screamed again as strong hands folded over her shoulders, shaking her lightly.
"Regan! Regan, wake up!"
Her eyelids flew open and she saw Santiago bending over her.
A dream. Relief whooshed out of her in a sigh. It had only been a dream.
But then she looked into Santiago's eyes, eyes that glowed with an inhuman light, and wished that she was back in her nightmare. As frightening as it had been, she had been safe in her dream.
No such safety existed here.
Santiago took one look at her face and slowly backed away from Regan. Her fear was a palpable thing.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he said, "That must have been some nightmare."
"You have no idea," she replied, her voice shaky.
"Why are you sleeping on the floor?"
"I… because I…"
"Go on," he coaxed, his tone one of barely suppressed amusement.
She felt her cheeks grow warm under his knowing grin.
"Were you, by chance, afraid to sleep in my bed?"
"Of course not," she lied. "I… I must have fallen out during the night." That was a lie, too. Knowing she was in his bed had kept her tossing and turning until, at last, she had dragged the covers and one of the pillows onto the floor.
Clutching the sheet in one hand, she glanced around the room, still shaken by the last vestiges of her dream. It had seemed so real.
"Your nightmare," he said quietly. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
She shook her head vigorously. That was the last thing she wanted.
"You are safe here." One look at her expression told him she knew it for the lie it was. He was a vampire. She was prey. She would never truly be safe in his presence. "Go back to sleep, girl," he said, his voice gruff. "I will keep you safe until tomorrow."
"And then?"
Before she could protest, he picked her up, blankets and all, settled her on the bed, and tucked her in. "I give you my word that you will be safe so long as you stay here."
She nodded, the covers pulled up to her chin. "Would you… would you leave the light on, please?"
She didn't know what was wrong with her. She had never been afraid of the dark, never behaved like one of those gutless females she despised. She was a vampire hunter, for crying out loud, not some nervous Nellie. She had hunted vampires and even killed a few. But she had never been in a situation like this before, never had a vampire look at her the way the master of the city looked at her. Never felt such a primal attraction to any male before, man or vampire.
At her request, he switched on the light. It had been so long since he had needed any kind of illumination to see by, he sometimes forgot that mortals took comfort in it.
Leaving the room, he closed the door behind him. If only it was as easy to shut out his awareness of her. As prey. As a woman…
Going to the condo's only window, Santiago drew back the heavy blackout drapes and gazed out into the night. Only a few stars remained visible in the sky. It would be dawn soon. He could protect her as long as she stayed here, but if she left his apartment… a muscle worked in his jaw. He could keep her here by force, if need be, though he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
He thought back to the last time he and Vasile had met. Both had come away badly hurt. Both had drawn blood. Both had tasted the blood of the other, and in some way that Santiago didn't understand, it had changed them. Werewolves were influenced by the full moon. It was then that they changed shape, never during the day. But Santiago's blood had, in some freakish way, made it possible for Vasile to shift in the daytime, while Vasile's blood had given Santiago a certain immunity from the deadly effects of the sun, giving him the power to be active during the day if he desired, though he could not walk outside in the sun's light.
And now Vasile knew where he made his home, and that Regan was here.
----
Chapter 8
Regan woke to darkness. Frowning, she glanced around the room, wondering what time it was. She didn't usually wake up in the middle of the
"Regan! Regan, wake up!"
Her eyelids flew open and she saw Santiago bending over her.
A dream. Relief whooshed out of her in a sigh. It had only been a dream.
But then she looked into Santiago's eyes, eyes that glowed with an inhuman light, and wished that she was back in her nightmare. As frightening as it had been, she had been safe in her dream.
No such safety existed here.
Santiago took one look at her face and slowly backed away from Regan. Her fear was a palpable thing.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he said, "That must have been some nightmare."
"You have no idea," she replied, her voice shaky.
"Why are you sleeping on the floor?"
"I… because I…"
"Go on," he coaxed, his tone one of barely suppressed amusement.
She felt her cheeks grow warm under his knowing grin.
"Were you, by chance, afraid to sleep in my bed?"
"Of course not," she lied. "I… I must have fallen out during the night." That was a lie, too. Knowing she was in his bed had kept her tossing and turning until, at last, she had dragged the covers and one of the pillows onto the floor.
Clutching the sheet in one hand, she glanced around the room, still shaken by the last vestiges of her dream. It had seemed so real.
"Your nightmare," he said quietly. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
She shook her head vigorously. That was the last thing she wanted.
"You are safe here." One look at her expression told him she knew it for the lie it was. He was a vampire. She was prey. She would never truly be safe in his presence. "Go back to sleep, girl," he said, his voice gruff. "I will keep you safe until tomorrow."
"And then?"
Before she could protest, he picked her up, blankets and all, settled her on the bed, and tucked her in. "I give you my word that you will be safe so long as you stay here."
She nodded, the covers pulled up to her chin. "Would you… would you leave the light on, please?"
She didn't know what was wrong with her. She had never been afraid of the dark, never behaved like one of those gutless females she despised. She was a vampire hunter, for crying out loud, not some nervous Nellie. She had hunted vampires and even killed a few. But she had never been in a situation like this before, never had a vampire look at her the way the master of the city looked at her. Never felt such a primal attraction to any male before, man or vampire.
At her request, he switched on the light. It had been so long since he had needed any kind of illumination to see by, he sometimes forgot that mortals took comfort in it.
Leaving the room, he closed the door behind him. If only it was as easy to shut out his awareness of her. As prey. As a woman…
Going to the condo's only window, Santiago drew back the heavy blackout drapes and gazed out into the night. Only a few stars remained visible in the sky. It would be dawn soon. He could protect her as long as she stayed here, but if she left his apartment… a muscle worked in his jaw. He could keep her here by force, if need be, though he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
He thought back to the last time he and Vasile had met. Both had come away badly hurt. Both had drawn blood. Both had tasted the blood of the other, and in some way that Santiago didn't understand, it had changed them. Werewolves were influenced by the full moon. It was then that they changed shape, never during the day. But Santiago's blood had, in some freakish way, made it possible for Vasile to shift in the daytime, while Vasile's blood had given Santiago a certain immunity from the deadly effects of the sun, giving him the power to be active during the day if he desired, though he could not walk outside in the sun's light.
And now Vasile knew where he made his home, and that Regan was here.
----
Chapter 8
Regan woke to darkness. Frowning, she glanced around the room, wondering what time it was. She didn't usually wake up in the middle of the
Similar Books
