LOGINShe reached out and touched one hand to the mist on the cold window, leaving her fingerprints in the damp. “Sounds silly, but I felt like I’d found home.”“It’s a good place,” he said, not commenting on her little confession. But he knew what she meant. As if she knew his thoughts had turned to the past again, she spoke up.“What happened? I mean…” “I know what you mean.” He took another drink of the hot blood, savoring the thick, rich taste as it slid down his throat. Appropriate, he thought, that he should have blood in his mouth to tell this story.“It was a very cold night.” His voice was cool, detached, as though he were talking about something that had happened to a stranger. And that was more right than not, after all. It had been so long now, the man he’d been had nothing to do with the person he’d become. “A man came to the door. Freezing. Hungry. So near death I thought he wouldn’t last the night. I brought him inside.”He remembered it all so clearly. The scents. The sound
“You’re deliberately trying to keep me scared,” she pointed out. “And not that it’s working, but why?”“Because you should be.” He came around the table, laid both hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. “Others of my kind know I come here when I'm in town. Some may come looking for me. That means you’re not safe.”“More vampires? Here?” Looking up into his deep black eyes, she shivered. “Why are they looking for you?”He let her go and shook his head. “There’s a war brewing in the vampire world. We’re expected to take sides.”“A vampire war?” Seraphine's voice sounded strained even to herself, as if she’d had to squeeze those words out a too tight throat. “And it’s coming here?”“Maybe.” He scraped a hand across his jaw. “I don’t know who’s coming— hell, even if anyone is coming. Can’t be sure.”“And if they do come, then what?” The small dribble of fear she’d felt earlier became a running river, pushing through her veins, making her mouth dry and her head feel light.He
When they hung up, Aleron tossed the phone onto the old table. Hell, maybe Tristan was right. What was the point of coming back here? Maybe his business manager had done the right thing in selling off the house. Maybe it was time he accepted who and what he was.He threw a glance at the back of the bookcase as if he could see beyond that doorway into the house where Seraphine was. She’d surprised him. Intrigued him. And he wanted her. Wanted the taste of her in his mouth and the feel of his body inside hers. Everything in him itched to find her, toss her onto that damned cot and have her… Bite her. Instincts he’d been at war with since his change rose to the surface and shook him to the bone. Seraphine Clarke had thrown him. Hard.Then he remembered what Tristan had said. His enemies had not just been looking for him. They'd found him. If they'd already been waiting for him when he arrived at Ashbourne, then they probably knew he came here every time he visited. If they followed him
Aleron's gaze narrowed when she still didn't leave, but stood almost open mouthed with even more questions written all over her face. “You should get the hell away from me.” He told her. “Yeah, you said that already.”He hissed, then quicker than she could see, he shot out of the hidden room just to grab her and pulled her back into the room with him. Ignoring the burn on his side from the sun, he grabbed her arm and curled his fingers into her skin. The moves were so startling, she jerked back despite her best intentions. He saw it and released her.“You’re afraid. I can smell it on you.” One corner of his mouth lifted and fell in a blink. “To a vampire, that scent is compelling.”Her arm tingled where he’d grabbed her. His eyes caught and held her and while she watched, the darks of his eyes bled into the whites until all she could see was her reflection shining back at her from the depths of twin black pools.“You’re a tempting package, Sera.” His gaze swept up and down her body
“That’s impossible.”Seraphine fought against the wild panic clutching at her heart, squeezing her throat tight until she felt as though she’d never draw another breath. But even as she tried to deny it, she knew it was true. She’d seen his…fangs. That wasn't a hallucination. She was sure of it.God. Her head felt as if it were going to explode. She couldn’t believe this was happening. There had to be some other explanation. Trick of the light. Her eyes went weird on her, that was all . She’d seen something that wasn’t there.Vampires only existed in television shows. Really gorgeous vamps, with souls who didn’t bite people, or at least tried not to. Well, she told herself with another shocked look at him. He had the gorgeous part down pat. Who knew about the biting. Oh, God. A vampire. This was so not happening. Clearly, the years on the run had pushed her over the edge. Her brain had finally snapped and who could blame her?“Impossible,” she repeated firmly, determined to not go be
“Come on,” Seraphine said, opening the door. “Come inside and sit down near the fire.”Her invitation was enough to let him pass the threshold and he stumbled through the kitchen with her help, into the wide living room where a fire blazed and crackled in the hearth. She eased him onto an overstuffed sofa crowded with colorful pillows and Aleron laid his head on the back of the couch. The fatigue seeping into every square inch of his body dragged at him.He battled unconsciousness, his thoughts becoming fuzzy, his breathing slowing. The scent of cinnamon hung in the air and mingled with the pine garland strung across the mantel. Being in this house again brought back memories so vivid, so alive, the empty room seemed to throb with them. “Are you hungry?”He turned his head to look at her. His gaze locked on the graceful column of her throat and he would have sworn he could actually see her pulse pounding there. Her blood would be warm and rich and sweet. He could almost taste it, flo







