A Whisper of Eternity - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,80

sorry," she murmured, and ministered to the wounds in his chest.So much blood. The towel soaked it up and she tossed it in the sink and wet another one. "How did this happen?"

" Petrina."

"She did this?"Tracy asked in disbelief.

"She had help."

"Why didn't you?" The second towel was thrown into the sink with the first.

"This is my territory. If I am to hold it, I must be strong enough to do it alone."

She pulled another towel from the drawer and wiped the blood from his legs. "You could have bled to death."

"No. They were clumsy in their haste." He looked down at his wounds. Though he had bled a great deal, none of the wounds was deep enough to be life-threatening.

With a shake of her head,Tracy wiped the last of the blood away,then tossed the third towel into the sink with the others. She looked back at him, wondering what else she could do.

He put his hand on her arm.Tracy ..."

"What? Did I hurt you?"

"I need... blood."

The way he said it, the expression in his eyes, told her he needed much more than the small amounts he had taken before.

When she had him cleaned up, she slipped an arm under his shoulders and helped him to his feet. Step by slow step, they made it up the stairs to the guest bedroom she had recently redecorated.

He groaned softly as she lowered him onto the mattress.

She hovered over him, clutching one of his hands in hers. His skin was almost as white as the sheets.

"Tracy..."

"I..."

Murmuring "It is all right," he closed his eyes.

She stared down at him, stricken by his appearance, by the horrible thought that he might die. She shook her head. He couldn't die. Could he?

She chewed on her lower lip, wanting to give him what he needed, yet afraid. What if he took too much? What if he took it all? What if he turned her into a vampire?

Dared she take the risk?

How could she not?

Her decision made, she stretched out on the bed beside him. "Dominic?"

His eyesopened, dark and filled with pain she could not imagine.

"Take what you need." She turned her head to the side, giving him access to her neck. "But, please, don't take too much."

His lips were cold against her skin. The hands that held her trembled. She felt title prick of his fangs and then closed her eyes as pleasure spread through her. The movies always made it look so painful, she thought drowsily, when it was really quite pleasant.

Fragmented images of Dominic drifted through her mind - a young Dominic riding a horse through a field of tall grass, a newly made vampire on the trail of prey, being burned by the sun when he failed to reach his lair in time.

She moaned softly,then began trying to free herself from his embrace as her instinct for survival surged to the fore.

"Dominic!"

He drew back, his eyes glittering, a drop of blood - her blood - on his lips.

Lifting a hand to her neck, she stared at him. There was color in his cheeksagain, his eyes were no longer sunken.

She had done that for him. It was her last conscious thought before she pitched headlong into oblivion.

"Tracy!Tracy , wake up! Good Lord, what has he done to you?"

The sound of Bryan's voice pulled her out of the darkness. She swam upward, upward, following the sound of his voice. She squinted, shading her eyes against the morning light.

Bryanblew out a sigh. "I thought you were a goner."

She stared at him a moment; then, realizing she was wearing nothing but her bra and panties, she drew the covers up to her chin. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. How areyou feeling?"

"Okay." She glanced beside her. "Where's Dominic?"

Bryanshrugged. "How should I know?"

"He was here last night. He was badly hurt..." She looked up atBryan , and then at the window. The curtains were open. "You don't think... ?"

"Think what?"

"That he died? In the movies, when vampires are exposed to the sun, they burn up and... and just disappear."

"Good riddance."

"How can you say that? He saved your life!"

"Yeah, and I'm grateful, but dammit , he's a monster. I hope he is dead. Hell, he's already dead. They all are."

Tracyglared at him, angered by his words.But worse than her anger was her concern for Dominic. Where was he? Had he managed to get to his lair below before it was too late?

Bryanshook his head in exasperation. "Stop worrying. He couldn't have burned up or your bed would