I wanted to make another attempt to contact my human family who hadn't been at the house, but I was faced with the dilemma of what to tell them even if I did make contact. Did I have them come and face another Werewolf attack?I groaned anxiously. Please let this nightmare end. Tears of frustration fell down my cheeks. Please don't let me be faced with the massacre of those I love …~*~When the house was in sight, Paul's Werewolf tensed, growling low in his throat. There was still danger then.I couldn't bring the creature back, but I did drop teeth.Paul leaped up onto the second floor balcony. I jumped, too, but because of my fatigue I barely made it. Paul gripped my forearm and swung me effortlessly up and over the railing.This was Monica's suite. I rushed to the French doors that had been ripped from their hinges.Blood was everywhere. I swooned and weaved on my feet. The Werewolf brushed past me into the room. I braced myself and searched for any signs of life … or ju

I awoke to Paul stroking my hair. He looked as exhausted as I had felt the night before. His eyes were deep set and hollow, and his skin was ashen. Even his normally wavy hair was lank and hanging in his face.I sat up and looked around. We were in the bedroom of someone's house. The room was small but cozy and comfortable.Although the curtains were drawn I could tell that it was day. "What time is it?""About two PM.," Paul said. "Where are we?""We're in some type of Vampire safe house just outside of Poland. The windows are supposed to be Vampire safe." He looked around. "We got here about half an hour ago. I didn't know if you were going to wake up during the transport to this place. I just wanted to get you in here as quickly as possible and out of that coffin. As soon as I got you out of it, I could see that you were waking up." "How could you tell?" "You just didn't look dead. It's a real small difference, but it's there. Even though you're not breathing, you look

I sat on the front stoop and gave in to my tears. It hurt to cry and it hurt not to. I pictured Monica with her long blond hair up in a hasty ponytail poring over legal documents and fine-tuning even the smallest errors. The memory of Tyler's easy laughter and her intricate tattoos brought sobs ripping from my throat. I missed Julie with her little hands and serious expressions. But my Tige, my Tige who I had burned for, risked my life for, my Tige who had been taken so easily away from me.I covered my mouth and tried to press my tears back inside. I was rocking and dizzy with my grief when I felt someone beside me.I thought it would be Tony.But it was Ran.His eyes were hollow and dark. He pulled me into his arms, and I collapsed into him and didn't try to hold back my sorrow. I cried and wailed and gripped Ran to me while he absorbed everything I had to give him."Julie," I whispered. "Julie …" I must have said her name a hundred times while Ran held on to me.A long time la

"Jason," I said in a husky voice. "Get Monica to safety."Ran hurried to Monica, lifting her and vanishing. I turned and sensed Jason's whereabouts.When I materialized again, I was alone in a room of two-dozen werewolves, several guarding Jason, who was chained to a wall. "Were you expecting me?" I howled. "Let's do this." Before I could go to battle, the air grew bitterly cold, and the werewolves looked confused. I smelled, of all things, fresh flowers. A woman no taller than five-two appeared between the werewolves and me. She was drop-dead beautiful, her skin the deathly white of an old Vampire. Her hair was a luscious black that ran down in curls to the small of her back. Her green eyes were striking against her face and hair. She wore a gown of sea foam green that glistened with diamonds and hugged her body like a glove. She was obviously an old Neratomay, but she knew how to dress like a modern-day heiress.Ignoring the dangerous werewolves at her back, the woman smil

I rolled my eyes. "Everything has changed. I can't be the same person if you take away my choices. I can't be me if you lord your power over me. I won't be the same person you fell in love with if you take away my will! You don't want a willing lover—you want a possession.""That is not true."I shook my head. "Look. I chose to love you, not because you gave me permission to do so but because I wanted to do it. I didn't want to wait ninety-nine years before I could be with you, and I begged you to let me return to you." I stepped closer to him. "But it was you who sent me out into the world to live and to love, remember?" "Now you act as if I have betrayed you?" I closed my eyes, contemplating the grief I'd feel if I lost my love for Alexis. I didn't want to have this breakdown right now! "Will you please return me to my battle? I have some unfinished business I need to take care of." Alexis turned his back, lowered himself to the floor, and walked away from me. "I apologize,