He had convinced himself that Abbey was safe with him, that he was in total control of his hunger, but deep inside, he was afraid he was lying to himself. It took all his self-control to be with her and not drink from her, to hold her in his arms and not seduce her, to kiss her good night when what he wanted with every fiber of his being was to carry her to bed and make love to her hour after hour.
Eventually he wound up in front of a two-hundred-year-old, two-story house at the end of a dark street. The exterior needed a coat of paint, the wraparound porch was missing a few posts, the chimney leaned precariously to the left.
Opening his preternatural senses, Nick probed the interior. Aside from the witch, the only other living creatures were a cat and a bird.
Hoping the porch stairs were sturdier than they looked, Nick made his way to the door.
It opened before he knocked, revealing a petite woman clad in a gauzy, low-cut white blouse and a long, flowered skirt. Premature gray hair fell over her shoulders in lush waves. Her feet were bare. She stared up at him through slanted black eyes, a beguiling smile curving her lips.
“Nick,” she murmured. “It has been too long.”
She stepped back, allowing him entrance into her home.
It had changed little since he had seen it last. A cat, different from the one she’d had before, hissed at him, then turned and fled the room.
The witch laughed softly. “None of my familiars have been fond of you. Why is that, do you suppose?”
Nick shrugged. “Predators always recognize each other. How have you been, Zendeya?”
“The same as always.” She waved him toward the sofa while she took a seat in her favorite rocker. “What brings you here?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Lies do not become you.” She tilted her head to the side. “I see you surrounded by blood and death.”
Nick barked a short laugh. “Does that surprise you?”
Her voice dropped an octave. “You are seeking something that does not exist. Beware, Niccola Desanto, the path you are traveling will not lead where you wish to go.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Only you can know.”
“Have you ever heard of a vampire being cured?”
Her brows rose in surprise. “Is that what you are seeking?”
“Yeah. Can you do it?”
She shook her head. “Zara might have been able to work such magic, but it is beyond my ability. And I know of no other witch who holds such power.”
Zara. He remembered her well. She was a distant relative of Zendeya’s. It had been Zara who had magically removed his name from Savanah’s book many centuries ago. Of course, the book had belonged to one of Savanah’s ancestors at the time.
Zendeya rose in a single sinuous movement. Hips swaying provocatively, she crossed the floor to take the seat beside him. She leaned toward him, revealing the deep V of her cleavage. The scent of her perfume reminded him of the nights he had spent in her bed.
She trailed her fingertips along his arm. “I have thought of you often since last we met.”
“Have you?”
“We had some good times together.”
“That we did.”
She gazed into his eyes, her hand stroking his thigh. “I have missed you.” She tilted her head back and to the side, offering him her throat.
Most vampires did not find witch blood to their liking. It lacked the sweetness of mortal blood, but that had never been a turn-off for Nick. Sweet or sour, blood was blood.
Zendeya drew his head down. He inhaled the musky scent of her skin, her blood, the incense that burned in one of the other rooms.
His hands curled over her shoulders—predator capturing his prey—as he lowered his head to drink. Her blood carried a sharpness, an edge of bitterness, missing in mortal blood. It gave an added kick to the taste.
He lifted his head as an odd sense of guilt rose within him, though he could think of no reason for such an emotion. He was a vampire, doing what vampires did. And yet, somehow, he felt as though he were cheating on Abbey, which was the height of foolishness.
“Stay the night,” Zendeya whispered.
It was a tempting offer. It had been a long time since he had bedded a woman. He had experienced the pleasures of the witch’s bed before. She was a lusty wench, completely uninhibited, willing to try anything once.
“Sorry, ma petite, but I can’t stay.”
“Do I no longer please you?”
“It’s not that.” He caressed her cheek. “But I’m afraid my heart belongs to another.”
She shrugged. “It isn’t your heart I want.”
Nick laughed softly, sealed the tiny wounds in her slender throat, then stood. “Always a pleasure, Zendeya.”
Rising, she followed him to the door. “When you tire of your current lady love, I’ll be here, waiting.”
“I’ll remember.”
Nick had no sooner left Zendeya’s place than his phone rang. It was Pearl.
“Nick? It’s ready.”
“So soon?”
“Edna thought we might be cooking it too long. After thinking it over, I decided she could be right. When shall we expect you?”
“I’m on my way.”
Edna and Pearl were waiting for him in the Great Hall when he arrived. Edna was pacing the floor, her long multicolored skirt swishing around her ankles. Pearl sat in one of the chairs, idly drumming her fingertips on the overstuffed arm. They were both as nervous as hens.
Nick blew out a breath. He was feeling a little edgy himself.
Pearl stood. “Are you sure about this? Really sure?”
He dragged his hand over his jaw. “Let’s get on with it.”
He followed the old ladies down the winding staircase to the dungeon, obligingly entered the cell Pearl indicated, waited patiently while she locked the door and pocketed the key before offering him a small green bottle.
Nick held it up to the light, wondering if he should ask what was inside. Uncapping the bottle, he decided he didn’t want to know. Muttering, “This one smells worse than the last one,” he downed the contents in one quick swallow. It burned all the way down.
“If this doesn’t work . . .” Pearl made a vague gesture with her hand.
“Nothing else will. I understand.”
“We’ll come check on you in a little while,” Edna said.
Alone in the cell, Nick paced the floor. Back and forth. Back and forth. If this didn’t work, he would have to decide what to do about Abbey. Not long ago, he had been determined to make her his no matter what. But now, knowing her as he did, loving her more than he would have thought possible, he needed to put his selfish desires aside and do what was best for her. And that wasn’t marrying a two-thousand-year-old vampire. He knew what would happen if they stayed together. Knew, deep in his heart, that sooner or later, regardless of the consequences, he would force the Dark Gift on her. It was the only way to keep her safe from his insatiable hunger.
Minutes stretched into an hour. Two. And nothing happened. Other than the lingering rawness in his throat, there was no pain as there had been the first time, no discomfort at all.
Discouraged, he stretched out on the cot, his arms folded behind his head, and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, he would see Abbey one more time.
And then never again.
Nick woke with no sense of the time. Sitting up, he raked his fingers through his hair, scrubbed his hand over his jaw.
What the hell!
Frowning, he ran his fingers over his chin. Was that stubble he felt? As in whiskers? Impossible. He hadn’t needed to shave since becoming a vampire.
Rising, he tried to open his preternatural senses, knew a moment of gut-wrenching fear when nothing happened. He wrapped his hands around the bars. Where were Edna and Pearl? They had the key. What if they’d left the castle? He fought down a rush of panic. They wouldn’t go off and leave him here alone. Would they?
&n
bsp; His stomach growled. The uniquely human sound startled him, as did the realization that he was hungry.
Not for blood.
But for food.
It took him a moment to acknowledge what that meant, and then he murmured, “It worked. God bless those two old bats, it worked!” Suddenly restless, he tugged on the bars. Yesterday, he could have ripped them out of the stone floor. Today, nothing. “Pearl! Edna! Where the hell are you?”
They materialized outside the cell moments later.
Pearl stared at him. “It worked! I don’t believe it, but it worked.”
“It’s a miracle,” Edna said. “I have no sense of him as a vampire.” She licked her lips. “He smells so tasty.”
“Don’t try it,” Nick warned.
She snorted. “As if you could stop me now.”
“Just get me the hell out of here.”
Pearl reached into her skirt pocket and withdrew the key. “Edna, behave yourself now,” she warned as she unlocked the door. “Mara won’t take it kindly if you hurt him.”
“How do you feel?” Edna asked.
“Fine.”
“See, I was right,” Edna said, looking smug. “You were cooking it too long.”
“Yes, dear.”
“That’s enough, you two. I need one of you to take me to Auburn.”
“I’ll do it,” Pearl said quickly. “Edna, you stay here. I won’t be gone long.”
Nick tensed as Pearl put her arms around him. It was an odd sensation, being whisked through time and space. As a vampire, it had been normal, natural. As a human, it left him feeling disoriented, dizzy, and a trifle queasy.
When his head cleared, he saw they were on the outskirts of the Cordova ranch. Force of habit had him trying to sense Abbey’s whereabouts. Nothing happened. He grunted softly. The absence of his preternatural powers was going to take some getting used to. “Where’s Abbey?”
Pearl lifted her head, nostrils flaring. “She’s in her cottage, watching TV.”
“Is she alone?”
“Yes. Rane and Savanah aren’t home. How do you feel, Nick? Really?”
“A little strange, I admit, but good otherwise.” He took Pearl’s hands in his. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome, dear. I hope you’ll be happy together.”
“We will be. Thanks, again. If there’s ever anything I can do for you . . .”
Pearl nodded. A smile and a wave and she was gone.
Nick stood there a moment, suddenly uncertain of what to do. Abbey had never known him as anything but a vampire. What if she didn’t find the human side of him as attractive as his vampire side? As a vampire, he had been strong, confident, afraid of nothing. He had little memory of being human. No doubt it would all come back to him.
Too late for second thoughts. What was done was done. There was no going back. Shaking off his doubts, he hurried across the field to the cottage. Took a deep breath. And knocked on the front door.
Frowning, Abbey wondered who had come calling. Her parents had gone into town to see a movie. Nick wouldn’t knock. Nick. Just thinking about him made her heart ache. Where was he?
Aware that it was dark out and she was alone in the house, she called, “Who’s there?”
“Your fiancé.”
“Nick!” She flung open the door and hurled herself into his arms. “Where have you been? I’ve been so worried!”
“I’m here now.” He hugged her close, inhaling the scent of her perfume, aware that, for the first time since he had met her, he couldn’t hear the beat of her heart, couldn’t smell the blood flowing in her veins. Couldn’t read her thoughts.
“What is it?” she asked, drawing back a little. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Let’s go inside. We have a lot to talk about.”
Abbey stared at Nick, unable to believe her ears. He wasn’t a vampire anymore. He wanted to marry her right away. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Not exactly the response I was hoping for.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong!” she said quickly. “I’ll marry you tonight if you want. It’s just that . . . the cure . . . I can’t believe it worked. Who would have thought those silly old ladies actually knew what they were doing.” Her gaze moved over him. “How do you feel?”
“I’m not sure. It’ll take some getting used to, I guess.”
Laughing, she threw her arms around him. “This is so amazing!”
“So, you still love me?”
“Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”
He shrugged. “Vampires have an inherent allure that human males lack.”
“Well, I still find you incredibly handsome and sexy, if that’s what you’re worried about. Ohmigosh! I can’t wait to tell Mom and Dad.”
Nick grunted softly. He wasn’t looking forward to that.
Abbey sat on the sofa and pulled him down beside her. “You said you wanted to get married right away. How soon is ‘right away’?” she asked, snuggling against him. “I mean, I’ll need a few days to find a dress. And a church . . .” She looked up at him, her brow furrowed. “Do you have any preference? I mean, are you Catholic or Protestant or . . . ?”
Nick shook his head. “I haven’t been to church in centuries, love. Wherever you want to get married is fine with me.”
“All right. Is there anyone you want to invite?”
“Just Edna and Pearl. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be getting married.”
“What do you mean?” She sat up, her gaze searching his face.
“It doesn’t matter now.”
“You were going to leave me, weren’t you? If the cure didn’t work, you were just going to walk away without so much as a good-bye and I would never have seen you again.”
He nodded. “It wasn’t an easy decision, but I realized there could be no future for us as long as I was a vampire. I knew that sooner or later, I’d turn you and you’d hate me for it. Or one night I’d drain you dry, and I couldn’t live with that.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I never told you what a temptation you were, or how hard it was to resist the urge to feed on you. But once I put some distance between us, I knew I’d been lying to myself and that as long as I was a vampire, your life would always be in danger.”
“I never knew . . . you should have told me.” She squeezed his hand. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. So, a small wedding, with Edna and Pearl and my family.” She smiled up at him. “I love you, Nick.”
“Not half as much as I love you.”
“You’re not sorry, are you? That you’re not a vampire anymore?”
“No.” Drawing her into his arms, he kissed her. It was different, somehow, he mused. Not worse, not better, just different. Always before, his hunger and his desire had been tightly interwoven. Now, there was only a man’s normal desire for the woman he loved. Lifting his head, he whispered, “Buy the first dress you like, love. I can’t wait much longer.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Married?” Savanah leaned forward on the sofa, her brow furrowing as she glanced from Nick to her daughter. “So soon?”
“Hold on a minute.” Rane lifted his head slightly, nostrils flaring. “What’s going on here?”
“I took Pearl’s cure,” Nick said, squeezing Abbey’s hand. “And it worked. I’m not a vampire anymore.”
Rane snorted. “I don’t believe it.”
“Sure you do.”
“And now you want to get married?”
“You said I was too old for her before. I guess, in a way, I still am. But now, for all intents and purposes, I’m a twenty-nine-year-old man in love with your daughter, and asking for your permission to marry her.”
Savanah shook her head, and then she smiled. “I think that’s the most selfless, romantic thing I’ve ever heard of. You have my blessing.”
Rane glowered at his wife, who glowered right back.
“And your father’s blessing, as well,” Savanah said firmly, leaving no ro
om for argument.
Rising, Abbey embraced her mother. “Thanks, Mom.”
“I know he makes you happy, darling, and that’s good enough for me. Well!” she said briskly. “We have a lot of planning to do. You’ll need a dress and a church and . . .” She blew out a breath, her eyes filling with tears. “I can’t believe it. My little girl is getting married.”
“That went well,” Nick muttered as he and Abbey walked back to her cottage.
“They’ll get used to the idea. Mom and I are going shopping tomorrow. I promise to find a dress at the first store.”
“You’ll be a beautiful bride.”
“I still can’t believe you’re not a vampire anymore.”
“Are you sorry?”
“No, of course not. Let’s sit outside,” Abbey suggested when they reached the cottage. “It’s such a pretty night.”
“It is that,” Nick agreed. He held Abbey’s hand as they sat on the swing, his thumb stroking her knuckles. He missed the blood bond between them, though he would never tell her that. “What were you and your mom talking about in the kitchen?”
“Oh. She was wondering if we wanted to get married in the church where she married my father. And where Uncle Rafe married Aunt Kathy.” Abbey grinned. “And where my grandpa married Grandma. I guess you could say it’s tradition for the vampires in our family to be married by Father Lanzoni.”
“Lanzoni,” Nick said thoughtfully. “I’ve heard of him.” Lanzoni was one of the ancient vampires.
“It seems odd, don’t you think? A vampire being a priest?”
“He was a priest before he was turned. From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t have a church or a congregation.” Nick grinned at her. “I guess you could say he’s a freelance priest.”
“We don’t have to be married in the church my mother suggested, or by Father Lanzoni, if you’d rather not. It doesn’t really matter to me.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve always wanted to meet the famous vampire priest.” Nick slipped his arm around Abbey’s shoulders and drew her close. “Whatever you want is fine with me, love. While you’re shopping for a dress, I’ll pick up a tux.”