’s the way the vampires preferred humans. Mindless hosts. Crystal assumed Lila’s family had been murdered. Otherwise Lila would have said she had run away from home or some such thing. “Have you ever had any male companionship before Kostya?” “Yeah.” Lila’s voice turned gloomy as she stared at the table. “My previous boyfriend beat me and when I tried to
leave, he found me and nearly killed me.” Then her cheerful smile returned. “Kostya saved me.” So that’s what made her so attracted to Kostya. “You know you don’t have to stay with him, Lila. His draining your blood isn’t good for you.” She grinned broadly. “Kostya and Dimitri said you’d say so if I ever managed to speak to you. I’m sorry for
telling you that you couldn’t attend Dimitri’s party. When you said you were Nicolai’s guest, I knew you’d lied.” “I thought Kostya was one of Nicolai’s...friends. He led me to the party. So I wasn’t lying.” “Oh.” Lila finished her drink. “Oh, I almost forgot. Nicolai said if I ran across you while you were on post, to give this letter to you.” Crystal took the note,
noticing Lila waited for her to read it. The glint of sun off a windshield in the parking lot caught Crystal’s eye. The white convertible. “Do you know who owns that car?” Lila glanced out the window. “Why, no. Who?” “He was at Dimitri’s party last night.” “Don’t know him by his car. Didn’t know anyone at the
party at all except for Kostya and Dimitri. Kostya wants to keep me for himself. He’s not as powerful as some of the others. So he keeps me isolated from the rest most of the time.” She looked back out the window. “He doesn’t seem to want to come in.” “That’s all right. I’m leaving.” “Aren’t you going to read Nicolai’s note?” “Yes, later. Thanks for the
lunch and company.” “You’re welcome. It’s nice to get to know another lady like me.” “I’m not like you.” Crystal grabbed her hat, and stood, hoping the irritation didn’t show in her voice too much. Lila stood. “Nicolai said that. That’s why he wants you so badly. He doesn’t talk to me much, but I overheard him speaking to his brother. Well, they were pretty
loud...fighting. He wants you because you have special abilities and his and your child would too. That’s what he said.” Nicolai had to be crazy to think he could have a child with her. If their blood wouldn’t mix, they couldn’t have a child together. What in the world was wrong with him to think otherwise? She stared at the floor. Nicolai had to know something she didn’t as many years as he’d lived. But what? Her legs wobbled a bit
as she let go of the bench seat. “I’ve got to go.” Lila wrinkled her forehead. “You’re not interested in someone else are you? Nicolai won’t like it.” “I don’t care what Nicolai likes or doesn’t like. I’m sure he knows everything there is to know about me. I’m not seeing anyone. Haven’t for two years.” “What happened?”
Crystal shook her head. Nothing she did was the woman’s concern. Lila smiled. “It’s good to know there’s no one in your life. Nicolai can get pretty jealous. He and his brother truly fought last night.” For the first time, Crystal listened to her words. “How?” “Oh they heal really fast. But they tore into each other pretty good with those canines of theirs. As soon as they
extended them, I knew there’d be trouble.” Too bad they didn’t kill each other. Crystal glanced back out the window, intending to check out the driver of the convertible. “I’ve got to get back to work.” “Me too.” Crystal strode toward the door, figuring Lila watched everything she did. The woman
wanted in good with Dimitri and Nicolai, and would undoubtedly report her movements back to them. Crystal was dying to find out what the man in the convertible wanted too. Did he think she was some blonde bimbo who didn’t see him following her? Or was he trying to unnerve her? Fighting the urge to check him out in front of Lila, she returned instead to her car. Lila would report the driver of
the white convertible back to the vampires anyway. They wouldn’t be happy he trailed her like he did, unless he was under their guidance to do so. If not, let them take care of one of their own. As she suspected, the car followed her back to her office. Now he knew where she worked and lived, at least for the next night or two. She parked and jumped out of her car, intent on having a word with him. He sped on
past, his tinted windows hiding him from view. Did they keep the sunlight from reaching him? Jeez, maybe hewas a vampire. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to quell the irritation rising in her blood. She needed a different vehicle; then she’d turn the tables on him. She opened the note from Nicolai and read it as she walked into her office building. “My lovely Crystal,
my brother and I had words last night for his having lured you to his party. He assures me he only wished to see if you were good enough for me. But I know him better than that. If he asks you to see him again, don’t. However, I wish to invite you to my home. I will come for you shortly after sunset tomorrow. Forever yours, Nicolai.” She crumpled the note and tossed it in her circular file by her office desk. The next time she saw Nicolai, she had every
intention of using the element of surprise. After work that evening, she left her office to pull staff duty at the headquarters. Sitting at her post, a long wooden table and two chairs, she began her long night vigil. A night person she wasn’t, and while the redheaded sergeant who worked with her slept on a nearby couch, she tapped her pen on the table trying to stay awake. For two more hours, she sat,
yawning, staring into the darkness, waiting for the night to end. Twice she thought she saw human shadows moving around in the blackness outside. The lights from the building gave off an eerie glow as a fog settled in. Another call came in, checking to see if all staff duty officers remained on call at their posts. Unfortunately, yes. She answered when her turn arrived, then shut off the radio.
She thought she heard scratching at the back door. Hallucination? Vivid imagination? A chill trickled down her spine. Turning, she looked in the direction where a hallway led to the metal door. Beyond this lay the headquarters parking lot, where her own car waited for her to end her tour of duty. Taking a deep breath, she rose from her chair. She touched her wrists where the cuffs of her fatigues rested. Now she wished she had her
wrist knives. No one but the military police were allowed weapons while on post. Getting caught wearing a huntress’s blade would have been the end of her job. She walked toward the exit down the long hallway. The gray door grew closer, looming bigger as she drew near it. She imagined the worst. Nicolai or Dimitri waiting to pull her into the dark as soon as she opened the door.
She blinked her eyes, weary from keeping them open against their will. Swallowing hard, she leaned against the wall for a moment. She listened for any further sounds, like scratching...a vampire’s fingernails pressing hard against the metal, dragging up and down. She shuddered. The lack of sleep was making her go mad. Except for the rubber soles of her boots swishing on the indoor/outdoor carpet as she
inched toward the door, she heard no other sound. Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, she touched the ice-cold handle. She twisted it, her nerves raw with deadly expectation. The door squeaked open, shattering the quiet. Her eyes attempted to adjust to the dim illumination of the parking lot’s security lights trying to poke through the thick blanket of mist. The cool, dampness forced a shiver down her
spine. She stood up straighter, not to be intimidated by the nameless disquiet that plagued her. She closed the door tight, and strode back to the staff duty table, guardedly relieved to find nothing amiss. An hour later, the phone rang and she jumped in her seat. “Ma’am,” an officer said, “Bravo Company must be in the field by zero-five-hundred hours.”
She referred the information to the units that would alert their men and women to grab their gear and head to the field. Then the back door opened with a squeak. She rose from her chair, trying to calm the dread tightening her stomach into knots. It had to be someone from the headquarters staff. No one else would dare enter the building at such an ungodly hour. No one...who was uninvited.
Footsteps hurried down the hall toward her. Crystal held onto the back of her chair, again, wishing she had a weapon. Suddenly, Lila entered the room still wearing the orange shirt and skirt uniform she wore at the fast food restaurant. She crossed the floor to join Crystal, a smile stretching across her face. Before Crystal could utter a word, Lila said, “Here you are.
Nicolai has been waiting for you to return to the hotel all night. I’ve been searching all over post for you, as many others have, then I saw your car in the parking lot out back.” Crystal’s heart rate increased, furious that the vampire could so easily get his people onto the post without security preventing it. But one look into the vampires’ eyes and the humans were helpless. Lila, on the other hand, worked on post, so would have
access anytime she wanted by virtue of her car’s security sticker. But only those on the headquarters staff had a key to the headquarters. Even Crystal didn’t have one. “How did you get in?” Lila smiled. “Nicolai convinced the commander’s secretary to give him a key. You know...he can be very persuasive.” “You can’t be in here, Lila.
Nobody is allowed in the headquarters after closing except for the division headquarters staff.” Crystal stretched out her hand. “Give me the key.” Lila grinned and shook her head. “Nicolai has it.” She turned and walked back down the hallway. Crystal hesitated. Nicolai couldn’t unlock the door and walk in. But damn, Lila could invite him in. Before Crystal could dash after her, a cold blast of air
blew in through the back door and with it, Nicolai’s spicy scent. Her blood chilled. He stepped into the hall, tall, dark, and dangerously handsome. A smile stretched across his face, softening his square jaw. His dark eyes sparkled with sexuality, their intensity drawing her in. He had no mind control powers over her and yet his desire for her intrigued her. Nobody had ever lusted for her like he did. A traitorous
warmth spread through her body. “You blush easily, my love. That’s a sign you’re pleased to see me.” He changed topics abruptly before she could contradict him. “I wondered where you were. As soon as Lila located you, I had to come.” He must have been monitoring Lila’s thoughts as she searched for Crystal. He glanced at the sleeping sergeant. “He gets to sleep and you don’t?”
“That’s the way it works around here.” “But you’ll get off from work tomorrow.” She shook her head, frantically trying to think of a way to get the vampire out of the headquarters. She had no way to kill him, or protect herself, or the sergeant even, if Nicolai chose to turn on him. Nicolai chuckled, deep throated and seductively. “Then if you have to work
tomorrow, by evening you’ll be exhausted.” What wasthat supposed to mean? He glanced at Lila. She nodded and left the building. Turning back to Crystal, he smiled again. “And he’ll work tomorrow?” “The sergeant gets the next day off. It’s not fair, but that’s the way they play the game here. Officers don’t need sleep, they figure.”
He stepped closer. “You need sleep, my love. Your lids are half closed. You can barely stay awake.” “You can’t use your mind control on me, Nicolai.” “I don’t need to. You can barely stand.” She hated when he was right. Folding her arms, she wrinkled her brow. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want.” He touched her cheek, his fingers warm and smooth. “And you’re going to give it to me.” The notion he was so sure of himself...that she’d give in to him that easily. She slapped his hand away as her cheeks heated with anger. He glanced down at her naked neck exposed, her hair tucked neatly into a bun above her collar. Tonight she wore her fatigue uniform, no turtleneck.
“You take a bite and you’ll die.” He grinned at her. “It would almost be worth it.” A couple of buttons were left undone on his black silk shirt. Her gaze shifted to his skin, white as a swan’s wing, and as smooth as the material in his shirt. A trickle of black hair trailed down his chest, and disappeared beneath his shirt. “It’s been a while since you
saw me last. What, three weeks? Don’t you remember how I look?” He leaned down to kiss her cheek. She pushed him back. He chuckled. “Did you get my invitation?” “I’ll have to decline. Sorry.” Nicolai walked over to the sergeant. “He would be so easy to take.” “Don’t, Nicolai!” She ran in between the vampire and the sergeant. Despite having no weapons on her, she’d fight
Nicolai tooth and nail if need be to protect the unwitting sergeant. Nicolai reached for her shoulders. With lightening reaction, she shoved him away from her. This time he grabbed her arms and slammed her against the wall, his body pinned hard against hers. She gasped. So much stronger than the vampires she normally encountered, he took her breath away. His aromatic scent
overwhelmed her. She stopped her struggles, enjoying the feel of his hard body against hers, the spicy smell of his skin, and the sound of his rapid breathing next to her ear as he worked up an appetite. If he hadn’t been a bloodsucker, and a real man instead... “Your strength is what makes you so much fun to have. Humans no longer interest me. Too easy to control. But you...” He grinned at her. “I will have you, Crystal. All of you.” He kissed
her neck. His warm breath washed over her. The sickening realization he’d fed recently came to mind. If he could, he’d bite her, like the countless others he’d bitten and enslave her to his desires. His breath came heavy as he whispered, “You’re strong, but not as strong as me. I enjoy you wriggling against me – I prefer having the advantage, don’t you know?” She squirmed against his oppression, which made his
lips turn up measurably. Her actions only encouraged him further, but she couldn’t remain passive under his control. He licked her neck, his breath rate increasing. His body pressed hers harder. A deep throaty moan escaped his lips while his eyes darkened with desire. The bloodlust rose in his system at an alarming rate. If she couldn’t distract him, they’d both be dead. Suddenly,
his lethal fangs extended, and her heart fluttered with panic. No matter how she squirmed, she couldn’t get free. His eyes closed and his teeth touched her skin, sending a new surge of panic through her system. “Nicolai!” she exclaimed, attempting to get his attention. He only gripped her tighter, the bloodlust controlling every bit of his mind and his body, hurtling them toward a precipice of darkness forever.
Chapter 3
Robert studied the one-story, brick building, housing the 1stCavalry Division’s headquarters offices as he sat in his car. He’d watched Captain Crystal Anderson arrive earlier in the evening, and wondered if she’d consort with Dimitri while she served as staff duty officer. But when Dimitri’s brother, Nicolai, turned up instead, Robert couldn’t understand it. When a vampire targeted a female host, he’d want her
exclusively, particularly if he was an ancient vampire. Stronger, and more set in their ways, they got what they wanted. So why Crystal was at Dimitri’s house one night, and seeing Nicolai the next, confused the issue. She was a bundle of contradictions. He squirmed in his seat, not wanting to feel anything for the woman who held his thoughts hostage night and day. She’d bewitched him at
the onset with that one brief encounter. And since then, he’d been drawn to her like the tide’s strong pull, desiring something he had no business wanting. Existing as a human host, she was a creature to despise, not crave. He gripped his steering wheel tightly, trying to squash the treacherous feelings rising in his blood. She was some kind of a temptress, like he’d never before encountered. His thoughts turned to when she’d been at the Mexican
restaurant earlier. An obvious host passed a note to Crystal. A note that stated Nicolai would meet her while she was on duty perhaps? But why would he give her a message like that? He only had to telepathically transfer the information, the order, rather, to her once she was a host of his. Robert rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned. These late night excursions in search of Yorovitch, and then duty all day, were taking its
toll on him. After he’d located Crystal’s car at the headquarters, he’d slipped off to a world of dreams twice. He had to watch her, get close to her, find out from this woman who was undoubtedly not yet turned, not yet a vampire, where Yorovitch was. He assumed she’d know, as cozy as she seemed to be with Nicolai and Dimitri. But once he’d seen the woman from the restaurant enter the building and then Nicolai shortly thereafter, he’d
had to fight the urge to sneak inside and see what they were up to. The female host had quickly left the building the way she came, but as far as he knew, Nicolai was still inside with Crystal. And what of the sergeant who served as Staff Duty NCO? Asleep, probably. Robert’s thoughts drifted to his dark-haired sister, only twenty-five. His sister had been in the prime of life, soon to be married. How could his
family’s world be turned upside down so swiftly? He’d vowed revenge despite his family’s concerns. He couldn’t squelch the guilt he still felt...not that he could have stopped her, or saved her, but he wished he could have done something. Even now her dark brown eyes penetrated the gloom, beseeching him to give up his quest. But he wouldn’t. He didn’t have long before his brothers would fetch him and return him home to Oklahoma. He had to get
Yorovitch before that happened. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. No matter what the cost. *** Nicolai wrenched his face away from Crystal’s neck as he still held her imprisoned against the concrete block wall inside the headquarters. Momentary relief washed over her. What was the matter with her? He couldn’t control her mind and yet she had no will to resist him. No, he was
stronger than her and she was powerless in his grasp. The notion both tantalized and concerned her as her body reacted to his touch. He couldn’t feel her nipples tighten through her fatigue shirt and the t-shirt beneath it, but she could. The heat pooled between her legs, her body desiring him, while her mind screamedno ! He was more dangerous than any being she’d ever encountered. He nuzzled his cheek against hers. For a fleeting second, she
wanted him to take her. Her body, primed and ready, was winning the battle over her mind. His heartbeat still thumped in his chest at a rapid rate as he leaned against her. His breathing was hard. She assumed he was trying to control his raging bloodlust. And here, she couldn’t even reign in her own emotions. He still held her wrists locked against the wall, their bodies touching in a lover’s embrace. But the feelings she had for him were
unconscionable for a huntress, the desire that he make love to her in a cloaked bed like Dimitri wished to do with her. Her own kind would kill her if they knew. “Who was the man driving the white convertible that’s been following you, Crystal?” he asked. His voice had a rusty, hoarse quality both from the bloodlust and desire he had for her, laced with a tinge of anger. Taken aback at the
question, she shook her head. “I thought he was one of yours, spying on me.” Nicolai stared at her for a moment, his black eyes piercingly intense. “No. He’s not one of ours. Lila says he appeared at Dimitri’s party.” She was thoroughly confused. “That’s why I thought he was yours or your brother’s.” “No.” He sounded concerned, maybe angry.
If the man in the convertible wasn’t a human host, what had he been doing there? He wouldn’t have been a vampire hunter. He hadn’t stayed long enough to slay anyone. Besides, he walked straight out through the front door before the killing began. Plus she knew all of the hunters in the surrounding area. A new threat seemed to exist for her. She was bound and determined to find out who he was, and what he wanted with her.
Nicolai took a whiff of her fragrance and smiled. He licked her neck, his tongue warm and soft against her skin. If he’d been human, or a hunter, she’d have loved his attentions, sensual and arousing. But he wasn’t. He was one of the living dead...a bloodsucker. His touching her would only push him over the edge...the bloodlust accelerating until he bit her. She frowned, trying to squelch the nausea rising in
her throat. “You’re working yourself into a feeding frenzy again. If you don’t stop, you’ll lose control. If you bite me--” “I know. I’ll die.” The notion didn’t seem to bother him as he nuzzled her neck again, his cheek naturally smooth against her skin. Had he no willpower against the attraction he had for her? His teeth extended and touched her neck, then scraped along the skin, not cutting, just touching, the craving to bite her only seconds away from
fulfilling the pleasure he sought. If he alone would die, she wouldn’t have cared, but his biting her could poison her system too...a long, lingering, painful death. She shuddered. He eased up slightly. As soon as he did, she broke free of his grasp and shoved him away. His minions had been easy to kill. Nicolai and his brother had a strength she’d never encountered before. She was as weak as a kindergartner
wrestling with an adult. Or maybe it was her lack of sleep that made her so vulnerable. Or being so different from her own kind. He touched her shoulders lightly, a smile curving his lips as if he were amused with her futile attempts. Then he grabbed her arms again, slammed her against the wall, and pressed his body hard against hers. “I never have to work this strenuously to conquer a woman. You’ve made me more alive then I’ve
been in over a hundred years.” She squirmed against his hold. His touch sent electricity sparking through her body, charging every molecule with energy. She’d never really gotten close to a man before. Not like this. Involvement with humans, vampires, even her own kind could spell her death if she let her guard down. She’d dated, but had kept the relationships nice and platonic. Safer for everyone that way.
“You know I’ll kill you the first chance I get.” Again, she twisted, trying to break his hold. “You won’t want to once I convince you how much you need me.” He smiled, rubbing his obvious arousal against her waist. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation and hating it at the same time. “Never.” “Your family abandoned you. Even after I managed to
gain access into your apartment, they wouldn’t offer you a safe house. Instead, you have to live in a hotel.” With one hand, he held both wrists. With the other, he touched her cheek with tenderness. “I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.” His lips turned up slightly. “You’re not like the others of your kind. You’ll live with me. Work during the day at this job if that’s what you want. But at night, you’ll be mine.”
His arrogance squashed any desire her body had for his instantly. “Why can’t you let me live in peace, Nicolai? You know I don’t want to kill you--” He grinned. “I know.” “Frankly, I don’t want to killany of you. But you give me no choice.” She scowled. “You’re cutting off the circulation in my hands.” He loosened his hold on her. She twisted her arms free from his
grasp, but he caught them again. Boots tromped on the floor behind him, making her tense. Still confining her, Nicolai turned as the sergeant stepped toward him. Crystal’s eyes widened. She gritted her teeth, trying to think of a way to alleviate the sergeant’s concern for her and keep him safe. Nicolai smiled, like a child with a new toy. The sergeant considered
Nicolai’s holding her firmly pinned against the wall. She barely took a breath anticipating the sergeant’s question. “Is there some problem here, ma’am?” Before she could speak, Nicolai focused on the sergeant, his dark eyes narrowed. The sergeant nodded, returned to the couch, and after planting his head on the arm of the sofa, snored in his sleep.
Crystal sighed deeply. Nicolai had used his abilities to make the sergeant lose his train of thought. To her relief, the confrontation had ended peacefully. Nicolai must have realized she’d have protected the sergeant to the death. Rarely did a vampire lose his head over a woman so profoundly that he’d avoid angering or hurting her. He’d have controlled the woman completely. Was Crystal so different from other
huntresses that he could desire her so? Sure. Any other huntress would have killed him or been killed by him. Facing her, Nicolai touched his lips to hers, not pressuring, but luring. She fought the urge to follow his mouth as he pulled away. Smiling, he raised his brows at her. “I’d take you tonight, but I have other pressing business to deal with. Tomorrow night, I will come for you. Be ready.” He released her arms and vanished.
She rubbed her numb arms. He’d gripped them so tightly, she’d lost the circulation in them. Now she knew she’d never be safe on duty again. Her blood stirred with anger that she’d been so weak as to show the least bit of interest in him. From now on, she’d wear her weapons, post policy be damned. *** Before long, the morning arrived. Crystal, already exhausted, slogged into her
office. Hoping nothing would require much of her attention, she plopped onto her gray metal desk chair and shuffled through actions in her inbox. Then her boss stalked into her office. His stern angular face, set jaw, and menacing steel gray eyes said it all. He had a task for her...and it wouldn’t be pleasant. “You have water survival tactics this morning. They’re expecting you now.” Lieutenant Colonel
Cramerton remained a thorn in her side. Otherwise, she loved her job. “I’ve had duty two nights the last three, sir.” “Now.” She served as the only company grade officer on the G-1 staff. As such, he always required her to attend the training exercises to represent her staff section. Though six field grade officers served there too and could have gone to training instead.
Grabbing her hat, she said, “Yes, sir.” She sighed with exasperation. If she drowned, it’d be on his head. On the other hand, the way he hated her for being a female on staff, it wouldn’t have mattered to him anyway. She’d show him. She’d survive to see another day. When she arrived at the division’s outdoor swimming pool, most of the service members had already removed their boots, socks,
fatigue shirts and pants. Dressed in swimming trunks and t-shirts, they were ready for the exercise. She folded her arms. Not only was she the only woman in attendance, she hadn’t worn a bathing suit. A training sergeant approached her and saluted. “Ma’am, you’re from the G-1 staff, right?” “Yes, sergeant.” “Go ahead and strip down like the others, and we’ll begin
the training.” “First, I wasn’t told until minutes ago I had to attend. And secondly, I had staff duty all night so hadn’t the time to change anyway.” Every pair of eyes watched her with intrigue. Would they make her strip down anyway? At least that’s what most hoped, she figured. “All right, ma’am. Just remove your fatigue shirt, boots, and socks. One of the
men can loan you his trousers when we get to that part of the exercise.” After taking her hat and shirt off and still wearing her t-shirt and trousers, she jumped into the pool with the others. The training sergeant considered the roster and wrinkled his forehead. “We’re still waiting on...Captain Robert Parker. Anyone know him?”
Before any could reply, the sergeant glanced toward the parking lot and smiled. “We’ll wait just a moment to begin our training. Here he comes now.” Just great. She grabbed hold of the side of the pool. Treading water for hours wasn’t going to happen, not as tired as she was. The day had warmed up considerably. The sun made her even sleepier. While Cpt. Robert Parker took his time to join the party,
she closed her eyes and thought of Nicolai’s visit during her staff duty. From now on, she’d have to arm herself with her wrist blade, at least until post policy declared it too warm to wear her sleeves rolled down. Then, she’d have to conceal a knife at her waist. The only problem was if Nicolai held her like he did last night, she’d never get to it. “Captain Parker,” the sergeant said in greeting. She hmpfd under her
breath. Let’s get this show on the road. The captain took forever to undress. “Sir, you can join the others.” Crystal finally opened her eyes to see what the delay was now. Her heart stopped dead. The human host from Dimitri’s party. The driver of the white convertible. Her stalker. He was an Army officer too? Jeez, how could
things get any worse? He stared down at her, his brown eyes wary, his dark brows knit tightly. He must have despised her, knowing she killed vampires after hours. And as a human host, he protected them. But as her gaze dropped to his satiny royal blue swimming trunks, the bulge there shocked her. She swallowed hard. He desired her? Well, not her exactly, just her body...as a sexual object. What the hell was he?
He had a great pair of legs, perfectly sculpted from running, she imagined. Her attention shifted up his body, locking onto the bulge for a second more, her face heating. When her focus reached his t-shirt, she found it fit neatly across his broad chest. His arms had just the right amount of muscle, enough to give a woman a really warm embrace. And suddenly, she wished he would wrap them around her. Sunstroke, that’s
what she had to be experiencing. Switching her attention to his face, she found him to be quite attractive, nice square jaw, eyes of dark brown sugar, and thick black lashes to die for. But the permanent scowl etched on his face made him appear dangerous. His harsh gaze finally separated from hers before he dove into the water. When he resurfaced, the sergeant said, “First, I want everyone to
make two laps across the pool.” Robert Parker swam behind her, unnerving her. Just like when he stalked her with his car, he followed her now, watching her every move. Or was she just being paranoid? When he bumped her foot she turned and glared at him. He returned the harsh look, daring her to do something about his intrusion into her space.
She twisted around and finished her swim, kicking the water into his face. And yet, she wished he’d wrestle with her in a sensuous water dance, touching, teasing, exploring her body as she wished to explore his. Her hormones were totally unbalanced. First, she’d wanted the vampire’s touch, now a human host’s? She had to be going mad! Given the order to tread water next, she floated on her back, and closed her eyes to conserve energy. The water
stirred up by a swimmer close to her made her lift her head to avoid being drowned. Robert Parker raised his brows at her, again, challenging her to do something about it. Not to be intimidated, she shoved her foot into his chest, then swam away from him. She wished he’d grabbed her foot and pulled her close. She craved his intimate touch, despite knowing how crazy the whole notion was.
Wiping the water from her eyes, she glanced back at him. He studied her, the glare replaced with a dark look of confusion. Was he as bewildered about his reaction to her as she was to him? Huntresses were only attracted to hunters...it was a way of preserving the hunting gene. How could she be attracted to vampires and human hosts too? She took a deep breath, exasperated with herself. First, she’s reluctant to kill vampires.
Now she wanted to make love to anything that desired her back? Her life was quickly spiraling out of control. After several minutes, the sergeant motioned toward the stairs. “Retrieve your trousers, then stay in the shallow end of the pool to complete your training.” Once the men returned to the pool, the sergeant gave the next set of instructions. “Everyone now take their trousers, knot the legs
together, then pull them down quickly from above your heads to fill them with air.” He turned to Crystal. “Cpt. Anderson, ma’am, you can sit this one out until one of the others can loan you his trousers.” Then directing his words to the others, he added, “Now for a time, you can use these as a floatation device. You can do the same with your shirt. When the air leaks out, just fill it up the same way. Out in the
field, you would tie your boots together and sling them over your shoulder when you arrived at some kind of a water obstacle.” After everyone had attempted to make water wings from their trousers, five of the men offered theirs to Crystal. She smiled, and accepted the trousers from the man standing closest to her. The whole group watched while she fashioned a floatation device out of the pants.
Then she returned the man’s pants. The class ended. The men gave her access to the stairs first, and Crystal waded out of the pool. Such gentlemen . And yet she figured they were mostly interested in seeing the wet t-shirt contest next. She grabbed her fatigue shirt and crammed her wet arms into the sleeves. Not surprisingly, none of the men redressed. Instead, they gathered their uniforms, and waited for their training
certificates. After slipping on her socks and boots, she was ready to return to her hotel. She turned to find Robert Parker glaring her down. She opened her mouth to speak to him, intent on having a word about his being a friend of Dimitri’s, but the sergeant handed him his certificate first. The captain whipped around and strode out of the pool area. She bit her lip, trying to settle her impatience.
By the time the sergeant handed her certificate to her, the convertible had vanished. But at least she knew his name now. Robert Parker. She’d make a phone call or two, and locate where the captain worked. Then she’d payhim a visit. * ** When Crystal arrived at her hotel, she pulled the door open to her room. At once she noticed her bed had been
made. Her blood boiled. If Nicolai had gotten to the maid staff sometime during the evening while Crystal had served on staff duty... She took an exasperated breath. At least he couldn’t approach her until nightfall. She pulled her curtains aside and looked out the window. Two men dressed in black leaned against her car as they stared up at her. She shuddered. Had Nicolai sent them to watch her? More and more, his actions indicated he
wasn’t giving her up. The choice of letting him live grew dimmer with each passing day. And now she had to move again. After changing into a dry uniform, she returned to work. Once quitting time arrived, she drove away from post in the opposite direction of the hotel. If the human hosts still watched her every move, she wouldn’t stand a chance. But she hadn’t seen any sign of them. Maybe tonight, she could ditch them long enough to
make it safely to a new hotel. When she arrived at a different hotel, the overhead lights already illuminated the parking area. Like most in the town, it had two stories. She rushed into the lobby and made her reservations, again warning she couldn’t be disturbed. Then she stepped outside. No storms tonight. Twinkling white lights dotted the black velvet night, making her shiver. The vampires would be
on the move again by now. She grabbed her suitcase and strode toward the stairs. Once she’d made it to the second level, she hurried down the walk toward her room. When she reached the door, she shoved her keycard into the slot. The light flashed red. Access denied. Panic rose in her blood. Her hands grew clammy. She jammed the card in again. The light flashed red once more. She swore to herself and
glanced down at the card. Taking a deep breath, she read the diagram. The arrow pointed the opposite way. She turned it around, and stuck it into the slot for a third time. The light turned green. She breathed a sigh of relief. A spicy scent wafting on the breeze triggered her heart to palpitate. She pulled her keycard out of the slot and reached for the door handle. Nicolai grabbed her hand
with a firm grip. Her heart thundered in her chest. He smiled at her, bewitchingly seductive. Because of lack of sleep, she’d forgotten to attach her wrist knife before she’d returned to work. Defeat filled her soul--but anger too, as she chastised herself for being so careless. Everything turned blacker than black, the wind swept several strands of her hair from her bun, and she became
dizzy all over again. When she blinked, she was standing in a house, another vampire party in full swing. For a moment, she stood slightly fuzzy-headed and disoriented. Blood red sofas and tables laminated black filled the expansive living room. The place was more colorful than Dimitri’s home. She quieted her breathing to steady her nerves. Twice in a week now she’d been an honored guest in one of the brothers’ homes.
If she managed to free herself from Nicolai’s grasp, she’d count herself more than lucky. But her actions tonight would either spell her death, or free her for another close encounter. Unless she managed to kill Nicolai. His puffed out chest and grip on her hand, gave the appearance he took pride in claiming her for his own. Despite being repulsed by him, she enjoyed that he desired her so. Her stomach flip-flopped with confusion. A
sense of compassion for the handsome man stirred in her veins. To counterbalance the feelings, she considered her parent’s deaths, their throats ripped out by a bloodsucker’s wicked fangs. Her brothers had hinted he was a cousin of Nicolai’s. Hostility rose in her blood. And then the thought occurred to her. How could a vampire have killed her parents in such a manner, without dying also? He must have died too. All around the room,
vampires and their hosts watched them. Nicolai smiled. “You intrigue my family, Crystal. They want to know when you will join me.” “I will never join you.” She jerked her hand free from him. He grabbed her wrist again. In an instant, she stood in his bedroom, only this time the experience occurred so quickly due to the shorter distance they had to travel that she barely felt any effects.
Again, she twisted away from him. Her gaze shifted to the bed taking center stage, draped in red satin curtains. What would it be like to lie with Nicolai naked in his bed? His long black hair loosened from its binding, her fingers combing through the silky strands. With his power, how would it feel to have him deep inside her? His hand touched her shoulder, startling her from her treacherous thoughts.
She stepped away from him and shook her head, her body tingling from his touch. “I won’t be yours, ever. You can’t force me because you have no ability to use mind control on me. And you can’t bite me to change me that way either or it’ll kill you. So whatever you’re thinking, it won’t work.” “You’re tired. Don’t you want to lie down? You can barely keep your eyes open. You crave sleep more than anything.” His soothing, hypnotic voice washed over her like a warm shower.
She blinked. He couldn’t be planning on seducing her. Sure, without weapons and as tired as she was, she didn’t stand a chance against his strength. She’d cave in for certain...just for a bit of sleep. Leaning over her, he kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes. His spicy scent overwhelmed her. The electric charge he created sent her molecules into a frenzy again. She swooned into his chest. He chuckled, dark, deep, sensuously. She was no
match for him tonight. Fighting took too much effort. Why not give in – for the moment – just this once? He pulled her fatigue hat off, then released the pins from her hair. While running his fingers through her curls, he nuzzled his smooth as silk cheek against hers. “You’re the only one for me, my love.” Her mind clouded over with his attentions, but her hands pushed against his chest. Distance. She had to keep her
distance. He tilted her chin up, and kissed her lips. He licked them with a strong gentle stroke, pressuring her to part them for him. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. If her family hadn’t left her out in the cold...if a real man had paid her this kind of attention, she wouldn’t find Nicolai so appealing, would she? He waited for her to give in.
His eyes retained their possessive quality. He touched her hair again. She had to distract him, or end up regretting what she was barely able to resist...his bed, and him in it, making raw, animalistic love to her. She cleared her throat. “Don’t you offer your guests something to drink?” He grinned at her. “Wine?” “Sodas? Extra strong coffee?” “Caffeine will only make you
nervous. Not wide awake.” After brushing her hair aside, he leaned over and kissed her neck. The sensation excited her system more than she knew was wise, yet she couldn’t break free of his allure. “I thought you liked it that I fought you. I can’t fight you like this, without my weapons and without any sleep.” “Yes, well, for tonight, I prefer you this way.”
She shoved him back. If she had to clash with him, she had to do it now, while she still had some strength. In a few hours, she wouldn’t have any left. He smiled at her. “Or not.” He grabbed her wrists, and yanked her toward the bed. Wrong move. She twisted around and kneed him in the jewels. He groaned and bent over in pain. Before he could react, she dashed for the door.
Jerking it open, she fled into the hallway, knocking a female host aside. The woman screamed out a warning, “Stop her!” Crystal bolted for the stairs. A blond-haired male vampire swooped in front of her. She smashed her fists into his chest, shoving him away. He snarled, baring sharp, blood-stained fangs at her and slammed her against a wall. Pain radiated through her back. She gritted her teeth.
Without her weapons, she didn’t stand a chance against any of them. Even now the energy drained from her body as she tried to get loose from the vampire. He’d undoubtedly make a meal of her if Nicolai would permit him to. But wouldn’t he get a surprise, when her blood poisoned him? The thought didn’t appeal. She wasn’t ready to die tonight or any other. Not at the fangs of a vampire. Nicolai suddenly appeared
before her. He scowled at her, his eyes narrowed. “We have unfinished business, you and I.” She hadn’t realized she would hurt him so badly when she kneed him. As sour as his face was, she figured he was pretty pissed off at her now. Retribution would be swift and painful. The last couple of nights hadn’t gone well at all. The blond-haired, thin-faced vampire still held her captive, pinned firmly against the wall.
For some reason, Nicolai wasn’t giving the order to have her released. The blood drained from her arms as the vampire held them high above her head. Her hands numbed. Give the order. Nicolai twisted his head in the direction of another part of the house. Several others turned their attention that way. Nicolai and the rest of his vampire family dashed for the room that concerned them.
As soon as the vampire released her, Crystal ran for the door. Several human hosts jumped in her path to stop her. She knocked them aside easily. Humans were no match for her and most had recently given blood, weakening them further. None carried weapons, as hunters killed any who threatened them in that manner. After yanking the door open, she ran outside into the dark. She’d never make it to her hotel. She had no idea where she was.
Her heart sank. She’d managed to get free, only she wasn’t out of harm’s way yet. And then she spied the white convertible. She’d seen no sign of Robert Parker in the house, but he could have been in one of the rooms upstairs. If his car was unlocked, perhaps she could hide in the backseat. When he returned home, she could slip away unnoticed. She darted across the lawn. Her heart pounded at an accelerated rate. She grabbed his door handle. Unlocked. After climbing in, she quickly shut the door, then lay on the red carpeted floorboard in front of the backseat. Not very big. But if he were tired when he returned to the car, maybe he wouldn’t notice. If he didn’t return until morning, the danger from the vampires would be past anyway. She closed her eyes trying to settle the worry that crept into her bones. Every rustle of a branch stirring in the breeze caught her ear. She strained to hear footsteps. Dread bunched in her stomach, while her heart pounded in her ears. She attempted to lie lower on the floor. Her eyes grew more tired. Keeping them open, and herself vigilant could mean the difference between remaining free or becoming Nicolai’s consort. Crystal lay still in the interior of the white convertible for sometime before sleep overwhelmed her.
Sometime later, she started awake. Rapid footsteps approached.
Chapter 4
Robert Parker had made a mistake in trying to find out
what he could about Captain Crystal Anderson. Though his job of finding his sister’s killer was still tantamount, the buxom blonde was stealing into his thoughts day and night. She lured him like a female vampire set her sights on a human male, and yet, Robert wasn’t human, so how could she attract him like she did? Was it because the two powerful brothers, heads of the local vampire family, also appeared to want her? Is that what made Robert desire her too?
He rubbed his chin. What did make her so attractive to them? Beyond her looks of course. He hadn’t ever seen two vampires willing to cross each other over the same woman. And here he was just as drawn to her and fighting the attraction, like a swordfish fought being reeled in by a fisherwoman and it seemed to be a losing proposition for him. The muscles in his gut clenched when he entered
Nicolai’s kitchen through an open window and knocked a bottle opener to the floor. At once his heart stopped. He hurried out the same way he came, cursing himself for his clumsiness. And then he hid in the shadows of the house next door, hoping that the vampires wouldn’t locate him. Easily, they could have overwhelmed him with their sheer numbers. But all at once, they left the house, not searching for him, it seemed, but for something or
someone else. They took off in various directions, first surveying the area, their heads turning back and forth, attempting to use their sensitive hearing to locate any sound of whatever they sought. And then they disappeared in a flurry of fluttering capes. He waited until the hosts returned to the house. Then he dashed for his car, intent on going home, to a well-deserved night of sleep.
His thoughts shifted to Crystal. He glanced back at the house. Was she inside with the other hosts? For an instant, he wanted to rescue her, shake her and make her see the error of her ways. But she was a brainwashed host...she couldn’t be saved...not when the heads of the family wanted her. *** The slamming of a car door jarred Crystal from her slumber, though her mind
remained hazy. Where was she? Crouched on the carpeted floor of a car...Robert Parker’s car...that’s where. Once he started his vehicle and drove down the road at breakneck speed, every bump in the pavement bruised her side. The floor was definitely made of cardboard. Either that or she was a descendent of the fairytale princess from Hans Christian Anderson’s, The Princess and the Pea .
The car’s interior smelled like new leather, except for a slight aroma of a man’s woodsy aftershave. She took in a deep breath. If she detected the delectable scent again, she’d know Robert Parker lurked nearby. She was becoming a connoisseur of men’s scents. Being without a man in her life for two years had more of an effect on her than she’d thought. He drove for several miles, the dark giving her some sense
of comfort. She peeked between the seats when he pulled a CD out of the player, then shoved a new disk in. The orchestral music from the movie,The Thirteenth Warrior, began to play. Suddenly the car pulled to a stop. Had he come to a red light? He turned off the music. Was he home? Hopefully he hadn’t driven to another vampire bash.
He turned on his interior lights. Jeez he’d see her now. Her heartbeat sped up. The car wasn’t big enough to hide in. “Sit up,” he ordered. She didn’t want to believe he knew she hid in his car, so she flattened herself against the carpet as low as she could. He reached back, grabbed her arm and jerked her up. His sudden action and surprising strength as he gripped her wrist made her cry out. What
was he? A vampire who could live in sunlight? If Kostya was born of the womb, maybe this one was too, and perhaps they could survive in daylight. Her people would really be in trouble then. She wrenched her arm free. “What are you doing here?” She smiled her most heart-warming smile. He continued to scowl at her. Well, that didn’t work.
She folded her arms. “I need a ride back to my hotel.” “Have Nicolai take you there.” He motioned to the door. “He and I are at an impasse.” No way would she confide anything of her story to a human host or a daylight vampire. Everything would go straight back to Nicolai. “Get out!” She didn’t want to be
beholden to anyone. Especially not to someone like Robert Parker, Army officer and whatever else he was. But she was desperate. “I’ll pay you to take me to my hotel.” Jeez, her purse and suitcase must have still been in front of her hotel door. If someone hadn’t stolen them by now. Great. Just what she needed. More trouble. “You can’t ride with me. Get
out.” “I don’t even know where I am. And-and I don’t have my purse with me. It’s back at the hotel.” He shook his head and pulled his door open. After climbing out of the car, he jerked the seat forward. “I said for you to get out.” His voice was full of foreboding. Did he fear her? Sure, he
figured she’d kill him, being she was a huntress. “I won’t hurt you, if you’re afraid of that.” “I don’t mess with your kind.” “And I don’t with yours, normally.” She tried to curb the indignant tone in her voice. She hated most hosts, weak-willed and mindless. But she needed this one’s help. She’d do almost anything to obtain it to stay out of Nicolai’s reach. “But I need a
way to get back to my hotel. Please.” Despite hating to beg, she really didn’t feel she had any other choice. He grabbed her arm and yanked her out of his car. She fought giving him a fist in the jaw. Instead she involuntarily shivered in the cool night, hoping he didn’t think she was scared. She was just cold. And as far as she was concerned, she’d beseeched him as much as she was going to. Damn him. She had some pride left still.
A hooting of an owl nearby and the sound of cicadas singing their raucous tune, made her reconsider. He couldn’t leave her out here in the middle of nowhere. Not with Nicolai and his minions determined to make her one of their own. She reconsidered pleading some more. Robert fisted his hands on his hips. “You should have made better choices.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he climbed into his
car and slammed the door. He looked at her for a moment, as her eyes pleaded with him to think again. He didn’t. He drove off. Her blood boiled as she stormed off down the road in the same direction he’d gone. He didn’t drive fast. In fact she considered the way his taillights drew father down the road. As long as it took him to fade from her sight, she imagined he drove way under the speed limit. Was he reconsidering? He disappeared
around the bend in the road. Nope. Bastard. Normally she didn’t kill vampire hosts, but she’d make an exception in his case, if that’s what he was. Trying to calm her raw nerves, she walked toward the halo of lights she could see in the distance. It had to be the city lights. However, she’d never make it back in time for work the next day. In fact, if Nicolai caught up with her, she’d never make it back, ever.
For over an hour, she walked. Then as she neared some small town, poorly lighted and all shut up for the night, a pickup truck pulled against the curb. A man rolled down the window. “Need a ride, miss?” He might have been a mass murderer, but his offer looked pretty good about now. In any event, she could handle the likes of him if he got out of hand. He shoved the door open for her. Half eaten bags of
potato chips and chocolate chip cookies littered the seat and floor. She climbed in and buckled her seatbelt, relieved to be somewhat safe. He looked at her rank. “Captain, eh?” She nodded. His chocolate stained lips parted in a smile. His teeth looked like a badly mended picket fence: yellowed and full of gaps. “I was a private during Nam.”
“Ah. Can you take me to my...” She hesitated. He wouldn’t think she was offering to take him to her hotel for fun and games, would he? “I was mugged at my hotel. I’m trying to get back there. Could you take me there?” “Nicolai wanted you returned to his house. I’d best do what he asks.” Crystal’s stomach knotted and her skin prickled. She’d
never make it to a safe place at this rate. Still, she wasn’t giving up. She grabbed the steering wheel and twisted full force toward her. Before the man could stop her or take his foot off the gas pedal, he drove straight through an auto dealership’s plate glass window. His brakes screeched. The glass broke with a shattering bang. The odor of burning rubber filled the air. His truck crashed into a
brand new SUV and came to a dead stop. Crystal’s seatbelt caught her, slamming her back against the seat on impact. She jerked the belt off and jumped out of the pickup. The man groaned in obvious pain. “He’ll get you. You can’t get away.” Ignoring him, she ran down the well-lit street and into a dark alley. Neither was safe. An open window in an older one-story, brick home caught her eye. She dashed across the
alley and reached for the sill. Peeking in, she saw no signs of a living soul in the study, lighted by the soft glow of a nightlight. She climbed in, then closed the window. Momentary relief filled her. Walking in on someone was the least of her concerns. Finding a refuge for the night from the bloodsuckers remained her immediate desire. Gingerly, she crept through the study. The house remained pitch dark except for a faint light coming from a
room dead ahead. The occupants were undoubtedly asleep or not at home. Hopefully whoever resided here were normal humans and not vampires or hosts. She sneaked into the lighted room...a kitchen. The fridge’s door light cast a pale wash of illumination. She breathed in the heady scent of cinnamon and rosemary. Opening the fridge, she found it stocked full of real food. Vampires definitely
didn’t live here. A mixture of relief and worry filled her. Hosts still could live here. A floorboard creaked behind her. Panic touched her heart. She whipped around. A light flipped on overhead. A gray-haired man glared at her, a sword held in his hands ready to do business. “I...I’m sorry to break in to your house, sir, but someone’s trying to kill me and-and I’m trying to get to my hotel.”
He glanced at her nametag. “Anderson.” “Yes, sir.” His gray eyes penetrated hers. “You’re the traitor.” So astonished to hear the words that only another vampire hunter would call her, she didn’t have time to get angry over the insult. But he wasn’t part of her family. Where’d he come from?
“Can I have refuge here for awhile? Until it gets light?” “You can’t stay here.” His voice was graveled with sleep. “Do you have a knife I can use to protect myself with?” He paused. “Please, I have to have something to defend myself. Despite what my family says, I do kill vampires.” He motioned to the hall. She
walked down it, her mind working out how she could convince him to allow her to stay the night. His slipper-covered feet padded slowly behind her. When they came to a bedroom, he pointed to a dresser. “Top drawer.” She opened it. A wrist knife rested inside on a black velvet cloth. She turned to the man, her heart quickening. He nodded.
She pulled the knife from the drawer. “I’ll return it as soon as I can, sir.” “It was my wife’s. They killed her last night. You won’t find me or any of our kind here tomorrow. It’s yours to keep.” Crystal’s jaw tightened. “Who killed her?” “A scrawny blond male. Only one I know of in the area. One of Nicolai’s converts. Ripped her throat clean
through. No reason to either. She’d retired from the business twenty years earlier. Her hands had become so crippled with arthritis she couldn’t work any more.” Crystal’s mind attempted to absorb the news and at the same time think of a way to talk herself into a safe haven for the night. “I’m so sorry about your wife.” She paused, before she attempted to solicit his further help. “If you’re leaving--”
“Not until tomorrow when it’s daylight.” “Could I stay here for the night? Sleep on the couch?” “You’re an outcast. You’re in league with them.” She attempted to squash the irritation filling her veins. “If I were in with them, I wouldn’t be trying to find a way to keep out of their grasp. And I wouldn’t need a weapon.” A normal life...that’s what she longed for.
“At my age, I can’t afford to take chances. You’ve made your choice. You’ll have to live with it.” He pointed to the door with his sword. She fastened the knife at her wrist. “Thank you so much for your kindness.” She was truly grateful, but she figured it didn’t mean anything to him. She was a traitor to her people...that was all. And his wife, who’d served their people well, was dead. “I might not live through the night, but
you’ve enabled me to at least have a chance. If you see my brothers...” She sighed. “Thanks.” She opened the door and stepped outside. As soon as she closed it, the latch inside bolted shut with a click. Her blood iced. The air seemed colder than she’d remembered. And thick with the scent of pine. And then his words struck her as odd. If the blond male
vampire from Nicolai’s house had killed the old woman, why hadn’t he died from biting her? Something wasn’t right. She knocked on the door, the sound echoing in the street. But he wouldn’t answer her. She hurried across the dark alley and back into the dimly lit street. If nothing else, she could see her attackers better. The knife strapped to her wrist gave her an inner strength and peace. She took another deep breath of the fresh, crisp air.
The pickup truck had been pulled from the showcase window of the dealership. The tow truck still had it in its grasp. Meanwhile, several men boarded up the window to keep looters out. No police though and no sign of the driver of the damaged truck. The men didn’t notice her as she passed by the store. For over an hour, she walked along the dark, dusty road. Not a single car passed
her. Then she thought she heard a flapping of wings. A breeze stirred. A shiver trickled down her spine. She turned. A redheaded man stood before her, his curly hair tied back in a ponytail. He smiled. “Nicolai’s incensed about losing you. Said you’d be sleeping beside the road somewhere. You’ve come a lot farther than we thought you could.” He took a step forward.
She shook her head. Her throat turned dry. “I won’t go back to him.” She clicked her knife open. The blond-haired vampire, who’d held her hostage in Nicolai’s house, appeared. Undoubtedly, the redhead had sent out the call using his mental telepathy. Any vampires in the vicinity would have heard his appeal. She hadn’t a choice now but to kill them both if she could, or return to Nicolai and give in.
The blond grabbed for her arm. She shoved her blade into his heart. “For the elderly woman who couldn’t fend for herself, and all the others.” The vampire fell to the ground, wizening into a white prune of a man. The other attacked her, his pointed fangs bared. He knocked her off her feet. She landed hard against the pavement, the breath expelling from her lungs. A shimmer of
pain spread through her back. He fell on top of her, his weight pinning her to the pavement. She struggled to wedge her hand and knife between his chest and her body but couldn’t maneuver into the right position. “Nicolai wanted you, but you’re all mine now.” “Not!” Kicking her boot hard against the pavement, she twisted her body, and shoved him off. With a
lightening stab, she struck at him, forcing the blade between the ribs and into the life-pumping organ. He cried out, and collapsed on his back, his skin deflating like a pricked balloon that had lost its air. Unsteadily, she rose to her feet, then stumbled off down the road toward the city lights again. Her muscles ached from all of the walking and fighting, just like when she had to run the two-mile physical fitness training test when she wasn’t
in shape. But worse than that, her heart wearied from the ostracism from her own kind. Her own people didn’t want her, but she couldn’t join the hated bloodsuckers either. She longed to be human. But it wasn’t an option. She moved one foot in front of the other. Her combat boots weighed more with every step she took. Then a car flashed its lights at her. A police car? Or more vampires or hosts posing as normal humans? She didn’t trust anyone anymore.
The car’s siren rippled in the air briefly. She stopped. Retracting her blade, she waited as two officers climbed out of the vehicle. Both shined flashlights in her eyes. She squinted at the glare, unable to see what either looked like. “It’s her. Captain Anderson.” Nicolai’s henchmen. “Ma’am, we got a call you were abducted at your hotel.
The manager secured your purse and suitcase. Can you tell us what happened?” She took a deep breath, attempting to settle her nerves. Real humans. “Can you take me back to my hotel?” “Yes, ma’am. An elderly man called from here. Said you seemed lost and disoriented. Asked if we could check into it.” So the vampire hunterdid care what happened to her, in
part. The notion warmed her marginally. The other officer opened the car door for her. “And a Captain Robert Parker called and said he saw you some distance from here. Said he couldn’t stop at the time, some kind of emergency.” Emergency. Liar. She wrinkled her brow. If he were a host, why didn’t he call his master and relay where she was?
“The captain thought you might have needed aid, so he wanted us to check into it. Several squad cars have been looking for you for a couple of hours now. Can you tell us what happened?” She crawled into the car. “Yes, but can I tell you on the way back to the hotel?” They climbed into the car. She stretched out on the back seat and closed her eyes. “Ma’am?”
The next thing she knew, the car door opened and let in a fresh breath of cold air. “Ma’am?” The word came from some distant place. “Ma’am, are you injured?” She opened her eyes. Exhausted, was more like it. “I’m sorry, officers. I just need sleep really badly.” They exchanged glances. “I pulled duty for a couple of nights. That means I have to
work around the clock with no sleep. I’m fighting the urge to sleep right now.” “Can you give us a statement?” “Sure. A man with dark hair and eyes grabbed me outside of my hotel room. I must have blacked out. The next thing I knew, I was in a two-story home. I couldn’t say what it looked like, because I ran out of it and never looked back.” “And? Did he molest you?”
“He intended to, but got distracted. Anyway, I escaped...then you found me.” “Do you know who he was?” “Oh, he had a ponytail and stood six foot. Broad-shouldered, no scars or anything. Someone called him Nicolai.” “There were others in the house?” “Yes. Sorry, I’m really tired. Maybe thirty men and women.
I didn’t know any of them and none mentioned names.” One of the police officers handed her a card. “If you think of anything else, call me.” “Thank you, officer.” Only specialized units dealt with the clean up of vampire carcasses. The regular police force had no interest in apprehending the rogue vampires. That job was better left to the experienced hunters.
But she couldn’t tell the police officers she was a huntress. Not if she didn’t want it to get back to her Army boss and face losing her job. “We’ll help you with your bag and make sure you get settled in your room.” She smiled. At least the humans were helpful. The hotel manager’s face lit up when Crystal walked into the lobby. “Thank God you’re all right, dear.”
“Yes, thank you for reporting me missing and for taking care of my luggage and purse.” One of the police officers lugged her suitcase toward her room, while the other reported back to his office. Crystal glanced around the area wondering if Nicolai or his minions watched her. Then she caught sight of Robert in his convertible. If it didn’t put her more at risk, she’d have given him a piece of her mind. But
for now, getting into her room, and sleeping the rest of the night away was about all she could manage. She thanked the officer again, then bolted her door. *** Robert stared up at Crystal’s motel room window as the lights turned off inside. He rubbed his chin. A late night shadow of prickly growth already covered it. He shook his head as he thought
about the woman. Crystal Anderson was beyond comprehending. She visited Nicolai, Dimitri, and his minions regularly, then claimed to be hiding in Robert’s car to flee them? Please. Couldn’t she have thought up a better tale than that? She was an accomplished actress. She’d acted scared to death. What had she planned on doing? She’d have caused him to wreck his vehicle, then called for her bloodsucker
friends to put an end to his life. That’s what she would have done. And he couldn’t have allowed it. That’s why he had to ditch her like he did. But there was something about her blue eyes that pleaded with him in earnest. He’d driven slowly to see if she’d chase after him, pleading further. But she didn’t. She just watched him, as if he were her knight in shining armor, leaving her behind to fight her battles alone.
He ran his hands through his hair thinking of the feelings she stirred in him, dangerous to his very existence. No way was he falling for the woman. He had to call the police and hope they found her in time, in the event she told the truth. He sucked in his breath. She didn’t tell the truth. She couldn’t have. No one ever visited with vampires as she did without being one of them. She was one of them. And if he was to live, he had to
remember that. *** Before Crystal could have a nightmare, the clock alarm woke her early the next morning. She rubbed her eyes. They felt as if she’d been in a sandstorm in the West Texas Panhandle as scratchy as they were. Somehow, the little bit of sleep she managed made her more tired than before. She dragged herself out of bed and headed into work.
Only this time, she wore a wrist knife at both wrists, and a knife at her waist. The boss wasn’t in, so she made it her priority to check out Robert Parker. Since he’d taken the swimming survival training with her, it meant he served in the same division. That narrowed it down. She called the headquarters. “Hello, I run the staff duty roster for the division and I’m trying to locate a Captain Robert Parker. Could you tell
me which unit he’s with?” “Yes, he’s with the AG Company.” “Thank you.” She hopped up from her chair and grabbed her hat. Thankfully, she had two spares because the other sat in Nicolai’s bedroom still. She poked her head into the sergeant major’s office. “Is the colonel around?”
“Out sick for the day.” Yes! “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I have to head over to the AG Company. Won’t take me long.” “Yes, ma’am.” With a spring in her step, she readied herself for the confrontation with Captain Robert Parker. She only hoped he’d be in an office where she could confront him properly, without anyone else seeing or hearing them.
When she arrived at the AG Company, her heart sank. An officer stepped out of the redbrick, two-story building at an angle to her, looking very much like Parker. But when he headed for a pickup truck, she took a breath. From the back, he looked just like Robert. But in green fatigues and hat, with short cropped brown hair, and same build, many would have looked alike. She strode across the parking lot to the front door of
the building. The metal door creaked as she pulled it open. Everyone in the building would know of her arrival, she felt as her stomach muscles tightened. Inside, she glanced at a directory. Second floor, second office, Captain Robert Parker. Now, if only he was in and no one else was there, she could get this business over with. The wooden steps creaked with her weight as she climbed them to the second floor. She
walked down the long nondescript hallway, the floorboards squeaking to announce her arrival. Sensitive to sound, one of a hunter’s special genetic traits, every noise created a lasting painful impression. She just knew Robert was waiting to pounce on her as soon as she entered his office. She stepped in front of the room where his redwood sign hung prominently on the door. Captain Robert Parker, Records Chief.
Four doors opened into offices on either side of the hall. Most of the doors sat slightly ajar or fully open. Not Parker’s. She hesitated at the closed door. If she knocked on the door and had to say who she was before entering, would he allow her in? Maybe he wasn’t even in the office, or was speaking to someone else behind the closed door. She grabbed the doorknob.
A captain emerged from an office two doors down from Parker’s. His brilliant red hair made his blue eyes sparkle as a sprinkling of red freckles dotted his nose. He winked at her. “He’s in, but if his door’s closed, he’s most likely busy.” She stepped away from the door. “I need to see him.” “Maybe I can help you.” “I’m afraid this has strictly to do with Robert Parker.”
“Well, he gets all of the interesting business.” He glanced down at her nametag. “You’re the female officer who showed up at water survival training.” “You were there?” “No. Couple of the other guys were though.” He grinned broadly. “Sorry I missed the training.” Parker’s door opened. Crystal flattened herself
against the wall so Parker wouldn’t see her. A pretty blonde second lieutenant stepped out of his office. She smiled at the other captain, ignored Crystal, then strode toward the stairs. “Guess he’s all yours now. Where do you work?” “Second Armored Division.” He tilted his head back slightly, then smiled again. “I see. Since when do officers from theother division train
with us?” “They don’t.” She marched into Parker’s office and closed the door in the other captain’s face. She couldn’t afford a relationship with anyone, not with Nicolai after her. Hopefully her answer would have discouraged him sufficiently. Of course the Second Armored Division personnel didn’t train with the 1st Cavalry Division, unless they were performing an exercise
against each other...one as the enemy, and the other as the good guys. But anybody who grew interested in her would become Nicolai’s target too. Though Parker narrowed his dark brown eyes at her and opened his mouth to speak, she didn’t give him a chance to say anything. She rushed his gray metal desk. Using her superhuman strength, she shoved it into him, pinning him against the wall. He gasped, his eyes widened,
then he swore under his breath. “You son-of-a-bitch.” She held the desk firmly against his broad chest. “Quit stalking me or I’ll turn you over to the police.” “I should never have told the police where to find you.” His words were spoken as harshly as hers through clenched teeth. Her adrenaline coursed through her body at an all
time high. The urge to kill him overwhelmed her better judgment. “Next time, I’ll take your car and leaveyou for dead.” She fought opening her wrist knife. If vampire hunting had given her this kind of drive, she’d have no trouble killing any of them. She released the desk and turned to walk away. Just as quickly, he shoved the desk back. She turned to look at him. What was he? Twice now, he showed he had the same kind of strength as a vampire.
Yet, she’d never known one who could live when exposed to sunlight. And if he didn’t report back to Nicolai or try to return her to him, was he a vampire from another family? A rival perhaps? She had to know. Was he a vampire?
Chapter 5
Crystal crossed the floor to where Robert now stood. This time he prepared himself when she reached out to touch his arm, to see if he truly was a vampire. Her sensory preceptors could determine it, if he’d been turned very long. She jumped when he grabbed her wrist hard. His fingers gripped her so tightly, the nerves in her wrist screamed out in pain.
The electricity flowed between them, unnerving her. Hewas a daylight vampire. Did her people even know they existed? She twisted her wrist free and shoved him away from her. He responded with force, grabbing her shoulders, and slamming her against his maple bookcase of Army regulations. “Nicolai claimed you, didn’t he?” His voice was harsh and grated on her.
“Let go of me,” she growled back at him. She swung her leg behind him, caught his wrists and shoved. He fell with a bang when she caught him off balance with her hand-to-hand combat maneuver. If anyone heard them, it would sound like they were doing acrobatics in his office. A knock at the door stopped her before she completed the maneuver. Though she intended to stomp on his chest with her combat boot to knock
the wind out of him, she hesitated. “Captain Parker?” a male voice, riddled with concern, asked beyond the door. Parker glared at her as he sprang to his feet. “Yes.” He opened the door. A young private, looked to be no more than eighteen, gangly and unsure of himself, shifted his attention from Robert to Crystal. Her hair had loosened from her bun,
and now drifted to her shoulders. The private’s eyes widened. “I...I thought maybe there was some trouble, sir. I’ll...ahem, leave you alone.” “I’m fine.” Parker shut the door. A slight smile appeared on his face evidently amused the private thought he partied with a female captain in his office. But when Parker looked at Crystal, the smile vanished. “Are you finished?” “Only if you quit stalking me. I won’t be as nice next
time.” She shoved past him. “Bloodsucker’s woman.” She grabbed his wrist, and jerked his arm behind his back, then shoved him against the door. He quickly freed himself from her grasp with a twist and pinned her against the wall with his body. The same kind of electricity coursed through her system, filling her with warmth and desire. His aftershave served as an aphrodisiac and despite
fighting the urge, she breathed it in as if her lungs craved oxygen. When her senses returned, she attempted to wriggle free. “Let go of me you...you, vampiric host.” His eyes widened. “You think that’s what I am?” No. He was a day-dwelling vampire. But she didn’t want him to know she knew. “Doesn’t matter. You’re
Nicolai’s concubine.” He released her as her face heated with anger. “He’ll never have me.” She rubbed her wrists. “And neither will you.” She turned to grab the doorknob, but he seized her arm, and held her tight. “Why would I want the likes of you?” “It’s my alluring personality. It even lured you,” she taunted him.
“I only used you to...” She waited. His gaze shifted to her neck, but her hair sufficiently covered it. He released her wrist. “Get out of here.” “You can tell Nicolai for me, I won’t ever be his.” She clutched the doorknob and twisted. “You’re already his.”
She pulled the door open. No sense in trying to convince a vampire of anything. No matter what she said, they didn’t listen. Her blood boiled with irritation. She attempted to slam the door on her way out. He jerked it free from her. In response, she sped down the hall, frustration dripping from every pore. *** Crystal tucked her loose hair back into her bun as she
headed for the stairs. Robert couldn’t believe the overwhelming feelings he had for her. His whole body reacted to hers when they touched, just as if she’d been a vampire. The same strong electric current...only this time there was something more. An incredible longing too. Then her mouth-watering fragrance, the same flowery sweet scent he’d caught a whiff of in his car, begged him to breathe in every bit of her. A few of her honey blonde
curls still dripped over her shoulders. When he’d found her in his vehicle last night, he’d wanted to run his fingers through the silky strands. Her blue eyes had darkened with desire when they’d touched. She wanted him too...as her next meal. Captain Bill Minkle chuckled. Robert turned to see redheaded Bill watching him, his arms folded across his chest. “Boy, I’d like your job. First the pretty second lieutenant, then the captain.
What do you do that draws them to you?” “Lieutenant Eisley was here on business.” Bill’s mouth edged up in a smile. “And the other?” “She had the wrong office.” Bill laughed out loud. “If that’s the way you want to play the game. I couldn’t make any headway with her at all. She wanted only you.” “She’s dangerous. Stay away
from her.” Bill raised his brows, his lips still smiling. “Yeah, well she’s the one whose hair was all mussed up. Looks like maybe you were a bit rough on her.” Robert crossed his office, then looked out the window. Crystal stood next to her car, still fiddling with her hair, trying to get all the loose strands off her collar before she got in trouble for it. “So, when’s your next
date?” Bill’s boots clomped on the floor as he joined him to get a peek at her too. “Let’s just say she has a killer of a boyfriend. No one touches her who doesn’t get hurt...killed, rather.” Bill grinned at him. “Then he’d better not learn she was here, because from the looks of it, a hell of a lot of touching was going on.” He glanced over at the bookshelf where several regulations laid on the floor in disarray. “Or something.”
“Later, Bill.” Robert grabbed his hat off his coat rack. Every chance he had, he’d follow Nicolai’s consort, despite her words of warning. If she could lead him to Yorovitch, he’d kill the vampire who murdered his sister. It couldn’t be an act of revenge, he kept telling himself, rather a way to ensure another lovely woman like his sister wouldn’t fall prey to the vampire’s ruthless touch. Humans everywhere would rest easier with the vampire dead. And he felt
Crystal, as easily as she entered vampires homes, was his means of finding the targeted vampire. *** Crystal couldn’t shake the feelings Parker’s hands touching her skin stirred in her. When he’d grabbed her in the car, the action happened so quickly, she hadn’t a chance to sense the connection. The tingling sensation he aroused in her this time triggered a treacherous desire deep
within. How could she long to feel more of his vibrant touch? She shook her head, not believing daytime vampires really existed. The other vampire hunters probably had learned of them and the ones who were born that way, sometime during the four years she’d been cut loose from the family. She was no longer privy to such important news. The notion further soured her against her family. How would it have hurt them to have given her the word?
As she drove across post to her office, she thought of Parker’s strength. He was strong like her brothers. He must have been around for a very long time too. As with the other vampires, she didn’t want to kill him, but he pushed her to the edge. Though her blood boiled when he left her in the road for Nicolai to pick up, he’d called the police to help her. He definitely was a contradiction of terms. Of course the same
was true of her. A vampire hunter who hated to kill. She sighed. After checking in at her office, she drove straight to the Mexican restaurant for lunch. Time to find out how mad Nicolai was with her and what would happen now. Knowing would help her to keep one step ahead of the game. Maybe Lila would slip up and reveal something to Crystal that would aid her against Nicolai. Crystal parked her car, then
entered the building. Lila waited on a long line of customers. The blonde roots of her hair seemed to contrast even more harshly with the black dye that coated the rest of the straight silky strands today. Crystal shook her head. She could never fathom why the hosts thought they’d be more accepted by the vampires if they dyed their hair black. Lila’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail, just like the vampires. One of these days,
she’d be one too. Crystal stepped into her line and after a several minutes made it to the long tile counter. Lila raised her brows. “I’ve never seen Nicolai so mad before. I mean, his brother had angered him. But last night. Whew! Steam was coming out of Nicolai’s ears.” She fixed a basket of meat filled tacos for Crystal, never asking if it was what she preferred. “It’s on me.” She handed her a glass. “Join you in a minute.”
Crystal took the basket of food this time, then found a booth to sit at. Lila soon sat opposite her. “Listen, uhm, what do I call you? I’d call you mistress if you were Nicolai’s, but he hasn’t quite joined with you yet.” “Crystal is fine.” Lila ran a paper napkin between her fingers. “I’m not sure I can be that informal with you.”
“You call Nicolai by his name.” “Yes, to outsiders. Otherwise you wouldn’t know whom I was talking about. To me, he’s my master.” Crystal wrinkled her nose. “No one is your master, Lila.” “They’re my family. I enjoy being with them. What’s wrong with that? Besides, you have no family. And when you’re Nicolai’s, you’ll be the
mistress of the house. Just like being queen. I’d love to be queen.” Lila’s voice oozed with admiration. Of the dead...the bloodsuckers. The notion disgusted Crystal as the bile rose in her throat. She tried to think of something more pleasant. No longer hungry, she poked at the taco in its red plastic basket with disinterest. “So what happened last night?” Lila looked at her, then
down at the table. “Well, you got away. Nicolai was pretty mad about that. Several of the hosts who failed to stop you from fleeing...well, it was pretty bad. Kostya took me away. Didn’t want me to see it.” “So you don’t know what happened?” Her gaze met Crystal’s. “Sure I do. Several of the vampires went on a blood fest. Now they’ll have to find new willing friends.”
“Friends?” “You know, like me.” Human hosts. Crystal sipped her soda, trying to squelch the nausea rising in her stomach. “The vampires killed them?” “They deserved to die. They let you get away.” “They didn’t deserve to die.” Crystal took a deep breath trying to calm the upset. She couldn’t give in to
Nicolai, but she was only making things worse. “So what else happened?” “I’m only telling you this so you’ll come back and stay with Nicolai. He says you’ll be his once you understand us better.” “All right. So what else?” Lila glanced around the room, then looked back at the table. “Nicolai killed one of the female vampires last night. She spoke against you. He...” Lila
gulped. Crystal reached out and patted her hand. “It’s okay, Lila. You don’t have to tell me.” “Oh no. I want to. I want you to know how much he cares for you. She said the friends shouldn’t have died, but you should have instead. Nicolai had killed two of her favorite friends, and it angered her. Even so, she shouldn’t have spoken against you. His brother is the only one who
can say anything against you and get away with it. Anyone else risks Nicolai’s wrath.” Crystal hadn’t wanted any of the killings. But she hadn’t a clue how to stop it. She felt impotent, useless. How she wanted to have the ability to stop all the mindless killing, but knew there wasn’t anything she could do. “Anything else?” Lila smiled. “No. Oh yeah, he gave me a note to give you.
He’s glad you and I’ve become friends. He said if I helped change your mind about us, he’d show me his gratitude.” She pulled the note out of her pocket, and handed it to Crystal. His gratitude. Crystal hmpfd. He’d feed on Lila too like Kostya did? Her thoughts shifted. No mention of the dead blond and redheaded vampires was made. Why not? Maybe he didn’t realize Crystal had killed them.
“Anything else, Lila?” “I hoped you and Nicolai could join around the same time Kostya and I do.” “Kostya is preparing you so he can join with you by blood bonding. Nicolai can’t do this with me. I don’t understand how he thinks he can. It won’t work. Our blood isn’t compatible. If we tried to join, it would kill us both.” Lila shrugged. “Nicolai knows everything. If he thinks
it will work, it will.” Lila looked down at the table. She seemed nervous. Was Lila worried if she didn’t convince Crystal to join Nicolai, he’d kill Lila? Crystal reached for her hand, and held it. “Nicolai hasn’t threatened you, has he? I mean if you don’t succeed in convincing me to go to him--” Lila shuddered. “Oh, no. Nicolai rarely spoke to me before you and I became
friends. Now he’s very nice to me.” “Something else is the matter then.” “Kostya’s worried your killing vampires is going to cause a revolt. A lot of the vampires are too weak to fight either Dimitri or Nicolai. But if they ganged up on them separately, they might be able to kill them.” “Then maybe Kostya could be in charge.”
Lila’s blue eyes grew big. “Oh, no. He’s not like the others. Nicolai and Dimitri have always liked him, but a lot of the others are fearful of him because he’s not the same.” “Because he was born a vampire?” She nodded. Crystal leaned back in her seat, not sure what to think of the new development. If the
other vampires killed Nicolai, Dimitri and Kostya maybe that would end the problems she was having with the local vampire family. It could be a good thing, possibly. “So you’re worried Kostya might be killed by the other vampires too?” “Yes.” Crystal checked her watch. Time to head back to the office. This time, she’d return to the hotelbefore dark as her boss wasn’t there to delay her.
“I’ve got to get back to work, Lila.” “You’ll see Nicolai tonight, won’t you? He wants to see you so badly.” “I have to sleep.” “Oh, I know. It’s hard for me too. I never get enough sleep it seems. But it’s worth it.” “Not for me. I need my sleep.” Crystal rose from the table and noticed the white
convertible parked in the lot. Robert Parker wouldn’t heed her warning. She’d show him she meant business. This time, though, she made no mention of the car to Lila. “See you tomorrow.” “Tonight, you mean. Nicolai won’t be dissuaded.” “We’ll see.” Crystal rushed out of the restaurant. Just as quickly, Robert drove out of the parking lot. He’d stalked her for the last time. After work, she’d follow him. Maybe
she’d even get lucky and find his home. Then, somehow, she’d search it for clues. By 6:30, the light would begin to fade from the sky. Crystal left her work at 4:30, and parked down the street from Robert’s office. The tail end of his convertible remained in sight. Hopefully, he’d leave before it got dark, or Nicolai would come for her again. She had every intention of returning to her hotel before he could grab her this time.
At 5:30, Robert headed for his car. Crystal straightened her back. If she could only follow him without him catching her at the game. His backup lights came on. She turned on her ignition. She stayed several cars behind him, her stomach clenching with concern that he’d see her. They continued off-post. Heavy traffic kept several cars between them. When he turned right at a
light, she did too. His speed remained unchanged. Two to three cars drove between them at any one time. For twenty minutes, she followed him until he finally pulled into a housing development. Small brick and siding homes lined the roads. Landscaped with graceful oaks and tall shrubs, it was a well-established older neighborhood. She slowed to nearly a crawl. Only one car separated
them now. She had to distance herself further from him. Then his cherry brake lights came on. He turned right into a drive. A peach brick home with black shutters and a two-car garage stood before her. Three live oaks stretched their massive branches over the green lawn. Red-tipped evergreen shrubs stood ten feet tall, providing a living fence between both his neighbors and him.
Good. They wouldn’t see her sneaking into his place. No way could she wait to check him out either. The longer she delayed, the more trouble she figured he’d be. And yet there seemed to be something else driving her to see him, to find out all she could about him. Maybe the notion he was a daylight vampire that could spell doom for her people nagged at her. She had to find out for sure if that’s what he was. She parked her car two
houses down, got out and ran for the garage. The door remained up. Had he seen her after all? Drawing close, she found only his car parked inside, but no sign of him. A red tool chest, extra fridge, and packing boxes filled one wall. Had he just moved in? She slipped into the garage. Against the other wall were two doors. One appeared to be the type for a utility closet. The other door had a curtained
glass window and led into the house. She reached for the latter, but the doorknob twisted in her hand. With her heart thundering in her chest, she dashed for the utility room. She yanked the door open. A laundry room complete with washer, dryer, table, sink and water heater. She hurried inside and closed the door behind her. The garage door ground closed. Then the door leading to the
house clicked shut. She closed her eyes, trying to settle her overwrought nerves. Now what? Somehow she had to sneak into the house without getting caught. Then she had to search for information about him. If all went well, she’d return to her hotel before dark. She glanced at her watch. The time slipped away faster than she could afford.
She peeked out of the laundry room. No sign of him. She closed the door behind her and headed for the fridge. After pulling the door open, she shook her head. No food...just a couple of bottles of wine...for his victims. The doorknob to the house twisted. With lightening actions, she darted for the other side of his car and crouched down. If he were taking another ride, he’d find her for certain.
His boots tromped into the laundry room. Now was her chance to get into the house. She bolted for the open door and dashed into the kitchen. After crossing the white tile floor, she pulled a black fridge door open. A few condiments. More wine. A brick of cheese and a carton of milk. A rush of water flowed beyond the wall. He’d started his laundry. She hurried out of the kitchen, through a dining room. Furnished in a black
laminated china cabinet and matching dining table and chairs, his house reminded her of the other vampires’. She strode through the living room, black velvet couches, brass legged coffee table, more bookshelves filled the room. Ancient swords decorated the walls. The kitchen door to the garage slammed shut. Her heart nearly stopped. She poked her head into one room. An office. She’d search
through it later. For now, she had to hide until Robert Parker settled down somewhere. Preferably the living room...then she could explore his other rooms. She checked out the next room. Boxes stacked against the wall three deep. No place to hide here. The next room was a bathroom, then a bedroom. No canopied bed here. But then again, he could live during the day so he didn’t need to hide from the sun’s rays.
Covered in a black velvet comforter, the queen-sized bed sat against one wall. On either side, matching dark cherry end tables rested. She’d check the drawers of those, and the dresser opposite the bed as soon as she could. Footsteps padded down the carpeted hall toward the master bathroom. She dropped to the floor and peeked under the bed-skirt. In her apartment, plastic boxes stored stuff underneath her bed. Nothing but dust bunnies
collected under his. She slid underneath the bed. His boots tromped into the room then stood next to where she hid. When he sat down on the bed, the mattress sagged. She took a deep breath as the springs sank toward her. And then the dust made her nose itch. She stifled a sneeze. He unlaced his boots then pulled them off. He was changing out of his uniform. His socks came off next.
Then he stood and the mattress rose, giving her more breathing space. The dust tickled her nose again. She closed her eyes and held her nose. If she sneezed, it’d be all over. She curbed the terror she experienced as she attempted to keep from sneezing. If he discovered her there, then what? She couldn’t think about it. Returning to the hotel tonight wasn’t an option now, either way. By the time he changed his clothes and left the
bedroom, she’d barely have time to search before it was dark. She could only see his feet and ankles, but when satin black boxers dropped to the floor she raised her brows. He was showering first? Hell...he was naked? She tilted her head a little trying to peek further. But damn, the bed ruffle hid him from her view, all except his big feet. The only way she could get a really good eyeful was to poke her head out from under the bead. She nearly
laughed to herself. She’d never thought of herself as a voyeur. In a few minutes, the water from the shower came on. She waited until it should’ve had time to warm up. When he began to sing in the bathroom, she grinned. Wouldn’t he love to know he had company? The notion he was running soap all over that hard body of his...she shook her head. Time to get on with the real business at hand. Lusting after a...well, whatever
he was, wasn’t in character for her at all. She slid out from underneath the mattress and hurriedly searched his drawers. Nothing but clothes in any of them. Hurrying down the hall, she entered his office where he’d left the overhead light on. Not sure what she’d find, she rummaged through the papers on his desk. Nothing. In his master bedroom, a
drawer opened and shut, then another followed suit. Apparently, he’d finished his shower and was dressing. But where would he go next? She opened the closet in the office and found it jammed with file cabinets and unopened boxes. She wasn’t sure she could fit in there if she had to hide. She had no choice. He headed down the hall toward her. She squeezed into the closet, and closed the folding
doors. His phone rang and he stepped into his office. “Hello?” Silence. “Yeah, Susan. Listen, I told you, in the line of work I’m in, I can’t--” Crystal smiled when his words were cut off. Susan apparently wore the pants in the relationship.
“Susan...” He walked away from Crystal toward the window. “Damn, I’ve got to go.” His words were dark and foreboding. Now what? He slammed the phone on the hook with a bang and closed the blinds with a whoosh. After turning off the light, he rushed out of the office. Crystal’s heart pounded. Was he leaving the house? If
he left, she could explore his place at her leisure. That would work. She touched the doors. Then she parted them slightly and listened. In the kitchen, he slammed things around. She crossed the room. Outdoor lights helped to illuminate the pieces of furniture in his office. And the sky was still dark blue, not having reached pitch black yet. The sound of scratching on the glass drew her to the
window. A branch rubbing against the window in the breeze? The noise continued. She reached for the blind and twisted the rod. The blinds opened. She gasped and her blood grew frigid.
Chapter 6
Robert ensured all of the doors and windows in the house were still locked. Sweat pebbled on his brow. He knew Nicolai or his henchmen would come after him before long because of his following Crystal Anderson. But she remained the best key for him to get to Yorovitch since she had access to their homes so readily. And yet, with the realization they’d come to kill him, his heart thundered in his chest. His family had told him it was suicide. But when
Yorovitch had killed Catherine... Pausing, Robert sniffed the air. Crystal’s scent had lingered on his uniform. The floral fragrance had distracted him more than once. But he couldn’t understand why he could smell it in the air now. He returned to his bedroom and lifted his fatigue shirt off the chair. He breathed in the stimulating scent and instantly was aroused. How could one of Nicolai’s human hosts smell so heavenly?
Then something banged in his office. He dashed for the room. Adrenaline sped through his body. The vampires couldn’t have gotten in. Not without invitation. He hit the light switch. Damn. The chair was tipped on its side and the blinds were open. Checking the window, he found the latch still locked, but
no sign of Nicolai now. He closed the blinds, then righted the chair. Afterwards, he considered the closet. He crossed the floor, and jerked the double doors open. No one. This time he left the light on and headed for the other bedroom. After switching the light on in there, he shoved the closet doors open. No one here either. He flipped the lights on all over the house, checking each of the closets, the spare bath,
the kitchen, living room. No one. He looked at the door to the garage. For a few minutes he’d left the garage door open. Had someone entered it then? Holding his breath, he opened the kitchen door to the garage and stepped inside. The door remained down. Except for the slight hum of the refrigerator, he heard no other sounds. He strode to the laundry
room. Empty. He turned and headed toward the car. After checking the door handle, he found the doors remained locked. As he stepped around the vehicle, the sound of footsteps pitter pattering at the tail end of the convertible caught his ear. Somehow a vampire or host had gotten in. If it let the others in, he’d... Crystal’s enchanting scent grew stronger. He was torn between wishing she was there
so he could wrestle with her further like they’d done in his office and dreading that she’d found a way inside and meant to invite the devil of all vampires in to terminate him. Jeez, if it were she who’d gotten in... He rushed around the end of the car in time to see her dash for the kitchen door. Adrenaline flowed through his veins. She slammed the kitchen door and tried to lock it. He
twisted the doorknob against the pressure she exerted. She was strong, but he was stronger as his determination kicked in. Shoving against the door, he knocked her out of the way. She bolted through the kitchen. Then suddenly she stopped in the living area as if she’d decided to stand and face him instead. He hadn’t calculated her change of plans and ran into her chest. The impact nearly knocked her off her feet, but she quickly
recovered as he grabbed her arm. She twisted it free. Instantly, her knee rose to strike him in the groin. He dodged out of its path. Her breathing came quickly as she held her ground, waiting for him to make the next move. Her blonde curls dripped in sensuous waves around her shoulders where the pins had pulled loose. She held her hands up, her feet slightly separated to give her better balance, and her knees bent for action. A vision of
wrestling with her, sans clothes, sent a flood of testosterone shooting through his body. Her blue eyes darkened, daring him to take her on. But it was her glossy full pink lips shimmering in the light that doused the image of her being hard to the core. She swallowed hard. Her stance remained resolute, but if he didn’t push her, what would she do then? “How did you get in?” he
asked. Her breasts rose with every rapid breath she took. But as he predicted, she refused to answer him. He stepped forward. She grabbed his shoulders and attempted to knock him from his feet as she’d done in his office. This time he anticipated the move and tripped her up instead. She fell on her hip on the carpeted floor with anoof . Without a moment’s delay, he tackled her, pushing her flat
on her stomach. Then twisting her arm behind her back, he pinned her to deter any resistance. “And you say you’re not one of them,” he growled. When she squirmed, he pushed her arm farther up, threatening to break it if she moved. “I’m not! Get off me!” His breath came heavy as he considered what to do with her. If he opened the front door to shove her out, they
could get in. Nicolai waited outside the house right this very instant, and, more than likely, more of his minions did too. If Robert didn’t throw her outside, she could open the door or window and invite them in anytime during the night. “Prove you’re not one of them!” The electricity shooting through his body from the contact with her proved she was. Only vampires or blood-tainted humans stirred every fiber of his being like
that. And her strength...she could deny it all she wanted, but she’d been turned. “What?” Her word was spoken with venom. “Prove you have no bites on you! Take off your clothes!” *** If all vampires were like Robert Parker, Crystal would have no difficulty killing them. She squirmed to upset him from her back, as his body,
clad only in satiny boxers, pressed warm and hard...too hard, against hers. He pushed her arm up again, proving he had the upper hand at the moment. She attempted to ignore the pain in her arm. But with him pressing his weight against her, a wave of claustrophobia took hold. “I can barely breathe. Get off me!” A scratching at the patio door made them both turn to look in that direction. The
blinds were drawn but Crystal knew it was Nicolai. The vampire had to be incensed that she was in the house with Robert. Served Robert right. Robert said, “Nicolai’s come for you. Did he send you so you’d invite him in?” Crystal closed her eyes. If he wouldn’t let her up, she wouldn’t speak further to him. “Tell me!” Maybe he had the upper
hand at the moment, but she rattled him just the same. “All right.” He climbed off her, then pulled her to her feet, keeping her arm pinned back. She immediately twisted free and faced him, his hand still gripping her wrist like a vise. Quickly, he pulled her arm behind her back again. Then with his left hand he gripped her left shoulder ensuring she couldn’t twist free. He headed back to the garage with her.
“What are you doing?” Her voice remained angry and deep as mad as she was for getting tripped up. “So you’ve decided to talk again.” He grabbed a coil of rope looped on a wooden peg on the wall. “What are you doing?” Her voice elevated. Now that she no longer controlled her situation, panic filled her system. He pushed her into the
house. “If I toss you out to them, as soon as I open the door, you can invite them in.” “You didn’t answer my question.” “The most despicable thing I’ve ever done. Something that goes against everything I’ve ever been taught.” She squirmed against his iron grip, but he shoved her into the wall in the hallway. The pain radiating through her arm, made her gasp.
Pinned against the wall, she couldn’t turn her body to free herself. “Quit trying to wriggle free and it won’t hurt so much.” He loosened his hold slightly, despite his words. She relaxed, knowing she hadn’t much choice but to see what he was up to for the moment. When he pulled her away from the wall, she twisted to get her arm free. Again he held her shoulder and marched her toward the bedroom. As they
neared the doorway, she renewed her struggles, squirming and attempting to kick him with her boots. Her blood rushed through her body as her breathing increased. But when he pulled her arm upwards, she sank to her knees from the sharp pain that attacked her shoulder. “I told you to quit struggling. Make it easier on yourself. I don’t want to hurt you...but I’m not going to allow you let them in either.”
“Why would I let them in?” “You’re one of them.” He helped her to her feet, and his touch gentled. “He wants me, but I’ll never be his. I told you that already.” She turned her head to face him. “I don’t understand you. Are you from a family who’s fighting Nicolai’s? I’ve heard of opposing vampire families struggling with one another for power, but never saw it actually happen. Not around here.”
He shook his head. “I think Nicolai’s mind control has muddled your brain.” He maneuvered her to the bed. “Lean forward.” She stiffened her back. “Nicolai can’t control me. I’m not one of them. But you sure the hell are.” Robert leaned against her, forcing her to lie on her stomach. With renewed gusto, she kicked with her combat boot and connected with his
bare shin. He yelled out. “I ought to break your arm, you witch.” She smiled, deeply satisfied. But then he tied her hands behind her. As long as he didn’t hogtie her, she could get free. When he fell asleep, she’d use her wrist knives to cut the rope, unless he found them before then. He turned her over. Her face heated with worry that he’d attempt to strip her.
“First those damned boots of yours go.” She tried to kick him again as he reached down to unlace the one. He sat on her legs and tried again. “So where’d he bite you?” “I told you, he hasn’t.” “As many times as you’ve been with his human hosts and he’s visited you, there’s no
way he hasn’t already blood bonded with you.” He yanked off one boot, then the other. Then he pulled off her socks. She wriggled underneath him. “Get off me, you bloodsucker.” He ignored her, then examined her ankles and feet. “No teeth marks.” Scratching on the window drew his attention to the closed
drapes. “He wants you badly.” “Yeah, well, you shouldn’t have been stalking me. You’ve brought this all on yourself.” “Yep.” “Why?” He turned her over on her stomach, and untied her hands, ignoring her question. She frowned. Now what? If he attempted to remove her fatigue shirt, he’d find her
knives. He endeavored to tie her hands together in front, while she tried to unseat him from her stomach. She twisted her hips, quickly throwing him off. He scrambled from the mattress and remounted her. This time an upward curve to his lips and a sparkle to his dark brown eyes appeared. When she twisted and dislodged him from her waist the second time, his face reddened as the rope slipped
again from around her wrists. He climbed aboard again. “More fun than busting a bronco,” he said under his breath. “Lots softer ride and sure as hell more fragrant.” She tried to knock him off a third time, but he planted his legs just right and balanced himself to take the full thrusting of her hips. He grinned as he tightened the rope on her wrists. “Man, if you were someone else tonight...”
He pulled her around on the bed and looped the rope around the cherry headboard. “So I can get some sleep later.” Certain he planned to strip her to search for vampire marks, she’d intended to give him the fight of his life. It appeared he didn’t care, or figured there was no sense searching for the telltale bites that he assumed were there anyway.
Now, she had to wait until he left her alone, or fell asleep. Then she’d cut the rope. He stepped back and considered her. She glared at him, her lips turned down. He smiled. “Try to get yourself out of this tonight.” Her gaze shifted to the bulge in his satiny boxers, then back to his eyes. They’d darkened, and a slight smile returned to his lips. “What would Susan think of
you tying a fellow Army officer to your bed?” He frowned. “You were in my office?” Rubbing his chin, he nodded. “Yeah. Hiding in the closet. Then you heard Nicolai at the window and tripped over the desk chair trying to get to him. But you thought I was coming so you hightailed it to the garage to let him in that way.” “Do you just play dumb or do you come by it naturally?”
“All right, care to give me your version?” “I came here to find out who you were and why you were stalking me.” “And you found?” “You’re a daylight vampire.” His eyes widened, then he threw his head back and guffawed. His laughing at her made
her body heat with irritation. Shaking his head, he left the bedroom. She attempted to reach the knife release to open her wrist weapon to no avail. After a few minutes, Robert’s voice reached her ear. “Yeah, I’m not sure what to do with her. Nicolai’s consort. Crystal Anderson, an Army officer.” A pause followed. “She tried to let him in.” “I did not, you jerk!”
He stepped into the doorway, considered her for a moment, his eyes trailing down her body, then back to her eyes. Then he closed the door. She could no longer hear his words. But she didn’t care. She wanted the privacy more. Again, she worked on trying to open one of her knives. As soon as one sprang forth, he opened the door. “Hungry?” “You don’t have anything
that humans eat.” “Still have an appetite for food, eh? I’ll fix something.” He left her alone again. If she didn’t work carefully, she’d end up cutting her own wrists with the way he’d tied them so closely together. Then he’d most likely drink up the spilled blood. Hmmm, it would kill him. She smiled. She hadn’t a plan as to what to do next if that didn’t work. If she got free, which she
intended to do, she couldn’t leave the house. Not without Nicolai grabbing her again. Staying the night with Robert would have to do. Only he’d be the one tied up for the night. With as much caution as she could use, she sawed at the rope. The knife nicked her, the wound stinging worse than a paper cut. She paused as the blood trickled onto the rope. Damn. Vampires could smell blood a quarter of a mile away. Even the ones outside the house were bound to smell
her blood. Nicolai would be certain Robert had decided to blood bond with her. Robert had picked the wrong huntress to mess with. Her stomach constricted. Robert would catch the scent and be drawn to her. She closed her eyes. She’d only made a worse mess of things. He stepped back into the room, but to her surprise, didn’t seem to notice the iron scent of her blood wafted in the air. If he was a vampire, he
couldn’t help but be drawn to it. “I’m fixing a can of chicken and dumplings over egg noodles. Would you like a glass of wine to go with it?” She nodded, afraid her strained voice might give her away. The scratching against the windowpane renewed with gusto. Nicolai and his family had undoubtedly smelled her blood.
Robert frowned, then walked over to a cabinet. After pulling it open, he turned on the television. “Food will be ready in a jiff.” He left the bedroom. She glanced up at her hands and knit her brows to see the blood still oozing from the cut. Maybe daylight vampires didn’t need blood like normal vampires did. She attempted to cut the ropes, but only managed to
slice her skin again. The cut burned like fire. Robert returned to the bedroom with a tray in his hands a few minutes later. “Now, do I feed you, or will you behave while you feed yourself?” If he untied her ropes, he’d see the knife. She yanked at the rope, hoping he’d think she’d be too violent to trust to untie, but the movement made her cut herself again. She cried out.
He wrinkled his brow and set the tray down on the bedside table. He reached over her to see why the ropes hurt so much and took a ragged breath. “How did you get this?” After untying the rope from the bed, he helped her sit up. He unfastened the knife from her wrist, then slid her other sleeve down to find the remaining one. Her heart sank. His piercing gaze met her eyes as she looked up from her
injured wrist. She could tell he was totally confused and yet from the very beginning, she thought he knew she was a huntress. How would he have thought otherwise? “What are you?” he asked. “I’m not Nicolai’s consort!” She glared at him. “You’re not a huntress. You can’t be.” He frowned, and waved the knife in the air. “But only a huntress would wear these kinds of weapons.”
He removed her other wrist knife, and set them on the table. Taking a deep breath, he pulled up her fatigue shirt. At her waist, another knife was sheathed. After unfastening the knife, he laid it with the others. Then he untied her wrists. She covered her bloodied wrist with her hand. Her injuries burned and throbbed with pain. “Now, what am I to do with you?”
“Leave me alone.” He seized her arm and pulled her into his bathroom. Corralled against the wall, she had no chance of escape. He opened a drawer, then he lifted a box of bandages out. The scratching began at the bathroom window. “Sounds like they want your blood.” “They can’t have it.” “I know. As a huntress, your
blood would poison them. What I don’t know is, why does Nicolai want you if you’re a huntress?” “He’s crazy.” “He’s got to have a reason, Crystal. They don’t live as long as he has without having a reason for the things they do.” “You’re not a vampire, are you?” He wrapped her wounds carefully, his gentle touch
sending a trickle of heat through her system. “Hardly.” “You can’t be a hunter.” His gaze met hers. “Why not?” “You don’t slay them, just attend their bloodsucking parties.” He snorted. “Who says so? At Dimitri’s house, I killed two in a bedroom.” Crystal’s knees weakened.
He grabbed her arm to steady her. Her brothers hadn’t killed the other vampires. Robert did. “Why were you following me then?” “I hoped you’d lead me to a cousin of theirs.” “Who’s done what to you?” “Killed my sister, Catherine.” “We don’t kill for revenge, Robert. It’s the first oath. If we do that, we put ourselves in
jeopardy.” He touched her cheek. The electricity flowed between them. “I wondered why you had such an affect on me. Only a vampire or a huntress could make me feel this way. But our people don’t believe in allowing our women to hunt.” She hadn’t realized families in other regions might be different. Were they chauvinistic toward their women? “Why don’t you allow your women to hunt?”
“They have to provide the next offspring to fight the vampires. We keep our women well protected, normally. There are too few of us as it is. But my only sister, Catherine, wanted to hunt. She was killed because of it. No other females in our line will hunt. We can’t afford to lose our women.” He led her back to the bed. “Eat, before your meal gets cold.” “Your people sound
archaic.” “Look at the mess you’ve gotten yourself in. Why don’t you have a family to back you up? I never considered you were a huntress because you have no family to turn to. Hunters don’t hunt alone.” “You do.” “That’s different. My family doesn’t approve, but since I insisted, they allowed me to trail Yorovitch and take him on my own. But it isn’t
normally done.” She took a seat on the bed. He’d turn her out like everyone else did who considered her an outcast if he knew the whole story. “Did Nicolai and his bunch kill your family?” When she wouldn’t say, he nodded. “Do you need anything else to eat?” “No, thanks, Robert.”
“I’ll be right back with my food.” Somehow, she had to avoid the subject of her family. Once it was daylight, she had to find Nicolai and his minions. Destroying them was her only salvation. Crystal slipped her fork into the white sauce covered noodles, but after eating two mouthfuls, she wondered what was keeping Robert so long. She set her plate on the tray.
With a cautious step, she headed for the kitchen. Robert’s voice came from his office. “Yeah, I was wrong. She’s a huntress.” He tapped a pen on the desk. “Listen, can you look her up in the database?” Damn. If he searched for her in the database, he would discover that the local hunters considered her a traitor. She took a deep breath and
leaned against the wall. “She’s...I see.” His chair squeaked as he twisted it. “So how should I handle it?” The chair squeaked again as he moved in it. “She’s not turned. Hunters can’t be turned. What do you mean she’s red flagged?” Red flagged? She’d never heard of that before. “One in 10,000 have the special gene. Damn. Now what?”
He let out his breath in exasperation. “I don’t kill hunters. I kill vampires and their blood bonds when they interfere.” He opened a drawer, then closed it. “No, I said she’s not turned. So what does it mean exactly?” Silence. Her nerves stood on end. Her neck muscles tensed. She swallowed nervously. What did she have that others didn’t?
“Damn. All right. So she’s dangerous. I already knew that.” He opened another drawer. “Both Nicolai and Dimitri are after her. Now I see why.” He closed the drawer. “Of courseI’ve already touched her.” Brief silence followed. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself...and her.” She stepped into the doorway. He looked over at her.
“Gotta go.” He hung up the phone. “Didn’t like your meal?” She folded her arms. “What have I got that most hunters don’t?” “You’ve never been told?” He shook his head, and rose from his chair. She stepped back, fear tingling in her bones. Did Robert plan to kill her? He took a ragged breath. “I
suppose not. No sense in worrying you about it. Some folks think if someone’s left-handed they can concentrate on using their right and retrain themselves. But you can’t change what you’re born with.” “What was I born with, Robert?” Her heart beat hard in her chest. She knew she was different from the others, but not why. “A special gene.” He took a step toward her.
“What are you supposed to do to me?” “Feed you. Come, I’ll get my dinner and we can watch a movie.” “What gene do I have, Robert?” He frowned at her. “It’s very rare.” “I heard that part.” “Your blood can mix with a
vampire’s. It won’t turn you supposedly, but it means your abilities can be transferred to a child they have with you. So the child would have both the powers of the vampire and the hunter. Maybe even have the ability to be a daylight vampire as you called me earlier. No one really knows.” Crystal held the wall to keep her balance. “If they bite me, it won’t kill either of us?” “No.”
She took a ragged breath. “Both Nicolai and Dimitri think it will.” “Good, don’t let them know otherwise.” “You’re not going to kill me?” “I don’t kill hunters.” He strode down the hall to the kitchen. She hesitated, her mind still trying to take in the notion that she differed from most of
the rest of her kind. No longer was she a huntress with a heart, but some kind of an abomination. Her thoughts drifted to when she was sixteen and returning from a high school dance, the first time she’d ever had to face a vampire. She took a ragged breath. Even then, she’d shied away from killing him. Even when he threatened her life. Only when he’d targeted her girlfriend had she… She swallowed the bile in her throat. Terminating the
newly-turned vampire killed her friendship with her friends. Until then, no one even knew she had been a huntress. The undeniable longing to be human had always been part of her…to fit in, to… Her thoughts shifted to her uncle. That’s when he strictly forbade her to have anything to do with humans. From then on, she remained strictly under the hunters’ supervision. Cold and calculating they’d controlled every move she made. Until
she couldn’t take it anymore, couldn’t stand the killing, and nearly getting her brothers killed when they attempted to watch her back. Then she’d left the family and attempted to make a human life for herself. And for a while, it had worked, though she craved companionship. Until Nicolai targeted her. She ran to catch up to Robert. “Nicolai must know he can have a child by me then.” “Yes, unfortunately.
Somehow he’s discovered your not wanting to kill is linked to your being different in other ways. I’m not certain they know it’s due to a gene mutation though.” She wrinkled her brow at him. How much did Nicolai know? And how many others were aware of it? “It’s like internally you can’t distinguish between the vampires and hunters. The vampires and your own people seem like one and the same.
Killing the vampires causes you great heartache. That’s why your family has turned you out. Your actions, or lack thereof, put them at risk.” He served up his noodles and sauce, then walked with her back to the bedroom. Her family must have known. Why hadn’t they told her? Prepared her for what might become of her? Her stomach churned with anger. She couldn’t help what
she was. They could have warned her. Or were they too ashamed of her? She swallowed hard. The past hurt didn’t help her now. Preparing for the next eventuality was the only thing that mattered. “What happens now?”
Chapter 7
Robert sat on the bed as Crystal plunked herself on the other side. His emotions fluctuated between wanting to preserve his confirmed bachelorhood and taking on the challenge that he knew Crystal Anderson would be, if
he tread that dangerous path. He was torn. How could he let her fend for herself all alone? She couldn’t help what she was. But no way did he want to get mixed up in a mess like this. Her lips sucked on the white sauce covered fork and his interest in her was stirred up all over again. And yet, killing vampires was in his blood. Just like it had been in his sister’s. Understanding a huntress like
Crystal who had qualms about it didn’t seem possible. He had no intention of getting entangled with a woman like her. “For now, you’ll stay at my place. You need a safe home to live.” He poked his fork at his noodles, then glanced at her. “As soon as I kill Yorovitch, I’ll be returning to Oklahoma. And you...well, you’ll need to move somewhere else...somewhere nobody knows about you. It’ll be the only way for you to remain
safe.” “I’m not leaving Killeen, Robert. I have a job to do. I’ll transfer to another post when the Army sends me. Otherwise, I’m here for the duration.” Her stubbornness irritated him. He’d assumed if she left the area, she could remain safe. Certainly, he wanted that for her. “That’ll mean killing a lot of vampires. And frankly, I don’t think you’re capable of it.” Somehow, he had to dissuade her from her foolish
slant on the situation. “I’ll have to do what I can. I’ve asked Nicolai to leave me alone, but he’s determined to act otherwise.” Her obstinacy reminded him of his sister. The notion gnawed at Robert that her family had left her out in the cold without their protection. Despite his family’s reluctance to allow Catherine to hunt, they all watched her back, though not well enough.
Crystal was even more petite than his sister. And though she’d be stronger than human hosts and weaker vampires, she wouldn’t be as strong as Nicolai or Dimitri. It was unconscionable that her family left her to fend for herself. He stiffened his back. Hunters were family-oriented. He couldn’t imagine how it must have felt to her being stripped of that closeness. He combed his fingers through his still damp hair. Another thought came to
mind, creating a whole new worry. “Nicolai most likely believes he could start a new race of vampires, stronger than before.” He paused to see what affect the news had on Crystal, not wishing to upset her. But at the same time, he wanted to stress the importance of the matter to her. Her expression remained noncommittal as if she were taking the whole idea in stride. The next bit of news he
broached with apprehension. “From what my brother, Tom, says, most of the vampire huntresses who have your gene die early in their hunting career. They hesitate to slay the vampires which gets the hunters slaughtered.” His stomach knotted with the image. Despite not knowing her well enough to be concerned, he couldn’t help the dread bunching up in his system. Again, she seemed unaffected by his sentiments.
What was going on in that pretty blonde head of hers? “Tom said you haven’t hunted for sometime, which is probably the reason you haven’t been--” “I hadn’t killed in four years. Not until recently anyway.” “That’s probably the only reason you’re alive today.” Crystal finished her meal, not commenting on his words, then set the tray on the table.
Couldn’t she understand how futile it was for her to remain in the area? She’d get herself in a worse predicament...either killed when she attempted to slay the vampires, or taken by the head of their family to provide his offspring. She pulled the rest of the pins from her hair. Sweeping her fingers through the waves, she mesmerized him. He couldn’t help but fantasize about running his own fingers through her curls. His hands fisted, fighting the urge.
Resistance to her allure...that’s what he had to keep in mind. Robert turned away and looked at the television, but all he could imagine was sleeping with the huntress who stirred his loins to high heaven. Her warm naked skin next to his. Her soft curves leaning against his hard...and getting harder, body. And to think his brother suggested Robert terminate her. He took a sip of his wine. He wanted to ravish her, not snuff out her life.
Was that the gene’s fault? Did it attract him to her, like it had fascinated Nicolai and Dimitri? In his brother’s words, she sparkled like a fishing lure dangling in the water. If he took a bite, she’d catch him and there was no way of getting off the hook. It was more than animal magnetism, his brother had warned. Any who could be her mate were drawn to her. Robert cleared his throat as he considered the alluring huntress. How many had
desired her like that? “So, I imagine you’ve had a lot of male companions.” “Youknow how hard it is too have a relationship with someone who might be targeted by a vampire so they can get to the hunter.” He stared at her for a moment, not believing she could have been celibate or alone all these years as appealing as she was. And certainly not if Tom’s words rang true. “You must have
dated someone.” She plumped up her pillow, then lay against it. “Briefly, a couple of years ago.” “And he let you go?” His voice arched, incredulous. “Army transfer.” When he tilted his head to the side in disbelief, she looked down at the comforter and ran her fingers over the velvet material. “He found another woman he liked better. His loss
though.” She gave kind of a half smile. The man must not have any sense, or he’d never have left her. “He wasn’t a hunter?” She shook her head. That most likely was the reason. Vampires and hunters were the only ones for her. “And Nicolai?” She turned her attention from the television and glared at Robert.
Wrong subject to bring up. Time to backpedal. “I mean, when did he get interested in you?” “About a month ago.” “Why hasn’t he turned you yet?” Wrong choice of words. “He can’t turn us.” Her voice sounded razor sharp. Talking about Nicolai definitely triggered feelings of hostility. Still, he sensed she wanted
more than anything to convince Nicolai to leave her be, rather than kill him. Which definitely wasn’t normal. “I’m not so sure about that. What makes you so certain he can’t turn you? You seem to have less of an aversion to the vampires than normal hunters have.” “So now I’m a vampire lover?” Her voice had elevated several notches. He wasn’t making any points with her. “In a way. I
mean you try to convince them not to bother you, instead of wanting to get rid of the ones who are attempting to turn you.” She grunted. He studied her stormy face. Her blue eyes had turned into ice shards, her full pink lips pursed, and her cheeks looked like they’d been iced down as red as they were. Still, he had to ask the question he was dying to know the answer to. “When he touched you, for
instance, what happened?” Crystal scowled at Robert. His brows rose. “So you liked the way he touched you.” Her mouth dropped open. As mad as she appeared, if she’d been turned, he imagined she’d extend glistening white fangs about now. She paused before answering. Then she took a deep breath as if she were attempting to
calm herself. “He nauseates me.” Her words dripped with poison. “And me?” She folded her arms, tightened her lips and stared at the television. He chuckled inwardly. He knew she was attracted to him. Only the knowledge she found vampires attractive, too, curdled his milk. Silence ensued for several
minutes. He tried to ignore the long-legged huntress next to him, but couldn’t get his mind off her. The way her floral scent drifted to him and that body of hers willed him to tackle her... He chanced another look at her. She turned to glower at him. “Well, what about you, Robert?” He smiled. “What about me?” “I’ve told you about me.
Who’s Susan?” A woman who got straight to the point. He laughed. “Ah, Susan.” Was Crystal jealous? He noted a bit of envy in her voice. “She’s a captain. Just wants my body is all.” Crystal’s cheeks grew flushed. “Oh.” He laughed again. Then he grew serious. “I can’t have a relationship with any woman. Not with the kind of work I do.”
“I guess it’s good that all of our kind don’t feel the way we do or there wouldn’t be any of us left to fight vampires.” “Suppose so.” He grabbed his tray. “I’ll get a refill for our wine glasses.” She lifted her tray and followed him down the hall. He glanced back at her. “I think it best if you stay here with me for the time being.”
She twisted her mouth, then nodded. “All right.” “Guess we’ll have to run by your place and get your clothes tomorrow.” “You don’t have to work this weekend?” “Well, there’s work and there’s work.” He stuck their dishes in the dishwasher. “True. So what’s Nicolai’s cousin’s name?”
“Yorovitch. He killed my sister in Oklahoma City last month. The whole community became pretty incensed over it.” Robert leaned against his island counter. The pain still clutched at his heart. “Yorovitch fled down here to avoid being killed--every hunter in the area had targeted him. I finagled a special temporary duty assignment from Fort Sill to Fort Hood as I’d tracked him to Dimitri’s house. But he wasn’t there when I arrived.” His voice took on the
determination of a man who wouldn’t be dissuaded. “I’ll get him soon.” “How did you get in without them being aware you weren’t part of the vampire family?” “Followed two men who looked like twins, through an upper floor window.” “Boniface and Victor.” He raised his brows. “My brothers.”
“Oh.” “You walked out through the front door, though. I thought you’d been invited.” “No. I’ve done it often enough. If you’re already in the house, they don’t seem to think anything of it if you walk out through the front door.” He grabbed the bottle of wine and motioned toward the bedroom. “Your family doesn’t mind
you working another job?” “Not in the least bit.” She sighed. “Wish my family felt that way.” “If you were with my family, they wouldn’t allow you to hunt.” Smiling, she nodded. “Would work for me. Thank you for taking me in like this.” “I won’t be here for very long. A month at the most.
You’ll have to make some other arrangements before then.” She nodded to his relief. Maybe she’d come to her senses and leave after all. “You know Nicolai and his followers are going to be after you now with a vengeance. You shouldn’t have been stalking me.” “That’s why I have to kill Yorovitch and leave.” They walked into the
bedroom. He filled her glass, then his own. When she sat on the bed, he rummaged through a drawer. He pulled out a navy t-shirt, and tossed it to her. “It’s all I have that could serve as a nightshirt.” “Thanks, it’ll do.” The scratching continued at the window. “He’s going to be pretty incensed I stayed with you tonight.” “Yeah. That means we’ll
need to be back here before dark falls every night.” Crystal sipped her wine, then grabbed the t-shirt. “I’m going to change...get more comfortable.” “By all means.” Getting comfortable with the huntress totally appealed. The tension in his muscles relaxed. The concept she was a huntress and not a blood bond relieved him in part, but the fact she could carry a vampire’s child distressed him.
Crystal crossed the floor, entered the bathroom, then shut the door. Her fatigue-clad body looked sexier than hell, despite the slightly baggy appearance of the uniform. The image of her wearing only his t-shirt next sparked an incredible cavemen urge to have her. Man, his brother was right. He should never have touched the temptress. Molten desire burned in his veins. The awareness that a vampire
would ravage her...well, her body was meant only for a hunter’s seed...to continue the hunter species. She wasn’t meant to be a vessel for some damned vampire/hunter super being. He jumped up from the bed and paced across the floor. “Stay away from her,” his brother had warned. Well, slay her if he could. Strike her down before she got him killed. Robert stalked out of the
bedroom. He’d always considered himself one of the good guys. Not this time. This time, the situation wasn’t quite so black and white. This time, the choice wasn’t so clear. *** After taking a shower, Crystal tugged the shirt over her head. When she couldn’t find a hair dryer, she stepped into the bedroom. Robert was gone. Her heart beat rapidly.
Now what was he up to? While slipping down the hallway, worry gnawed at her insides. Robert’s conversation with his brother didn’t make her feel totally safe with him. If Robert got the impression Nicolai had successfully turned her, Robert would undoubtedly kill her. Come to think of it, if she turned into one of those creatures, she’d want him to end her life. She neared his office. No sign of him there. She came
face to face with him in the living room. He smiled. The dimples denting his cheeks gave him an impish, cherub-like quality. “You look pretty great in my shirt.” She tugged at the bottom edge. “A little short.” “I thought it was too long.” He wiggled his brows, and she smiled. He held up two bowls filled with vanilla ice cream. Hot fudge dripped over them,
topped with a cloud of whipped cream, and a cherry. “Hot fudge sundaes for dessert.” “Hmm.” She relieved him of one of the dishes. “If I had my doubts about staying with you, they’re all gone.” He chuckled, the kind of deep, sensuous sound that made her whole body thrill. When they reached the bedroom, she sat on the mattress and poked her spoon
into the hot fudge. “You don’t steal covers, do you?” His gaze shifted to her bare legs stretched out on his comforter. He cleared his throat. “I don’t usually have any complaints.” “From Susan.” He grinned. She considered the smattering of dark hair that formed a sexy trail down his well-muscled chest to the
waistband of his boxers. A definite bulge hidden by the satiny material brought an instant roll of heat to her cheeks. Her gaze shifted to his face, the smile still plastered there. “What about the blonde lieutenant who came out of your office earlier?” “Lt. Eisley? Strictly business.” Amusement dripped from his voice. “So what did you tell that redheaded captain who worked in your building about
me?” “You had the wrong office.” Crystal choked on her ice cream as she laughed. “Did he believe you?” “Just as much as the private did when he saw all those golden curls of yours about your shoulders. I’d say by Monday the whole company will know about it.” Crystal sighed deeply. “Too bad we aren’t like normal
people.” He considered her as if he’d never thought she’d say something like that. “If we were, we wouldn’t have had those tactical maneuvers earlier.” “Suppose not. We’d just have a boring meal of burgers and fries on a date sometime.” He studied her for a moment more, then reached across the bed and squeezed her hand. “You don’t wish you
were human, do you?” “Wouldn’t it be easier?” “No. Then a vampire that targeted you could control your mind. You wouldn’t stand a chance against their will. At least we can fight back.” “If we wanted to.” “Yes, well, I don’t think I could ever understand your way of thinking, Crystal.”
“Doesn’t matter. We are what we are, right?” “To a certain extent. There’s always room for improvement.” “Yes.” She set her dish aside. When she climbed off the bed, he turned to watch her. “Going to get comfortable. I’m cold.” She lifted the covers and slid under them. He finished his ice cream, then joined her under the
comforter. “Did you get cold too?” He smiled. “I’m sure it was the ice cream.” She returned his smile. “Right.” They both watched the thriller on television for several minutes. Then Robert turned to Crystal. “Still cold?” She raised a brow at him.
“Guess not.” He faced the television again. What was percolating in that mind of his? After a few more minutes, he cleared his throat. “I have a better view of the television over here. You could slide over this way and...” She folded her arms. “Or not.” “I thought you didn’t get
involved with women...because of your job.” “I have no intention of getting involved with anyone. Only, since we’re together like this... Never mind.” “Listen, normally I wouldn’t have anything to do with you, Robert, because I’d be afraid Nicolai would come after you. He will anyway now. But no way do I want to become attached to you. I have a difficult enough time sorting out my own feelings when it
comes to who my enemy is or isn’t.” She continued to watch the television. He tapped his fingers on the bed. She glanced at him. “What?” “Want some more wine?” “You’re not trying to get me drunk, are you?” His lips turned up seductively. “I thought you might relax a bit. You seem rather...uptight.”
“I’m not uptight.” She ignored him and watched the heroine scrambling for her life as she attempted to shut the elevator door before the killer got to her. Robert reached over and touched Crystal’s arm, making her jump. “Movie too scary for you?” “Jeez, Robert, you’re the one who made me jump!” She frowned at him, then chuckled when he grinned at her. “What
do you want?” “I...well, I feel terrible about deserting you near Nicolai’s home. I want to make it up to you.” “You have, by allowing me to stay here. Nicolai would have gotten into my new hotel room before long. You’ve given me a place of refuge for the time being. Besides, you couldn’t help it that you thought I was one of them.” “Yeah, you’re right about
that. Not only did you visit him and his brother, you...” He paused. He looked down at the comforter. “I what?” He faced her. “You stirred up the same kind of electricity in me as a vampire or blood bond would.” “Yes, well, that’s what confused me about you.”
“So you do feel the same way about me when we touch.” She turned back to the television. Hell, physically, her body screamed for his touch. But no way did she want to discuss her attraction to him. Though shutting out the feelings was like damming out a hard charging river, it was better for both of them to pretend they didn’t feel anything for each other. He touched her hand. The
sensation set a surge of interest sparking through her blood. When she ignored him, he pulled her over to his side of the bed. “This is a mistake, Robert.” She knew it was with all her heart. But she couldn’t push him away...she was weak willed, dammit. “I just want to hold you close.” Crystal nestled her head against his chest. He wrapped
his arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. He was delectably warm, smelled like sin, and oh so hard. Her naked legs drew into his, while his fingers caressed the bare skin of her arm, heating her body to feverish levels. “Robert, we shouldn’t--” “Shh. I know we can’t do more than this. But I couldn’t stand not holding you in my arms to chase away the nightmares you might have from watching the movie.”
She chuckled. “Ahh. It’s not that you want me to chase your bad dreams away?” His deep throaty laugh stirred her juices all over again. Fighting her attraction to him was a losing battle. With Robert, no revulsion mixed with the longing that would help to keep him at bay. And yet in her heart she knew a relationship with him or any other man could never be possible. Her aversion to killing put him at too much
risk. She ran her fingers over his lightly haired chest. His breathing rate increased. She whipped up longings in him with a simple touch making her realize that, for the moment, she had all the power at her fingertips. Smiling, she cuddled against him with deep satisfaction. She loved the control she wielded. But could she keep her feelings for him in check? He took a ragged breath.
“My brother says you can’t join the family. I believe he anticipated an emotional attachment might develop between us, despite my saying I’d never settle down with a woman.” “Shh, Robert. You don’t have to explain anything to me. You’re just keeping my nightmares away.” He kissed her head again and squeezed her tightly against his hard body. Her own body thirsted for his as she
snuggled deeper. “He believes my Uncle Walter, the head of our family, would forbid it, Crystal.” She tried to separate her longing to enjoy the physical contact between them with the need to maintain her distance emotionally. “Because I’d put your whole family at risk. I know. I’m not looking for a commitment from you or any other man.” His stomach muscles tightened
underneath her fingertips. “I’m not talking about any other man being with you, Crystal. I’m talking about us.” Was he jealous of Nicolai? “Thereis no us.” He ground his teeth. “You’re right of course.” “Damn right. You have a mission here. Kill Yorovitch and return to your family.” “And you?”
Already he hungered for something more of her. She knew he wanted her to say she had to kill Nicolai. But she couldn’t. Deep inside, she realized if she were to be free from the nightmare, she had to. But when Nicolai had her in his clutches, her willpower took on shades of gray, dissolving her resolve to keep her own identity. When she didn’t answer him, he spoke again. “All right.” Disappointment threaded his voice. “Tom said you’d feel this way. That you can’t help
yourself.” “No one can truly know what I feel. Not unless you switched mindsets with me and faced the turmoil I encounter when I’m with him, or others like him.” She couldn’t help the edge to her voice. She couldn’t help what she felt about the vampires either. It was the way she was...the abnormal gene had made her that way. Robert’s grip on her loosened. She was losing him. But she knew for both of them, it had to
be that way, despite her wishing it otherwise. She kissed his chest, not sure why she had done so, except maybe to prove to herself that neither of them wished to get involved. Instantly, he pushed her away from him and forced her back against the mattress. He was severing their connection and her heart ached with the rejection. But only for a second. To her surprise, he rolled partway over her. His leg wedged between hers. His fingers combed through her hair. But then he waited...for
what? She parted her lips to speak, to discourage him. But the words refused to spill off her tongue. He slid his hand underneath her t-shirt, and rested it on her abdomen. Would he touch her breasts? They tightened in hopeful anticipation. Instead, he pulled his hand away as if he’d been burned. What was wrong now? He kissed her lips with the faintest touch. “You need someone to keep you safe,
Crystal Anderson. But it can’t be me.” When her own family cast her out, it had cut deeper than any wound. And now, she was being rejected again. But somehow the hurt was more profound as her heart ached with the dismissal. He pulled away from her. The separation sliced her from his lifeline. Instantly, she sank into a gloomy pit of despair. But she desperately tried to sequester the emotions into a back room. Feelings like these could easily get her killed. She wasn’t one to
give up...but this kind of emotion could undo her. “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight, Crystal. If you need anything, let me know.” “Thank you.” She choked on the words. His gaze shifted from her to the floor as if her emotion disturbed him. “Done with the television?” “Yes.” Her voice was pitifully soft. She didn’t want him to know how much his rejection
hurt her. She didn’t want anyone to know how much she craved someone to love her. He turned the television off, and padded away into the darkness. She squashed the urge to dissolve into tears. He meant nothing to her. He could mean nothing to her...orhis life was forfeit. *** Sometime later in the night, scratching at the window woke Crystal. For a moment, it didn’t
register. Then she realized it had to be Nicolai. She crawled out of bed and turned on the side table lamp. Her gaze shifted to the curtained window. Black velvet drapes hid the creature from her. Without another moment’s hesitation, she crossed the floor to the window. After pulling the curtains aside, she clutched the wand to the blinds in her grasp. She paused, her heartbeat quickening.
She wasn’t sure why she had to see him. Was it because Robert didn’t want her? And neither did her family. She wasn’t a mountain man who could live alone for years without companionship. But it wasn’t until Nicolai and now Robert had come into her life that she realized how much she missed human...well, when she really got right down to it...male companionship. With resolve, she twisted the plastic handle to the blinds. Darkness still painted the night
sky. But Nicolai was nowhere in sight. Then suddenly he appeared. She gasped at his startling action. Shivers racked her body. He placed his hands on the glass, willing her to let him in. His ebony eyes drew her closer. He drank in her appearance like a dehydrated man crossing the desert viewed an oasis. She longed to be touched by him, to be comforted. No one truly wanted her but the bloodsucker.
He lowered his hand to where the latch rested on the window. She reached out and touched it, knowing very well he wanted her to unlock it for him. The cold metal caused a shiver to trail up her spine. All she needed to do was open the window and let him in. She looked back at him. His lips moved without making a sound. Crystal. His brow furrowed. Obviously, he held his anger under tight
restraint. His inability to control her mind made her more powerful than him in one respect. Robert was right. It was better being a huntress than being human. She met Nicolai’s gaze, full of longing. He touched the pane again. This time she reached up and placed her fingers against the cold glass to touch him. His lips turned up slightly as the wrinkle in his brow faded.
Chapter 8
With a heavy heart, Crystal turned away from Nicolai, leaving the blinds open. After crossing the floor, she slipped back into bed. Hoping he’d see she didn’t sleep with Robert, she had every intention of trying to protect Robert further. Though she feared her efforts would prove futile. Even so, Nicolai seemed to take some comfort in her
being alone as he continued to watch her, no longer scratching to get in. Despite knowing he could see her just as well in the dark, she left the lamplight on. The illumination provided her some sense of solace. She pulled the soft covers to her chin. For sometime her gaze rested on Nicolai. He stood straight and tall, dressed in all black, except for his moon-white face. Hadn’t he
fed? Probably too focused on getting her in his grasp. The glass between them kept her safe like the iron bars of a cage at a zoo protected her from the tearing teeth of the tiger. Slowly, she closed her eyes. Sometime later, the scratching woke her again. She opened her eyes to find darkness cloaked her once more. She reached over and turned on the lamplight. The curtains were closed again. Robert groaned as he rolled
over in bed. She turned sharply to see he’d rejoined her. He leaned over her as he attempted to reach the lamp’s light switch, his hard body, warming her. He clicked the light off. When the dark enveloped them again, he pulled her against his chest. “Sleep, Crystal,” he whispered. “Tonight you’re mine. Not his. Sleep. I won’t let him get to you.” Tonight? Only tonight? She couldn’t help desiring more though she knew her need for
him was growing way out of bounds. She snuggled closer. With his warm skin against hers, his arms wrapped securely around her. She yearned for a hunter in her life. But being the way she was, she knew it could never happen. She wanted him always, but her being so different would drag him to his death, like a mermaid lured the sailors to theirs. There was only one way she could see saving his life. Tomorrow, if she could locate him, she’d end Yorovitch’s life. Then Robert
would return to Oklahoma, safe from her needy but ultimately deadly grasp as he’d definitely be Nicolai’s most sought after target to kill now. As far as Nicolai went…she shook her head. Emotionally she wasn’t sure she could terminate him. But she was certain Robert couldn’t tackle him alone, not without family to aid him. And she was afraid she’d be more of a hindrance than a help if the tackled Nicolai together. But if Robert were gone, she’d concentrate on Nicolai again.
Somehow the game between them had to come to an end…only she prayed she’d be the victor, not his mistress. * ** Early the next morning, Crystal slipped out of Robert’s arms. She quickly dressed, reattached her weapons, then sat down to jot a note to him. Dear Robert, I intend to take care of this matter with Yorovitch for you so that you may return to your family. I will come back to your house when I have
accomplished the deed. Yours, Crystal. She left the note on the kitchen counter. Then she returned to the bedroom. He slept like the dead. This time,she’d use the rope on him to keep him from following her. With as gentle a touch as she could manage, she tied the hemp around his wrists, then looped the rope around a post on the headboard. One thing he’d learn about her, she didn’t get mad; she got even. She smiled. In
reality, she only wished to protect him. Leaning over the bed, she kissed his cheek. He stirred. She quickly stepped away from the bed. Her heart pounded in her chest. No way did she want to wake him prematurely. The sun had only begun to peek into their world. Time to find as many of Nicolai and Dimitri’s lairs and do as much damage as she could. No one would use her to make
a superior vampire race. The bile rose in her throat with revulsion. She was determined, no driven, to end it now. And no one would hurt Robert, if she could help it. She entered the living room. The swords on the wall caught her eye again. Hunter’s swords. Why hadn’t she realized it before? Then she noticed a cane in a stand. She pulled it out. A sword hidden in the cane. It might come in handy. She’d used them in practice before, but never had owned one. Mainly because she’d avoided hunts as
much as possible. Maybe it was time to use some different tactics now though. She opened the curtains to the large glass window. Not being able to see her car down the street, she wondered if she’d parked it farther away than she’d remembered. Or had someone taken it? With a cautious step, she walked outside, and headed down the redbrick walk. No sign of her car. Someone had stolen it. She ran back into the house and
locked the door. Taking a deep breath, she returned to the bedroom, and rummaged through Robert’s Army trousers. In one of the pockets, she found his keys. Today,she’d be the driver of the white convertible. Once he freed himself of his bindings, he’d find he had no car to follow her either. Perfect. Later, she’d report her car stolen. But for now, every minute that slipped by brought the night closer. She locked the door to his
garage, then climbed into the car. Once the garage door ground open, she backed out, and hurriedly shut it closed again with the automatic garage door opener. She had to ensure every action she did kept Robert safe. When she drove into the street, she noticed two men watching her from a couple of houses down. Dressed in black with faces pale as ghosts, she assumed they served as human hosts. With the convertible’s windows being so darkly tinted, they couldn’t tell who was
driving, or who might be a passenger. She nodded. Time to take control of her life. Determination ruled, despite a slight nagging fear attempting to undo her resolve. One of the men raised a cell phone to his ear. He couldn’t be reporting to Nicolai. He’d be sleeping. But someone close to him, undoubtedly. Ifonly she could leave her feelings out of the killing. Emotionless, that’s how the hunters dealt with the vampires
and how the bloodsuckers in turn handled them. They were like soldiers, taught to kill their enemy. Only they didn’t suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome afterwards. They just shut off a valve that handled the feelings and turned them back on when need be. But her valve was stuck and the emotions that could get her instantly killed invariably got in the way. She first drove to Dimitri’s house. Would the human hosts who resided there let her in? Most likely, if they thought she
was Crystal Anderson, Nicolai’s claimed territory. But if they thought the driver of the vehicle was Robert Parker, the one who’d kept her safe from Nicolai, no. She hesitated. Entering a vampire’s home in broad daylight wasn’t normally done. They often moved their families to sleep during the day at other locations to ensure their safety. But she’d known them to return to a party house, even after hunters had crashed it, figuring they’d not think the vampires
would return there anytime soon. The only thing was, killing a vampire while he or she slept seemed barbaric even to the hunters who had no qualms about terminating them. And considering her own problems with dealing with them at any given time, she didn’t know if she could handle it. She opened the car door and stepped outside. Immediately, the door to the house opened. A tall slightly-built man stood in the doorway. They expected her. A
trickle of dread dribbled down her spine. But what did they expect her to do? And who waited inside for her? Her heart picked up its beat as the blood pounded in her ears. After closing and locking the car door, she strode up the path. No backing out now. A curtain in the front window pulled open slightly. But no one ventured outside to greet her. Would the human hosts
attempt to tackle her when she stepped into the house? She assumed they would. Then they’d keep her hostage until Nicolai could come for her. She shuddered. Nearly at the door, she paused. Some movement in the house made her figure they were readying themselves for her arrival. Being a welcome guest worried her. She readied her cane in the way she had learned in martial arts. Cane fighting, she excelled at but
it had always been more convenient to wear a dagger at her wrist. Especially since she normally didn’t seek the vampires out. But this time, she took the initiative. This time if the going got really rough, pulling a sword out of the hat could enable her further. By oath, she wasn’t to hurt human hosts if she could help it. She feared she wouldn’t have a choice this time. When she stepped into the entryway, her heart beat twice as
fast. The house, darkened by the specially-lined curtains that draped all of the windows, appeared almost cave-like in the morning light. She repeated to herself, she would not be the host for a superior vampire race. Several shadows moved in the dark recesses of the house. Did they fear her? They’d fear Nicolai more if he found out they’d had her in their sights and didn’t try to take her.
She glanced over at the curtains. They had to go first. She wasn’t working without the light to aid her. Inching her way toward the curtains, she kept an eye on the shadowy forms that watched her. Reaching with her left hand, she yanked at the black brocade drapes and smiled as the whole curtain rod pulled out of the wall. It crashed to the floor with a bang. With nothing covering the window, the sunlight streamed
in. Now she could see three men and one woman standing, waiting across the expansive living room. She maneuvered in the same manner, keeping her back to the wall and crossed in front of the open door. She glanced outside to make sure no one was coming. Three more men headed up the walk. They’d called for reinforcements. The thought instantly chilled her. That’s why the others hadn’t attempted to tackle her yet. How many more would come to their aid?
She grabbed another handful of drapes and yanked them to the ground. Let there be light! Keeping active gave her power and helped her to squelch the desire to change her mind and leave before blood was shed. The three men entered the room and turned to her. Two of them had been at Robert’s house earlier, both black-haired and smooth-faced like the vampires. “Put down the cane,” the tallest of the men said with a
gruff, authoritative voice. “I wish to see a man named Yorovitch.” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two of the hosts look up the stairs. “Only Yorovitch. You don’t serve him. If you consent for me to see him, I’ll allow you to take me to Nicolai.” The man’s lips moved up slightly. “You’re a huntress at heart. That’s what Dimitri says. So no, we won’t take you to see anyone for the moment. But when Nicolai wakes, we’ll let
him know you’re dying to see him. He’ll be so pleased. Then he’ll come for you.” He motioned to one of the couches. “Have a seat.” Turning to the woman, he said, “Bring the lady something to drink and eat. Where’s our hospitality?” Crystal bolted for the stairs. Someone slept upstairs. Someone maybe named Yorovitch. A hand grabbed her arm. She immediately swung her cane at the man’s head, knocking him
out instantly. At once, the other five male hosts attacked. Swinging her cane, she connected with one, then another. Both sprawled out on the floor. The remaining three hesitated. She was stronger than them. But unlike the ones from Nicolai’s party, these hadn’t recently given blood. “Which room does Yorovitch sleep in? He’s the only one I want.”
The three men exchanged glances then nodded. They weren’t buying it. She readied her cane as she rushed halfway up the stairs. “Wait!” She turned. The scrawniest one pulled out a knife. Nasty. He was one of the rare human hosts who carried a weapon and she wondered what Nicolai would think of his threatening her. She slid the sword from her cane with a whoosh. The men
eyed her weapon. Hers was bigger than his. She smiled. But her smile faded when the stairs creaked behind her. Swinging around, she faced a vampire. Standing in the dark of the stairway, he glared at her. His bloodshot eyes revealed she just woke him. His black, silky, slightly disheveled hair hung loosely about his shoulders. A black nightgown reached to his ankles while over this, a black velvet robe hung open at the waist. “Is
she the one?” he hissed. “She is, master,” the woman said. He glanced down at the men Crystal had knocked out, lying motionless on the floor. Then his raven-colored eyes shifted back to her. “Nicolai will never turn you.” “I take it you’re Yorovitch.” His eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”
“A mutual friend wants you dead. I’ve come to help him out.” “A huntress to do a hunter’s job? Robert Parker will die soon enough. Nicolai or I will see to it.” Crystal considered the angle she’d have to use to shove the sword into Yorovitch’s heart. He stood too far up the staircase for her to attempt to lop off his head. And she feared she couldn’t penetrate his heart at this distance before he thwarted her with his superior strength.
When more hosts tromped in through the front door, he turned his gaze toward them. She took the chance and thrust the sword toward the vampire’s heart. He jumped out of the blade’s reach. Then he dove at her like an eagle, talons raised. He struck her cheek with his hand, knocking her against the wall. Pain radiated through her shoulder and her skin burned where he’d slapped her face. Faced with death, she had no choice but to kill him. He bared his teeth. No way
would he let her live, despite Nicolai’s desires. Not when he assumed she’d taken on the role of a true-blue huntress, out to avenge a fallen huntress. She slashed at him with the sword only managing to cut his arm. The bloodlust nearly consumed him as he tackled her full force, knocking her down the stairs. She hit her head on the carpeted floor. Briefly, white stars against black satin appeared in her sight. With his fangs extended, he hissed at her, then leaned against her with every intention of
ripping her throat out. But then he hesitated. Her blood would kill him. Was that what he was thinking? His large hand grabbed her throat instead and squeezed. The vampire’s choice for killing a hunter, crush the breath from him or her. Snuff out their life with a mighty hand. The sword lay at her side, useless now. Her mind grew fuzzy as she struggled to breathe. Just before she lost consciousness, she managed to release one of her spring-loaded
wrist blades and shoved it deeply into his heart. Immediately, he released her throat and his body sank on top of hers as the dagger worked its magic. She gasped for air and pushed him off of her. When she rose to her feet, her head still ached from the fall. No one moved toward her as Yorovitch’s body wizened into a wrinkled mess. She turned to see five more men had joined the party. They waited, a wall blocking her escape. She grabbed
the sword and ran up the stairs. After yanking the first door to the right open, she peered into the dark room. Dimitri’s room. She crossed the floor to the curtains on the windows. After yanking two down, enough sunlight streamed into the room to provide her protection from a vampire. She hurried to the bed, and pulled the curtains off the bed frame. No one slept there currently. But if any wished to, they’d have to replace the sun
shielding curtains first. Afterwards, she returned to the remaining windows. It’d take awhile for the human hosts to replace the bent curtain rods and fix the damage to the walls where she’d pulled the hardware out. They wouldn’t be using this house for a refuge for some time. When she finished, she left the room. Light from Dimitri’s bedroom streamed into the hall, illuminating her way. Two of the hosts stood in front of the door across from his. Another vampire
must have rested there. Dimitri? Nicolai? Or some other. The only way she would be safe from Nicolai’s plans were if he and his brother died. And now she realized those who served them would know how valuable a prize she could be. As much as she hated the idea, none of them could be left alive to come after her. She hurried down to the next room. She didn’t trust hosts. They could act as decoys for someone sleeping in another room.
The door creaked open as she pushed it. As soon as she forced it aside, two of the hosts grabbed her arms. She’d been right. The vampire slept inthis room. She slashed at one of the hosts, who cried out and collapsed to his knees. The vampire would be awake, but couldn’t come into the hallway with sunlight now filling it. She turned to the other host, who backed toward the stairs.
Facing the vampire’s lair, her skin prickled with apprehension. Dealing with a vampire in the dark remained her worst nightmare. His odor was distinctly male, but he didn’t smell like either Nicolai or his brother. Still, whoever he was, he’d be stronger than a female. And the notion he could see her when she couldn’t see him sent panic rushing through her system. He waited for her, most likely not fully awake, just as she’d
been the other night with Nicolai. But vampires awakened prematurely were more vicious than when fully rested. She stepped into the room, hoping to reach a window. If she could kill him using the sun’s rays, so much the better. Besides, she craved the light. The door to the bedroom slammed shut behind her and her heart stopped dead. The bit of light from the hallway had given her courage. Now, blackness enveloped her. Her breathing
sped up. The blood rushed through her ears as her heart thundered. Her skin crawled as she crept toward the wall, her hand reaching for furniture to avoid tripping. Her fingers touched a chest of drawers. Suddenly he propelled a chair into her path and she cried out. Goose bumps rose on her arms. After the wood banged against her shins, she bit her lip as the pain radiated through her legs.
In the same instant, she swung the sword in his direction. Fighting him without sight would never work. She’d lose for certain. But she had to finish him now. Again she moved to where she thought one of the curtained windows might be. Again, he attempted to foil her as he shoved a desk into her path this time. She slashed her sword in the air over the top of the desk, but he remained out of reach. Her temperature elevated. She had to
get to the window, or lose the game. She skirted the desk and ran into the poster bed. Not a good sign. Climbing through the bed would put her at great risk. With no other choice, she dove into the curtained bed. A woman screamed out. A vampire? Crystal couldn’t be certain. She scurried over the woman’s body, then jerked at the curtains on the other side, panic rising in her blood.
As soon as her combat boots hit the floor, a hand grabbed her wrist. She gasped, then swung her sword at him. The blade sliced through the air like a knife cutting through melted butter, but then it struck something hard. He cried out and released her. If she didn’t cut off his head or thrust her blade into his heart, the injury she’d just given him would heal. She bolted for the wall. Soft velvet drapes touched her cheek. Gladness overwhelmed her. She
yanked the fabric with all her might. Sunlight streamed into the room and the vampire cried out. His hands covered his face, but he couldn’t stop the affects of the sunlight on his body. Instantly, he disintegrated into a pile of ashes. Crystal pulled the curtains down from the bed frame. The naked woman in the bed screamed, grabbed a sheet and ran from the room. A human host .
After yanking the remaining curtains from the windows, Crystal stepped into the hall again. Two hosts waited for her. She shoved the sword into the cane and swung it hard at the first host. The sound of a crack meant she’d broken his arm as he’d raised it to defend himself. He hurried back down the stairs. The other male host pulled out a knife. Another with a knife. Had they realized if they didn’t get her, Nicolai would take care of them? But if they injured her, wouldn’t that earn them
Nicolai’s wrath? The host thrust his knife at her. She knocked it from his hand with a quick slice of the cane. Without hesitation, she connected the carved oak weapon with his head. He fell to the floor, unconscious. Crystal explored the remaining rooms, decloaking the windows and beds, then returned to the hallway. The hall was clear. But when she looked down into the living room, five male hosts still waited for her.
She was used to them fleeing from the path of a being with superior strength. Was their reluctance to leave due to being terrified of Nicolai? Had they heard what he had done to the others who failed to capture her for him before? Most likely. The word would have been spread to ensure their loyalty. She readied her cane. “Let me leave here and I won’t harm you.”
“Can’t,” one of the men said. “If we keep you here for Nicolai, he’ll reward us. If we fail, we die.” Just as she suspected. She strode forward. Time to get this over with. Next house she’d crash would be Nicolai’s.
Chapter 9
Robert attempted to roll over, but he couldn’t move his hands apart. He stirred slightly, not fully conscious, his mind conjuring up visions of being captured and bound by a voluptuous blonde warrior. A smile spread across his face. A warrior who looked like Crystal, her shimmering blue eyes studying him with amusement, her pink lips
turned up to see him finally awake. The skimpy piece of fur that covered her breasts left little to the imagination. Rounded, white mounds of flesh teased him. What color were the nubs protruding against the rabbit fur? His gaze dropped lower to see the scrap of fur that formed a triangle like an itsy bitsy bikini bottom that showed off a pair of tantalizing long legs and a bare midriff that begged to be kissed.
But the mouth-watering vision dissolved as the too real rope prevented him from reaching out to touch her. Instantly, his eyes popped open. Not only were his wrists tied, Crystal had vanished. He growled as he struggled to get free. How in the hell had she tied him up without waking him? All the late night business chasing her from one place to another, trying to sleep on the couch, too short for his six-feet
height--until he’d had the urge to check on her and found Nicolai drooling over her at the window...all of these things had made him sleep like the dead. He couldn’t curb the anger rising in his blood. His adrenaline switched on to high as he yanked and twisted his arms trying to free himself of the braided hemp. The rope burned his skin with the struggle. Nothing mattered except getting to Crystal and ensuring she didn’t get herself
hurt. What the hell was she thinking? She’d go after Nicolai. Was that what she was doing? Damn. She’d get herself killed, or worse, turned. For several more minutes he struggled with the rope, sweat beading on his temple. And then the hemp loosened and he calmed his breathing while he peeled the rope from his wrists. He dashed through the house, hoping to catch her if she hadn’t managed to leave
already. But except for the hum of the refrigerator, the place was graveyard quiet. He charged across the living room and stared out the window. If she’d parked curbside, he saw no sign of her car. Damn. He stormed back to his bedroom and yanked a t-shirt from his drawer. Within minutes, he was dressed in denims and a blue t-shirt. He jerked his fatigue pants off a chair and jammed his hand into the pocket. He pulled out his wallet, then fished around
for his keys. No keys. His head pounded with frustration. Where in the hell had he left his keys? He hurried back through the house, the office, kitchen, living room, dining room, back to his master bedroom. For a moment, he stared at his trousers trying to recall what he’d done with his keys when he returned home. Crystal. No way would she have taken his keys.
He ran down the hall to the garage. Jerking the door open, he dropped his mouth open, too surprised for words. She’d taken his convertible! He slammed the door shut and crossed the floor to the phone in the living room. With the portable phone in hand, he called the police. He stalked back to his bedroom and grabbed a pair of socks out of a drawer, then pulled a pair of western boots out of the closet.
“Yes, I’m Captain Robert Parker, stationed at Fort Hood. I want to report that Captain Crystal Anderson, fellow Army officer, stole my white convertible.” *** Crystal readied the cane for the hosts who blocked her escape from Dimitri’s house. Two of the hosts attacked her first. The taller of the two grabbed her left arm, the other stockier host never made
it. She quickly cut him down with the cane, then struck the other. The remaining three summoned up the courage and tackled her. She managed to hit the skinniest of them, but another struck her in the cheek with his fist. Like the vampires, hunters healed more quickly, but she figured the soreness wouldn’t go away until the next morning. And right now, he’d made her angrier than angry. She struck his head with her
cane, then engaged the last. Once he collapsed, she turned to face the women. Both remained against a wall near the kitchen. Neither approached. Crystal looked outside. Her skin prickled. The convertible sat closer to the ground now. Its tires had been slashed. As soon as she stepped outside, a police car pulled up behind the vehicle. Robert must have gotten free from his bindings and called the police
to let them know his car was stolen. And given the area where he suspected she might return. He’d have her arrested, then what? Drop the charges? And bring her home? Was that his plan? She was certain that he’d be angry, but that his actions were only an attempt to keep her from getting hurt. But then what? He’d leave, and she’d be left behind. She didn’t need his help. She’d take care of the problem of Nicolai on her own. A lone huntress...that’s the way it had to be.
Determined to carry out her goal to visit Nicolai’s house next, she entered Dimitri’s house again. “Who drove the blue pickup here?” she asked the women. The women shook their heads. Even if they knew, they couldn’t help her or they would have to face Nicolai’s fury. Crystal began searching through the men’s pockets. When she reached the fourth
one, the key chain indicated he owned a Ford pickup. Hoping she had it right, she exited the house. Three other vehicles were parked between the convertible and pickup. She veered off across the lawn hoping the police officers wouldn’t catch sight of her. When she grasped the door handle to the pickup, a police officer called out to her. “Miss, I need to have a word with you.”
If Robert told them she had stolen his car, they’d see her nametag and it’d all be over. She let go of the door handle, and waited for the police officer to join her. Immediately his gaze dropped to her nametag. “Captain Anderson?” “Yes, officer.” “Captain Robert Parker called us to tell us his car was stolen. He said you took it.”
“He told me I could drive it, but he must have forgotten. My own was stolen sometime last night. When I came here, someone slashed the tires.” “See who did it?” She shook her head. He studied her cheek. Considering the way it throbbed, it was most likely red and swollen. “Someone hit you?”
“Yes. The person who slashed the tires. He hit me and knocked me out. I was going to return to Robert’s house after I visited a friend. But my friend wasn’t at home.” “I’ll tell you what, Captain. You come with us and we’ll give you a ride to the station. You can clear this up with him and we’ll take your statement about your stolen car.” ***
Robert grabbed up the phone after the first ring. “Yes, officer?” “This is Sergeant Brown with the Killeen Police Department. We’ve found your car, sir. We’ve also taken Crystal Anderson, the driver of the vehicle, into custody. She stated you loaned her your car after hers was stolen. Your car tires were slashed and she was roughed up a bit, but she’s fine.” Relief flooded Robert’s
system to hear she remained alive and well. Then he frowned. So that’s the reason she had taken his car and not her own. The hosts had stolen her vehicle. He was relieved in part. He’d thought she’d stolen it to keep him from leaving his house to follow her. But he was still angry. He hadn’t wanted her hurt. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” “We’ll just keep her here until we get this cleared up
then.” Robert hung up the phone. He’d make her wait for him at the police station. He had no intention of releasing her any earlier than he had to. Let her sweat it out a bit. How could she tie him up and go after the vampires on her own? He shook his head. And steal his car to boot? If he hadn’t sent the police to look for her in that general vicinity, she’d have been at the
mercy of human hosts again. He paced across the living room. Then he headed for the garage. He’d made her wait long enough. He stared at the empty garage. No car. He shook his head and called Captain Bill. Wouldn’t his coworker love to hear that the blonde Robert wasn’t going to date had stolen his car? He didn’t have a choice. Bill was the only one he’d gotten remotely friendly with.
“Wait out here, will you, Bill?” Robert asked as they reached the police station. “Sure, Robert.” The redhead smiled, all-knowing like. Yeah, the woman had already gotten under Robert’s skin. Leaving her to face Nicolai and Dimitri on her own nagged at him. He realized then, he couldn’t do it. Somehow after he killed Yorovitch, he had to get Crystal to return with him to Oklahoma. His family would
keep her safe. Robert headed into the police station. Inside, a police officer directed him to an office. How in the hell could he convince her to leave with him? He didn’t want her to seek Nicolai and his blood bonds any longer. She either had to kill Nicolai and his family, or join them, or leave the area with Robert. He was determined she’d do the latter.
He smiled when he saw Crystal sitting at a desk. She folded her arms and frowned at him. The police officer took his statement, then released Crystal. Robert took her arm and led her outside before he spoke. “I want to know what the hell you thought you were doing, Crystal.” He couldn’t curb the anger that laced his words. He marched her to Bill’s car. “I was getting rid of the man
you had a vendetta for. Now you can return to Oklahoma and be safe.” The petite huntress had destroyed the vampire he’d intended to kill? He stared at her, dumbfounded. She narrowed her eyes at him. “I left a note.” “I didn’t see it.” His emotions broiled in turmoil. He’d never wanted her to expose herself to danger
for his sake. Then his blood heated. It was his job to kill the murderer of his sister. No one else’s...well, unless one of his other family members took on the task. He couched the hostilities rising in his system. She’d only done it to keep him safe. Still, she had no business doing so. Yorovitch should’ve been his. He couldn’t settle the disquiet churning in his system. And worse, he couldn’t squash the concern for her rash behavior. Going after
vampires without other hunters to back her up was suicide. “One of my coworkers brought me here. Once I get new tires for my car…” He shook his head, then opened the door for her. He waited while she climbed into the backseat of the Ford Taurus. “Bill, you’ve met Crystal Anderson.” “Yeah, sure, at the office.” He smiled way too broadly.
“I need to get new tires for my car. Can you help me out?” “Yeah, what are friends for?” After the convertible rested on new tires, Bill left with a parting comment. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” He winked then drove off. Robert climbed behind the driver’s wheel as Crystal leaned back in the passenger’s seat. “No more expeditions, Crystal. And next time you
want to tie me up, it’s fine, but only to ravish my body.” She smiled and wiggled her brows. “Now that’s an interesting notion.” He shook his head again, not being able to control the feeling of alarm she triggered in him. Then noticing her cheek was red and swollen, he examined the injury, gingerly. “You shouldn’t have attempted to kill him on your own.” He kissed her forehead, bringing a slight smile to her
lips. He longed to kiss her lips, explore her deep inside, but he quickly nixed that thought. No involvement. They’d both live longer that way. He took a deep breath. The image of his sister dying at the hand of a vampire still burned in his mind. He couldn’t stand the thought of the same thing happening to Crystal on his watch. At first, he headed for his home, then he made a detour to her place. “Almost forgot we
needed to get some of your things for while we stay at my place.” When they drove into her complex’s parking area, she immediately looked up at the windows. The worry wrinkling her brow and her parted lips told him something bothered her. He glanced at the windows. The blinds seemed to be misshapen. “He’s been here again.” She
gripped the seat with her fingernails. Tears filled her eyes. “I ought to check this out alone.” She shook her head. “It’s my place. He won’t keep me out.” “We might have company.” She grabbed his cane. “I’m packing.” Dread knotted his stomach. The last time he’d
accompanied a huntress was the time he went on a hunt with his sister. It was the last time he saw her alive. He hadn’t realized how much the thought of being with a huntress in the midst of danger could affect him. The determination in Crystal’s face made him realize he couldn’t discourage her. But he would go first. “All right.” He patted her hand. “Let’s go.”
He grabbed his sheathed sword from the backseat of the car. They met around the front of the vehicle and he escorted her onto the stairs. When they reached the landing on the second floor, he held his hand out for her apartment key. She handed it to him, and he turned the key in the lock. Blocking her path, he entered first. Every piece of furniture had been slashed and turned over. All her paintings had been ripped to
shreds. Her dishes and glasses littered the floor with sharp shards. “We’ll have to call the police or you’ll never get your deposit back, Crystal.” She sniffled. “The police are going to wonder about me.” After pulling her against his body, he gave her a warm embrace. He still kept an eye on the hallway leading to her bedroom. A human host might lie in wait for her.
“The police will figure there’s some madman after you, who’s stolen your car, wrecked your apartment, and accosted you. You’re not to blame.” She snorted. “Nicolai’s like a spoiled child who can’t have what he wants, so he has a temper tantrum.” They explored the rest of her rooms, finding the same kind of madcap destruction. But for whatever reason, he’d
not touched her clothes. Using garbage bags, she and Robert filled them with all the clothes and personal items she would need for the next several weeks. Then she called the police and asked for the same officer who’d picked her up at Dimitri’s house. Robert loaded her clothes into his car while she waited in her apartment. Not long after, the police arrived. Again, Crystal gave them a statement, then while the
police dusted for prints and searched for other clues as to the culprit, Robert drove her back to his house. They took extra precautions ensuring no one got into the garage as she had done before they exited the vehicle. Then they carried her things into the house. “There’s plenty of room in my closet. Make yourself at home.” “But you’re leaving now. I
mean, Yorovitch is dead. There’s no reason for you to stay.” “You can’t fight them all alone, Crystal. Hunter families fight together, just like vampire families do. You’ll never survive for long.” He had every intention of convincing her to move to Oklahoma with him. Only it might take a few days to do the deed. He helped move her clothes into the bedroom. When he
dumped the contents onto the mattress, a shimmering pink silk negligee caught his eye. His mouth watered with interest. She slipped it behind her back, out of his view. “Do you have a spare drawer for me?” “You can leave that one out to wear tonight, or sooner.” She smiled. “No involvement, remember?” “There’s involvement, and then there’sinvolvement .” He
raised his brows, reached behind her and pulled the negligee from her fingertips. Sliding the silky material against his cheek, he smiled. “Has your delectable, subtle floral scent.” She pulled it free from his grasp. “Yes, well you’re leaving, remember? I killed Yorovitch so you could get out of here. Nicolai won’t care anything about you if you’re gone.” “You shouldn’t have done it
without me, Crystal. You know how bad that’ll look when I return home and have to tell my family a lone huntress took down the vampire I’ve been trailing for a month?” She smiled. “You could lie.” “I don’t lie about my conquests.” He pulled the nightgown from her hands and tossed it to the bed. Grabbing her wrists, he turned her palms up and kissed them. “You won’t consider coming home with me?”
“Your family won’t want me any more than mine does. And I’d be worried Nicolai would come after me there.” “Since you’ve killed the vampire who murdered my sister, my family would defend you.” “I’d put them at risk.” She pulled her hands free from Robert. He smiled and wrapped his
arms around her waist. “You’re not getting away from me that easily. I can’t believe you tied me up.” Her lips rose in a smile. “Tit for tat.” “Hmmm, you like to get even.” “Something like that.” “Sooo, if I ravish you then you have to...” She laughed. “Put some of
this stuff away or I’ll never be able to climb into bed tonight.” Her laughter was infectious. “What can I do to help?” “You made a pretty good dinner yesterday. Have anything else?” “Lasagna. Ready made in the freezer. Take a jiff to heat up.” “Sounds good.”
He leaned over to kiss her lips but she turned her head. “No involvement, Robert. We just can’t. You’ve got to leave and let me deal with Nicolai on my own. We can’t let our feelings for one other endanger us.” His lips turned up slightly. Then he kissed her cheek instead. “I’ll get something for your swollen cheek. Were you injured anywhere else?” “One of the vampires
rammed a chair into my shins.” “I’ll have to check them out.” “Anything to get me to drop my pants.” Smiling, his gaze dropped to her Army trousers. “Yeah.” He looked at her face and touched her lip. “And they gave you a bit of a cut on your lip.” “I did that when the chair hit me...bit my lip. Worried I’d
bled, and the vampire would have been worse to deal with. You know...the bloodlust. But I think your cane sword deterred him some.” “Good. It’s my gift to you.” He nuzzled her cheek as his hands caressed her back. “Well, I’ve got some home remedies to put on all your hurts.” She frowned when he didn’t make a move to leave the room. “Lunch? My stomach is grumbling.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of enjoying dessert first?” “Hot fudge sundaes. That’s what I want for dessert.” He groaned, admitting defeat. “All right. You win.” Not really. But she couldn’t hope for much more than that with him. He kissed her cheek then left the room. She picked up a stack of her clothes already on
hangers and carried them into his closet. As soon as she lifted the hooks onto the rod, the doorbell rang, shattering her concentration. Thinking human hosts approached the door, she shoved the hangers onto the rod. After dashing out of the closet, she paused. Where had she left the cane? Damn. In the car. She strode through the hall. The wrist knives would suffice if need be. When she entered the living
room, Robert pulled the front door open to her disbelief. He stepped back. Three men stalked into the room. Three pairs of dark brown eyes immediately caught sight of her. Robert closed the door, and clicked the lock shut. “This is Crystal Anderson. Crystal, these are my brothers. Tom.” He pointed to the tallest and obviously the oldest man with a touch of gray to his brown hair. “This is
my middle brother, Samuel.” Robert motioned to the one in the middle with the slightly reddish hair, and to the youngest one on the end with streaks of blond in his brown hair. “And my brother, Mark.” The men eyed her with wariness. She assumed the visit wasn’t for social purposes. Tom turned to Robert. “We need to speak with you alone.” Robert looked at Crystal,
his eyes almost imploring her to do as his brother asked. Family discussions were important ways of taking care of business. Outsiders weren’t welcome and certainly not one as dangerous as they assumed she was. She motioned to the hallway. “I’ll just take care of some things.” She returned to the bedroom and paced across the floor. It was only noon. She still had about six and half hours
left to search for Nicolai before it turned dark and he came for her again. Glancing at the side table, she smiled. Robert had set his keys on the table. But first, she had to change out of her Army fatigues. Dressed in black denims, boots and a high-collared black western shirt, she seized the keys. He and his brothers could discuss away. She had more hunting to do.
Crystal grabbed up a handful of clothes, then strolled down the hallway. The men’s conversation ceased when they saw her coming. She smiled. “Have to do some laundry.” She opened the door to the garage, then shut it. After throwing her clothes into the washing machine, she set the dial and pushed it in to start it. Hopefully the sound of the wash and the distance the men were from the garage would ensure they didn’t hear the
garage door open. She hit the door button, then climbed into the convertible. As soon as she backed out, she figured if she didn’t return to the bedroom, someone would get suspicious. She parked the car outside of the garage, then walked back inside. After pushing the button on the wall, the door grumbled shut. With a deep breath, she opened the door to the kitchen, then closed it behind her.
Nodding to them, she continued to the bedroom. She locked the door, then she turned on the television. After she adjusted the volume, she climbed out the window and shut it tight. The latch clicked shut automatically. Now it was time to do what she’d been born to do. Hunt vampires, albeit a little early in the day. Seeing no one watching her, she headed for the convertible. When she reached it, she unlocked the door, and
climbed in. A white SUV sat curbside. The brothers’ vehicle? She sighed deeply. Hopefully it would take Robert and his brothers some time to discover she was gone. By then, she hoped to have ended Nicolai’s infatuation for her. Finding Nicolai’s house took awhile as Crystal had to backtrack the way she’d come through the small town. The auto dealership’s window had since been replaced. Nothing seemed out of place. Cars were
parked along the main street while customers shopped. She continued toward Nicolai’s place in the same direction she’d walked. Not sure she’d find the house again as it had been dark, she looked for other signs, the blue pickup truck or other vehicles she’d seen parked out front of Dimitri’s house. Even a glimpse of a human host wandering around outside might lead her there. And then she caught sight of
two men dressed in black at a service station. She pulled across the street and waited while one pumped gas into a small black, foreign job. The other washed the windows. Of course, men dressed in black didn’t always mean they were human hosts. She only hoped she’d gotten lucky. When they climbed into the car, she waited for them to pull onto the main road. They headed in the opposite direction from Nicolai’s home to her disappointment. Still,
they might lead her to another house...one she didn’t know about. She turned the car around, and followed them from a safe distance. When they turned right at a light, she drove on past. They continued on down the road. She turned right at the next light, then turned right again. Hightailing it back to the road they’d taken, she soon reached it, then turned left on it. They were half a mile ahead
of her. She steadied her breathing and continued the same distance from them. For twenty minutes she tailed them, then they pulled beside a curb and parked. She turned down the street closest to her and idled the car, just in sight of them. The two seemed oblivious to her and strode up the stone path toward the two-story pale blue colonial house. This time, she wouldn’t attempt the front door. She grabbed the cane.
For a second, she hesitated. Hopefully, it was a vampire’s house. She took great strides to cross the alley between the homes, then finally reached the backyard of the blue colonial. Curtains were drawn across all of the windows. Typical vampire lair. If the men lived there, and weren’t hosts, they’d open the curtains once they arrived home, wouldn’t they?
She sneaked around to the side of the house. With a thin blade, Crystal worked on the window, finally jimmying the lock open. Barely taking a breath, she slid the window up. She pushed the curtains aside, allowing the sunlight to stream into the room. A desk sat in one corner of the office and an oak bookshelf filled with antique books sat against one wall. Taking a deep
breath, she climbed in through the window. Crossing the floor like a sure-footed feline, she worked her way over to the door and listened. Men laughed from some distant room. Her stomach grumbled. Sure it would alert them to her presence, she frowned. Then she pulled the door open slightly. Her heart beat out of control. Her brothers would have stormed up the stairs and killed the vampires.
Not her. She preferred using caution in everything she did. Undoubtedly the gene she carried had something to do with it. She stepped into the hallway and glanced at the stairs. She gulped as Lila, dressed in a black chemise, her dyed black hair loosened about her shoulders, stood on the third step, staring down at her as if she’d seen a ghost. The woman would alert the whole house now. But Crystal couldn’t injure her. Damn the gene that
made her different. Lila opened her mouth to speak or cry out, but she hadn’t time to utter a word. A pudgy man stepped out of a room and shouted, “Grab her!”
Chapter 10
Robert shook his head at his older brother. “Tom, I’m not leaving Texas without Crystal.”
“Uncle Walter wants you returned home. We’re grateful she killed Yorovitch, but now that the job’s done, it’s time for you to return to Oklahoma.” “When I can convince her to come with me.” “He doesn’t want you getting involved with her. I already told you this.” Robert glanced at Mark and Samuel. They both watched him with intrigue. Would he go
against the head of their family to have the girl? That’s what they all wanted to know. “Robert, listen,” Tom coaxed, “you said yourself you never wanted to make a permanent commitment with any woman. And certainly this woman is way out of your league.” Robert glared at him. “Meaning?” “She’s different. She’s not like any huntress you’ve ever
dealt with. And I’m talking about this gene of hers. But beyond that, she’s been raised differently from our huntresses. Ours don’t hunt. She does.” “Dammit, she’s had to for her own self-preservation.” “Okay, well, now don’t get mad. Maybe we can talk to her family and see if we can convince them to take her back in. That’s where she belongs. Here...with her family backing her.”
“It won’t work, Tom. You know it won’t. They won’t just all of a sudden change their opinion of her and take her back.” “She won’t be accepted if you bring her home with you.” Mark grinned. “He’s already got it in mind to take her home, Tom. Can’t you see the determination in his face? She’s already caught him. There’s no going back.”
Samuel shook his head. “Trouble lies ahead with that one. Big trouble.” *** Crystal readied her cane as three young men piled out of a room with the other human host and ran toward her. “Don’t hurt her,” Lila whimpered. Crystal swung the cane at the black-haired man closest to her. He didn’t move out of
the path of the weapon fast enough. Her powerful swing connected with his temple, knocking him out. She swung it again at the next, shorter man who grabbed for her. After striking him in the head, he collapsed. She bashed the other in the same manner. The last man hesitated. His blue eyes watched her with wariness, then he glanced down at his companions. Did he want to end up like them? In the next instant, he ran for the front door, yanked it open
and disappeared outside. With the three men sprawled out on the floor before her, Crystal turned to see what Lila was doing. Lila’s eyes widened. Then she did an about-face, and ran up the stairs and screamed, “Kostya! She’s here. Kostya!” Crystal’s heart sank. A trail of goose bumps streaked along her arms at the notion of fighting Kostya. She ran across the living
area and jerked the curtains down from one of the windows. The sun sat high in the sky now. None of its rays entered the house. If she could remove the roof, she’d have it made. Still, letting the light in, gave her some comfort. While keeping an eye on the stairs, she pulled the door farther open in the event she wished to make a hasty escape into the sunlight. Then she yanked the remaining curtains down from the windows.
Neither Lila nor Kostya appeared. Was he hard to wake at this time of day? She paced. If she were a normal huntress, she’d dash up the stairs and confront him. But her heart wasn’t in it. No wonder huntresses with her special gene didn’t live long. Then she took a deep breath. She had to do it, no matter what the consequences. With her heart thundering in her chest, she bolted for the stairs. The final thought she had as she charged up the
steps waslast one in is a rotten egg. The hallway was surprisingly well lit, though no actual ray of sunlight touched it. But all four doors to the rooms were closed tight. She headed for the one in front of her and shoved the door open. A bathroom. She pulled the curtains off the small window, then returned to the hall. Still, no one stirred. Or was it that they waited for her in their darkened rooms? Sure.
The odds were against her as she tried to locate them in the dark. She approached the next door. The floorboards creaked beneath the carpet, giving her away. Her blood iced. As soon as she gripped the doorknob, the door behind her flew open. She whipped around, and pulled the sword from the cane. Not Kostya. A man stood before her she didn’t
recognize. Relief flooded through her system like sunshine warmed her on a cold day. His uncombed black hair dangled down to his hips, while black curly hair trailed down his milky white chest to ebony silk boxers. Dark eyes penetrated hers, attempting to will her, or distract her, she wasn’t certain. What was he waiting for? And then she realized, unless they attacked her,
forcing herself to take the offensive was another of her failings. She stiffened her back. Still he didn’t approach her. Then his lips moved up. Did he realize her inadequacy? The door behind her creaked open. No, he’d called a vampire to join him. She twisted around to face the other. Not Kostya either. He must be lying in wait for her in his room still.
The one she now faced appeared older. A sprinkle of gray colored his temples. A black t-shirt and black satin pajama bottoms clad his thin body. Her gaze shifted to his face. His smoky black eyes stared into hers. But like the other, he didn’t attack. Did they know then what she was incapable of doing? He glanced over at the other vampire and nodded his head just once.
Dread trickled down her back. The remaining door opened. Kostya entered the hall. Lila stood slightly behind him, clinging to the sleeve of his raven-colored robe. Kostya gave Crystal a halfhearted smile. “You know we don’t like to be awakened at this hour. It makes us difficult to live with.” “Nicolai disturbed my sleep throughout the evening, so I thought I’d repay the visit.” Crystal kept her sword ready.
Her hands trembled slightly though her voice remained cool like his. Kostya shook loose of Lila, pulled his black robe closed and tied the sash. “You must be tired then. I’d offer you my bed, but Lila shares it now. Perhaps one of the others would permit you to share his mattress with you.” The other vampires chuckled. Crystal frowned at him. “I
don’t think Nicolai would care for that.” “Why do you think I suggested you sleep with them instead of me?” His brows and lips rose. “Then it doesn’t matter to you that they would be in trouble for it?” If nothing else, perhaps she could wedge a bit of dissention between the vampires. “Nicolai would forgive them, if he knew it meant they kept
you here for him tonight. As long as they didn’t get too familiar with you.” Lila stroked Kostya’s arm. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Return to bed, my love.” “I want to stay.” “No.” His voice had grown dark, demanding obedience. She sighed deeply, then glanced at Crystal. “Join us,
please.” Her words dripped with worry. Crystal shook her head. Lila squeezed Kostya’s hand, then returned to his bedroom and shut the door. Without another moment’s hesitation, Crystal did what went against her own conscience. With a pirouette-type move, she swung around to kill the vampire closest to her.
The older man’s eyes grew big and his jaw dropped, surprise evident in his face that she’d attack him. With a shove of her sword, she skewered his heart. Not waiting to see the effect on his body, she turned and charged toward the other vampire. He blocked her sword with his arm and cried out as the blade cut through his pale skin. Her feelings ran amuck as she tried to reason with herself. He had to die, or she would.
His arm hung limply at his side. She bit back the tears and thrust her bloodied sword at his heart. Before she struck him, Kostya slammed into her, sending her into the wall with a thud. Weaker than Nicolai, he was still stronger than a gladiator-strength human, and her shoulder ached from the blow. Again, she attempted to strike the other vampire as he bared his fangs at her while Kostya backed off.
The other vampire held his good arm up, still not attacking her. Was he too weak from not having fed? There wasn’t an ounce of color to his skin, and he reacted slowly to every attack she made. She sliced through his arm as it blocked the path to his heart. Before she could strike at him again, Kostya dove for her and tackled her to the floor. She landed hard on her back.
Her face heated. Again she’d made a fateful mistake. She chastised herself for not going after the real danger first...Kostya. He held her arms pinned underneath his body. His pearly white fangs extended. “Give up, Crystal, or I’ll have to take you for my own.” “And then...” Crystal tried to take a breath with Kostya’s weight pressing against her. “Nicolai will make...short work...of you.”
The other vampire crouched next to her. “Let me feed off her.” Kostya shook his head. “You can’t feed off a huntress. You know that. She’ll poison your blood.” The vampire looked back at Kostya’s room. “Don’t even think of touching Lila,” Kostya warned, his voice deepening with the threat. Crystal squirmed trying to
unsettle Kostya from her body. She had to free her hands. If she could only use her wrist blade... A siren peeled down the street, and the vampires looked toward the open door. “Close and lock the door,” Kostya growled to the other vampire. When he didn’t move from his crouched position, Kostya hollered, “Lila, close and lock the front door.” He turned his body slightly away from Crystal to give the
order, giving her the advantage. She shoved him from her stomach and jumped to her feet. With sword raised, she swung the blade, severing the other vampire’s head from his body as he still crouched in place. Immediately, Kostya lunged at her, knocking her down the stairs. Every stair she managed to strike in her tumble sent pain streaking through her body. Before Kostya followed her,
Crystal grabbed her sword and it’s companion cane. Then she jumped to her feet and dashed across the living area. Without hesitation, she ran outside. If he came after her now, he’d die in the sun’s midday rays. She hesitated as she stood on the brick walk. Then seeing the police car’s flashing lights headed in the direction of Kostya’s house, she dashed for the back alley. ***
Robert rose from the couch in his living room. He was finished with the discussion for the moment with his older brother. “I’ll ask her again if she’ll go with us. But if she won’t, I’ll stay behind. You can tell the family, I’ll return when I’m able to bring her with me.” He didn’t wait for any objection as Tom blew out his breath. Robert strode down the hall,
then hearing the television on in the bedroom, was glad that Crystal wouldn’t have heard their words. She was already rejected by her family. She didn’t need to hear about how much his family objected to her joining them too. It would be enough to give anyone a complex. He knocked on the door. When there was no answer, he wondered if she’d fallen asleep. He tried to open the door. Locked. Immediately, his
heart dropped. “Crystal?” He paced. Then he stormed down the hall. Either she was mad at him for leaving her out of the discussion when she had to know it was about her or and she’d locked him out or... No way could she have left the house on her own again. “What’s wrong?” Samuel asked as all three of his brothers jumped to their feet. Robert didn’t say anything,
but grabbed the door to the garage and yanked it open. His convertible was gone. “Dammit all to hell!” *** When Crystal reached the convertible on the side street, she hurried to climb in. Once safe inside, she sped off down the side road, avoiding the police car parked in front of the house. Certain Nicolai would want
her dead for killing his and Dimitri’s converts during the daylight hours, she had every intention of finding his lair and ending his life first. The vampires could no longer trust her and she drew a sense of comfort from being loyal to her own kind once more. She slowed her speed and headed back in the direction she’d started out with, toward Nicolai’s house. Her stomach rumbled again. To think if Robert’s brothers
hadn’t made their untimely appearance, she could have eaten the lasagna Robert planned to fix them for lunch instead. Then her brow wrinkled. What were his brothers up to? And how would Robert react when he discovered her missing? He’d be angry with her. Could she blame him? She hmpfd. Served them right for keeping her out of the
“family” meeting that was all about her. She continued down the road. It didn’t matter what he wanted. Now that she’d slain Yorovitch, it was time for Robert to leave. Still her stomach tightened with the notion. Being with him had improved her life considerably. For the first time in a good while, someone had showed her tenderness who didn’t want something from her in return.
When she arrived in the vicinity of the house where Nicolai had taken her, she parked, watching for any signs of hosts. She still wasn’t sure she was on the right street, as dark as it had been the night he’d abducted her. And her attention had been drawn to the white convertible when she first fled the house, not at what Nicolai’s place looked like, or where she was exactly. For sometime she idled the car. No one moved from any of the houses. The blinds or
curtains remained shut in most of them, indicating that the owners probably were still at work. Then a car pulled into the street behind her, catching her eye in the rearview mirror. A white SUV. She straightened her back while her stomach constricted. The vehicle slowed down as it neared her, then pulled in front of her and parked. Robert and his brothers. She considered backing up and
dashing off. But where to? She couldn’t get into Robert’s house without the garage door opener or a house key. And she wasn’t certain Nicolai’s house was even located on this street. She waited, barely taking a breath. Robert, Mark and Samuel piled out of the car. Tom remained at the wheel. Crystal swallowed. None of the men looked pleased to see her from their dour
expressions. Robert reached her door first, while Samuel joined him. Mark waited on the other side of the car. Surrounded by hostiles, a twinge of claustrophobia tightened her chest. Robert grabbed the door handle, but found it locked. “Open up, Crystal.” His demanding words heated her body with irritation. He had no right to order her about. Even so, she rolled down her
window. As soon as she did, he reached in and pushed the button to automatically unlock all the doors. Mark yanked the passenger’s door open and climbed in. She took a couple of deep breaths trying to curb her annoyance. Robert grabbed Crystal’s arm and waited. “Coming?” His hand gripped her gently, but firmly. He meant business. “Where to, Robert?” “A mutual acquaintance’s
home. But Samuel’s doing the driving.” She grimaced. Despite not liking that he showed his male prowess toward her in front of his brothers, she wasn’t certain what else to do for the time being. “All right.” When she stepped out of the car, Samuel jumped into the vacated driver’s seat, and Robert led her to the middle bench seat. She slid over as he nudged her to, then he joined her.
“Okay, what do you think you’re doing, Crystal?” “Looking for Nicolai’s house.” Samuel snorted. She frowned at him. Robert wrinkled his brow at her in response. “You’re several streets over from his place and four blocks too far south.” His voice sounded angry and put her on edge.
She folded her arms. “She can’t be trusted,” Samuel remarked. “Remember, we agreed.” Crystal cocked her head as she considered Robert. His gaze shifted from her to his brother. “Signal to Tom we’re all set.” Samuel flashed the headlights on and off. They reflected off the bumper of Tom’s SUV. In response, Tom
pulled out and Samuel followed him. “Are we going to Nicolai’s house?” She gripped her seatbelt in her fingers. “You’re staying in the car.” She clenched her teeth. “You can’t tell me what to do.” “I thought you said you could control her.” Mark winked at Robert. Her blood boiled as she
unbuckled her seatbelt and moved over to the window seat leaving an empty place between Robert and her. Samuel glanced up in the rearview mirror. “It was the only reason we agreed to this. She’s to do as you say.” “She killed Yorovitch. She avenged our sister’s death. We owe her.” Samuel watched the SUV in front of him. “If she was one of us, certainly. But she’s not.”
Crystal shook her head. “Listen, you take Robert home with you. I’ll deal with this myself.” Mark laughed. “She’s just your type, Robert. I can see why you’d want her.” She glanced over at Robert whose ears had reddened at the tips. What in the world had he told his brothers? Or maybe his youngest brother just assumed Robert wanted her. She took an exasperated
breath. Getting involved with him or any other man wasn’t ever going to happen. “My brothers are right, Crystal. They agreed to help you, if you stayed behind.” “Why?” He looked out his window. She knew why. They feared her reluctance to kill a vampire would get them killed. She tapped her fingers on the door handle.
He glanced at her. “Where have you been all of this time? Lost?” “I’ve been busy. You know, taking care of business.” “You’ve already been to Dimitri’s house this morning. They wouldn’t return there. Not for a good long while, if ever.” “Nope.” He stared at her, waiting for
her to tell him what she’d been up to. “I found another’s lair. The home of one by the name of Kostya.” “And?” His brows arched with the level of his voice while he glared at her, undoubtedly still angry she’d stolen away without his knowledge...and borrowed his vehicle again. “I killed two of his converts.”
“But not him?” Shelooked out her window this time. Samuel hmpfd. “She can’t do it. I told you. Once she knows their name, that’s the end of the killing game for her.” “What happened, Crystal?” Robert unbuckled his seatbelt and slipped over beside her. He took her clenched hand into his and kissed it.
His tenderness stirred longings in her all over again. She wished they were human lovers and had no part of this deadly business. “Crystal?” he prompted. “He pinned me to the floor. I couldn’t get to my weapons. That’s all. After I managed to sever the head of the other vampire, Kostya pushed me down the stairs. The police were on their way there. I couldn’t be found in his house. I took off.”
“None of us would have ever been pinned to the floor in the first place,” Samuel said. “How had he distracted you?” “There were three of them.” Silence ensued. Were they considering how it would have been for their sister had she had to face three bloodsuckers at once all on her own? Mark directed his question to Robert. “Did he bite her?”
Robert turned to Crystal. She pulled her hand free and folded her arms. “Did he?” Robert asked. “No.” Samuel glanced up at his mirror. “You sound disappointed.” “Whose side are you on? Of course I’m not disappointed. I’m just annoyed with Robert for thinking I wouldn’t say something about it. I mean if
they bit me, I would have to tell you, and you could end my miserable life for me.” Samuel chuckled. “She hasn’t been turned. Certainly not with that hostile tongue of hers. She’d extend her canines instead.” “Uncle Walter’s not going to want you to keep her, Robert,” Mark said. Robert rubbed his smooth chin as Crystal faced him. When he didn’t say anything
she figured it was time she cleared the air. “For your information, Robert’s notkeeping me. He’s returning with you to Oklahoma. End of discussion.” Samuel and Mark laughed. “You picked a live one,” Samuel said. “Keeping her safe is going to be a constant struggle.” “I can take care of myself.” Samuel shook his head.
“Robert said how Nicolai came for you last night. He won’t stop until he gets you, or dies trying.” When they reached Nicolai’s house, Mark said, “I doubt they’re here.” He pointed to the open curtains. “Perhaps it’s a ploy.” Crystal grabbed the cane and opened her car door. “Uh-uh,” Mark said trying to stop her as he seized her arm. “You’re to stay in the
vehicle.” His firm grip on her arm made her reconsider. She didn’t figure anyone was in the house anyway. After she climbed back into her seat, he shut the door. Robert patted her thigh. “We’ll take care of any of them, if they’re here, and be right back.” She ignored him, curbing the urge to sock him.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “It’s the only way my brothers would go along with this.” He joined his brothers and the four of them marched toward the house. Her heart saddened with the notion. She could have had the same camaraderie with her own brothers if she hadn’t been so different. When Robert and his brothers barged into the house, a person peeking out
from behind curtains in the one-story, French provincial styled house next door, caught her eye. The black clothes the woman wore made Crystal suspicious. She grabbed the cane she’d grown attached to and exited the convertible again. When she strolled up the stone walk, her heart pumped more rapidly, and perspiration freckled her brow. She worked out her plan quickly in her head. She’d just
knock on the door and ask if someone lived there. Most likely, any human hosts in the house would come to see who visited and she’d recognize them for what they were. If they weren’t human hosts, she’d just apologize for having the wrong house. Before she reached the front porch, the door swung open. Her heart skipped a beat. She steeled her back and strode toward the entryway. When she reached the
doorway, she peeked in. Three women dressed in black jeans and t-shirts, watched her from the living room, their faces emotionless. Female hosts had never attacked her before, but still she remained wary of them. They definitely wanted her in the house. A doorway opened into a dining room to the left. She imagined beyond this was a kitchen. She took a couple of steps into the living room. To the right, a long dark
hall extended. Four doors cut into the walls. To the left, another long hallway extended off the living room. She couldn’t tell how many doors in that direction. To her relief there would be no stairs to a second floor here. Her joints still ached from the earlier tumble she’d had. And riding in the convertible had caused them to stiffen. Finding no resistance from the human hosts, Crystal
headed to the set of rooms down the hall to the right. The front door slammed shut, sending a shard of terror into her soul. Was she being misled? Ambushed? She attempted to squash the worries plaguing her mind. Finding Nicolai remained her main concern. She reached for the first doorknob, but a woman said behind her, “Drop your weapon, mistress.” Her voice quavered.
They knew who she was. Nicolai’s intended. But after killing the vampires in two separate lairs today, she was certain he’d want to rip out her throat rather than make her his consort. There was no going back now. She turned around slowly. The woman’s hand shook slightly as she gripped the gun in her fist. “You don’t want to shoot
me.” Would the woman accidentally fire off the weapon as nervous as she appeared? But then she considered the woman might not even know how to shoot a gun. The woman swallowed hard a couple of times. Her eyes grew wide with fear. The situation was getting desperate if the hosts were now arming themselves.
Crystal considered the distance she’d have to move to reach the woman’s gun with her cane. Too far. If she took a step forward, the host might pull the trigger. She was still contemplating what she could do to disarm the woman, when the door creaked open behind her. Her heart stopped dead when the hiss met her ear.
Chapter 11
Robert and his brothers stormed through the house, searching room after room, but discovered not a soul. “I
really didn’t think we’d find anyone here,” Robert said as he rejoined his brothers at the base of the stairs. He couldn’t squelch the anger he felt that they hadn’t located Nicolai. “What now?” Samuel asked. Mark peered out the door. “She’s gone.” “What?” Robert hurried to the doorway. “She’s not in the
convertible!” Mark said, dashing for it. “I’ll check to see if she’s just lying down.” Robert and his brothers considered the houses in the surrounding area. Tom pointed at windows painted black on the side of the house next door. “She’s not in the vehicle!” Mark confirmed. Robert could wring her lovely neck!
“She’s supposed to do as you say,” Richard said. “I warned you, she’s not like our huntresses.” “She’s not like most huntresses,” Samuel said. “Yeah, that’s why he’s so hung up on her,” Mark added. Robert swore under his breath, trying to ignore his brothers’ words. Rules. He would lay them down with her...as soon as he got her safely in his grasp. “We’ll
search the surrounding houses. But this one first.” * ** Fearing the wrath of a vampire more than the human host with the gun, Crystal whipped around to face him. To her surprise, thehe turned out to be ashe . Less strong than the males, a female vampire still remained a deadly adversary. The pale creature dressed in a black negligee, smiled at her. Almost
at once, she extended her canines. Crystal swallowed hard. The vampire meant business. Crystal yanked out her sword. A shot rang out. A prickle of pain in Crystal’s right shoulder registered in her brain. She dropped her sword and grabbed her shoulder. Blood covered her fingers. Her thoughts swirled. The host had shot her. The distant muffled shattering of glass followed.
The hosts screamed. The vampire grabbed Crystal by the throat and thrust her against the wall. While gasping for air, Crystal released her left wrist knife. With the shiny blade fully extended to ten inches, she jammed it into the vampire’s chest. The vampire hissed a curse and tightened her hold on Crystal’s throat. Crystal had missed the vampire’s vital organ. Had she aimed too high, or too low?
She fought for air as she tried to wrench the vampire’s hand from her throat. With her right hand, Crystal pulled the knife free and propelled it into the vampire again. This time her aim was true and the blade struck the vampire’s heart. Immediately, she loosened her hold on Crystal. Crystal gasped for breath and leaned against the wall for a second. The vampire collapsed on the floor in serious need of a facelift...well, a whole body lift. Guarded triumph filled her,
but she still had to find Nicolai. A rush of footsteps into the living room ensued, spurring Crystal on. Without looking back, she grabbed the sword and darted to the next door. The gun fired again. This time Crystal felt no pain. The woman must have missed. Crystal jerked the next door open. Swords swinging in the air caused a whooshing sound in the living area. She turned.
Robert and his brothers fought an onslaught of male hosts. They were no match for the hunters, though. They must have been hiding when she first entered the house, hoping to give her a false sense of security. She winced as a host struck Robert in the chest with his fist. Before she could do anything about it, an ice cold hand caught her wrist, grabbing her attention. She turned to face a giant of a vampire. At least six and a half
feet tall, she’d never seen one so big. Her breath caught in her throat. Immediately she knew she was in trouble. He yanked her into his dark room and locked the door. His black nightshirt rested provocatively high on his skinny stork-like legs. But her eyes shifted upwards as he grabbed her shoulder with a gargantuan-sized hand. Pain ripped through the bullet wound, making her head spin. His gaze locked onto the
blood soaking her shirtsleeve. The bloodlust called to him. The look of longing in his black eyes intensified. His fangs extended, sharp and deadly. She struck at him with the sword. With a swift hard movement, he knocked the sword from her weakened grasp. The weapon flew across the room, struck the wall, then landed several feet away with a clatter. He reached for her throat with his hand like the female had done, but Crystal
dove for the sword on the wooden floor. Grasping it for dear life, she attempted to get to her feet, but he lunged for her. His huge body slammed into hers sufficiently immobilizing her. With her wrist knife, she jabbed him, but missed his heart. He cried out in anguish, then readied his bite while he dug his fingers into her injured shoulder. The excruciating pain radiated all the way down her arm causing
her to see stars briefly. Again, she jabbed with her knife, determined not to lose consciousness. If she passed out, she’d lose her life. The door to the room shuddered as someone banged against it. “Crystal!” Robert hollered. The banging continued. The vampire licked Crystal’s blood from his fingers. He smiled. It didn’t kill him. If he lived to tell Nicolai...
She rammed her knife into him again, this time fatally penetrating his heart. He cried out. The door slammed open, banging hard against the wall. But her concentration slipped as blood soaked her shirt. Stars appeared against a black velvet night as Robert’s voice shouted from a million miles away, calling her name, encouraging her to stay with him, then darkness clouded out the world
*** Taking a deep breath, Robert dug the bullet out of Crystal’s shoulder with a scalpel. His heart pounded with concern while she lay unconscious in his bed. Mark handed him the medicinal bandages Tom had specially prepared for her. “No bite marks, right?” Mark asked. Robert finished wrapping
her shoulder. “No. No bite marks.” Tom wrinkled his forehead. “She can’t stay here any longer.” “She refuses to leave here. And now I think we all know he’ll follow her wherever she goes. As far as he’s concerned, she’s his, and she’ll provide him with a superior vampire race.” Robert pulled the covers under her chin. He was relieved she’d been saved this time, but concerned that they
hadn’t located Nicolai, and he knew the vampire would come for her again tonight. Samuel placed his hands on his hips. “She didn’t obey you.” “Neither did our sister. She’s stubborn like her.” Robert pushed a golden curl away from her cheek. Despite being angry that she hadn’t listened to him, he couldn’t help but understand her need to kill Nicolai. When she came face to face with the vampire again,
would she be able to? His stomach churned with anxiety at the thought. “I’ll fix some lunch for us.” He rose from the bed. “Shouldn’t one of us stay with her? Make sure she doesn’t try to slip out through the window again?” Mark asked. “The medication we gave her will make her sleep until morning.” “I’d suggest,” Tom said,
“we move her to our home, but we’d never make it before nightfall.” Samuel glanced at this watch. “Nope. It’s only another couple of hours before they begin to stir.” Robert patted Crystal’s good shoulder. “Tomorrow.” Tom grunted. “She’ll be awake by then and as obstinate as before. We would’ve done better taking her there when she was
knocked out.” Mark and Samuel laughed. Robert closed the door behind them. “I’d suggest we continue to look for Nicolai by daylight, but I’d rather we kept our forces together. Someone would have to stay behind to watch her.” Samuel and Tom looked at Mark. He shook his head. “You’re not leaving me out of all the fun.”
*** While Robert and Mark made lunch, Samuel and Tom sharpened their blades. Robert stepped into the living room with a bottle of wine after starting the lasagna. “So what do we tell Uncle Walter?” Tom opened his mouth to speak, but his gaze shifted to the hallway. Robert and his other brothers looked that way. Standing only in her lacy
black bra and black denims, Crystal leaned against the wall to support herself. Robert nearly dropped the bottle as he hurriedly passed it to Tom. Then he crossed the floor to where Crystal barely managed to stand. He lifted her off her feet and carried her back to bed. “The medicine is supposed to help you sleep and heal more quickly, Crystal. You’re to stay in bed until I say otherwise.”
She shut her eyes as she snuggled against his chest. He studied her sleep-filled face. She moaned with pleasure and licked her lips, stirring his loins. Had she been walking in her sleep? He tucked her back into bed. “Crystal?” She parted her lips to speak, but didn’t say anything, only furrowed her brow, her eyes still shut tight. After sitting beside her on
the bed, he took her hand and caressed it. In barely a whisper, she said, “He knows.” “Crystal?” Tom poked his head into the room. “Is anything wrong?” Robert’s stomach tightened with irritation, then he frowned at him for the intrusion. He motioned for him to be quiet. “Crystal, who knows what?”
She licked her lips again and waved her fingers slightly in the air. He couldn’t understand what she tried to tell him. But whatever it was, he was sure it was important, or it wouldn’t have filled her with concern, and awakened her. “Crystal, honey, what does he know?” She licked her lips again. Was that the key? He touched
her full moistened lips. “Oh, he’ll know.” She groaned and ran her fingers through her golden curls, stirring Robert’s desire for her. “What’s going on?” Samuel asked. “Shh,” Tom warned him. “What will he know?” Robert whispered in her ear. She parted her lips again,
but only took hesitant breaths, turning her head from side to side as if plagued by a nightmare. He gripped her hand tightly trying to reassure her she remained safe with him. “Crystal, you’re safe with my brothers, Tom, Samuel, Mark and me. We’ll take good care of you.” “He...he...” Tears moistened her cheeks. His heart rate increased.
Seeing her tearful, tore his insides up. “Nicolai?” She wrinkled her brow. Not Nicolai. Her tongue moistened her lips again. His gaze followed her movements with intrigue. He wanted to be the one licking them. Sighing deeply, he turned to look at his brothers who hovered at the entrance to the room. Tom raised his brows at
him. Robert shrugged. The last vampire that had come in contact with her was the giant. Robert tried to recall anything about him that would give him a clue. He spoke to his brothers in a low voice, “When we found Crystal passed out on the floor of the bedroom, was there anything about the vampire she’d killed that would make her so fearful?” Tom shook his head. “Samuel and I left to take care of the vampires in two of the
other bedrooms. Only Mark stayed to watch your back while you carried her out of the house to the vehicle.” Mark cleared his throat. “There was blood on his lips.” “That’s why you asked me if she’d been bitten?” “I didn’t think he could have gotten the blood any other way. It was fresh blood and there was no host in the room.”
They all looked at Crystal. Mark shrugged a shoulder. “He had blood on his wizened up hand. Maybe he grabbed her wound and tasted some of her blood.” “And he didn’t die from it.” Robert ran his fingers through her silky hair. He couldn’t believe the implications...if that bastard Nicolai bit her, could he turn her? He sucked in a breath trying to settle the new worry chilling his bones to the core. “Is she worried he
told another vampire through mental telepathy?” “Damn,” Tom said. “She’s more trouble than she’s worth.” Robert glared at his brother, then stroked Crystal’s hand. “She can’t help the way she is,” he growled. The notion everyone treated her as an outcast riled him once too often. Samuel folded his arms. “If Nicolai knows she can be
bitten and it won’t kill either of them, he’ll do it, you know. The bloodlust will force him to and there won’t be any holding back. He’ll want to see if he can turn her that way.” “They can’t turn us.” “We don’t know that. Not when it comes to this unstable gene of hers. We don’t know what’ll happen. Will she fight him, if he gets hold of her again? We don’t even know that.”
She puckered her lips slightly. Again Robert touched them with his finger, desiring with all his heart to press his lips against hers. But not with his brothers watching. Tom had warned him not to kiss her. Not to get too close, too involved. She’d bewitch him like she did Nicolai. But he was already taken in by her spell, her animal magnetism. It was too late. “Uhm, Robert, I heard the bell ring on the oven. Is it time to eat, maybe?” Mark asked.
“Yeah, why don’t you go serve it up and I’ll be in there in a moment.” Tom poked Samuel. “Why don’t you pour us some wine? We’ll join you momentarily.” Robert took an exasperated breath. He’d hoped his brothers would give him a moment alone with Crystal. But apparently Tom knew him too well. When Samuel and Mark
were clanging around in the kitchen, Tom folded his arms. “I know Mark thinks you’re going to keep her. But you can’t. She’ll always be a danger, until she’s dead. Once other vampires learn of her special gene, she’ll be highly desired. She won’t stand a chance. And neither will you if you try to protect her. You realize that, don’t you?” “I know the song and dance, Tom.” Robert rose from the bed. If his family had their way, she’d be left on her own.
But didn’t they realize that a new vampire race could threaten their own existence? As if Tom could read his mind, he said, “Her own family should have killed her long ago. Many do. That’s another reason why there aren’t any who are as old as her. I hadn’t wanted to mention it.” He took a deep breath. “Vampires can’t take a child bride. A huntress with the gene couldn’t have his offspring too early on. Since she wasn’t hunting for
sometime, the vampires must have been unaware she had the twisted gene.” Tom’s choice of words irked Robert further. If he wasn’t holding her hand to comfort her, he’d punch his older brother. Crystal was a seductress, totally desirable, different gene or not. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She tilted her head up as if directing him to kiss her lips instead and puckered them again. God,
how he wanted to do her the honors. “Come on, Robert, before you get any deeper with this.” Deeper...yeah. That’s just what he had in mind. Would a baby he created with her have even more special abilities? Or just the same transmuted gene that would make it at risk if it were a female? Males never carried the gene so if they had a son, there’d be no worry. If any of the huntresses who carried the special gene had
ever had a child, no one knew the consequences. Would carrying a hunter’s child bring about any changes in the mother for instance? He furrowed his brow, then squeezed her hand. With a heavy heart, he crossed the floor, and attempted to curb the hostility he felt toward his brother. Couldn’t he have allowed him a moment of privacy? Robert knew his brother only monitored him to ensure
his safety, but he was a grown man. He gritted his teeth. He’d just better not say anything about not joining her in bed tonight. “So about the sleeping arrangements...” Robert faced Tom. His older brother smirked. “Two of us can sleep on the foldout couch. You’ve got an inflatable bed for the other two, right?” When Robert led him into the dining room, but didn’t
respond, Tom said, “You can’t sleep with her.” Robert glared at him as his brothers stopped setting the table and looked up to see his response. Tom shrugged as he took his seat. “She’s injured. She needs to rest. If you sleep with her, you might bump into her injured shoulder. It’s best she sleeps alone. Agreed?” Not at all.
When he didn’t respond to his oldest brother’s question, Mark and Samuel chuckled. Robert glanced at them. Both grinned big time at him. He sat, then grabbed his wine glass. “Another hour,” Mark said, giving the countdown until the time it turned dark. “He might not come tonight.” Tom scooped a forkful of lasagna dripping with melted mozzarella cheese.
“He’d most likely figure there are too many hunters in the house to make it worth his while. If we left, he’d make his move. But while we’re in the house, he won’t come near the place.” Mark shook his head. “I predict he’ll come for her. He wants her too badly.” Samuel twirled his wine in his cup. “Tom might be right. Most vampires wouldn’t attempt to go against four male hunters.”
They all looked at Robert to see his take on the situation. “He’ll come. He believes I’ve claimed her for my own. Now I’ve brought my family here to help me keep her...or so he’ll think. He’ll come.” Tom pulled a piece of bread off a loaf. “Uncle Walter’s not going to like this one bit.” *** Crystal groaned in pain as her shoulder ached and
burned at the same time. Where was she? The room was dark, illuminated only slightly by a light in the hallway that reached underneath the door. She pulled the velvet covers aside. Her whole body hurt from when Kostya threw her down the flight of steps and from fighting with the vampires. She reached for the lamp and turned on the switch. For a moment, she sat staring at the television, the bed, side tables and drawn curtains. She sighed
deeply. Somehow, she’d ended up back at Robert’s house. With an unsteady pace, she made her way to the bathroom. She blinked at herself in the mirror. She only wore her black bra and jeans and her hair was disheveled. Had Robert removed her shirt? Sure, to take care of her wound. Feeling dizzy, she sank to her knees on the cold tile floor. Was it the wound that made her head fuzz so badly? Or
maybe the medicine? No, perhaps the loss of blood. She sat on the floor for sometime, too unsure of herself to stand. Then she turned to the window. The night sky had returned. Would Nicolai come for her? She touched her neck. To rip out her throat? She’d certainly wrecked enough havoc with his family to warrant it. Men’s voices drifted to her, then laughter. Robert’s brothers were still here. She
grabbed the doorframe and pulled herself up. The effort made her mind go blank. She clutched at the door to keep from passing out. No way could she fight Nicolai or anyone else in her present condition. She made her way back to the bed. Her pink negligee lay on the end of the mattress, waiting for her to put it on. She pulled a black one out of a drawer, then collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes.
After taking a deep breath, she managed to remove her jeans. Luckily her bra fastened in the front, so she was able to remove it without too much hardship. Then she slipped the negligee over her head. Getting her injured arm into it proved impossible though. She needed Robert’s help. With exasperation, she stood up from the bed, then made her way to the door leading into the hall. Every step took a
monumental effort and more than once she moaned with pain. When she reached the hallway, she assumed the men sat in the living room as the lights were on in there and the rest of the house remained dark. She inhaled the aroma of melted cheese and spicy lasagna. Her stomach grumbled with renewed gusto. She headed toward the aroma, hoping the men had saved some for her. But her mind wavered, growing dizzier as she drew closer to the living
room. Before she came into view of the sofa, the carpeted floor rose up to her cheek. She cried out in pain as her injured shoulder hit the floor. “Crystal!” Robert cried out. The stomping of feet followed, then hands grasped her shoulders. When someone else grabbed her feet, Robert said, “I’ve got her...I’ve got her.” “You sure have,” Mark said under his breath.
Crystal floated back to the room with Robert’s strong arms wrapped securely around her. His scolding began at once though. “What do you think you’re doing, honey? You’ve lost enough blood and suffered enough injuries that you need to stay put.” He laid her in the bed and she frowned at him. “I can’t get my nightgown
on. And I’m hungry.” To her surprise, he smiled. Turning to his brothers who hovered behind him, he said, “If you’ll give us some privacy, I’ll help the lady get dressed. And Mark, if you’ll get her a plate of lasagna, I’m sure she’ll be extremely grateful.” Mark shuffled his feet. “Only if they have to leave too.” Robert looked at Tom. His
older brother shook his head, then tugged at Samuel’s arm. “Come on. Let’s give them some privacy for a moment or two.” To Mark he said, “Hurry it up with the lasagna for her.” “Right on it.” Mark dashed out of the room. When Tom closed the door behind them, Robert considered her nightgown. “I’m not sure what to do.” “Maybe you have something else I could wear? Something
that unbuttons? We could slide the sleeve up my injured arm and then I can get the other sleeve on by myself.” He stared at her nightgown. “But we’ll have to remove your gown.” “Yes. Go get a shirt for me first.” “Of course.” He stepped into his closet, then pulled out a pale blue, short sleeved silk shirt.
“Maybe this will feel soft against your skin.” “I don’t want to wear your best shirt to bed, Robert. What if I bleed more? I can’t ruin it.” “You’ll wear this. I’ll get another if that happens.” He set the shirt on the bed. “What do you want me to do now?” “Can you close your eyes while you help me out of my nightgown?”
His lips turned up considerably. “Then I’d have to do an awful lot of groping to find my way around.” She chuckled under her breath. “Listen, I can’t do this by myself. I get too dizzy when I stand and I haven’t much strength to struggle with my clothes. But I never strip in front of men, ever.” He took a deep breath. The way he looked at her nightgown, he was willing to remove it. She just wasn’t.
Mark cleared his throat and walked into the room with a plate full of lasagna and a slice of bread on the side. “Samuel’s bringing you a glass of water.” Robert pointed to the table. “Just set it on the bedside table. I’ll have to help her eat. She’s right handed.” “Yeah, sounds like a good excuse.” Samuel winked. After Mark and Samuel left the food and water on the
table, they hovered nearby. Robert raised his brows at them. “I’ll join you in a little while.” “Sure you don’t need any help? Tom says he should be the one to help the lady change.” Samuel smiled. “You know, being the oldest brother and all.” “Yeah, well, the lady prefers me to do the honors. I’ll be there in awhile.” When the brothers departed
the room again, Crystal tried to tug the nightgown out from under her. Robert hurried to help. Once she was no longer sitting on it, he paused. She knew he was dying to see her naked breasts, but she wasn’t happy about the circumstances. A scratching at the window made her heart jump. Had Nicolai returned? Or one of his bloodsucking converts?
Robert squeezed her hand. “They smell your blood.” “Like before.” He touched her nightgown. “Shall we?” She nodded. He eased the nightgown over her injured shoulder. Slowly, carefully, he pulled the silky material over her head and finally down her uninjured arm. He concentrated on getting her undressed and
dressed again without injuring her. His tenderness sent warmth coursing through her body. And instantly her embarrassment at exposing herself to him turned into a desire to feel his bare skin against hers, their bodies locked together in a loving embrace. He tossed the nightgown aside and grabbed the shirt, averting his eyes from her body. When he pulled the
sleeve up her injured arm, she bit her lip, attempting to squash the pain. “I’m sorry, Crystal. I’m trying to go as slowly as I can.” But in truth he’d tried to go faster to cover her up so she wouldn’t feel so exposed and she treasured his actions. When he readied her other sleeve behind her back, she twisted to get her arm in, but groaned again with the effort.
“Slowly, honey. We have all the time in the world.” “Unless your brothers want to check on our progress again.” Robert chuckled. “Can’t blame them there. Who wouldn’t want a chance with the seductress?” “Some seductress. I’m a mess.” “Yeah, well, I’ll argue you that point.”
Even now, his eyes clouded over with desire and his voice, though joking, was husky and sexual. Once she’d slipped her arm in the sleeve, he pulled it around front and buttoned it, his fingers brushing against her breasts. Her nipples quickly tightened as a rush of warmth filled her body. The sensation made her close her eyes and lay back against the pillow to savor it. When he finished buttoning the shirt,
she opened her eyes, wishing he’d touch every sensitive spot that begged for his caress. She reached for his hand. When he clasped hers in his, she pulled his hand to her cheek and nuzzled it. “Make love to me, Robert.”
Chapter 12 Robert smiled at Crystal. Sexy dimples punctuated his cheeks. His gorgeous brown eyes melted as his gaze met hers. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, warming her all the way to her toes. “Ask me to make love to you when you’re back on your feet, totally recuperated. Between the medicine and your injuries, you’re not yourself tonight.”
“I’m perfectly myself.” She touched his shirt, then gripped it lightly and pulled him forward. “Kiss me.” For whatever reason, the urge to have him make love to her overwhelmed her better judgment. She wanted him, now, like she’d never wanted a man in her life. She tugged at his zipper and he chuckled, but quickly removed her hand, then kissed it. “I’m going to feed you before your food gets cold. You haven’t eaten all day, which is probably causing you to be dizzy. If I kiss you, you’re sure to pass out.”
She grinned at him. “You kiss that passionately, eh?” But it wasn’t a kiss she’d settle for. She wanted all of him. “Well, as lightheaded as you are, yes.” She laughed. He stuffed another goose down feather pillow behind her back, aiding her to sit up. Then he began the slow process of feeding her.
“Things have changed between us, Robert Parker.” She didn’t know why exactly, but somehow she couldn’t get her mind on anything but wanting him to make love to her. She ran her fingers over his thigh. His lips stirred upward. “How so?” “You’ve gotten your family involved in protecting me. How am I going to convince you to go home to Oklahoma now?” In her heart, she knew he had to go, but her mind told her she had to
make him hers. She had to have him. Would he make love to her, just once? He offered her a mouthful of lasagna. “We’ll discuss it later.” The scratching started up again. He shook his head and sighed deeply. “I’ve got work tomorrow, Robert.” “I’ll make sure emergency leave is approved for you. And for me too.”
She hesitated to take the next bite of food he offered her. “I’m going to have to quit the Army, aren’t I?” He took a ragged breath. “I can’t say what you have to do for certain, but I believe it would be in your best interest if you quit, yes.” “So I can hunt full time.” His gaze met hers. His eyes darkened instantly. “I’m not sure that’s the best role for you to
carry on.” “I can’t sit still. I have to make myself useful.” She reached for his zipper again. He couldn’t hide his arousal from her. His lips lifted slightly. He grabbed her hand, then tucked it under the comforter. She frowned at him. He raised another forkful of lasagna to her mouth. “I think the medication was an aphrodisiac.” Was it? She ate the next bite full. When he offered her the next
forkful, she said, “What’s going on in that mind of yours? I know you’re thinking of something.” “Truly, Crystal, this isn’t the time to discuss it or anything of significance...not in the shape you’re currently in.” “You’re not thinking I should marry you, are you?” She wasn’t ready for marriage. She just wanted him to make love to her. He chuckled. Her face warmed. She’d just
managed to embarrass herself. “I’m not hungry anymore.” “You need to eat, to keep your strength up.” “Lila said that to me, on more than one occasion,” she grumbled. “The human host?” Crystal nodded then ate the next bite. “To keep my strength up when I had to face Nicolai.” “He doesn’t want you weak
when he attempts to take you.” “Once, he did.” Robert stared at her, then reached out to touch her cheek. “How? When?” “When he took me from the hotel that one time. I was dog-tired from not getting enough sleep. I’d pulled two nights of duty close together. I tried to discourage him by reminding him he liked it that I fought him. He decided for that night, he liked me more
vulnerable.” “Which means he wants you any way he can have you.” Robert’s voice had grown dark. He seemed angry. Why? Did he think if Nicolai were persistent enough she’d give in? She wrinkled her brow as irritation sliced through her, then she looked down at the empty fork. He filled it again and offered it to her. After she ate the bite of cheesy lasagna, she said, “What
happened in Nicolai’s house?” “Nobody there. It took us a few minutes to shred the drapes and bed curtains. But when Mark noticed you weren’t in the convertible, we knew you were trying to find Nicolai again. We’d figured it was the house with the painted windows, but when we heard the gunshot fired, we had to check it out no matter what.” “I saw a host at the window of the house next door. I had to investigate.” She touched the buttons on Robert’s shirt.
“Your hunter instincts.” “Of course. They’re not totally useless.” She frowned. He reached up and smoothed away the crease in her forehead. “But you should have alerted us first.” “You told me to stay out of Nicolai’s house.” He grunted with exasperation. “We told you to stay in the vehicle.”
“Well, I didn’t know if you were fighting vampires in Nicolai’s place or not. I didn’t want to distract you or your brothers from doing your jobs if you were.” He hmpfed. She shrugged her good shoulder. “I thought maybe Nicolai might have been in the house next door. If I’d had at chance to killing him that would’ve been the end of my troubles.”
“If you didn’t succumb to his wishes.” “You still don’t trust me?” “I don’t think you can trust yourself.” He ran his hand over her good arm in a loving caress. “But it’s not your fault, Crystal.” She touched his shirt again and played with a button. “Will you hold me tight and chase away my nightmares again?” “Tom says I might injure you
or cause you pain if I sleep in here with you tonight.” “What do you think?” “I think I ought to heed his words.” He scooped another mouthful of cheesy noodles onto the fork. “But?” “No buts about it.” He raised the lukewarm morsel to her lips. “All right.” Her brows rose in defiance. “Then tell Mark he can
stay with me tonight.” Robert grinned. “He’d jump at the invite, but no way would I do such a thing to my kid brother.” “I’m that dangerous?” “That you are. And frankly, he couldn’t handle you.” “But you can.” He chuckled. “Not me either.” “I guess not Samuel either.”
“Nope.” He motioned with the fork again. She smiled. “Well, all right then. That leaves Tom and me. Tell him, my listening to the beat of his heart will help lull me to sleep, like yours did last night, when Nicolai made such a racket outside the bedroom.” She ran her fingers over Robert’s chest. “I’d prefer your chest to snuggle against, as I’m familiar with it, but Tom will have to do, if that’s the way you feel about it, Captain.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll let him know you said so. Finished with your food?” She ate another bite. “Yes, thank you.” “Would you like anything else?” She smiled. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Anything more to eat?”
“Hot fudge sundae. I already put my order in earlier.” “All right, be right back.” When he left the room, the scratching at the window grew louder. Could Nicolai hear or sense when she was alone? Was it even Nicolai or someone else who made the awful noise against the glass? Like before, she was drawn to the window to investigate. Was it her hunter instincts? Or the screwy gene that urged her to do
so? Whatever it was, she couldn’t sit still any longer. She had to look into it like a cat had to check out the scratching noises of a mouse. She gingerly climbed out of bed. With her feet planted firmly on the floor, she lumbered over to the window with a stiff stride. With her left hand, she pulled the curtains aside. Then she reached for the wand. The scratching ceased. Did he know she came to see him? Her heart thundered in her chest. If she
could only kill him now she could be free to...to...to what? Being attached to Robert could only cause his undoing, if he was even inclined to want her like that. She twisted the wand, opening the blinds. Nicolai stared at her, his dark eyes piercing hers with desire. He held his hand to the window. His gaze shifted to her injured shoulder. Though the shirt hid the bandages, she imagined he could smell the bloodied wound. Then he looked down at the window latch. He so
wanted to will her to do his bidding. But he couldn’t and a slight bit of satisfaction filled her. She held onto the windowsill, her strength dwindling. Instantly, he placed both hands on the window as if he tried to catch her before she fell. Then she heard footsteps approach down the hall. Robert would be furious with her for wanting to see Nicolai. Forgetting to close the blinds or curtains, she tried to make it back to bed. Halfway there, her
knees buckled. When he stepped into the room, his face reddened. He placed her bowl of ice cream on the bedside table and rushed to her. After lifting her in his arms with a gentle touch, he carried her back to bed. He didn’t say a word, just covered her with the comforter, careful not to hurt her injured shoulder. He kissed her lips softly at first, then pressured her to part them for deeper penetration.
With her free hand, she touched the buttons on his shirt, pulling him closer. He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her until they both had to catch their breaths. Then he nuzzled her forehead with his mouth. “I think I’ve done enough damage tonight.” He turned and stormed across the floor to the window. Nicolai looked from Crystal to Robert, his handsome features turning hard as he glared at his hunter rival. Robert closed the
blinds, then pulled the curtains shut. “I...I’m sorry, Robert.” Turning toward her, his face softened with a half smile. “Don’t be.” “I had to know if it was him. I don’t know why. Part of me wanted to end it tonight.” “In your condition, there’d only be one way it would end.” “Will you sleep with me?”
Robert glanced at the window. “To keep you safe, yes.” He grabbed her bowl of ice cream and sat on the bed. Smiling, he spooned up a scoop. “Ready for your chocolaty dessert?” She couldn’t understand his attitude. Why hadn’t her actions angered him more? “What’s wrong with me, Robert? You must hate me.” “You can’t help the way you are, honey. If I can accept that, you should be able to. Part of me
wanted to know if he’d be bold enough to come here too. But part of me wanted to keep you out of his sight. If he can’t see you, I feel he can’t get to you.” “You’re not safe with me. Kissing me in front of him was the wrong thing to do.” Robert’s smile broadened. “He thinks he’s claimed you...but only a hunter can truly have you. We’ll deal with him later. Enjoy your sundae before it melts.” “Then you’ll join me in bed?”
He glanced back at the window. Worry etched across his wrinkled brow. “Yeah.” She assumed he didn’t trust her to attempt to see Nicolai again if he left the room. “I’ll tell my brothers we’re going to watch a movie.” “And then you have to chase my nightmares away.” He chuckled, tickling her. “I’m not giving them any excuses. I’m
staying with you the night, and that’s that.” “I love it when a man resolves to do what I wanted him to do in the first place.” He laughed. After Crystal finished her ice cream, Robert hesitated to take the bowl back to the kitchen. “I promise, I won’t leave the bed again.” He leaned over, and kissed her
cheek. “I just don’t want you passing out and causing yourself further injury.” “Yes, Robert.” “I’ll be right back. Need anything else?” “Just a movie.” “Right.” He turned on the television then handed her the controller. “I’ll be just a moment. I’ll let my brothers know what’s up.”
She glanced down at his trousers. He grinned at her and yanked one of her curls dangling over her shoulder. “Doesn’t take a mind reader to know what thoughts are going on in that pretty head of yours.” He rose from the bed, then exited the room. Before he returned, Tom knocked on the doorframe. “Yes?”
Tom ran his fingers through the graying hairs at his temples. “Robert said you were looking for someone to chase your nightmares away.” “Yes. Robert finally reluctantly agreed to take the job.” She smoothed the comforter over her lap. “He says you mentioned Mark, but he couldn’t handle you.” She smiled. “Well that was only when Robert seemed
hesitant to help me out.” Tom leaned against the doorframe and stuck his hands in his pockets. “He said you mentioned me.” “Well, Samuel too, but Robert insisted that wouldn’t work either.” Tom’s face brightened. “And then there’s me.” “Yes, well Robert agreed--” Robert slapped his brother on
the shoulder. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her. I’ll take over from here.” She frowned at Robert. “You had Tom serve as security?” “Only so you wouldn’t climb out of bed without one of us helping you.” “If you find she’s too much to handle, let me know, and I’ll take over for you.” Tom winked at Crystal. Her face instantly warmed.
When he left the room, Robert stripped down to navy blue silk boxers. “When I mentioned I was staying in here the night with you, my brothers weren’t much surprised.” Crystal smiled, then closed her eyes. “Well, unfortunately, I think the medicine, injury or something has suddenly made me tired.” He climbed under the covers, then pulled her close. “Too tired to watch the movie?” She nestled her head against
his silky skin. “Watch whatever you’d like. It covers up the sound of Nicolai’s scratching. I just wanted to hear the sound of your heart beating, smell that delectable woodsy scent of yours, and feel your hard body beneath mine.” “You talk much more like that, and it’ll get much harder.” She chuckled. After leaning down, he kissed the top of her head. His hand stroked her back. The sensation
warmed her through and through. She sighed deeply and snuggled with him more. “We’re not sure you’ll be completely healed by tomorrow, Crystal. My brothers talked about searching for Nicolai’s house again, but we can’t leave you home alone and we don’t want to split up our forces.” “I’ll go with you.” “You might not be able to use your arm yet. I can’t allow you to be injured further.”
“I’ll stay in the vehicle. Then I won’t be far away and if you need my help, you can just whistle.” He chuckled. “I don’t whistle.” “Never? Comes in handy if you own a dog.” His arm tightened around her waist. “Hmm, that’s an idea. I could get you a guard dog.” She yawned. “Or lots of garlic.”
His hand stroked her hip, the silky shirt sliding with the motion. “The lasagna was loaded with it.” “Hmmm, that’s what made it soooo good.” She shifted her leg over his. He reached over and ran his hand over her bare skin. “Hmmm, honey, you shouldn’t be so mean to me. Getting me all worked up, but you’re too injured to do anything about it.”
Her laugh deepened. *** About ten the next morning, Crystal opened her eyes and found Robert gone. She sat up quickly, relieved her senses had returned to normal. No dizziness, no spiraling head like a washing machine in the middle of its spin cycle. She climbed out of bed, still careful not to use her right arm. The ache had disappeared, but only if she didn’t move it. She gritted her teeth and tried
to move her injured arm slightly back and forth. Happily, the excruciating pain had gone. Only a soreness and stiffness remained. Another reason to be grateful for being a huntress and not a human. With the right motivation, she figured she could wield the sword again this morning. She headed for the bathroom, a shower, and a totally fresh outlook on life. Time to put an end to Nicolai’s stalking. When she had dressed in a
black spandex shirt and a fresh pair of black jeans, she headed out of the room. The house remained surprisingly quiet. The men couldn’t be asleep still. And where was Robert? She stepped into the living room. Not a sign of anyone. And no indication that the brothers had made the room their bedroom for the night either. She strode to the kitchen. Not a dirty dish, not a speck of mess anywhere. If Robert and his brothers had left her behind,
she’d...she’d... Her head pounded with the tension building up there. With her left hand, she yanked the door open to the garage. The white convertible sat in the garage. She hurried to the front window. Jerking the curtains open, she saw Tom’s SUV had vanished. Theyhad left without her. Now she was really pissed. She paced across the floor, her
arms folded. She rubbed her tender shoulder for a moment, then headed for the umbrella rack. There, her favorite new weapon sat. The loaded cane. She grabbed it, then headed for the garage. Keys. She didn’t have his car keys. Damn. Pausing, she stared into the kitchen. He’d have a spare. But where would he keep it? She stepped into the kitchen and yanked the drawers open. No keys. She dashed back into the
office. Searching through his desk and file cabinet revealed no sign of them. After returning to his bedroom, she yanked at the drawers to the bedside tables. In one, she found a set of keys. The label attached to the brass key ring indicated they were the spare set to his car. A slight smile crept across her face, though her cheeks had to be blistering red and her stomach broiled in anger that they’d left her behind.
She rushed through the house and retrieved the cane before she entered the garage. When she pulled the car out of the garage, she noticed a small black car parked curbside halfway down the block. Her skin instantly crawled with anxiety. And yet, she couldn’t tell if anyone sat in the car, its windows were so darkly tinted. The vehicle’s headlights turned on as its engine switched on with a roar. She hesitated. The
car drove past Robert’s house at a crawl. Was the driver a human host? Did the host want her to follow him like Kostya had the first time? Or was the driver just a harmless visitor to the neighborhood? She backed down the driveway, then turned in the direction of the black car. He paused down the street, the brake lights reflecting off the black asphalt. He waited for her. As she grew closer, he drove off.
She pulled the convertible to a dead stop. For weeks she’d had to deal with the vampires on her own. So what was so different now? She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. The black car pulled to the curb again and parked. Which vampire’s lair did he intend to take her to? Nicolai’s? Had to be. And what would she find waiting for her there until he woke?
Yet, a twinge of guilt tugged at her heart. She owed it to Robert to let him know where she’d gone. Just like he’d let her know. Yep. She slipped her foot from the brake to the gas pedal. As she drew nearer the black car, he pulled out again. Just like Kostya, he ensured he didn’t lose her on the back roads. They ended up on the main artery shooting down from Dallas to San Antonio and then headed north. Where in the world was he taking her?
He slowed at an off ramp. Tulenberg. She followed the car down the main street, then into a warehouse district. Not a home this time? Nicolai couldn’t be sleeping in a crate. The black car pulled up to a warehouse door cut into the redbrick building. It rolled open, and he drove in. She parked the car across the street. No way was she taking her car inside there. She wanted a fast getaway should she need one. She chewed on her lip. For a
moment she wished Robert and his brothers accompanied her. But then again, they didn’t want her to be with them. Alone was the only way she could ever work. She only hoped none of the hosts were armed this time. She really hated injuring them. They couldn’t help that they could so easily be controlled by the bloodsuckers. She pushed the car door open, then reached back inside and grasped the cane. With a deep breath, she shut the door and darted across the empty street.
The brick building filled a block square. High above, black paint covered a row of windows. She walked up the gray sidewalk toward the building. The adrenaline racing through her body readied her to face her next challenge. When she reached the open doorway, she peered inside. Crates reached fifteen feet high forming a maze of wooden walls. She counted twenty male hosts watching her from
scattered positions in the building. Even with her superior strength, an overwhelming number of male hosts could still overpower her. If she could see as many as twenty, how many more hid behind the wood-slatted walls? “I came to see Nicolai.” Her voice demanded with authority as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. One of the men motioned toward a makeshift hall.
This was a mistake. She backed out of the doorway, her cane ready to do battle. Doors slammed to a vehicle parked curbside across the street, one, two, three, and four. Running footsteps approaching her made her whip around to face the new threat. Seeing Robert and his brothers dashing toward her, filled her with a wash of relief. Robert grabbed her arm, to her
annoyance, and pushed her toward the car. “Wait for us in the vehicle, or return to my house.” Without another word, he and his brothers darted into the building before the hosts could shut the warehouse door. Crystal followed behind them and when the men fought the onslaught of hosts, she dashed down the hallway she’d been directed toward initially. The blood pounded in her ears as she crept down the narrow
passage, crates stacked ten feet high. Her boots kicked up packing straw scattered on the cement floor when she headed first right, then left, then straight ahead. The hallway suddenly dead-ended. “Now!” a male shouted. Looking up, she saw five hosts spreading a fishing net ten feet above her head. Before she could avoid it, two hosts blocked her exit from the passage.
She pulled out the sword and slashed at the web of hemp mesh covering her. “Grab her!” “Not the way she’s swinging that sword.” She sliced through a section and freed herself, then pointed the sword at the two men. “Back out of here and I won’t hurt you.” When they didn’t move, she
sheathed the sword in the cane, then swung it at the older of the hosts nearest her. She struck his shoulder with such force, he cried out, and dropped to his knees. “Where’s Nicolai?” “He’s not here. He’s never to be disturbed during the day...ever.” “He disturbs my sleep. I’ll disturb his back.” She swung the cane back and forth and the younger man backed down the
hall. “Whose lair is this?” “No one’s here right now. We were to bring you here, then take you to see Nicolai afterwards.” “Once I was unable to harm him. Is he that afraid of me?” “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go to him, before he loses patience with you.” “Take me to him, now.” “I can’t.”
She poked the cane at his chest. “Why not?” “None of us know where he sleeps, except for those who are with him.” “So call those who are with him and tell him you’ve caught me. Then ask where you’re to take me.” “The vampires can read my mind. If one told Nicolai you were caught, and he discovered you weren’t, I’d be a dead man.”
“Living as a human host...you already are.” The sound of a vampire screaming in its death throes made her raise her brows at the man. “No vampires are sleeping here?” She poked at him again, encouraging him to move faster. He turned and ran. She dashed after him, finally exiting the makeshift hall. Robert and his brothers had resorted to killing the human
hosts, through no choice of their own. Two vampires lay dead. Were there more? Two hosts headed for her as soon as they caught sight of her. She ran for the outer wall and the wooden ladder that would allow her to climb up the crates...and give her access to the blackened windows. But as soon as she climbed four feet off the cement floor, a host yanked at the ladder trying to unbalance her. She jumped to a crate, then began the climb to the next.
“Get her!” Panic laced the man’s words and spurred her on. They assumed she’d let the sunlight into the building, meaning, more vampires slept in the warehouse. By the time she reached the first window, three hosts had made it to a crate just below where she stood. She raised her cane to strike the glass pane. A flapping sound behind her stilled her heart.
“Crystal! Behind you!” Robert yelled from the base of the crates.
Chapter 13 Crystal twirled ballet-style and swung her cane. The dark-haired male vampire stood behind her on top of the wooden crates, only feet from the blackened windows of the warehouse. Before he could react, the cane struck his shoulder and knocked him into the glass. With a crash, he fell through the shattered windowpane
outside into the sun-drenched street. His scream ceased abruptly when he turned to ashes. The remains floated to earth like large gray snowflakes. She glanced down at the hosts who stood momentarily paralyzed on the crate below her. Then she stormed to the next window and struck it with the cane. The glass crackled and crumbled letting in more sunlight. Her hands shimmered with sprinkles of glass that glittered in the light.
Another vampire screamed below when Robert struck it once, then twice, the second time cleaving the vampire’s head from his body, momentarily distracting Crystal. Two of the hosts scrambled atop the crate she stood on, instantly garnering her attention. She struck another window before they reached her. Then she turned to face them. Her boots crunched on glass shards as she spread her feet slightly apart, preparing for their attack. The
adrenaline coursed through her blood. Her breath came quickly. She was ready to fight them if they pushed her. Still, she had to try to dissuade them. “Long ways down, boys. Back off and I won’t have to hurt you.” They ignored her and drew closer. She swung her cane and struck the one in the shoulder so hard he screamed out and dove to his face on the top of the wooden crate to avoid being hit again.
The next bared his teeth at her. The canines only extended slightly. His green eyes glared at her like burning embers ready to devour her in a burst of flame. The vampires had turned him in part. This one was a weak vampire, but if left to feed off more humans, he’d become as powerful as Nicolai some day. Could he fly if she knocked him off the crates? Or was he too recently turned? Would he fall to his death instead like any normal human?
The sunlight from the windows poked inside, but not far enough for her to draw him into it. When he lunged at her, she dodged toward the sliver of light. With darkened eyes he considered the rays. Then he shifted his attention to her eyes. It didn’t matter to the vampires that she was a huntress. Their natural instinct was to attempt to will her to do their bidding. “If you wish me to step away from the sunlight, I won’t do it,”
she cautioned. Another host joined the vampire. He bared his baby canines at her too. Were the others turned also? She hollered down to Robert, “These hosts have been newly turned.” “We know, Crystal. Why do you think we’re killing them?” His breath came in spurts as his sword struck another. That’s why Robert and his
brothers had been killing the hosts...the men were no longer hosts, but weaker vampires, blood bonded. She pursed her lips. “If you’ll go quietly with us, we won’t hurt you,” the blue-eyed vampire said. His eyes bore into hers. “Would you take me to see Nicolai now?” He turned to the other who nodded.
“We’ll take you to him.” “You can’t. Not until the sun sets. If you were a host, you could take me to his...home now.” The blue-eyed vampire’s mouth dropped open. “He’s awake.” The words slipped off his tongue...a mistake, most likely due to his being so newly turned. Vampires relayed their messages to one another secretly through mental telepathy. If this
vampire knew Nicolai was awake, he had to be nearby. But then again, the new vampire in turn would have relayed the message to Nicolai that he had Crystal within his reach at the warehouse. Nicolai couldn’t come for her, not yet. But he’d undoubtedly send reinforcements. “I’ll take you to him.” The blue-eyed vampire stretched his hand out. “You can’t transport me to any place but somewhere inside this
warehouse. Not until the sun goes down.” When he stepped closer, she pulled the sword free and lunged forward, jabbing him in the heart. The other vampire charged her before she freed her sword. He ran into her body, shoving her against the brick wall dividing the windowpanes. She quickly grabbed his shoulders and swung her right leg behind his. When she pushed him back, he lost his balance and fell backwards into the enlarged
block of sun illuminating the crates. The sunlight seared his skin, then turned him into a heap of clothed ashes. No time for remorse or feelings. She and the other hunters had to leave before other hosts arrived. But first, she’d destroy the rest of the windows in the warehouse that she could reach. She retrieved her sword from the dead body of the other vampire, then picked up her cane. “Nicolai’s awake nearby,
Robert. One of the vampires let it slip.” Robert and his brothers still fought off the vampire fledglings. Tom dodged the blow of a pipe wielded by one of them and yelled, “We’ve got to get her out of here, now!” Robert yelled, “Come join us, Crystal!” “I will. Let me just get the rest of these windows.” With no hosts or vampires to stop her, she ran along the top of the crates and
struck the remaining unbroken, blackened windows with her cane. The screech of tires caught her attention. Her skin grew clammy as the late model black hearse slammed on its brakes in the warehouse. “Crystal, get down from there, now!” Robert hollered, the panic in his voice evident. God, if Nicolai rode in the hearse, he could... Suddenly he appeared before her on the top of the wooden
crate. Transport himself. Dark circles shaded the white skin beneath his eyes and the whites of his eyes were tinged red. She dashed for the sunlight and stood in its protective arms. A black robe, cinched at the waist, hid whatever garment he wore beneath it, and his feet were bare. His hair hung loosely over his shoulders, uncombed but shiny. Evidently, he’d come for her in a hurry. “Crystal!” Robert cried out. He bolted for the ladder and began
the climb up. “I’m fine, Robert! He can’t get to me!” Dread bunched in knots in her stomach. Robert had to heed her warning. “Robert, no!” Tom yelled, his voice deep and troubled. She wanted to scream at Robert, shake him, make him understand he put both of them in further peril with his heroic actions. Nicolai extended his hand to
Crystal. “Come to me, my love, or the hunter dies.” His voice demanded her obedience. “Return to your brothers, Robert! He can’t reach me, nor can he get to you if the four of you stick together!” God, why wouldn’t he listen to her? Nicolai’s eyes pierced her with a penetrating command. “Come to me, before it’s too late for him. He doesn’t trust you to stay away from me.” His lips turned up. “Nor would I, if I were in his shoes.”
“Robert, go back!” Crystal’s eyes blurred with tears. Robert was forcing her to go to Nicolai by putting himself in harm’s way. Couldn’t he see what he was doing to her? She whipped the sword out of the cane. Unless Robert distracted Nicolai, she’d never strike the vampire with her sword in time. Not as strong as he was. And if Robert didn’t stay with his brothers with his hands free to fight, Nicolai could easily... “One last chance.” Nicolai’s
words were spoken ominously. If she didn’t obey him now... The ladder creaked as Robert climbed up it, drawing closer every second. Nicolai watched her, but she could tell by the way he turned his head slightly toward Robert, he monitored the hunter’s progress with his sensitive hearing, calculating the precise moment when he would attack the defenseless hunter. But just as she had difficulty in her heart with fighting the vampire, Robert had the same
amount of turmoil in breaking off the attack. He was determined to protect her, no matter what. The thought would have consoled her some other time, under different circumstances. Giving herself freely to a vampire wasn’t a choice she thought she’d ever have to make. She gulped back the tears when Nicolai stepped backwards to the edge of the crate and peered down. He glanced back at her. “Now, Crystal! Come to me!” She stepped out of the
sunlight, but stood with her heels on the border. She prayed Robert would have sense enough to back down and rejoin his brothers before it was too late for the both of them. If she lunged at Nicolai, he’d easily sidestep her action as far as she stood from him. Then he’d grab her. Once his hand held any part of her body... “Come closer.” Nicolai’s voice commanded and pleaded at the same time, but she knew he’d kill Robert if she didn’t obey Nicolai.
With a deep breath, she blinked her eyes, swallowed hard, and took a step closer. If she moved much farther from the sunlight, she’d be his. The notion wrenched at her insides. “Drop the sword.” She let it slip from her hand. It fell with a clang on the wooden crate. At his mercy now, her shoulders sagged in defeat. “He dies if you don’t come farther away from the sunlight. You know I’ll kill him.”
He would. Robert remained his competition, the only hunter who would fight for her life after her family abandoned her. Robert would continue to be an obstacle to Nicolai, until the vampire ended the hunter’s life. She faltered to move away from the sun’s rays as Nicolai commanded. For the moment, if she did as he asked, Nicolai would take her away and leave Robert alone. With a heavy heart, she took
another step forward. Before she had time to think of her action, Nicolai swooped in front of her and grabbed her wrist. He transported her to some place dark and confining. Her chest constricted as she fought screaming out in terror. He kissed her cheek. “Comfortable?” He rested on top of her, his body suffocating her. His breathing grew more rushed as he nuzzled his face against hers pushing it aside so he could get to her neck. “Slightly confining
and a bit difficult to do much of anything, but it’ll suffice until we return to my place.” He touched his mouth to the corner of hers. “I can’t breathe,” she managed to squeak out. “Oh, my God, Nicolai.” Tears streaked her cheeks. “I can’t breathe.” “There’s plenty of ventilation in here.” She couldn’t stem the worst attack of claustrophobia she’d ever had as her fingers touched the silk-lined, padded coffin. Her
heart pounded as she gasped for air. “Please, let me out of here.” “I never thought I’d hear you beg for anything, my love.” Her breath came rapidly. “Nicolai, please.” Her mouth, arms and legs tingled as they grew numb. Robert and his brothers’ muffled shouts drew closer to where she was, distracting her momentarily. They came for her. They tried to save her.
Then the hearse screeched backwards in a hasty retreat. She closed her eyes, her stomach churning as if she rode on a roller coaster when the hearse twisted and turned, then dove forward. The tires squealed in angry response. Could Robert and his brothers rescue her before it was too late? The sinking feeling they wouldn’t manage in time, filled her with hopelessness. Nicolai’s hand stroked her cheeks. “If I could, I’d make you sleep. Close your eyes and we’ll be there in a little while. Pretend
you’re with me in my king-sized bed.” Her panic spiraled into unreasonable fear. Being confined in a dark coffin underneath a bloodsucker, paralyzed her. “Let me out, please.” She choked on the words and squirmed beneath him, but even that caused her fear to escalate. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. He rested his face next to hers. “Sleep, my love.” His breathing grew shallow. He was falling
asleep on top of her? She would have screamed, if she could have gotten enough breath to do so. She calmed her breathing and attempted to open a wrist blade, to no avail. With her hands pinned beside her thighs and no room to maneuver, she couldn’t do a blasted thing to help herself. Why had Robert come to rescue her? Her face heated with anger. If he’d stayed with his brothers and she’d stayed in the
sunlight...well, until the sun faded. Damn. Now she was Nicolai’s and unless she came up with one miracle of a plan, she’d be in a world of hurt. She tried to wriggle her arm free. If she could shove the top to the coffin open and get some more air...Nicolai reached back and held her hand still. “Lie still.” His words were said in an authoritative, grumpy manner. He hadn’t had enough sleep, and she was annoying him. He slipped his hand between
their waists and tugged at the belt to his robe. Her throat grew dry. “The knot is burrowing into my stomach. Is it not the same for you?” She hadn’t noticed, not with everything else that concerned her at the moment. But now that he mentioned it, a hard bulge poked her in the stomach, only she didn’t think it was the knot in his belt. And once he pulled his tie aside, the hardness remained.
He brushed her hair aside and kissed her neck. She shouldn’t have awakened him. Now she was in real trouble. His tongue touched her neck, sending a chill down her spine. She shivered. His lips curved up against her mouth. “I’m a night person, Crystal. You’ll find I’m much better at this in the evening hours. But if you keep disturbing my sleep, I’ll have to appease you now.”
She choked out a response. “I’m sorry, Nicolai. Go to sleep.” He chuckled, the throaty sound deep, dark and deadly. If he made love to her, the hunters would have no choice but to kill her. No way could they allow her to carry a vampire in her womb, nor would they trust her to be a loyal huntress. Too dark to see anything in the coffin, her fear elevated as his breathing grew rapid again. He combed his fingers through her
hair while he kissed her neck. And then the softness of his mouth against her skin turned to something hard. His teeth? God, he was going to bite her. Her skin freckled with perspiration and she squirmed against him. Panic filled her again. A nice bedtime snack? Even if he couldn’t turn her, if any hunter found her with bite marks in her neck, she was doomed. Suddenly, the car’s tires screeched and men’s voices yelled out in panic. She steeled
her back while she concentrated on the sounds outside of the coffin. Nicolai hissed and squeezed her body hard. His actions warned her she was in trouble. If they crashed, he’d survive, but she might not. The coffin slid forward and hit the seats in front, then slid back and banged against the car door. Nicolai gripped her shoulders firmly as if he feared he’d lose her any second. The brakes
squealed. The vehicle slammed into something like a wrecking ball smashed into a brick wall. A resounding crash filled the air. Metal ground against metal and panicked male voices shouted. The vehicle teetered back and forth, then flew forward. Again an explosive crash followed. For several seconds the hearse rocked back and forth like a boat on troubled seas. Crystal’s heart pounded in her throat. Nicolai continued to grasp her with a stranglehold.
“Master!” Nicolai grumbled something under his breath. Then he shoved the coffin lid off. He never said a word, but slipped out of the coffin, then pulled Crystal from it. The dim light in the hearse from the darkly tinted windows gave her a momentary sense of relief. But it was at once squashed when the hearse sank into the darkness of a swiftly flowing river. “Yes, master,” one of the hosts
said who seized her arm. Undoubtedly the hosts had kept him informed of what was happening through telepathy. He pulled her into the front seat of the vehicle. Water filled the inside of the hearse at an alarming rate as it drifted toward the bottom. Claustrophobia seized her all over again. Once enough of the inside was filled with water, the pressure stabilized. The host opened the door. Crystal looked back, but
couldn’t see any sign of Nicolai. Had he returned to his coffin? The host grabbed her arm, then pulled her from the vehicle. The cold water chilled her instantly while she held her breath and fought her way to the surface. Being stronger, she dragged him halfway up. When their heads bobbed to the surface, he released her and swam away. Every man for himself. But she was relieved because dragging him was like carrying a sack of wet cement.
The current pulled her sideways and though she headed for the shore, the water continued to push her downstream. Why had the hearse crashed into the water? Pine trees and oaks lined every bit of the shoreline and she couldn’t figure out how they’d ended up in the water. After she dragged herself onto the shore, she looked back. A twisted metal railing dangled precariously over the side of the bridge crossing the river. She raised her brows.
They’d flown through that? Thank goodness for inattentive host drivers. Then she stood up straighter and squinted her eyes. A white convertible and SUV drove slowly onto the bridge, then stopped. Her heart leapt in her chest. Robert and his brothers! “Oh, oh!” Crystal jumped up and down, waving at them. The brothers all piled out of the cars and looked into the water. She ran along the tree-lined shore, sometimes having to step into the
water to get around the branches. “Robert!” She continued to run and shout, stumbling over exposed tree roots, and tripping over rocks. “Robert!” They couldn’t leave her behind now. But they didn’t seem to either hear or see her. “Robert!” The men continued to point at the river and stare into its dark depths. She must have been a mile downstream still. And trying to
get through the forested riverbank slowed her down too much. Her voice grew hoarse with her screams. They had to see her. She glanced at the broiling water. Nicolai couldn’t drown, that’s why he stayed with the hearse and made the host take her to the surface for air. But when it grew dark, Nicolai would come for her again once they retrieved the hearse from the river. Panic filled her as she
attempted to reach the bridge. If Robert and his brothers drove off now, she was sure she’d never make it to Robert’s home safely. She turned her attention to the bridge. “Robert!” At the rustling of the pine’s thick, needled branches, she jerked her gaze upwards. The sight of three hosts, their hair and clothes soaking wet, stole her breath away. They shoved branches aside and headed straight for her.
Chapter 14 Something splashed into the river downstream, catching Robert’s eye. His heart dropped. “Down there!” he shouted to his brothers. “Damn, hosts...must be!” Mark ran for the high-powered rifles. “There!” Robert shouted as the
men headed toward someone swimming in the river. “It’s got to be Crystal.” “We can’t get there with the vehicles,” Tom said. “There’s no road.” Robert shook his head. “Just use the tranquilizer darts on the hosts. I’ll get Crystal.” He dashed to the end of the bridge then down the hill. Running along the edge of the water, his heart beat out of control. The two rifles fired, the
shots sounding like firecrackers on the Fourth of July. Two of the hosts collapsed on the riverbank. The third host paddled out to Crystal as she attempted to swim against the push of the river. “Crystal!” Robert shouted. But she didn’t seem to hear him over the flow of the river. He broke branches and slogged through the water at the edge of the riverbank to make headway. Gunfire popped in the air again. The lone host swam for shore, crept onto the bank, then
collapsed. Robert attempted to slow his rapid breathing, fearing she’d drown in the river before he ever reached her. “Crystal!” When he reached the halfway mark to her location, she looked up from her struggle in the turbulent river and saw him. Her face brightened with a smile, instantly tugging at his heartstrings, and bolstering him. She dragged herself to the shore. With her energy spent, she
collapsed under the trees. His own adrenaline surged to an all time high as he half-waded, half ran to her, slapping the needled evergreen’s branches out of his way. Yet his thoughts shifted that bloodsucker, Nicolai. What had he done to her in the time he’d been alone with her in the hearse? Robert’s neck muscles tightened and his throat constricted. He had to force the dark thoughts from his mind. Her safety remained tantamount.
When he reached her, she held her hand up to him and smiled. “Thank God you’re all right, Robert.” He lifted her in his arms and kissed her cheek. She’d worried about him! His heart soared with the notion. Here it was she who was the one in so much danger. Her body was warm and wet and alive. He never wanted to let go of her, ever. “We had a devil of a time chasing the hearse. By the time we jumped into our vehicles, we lost track of them. We were lucky to find them
again.” He carried her toward the bridge slowly, trying not to get them tangled in the web of branches stretching out to the river. He hugged her tighter. “Are you all right, honey?” She snuggled against his chest. “Yes, if you hold me tight like this.” He had to know. Had Nicolai... Robert glanced up at the bridge. Samuel and Mark still held their rifles at the ready, just in case
more hosts arrived. He imagined his brothers wore frowns and were as concerned as he was about what had happened between Nicolai and Crystal. She took a deep breath and spoke firmly, “He didn’t get to me, Robert.” He looked down at her face. She smiled half-heartedly...totally angelic. Relief flooded his system all at once giving him a burst of renewed energy. Thank God. But they weren’t out of danger yet.
He squeezed her against his chest. “We’ve got to...” He choked slightly on the words. He couldn’t believe how much the thought of losing her had gotten to him. “We’ve got to get you out of here. My brothers and I agreed. If we leave and Nicolai follows, he most likely wouldn’t bring his whole family to try to take you back. You’d be safer with us in Oklahoma.” “I have to kill him here, Robert. You know we’d never
make it to your home in Oklahoma before it got dark. They’d ambush us on the road, and rip the car apart to get me back. He’s not giving up.” After another twenty minutes, they nearly reached the bridge. She insisted he put her down so she could climb the hill. “Your brothers will think I’m an invalid, which I’m not.” Her words were spoken vehemently, making him smile. “Of course you’re not.” He let her down, but when she
stumbled over the rocky terrain, he seized her arm and helped her up the hill. Her mind told her she was superwoman, but her body was worn out, her legs most likely wearied from the swim. And he would have carried her from here to eternity to keep her safe. When they reached the bridge, Robert’s brothers waited for them there. All three appeared anxious. Mark motioned for them to hurry. Samuel still watched for hosts, his weapon ready, while Tom’s brows furrowed as he
reached for Crystal’s arm. “Let’s get her out of here,” Tom said. “Most likely other hosts have been alerted to come for Nicolai, and ultimately Crystal too.” Robert grabbed her up in his arms again and ran for the car. Samuel bolted for the driver’s side of Robert’s convertible while Tom and Mark headed for the SUV. When Robert had her safely buckled in the back seat, he
climbed in with her. “Go, Samuel!” Samuel hit the gas pedal and followed Tom in the SUV. Robert wrapped his arm around Crystal. “How did you know I ended up at the warehouse?” she asked. The convertible veered off onto another road, matching Tom’s speed and maneuvers. Robert kissed her wet head. “We left the house, knowing a host
would tail us. He was good. It took us a while to lose him. Then after we ditched him, we headed back to the house. Fortunately, you slept long enough for us to return before you left.” “You tailed me?” “We knew you wouldn’t stay put. And we assumed they’d lead you to another one of their lairs. Of course we were hoping it would be Nicolai’s and we’d nail the bastard.” “You used me as a decoy?”
Her voice was slightly raised. He cleared his throat. “Tom wouldn’t agree to letting you go with us. And we figured they wouldn’t lead four male hunters to one of their lairs. We’d hoped they’d take you to Nicolai if you were alone and we’d kill him.” Crystal stared out the window. Hunters shut off their emotions whenever necessary. If the mission warranted, she was expendable. No doubt about it. But she couldn’t shut off her emotions. And right now, her
cheeks burned with anger. She attempted to cool her feelings. “Okay, then, after everyone eats and has a rest, we’ll do it again.” “They’ll be expecting it. We have to have another plan.” “So, what’s the next plan?” “We want to meet with the head of your family.” The notion they wanted to meet with her family caused chills to trail down her skin. “Why?”
“It’s only common courtesy to let the hunters in the area know we’re here on business.” “That’s the only reason?” She didn’t believe it for one minute. When Robert didn’t respond, Crystal stared at him. “What’s going on, Robert?” He avoided looking at her while he ran his fingers over her arm, the skin thrilling with his touch.
She took a deep breath. “When you get this audience with my Uncle Max, what do you propose thatI do?” Robert glanced at her. She raised her brows. “I’m banished from the family. I’m not permitted to see any of them and they’re not permitted to have anything to do with me.” He looked back at the road and furrowed his brow. “I’d intended for you to accompany us. Tom, being the eldest of my family
represented here, would speak. But I hadn’t planned on you staying behind.” She shook her head. “Can’t be done. My brothers and I have met on the sly a few times in the last four years. But they could be as ostracized as me if any were to find out they had broken the rules.” A black pickup eased in between Tom’s SUV and Robert’s convertible. Crystal glanced back. A black SUV followed close behind them.
Suddenly, Tom slowed his SUV onto the shoulder and parked. The black pickup passed by them. A man opened his window and poked the barrel of a rifle outside. But just as quickly, Tom opened fire on them. Gunshots popped in the air. The pickup’s tires collapsed and it veered into the ditch then flipped over on its top.
Samuel drove past Tom’s SUV. The windows were open, and Mark and Tom readied sniper rifles at the SUV pursuing the convertible. More gunshots penetrated the air. The black SUV dove for Tom’s vehicle, like a crippled shark headed for its attacker, intent on revenge. Tom gunned the gas and pulled in behind Robert’s car. Crystal took a deep breath. “He disabled their vehicles.”
“Yep, the TP maneuver. Tom developed it back home. We’ve used it successfully a couple of times before.” “Great teamwork.” She twisted her head around to see smoke rising from the black SUV’s engine. The tires were blown on the right hand side of the vehicle. It leaned precariously to the side like a ship that had lost its ballast. She smiled. Hunting with Robert’s brothers came in handy. When they arrived at his
home, Robert and Crystal proceeded to his bedroom. “Go ahead and take a shower to rinse off the muddy river water in here, Crystal. I’ll use the other bathroom.” “Won’t the water get cold if we both shower in separate bathtubs at the same time?” He smiled. “All right, then you take yours first, and I’ll go afterwards.” “Are you afraid of me, Robert?”
He raised his brows and smiled. His eyes darkened as he reached up and held her face in his hands. “You, I’m not afraid of. Losing you, I am.” “I want you to make love to me, beforehe does.” Her words were spoken with much more authority than she intended to use. The thought Nicolai could have so easily violated her body, when no man had ever made love to her before was worst than anything she could imagine.
Robert’s face turned gloomy as his brow wrinkled. “I won’t let him get that close to you again.” “Fine. But make love to me. Show him you’re the one I want, not him.” “I’m afraid if I do, Crystal, he’ll know, and kill you outright the next chance he has. You’re...well, you’re ripe for the taking. He most likely knows it. If I impregnate you--” She frowned at him. “How would he know?”
“Their senses are highly attuned. Maybe he wouldn’t, but I don’t want to risk it, not until he’s dead.” “How do you know that I’m...I’m--” “Ripe?” He smiled and slid his hand underneath her shirt then touched her abdomen. Her nipples tightened in anticipation that his large, warm hands would move to her breasts next. “All hunters can tell. It’s important that we do, to keep our species thriving. Didn’t you know this?”
She shook her head, annoyed that as usual, she’d been kept in the dark by her family. “No one ever bothered to tell me. I guess no one ever thought I’d have a hunter interested in me.” He slipped his hand out from under her shirt, frustrating her all at once. She pulled away from him, having no intention of begging for his love. “All right. If that’s the way you want it.” She took a step toward the bathroom.
“That’s not the way I want it.” He grabbed her arm and twisted her around to face him. His voice was deep, sensuous, and full of longing. She smiled. “Then share a shower with me. Just...a shower.” He reached back and closed the bedroom door, then yanked off his shirt. “And what if I can’t stop atjust ...a shower?” Chuckling, she slipped her
shirt over her head, and dropped it on the floor. She slid her fingers underneath the straps of her black lace bra, his eyes riveted to her breasts. “Then we have a real problem.” A knocking at the door made Crystal dash into the bathroom, then she peeked out to see what was wrong. Robert opened the bedroom door. “What, Tom?” he asked, irritation dripping from his words. She was certain he figured big brother would try to
talk him out of whatever he was going to do next with the enchantress. And she was ready to tell Tom off. Tom’s gaze shifted to Robert’s bare chest. “Seeing how you need to change out of your wet clothes, Samuel wanted to know if you had anything we could fix for lunch.” “Pizzas. Go ahead and shove one in the oven. I’ll be out in a minute.” Crystal ducked back into the
bathroom as Tom’s attention shifted in her direction. Did he wonder what she and Robert were up to next? Tom said, “Remember what we discussed, Robert.” “I remember. I’m just getting a quick shower, and then changed.” “You’d have more willpower than me then.” Robert chuckled. The bedroom door clicked shut, and Crystal
smiled when she turned on the shower. She stripped completely and climbed into the bathtub. Her legs were streaked with mud. She grimaced. She grabbed a bottle of liquid body wash and poured it generously on her hands, then began to lather it up all over her skin. The tea-scented fragrance of roses filled the shower, and she purred with pleasure. And then the thought occurred to her...why would he have a woman’s body wash in his shower? Susan?
Wondering what was taking Robert so long, she peeked out the curtain. He wasn’t in the bathroom. Coward. He wasn’t joining her. Guess he didn’t have any willpower... “You’re not all through, are you?” Robert asked as he stepped into the bathroom, naked. Her gaze shifted down his fit and trim torso. His full arousal beckoned to her and her cheeks grew hot. She looked back up and he smiled. “Came to join you.” He
stepped into the shower, then ran his hands over her soapy skin. “Got any more soap for me, or did you use it all up?” She laughed. “It’s super sudsy...andfeminine .” His ears turned slightly red. He cleared his throat. “Previous owner must have left it behind.” “You mean Susan?” The dimples in his cheeks tickled her. “Well, she can return for her soap, but she’s not getting anything else here. In the
meantime, while she doesn’t need it, there’s plenty more in the bottle.” She reached for the container, but he pulled her in close to his body and rubbed his skin against hers. “I’ll just share some of yours.” He ran his capable warm hands over her breasts and nuzzled his face against hers. “I thought I’d lost you for good,” he whispered, the pain evident in his voice. His touch stirred longings in
her, dangerous desires. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. Trying to get her mind off sex, she ran soap over his back and nodded. “I thought I’d never get myself out of that predicament and never see you again. You can’t know how thrilled I was to catch sight of you trekking along the river’s edge to get me.” He touched every inch of her body, exploring it, sending her hormones into hyper-drive. How could a hunter make her feel so alive all at once? No one had ever
made her feel like he did. Robert had to be the right one for her and yet the notion stabbed at her heart that he would be endangered if he took her in permanently. What if other vampires like Nicolai learned she was different and wanted her too? And what of Robert’s uncle? If he said no to their union, Robert couldn’t become an outcast like her too. She couldn’t allow it. “Robert,” she said cautiously, “I want you to make love to me
with all my heart, but it doesn’t mean I want a commitment from you. I mean, just the contrary.” He smiled broadly. “Yeah, well, all the ladies want that with me.” “Susan.” She wrinkled her brow. “She wants your body.” He laughed. “Yeah, but yours is the only one I truly want.” She rested her head against his chest. “Yes, but after that--”
“You’re worried about my family agreeing. We’ll take it one step at a time.” “But we’ll make love first?” He tilted her chin up. His dark eyes were smoky with desire. If he wasn’t so worried what Nicolai’s reaction would be to Robert making love to her, she was certain, Robert would have already done it. “My family should approve first. With anyone else, it
wouldn’t matter. But with you--” “Yeah, you don’t have to say another word. I’m different.” She couldn’t help that her tone was angry. She was tired of being unloved because she wasn’t the same as other hunters. “That’s what draws me to you, Crystal. I can’t stay away from you and I can’t leave you behind. Tom says he believes it’s because we’re perfectly matched. I’m not giving you up.” She squeezed his buttocks.
“We’d have to always watch our backs, Robert. Your life would be so changed from what it is now. You don’t realize how being cut off from your family--” He kissed her lips to silence her. She wrapped her arms around him and parted her lips. Their tongues touched and tangled. His arousal pulsed against her waist. “We should wait, honey. We should wait until Nicolai’s dead
and my family approves.” She took a deep breath. “All right. If that’s the way you want it.” “Dammit,” he whispered against her ear, “that’s not the way I want it.” He nuzzled his wet cheek against hers. “And you know it.” “Prove it to me then,” she said under her breath, nipping his ear. His hands massaged her breasts, caressing the tips with a
loving touch, pinching, squeezing, brushing them between his fingers and thumbs. “Prove it to me,” she prodded him and ran her hand down his backside, pressing his erection against her. He groaned when she purred against his lips. “Make me yours, hunter.”
Chapter 15 Huntresses were supposed to remain celibate until they found their mate. Once Robert realized Crystal was a huntress, he figured she had to be a virgin. Still because of her unusual
gene, he’d not been certain. Not until she’d said there’d been no one in her life...except one disinterested human male. He’d never really considered being with a virginal huntress before, since he’d planned never to get tangled up with or commit himself to one. The notion both intrigued and concerned him. He’d had his share of noncommittal relationships with human females who only wanted some sexual gratification, no strings attached, just like him. But this was different. Taking a
huntress...well, there was no going back. He’d be responsible for her forever, and she for him...only in this case, because of her genetic differences, he imagined he’d be the one trying to protect her more than the other way around. He wanted her and she desired him just as much. There was no denying the physical or emotional attraction. And he realized somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he’d already claimed her for his own...to keep her close forever.
To love and cherish, like the humans claimed they’d do with the spouse they’d marry, only his actions would be real and permanent. Her hands slipped over his butt, coaxing, spurring him on to take her. Her tongue licked the water dribbling down his neck. His throat constricted. Did he have the willpower to wait? He knew deep in his heart, he needed to get his uncle’s approval. Family meant everything in this business. But
what if his uncle didn’t approve? Robert kissed the hollow of her throat. She raked her nails down his back. He throbbed with need. Every bit of her touching sparked a yearning he could barely contain. In spite of her encouragement, her touch was light, not pushy, maybe a bit unsure. Was she afraid of him? He slipped his hands down her backside and whispered, “It will be forever, honey. Forever. There’s no going back.”
She swallowed hard and nodded. Her blue eyes had darkened like liquid pools, deep and mysterious with unknown bounds. Raw desire stirred his loins. She was innocent and pure. And she was afraid. She shivered. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her close. “What are you afraid of?” “I’m not.” She tried to sound
sure of herself, but her words were unsteady. He smiled. She buried her head against his shoulder. He lifted her chin, and looked into her eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait?” She shook her head. The hot water had turned lukewarm and he feared it would be cold before they finished what
they’d started. He rinsed them both, then turned the water off. Grabbing a towel, he slid it over her breasts, the crowns, eloquent rosy nubs entreating him to suckle them. A banging on the bedroom door forced a groan from his lips. “Your brothers are watching out for your welfare again.” “They’ll be the death of me,” Robert said, his voice strained. He kissed her hard against the
mouth. When he pulled away, she followed his lips. He smiled and this time she moaned her displeasure. Chuckling, he grabbed another towel. “Dry yourself. I’ll be right back.” “I liked the way you dry me better.” He glanced down at her nipples. He grinned and shook his head, not being able to think of a good come back with his brother beating down the door. “Let me take care of my brother and I’ll be right back.”
He wrapped the towel around his waist, and strode to the bedroom door. When he opened it, Tom raised his brows. “Didn’t know you took that long a shower. Pizza’s ready.” “Throw another one on. We’ll be out in a few.” Tom glanced back at the bathroom. “We need to get dressed.”
Tom nodded. “Put another pizza on.” Robert shut the door in his brother’s face. He didn’t need his guff about now. He clicked the lock shut, then turned to face the bathroom. It was now, or never. He took a deep breath. But if she had changed her mind... She peeked out of the bathroom. “Ready?” she whispered.
He chuckled, amused at her tenacity, despite seeming somewhat shy. She wasn’t giving it up. And neither was he. In a couple of quick strides, he reached her. After lifting her towel wrapped body up, he carried her to the bed. “You wouldn’t believe what I was dreaming of the other morning about you.” “Oh?” “You were a warrior woman wearing very little and had bound
my wrists, then intended to have your way with me.” She chuckled, the devilish sound sparking a new surge of desire racing through his body. “And then you found you were really tied up and--” “Yeah, and you know...we had this discussion earlier about getting even.” She grinned at him as he laid her on the bed. He yanked her towel away and tossed it to the floor. She was the most beautiful
specimen of a woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Was it because she was his perfect mate? Her ivory skin glowed kissably soft, and her nipples were hardened nubs waiting for his close-up and very personal inspection. His gaze shifted down to the golden patch of curly hair between her legs. He’d never had a huntress before as they mated for life, and he’d never had a mate. But this one, once he penetrated her, would be his forever. Marriage vows were a human condition. Hunters kept
their vows without needing the court’s approval. He discarded his towel. Her eyes shifted to his erection. Yeah, he was ready for her. Every bit of him, mind, body, and soul. Was she as pleased with the way he looked as much as he was with her? He climbed on top of her and grinned. “You’d kind of stirred me up when we were in this position before.” He ran his hands over her abdomen. “Strong stomach muscles.”
She smiled back at him, then reached for his hands and pulled him against her. He pressed his mouth against hers, planning to slowly build up the passion, allowing her body to ready itself for his penetration, but she quickly parted her lips for him and spread her legs at the same time to his surprise. He shifted his body around so that he was lying between her legs, attempting to control the raging lust that instantly built up in his groin. The sweet agonizing
pressure ached to be released, but he had to control the urge to mount her like some primitive man. Slowly, he told himself. She was a virgin and he had to treat her with respect. Only she wasn’t helping him one iota. She wiggled to get higher so he could enter her. When she tried to push him lower, he grabbed her wrists and kissed her hands. “Are you in a rush?” he whispered, a grin stretching across his face in amusement.
“Yes, hurry, before your brothers come banging on the door again.” He chuckled. But he was doing it his way. Slowly, like it should be done the first time. He licked her nipple and she shivered in response. When he sucked the nub, she moaned and wriggled her hips again trying to work her way onto his erection. He had to fight the urge to laugh. If she kept squirming underneath him, he’d never make
it inside of her without spilling his seed first all over the bed. He reached down and inserted two fingers inside her. She was hot and wet, fully lubricated. She was ready to receive him...well, physically, but he wasn’t sure she was emotionally. She writhed against his fingers and he couldn’t wait. He kissed her mouth again, and ran his fingers between her legs, rubbing, caressing, making her moan his name against his lips.
Her body was covered in a light perspiration, smelling like the rose soap they’d washed in, and she moved like a sexual goddess to his touch. When she cried out in total exhilaration, he slipped his arousal between her legs. She gasped and he eased out. She was so tight and her inner muscles pulsated from the orgasm. He worried he’d been too quick in trying to penetrate her. She grabbed his buttocks, encouraging him to slide into her
again. When he did, she thrust her hips, meeting his own movement, move for move. She bent her legs and arched her back, trying to get him as far inside her as she could. The feeling of her wanting him that much sent a new surge of burning heat through his system. With her running her fingers down his arms and back, and the movement of her soft body beneath his, he couldn’t hold back for long. With a couple of more decisive thrusts, he spoke her name in a satiated growl. His
seed filled her womb. The huntress was now his. No other could ever claim her. Deeply satisfied, he felt at one with her....a part of him that had never been whole was now complete. Still throbbing deep inside her, he wrapped his arms around her and held tight. No matter what, he’d protect her, for now and forever. She held him back and sighed. They were mated for life. A pounding on the door
followed. Crystal chuckled. He kissed her mouth. “Go ahead and get dressed and we’ll eat. We need to contact your family next.” “Thank you.” He nuzzled her face. “I love you, Crystal. You have family again...even if it turns out to only be me.” Her eyes misted. He pressed his lips to her
mouth again. “It’s a choice I made freely. Don’t fret.” She nodded. Reluctantly, he separated from her. He wanted to stay with her in bed the rest of the day and night, making wild and passionate love. But Nicolai was still a very real threat. Robert had to kill the bloodsucker before he got his hands on Crystal again. He seized a t-shirt and boxers out of the dresser. He yanked on his clothes, then grabbed a pair of jeans out of the closet. Taking a
deep breath, he turned to smile at her, his gut churning with worry that Nicolai might still get to her. “As soon as you’re dressed, join us.” “I love you too, Robert.” He grinned at her, then crossed the floor and kissed her mouth again. “I could kind of tell. I still think the rabbit fur bikini on you will be awfully enticing.” “Rabbit fur?” “Yeah, that’s what you were
wearing in my dream this morning.” Crystal laughed, glad he could joke about her tying him up earlier. “Okay, go on. I’ll get dressed and be right out.” The feelings he’d stirred up in her still lingered deep inside her and she wanted him all over again. But with his brothers breathing down their necks… When he closed the door, she hurried to dress in an aqua spandex shirt and pair of denims. She took a deep breath trying to
think of something other than the wonderful way Robert made her feel. He didn’t understand how her family truly felt about her. What had he and his brothers planned to discuss with her uncle? Robert’s new relationship with her? They would think him misguided or insane. After she dressed, she walked down the hall toward the living room. Robert’s brothers scrutinized her. Had she and Robert made love after all? That’s what they wondered. Nobody spoke a word. She took a
deep breath and strode to the kitchen. Robert pulled the pizza from the oven, then winked at her as she joined him. He sliced off a piece of pizza for her. Crystal leaned against the counter and rubbed her shoulder. A dull ache radiated from the bullet wound, undoubtedly from exercising it too much. Mark stepped into the kitchen and walked over to her. “You ought to rest a bit if your shoulder’s bothering you.”
Robert crossed the kitchen, handed her the piece of pizza and forced Mark to step aside. “Mark’s right. You probably do need to rest.” He took her hands in his and squeezed lightly. “Did you want to lay down in bed and watch something while you eat?” “What about you, Robert?” “I need to find out what the game plan is with your family.” He grabbed a slice of pizza, then attempted to lead her down the hall to his bedroom, but she shook loose from him.
“I’m interested in finding out what happens as well.” She joined Robert’s brothers in the living room. Mark sat on the loveseat and patted it. “There’s room here.” Robert took her arm and steered her toward an oversized chair. He sat, then pulled her between his legs. His brothers considered them, smirks lighting up their faces. Tom held up his cell phone.
“Have you got a number I can call?” Crystal shook her head. “The phone numbers have been changed since I left.” She took a bite of her pizza. Robert rubbed her back with one hand. “No numbers at all?” She stared at the floor. Only Boniface’s number, but if she let them know that, her family would suspect she’d given it to them. And then Boniface would be in trouble for giving his new
number to her in the first place. Tom made a call. “I need the number for...” He paused, waiting for Crystal to give him a name. “Max Anderson.” Tom said, “Max Anderson, head of the family in Killeen.” After a few seconds, he smiled. “Thanks, Mildred. I owe you for another.” Crystal took another bite of her
pizza. She was surprised she’d worked up such an appetite, despite the sickening notion her disagreeable uncle would soon be meeting with Robert and his family. Tom punched in the number. “Hello, this is Tom Parker.” He paused and raised his brows, undoubtedly stopped in his conversation. “Yes, older brother of Robert. We’re from...oh, you knew that already.” He glanced over at Robert. “My brothers...I see, yes, Mark and Samuel.” He leaned back on the sofa. “We
came to kill Yorovitch, only one of your family killed him first. Who?” He smiled at Crystal. “Crystal Anderson.” She paused to take another bite. What did her uncle think of that? He nodded. “Yes, well, apparently she had no trouble taking care of him and several others recently as well. I wish to meet with you though, about another concern.” His gaze focused on Crystal.
She swallowed hard. Tom and his brothers couldn’t think of interfering in her family’s decision to ostracize her. It just wasn’t done. “At Robert’s house? Yes, that would be fine. But before dark. The vampires get restless around here after that.” He hung up the phone. “Have any more pizzas, Robert? Five members of the Anderson family are arriving in a few minutes. They said they’re just around the corner.”
“What did they say about me?” Crystal asked. “You’re dangerous.” Robert leaned over and kissed Crystal’s cheek. “But we already knew that.” Mark grinned. “But what I want to know is can she cook?” She hmpfd. “Is that all you guys ever think of? Your stomachs?”
Robert chuckled under his breath and squeezed her hand. Samuel whistled. “Won’t touch that one or it’s bound to get me into trouble.” The brothers all laughed. Crystal’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. Walked right into that one. Robert nudged Crystal to stand. “I’ll throw another pizza on. You want to help me?”
“To see if I can cook?” He grinned at her and wrapped his arm around her good shoulder. “To keep me company.” She glanced back at his brothers who all watched her with smiles still plastered on their faces. “Or to make sure I don’t hear what’s being said in my absence.” “You sure are suspicious.” Robert kissed her cheek and steered her into the kitchen.
She slipped her arm around his waist. “And why shouldn’t I be? You pretended to be a daylight vampire.” He laughed out loud. Tom called out from the living room, “No telling jokes that we don’t get to hear.” Robert opened the freezer door and pulled out another pizza. Then he set it on the counter while she grabbed another cooked slice.
“I thought you were a vampire because you had no food in your fridge.” He smiled and shoved the frozen pizza into the oven. “Mostly just frozen food or canned. Anything else seems to grow penicillin.” “But you had wine.” She tugged at his belt. “Yeah, well it keeps longer.” He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “You want to lay
down for a bit until...” The doorbell rang. She dropped her hands to the side. He quickly grasped her fingers and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “They must have been really close by.” Tom greeted the Andersons at the door while Crystal froze with Robert in the kitchen. “Come on in. We hoped you’d share some pizza and wine with us,” Tom offered.
“We’d like that.” “Uncle Max,” Crystal said under her breath. Her eyes misted. Robert wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Shall we join them?” “I won’t be welcome, Robert.” She looked up at him. “Don’t you understand? They’ve rejected me.” “We’ve taken you in. You’re part of my family now.”
“Not exactly. We belong together, but...” Her voice had elevated slightly and though for a few seconds the men in the other room had exchanged names, all of a sudden the conversation died to silence. “We need to get this over with.” He threaded his fingers through hers then locked on tight. When he tugged her into the living room, all eyes were upon them. Crystal lifted her chin up and
stared her uncle down. She might not be part of the family and she certainly wasn’t part of Robert’s, not without the head of his family’s permission, but she wouldn’t be intimidated by anyone. Older than the rest of the family, her uncle’s dark hair was mostly streaked with varying shades of gray. His blues eyes glared at her with hatred. The men all sat on the couches and chairs. The silence seemed graveyard quiet with not even a whisper of a breeze to stir the dead.
Uncle Max’s gaze shifted from Robert’s hand possessively holding hers to Tom. Robert led Crystal to his oversized chair and again sat down, then pulled her between his legs. She avoided her brothers’ eyes. Boniface and Victor undoubtedly would dislike Robert’s family treating her like their own, just as much as the rest of her family did. Then she looked at Boniface. His face wasn’t harsh like she
expected it to be. In fact, he seemed almost pleased a hunter wanted her. To her annoyance, her eyes burned with unshed tears. He quickly turned away. When she caught Victor’s eye, he did the same. They never could bear to see her cry, despite maintaining a lack of emotion most of the time. But Uncle Max’s expression remained stony, his blue eyes stormy. He wasn’t happy about the proceedings at all. Two of her male cousins, the only ones who had red hair in the family,
ignored her completely. Tom cleared his throat. “We wish your approval in allowing us to kill Nicolai, first and foremost. We also want to kill his brother, Dimitri.” Uncle Max leaned back into the sofa and folded his arms. “Why?” Tom looked at Crystal. “To kill those who are after your niece, Crystal Anderson, the huntress who avenged our sister’s death.” He faced Max.
“We don’t avenge deaths in this business.” Tom frowned at him. “Yes, sir, but in this case, your niece has helped us in this regard. We must repay the debt.” “To kill one vampire, but not the other.” Her uncle didn’t like it that hunters from another territory would step into his arena and take over. His words and actions verified that.
Tom tapped his fingers on his knees. “If we don’t kill both, we fear the one who remains would come after Crystal.” Her uncle’s neck muscles tightened as he clenched his teeth. “Then she must deal with it in her own way.” Tom shook his head. “We want to take her in as part of our family.” “You can’t.”
Raising his brows, Tom said, “Sir?” “She’s an abomination.” Crystal’s blood boiled. Robert reached around and ran his hands over her arms in a soothing caress trying to console her. Max waved his finger at her. “Her parents were warned to kill her some years earlier. They refused to do so. What’s left of the family has watched her in anticipation of this very problem now facing her. We assume only
Nicolai or Dimitri would have the strength to turn her. And then--” “They can’t turn me!” Crystal screamed at her uncle as she jumped from the chair. “Silence, you ingrate!” Her uncle rose from the couch, a six-foot-four giant, towering over her petite form. “You should have died long ago.” Certain steam spewed out of her ears, she took a deep breath trying to quell her anger. “Well, I
didn’t. And I don’t plan to anytime soon.” She spoke haughtily, despite trying to remain cool and detached. She turned to Robert. His dark brown eyes were full of concern, touching her with warmth. “I’ll be doing my laundry. And then I’ll lie down for awhile.” She rubbed her shoulder again. She glanced at her blond-haired twin brothers who watched her with unease, their brows furrowed. Only they knew what she’d be up to next. She
stormed into the kitchen, then smiled as her fingers touched the outline of the spare key to the convertible in her pocket. She stepped into the garage and smacked the garage door button. After dashing around to the driver’s side of the car, she climbed in. How long before Robert would think of the laundry trick again? She backed down the driveway, then closed the garage door. She glanced into the backseat. A cane lay on the floor. Not the same one she’d been
using, but it would do. The men could eat, drink and visit. She had business to take care of and no need of any of them. If she didn’t kill Nicolai, she’d never have a life. A host dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket dove in front of the car. Her heart leapt into her throat. She swerved to miss him, nearly colliding with a black SUV traveling in the opposite direction. The convertible’s tires screeched. She cringed and her skin crawled.
If Robert or any of his family realized she’d slipped out of the house again... As soon as she managed to get back into her lane, the SUV whipped around behind her. Her body heated with anticipation. The chase was on. She couldn’t stop until Nicolai was dead. And then? She had to leave the area and disappear for good. Making love to Robert had been a mistake. She knew that now. His trying to keep her safe would only get him killed.
Chapter 16 Crystal felt like a loose cannon, full of hell and bent on destroying the creatures that threatened to destroy her. She seemed changed. What had happened to make her a real huntress? She glanced at a woman poking a shovel into her flower garden. The sight made Crystal sigh. Humans who weren’t targeted by a vampire could live
a real life. She glanced in her rearview mirror and saw the host following her. Totally exasperated, she shook her head and gripped the steering wheel in anger. This wouldn’t do. She had to followhim . An SUV pulled in front of her. Was it a host too? His slow speed seemed to ensure he was. Made to order. Lead the way. The host obliged and led her down a maze of streets, back
alleys, onto the highway, and off again. If Robert and his brothers attempted to follow her this time, the hosts made sure they couldn’t. A feeling of isolation filled her, but she quickly shook it off. She’d been alone for four years. No way would she let a couple of days spent with Robert turn her into a dependent, clinging leech. Though she watched the road, her mind conjured up the image of him and his dark brown eyes framed in jet black lashes as they studied her. Nicolai was
determined to change her, but now she wondered, did Robert do the trick instead? She swallowed. She’d fallen hard for the hunter. And there was no way she could let Nicolai kill him. Never had she been so motivated in her life. And certainly she never meant to kill a vampire as a precautionary or offensive measure, only in defense, when her life was threatened. Trying to calm her ragged nerves, she leaned back against
the car seat and stretched her arms with her hands locked firmly on the steering wheel. The black SUV continued to zigzag down streets until she herself was so thoroughly lost, she’d need a guide to get back to where she started. Would the host take her to Nicolai this time? The vampire fledgling had said he was never to be disturbed during the day. And after Nicolai’s dip in the river, she assumed it’d take them awhile
before they could free him. The hosts would take her somewhere else then. Somewhere they could imprison her until Nicolai woke and came for her. Not today. Not ever. She narrowed her eyes as she considered the distance she’d traveled on the mileage gauge. Over twenty miles. They didn’t plan to continue to drive her all over hell and back until it grew dark, did they? Two more hours and the sun
would begin to set. She glanced at the gas gauge. Plenty of gas for another couple of hours, at least. Another half hour passed, then they passed by the auto dealership where the host had run his pickup truck into the glass. Now she knew where she was. Several minutes later, the host parked at a redbrick house. Another two-story house, this one complete with a wrap-around-porch, and black shutters that framed the
windows. Picture perfect. She waited while the hosts emptied out of the two vehicles. Twelve of them. Like a fly caught in a web, the hosts gathered around her vehicle. But what they didn’t seem to understand was that she was the spider and they were the insects. She seized the cane and stepped out of the car. The hosts backed up, giving her room, then several motioned to the house.
All male, all well-built, young, cream of the crop. Only, it helped to have some older, more seasoned men to guide them. Nicolai had made a mistake in sending only young hosts. “Whose house is this?” Crystal asked, turning her head to view some of those who followed her. They all watched her, as if she held some kind of power of attraction for them. It unnerved her some as she figured she’d have to fight them soon.
Undoubtedly, Nicolai’s overwhelming interest in her had caused quite a stir in the local vampire community. She was as deadly to them as the vampires who turned on them when they disobeyed. No one spoke a word. “No leader amongst you?” She stopped before the porch as the front door opened wide, welcoming her. “I can’t enter a home when I don’t know who lives here.” She lied of course, but they didn’t have to know that. The problem was her nerves
were getting to her again. The hosts exchanged glances. “Don’t know?” When no one said, she turned around. “I’ll have to come another time then.” “Kostya’s home, mistress,” one of the men said under his breath. Her heart sank. Kostya. She hadn’t been able to kill him before, losing all of her resolve
the last time. What happened to her determination now? She hesitated. The dark-haired man spoke again. “We weren’t supposed to say. He said you’d be afraid to enter his house.” She didn’t want to kill him. Really, she didn’t. She turned to look back at the house. But then again if she wanted to live as a...a huntress and not one of Nicolai’s concubines and protect Robert, she’d have to break
Nicolai’s family up, once and for all. She swallowed hard, then walked up the two stairs to the porch. The men followed her, clustered like bees around a flower, guiding her inside. No one tried to disarm her. As long as no one attempted to remove her weapons, she’d remain calm. Still her hands prickled with anticipation when she walked inside the home. Like the others,
the place was dark. She maneuvered around a couch to one of the windows, but five hosts blocked her path. “If I’m to visit Kostya, I wish there to be light. I hate the dark.” An older man, his black hair graying at the temples, stepped into the room and motioned to the window. “Open the drapes. It’s better than her ripping them out of the wall.” One of the men pulled the curtains open. Light filled the room, but none of the sun’s rays
could enter at the angle the sun now rested high overhead. The older man waved to the door as he spoke to the hosts. “What of the others?” “The hunters never knew she left the house.” The man smiled broadly. “Good. This time Nicolai will be pleased, thank heavens.” “Heaven has nothing to do with this,” Crystal said.
“Believe me, we’ve seen enough of Nicolai’s rage to want some peace and quiet for awhile.” She turned toward the stairs. “Where’s Kostya?” “Sleeping. Why don’t you have a seat and wait until he wakes?” “I’ll come back later if the time is so inconvenient for him.” The front door slammed shut behind her. Her heart sprang in her chest. She knew they’d make
every attempt to keep her there, but she just wasn’t ready to begin the attack. A dark-haired woman appeared at the top of the stairs. “Kostya’s awake, but busy right now.” With Lila? Was he joining with her? Crystal ran for the stairs, determined to save Lila if she could. When she reached halfway up the steps, six male hosts appeared at the top of the
staircase blocking her path. “Let me talk to Kostya. He wanted me here. It’s rude for him to not to see me.” “He wishes you to wait for him a few more minutes,” the female host replied. But Crystal couldn’t wait. She had to stop him before it was too late. She readied her cane. “I don’t want to do this.” “Then don’t,” the older man said from downstairs. “Sit here.”
He motioned to a black velvet couch. “Someone will get you something to eat and drink. It’s lunchtime, is it not?” She aimed her cane at the first of the men. His green eyes widened. When he lunged at her, he bared his baby canines. Damn. He was a vampire, not a host. How many of the ones in the house were vampires, newly turned, who looked just like the hosts? He knocked her down the stairs to the bottom. A curse
slipped off her tongue. She wasn’t any different than she was before, late to react to the threat and not ready to serve on the offensive. She yanked the sword out of the cane. Anyone who got in her way would die if she could manage it now. She hadn’t any choice. Before she could get to her feet, five of them pounced on her, pinning her down. Damn, they were weak vampires, but five of them were enough to
thwart her momentarily. Each stared at her with the intensity of a vampire trying to control her mind. A nervous laugh erupted from her throat. Would they never learn they couldn’t control her with their mental telepathy? “Is she causing trouble again?” Kostya said from the top of the stairs. A trickle of fear ran down her spine at the sound of his dark voice. Instantly chill bumps dotted her arms. She struggled to get free. “They’ve got her pinned down
on the floor of the living room, master,” the woman said, in a pleased voice. “Good.” Two of the vampire fledglings hissed at Crystal. “Sounds like she’s giving them a bit of trouble.” The stairs creaked as he stepped down them toward her. With all of the male vampires hovering over her, pinning her arms and legs to the carpeted
floor, she couldn’t see Kostya’s approach. When he stood before her, he smiled. “Flat on your back again, I see. The last time, you managed to get free of me. Not this time.” His satiny black hair hung loosely about his shoulders, and he wore no robe this time, just a pair of silky black boxers. The sight disgusted her. Did he think she’d be impressed with his physique like the mindless female hosts seemed to be who offered him their lifeblood?
“I’d have you take her to my room, but since she seems to like it where she is at the moment, keep her here.” She ceased her struggles. She’d rest. The vampire fledglings couldn’t hold onto her forever. She tilted her chin up. “Did I wake you?” Kostya raised his brows. His mouth curved up slightly. “Lila did.” He motioned to someone. When the woman who had
been standing at the top of the stairs came forward, Crystal frowned. “Have someone new? Lila’s old news now?” “I can’t feed off her all the time, as much as she wishes me too.” The woman turned her head, inviting Kostya to drink his fill of her blood. Kostya turned and caressed her neck. He reached his hand down her shirt and massaged her breast. The female host moaned. With intrigue, the vampires who held Crystal watched
Kostya seduce the woman. Did they wish they stood in Kostya’s place? A superior-strength vampire who could have any woman at his beck and call? Was he showing off to the fledglings? Or to Crystal? She still held the sword in her hand, though one of the fledglings rested his knee on her wrist while his hands held her arm down. Even so, his grip had loosened as he watched Kostya ravish the female host.
After managing to extend her left wrist knife, Crystal waited for just the right moment. Then she realized the moment would never come if she waited for it. She closed her eyes for an instant, sucked in a breath, then opened her eyes. Targeting the vampire who held her sword hand, she jerked her left arm free from the vampire whose attention was diverted to Kostya, and swung her wrist blade into the chest of the one who held her sword arm. The vampire didn’t have time
to cry out as the blade penetrated his heart. But the other who she’d wrenched her arm free from, yelled a warning instead. Kostya had extended his fangs to bite the female host, but turned to see what Crystal had done. The fledglings didn’t react quickly enough as Crystal swung her sword at another one. She only wounded him in the arm, making him scream. But she didn’t have time to calculate her swings. Instead, she attempted to
free herself, then target the one she knew would be her fatal error, if she let him go this time. Kostya realized the same thing and shoved the female host aside. Crystal scrambled to her feet, then stabbed her sword into a fledgling who tried to retake her. This time she managed to hit the heart. He collapsed in a crumpled, wizened heap like the other. Two down, four fledglings to go. And one pissed off full-strength vampire who’d
missed breakfast and woke on the wrong side of the bed. Plus she didn’t know how many others were in the house. Her blood pumped through her heart at an increased rate. Fear, mixed with exhilaration, filled every pore. Kostya swooped at Crystal. He bared his teeth while his black eyes were nearly red with anger, his gaze intent on her throat. She thrust her sword at him, but a fledgling grabbed her arm and twisted it safely away from Kostya’s chest. Her heart stilled
when she was suddenly left defenseless in the path of the raging vampire. Kostya’s body slammed into her while his hands clutched her shoulders in the same instant. The blow knocked her off her feet. She fell backwards with Kostya clinging to her like a vine to a collapsing wall. She landed on her back again and winced with the sudden jolt. Now the fledglings watched the new show Kostya put on for them. Tame the huntress or kill
her. Claustrophobia tugged at her chest as the four fledglings held her arms down while Kostya rested on top of her. His six-foot body leaned heavily against her chest while an obvious arousal pressed into her pelvis. Now what would he do to her? Kill her, then face Nicolai’s rage? Take her for his own as he’d threatened to do and again, see what Nicolai had to say about it? The eager looks on the fledglings’ faces indicated they
wished to see how he’d handle the fiery hunter in their midst. Infuriated she’d lost the battle she squirmed underneath him, bringing a smile to his lips. “Like this, you’re totally appealing. I can see why Nicolai wants you so badly. The notion of having someone who isn’t easy to be had is intriguing.” He seized her face in his hands, his dark eyes piercing her with a look of superiority. He held her life in his grasp and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.
The notion exasperated her as she tried to focus on her next move and not on the defeat that overwhelmed her spirit at the moment. “There are rumors circulating that a vampire can bite you and live to tell the tale.” He nuzzled her face with his, his smooth skin warm and soft. But his quickened breath, darkened eyes, and extended teeth meant he was losing control of the bloodlust rising in his system. Not believing she could talk
herself out of her predicament, she still had to give it a try. “Kostya,” she said, her own breath shallow from him pressing so heavily against her, “think of what will happen to you if Nicolai comes and finds out what you have done to me.” “What is that, mistress?” He licked her cheek. She closed her eyes. He assumed she was defeated and already the vampires’ own. Never.
“You wish to feed. I interrupted your feeding and you’re going to bite me and--” “Your mother visited my home one day.” Crystal’s heart stopped. This was where she died? Kostya’s home? Crystal had only been five when her mother and father were killed. Except for her brothers telling her a vampire, a cousin of Nicolai’s, had torn their throats out, not many more details had been mentioned.
Kostya ran his fingers over her cheek. “I didn’t realize you were her daughter. It happened so long ago and you keep your family secrets so well.” He grinned and arched a brow. “But one thing puzzled me.” He touched the low neckline of her shirt sending a spark of electricity through her body. “The vampire who ripped out her throat didn’t die.” The connotation swirled through her head like a whirlpool while she tried to make some sense of what he said. If a vampire could mix his blood
with hers and it wouldn’t kill them and the same thing was true of her mother, had her mother carried the same special gene? Nobody had ever said anything about it to her. Well, rather no one ever had told her about her own gene either, but why wouldn’t they have said her mother had a reluctance to kill vampires? Was it because of the shame attributed to the perverse personality trait? She swallowed hard. That’s why her parents hadn’t killed her. Her mother had
been like her too. Kostya broke into her thoughts as he ran his fingers through her hair. “The vampire didn’t die from her blood. Because of that, he thought he was immune to all hunters’ blood and killed your father. Only as soon as he drank his blood, the vampire died.” Taking a deep breath, Kostya rubbed his lips over Crystal’s. She turned her head trying to avoid his attentions, only now she exposed her jugular to him. He mouthed her throat with
extreme delight. “We thought that maybe the poison of your mother’s blood took longer to infect him and if he hadn’t killed your father, he would still have died from biting your mother.” He pushed her shirt down exposing her injured shoulder. The outer skin was nearly healed, but darker pink than the surrounding healthy tissue. “Another vampire managed to taste your blood and survived that, only to die by your blade. So did the mother have a special blood type that the daughter also
carries that can mix with the vampires without harming either?” His mouth turned up appreciably. “There’s only one way to know for certain.” *** Boniface walked into the kitchen as Robert served up another pizza. Robert glanced over at Crystal’s brother and nodded in greeting. He imagined Boniface was the one who still cared for Crystal, if any of her
family did. Robert wondered, if he were in a similar predicament, whether he’d have gone against the family’s wishes. Yes, he would have, beyond a doubt. He’d have never allowed his own sister to fight for her life alone. The conversation continued in the living room between Max and Tom and the others, but Boniface seemed to want to have a word with Robert alone as he leaned against the counter and remained silent. When Samuel
and Mark carried the pizzas into the living room, Robert faced Boniface. “I don’t want to alarm you, or cause problems with my uncle, but Crystal’s a handful.” Robert folded his arms. “I know.” “There’s a good chance she’s already in the thick of trouble this very minute.” Robert glanced at the kitchen door leading to the garage.
Boniface shrugged. “Nothing more to say, but if you can, take good care of her. My father did my mother, as long as he could.” Robert frowned at Boniface, not sure what he was talking about. Then growing concerned about Crystal, he headed for the garage. He yanked open the door. The car was gone. A shiver of concern ran down his spine. She’d taken his car...again.
He dashed back in the house. “She’s gone!” Tom jumped from his seat. “All right, calm down. We’ll find her.” He turned to Max, figuring he might know where’d they’d take her, if any of them would. “Where’d they take her?” “Could be anywhere. They’ll lead her to Nicolai eventually...when it gets dark.” “Where?” Robert interjected. Max glared at him. “If you
think you can protect her any better than my brother protected her mother, you’re wrong.” Mark and Samuel grabbed their sheathed swords. Samuel said, “He’s got his brothers to back him up on this too.” Boniface wrinkled his brow. “Maybe down by the river. We’ve heard a lot of traffic on the cell phones from a town south of here mentioning retrieving a hearse from the river
and bringing it to one of their homes there. Nicolai was apparently resting in a coffin when the hearse had an accident. Maybe the hosts led her to this house.” “Can you show us?” Robert asked, gripping his sword, ready to move out. Boniface glanced over at Max whose lips turned down in a scowl. Victor headed for the door. “I can.”
Boniface joined him. “Wecan.” Robert and his brothers hurried outside to Tom’s SUV. Boniface rode up front with Tom. Victor sat in the middle with Robert and Samuel. Frowning, Mark climbed into the very back seat. When Tom sped off, Boniface turned to Robert. “We’ve been monitoring some of the hosts’ cell phone conversations for the last twenty-four hours. Nicolai’s been killing hosts by the dozen.
Even vampire families in the surrounding communities are growing alarmed that his actions will alert the police of their activities.” Victor added, “He and his brother have to be terminated. And then Crystal must leave here for good. We can handle what’s left of Nicolai and Dimitri’s family after that.” Robert considered Boniface’s words spoken in the kitchen. “Your mother had the same gene as Crystal has?”
“Yeah.” Boniface looked out the window. “She was from Oregon and fled to Oklahoma to escape the same fate that awaits Crystal if she stays. Our mother hid the fact she had a strong aversion to killing. In the end, she died at the age of thirty because she hesitated to kill one time too often.” “And our father too. He protected her from the day he took her under his wing when she was sixteen. She had six of us kids. Only Boniface, Crystal,
and I remain.” “Why wasn’t Crystal ever told her mother had this gene?” Boniface shook his head. “Uncle Max said she wasn’t to be told and what would be would be. Only the parents of a huntress who has the mutated gene are allowed to kill her. Since our mother had the same gene, neither Father nor Mother could kill her. They’d hoped she’d find a hunter who’d take her in when she was old enough, like Father had taken care of our mother.”
Victor cleared his throat. “Nobody ever believed a vampire would target her to be one of their own. It’s never happened before that we know of.” Robert took a ragged breath. He couldn’t begin to understand the turmoil Crystal must face daily in dealing with her feelings about killing, but then to be turned out by her family too. “Yes, but Nicolai is around 150 years old. Perhaps some other time earlier in someone’s hunter
family something like this has occurred. Something must have made him suspect he could have a child with her.” Neither of Crystal’s brothers responded, making Robert suspicious. “All right, so when did a vampire take a huntress and what was the outcome?” “It’s just a family legend. You know how they go. Passed down from generation to generation, no one knows how true any of it is.” Boniface turned to look at Robert. “But it was said a
huntress early in our family tree on our mother’s side, had an aversion to killing. And worse, she was attracted to the head of a vampire family.” Robert’s jaw clenched. Was history repeating itself? Was Crystal in love with Nicolai? “Anyway, both were killed by hunters when they caught them in the vampire’s lair in a castle in Scotland.” “So she didn’t have any offspring?”
“No, thank God. And if Nicolai gets to Crystal, she’ll have to be destroyed too.” Robert shook his head. “We’ve learned that her blood won’t kill them.” Boniface sighed deeply. “No. And I’m afraid they suspect this already. But one bite is normally deadly and I’m sure they’re still reluctant to take the chance to test the theory. Or at least Victor and I hope so.”
“Can they turn her if they bite her?” “We have no idea. I mean, they can with a host of course, if they want.” “Your relative who joined the vampire...had she been bitten?” Robert asked, his voice strained. “No. But he’d lain with her. They can tell when a female’s ripe for planting the seed, just like we can.” Robert recalled when he’d
placed his hand on Crystal’s abdomen...the temperature of her body, the way his hand tingled differently with his touch, he knew she was ripe. And what had he done about it? Told her she needed someone else’s protection. He roughed up his hair, irritated with himself for having been so insensitive. Now that he’d made love to her, would Nicolai abandon his quest to have her, or would he kill her like he presumed he might? “If our ancestor had been allowed to live, she’d have bore
a vampire child. No telling what abilities the child would have had.” “Did any vampire come after your mother, like Nicolai has done with Crystal?” Boniface stared at him for a moment, then turned to look out the window. “Turn left on Highway 35,” he said to Tom. “No. She either hid the fact she was different well enough, or having had five hunters and one huntress born of her womb made a difference. I don’t know.”
With every passing second, the alarm grew in Robert’s gut. He glanced out the window. “Are we almost there?” “They may not even be at this location. It’s just an educated guess.” Victor turned to Robert. “Have you had relations with Crystal?” Robert was stunned her brother would ask. He didn’t answer. It was none of his, or any of her family’s business as
they’d cast her out of the family. “Your brother doesn’t have some kind of sexual dysfunction, does he?” Boniface asked Tom. Robert’s brothers laughed out loud as his chest tightened with irritation. “She’d been injured.” Tom replied. “How?” Boniface asked. “A host shot her with a gun.”
“Damn. The hosts know if they carry weapons, we kill them, no questions asked. Otherwise we let them live when we hunt the vampires. Nicolai’s really got them stirred up.” Boniface pointed down another road. “You do want her, don’t you?” Victor asked, changing the subject. “I mean the possessiveness you showed when you were with her and the affection she showed in return, made us think you wanted her.” “Yeah, he wants her,” Mark
said. “She caught him with the right bait and he’s not letting go.” “Here, pull in here!” Boniface said. Five cars already sat curbside at a lakeside cottage. A blue metal roof shined in the sunlight, but already the sun was beginning to set. The curtains across the two picture windows were both drawn closed. Robert grabbed his sword, but Victor seized his wrist. “If he’s
had her, Robert, Boniface or I will kill her. No hunter could ever trust she’d remain loyal to our cause...not if he’s turned her. Because of the feelings you have for her, you won’t be able to end her life.” Robert jerked his hand free. His heart thundered in his chest. No way would he consider the worst-case scenario. Not yet. He shoved the vehicle’s door open. The party of six male hunters rushed out of the vehicle and stormed the house all at once.
Chapter 17 If Kostya bit Crystal, could he turn her? That’s what seared her mind with worry as Kostya bared his teeth at her, then touched them to her skin. If the vampire could turn her into one of them, she’d have to take her own life. But could she? Or would her own will be lost to the vampires? Her brothers would have to kill her. Robert was right. She’d made a mess of everything. A total feeling of hopelessness invaded her being, despite trying to keep an optimistic outlook. This time
despair overwhelmed her. She’d be doomed to a life of everlasting hell, until one of her kind could put an end to her miserable existence. Kostya’s long black hair dangled about her face as he moved his hard body against hers, working up more than just a bloodlust. She both hated and loved the feelings he stirred up in her, the sexual intrigue, but also the knowledge if she mixed with him she’d be damned for all eternity...until she died.
The four fledgling vampires still held her arms, but then their attention and Kostya’s riveted to another room. Kostya’s brow wrinkled as he hissed. The fledglings rose from the floor in slow motion, releasing their hold of Crystal. She had her chance. Kostya begin to separate from her. Without hesitation this time, she jammed her wrist knife between his ribs with a hurried thrust, penetrating deep into his heart. His head jerked around and he
bared his teeth at her. Before he could attempt to sink them into her, he collapsed. Crystal shoved him aside, then jumped to her feet. Vampires born of the wombwould die by the hunter’s blade after all. Lila shrieked. Crystal’s heart froze. Her gaze shifted from the shriveled body of Kostya to Lila’s even whiter than usual face. The fledglings hurried for the other room. Someone had
arrived. Robert and his brothers? “Nicolai’s home,” the older male host said. He hurried away with the fledglings as if she hadn’t done anything to Kostya. Had Nicolai known what Kostya was about to do to her and allowed her to kill Kostya by distracting him? Crystal grabbed her sword and cane, then shoved the blade into its concealment. Lila’s eyes puddled up with tears, and she sank to her knees. A sob escaped her lips.
Crystal grabbed her hand. “Lila, come away from here with me.” “He...he...” Lila’s eyes grew wide with terror, but her tongue couldn’t reach the words to describe what she undoubtedly saw in her mind. Crystal grasped her hand, gently but firmly. “We’ll talk about this later. But for now, you must come away with me.” “What will become of me?”
Lila balked at the doorway. Taking a deep breath, Crystal half dragged her outside. “If the other vampires get hold of you, no telling since Kostya’s...” She paused her speech and yanked Lila into the sunlight. “Did he join with you, Lila?” Lila touched her abdomen. Tears streaked down her face. “He...he killed my little sister, brother...” She looked into Crystal’s face. Her face wrinkled with anguish. “My mother, father...how could I not have
remembered?” Crystal ran her to the car, then yanked open the door and urged Lila inside. There was no sign of Robert or Tom’s vehicles anywhere along the street, but a trail of water led into the closed garage. Nicolai. Had the hosts pulled the hearse and him from the river? “Hurry, Lila. We’ll talk about it once we’re safely away from here.” She shut Lila’s car door, then turned. Two hosts ran toward her. Nicolai stood at the window,
the sunlight no longer touching the glass. His hair still wet, dripped over his shoulders. He yanked off his soaking robe to reveal he wore nothing under the garment. She gasped. His eyes and mouth were thin, angry lines. His pale but muscled body grew alert with her in his sights. He wanted her with a vengeance, but again, she was beyond his reach. She readied her cane. Every muscle in her body ached from being overworked. The two men never slowed in their approach,
both shooting out of the house like bullets propelled from a double-barreled gun. Nicolai sent them to retrieve her, unable to get to her himself in the sunlight. Before she could strike either of the hosts, three more bolted out of the house. She struck the first host in the head, knocking him out cold. When he crumpled to the sidewalk, the other host jerked her arm back and slammed her into the car. The pain radiated through her still tender shoulder and she screamed out.
The three remaining hosts ganged up on her. Still, with her superhuman strength, she managed to knee one in the groin, paralyzing him from doing anything further as he fell to his knees on the pavement. Two of the men held her right arm back preventing her from using her cane, both trying to wrest it from her clenched fist. The other grabbed her free arm, keeping out of range of her deadliest weapon at the moment, her knee. Twice she thrust it at him and
he dodged out of her path. If her knee wouldn’t reach, her boot would. She shoved her pointed boot toe at him and kicked him in the shin. He cried out in pain, losing his grip on her arm. Before he could refocus, she grabbed at one of the two still trying to snatch her cane. Unsuccessful, she retracted her blade and sliced at his arm. Her movement wasn’t meant to kill him, but wound him sufficiently so that he’d release her. He cried out and let go. With
only one man now holding her right wrist, she yanked free. Swinging the cane at his head, she knocked him off his feet with a whack and a thud. The man she’d kicked, came in for the kill. She gritted her teeth and struck him in the shoulder. After incapacitating him, she noticed three more dash out of the house. Time to leave. She ran for the driver’s side. Lila had locked the doors. Crystal
tapped on the window. Lila stared through the front windshield as if in a daze. She appeared to be in shock. “Lila!” A host seized Crystal’s arm. She hit him with the cane. “Lila!” The man faltered, then grabbed her again. Crystal’s strength drained from her body. The adrenaline coursed through her veins like a valve stuck on high pressure, but she couldn’t fight hosts and vampires forever
without rest. She struck at him again, this time aiming for his skull. He blocked her maneuver with his arm. A cracking resulted, like the bone snapping. He sank to his knees. Another took his place. She struck him with her knife, slicing across his hand. When he favored it with his other, she dug into her pocket for the car key. After pulling it out, she punched the button. But before she could
open the door, the last of the hosts captured her wrist. Twisting around, she kneed him in the jewels. Neat trick, and they never learned unless they’d received a proper demonstration. He clutched his crotch and groaned as she jerked the car door open. Four more hosts exited the house. She locked the car door and fumbled to get the key in the ignition. One of the men brandished a knife. If they cut her tires, she and Lila would never
get away. The engine roared and Crystal gunned the car, propelling it down the road. Soon, a black SUV tailed them. Damn. Already twilight, the night would soon be upon them. She reached over and touched Lila’s hand. “Lila, will you be okay?” Lila turned to face her. “Why couldn’t I see what a hideous monster he was?”
Crystal refocused her attention on her driving. “They don’t want the host to have any memories of their family. It interferes with their designs on you and others like you. He only allowed you to remember how he’d protected you from the bully that you’d dated.” “He killed him too.” “Yes, and in your mind, he freed you from a monster that might have killed you. But your family was different. He couldn’t have shown you they deserved to
die too. But once I killed him, his mind control over you vanished.” Tears rolled down Lila’s cheeks. “What will happen to me now?” “Did you join with Kostya?” Lila nodded her head slightly. Crystal took a deep breath. “Then he impregnated you.” “Maybe not. Perhaps it didn’t take.”
“Possibly.” But in her heart, Crystal figured he’d have joined with Lila when the time was right. The hunters would want her dead, whether she was a vampire or not, if she carried one in her womb. And the vampires that were turned through blood bonding would want her dead to keep from having another vampire of the womb infiltrate their family again. No way could she return to Robert’s house with Lila. But where else could she go that would be safe?
Another black SUV pulled in front of them from a side street. Crystal’s throat grew dry. Her whole body still thrummed, filled with the rush of adrenaline that coursed through it in anticipation of another clash with the vampires and their hosts. Her heart rate was still pumping with increased gusto as her mind raced as to what to do next. They’d try to box her in somewhere. Disable her vehicle. Strand her and Lila until it grew dark and Nicolai could come for them.
“You haven’t been turned, have you, Lila? The sunlight doesn’t seem to bother you.” “No, Kostya didn’t turn me. He wanted me to continue to serve as a host for a good while longer. I think he thought I’d still be able to convince you to join Nicolai.” She brushed away the tears. “I still love Kostya. What’s wrong with me?” “Vampires have a strong claim over hosts’ hearts. Even when you can see the evil they’ve
committed, it’s hard to break the bond you’ve had with them.” “Do you feel this way about Nicolai?” Crystal swallowed hard as she considered getting them to safety. “No, Lila. Hold on. We’ve got to get to a safe place for tonight.” She twisted the wheel to the right and detoured down a street, then turned right again at the next one. She could have used Tom’s sniper rifle to aid her.
Lila looked back. “He’s still behind us.” “Yes, and I’m sure he’s calling in our moves to the one who was in front of us.” “Where are we going?” Crystal wasn’t sure she could trust Lila totally. Could the vampires still read her mind or control her? She was human and humans were easily controlled. Most likely, both Nicolai and Dimitri were strong enough to do
so. But Crystal couldn’t abandon her. Then she thought of the hunter’s house whose wife had been killed by the blond-haired male vampire. She turned left at the next street. With constant switchbacks, she headed for the house. “Where are we going?” Lila asked again. “Somewhere safe, I hope.” Crystal pulled into the dark
alley beside the house. No sign of either of the vehicles had plagued her for a good twenty minutes. She jumped out of the car, then hurried to Lila’s side. “Come on, Lila. We must hurry.” Lila moved as if in slow motion, still in shock. Crystal locked the car doors, then led Lila to the window she’d found open before. It was open again. She hesitated, until she saw headlights approaching from a
parallel street. “Come on, Lila. Get inside.” She helped Lila climb into the window. Then she joined her and shut it tight and locked the latch. First one, then the other SUV pulled in front of the house and parked. Eight men piled out of the cars, the doors slamming one after another. “They know we’re here,” Crystal said under her breath. “But why are they making no effort to come in?” She rubbed her arms. They’d report back to Nicolai once the sun finished
setting, then he’d come for her. Lila stared out the window. “What will they do to me?” “The other vampires won’t want you alive, Lila,” Crystal said, then took her hand and led her into the kitchen. She flipped on the light switch. “Sit here and I’ll make sure the house is locked up tight.” Crystal checked the kitchen window. Locked. She ran back into the living room and checked the main picture window.
Locked. The hosts stood in the front yard just waiting. For what? She turned to go toward the bedrooms, but Lila stood in the living room, staring at the picture window. Crystal dashed for her and snatched her arm. After turning on the light in the hallway, she led her down it. “We’re going to check the rooms and make sure the windows are all locked.” Crystal pulled Lila into the
first of the rooms. She turned on the light, then checked the window in the bedroom while Lila remained standing in the doorway. The window was locked. Lila giggled. Frowning at her, Crystal said, “What’s the matter, Lila?” “Nothing.” She chuckled again. Was she hysterical?
“Lila, I want you to lie down. I’m going to cover you with some blankets. I think you’re in shock and--” “He wants you badly, mistress. He comes for you. This time you can’t keep him out.” Lila would be her downfall. Kostya no longer controlled her. But someone else did. Who? Nicolai? Dimitri? Crystal’s heart sank to an all time low. “Is he speaking to
you?” Lila’s face brightened in a smile. “Do you remember about your family, Lila?” “They’re gone.” “Where?” She shrugged. “Left me behind. But I have family here. They love and protect me.” Whoever now controlled her,
wiped the memories of her family from her mind again. The realization forced Crystal to weigh her options in a hurry. She wouldn’t be safe in the same house with the host. She was torn between caring for the woman and hating her for putting Crystal in a worse bind than before. Lila would no doubt let them in. Crystal considered her cane. If she could knock Lila out, she could slip back out of the house, and maybe make her escape in her car. She breathed in deeply. No matter how much she longed
for her freedom, she couldn’t hit the woman. Lila couldn’t help what she’d become. Ropes. If Crystal could tie her up, she could still get away. Or she could slip out the window, get to her car, and leave. She bolted for the den window leaving Lila behind. But when she grabbed the sill and peered outside, she saw two of the hosts letting the air out of her tires. All she could do was remain in the house and keep Lila from letting Nicolai in.
Crystal kept her cane readied as she dashed back down the hall, where Lila watched her curiously. She took Lila’s hand and returned her to the bedroom. Keeping her cane readied, Crystal pulled drawers open with her left hand. Nothing that could be used as rope. She motioned to the hallway. “Step back and walk to the right down the hall.” Crystal followed her, then motioned to the room to the right. Lila peeked in and smiled.
“Bathroom.” She pushed the light switch up. Crystal entered the small narrow room after her. A sliding glass door provided privacy to the bather. A double sink and commode filled the rest of the room. A small window sat high above. Crystal stepped past Lila and found the window locked. Lila grinned at her. “He’s so pleased you’ll be his tonight.” “I won’t be his, Lila. Ever.”
She made her way past the woman and stepped into the hallway. “Come on.” Crystal motioned for Lila to join her. She just grinned back at her. A spicy scent wafted in the air, instantly filling Crystal with dread. She whirled around. Dimitri stared back at her. He wore the identical scent that Nicolai wore. His dark eyes penetrated hers while his lips
turned up a smidgen. “Expecting someone else?” He tilted his head to the side slightly, as if emphasizing both the question, and his amusement at seeing her so surprised. “I waited for you in the next bedroom, but got tired of the delay.” He grabbed her wrist before she could free her sword from the cane. She turned and looked out the window. The last light had already faded from the sky. She twisted her wrist free, but he captured her other hand.
Her world turned black as the wind whipped in her face and instantaneously, her vision cleared, but her disorientation continued as she considered the black sofas in a house she’d never visited before. She twisted her head looking for signs of Lila amongst the vampires and their hosts. Seeing none, she turned to Dimitri. His dark hair was neatly tied back. His black shirt was open showing a smidgen of dark hair against his pale chest. She looked up to see his dark eyes observing
her every move. His lips and eyes smiled slightly. “Are you surprised?” “Where’s Lila?” His lips turned up. “I would think you’d be angry with her for wishing you to join us. Are you still concerned for her?” “She can’t help herself.” “Yes, well I can see you’re not like your kind at all. They’d not have hesitated to kill her. She led
you to your capture. Every move you made, she relayed to us. Any other hunter would have killed her for their own self preservation.” Crystal clenched her teeth. Lila couldn’t help herself. And nothing short of Lila’s trying to hurt a hunter would make Crystal turn against the woman. Dimitri raised his brows. “Somehow, I expected you to ask about someone else.” “You mean Nicolai?” She
wrenched her arm free from Dimitri. He grinned. “Yes.” He touched her lips with the tip of his finger. She stepped back from him. “I thought he would have been uppermost on your mind.” “Does he know you’ve brought me here?” “Why spoil the fun? Losers, keepers. That sort of thing.” “You can’t mean to keep me for your own...against your
brother’s wishes.” “Your brothers...well, your whole family turned against you. Happens all the time. Nicolai will get over it when he finds someone else. He has forever, you know.” “Really?” Nicolai cleared his throat as he strode into the room.
Chapter 18 Dimitri shoved Crystal behind him. “I’m the eldest, therefore the head of the family, Nicolai. She’ll be mine.” Nicolai stood several feet away from them, dressed in black trousers and a black silk
shirt with blousy sleeves. They cuffed at the wrists making him look like a well-dressed pirate, powerful, sexy, and lethal. He shifted his gaze from Dimitri to her. “Go upstairs and wait for me there.” The only place she was going was outside and away from all this. No way could she handle the two brothers at once. She headed for the door, her cane in hand, but several vampires blocked her escape. They were better prepared for her this time.
All were male, dressed in black, and had their long silky hair tied back in ponytails. They didn’t appear to be fledglings. They seemed intent on her actions, though Dimitri and Nicolai’s were bound to heat up and distract them. She faced Nicolai. He lowered his chin. “Go upstairs.” His words were spoken with a hint of a threat. She yanked her sword out of
the cane. He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. “Very well.” She expected him to attack her, but Dimitri lunged at his brother instead. She took a step back. Both bared their teeth, and then Dimitri sank his canines into Nicolai’s shoulder. Nicolai gagged with the pain, but didn’t scream out. Was he trying to brave it for her sake? Her stomach sickened as his shoulder
dripped with blood. She’d never seen two vampires fighting one another. In fact, no other hunter had probably witnessed such a spectacle. Would one of the brothers kill the other? If so, maybe she could end the other’s life. She eyed the vampires who guarded the door. Though they’d been watching Nicolai and Dimitri, as soon as she turned to look at them, they focused on her. Nicolai must have given them the order that no matter what, she wasn’t leaving the
house. The determination on their faces, their set jaws and fixed gazes told her even if she killed the remaining brother, she’d never get out of the house alive. Not without other hunters to help her. But she wasn’t about to give up hope...not yet. She dashed across the living area toward what appeared to be the kitchen, but three vampires appeared in front of her. They weren’t fledglings. Their swift movement and concentration
showed they were stronger vampires. She swallowed hard, trying to douse the hopelessness that threatened to undo her. Something broke with a crash. She shifted her attention to Nicolai and Dimitri. Nicolai held Dimitri’s throat pinned against the wall with his hand, but a table lamp had been knocked off in the process and lay shattered on the floor. Dimitri clawed at him, trying to get free, then stamped his feet against the wall and shoved
Nicolai back. This time Nicolai sank his teeth into Dimitri’s throat and tore. Crystal’s legs wobbled. One of the vampires standing behind her grabbed her arm to steady her. A taller vampire seized her sword. She lunged forward to retake it as the other yanked her back. The vampire that held her sword ran forward with it and shoved the ivory hilt into Nicolai’s outstretched hand. He was going to kill his own brother with a hunter’s weapon?
Dimitri’s eyes widened. He hissed, but as Nicolai drew the sword back to thrust it into his brother’s heart, the vampire who still held her arm, transported her upstairs. She blinked her eyes, then stared at the black drapes covering the bed. She ran for the doorway. Two vampires appeared. This time their somber faces smiled back at her. She was finally Nicolai’s. Is that what they assumed? She’d kill herself first. She opened both wrist blades.
The vampires didn’t react. She’d kill herselfafter she killed them. She swung her hand at the shorter of the two, but a hand caught her wrist from behind. Expecting it to be the vampire who transported her to the room, she dropped her mouth open when it was Nicolai instead. He nodded to the others and they left the room. “If you’re wondering why no one protected
Dimitri, what he did wasn’t honorable. I’d claimed you and unless I was dead, he had no right to try to take you from me.” Grabbing her other wrist, he restrained her then maneuvered her against the wall. “You’ll have to remove those knives of yours before you join me in bed.” His shoulder dripped with blood and the bloodlust filled his eyes. She attempted to wriggle free, but his long fingers gripped her wrists firmly like a vise.
“Did you like what you saw of me earlier today?” He licked her lips. “I had you well distracted for a few moments, didn’t I?” His lips curved up. He kissed her mouth and moved his body against hers, rubbing his hard desire against her. She closed her eyes. Their breathing accelerated. The only one she wanted to be this close and intimate with was Robert. Nicolai ran his warm tongue down her neck. Again she squirmed against his hold. His
hot breath came heavier as he fought biting her. “We’ve learned you can’t poison us, my love. But to enjoy our joining, you must relax. With the humans, it’s easy to control their minds and put them at ease. With you, I cannot do this. But if you don’t relax, you’ll suffer. I want the experience to be pleasurable for the both of us.” “You can’t do it then, Nicolai. I could never take a bite from you or any other without fearing it.”
He jerked her hands above her head and held on with one hand. His fingers massaged her breasts, making her heart still. “Maybe not now, but later, when you’ve learned you’re one of us, you’ll enjoy it. But I won’t wait for that day.” He grasped her chin and turned her head up and to the side. “Relax, Crystal. I would drug you to help calm you, but it will affect me too once I’ve had your blood. That wouldn’t do for what comes afterwards.”
She couldn’t relax. Her muscles twitched with tension. Her stomach tightened with fear. Now she realized dying at the bite of a vampire was preferable to living with his bite mark imprinted on her neck forever, even if he couldn’t turn her. But what if he could? Her struggles increased. He frowned at her. “Why is it you always do the opposite of what I tell you to do?” “That’s what you like about me. I won’t give in.”
He smiled. “You’re right.” His fangs extended as his eyes darkened. This time no matter how much she tried to wrench herself free, she couldn’t break loose. Screams downstairs met her ears and Nicolai took a ragged breath. “The hunter comes for you, but he won’t save you this time. As soon as I kill him, I’ll take you far from here. No one will ever find you again.”
Robert. For an instant, she had hope. And then hopelessness as Nicolai sank his teeth into her neck. The pain streaked through her body like a bolt of forked lightning. She screamed out. Tears filled her eyes as she choked back the torture. She’d lost the game and the overwhelming feeling of defeat sapped any bit of energy she had remaining. Or was it Nicolai’s draining of her blood that weakened her so? It didn’t matter. She was a dead huntress, one way or the
other. Normal huntresses could never live with bite marks...so they’d assume if she had them, she was one of the vampires. Robert rushed into the room. His eyes grew big as his jaw tightened with the sight of Nicolai at her throat. Both she and Robert had lost. She quit struggling as control over her body slipped away from her. Robert charged Nicolai with his sword drawn. He was too angry, too
distracted to kill an ancient vampire. She had to end Nicolai’s life instead. And then beg Robert to kill her. Nicolai withdrew his fangs from her neck and released her hands. Before he could kill Robert, she dove in front of the bloodsucker, the will to protect Robert overcoming the weakness she felt. She thrust her wrist knife into his chest, penetrating the heart. He screamed out and struck her hard. She fell against the wall like a rag doll tossed away by an angry child.
Robert jammed his sword into Nicolai’s heart, the vampire already collapsing to his knees, and wizening before their eyes. Robert pulled his blade out and struck again. It didn’t matter that Crystal had already killed Nicolai. Robert couldn’t control his built-up rage. Nicolai’s skin grew decimated within seconds and his lifeless body disintegrated on the floor. Robert dropped his sword and lifted Crystal off the carpet.
“You have to kill me, Robert.” Tears streaked down her face. She couldn’t help the emotions that welled up inside her. But she was too weak to kill herself. His brothers rushed into the room. He motioned to his sword. “Get it for me, will you.” His words were full of anguish, harsh and concerned. Then he carried her into the hall and down the stairs. Mark
rushed past him to protect him. Crystal pleaded with him, “No, no, Robert. Kill me and leave me with the rest of them.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down and he swallowed hard. “Nobody knows what’ll happen.” He kissed her cheek, then hurried her outside. “But it doesn’t matter, Crystal. Mark’s right. You’ve hooked me and I won’t let you go, ever.” She gripped his shirt. “You can’t have me...not like this.”
Through blurry eyes she saw Boniface and Victor rushing toward them. “Did he get her?” Boniface asked. Robert swore under his breath. “She’s my concern. Get out of my path.” Both her brothers looked at her with creases wrinkling their foreheads in worry. “Sure, Robert. She’s yours,”
Boniface said. She stretched her hand out to Victor. He was the sensible one of her twin brothers. “End it now, Victor. Robert won’t do it. But he’s wrong. He can’t do it, but we both know it has to be done.” “Take her away from here,” Boniface said. “Our family will get rid of the rest of them in the area. Once she’s gone, that’ll be the end of it.” “Boniface,” she begged.
He shook his head. She attempted to use her own knife on herself, but Mark and Samuel grabbed her wrists and removed the blades. Robert set her in his car, then fastened her seatbelt. “Samuel, you’re driving?” Mark handed Robert his sword. “I’ll ride shotgun with Tom.” Boniface and Victor shook the men’s hands, then leaned into the car and kissed Crystal’s cheeks.
“Take good care of her,” Boniface said, then he and Victor returned to the house. She couldn’t believe they’d leave her to live like this. What the hell was the matter with them? They’d promised they’d kill her if she were ever infected. They’d promised! “We have a long drive ahead of us.” Robert climbed into the car and wrapped his arm around Crystal, encouraging her to rest her head in his lap. “A long ride.”
She tried to reach for Robert’s sword, but he stilled her hands. Then the darkness of the car turned light. She could see his concerned face as clearly as if a light switch had just been turned on. His dark eyes studied her, his brows knit together with concern. But then the image of him blurred. She felt as though she fell headlong into a cavernous tunnel, down into the bottomless pit, darker than the deepest ocean trench, and finally into nothingness.
*** When Crystal woke in a large floral-covered bed, muffled voices sounded somewhere nearby. The room was warm and scented with the subtle fragrance of lavender. She took a deep breath of the heavenly scent, then climbed out of bed, feeling much refreshed. A South American tune played in the background. The sensuous lilting flutes and drums intrigued her. But when she tried to cross the floor she stumbled, her legs weaker than she realized. She approached a
mirror resting above a dresser, and stared at her appearance. Her blonde hair was disheveled and her makeup gone. But her eyes were still a vivid blue and her skin still had color. Her gaze rested on the bite mark on her neck, two puncture wounds, slightly raised, and discolored. She touched the neckline of the white silky nightgown someone had dressed her in. A feminine gasp sounded behind her and Crystal turned too
fast. She grew dizzy and grabbed the chest of drawers. The woman’s dark eyes widened. She was dark-haired like Robert, but streaks of gray made her appear older. Maybe an aunt? She opened her mouth to speak, but then thinking better of it, she spun around and exited the bedroom. Before Crystal reached the bed, Robert and his brothers barged into the room. She covered herself modestly. He picked her up and laid her back
on the mattress. “You’re supposed to rest, honey. How are you feeling?” “A little wobbly.” “That’s to be expected. You...lost a bit of blood.” “Where am I?” He pulled the covers to her chin, and sat next to her on the bed. “At my Uncle Walter’s home in Oklahoma City. We’ve let your brothers know that you’re safe here.”
She groaned. “Why didn’t you do what you were supposed to do to me?” “You haven’t been turned, Crystal. We’ve found that out now.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “How do you know? I mean, I’m not angry enough at you. What if you make me really mad and here come those wicked canines of mine?” Mark chuckled.
She scowled at him, then faced Robert. “Or what if we’re getting it on hot and heavy and they extend then?” She glanced at his brothers to see them grinning back at her. Wanting desperately to feel secure with Robert’s family, she fought the hope that crept into her system. “You’re not changed, Crystal. Sorry. If you want to bite me, go right ahead. I can take it. But for now, Aunt Mildred is fetching
your breakfast.” “They can’t want me here.” “There’s a split in the family over it. But since Uncle Walter’s the head of the family, he said you’re staying. And that’s that. He says any huntress that can avenge his niece’s death is worth having in the family.” “I want to get dressed.” “You’re staying in bed.” She folded her arms. “Don’t
think you can boss me around just because Nicolai got the best of me.” He grinned. “He didn’t get the best of you, believe me.” Tom tapped Mark on the shoulder. “Time for you to leave. Conversation’s getting a little too hot for your ears.” Mark stood his ground. “I’m not leaving until the rest of you do this time. And quit treating me like I’m underage. I’m twenty-two for...” He paused as
their aunt returned with a tray of fruit, eggs, toast and bacon. This would be the ultimate test. If she couldn’t stomach the food, she was one of the vampires. The smell of bacon and delicate scent of sweet apples, cantaloupe and honeydew melon drifted to her. Her stomach grumbled. So far so good. Everyone watched her as if they wanted to make sure she was all right too. “Thank you for the breakfast.”
“Call me Aunt Mildred, dear. And actually it’s well past dinnertime, but I figured this was the quickest meal I could prepare.” “Thank you.” Crystal buttered a piece of toast, then slathered on a coating of blackberry jam. She looked up at her audience. “Has everyone eaten already?” Robert said, “Two hours ago.” “You all don’t need to be in here watching me like this.” She lifted the toast to her lips.
She bit into it and smiled. “Hmmm, homemade blackberry jam, sweet and tangy.” Robert patted her free hand. “Yeah, Aunt Mildred makes us pick blackberries after they’re ripe in the field.” Crystal smiled. “To keep you boys out of trouble.” She took another bite of her toast. “This is very good.” Robert looked back at his family. “Maybe she can come
downstairs and visit with us later.” Tom nodded. “We’ll see you in a bit.” Robert’s brothers and their aunt left. “I’m still being tested, aren’t I?” Crystal asked as she sipped from a glass of orange juice. Robert shook his head. “No.” “If I couldn’t handle the food, you’d have known I was turned.”
“This is true, but really, you’re fine, Crystal.” She took a deep breath, then poked her fork into the bacon. “You’ve done a blood test on me.” “Nope.” “How can you be so sure then?” “It’s been two days since we brought you here, and twice you walked in your sleep. Mark found
you sitting on the porch in the noonday sun the first time.” She touched the lace trim on her nightgown. “Dressed like this?” He smiled. “Mark closed his eyes and brought you back to your room.” She groaned. “Yeah, right. And the tooth fairy visits too. What of the other time?” “Samuel found you in the same place the next day, around
the same time. Tom said it was his turn next.” “Jeez, Robert. Why didn’t you just tie me to the bed?” “I did that once, remember? And you hurt yourself.” She ran her hand over his. “Are you sure it’s really all right for me to stay here with your family?” He leaned over and kissed her lips. When he pulled away, she followed his mouth and kissed
him again. He chuckled. He took the tray off her lap and set in on the bedside table. “You ate pretty well. Did you want anything else?” She tugged at his shirt. He grinned. “Our resident doctor in the family said you had to rest. Nicolai’s bite took a lot out of you.” “Are you afraid to make love to me, Robert?” She crossed her arms and pouted her lips.
He laughed. “Yes. Until you’re better.” She examined his clothes. “Is that a hint of garlic in your pocket?” He nodded. She studied his black turtleneck and jeans. “Are you taking care of business?” He didn’t say anything and she glanced out the window at the setting sun. She pulled her covers aside
and his gaze shifted to her bare legs. “What is there for me to wear? I’m going with you.” He covered her back up. “Oh, no you don’t. You’ve only now awakened. And women in my family don’t hunt, remember?” “I’ll sit in the car. I can’t stay here, Robert. You know what I said, I’m not good at sitting still.” She yanked her covers aside and before he could stop her, she climbed out of bed. “This is not a good idea,
Crystal. My uncle and half the family say you will stay and...” But he didn’t finish his words. She pinned him with a glare. “And what, Robert?” He looked at the floor. “You can’t go, Crystal, and that’s that.” His face darkened, and he motioned to the bed again. “Stay. I can’t chance losing you.” She bounced into the bed in a huff. Hadn’t he learned anything about her? He could order her about all he wanted, but she had
a mind of her own. He pulled the comforter back over her, then kissed her cheek. “I’ll come by to check on you later.” Neither a vampire nor a hunter would ever control her. When the sun disappeared from the sky, Crystal sifted through one of the drawers in a mahogany chest and found a black shirt with a low-scoop neckline. She yanked off her nightgown and pulled the shirt over her head. In the closet she found her jeans, freshly washed,
and her western boots. After dressing, she pulled her hair back in a pearl hair band. She returned to the drawers and searched for weapons. In the top one, she found her wrist knives. But no sign of the cane anywhere. She peered outside. Tom’s SUV and Robert’s convertible sat in the circular drive of the two-story house. After stepping out of the room, she was glad to see no one about.
Then she heard voices in a room downstairs. She slipped down the stairs like a cat burglar on the prowl. When she reached the room, she leaned against the wall and listened. “When are you going to make us proud, Robert?” Aunt Mildred asked. “She already carries our child.” Crystal’s mind whirled in surprise.
“What about the hunting?” a deep male voice asked. “I’m afraid I need to discuss this rationally with her further. She’s just arrived and needs to feel part of the family first.” “You have explained to her that as a huntress she’s not permitted to hunt?” “Yes, Uncle Walter.” “And?” “She’s a huntress from a
family where the huntresses hunt. But I can convince her to stay home.” Crystal raised her brows. Really. “And tonight you’re going...?” “First Street,” Tom said. “Yorovitch’s cousin Malovan has been terrorizing the community down there. He’s taken underage girls and turned them, which is unheard of for vampires.”
“All right. Stick together and we’ll see you when you get back,” Uncle Walter said. “Did you give Crystal enough of the sedative?” Tom asked. Aunt Mildred replied, “Ifshe ate all of her eggs.” Robert cleared his throat. “I didn’t pay attention. She ate all of the toast and bacon.” “I put some in her orange juice too.”
Damn. Crystal rubbed her forehead. She’d kill Robert. How could he have his family drug her to...to, well, to keep her under control? A part of her realized he wanted to keep her safe, but... She hurried outside to the SUV. If she slipped into the last seat, no one would even know she was there. She lay still for what seemed like hours before she heard the men’s voices as they walked to the vehicles. The front two doors of the SUV opened, the overhead
light came on, then the doors shut. The light shut off, and the men clicked their seatbelts closed. Samuel coughed. “You know, Robert thinks he’s got the situation under control with Crystal, but I believe he’s got another thing coming.” Damn right. She folded her arms and scowled. “Yeah,” Tom said. “I wish I had his kind of trouble though.”
Samuel laughed. *** When Crystal woke, the affects of the sedative still hadn’t fully worn off. Her thoughts fuzzed a bit when she stared out the vehicle’s window. The SUV had parked in front of a two-story, white colonial. Robert’s convertible sat behind the SUV. No one was anywhere in sight. Ten more vehicles were parked curbside. Big party. Robert and her brothers would need her help for certain.
She stepped out of the car and sauntered toward the house. She didn’t feel as energetic as she usually did. Her feet seemed to take baby steps instead of her normally quick-paced stride. And sometimes the house tilted on its side. Though there were no outside lights the whole yard looked like it was washed in sunlight. She kept thinking there was something else she needed to do. But she wasn’t sure what. All she knew was she had to help Robert
and his family. She owed it to them for taking her in. Still, her mind fogged a bit. As she approached the door, it opened for her. Who was she after this time? She wasn’t certain. Several men and women stared at her as she stepped into the living area. All were dressed in black, and several sipped glasses of blood red wine. Where were Robert and his brothers? A woman with long straight
black hair tied severely behind her back caught Crystal’s attention. She wore a black floor length satin gown and stepped up to Crystal, then tilted her head to the side. “You were invited by...?” Crystal took a deep breath trying to recall the name Tom had mentioned. “Malovan?” A man joined her and smiled. “Do I know you?” His dark eyes shifted to her neck and the bite mark located there. “Seems you had a bit of a time with
someone.” He touched the bruise lightly. “We never take a host before they’re ready. You struggled against the vampire, or you wouldn’t have bruised like this.” “Nicolai.” She folded her arms. “I told him no.” The man’s lips turned up slightly. “Nicolai? You don’t mean my cousin, Nicolai?” Voices came to her as if on the wind, only there wasn’t any breeze stirring in the house.
Who is she?a woman asked, only no woman’s lips moved. Crystal rubbed her temple. Now she was hearing things. A male voice responded in her head, I’m not certain, but if Nicolai wanted her, and he couldn’t make her bend to his will, she intrigues me. A woman said,Come to me, friend, and let me touch you . Was the female vampire
talking to Crystal? She ignored her and considered the room full of hosts and vampires. I cannot control her mind or read her thoughts. Can you, Malovan? He stepped in front of Crystal, and looked into her eyes with the intensity of a vampire who tested her willpower. You will be mine. She smiled. Right. His gaze didn’t shift from Crystal as he attempted to figure
her out. She’s different. I don’t understand her. But if Nicolai wanted her and she’s escaped him, she won’t escape me. He rubbed his smooth chin. I don’t want the word to get out she’s here though. He’d come for her. He doesn’t like to lose. Then he smiled. But I won’t lose her. Several agreed in their telepathic way. Crystal shook her head. Vampires were so arrogant. She spied a young girl of about fifteen. Immediately, she wanted
to rescue the girl. But had she been turned already? Crystal skirted around Malovan and crossed the floor to the girl. The young girl shifted her attention from a male vampire and eyed Crystal with disinterest. “Have you been turned?” Crystal asked. The girl’s mouth dropped open. She turned to Malovan. Who is she?
Crystal swallowed hard. The girl was a vampire. Perhaps she has not had enough exposure to us. She cannot read our thoughts, nor can... Malovan paused in his thoughts mid-sentence. He swooped across the floor and faced Crystal. Why can’t I control her? I can control any human’s mind. “Where are you from?” “From the land of the free and the land of the brave. No,” she corrected herself, “the home of
the brave.” She released her wrist blades and struck Malovan with the right one. He immediately collapsed without uttering a sound as the blade penetrated his heart. The male standing with the teen lunged at Crystal. She is a huntress! The rally went through the minds of the vampires in a chant. She smiled. Yes, I am. She managed to jab her knife into the male vampire’s heart, killing him
instantly. “Kill the huntress!” one of the vampires shouted. Suddenly Robert and his brothers ran down the stairs from the second floor, their swords already dripping with blood. Utter confusion seemed to reign as hosts fled the house and the hunters targeted the vampires. When all the bloodsuckers were dead, Robert seized Crystal’s arm and hurried her outside to the convertible
while his brothers followed behind. Tom chuckled. “And when are you going to make her listen to reason, Robert?” He veered off toward his SUV. Crystal smiled, then stumbled, the sedative still undoubtedly affecting her. “After he makes love to me.” Robert shook his head, a half smile curving his lips. “If you can hunt, you’re ready for more pleasurable business.” He lifted
her off her feet and ran for the car while Mark opened the door for him. She breathed in Robert’s male scent and nuzzled her face against his chest. “But I don’t have a fur bikini to wear.” He chuckled. “Less is even better.” Glancing back at the vampire’s lair, she realized Nicolai had changed her after all. He had given her the vampire’s ability to read their thoughts. She
studied the landscape that should have been cloaked in darkness but was washed in a warm light instead. She smiled. She could see in the dark as well as they could now. And most of all, Nicolai had aroused in her the need to end the vampires’ stranglehold over the humans. Her lips turned up. With Robert’s seed and her special genes...she’d make a superiorhunter race. The End