"I didn't have dinner and I'm hungry. And I'm worried aboutBryan ."
"I do not understand why you worry so over that boy."
"I can't help it. He was my son in a past life, I'm sure of it."
"Ah, Jacob."
"Yes. Would you mind terribly if we went home?"
"Whatever you wish, querida ."
"I hate to leave, but..."
He placed one finger over her lips. "It is all right, my best beloved one." He kissed her tenderly. "We can go home whenever you like."
Tracyordered room service and while they waited for it to arrive, they made love again,then showered together.
She laughed as she washed Dominic's back. "It never occurred to me that vampires bathed."
He glanced over his shoulder, one brow arched in wry amusement. "Indeed?"
She shrugged. "I guess I just never thought of vampires doing normal things, you know?"
"Just skulking around in the shadows, preying on innocent women?"
"Well, somethinglike that. Of course, I never really believed in vampires, either, until I met you. Now I'm wondering if there are really ghosts and werewolves." She frowned at him, irritated by the amusement in his eyes. "Are there?"
"Not that I know of."
"Well, that's a relief."
They were drying each other off when there was a knock at the door.
"I will get it," Dominic said. Wrapping a towel around his middle, he went to answer the door.
He dressed while she ate, prowled the room restlessly while she dressed and got her things together.
She took a last look around the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded. "Thank you for a wonderful honeymoon."
"Thank you," he said quietly, "for marrying me."
They were the sweetest words she had ever heard.
Dominic held out his hand. "Ready?" he asked again, and she put her hand in his.
A moment later, they were back in Nightingale House.
Tracyput her bags down on the floor inside the door,then moved through the downstairs rooms, turning on the lights.
When she returned to the living room, Dominic was standing where she had left him.
"I need to findBryan ," she said.
He nodded.
"I guess we should start at his place, but I don't know where he lives."
" Kitanawill know where he is."
"How do we find her?"
Dominic stared into the distance a moment. "She is at The Catacombs. The boy is with her."
"Is he all right?"
Dominic stilled for a moment, then crossed the distance between them and took her in his arms. "She has brought him across."
"No!" She pounded her fists against his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No, no!"
"I am sorry, querida . I did not think she would act so swiftly."
"You knew she'd do it? You knew, and didn't tell me?" She pounded her fists against his chest again. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you stop her?"
"I could do nothing to stop her."
Tracycollapsed against him, sobbing, "Poor Bryan."
Dominic held her while she cried, one hand lightly stroking her hair, until her tears subsided.
Moving out of his arms, she went into the kitchen, wet a dish towel, and wiped her face.Bryan, a vampire.
Dominic's voice sounded behind her. "Perhaps it was his idea."
"No. He loved being a lifeguard. He loved the sun, the outdoors." She turned to face him. "And he hated vampires. Why would he become one?"
" Kitanacan be very persuasive. Do you still wish to go?"
"I don't know. Maybe he wouldn't want me to see him... that way."
Dominic smiled faintly. "It is nothing shameful, querida , only a different way of being."
"Isn't there some way to undo it?"
"No."
Tracysighed. "Let's go." She had to seeBryan , had to talk to him, ask him if he was all right. "I hope he's all right."
The Catacombs was in full swing when they arrived.Tracy saw Marcus and his human companion sitting at a table in the back. Landau andMagdalena were standing at the bar. There were others she recognized but had no names for.
And then she sawBryan .
He was standing at the end of the bar beside the most beautiful womanTracy had ever seen.
As though feeling her gaze, the vampire turned to look at her andTracy knew immediately that this was Kitana , the vampire who had madeBryan .The vampire who had made Petrina .
The vampire who had made Dominic.
Bryanturned then, his gaze meeting hers across the room.
She was suddenly sorry she had come here. What could she say to him?
Bryansmiled at her and then, apparently seeing the horror in her eyes, the smile died away. He spoke to Kitana ,then started towardTracy .
She took a step backward, only to be brought up short when she ran into Dominic.