to her once she regained consciousness.
With one last backward glance, he strode to the kitchen and turned on the tap. The cold rush of water felt good against his skin as he rinsed his wrist. He was going to have to call someone, eventually. The woman on his sofa might need help if things didn't go smoothly. Fear tugged at his brain, fighting with the sluggishness brought on by blood loss. He needed blood and then he needed to think.
Vlad gazed again at his unwanted houseguest. With a sigh, he reached for the paper-towel dispenser and tore off a couple of sheets. Another blast of water made them damp. He moved cautiously toward her, afraid she might rise up out of her stupor. Instead, she lay silently on his couch, breathing steadily. Indecision gnawed at him. He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone in his condo, but what else could he do?
She'd sleep for quite a while, he reassured himself. At least he hoped she'd rest long enough for him to feed and decide what to do. Gently, he wiped the blood from her mouth and cleaned up the drops that had trickled onto the sofa. He wandered down the hall and tossed the paper towel into the toilet. No sense leaving anything incriminating in case she came to and called the police.
With that thought in mind, he reached under the sink for the spot remover. He took the bottle with its built-in brush back to the living room and scrubbed the rug.
Satisfied he'd done enough damage control, he let himself out of the apartment and locked the door, hoping his life would still be waiting for him when he returned.
Chapter Two
Jaelyn swam in a warm haze of golden light. Exhaustion tugged on every muscle. She wanted to raise her heavy eyelids. Something in the back of her mind insisted she should. A fragment of a thought nagged at her consciousness.
Danger.
Fractured images drifted through her mind. She'd gone somewhere with her friend, Mandy. She couldn't remember where. They'd left Mandy's apartment in a cab. She recalled whizzing through the streets at breakneck speed, the city lights a dazzling kaleidoscope. Cool wind from the cab's open window had torn at her hair. She'd asked the driver to close it, she remembered that much. And after that... nothing.
Jaelyn forced her eyelids open. A strange room spun around her. She caught a glimpse of black drapery, black leather and a splash of candlelight all seemingly mixed up in a giant blender. Her skin itched. Something that burned like gasoline raced through her veins. She might have been sick if her stomach hadn't felt like it was being squeezed in a giant fist.
Startlingly, a fragment of a memory shot through her mind. She remembered being shoved against a wall. Cool brick behind her. Cold lips at her neck. The crushing pressure. The pain...
She opened her mouth to scream. The apartment door flew open.
Vlad reached his apartment door and sighed with relief. No police tape, no knot of blue-uniformed officers crowded the hallway. He'd met up with one of his usual donors at a nearby club and fed as quickly as possible. All the while, worry had gnawed at his gut. Still, things seemed quiet as he arrived home. His shoulders slumped as the tension left them and he felt in his pocket for his keys.
A scream pierced the heavy wooden door. He flung it open to find the blonde sitting up on his couch and staring at him in complete horror.
She had sea-foam green eyes, he noted abstractedly as she centered him in her gaze.
Vlad gave her what he hoped was a reassuring expression. But in doing so, he smiled a little too broadly, showing a hint of fang. Big mistake. She screamed again.
The last thing he needed was concerned neighbors in the hallways. He rushed toward her and clamped a hand over her mouth, not knowing what else to do. She bit him, hard enough to draw blood. He snatched his hand back. Her scream burst free.
Shh! He tried for a more human-looking smile. Usually, he kept his fangs in plain sight. Women liked them. At least the
With one last backward glance, he strode to the kitchen and turned on the tap. The cold rush of water felt good against his skin as he rinsed his wrist. He was going to have to call someone, eventually. The woman on his sofa might need help if things didn't go smoothly. Fear tugged at his brain, fighting with the sluggishness brought on by blood loss. He needed blood and then he needed to think.
Vlad gazed again at his unwanted houseguest. With a sigh, he reached for the paper-towel dispenser and tore off a couple of sheets. Another blast of water made them damp. He moved cautiously toward her, afraid she might rise up out of her stupor. Instead, she lay silently on his couch, breathing steadily. Indecision gnawed at him. He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone in his condo, but what else could he do?
She'd sleep for quite a while, he reassured himself. At least he hoped she'd rest long enough for him to feed and decide what to do. Gently, he wiped the blood from her mouth and cleaned up the drops that had trickled onto the sofa. He wandered down the hall and tossed the paper towel into the toilet. No sense leaving anything incriminating in case she came to and called the police.
With that thought in mind, he reached under the sink for the spot remover. He took the bottle with its built-in brush back to the living room and scrubbed the rug.
Satisfied he'd done enough damage control, he let himself out of the apartment and locked the door, hoping his life would still be waiting for him when he returned.
Chapter Two
Jaelyn swam in a warm haze of golden light. Exhaustion tugged on every muscle. She wanted to raise her heavy eyelids. Something in the back of her mind insisted she should. A fragment of a thought nagged at her consciousness.
Danger.
Fractured images drifted through her mind. She'd gone somewhere with her friend, Mandy. She couldn't remember where. They'd left Mandy's apartment in a cab. She recalled whizzing through the streets at breakneck speed, the city lights a dazzling kaleidoscope. Cool wind from the cab's open window had torn at her hair. She'd asked the driver to close it, she remembered that much. And after that... nothing.
Jaelyn forced her eyelids open. A strange room spun around her. She caught a glimpse of black drapery, black leather and a splash of candlelight all seemingly mixed up in a giant blender. Her skin itched. Something that burned like gasoline raced through her veins. She might have been sick if her stomach hadn't felt like it was being squeezed in a giant fist.
Startlingly, a fragment of a memory shot through her mind. She remembered being shoved against a wall. Cool brick behind her. Cold lips at her neck. The crushing pressure. The pain...
She opened her mouth to scream. The apartment door flew open.
Vlad reached his apartment door and sighed with relief. No police tape, no knot of blue-uniformed officers crowded the hallway. He'd met up with one of his usual donors at a nearby club and fed as quickly as possible. All the while, worry had gnawed at his gut. Still, things seemed quiet as he arrived home. His shoulders slumped as the tension left them and he felt in his pocket for his keys.
A scream pierced the heavy wooden door. He flung it open to find the blonde sitting up on his couch and staring at him in complete horror.
She had sea-foam green eyes, he noted abstractedly as she centered him in her gaze.
Vlad gave her what he hoped was a reassuring expression. But in doing so, he smiled a little too broadly, showing a hint of fang. Big mistake. She screamed again.
The last thing he needed was concerned neighbors in the hallways. He rushed toward her and clamped a hand over her mouth, not knowing what else to do. She bit him, hard enough to draw blood. He snatched his hand back. Her scream burst free.
Shh! He tried for a more human-looking smile. Usually, he kept his fangs in plain sight. Women liked them. At least the
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