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Authors: Lara Parker
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of her, never dreaming that she
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possessed otherworldly powers. It had been a dastardly mistake.
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Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon Rising
Here, in this very room, he had fi red the pistol that wounded
but failed to kill her, and into this very window had fl own the
bat that attacked him as she fl ung out her curse and doomed
him to life as one of the living dead.
Th
is was where it had all began, the heartbreak and the
ruin, and it was here that he had discovered the two sides of his
nature. Toward Josette he had shown only devotion, toward
Angelique contempt, and both emotions fought to shape his
whole being. He was trapped by an insidious duality.
Voices from far off broke his reverie, the shouts of boys, and
he wondered how they came to be in the woods. Strange that
children should be out in this weather, at this hour, children who
should have been home in bed. He felt a vague inkling of men-
ace, as though there were forces afoot he did not understand; the
cries of boys were haunting like wounded birds, fl oundering in
the drifts.
He turned again to the window and caught his breath. She
was there! Antoinette—
looking more like Angelique than
ever— was standing by the fi replace where its fl ames cast a golden light into the room and painted trembling shadows on the fl oor.
She was wearing green, as he remembered she so often did, and
her robe was of a medieval style with long bell- shaped sleeves
and a low- cut bodice that hugged her slim waist before the soft
fabric fell in folds to the fl oor. Her golden hair was roped and
twisted into knots.
He had hoped to fi nd her in her bed, deep in a dream, with
moonlight shadowing her pale skin, her dressing gown open at
the neck, her pulse fl uttering. Even though he could feel a thrill vibrate through his body, he was not in the mood for a struggle.
But so much did this woman who had scorned him in his hu-
man form resemble Angelique— they seemed to be one and the
same— that he found himself despising her once again. Once he
had desired to rid his life of her as quickly as possible. Centuries of indecision— it was time for them to end— and what better
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3/15/13 7:44 PM
Lara Parker
way than to enslave her, to destroy Angelique’s jealous rages and
Antoinette’s poisonous indiff erence in one consummation of
vampire lust.
And this time, when he had her under his power, he would
uncover the witch hidden in her heart, and he would force her to
undo the curse. Th
at more than anything was his goal.
But he was disappointed to discover that she had a visitor, a
tall man with a lean body and a well- cut dinner jacket that clung
to his broad shoulders. Barnabas was confounded by his reac-
tion. He expected to be weakened by the sight of her. He was
also prepared to be confused, perhaps, or exasperated beyond
reason, or to feel desire, at the very least a spasm in his loins or a sudden wrench in his heart. But seeing her standing there a few
feet away, engaged in lively conversation with a man whose back
was to the window— his dark head a mass of curls, one hand
grasping a gold- rimmed goblet, a velvet sleeve, a snow white
cuff , long and graceful fi ngers— aroused in Barnabas rage more
wrenching than a knife to the fl esh. Antoinette moved toward
the window, and the curve of the casement framed her face and
upper body, like a painting of a Madonna.
He was shaken by the force of a sudden impulse, to shatter
the glass, tear open the frame, and fl y into the room a screeching bat, ready to sink his teeth into her neck. Or to descend on his
rival— he could see now that it was Quentin— breaking his body
with a few vigorous blows. He was glad now that he had left the
painting hidden, and the thought of the control it off ered ap-
peased his ire. But Antoinette’s expression as she gazed out into
the
-1—
possessed otherworldly powers. It had been a dastardly mistake.
0—
+1—
58
039-54009_ch01_1P.indd 58
3/15/13 7:44 PM
Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon Rising
Here, in this very room, he had fi red the pistol that wounded
but failed to kill her, and into this very window had fl own the
bat that attacked him as she fl ung out her curse and doomed
him to life as one of the living dead.
Th
is was where it had all began, the heartbreak and the
ruin, and it was here that he had discovered the two sides of his
nature. Toward Josette he had shown only devotion, toward
Angelique contempt, and both emotions fought to shape his
whole being. He was trapped by an insidious duality.
Voices from far off broke his reverie, the shouts of boys, and
he wondered how they came to be in the woods. Strange that
children should be out in this weather, at this hour, children who
should have been home in bed. He felt a vague inkling of men-
ace, as though there were forces afoot he did not understand; the
cries of boys were haunting like wounded birds, fl oundering in
the drifts.
He turned again to the window and caught his breath. She
was there! Antoinette—
looking more like Angelique than
ever— was standing by the fi replace where its fl ames cast a golden light into the room and painted trembling shadows on the fl oor.
She was wearing green, as he remembered she so often did, and
her robe was of a medieval style with long bell- shaped sleeves
and a low- cut bodice that hugged her slim waist before the soft
fabric fell in folds to the fl oor. Her golden hair was roped and
twisted into knots.
He had hoped to fi nd her in her bed, deep in a dream, with
moonlight shadowing her pale skin, her dressing gown open at
the neck, her pulse fl uttering. Even though he could feel a thrill vibrate through his body, he was not in the mood for a struggle.
But so much did this woman who had scorned him in his hu-
man form resemble Angelique— they seemed to be one and the
same— that he found himself despising her once again. Once he
had desired to rid his life of her as quickly as possible. Centuries of indecision— it was time for them to end— and what better
—-1
—0
—+1
59
039-54009_ch01_1P.indd 59
3/15/13 7:44 PM
Lara Parker
way than to enslave her, to destroy Angelique’s jealous rages and
Antoinette’s poisonous indiff erence in one consummation of
vampire lust.
And this time, when he had her under his power, he would
uncover the witch hidden in her heart, and he would force her to
undo the curse. Th
at more than anything was his goal.
But he was disappointed to discover that she had a visitor, a
tall man with a lean body and a well- cut dinner jacket that clung
to his broad shoulders. Barnabas was confounded by his reac-
tion. He expected to be weakened by the sight of her. He was
also prepared to be confused, perhaps, or exasperated beyond
reason, or to feel desire, at the very least a spasm in his loins or a sudden wrench in his heart. But seeing her standing there a few
feet away, engaged in lively conversation with a man whose back
was to the window— his dark head a mass of curls, one hand
grasping a gold- rimmed goblet, a velvet sleeve, a snow white
cuff , long and graceful fi ngers— aroused in Barnabas rage more
wrenching than a knife to the fl esh. Antoinette moved toward
the window, and the curve of the casement framed her face and
upper body, like a painting of a Madonna.
He was shaken by the force of a sudden impulse, to shatter
the glass, tear open the frame, and fl y into the room a screeching bat, ready to sink his teeth into her neck. Or to descend on his
rival— he could see now that it was Quentin— breaking his body
with a few vigorous blows. He was glad now that he had left the
painting hidden, and the thought of the control it off ered ap-
peased his ire. But Antoinette’s expression as she gazed out into
the
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