Somewhere in the back of my mind I may have thought of Alexis as a love interest but not anymore. He was seriously scaring me, and I hadn't even asked him the questions I needed to ask!He and the female Vampire conferred without speaking. She glanced at me periodically, but Alexis did not.They talked for so long that I had time to examine my surroundings. Somehow I didn't think that I was in a room. I kept rubbing the toe of my shoe on the floor to see if it was solid and it was, but the room wasn't quite real. I didn't understand how it could be that way.My neck began to prickle, and another Vampire materialized in the room. He was old and stooped and wore a long white robe like a monk would wear. Someone had to turn him when he was old. It seemed such a horrible thing to be trapped for all eternity in that decrepit body. Four more Vampires materialized, each wearing white, and they stared at me. In unison they began to glide toward me—all except Alexis, who watched me with co

He lowered his teeth. "Alexis, if we do this then we're going to feel even stronger about each other ...""And if we don't, there will be more pain.""Look, I'll deal with the pain if it means I'll get to live and Tige gets to live."Alexis gripped me by the back of the head and sank his teeth into my neck. "Oh!" I gasped. My fingers clenched into fists. His lips on my neck felt incredible. Goose bumps ran up and down my spine. Was he doing that mind thing on me again? No, I didn't think he was. I opened my mouth to say something, but my teeth dropped instead.I did not want to link any closer to this man. He had just ripped Kaniji's tongue out of her mouth.Alex put his other arm around me and pulled me taut against his body. His other hand gently forced my face to his neck. My pulse quickened but I refused to bite.He loosened his grip on the back of my neck. With his arm still around me he ran his free hand beneath my T-shirt. His hand closed over my breast. I could feel m

"What?" "To be wrapped in a sheet of silver."My eyes got big. "For how long?" He opened his eyes. "From midnight until just before dawn."I inhaled deeply and stared at my wrapped wrists. "That's not possible. The silver will melt through me in seconds.""It's not too late, baby." I walked to the far wall and sat, sliding my back down it.This was the equivalent of being burned alive. And I was going to have to ... live through it? There wouldn't be anything left of me. How could that be possible? I needed Alexis to tell me what was going on. He couldn't possibly think that I'd be willing to continue my existence as a hundred thirty pounds of melted flesh. I shuddered then remembered Tony was in the cell with me. I gulped in some air. "It's going to be okay. You didn't tell Paul.""I'm not going to tell him. That's your job. He's going to insist on being there.""No." I shook my head. I did not want that. "I just need to speak to Alexis.""I would kill him if I could,"

The sound of waves lapping at a shore and seagulls squawking in the distance caused me to open my eyes. I squinted against the brightness of the sun and used my hand to shade my vision so I could look around.I was lying on a beach. I sat up, the sand sticking to my fingers. I brushed them off onto my pants. I was wearing white loose pants and a loose white chemise. I squinted up at the sun again in amazement. Oh, it was so bright and warm. This was real?Someone was lying on his back next to me, his head pillowed on one arm. He squinted up at me."Alexis?"He sat up and dusted the sand off his hand then shook his curly, hair. It was Alexis. But he was so different. He was tanned, and his eyes weren't all-over black, nor red, or even gold. They were hazel. He was shirtless with a slight dusting of hair on his toned chest. He wore white pants like mine, and we were both barefoot. He was smiling at me with crinkle lines around his eyes."Where are we?" I asked."The beach, of cou

I shook so badly that I could no longer support myself on one leg.He gently lowered my leg as he stood, sliding up my body and trailing kisses until he reached my neck.Neither of us had dropped teeth. I had become so accustomed to linking my sex with feeding that it was strange not to want to eat him.I felt his hands push down my top until it was like a band around my middle. As his mouth covered my breast, his low groans sent additional shivers up and down my spine. I urged him up until I could place my lips on his. I kissed him so forcefully that he fell back a step, but I was there to follow him.Our mouths opened simultaneously, and our tongues rolled over each other. He gripped me and pushed himself against me. He was so hard that he slipped between my legs even though he was still wearing pants. I cried out and squirmed out of his grasp to sink to my knees in front of him. I looked up at him as I dragged his damp pants down. He was breathing so hard.I cried out when I ki