gown. The skirt spread around her feet, making it look like she was standing in a pool of blood. He frowned a moment, wondering where Petrina had gone.
"I'm going home now,"Bryan said. He moved forward, intending to push her out of the way and get the hell out of there.
"Are you?" She smiled, revealing a pair of gleaming fangs. "I don't think so."
Bryantook a step backward. "What are you?"
"I am vampire." Her voice was mesmerizing, seductive.
"Very funny."
"I am glad you think so."
She glided into the room, her green eyes glittering like shards of emerald glass.
Bryantried to dart past her, but she was too fast for him. She grabbed his arm and with a twitch of her wrist, she hurled him onto the bed.
He stared up at her, terror coiling around his insides as she sat down beside him.
"Fight me, if you wish," she purred, "but it will do you no good."
He had never hit a woman in his life, but this was no time to be squeamish. Sitting up, he drew back his fist and launched a haymaker.
Her head snapped back at the force of his blow, but other than that, it didn't faze her at all.
Laughing softly, she wrapped one hand around his throat and pushed him back down on the bed. "Your puny human strength is nothing as compared to mine, you foolish creature," she chided.
"Let me go." He had meant the words to be a demand, but they emerged as little more than a whisper, the plea of a frightened child.
"Perhaps later."
He stared into her eyes, eyes now glowing and red. He swore aloud as he felt her fangs at his throat, but there was no pain, just a sudden sense of lethargy that drained him of all desire to resist.
He moaned softly, and then the world dissolved in a crimson mist.
Chapter 21
Dominic's head jerked up, his eyes narrowing asTracy 's voice echoed in his mind.
Dominic, help me! Please, come to me now.
For a small moment of time, he thought of ignoring her. He had spent the last few days pondering his past, reliving every lifetime he had spent withTracy . He was tired, so tired of pursuing her.Tired of existing. Tomorrow, he had planned to end his existence. What would it be like to see the sun after so many years? Would his body go up in flames at the first touch of the sun on his flesh? Would it be over quickly? He was not afraid of death, but to burn... it was something he had feared since burning his hand when he was a young boy. He had never forgotten the excruciating pain.
"Dominic!"
The fear in her voice coiled around his heart and soul.
A moment later, he was streaking through the night, all thought of ending his existence forgotten.
Outside the doorway of The Catacombs, he dissolved into a fine mist before slipping inside.
Anger welled within him at what he saw. All the vampires in the room save for Marcus were gathered aroundTracy like wolves closing in on a wounded doe. Eyes glowing, fangs extended, the vampires formed a loose circle around her. From time to time, one of them reached out to touch her, stroking her hair, dragging a fingernail over her cheek, down the length of her arm.
She stood tall and straight in their midst, her expression defiant. For all her outward show of bravado, he could smell her fear; it was a palpable presence in the room, exciting the vampires still more. She shuddered as one of the males licked the side of her neck.
Dominic sent his senses through the room. The boy's scent was strong, yet he was nowhere to be seen. Had they killed him? The boy meant nothing to him, but if they had killed the boy, then they had openly defied the law. Not only the law of the land, but the lawthat Dominic had set forth decreeing that there would be no blood shed within the boundaries of the village. To defy his law was to defy him.
Zarabethbegan to circleTracy , taunting her with tales of mortals she had killed.Tracy 's face paled but she glared at Zarabeth , her expression filled with disdain.
Zarabethran her fingernail downTracy 's arm. "Have you nothing to say? We might spare you if you ask us nicely."
Zarabethput her arms aroundTracy , holding her immobile. She put her face close toTracy 's neck and took a deep breath, her eyes closing in rapture.
"Enough!"
Taking on his shape, Dominic strode across the room.
The vampires immediately