Tatyana stared at the room full of fallen vampires as they slowly disintegrated before her very eyes. The burning pain was lessening enough for her to be able to stand on her own, but her chest felt constricted; giving her the feeling of extreme claustrophobia. She needed to get outside and breathe some fresh air.
Pushing past Bruce with remarkable strength, she rushed down the stairs and picked her way through the debris and remnants of fallen vampires as quickly as she could. There were still a few vampires to deal with, so Bruce wasn’t able to follow her as he would have liked. Grumbling his dissatisfaction over the situation, he continued his onslaught with a renewed vengeance.
Tatyana had almost reached the exit when Elsa called out her name. Stopping short, she turned slowly to look into the face of her dear friend and ward. Elsa had all she could do to control the reaction she had to the changes that had occurred on Tatyana’s
Osip paced the confines of his desert den. He’d harbored such high hopes of winning the favor of Count Dracula, only to have them shattered by that bitch, Lucinda. How could he have known she was so bonded to Nambru that she’d take her life rather than become his bride? Now, who would help him care for the baby he planned on pawning off to Dracula as his grandson?He didn’t want just any female. If that was the case, he’d be gone right now. The woman he took needed to be believable. She needed to be able to fool Dracula into thinking she wasn’t just the mother of his grandchild, but someone alluring enough to catch the eye of the very discerning Damitru. Osip saw very few who fit that bill roaming the halls of Nambru’s den. Lucinda had been perfect; perfect for the ruse, and perfect for him because she aroused him insensibly. Damn her!He stood before the mirror and adjusted the n
“What did I look like when I turned?” Bruce asked.“Pardon?” Tatyana said.“What did I look like when I turned? Did I frighten you?” Bruce continued.“Not so much, but you changed,” she replied.“How?” Bruce asked.“More, like a wolf, less like a man,” she said matter-of-factly.“Oh, “he mused, “Would you say that’s good or bad?”“It depends,” she said.“On what?” he asked.“On how you look at it,” she replied as she lightly kissed the tip his nose. “I take you as you come, my love.”For Bruce there was only one way to look at it. It was bad, very bad. He was moving more and more away from his human self. Soon the curse of the werewolf would be impossible to remove; if it wasn’t the case already. He didn’t know why, but he thought he sti
I put the telephone receiver back into its cradle. I’d used a public telephone to call Bruce because we weren’t sure if our own phones were secure. At first, I thought this was a bit paranoid, but after conversing with Shen about the ways of the vampire, we decided there was no such thing as being too careful. We needed time away from the fight so that we could focus on finding a cure for Bruce. The least little thing like a phone call could expose our whereabouts to Dracula’s hunters who were certain to be on the lookout for us in hopes of being led to Charles. There was also the matter of Dracula’s orders to bring the slayers back to him. We weren’t sure, but we assumed it still stood.Surveying the dining room of the neighborhood’s most popular diner, I scowled. Shen should have joined me by now. What could be keeping him?I smiled flirtatiously at the beautiful five-foot-five-inch, sinuous hostess as
Magdalena watched the young couple walking in front of her with minimal interest as she followed them down the lazy darkened street. It would be so easy to catch up with them and go unnoticed. She hadn’t seen a car or another person for the last ten minutes. All was quiet.Even if she did succumb to temptation and partake in human blood, it wouldn’t change the fact that she couldn’t get her mind off Shen and me. She was especially taken by me. She found my sandy hair and facial structure strikingly handsome. Although both of us made every sense she possessed alive and alert, it was me who struck her the most. Perhaps it was because of our touch. She rarely touched humans, and for good reason. It brought forth a part of her that she worked hard to suppress.She was born a vympire in the earth year one-thousand-ten BC and saw quite a few changes in the vympire kingdom since then. Many of the changes were those o
The trek back to her apartment was one of the most difficult experiences Magdalena could ever recall. She’d grown accustomed to moving amongst humans and was quite adept at it, but rarely did she touch us; and never for such a long period of time.What made matters even more unbearable was the fact that she was being supported by us. She had one of us on either side of her while we practically lifted her off the sidewalk in order to spare her the weight of her body on her bruised and broken limbs. The steady rhythm of our hearts pumping wondrous and addictive blood through our veins as we carefully positioned her onto her bed brought forth a surge of energy that was almost overwhelming. Her weaknesses were threatening to free themselves of their own accord and overpower her. She’d witnessed this happening to others a few times in her lifetime, but had never experienced it herself; nor did she wish to.She needed us to leave before she lost
“Your friends are back,” Garth muttered as he slid past Magdalena to grab a menu. “Allow me.”Magdalena looked at the entrance of the main dining room as Garth approached the us and scowled. She hadn’t expected us to return so soon. It was going to be difficult explaining her miraculous healing. What was she thinking, coming to work only a day after a fight like that? She should have anticipated the possibility of our return to the diner and made up an excuse to call in sick. She should have stayed home a few days to make it appear like she was still healing. This was bad. This was very bad.I looked in Magdalena’s direction as Garth led us to a booth at the far side of the room. My heart felt heavy as I looked for signs of the injuries she’d received not twenty-four hours earlier. There were none. This could mean only one thing. She wasn’t human.Garth took our drink order in his usua
Magdalena shivered; not from the cold, but from the sheer delight that coursed through her body as she nuzzled close to me while we made our way down the street. It had been centuries since she’d huddled this close to anyone -human or supernatural. The heady, sexual, and exhilarating sensation far outweighed any desire to drink my blood.Our conversation proved light, jovial, and delightful. Magdalena found herself rapidly developing a comfort with me and it felt good. It felt very good.She’d experienced this once before, centuries ago in another time and what seemed like another life when she met and fell in love with Marcus Wexton, Earl of Wetherford. She was touring homes of the wealthiest of the ton in Wales with her cousin, Evelyn, who was a few hundred years her senior. Evelyn had defied the vympire code and taken a human husband. They weren’t far from Marcus’s estate when their buggy lost a wheel. It w
Shen directed the cab driver to stop in front of Magdalena’s apartment building and got out. He watched the cab pull away and instantly regretted not asking him to wait. What if I wasn’t here? Since I hadn’t come back to our motel room he assumed I was with Magdalena, but what if I wasn’t? Where else would I be? He wished we dared use our cell phones.As he started up the set of steps that joined the sidewalk to the front door of the tall, century old brick building, he caught a glimpse of a shadow out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head quickly, but not quickly enough because the shadow was gone. When he focused once again on his ascent up the stairs leading from the sidewalk into the building’s vestibule, his path was blocked. He sucked in air as his mind registered what stood before him. There was no mistaking it was a vampire. To make matters even more intense, he looked familiar. Shen was su