THE HUNTED

By

Marianne LaCroix

The sound of hundreds of hearts beating was hard to endure as Andrei de Santori strolled through the crowd. Within The Pantheon casino pit, he had to tune out many noises that assaulted his senses. Bells ringing, slot machines spinning, coins dropping, and people chattering all mixed in to torture his ultra-sensitive hearing. Such was the fate of a vampire, one who chose to hunt among the humans who came to take a gamble on a remote dream of wealth in Atlantic City.

Bright lights and outrageous colors all decorated the Roman-themed casino. Sort of the ancient Roman culture slammed with the outrageous modern world, complete with pink and green neon lights forming an outline of the Coliseum. Even the waitresses serving drinks to those sitting among the slot machines were dressed in togas, trimmed with glowing necklaces one would expect more at a Fourth of July fireworks display than in a casino.

This was his turf, his hunting ground. Andrei had come here to seek his feast nightly. A few sips from gamblers low on cash and high in desperation, he managed to keep a low profile. He never took a life in his hunt, just enough to satisfy until he found another. It generally took about three victims to satisfy his thirst. He would drink their blood and cast a gentle spell on them to seek home before they caved into the gambling bug, destroying their lives. It was sad to see, but it happened often there in the Vegas of the East.

As he walked along a row of slot machines, he caught an unusual scent upon the air. He ran a hand through his straight black hair and sighed. There was a new presence there tonight—one not there to roll dice or play cards. This was a predator of a different kind.

It was a slayer.

The smell of the hunt permeated the air, seeping through his pores, exciting him. There was nothing like an entanglement with a slayer. It was like an aphrodisiac. The challenge heightened his awareness to those about him.

Sniffing, he tried to locate…her. A female slayer.

He smiled to himself, his fangs lengthening at her scent. What a challenge indeed. A female slayer hunting him, how invigorating. Never before had the International Society of Paranormal Investigators, a thin disguise for a group of vampire hunters trying to appear legit in the eyes of the world, sent a female slayer. They had attempted to hunt him down three times before, all male, and all died in the attempt. What makes them think a woman could succeed where their best male operatives failed.

Fools.

****

Jane sat watching the vampire that the Society sent her to destroy from her seat at the craps table. She hardly paid much attention to the game, just a spectator, as the handsome Italian vampire riveted her.

They assigned her to hunt down the vampire, one of the most dangerous in the Northeast. She was one of the Society’s best slayers, and now she was about to face her biggest challenge—Andrei de Santori.

He moved through the crowd with an aura of power and command. His good looks were his greatest weapon, one she hardly expected. His black hair fell long about his face, one handsome and striking, especially paired with the immaculate dark gray Armani suit. She could easily imagine his body, strong and lean, moving beneath the rich fabric. He walked like a cat prowling, awaiting his victim in quiet contemplation. He was a predator, a demon of the night, and too damn sexy.

She knew the moment he sensed her presence. Vampires had the ability to smell the hunters, giving them a keen advantage. It was the turn in the hunt that tipped them off, she surmised. The hunter became the hunted.

Then he stopped and looked right at her, as though his senses reached out to find her. Their eyes locked and she felt the intensity of his dark brown eyes clear down to her cunt.

Dear God, did he have to be so appealing? Why in the hell did her body have to react in such a manner? True, vampires had a special power to enhance their own sexual appeal, but she never ached for any to fuck her. Never.

Until now.

He smiled and the charm oozed from him, seducing her from across the room of a hundred of gamblers and tourists. Her body tightened and her nipples hardened. Damn his power of seduction. Her panties were wet now because of him, her juices flowing at his simple look.

He strode through the crowd, now zeroed upon her as his prey. She knew what to expect. He would try to use his mind tricks upon her, but she had been well trained to resist as a slayer.

But could she withstand an attack upon her body with his touch…a touch she wanted to experience?

“Ciao, signora,” he crooned in a husky voice. Why did an accent always make a man that much more irresistible?

“Hello, Mr. de Santori.” She took a sip of her Chablis to steady her voice.

“I see you have an advantage over me.” His voice washed over her like a gentle caress. “You know who I am. Will you tell me your name?”

“Jane Bennett.”

“And what are you doing here in Atlantic City? Planning on doing a show and some gambling?” He moved slightly closer and she could smell the spicy aftershave he wore. Matched with his natural masculine scent, it was intoxicating.

She laid a hand upon her thigh where she strapped a hypodermic needle filled with a powerful tranquilizer solution. She used it to sedate her targets in case of an emergency. The way Andrei was acting, she would definitely need to use it. He was beyond dangerous. “You know why I am here, so let’s not play games. You know I am here to destroy you.”

He laughed. “I fail to see how I am a threat to the Society when I don’t kill for my meals.”

“There have been reports of killings in this area, Andrei. Haven’t you known?”

He genuinely looked surprised. “No. And I never sensed another ancient in the area.”

“Well, you are the only ancient the Society knows of in the city.” She paused and cocked her head. He seemed unaware of this news. “How could there be another here without you knowing it? Or the Society?”

He took her arm and escorted her away from the craps table. The connection of skin upon skin shot through her system like a lightening bolt. “I assure you,” he started, “I don’t kill when I feed. I have more control than to carelessly leave dead bodies in my wake.”

“Where are we going?”

“To my haven. We need to talk. I dislike having another vampire here, hiding his presence. That takes more power than I can even accomplish.”

She stopped and tugged her arm from his grasp. “I’m not going to your anywhere. What, so you can feed off of me, or even kill me?”

His dark eyes flashed with anger at her words. “If we are to discover this vampire that you were sent to destroy, you’re going to need help.”

“You’ll help me?” A vampire helping a slayer to hunt and destroy another vampire? “What will happen after we kill this vampire? We fight?”

He pulled her to his chest and all the air escaped her. His lips hovered over hers. His hard body pressed against hers, she yearned to know more. “Jane, we won’t fight other than wrestling in bed.”

She struggled in his arms but he held her in place. “You presume too much.”

“Do I? Deny that you want me. I can see it in your eyes.” Then he added in a low voice as his lips moved over hers in tender kisses, “I can hear how your heart beats faster, and I can smell your excitement.”

She was lost. Wrapping her arms about his neck, she pulled him closer and returned his kisses. The activity of the casino around them faded to nothing. Only the two of them existed. When his tongue brushed along hers, she moaned in abandon.

His hands molded her to his body and his scent filled her nostrils. Even the slight brush of his faint beard against her face added to the thrill of his kiss.

“Animal,” she breathed.

“I haven’t even shown you how much of a beast I can be…yet.”

****

Cold blue eyes watched Andrei and the slayer embrace. They were lost to each other. The beast was about to be conquered by the beauty.

And the slayer was definitely the beauty.

He surmised why she was there—searching for him. However, he masked his presence. He was a master of cloaking the mind, even with some of his own kind. Generally, he had the power of deception with his race, but with those who were stronger, like Andrei, it took greater effort.

Smiling to himself, he thought of how to destroy Andrei once and for all. How delicious it will be for Andrei to finally discover that he was still alive. The ancient battle from so long ago weakened the vampire, but strengthened his purpose to continue.

Now, he would find revenge. At last, Byron St. Morgaine would reveal himself.

Maybe he would take on the little slayer as a souvenir, a momento to warm his blood at night until he tired of her.

****

This slayer had been sent for another. A vampire hunting here and Andrei didn’t know it? What sort of game was this? Could there be a vampire so powerful—one who could mask their presence from others in “the blood”?

Andrei wanted to focus on this dilemma, but could not. This slayer…Jane…was too alluring. He wanted her. From the moment he sought her out in the crowd, he was enamored.

Kissing her, sucking on her tongue, drinking from her lips, forming her body to his, Andrei didn’t want to think or plan beyond getting her within his bed. She tasted like the finest wine, sweet and addicting, and her responses were driving him wild with need.

“Andrei, stop,” she whispered.

“Why?” He really had a hard time not sinking his fangs deep within her flesh. He heard the seductive beat of her heart calling to his bloodlust to mate, to feed.

“Because we can’t do this,” she hardly sounded convinced of her own statement, her fingers wrapped about his coat collar, holding onto the fabric in a sure grasp. “You’re a vampire, and I hunt your kind.”

“You’re a human, and I hunt your kind too.”

“But there is something dangerous out there. I have to find him before he kills again.”

“You can’t do that alone.”

Her eyes darkened to a cerulean blue as she gazed up into his eyes. “Help me find him…tonight.”

“I will, but at a price.” He paused at her raised eyebrow. “You’ll submit to me your body for one night.”

“My body…what?”

“I mean, you will give me control over your body. In other words, you will submit to my wishes…my desires.”

He saw his proposal churn through her mind as she considered the situation.

“You’re the one insisting I need your help,” she said, backing away from his embrace. He missed the contact, her warm, receptive body against his own.

“This is true, but you won’t survive without me. I am an ancient. Only one of such power can face another ancient.” He asked with a sarcastic smile, “How many ancient bloods have you destroyed?”

“Well…none.”

“Exactly. So, do we have a deal?”

She had no real choice, and he was going to use that to his advantage.

“Very well.” She was reluctant, but intelligent enough to know he was right.

“Good, now give me your wrist,” he instructed.

She pulled her arm from his reaching hand. “Why?”

“Full of suspicions, aren’t you?” He took her hand and began to lead her from the bustling casino floor. “If we are to work together, there must be a blood link.”

A blood link between a vampire and a human allowed the vampire to keep track of his human counterpart. They would exchange a few droplets of blood, which would form the blood link—not enough blood to change her into one of the immortals, but just enough to allow certain powers, like the mental bonding. As a trained slayer, she would be aware of this concept.

“What if the Society finds out I was linked to you? My job would be at stake.”

“You know a link between us is necessary.” The thought of drinking a few drops of her blood was enough to excite him. His cock strained in his pants. His fangs lengthened in anticipation, and the image of her lips drinking his blood was enough to make him moan. “My mark upon your blood will be sensed by this vampire. It will help protect you.”

He led her through the lobby and outside onto the boardwalk. Even in midwinter, people came here to walk the boards. Indoor walkways connected the casinos and hotels so gamblers could walk from casino to casino without going outside and risking the elements, or the occasional bum looking for a buck.

Once outside, he breathed the fresh ocean air, the crisp coolness of the light salty breeze washed over his face and through his hair. The change in the air was more than the winter weather descending upon the north. Andrei recognized the shadow upon his mind, a faint cloud of his senses, lifting.

“Damn it,” he muttered.

“What is it?”

“He’s in there. I felt his touch upon my mind fade once I came outside.”

“Why do I think there is more?”

“I know who it is.”

Byron. Damnable vampire. He would be one of the few that could hide despite attempted detection. Andrei would only catch onto the demon’s hold if he wished it.

“And who is it?” she asked as Andrei led her to the railing and escorted her down some beach steps. “And why are we taking a beach stroll? We have work to do.”

“We aren’t strolling. This has become more serious than I expected.”

“Well, tell me who we are going to hunt.”

“The demon’s son, Byron.”

“Byron? I don’t recall any—”

“Byron is a very old vampire, and very powerful. This isn’t the first time he and I have crossed paths.”

As he pulled her under the boardwalk and into the dark shadows, she asked, “What happened?”

He sighed and explained as he continued to lead her, “Byron is my sire, my creator, if you will. The last time we met, I thought I disposed of him.” He stopped and looked at her. “I couldn’t kill him, but was assured he would be destroyed. I left him behind, believing he was dead.”

“Why couldn’t you kill him yourself?”

“It is forbidden within the clans to turn against your sire. I have a certain bond with him. I just couldn’t do it.” He began walking again.

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“To my haven. ‘Tis the only safe place from Byron for us to prepare.”

She pulled her wrist from his grip. “I’m ready other than our blood link. You can do that here.”

He smiled at her courage, but there would be more to this link. Much more. “I’m not going to set up a blood link with you, Jane. I’m going to make you my mate.”

“What?” she screeched, grasping one side of her dress in her fist.

“It’s the only way. Byron knows I want you. His revenge wouldn’t be complete unless he took you from me. And I’m not willing to let that happen.”

“Hell no, I won’t let you do it.” She went for her syringe secured on her thigh with a special belt, but he was upon her in a flash, knocking her down into the sand. The injection flew from her hand.

“Think you can sedate me, little slayer? I promise, within the hour, you’ll be panting and begging for more.” His body pressed down upon hers and she was aware of his strength and prowess.

“I won’t let you make me your mate.” The mating ritual between vampires was only something she had heard about. None in the Society knew all the details, but many guessed.

“You’ll be my mate, and we will destroy Byron.”

“I won’t become a vampire.” It was against all her beliefs. Vampires were all evil. All demons.

“I won’t make you a vampire, my dear, unless you wish it. Mating with me will merely make you mine to protect. You will have benefits of our mating coursing through you as we make a symbolic exchange of blood. You’ll be stronger, faster, and more agile.” He rubbed his hips against her groin and she tried to suppress a moan. “I’m sure we can test your agility and stamina many times once this is over.”

“You’re a demon.” She captured his head with her hands and kissed him.

She wanted to resist the urges churning within, but with him lying on top of her, she gave in. She kissed him like woman denied sustenance. She feasted upon his mouth, rolling her tongue along his, devouring everything he had to offer.

He rolled over and she changed position. Straddling his hips, she nestled her sex against the prominent bulge in his pants. She could feel the ridged hardness of his cock through her thin panties, and her body reacted with a surge of moisture.

Desperation laced his kisses, as they turned more fevered with desire.

“Fucking delicious,” he murmured against her mouth before delving into the depths once again.

It would be so simple to unzip his pants and pull out the organ tempting her, but he moaned and rolled her over again in the sand. On top of her again, she surrendered to the passion, giving in to the heat he created.

“Well, isn’t this heart-warming to my soul? My enemies rolling in sand like common teenage humans trying to answer some sort of call of the wild. How amusing.”

Andrei looked up and saw Byron standing in the moonlight. He had forgotten how beautifully elegant the vampire was, and since seeing him over a hundred years ago, it was as though he hadn’t changed. Such were the benefits of immortality.

Growling a warning, he poised over her. “Byron, how dare you hunt within my territory?”

“I expected a better welcome than that, my son.” He strolled about twenty feet away in his black suit and tie. He had a flair for fashion in the past, and that had not changed. He had his black hair tied back into a queue, and his stone cold eyes glowed from the darkness.

“Don’t call me that,” Andrei hissed. How he hated this vampire.

“And what of your hunter wench?”

“Hey!”

“You were disarmed by a vampire in two seconds. You’re hardly in a position to argue or complain, my dear.” Byron smiled and Andrei recognized the evil behind the man.

“I’m not disarmed,” she insisted.

Byron held up the syringe and chuckled. “You came here only with this? Oh, yes, very prepared.”

“You expect me to walk into a casino in full regalia, machete lashed to my back and a stake in my pocket?”

He stood and reflected upon this. “Perhaps not, nevertheless, my dear, you are sadly out of your league. However, I will make you an offer to ensure your survival tonight.”

“She’s not going with you,” Andrei crouched next to her as she scurried to her knees.

“You don’t have anything to say about it. Only she does.”

“She’s mine. I’m making her my mate.”

Byron stepped closer and offered her his hand. “Let me help you up, my dear.” She placed her hand in his and eased up off the ground. “Mating with a vampire is a big step. Don’t let him force you into it. Come with me, be my mate. I will fuck you each night with the tenderness of a lover, and when you want me to fuck you hard and fast, I will make you scream in orgasm as we join together our souls. Come, be my eternal mate.”

“I’m not mating with anyone,” she said in a low voice as his steely eyes entranced her.

“Stop it, Byron. Let her alone.” Andrei pulled her to him, breaking the contact. He shook her slightly, bringing her out of the spell.

“I’m okay,” she whispered.

Andrei held her and he realized he had to get her away…fast. Byron was using his powers to try to sway her will. “Get back Byron. I told you, she’s to be mine.”

“Let her decide,” the vampire insisted, closing the distance between them.

Sandwiched in the middle of two vampires, Andrei smelled her body’s reaction, a heady scent of her building excitement.

“Let me fuck you, Jane,” he whispered.

“Jane, let me take you from here,” breathed Andrei into her ear.

“I’ll show you such delights as you never dreamt.” Byron caressed her face and breathed into her ear words of carnal delights.

She moaned and rubbed against them both in her growing desire. Byron squeezed her breast and she yelped. Andrei dipped his hand under her dress to graze his fingertips over the moist crotch of her panties.

“I will give you love, Jane. When you come in my arms, I will give you my heart. Say you will be my mate. Let me love you.” Andrei caressed her mound and she sighed, throwing her head back in ecstasy as he stroked her clit.

Then Byron let out a cry of pain. He staggered back, grasping at his one thigh. “Fucking bitch,” he yelled. Throwing something down into the sand, the vampire sped off into the night.

“Okay, what just happened?” Andrei asked.

Jane laughed softly. “He underestimated me.”

“And how did he do that?”

“By thinking I wouldn’t have something else up my sleeve, or in this case, lashed on my other thigh.” She had injected Byron with a sedative.

Andrei chuckled as he pulled her into his arms. “My love, you are crafty.”

“He had to get back to his lair before the sedative took full effect. He’ll be out of it until tomorrow night.”

“Enough time for us to become mates…life-mates.” With her in his arms, he felt whole. In hundreds of years, how could it be possible? He found a connection to this woman, and he truly wanted her to be his mate.

“Did you mean what you said?” she asked as she brushed unsure fingertips along his jaw.

“That I would love you?”

She nodded.

He lifted her gaze to his. “Yes, I meant it.” He paused then asked, “Will you be my life-mate, Jane?”

Smiling she agreed. “Tomorrow night, he’ll probably come looking for me.”

“And we’ll be ready.”

****

Moments later, he took her to his secret hiding place. There was an entrance hidden under the boardwalk, but the walkway curved and turned beneath the bustling casinos above.

“I like it here,” he said as he led her up a set of stairs illuminated by the faint glow of wall sconces.

“The Jersey shore, though? Kind of an odd place, don’t you think?”

“Not really. Lots of tourists come here and it isn’t as flashy as Vegas. Many of my kind go to New Orleans or a major city like New York to hunt and feed. They like the social aspects of the vampyric life.”

“Social aspects?” she asked as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting.

“Some vampires travel in packs or clans. I am in a clan, but I only mingle with my clan on occasion. I prefer the solitary lifestyle.” He stopped before a large wooden door and turned to her. “I like my privacy.”

“And my entering the mix? How do you feel about that and your privacy?”

He smiled and his fangs reflected the soft lighting. “I want to share my existence with you. We’ll have fun together, and you aren’t of the clan to nag about politics.”

“Politics among vampires?” she mused as he opened the door revealing the entrance to his lair.

“You’d be surprised. Leaders are born to rule, not elected. And sometimes, one is killed by a slayer or another vampire and political upheaval ensues within the clan.”

“I can see how that would make for problems.”

His haven was a simply decorated residence. There were no windows, or none that she had seen. A dark purple curtain covered every wall surface. From ceiling to floor, the rich fabric concealed any trace of light that may try to enter within his dark retreat. On one side of the room stood a large, antique four-poster bed made of oak, and upon it was a thick comforter, a dark purple to match the surrounding curtains. The pillows were various shades of violet, gold, red, and blue.

“Beautiful,” she whispered, gazing upon the bed.

He stepped behind her, wrapped his arms about her waist, and nuzzled her neck. “You approve?”

“Yes.” Her body was humming beneath his touch and she ached for him. She needed for him to feel her skin, to press against her skin upon skin.

“Is it wrong to want you so much?” he breathed against her earlobe, then nipped the tender flesh between his teeth.

“I’ve never felt so attracted to a man.” She gasped when his hand covered her breast. He squeezed and she melted into him.

“Vampires are naturally sexual creatures. Our power sometimes can affect those around us.” He pinched her nipple gently between his thumb and forefinger.

“Are you saying you are affecting me with your powers?” She was lost within his hold. Her hands reached behind her to his hips and she pulled him closer. The hard evidence of his erection settled against her buttocks.

“Possibly, but it can only intensify the union between us.” He licked the pulse-point on her neck and she shuddered. “I’ll make you come, Jane, and when I fill you, we’ll become of one mind, one soul.”

Then he sank his teeth into her neck and she cried out. Her eyes rolled back as ecstasy rocked through her. Her body convulsed as he drank from her.

Legs weak from climaxing, she leaned into him for support.

His tongue and mouth sucked the wound, and when he was through, it closed in one lick. He picked her up, carried her to the bed, and gently laid her among the rich silks. Her body sank into the softness, and she sighed.

Opening her eyes, she gazed up at his face.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I had to taste you.”

“Don’t apologize. It was wonderful.” She reached up and touched his tie. “I want to see you, Andrei. I want to feel your skin.”

He smiled and leaned down and kissed her.

Within minutes, they each removed their clothes. When Andrei pulled away and took off his suit, Jane squirmed out of her dress and panties. Lying naked before his eyes seemed entirely natural, and as she lay back into the cool fabrics on the bed, she looked upon his body, perfectly formed, well muscled and toned. She sighed and reached her hand down between her legs to graze the straining clit that begged for attention.

“Mmm, naughty girl,” he said in a husky voice thick with desire.

“I know what I want. Why should I hide it?”

“I wouldn’t want you to. That makes you who you are. And I expect you to always tell me what you want.”

“You can be sure of that.”

He moved to the bed and lay atop her. Her body jolted at the contact, his warm flesh covering her, pushing her down into the mattress.

“And what is it you want now?” he asked, nudging her thighs apart.

“I want you to make love to me.” She thrust her hips upward gently, and his cock brushed along her slippery entrance.

He groaned as he moved deeper through her folds. “God, you’re so fucking hot down there.”

She parted her legs wider and he entered her in a slow stroke. Once inside, she threw back her head at the shattering sensations raging through her body. He filled her completely, stretching the walls, accommodating his size. She thought there would be nothing that could top the ecstasy until he began to move in and out.

Each time he penetrated her, she trembled with passion, her reactions overwhelming her senses with every push and retreat. Her hands were hungry to touch him, to learn every hard plane and curve, and her breath came in labored pants as she climbed higher into the heights of pleasurable bliss.

He whispered words of love in Italian as their tempo increased in speed. Plunging deep within her core, Jane saw heaven. Her heaven. Sex with a vampire, the creature she’d been taught to destroy was really the man, the lover, she longed for all her life. As his rhythm became more forceful, she surrendered to his loving. She was his.

Her body was slick with sweat, and he continued furiously to drive into her. She wrapped her legs about his waist, urging his body to give up the fight, to spill into her, marking her as his.

The hunt was over. He screamed with his release, and she joined him over the precipice as they climaxed in harmony. Hot jism filled her, and then he bit her.

His fangs sank into the swell of her breast and he drank.

She began to feel light-headed, and she relaxed her body, exhausted.

“Now, my love,” he said after licking at the wound. “Now, you must drink of me. Regain your strength. Become my mate. Take the powers I give to you freely.”

She was mildly aware of him ripping a small tear at his wrist. Placing the dripping wound upon her lips, she licked away the salty fluid. A taste was beyond tempting, the aroma intoxicating. She secured her mouth about the opening and drank a few sips before he pulled away.

“That is enough. Not much is needed to replenish you. I don’t want to turn you.”

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I don’t think I am ready for that.”

“Perhaps, someday, you will, but I want you to be sure. It is not something to decide in a moment of passion.” He slid off her to her side. He gathered her into his arms and she felt secure, safe, cherished.

She nodded, and even then, she felt the power of his ancient blood begin to pump through her veins. “I feel...different.”

“You will, and when we awake tomorrow evening, you will be ready to face off with Byron. Together, we will destroy him once and for all. Right now the sun is rising and since you fed of me tonight, you’ll sleep today.” He paused then asked as he cradled her in his arms, “Stay with me? Rest with me?”

“Mmm, we’ll talk about it when we wake up.” She then drifted to sleep within the embrace of her mate.

****

Andrei awoke and sighed. He hated to move out of bed. Staying there with his mate so close and convenient, he had no wish to change the situation. Jane was warm and soft, inviting to his touch. He could simply turn over and begin to lick her skin and then spend the night making love. Not that it was a bad way to spend the night, especially when one has searched for a life-mate for over seven hundred years.

However, when Byron awoke that evening, he would be hell-bent to find revenge. It was bad enough he was a powerful vampire, but ticked-off as well made the situation more dangerous.

Andrei rose from the bed and proceeded to go shower. It was a human thing to do, one he’d enjoyed in the modern era.

Once done, he dressed in a charcoal gray pair of slacks. Jane stirred as he began to put on a black turtleneck sweater.

“You look like James Bond gone goth,” she said, sleep hazing her voice.

“Thanks. Bond always had some cool toys.”

“So, James,” she said with a laugh, “what are we going to do? Where do you think he will wait for us?”

“I say we let him come to us…in the casino.”

She straightened up in the bed. “You mean, with all those people around?”

“Think about it. In public gives us a slight advantage. We need every little bit we can get.” He crossed the room and added, “You’d best get up. I don’t want him coming here. I have protective spells on the doors, but he may be able to break them if he lets his anger feed his power.”

She slid from the bed and said, “We’ll have to go to my hotel room. I have some work clothes and some equipment to pick up. I won’t face Byron with just a couple syringes of sedative.”

She slipped on her dress from the night before and he was sad to see her cover her body. Smiling to himself, he planned to ravish her for several nights straight through when this was over, and he would have her naked every minute of it.

“Is it a promise?” she asked mentally.

“You heard me think that?”

“Yes. You’re my mate now. We have the blood link.”

Within twenty minutes, they left his haven and were in her hotel room in The Pantheon.

“Like, what kind of equipment do you have?”

“My coat, full of vampire hunting essentials—wooden stakes, sedative injections, machete, holy water—you know, the essentials.”

“Holy water? Next you’ll be telling me the Society told you to break Communion wafers and place them in a vampire’s coffin and outside in the soil.”

She remained quiet as they walked.

“They told you that?” he laughed.

“Doesn’t it work?”

“Well yeah, but wafers are only dried bread. They break down in the soil. Eventually, they are eaten by insects or disintegrate. Not a permanent method of control.”

He watched as she changed her clothes to a pair of black jeans, boots, and a tight black sweater. Then she donned a leather trench coat. She looked like Buffy gone bad.

“So what is the best way to kill a vampire?” he asked her as she started for the door.

“Cutting the head off or letting the sun burn them to ashes.”

“Good enough. Let’s go.”

Once downstairs in the lobby, Andrei sensed the vampire. “He’s here. And he’s mad.”

They went into the casino and began to move through the crowd. “Maybe we should split up,” she suggested.

“I don’t think it is such a good idea.”

“We have the link, Andrei. We can call each other if something goes wrong.”

He sighed. “All right,” he said reluctantly.

Watching her head off towards the slot machines, he had an eerie sense of foreboding.

For the next three hours, Byron played with them. Andrei would sense the vampire then he would vanish. Weaving through the noises and people, Byron used the assault on the vampire senses to work upon Andrei.

“I sense your frustration, Andrei,” she whispered into his thoughts.

“He’s toying with me. He knows I hate the noise.”

“Don’t let him get to you; that’s your weakness.” Then she gasped.

“Jane!” He yelled through the hoard of gamblers, “Jane!”

Byron had snatched her. Andrei heard him laugh in his mind.

“Byron, this is between us.”

“No, you mated with this fine piece of flesh, and now, she is a part of you.”

Andrei raced through the crowd, pushing people to the side as he ran after Jane and Byron. Her link was weakening. Damn it, he’d used a sedative on her.

Bursting out of the casino onto the boardwalk, Andrei sniffed the air. Her scent carried upon the cool salty breeze. Towards the beach. Running across the creaking wood and down the sea steps, he saw them. Byron carried her like a monster making off with his bride in an old movie.

“You hurt her, I’ll fucking kill you.” Andrei yelled before he began to shift. His clothes dropped away as he transformed. Changing in size and mass, he withstood the brief moments of discomfort to obtain the completed form.

Paws hit the ground and he cried out into the night—he would free his mate. Love empowered him to this new level of strength.

Byron roared as he raced away with his prisoner. With his burden, he would be no match for speed now. Andrei raced across the sands, his wide feline paws the advantage in traction and speed. The panther now hunted his ancient prey…

Amid stride, Byron apparently realized he could not match the strength and power behind Andrei’s transformed state. In human form, he’d be ripped to shreds. His only way to outrun the vampire-turned-panther would be to release Jane and transform himself.

This was exactly what Andrei hoped would happen. As he raced close, Byron dropped Jane and began his own shift. He opted for a more elaborate form of an eagle, a form more difficult to master, but with his ancient blood, he transformed completely in mere seconds.

Andrei leapt at the bird, but Byron took flight, missing him by inches.

Standing upon the beach, the panther called through the night, yowling at his failure to destroy his enemy.

“Andrei?” Jane groaned.

He trotted to her side and rubbed his body under her hand.

“Jesus, you can shape shift?”

He answered with a purr.

“He got away. I’m sorry.”

The panther backed away and he began the transformation to his natural human form. Within a few moments, Andrei lay naked upon the sand.

“I failed you, Jane. I didn’t kill him. I let him take you.”

She crawled over to him and lay next to him, her arms wrapped around him. “No, you didn’t. You came after me. You attacked him like someone protecting his mate.”

“I wanted to kill him for touching you.”

“But you still saved me. Thank you.” He remained still and silent, then she said, “I love you, Andrei. Take me home and make love to me.”

He turned and saw the love reflected in her eyes, a sight he never thought possible in centuries. “I love you too, Jane. I promise I’ll never let him touch you again.”

“He’s gone. He won’t bother us now. Your shifting into a panther shows you are more powerful than he believed. I sensed his fear.”

“Maybe. But only with his death will we find peace.”

“Let’s worry about that later.” She leaned over him, letting her hair brush his bare chest. “I don’t want to think about anything but having you inside me right now.”

When her lips touched his, he knew fate had brought her to him. She was his life-mate, and he would protect her with his every breath.

Not even Byron could take her away from him. Never. Or the vampire would surely die.