A Whisper of Eternity - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,57

as yours would be mine."

"You mean you'd be able to read my mind?"

"I can do that now."

"But if we were bonded, I'd be your slave, wouldn't I, like that woman is Marcus's slave?"

"No, my best beloved one.It would be nothing like that."

She took a step away from him, suddenly frightened. "I don't believe you."

"There are many ways a vampire can possess a mortal," he said calmly, as if they were discussing nothing more important than the weather. "Ways to compel mortals to obey."

"Is that what Marcus did to that girl?"

"No. She went to him of her own free will."

"But he could have made her do it against her will?"

"Yes."

"And you could do that to me?"

Watching her carefully, he nodded. He was on dangerous ground here. A wrong word now might frighten her away.

"Why haven't you?"

"Because I do not want a slave."

"Have you ever forced anyone else to do your bidding?"

"Of course.Each time I feed."

She wrapped her arms over her breasts. "So you hypnotize them and force them to give you their blood?"

"I speak to their minds to take away their fear. It is not unpleasant for them, and when it is over, I wipe all memory of it from their minds."

"That's despicable!"

"Would you rather I took them by force and drained them of life?"

"Of course not, but..."

"I am what I am, querida . I cannot change my nature, not even for you, nor would I. I have been vampire far longer than I was human. I have survived thousands of years. I have learned patience. I have learned compassion. I have learned to take what I need without taking life. It has not been easy. Vampires are predatory by nature. The need to hunt is a part of me and will not be denied. There are those who hunt in the old way, who take a life each night. No longer human themselves, they have little regard for human life. I will not tolerate their kind here."

"Is that right? Have you read the paper lately?Bryan told me that three people have been killed in the last couple of days.Drained of blood."

Dominic's eyes narrowed. "You have seen that boy again?"

Tracydismissed his question with a wave of her hand. "Did you hear what I said? Three people have been killed, Dominic.If you don't allow any of the Sea Cliff vampires to hunt in your territory, then who's doing it?"

Dominic shook his head. "I was not aware of any killings." It troubled him to realize he had been unaware that someone was hunting in his territory. His only excuse was that he had been so preoccupied withTracy he had been oblivious to everything else.

"Well,"Tracy remarked a trifle sharply, "maybe you should look into it before there's a fourth."

With a nod, he was gone.

Tracystared at the place where he had been standing, wondering if she would ever grow accustomed to his ability to vanish in the blink of an eye, wondering if she truly wanted to.
Chapter 17

Dominic stalked the night, his anger as dark and thick as the clouds that scudded overhead.

Someone had dared to hunt in his territory, killing not once but three times. Even though there were a dozen other vampires in the village, he had claimed this piece of ground as his own over a century ago. He had been the first vampire to take up residence in Sea Cliff; therefore, it was his. He allowed others to dwell there but only if they agreed to abide by his law. He had toldTracy that the vampires had no democracy and no ruler and that was true, to a point. No one vampire ruled over the others. But there were a few vampires likehimself , ancient vampires filled with power, who had staked out parts of the world as their own. This tiny village on the coast ofCalifornia was his and he would not allow any other immortal to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere he had created.

He moved swiftly through the dark streets, his preternatural senses reaching out, searching through the night for the one who did not belong.

Each vampire resident was accounted for: Zarabeth was already at rest, her hunger sated. Nicholas, Marcus, Landau, andMagdalena were huddled together at The Catacombs, debating whether it was more fun to take their prey by surprise or seduction. Franco was hunting in the city. Laslo and Turk, the two youngest of his kind, were playing billiards in a back alley pool hall. The other four were wandering the night, oblivious to the rain. Try as