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"How? What can I do?"

"Your blood" He took a step toward her, paused when she backed up against the wall

Her hand flew to her neck "No!"

"Please, hear lanced up at the top of the stairs, then looked at hi"

"A few drops of your blood soothes the hunger withinher was harder than he had expected "If you would let o out, I think it would be easier on those I hunt I knoould make it easier for ree to come here?"

"Does that ed her throat "Why does my my blood soothe you? It&039;s no different than anyone else&039;s"

"I don&039;t know I only know that it does"

She hesitated, herWould he take it by force if she refused? It was grueso to think that her blood soothed him

"Please" The hispered past his lips, filled with quiet desperation

"All right You&039;ll only take a little?"

"Yes A few drops"

"Now?"

"No, it&039;s not necessary But I can&039;t help wondering"

"Why I agreed?" She shrugged "You saved lad now that you did And ested and wait a few lad to be alive, too"

"He is not my friend"

"Oh Well," she said briskly "I think part of your proble about hoful it is to be what you are I think you need to get out hed, a sharp, bitter sound

"I ht briefly of Marisa and Chiavari "No"

"Well, I don&039;t either, not anymore So, we&039;ll make new ones"

"Kelly"

"You can&039;t just sleep in your too nuts I&039;ll go nuts" She descended the stairs and walked briskly toward hi hioing?"

"To the movies"

"Now? It&039;s ten o&039;clock"

She looked at hio"

It was his first date with a woman since Katherine

The theater seeled scents of soap, perspiration, shampoo, toothpaste, a hint of marijuana, chocolate candy, soft drinks, popcorn and butter, chips and cheese and blood The scent of it surrounded him, yet it was the scent of Kelly&039;s blood that called to hi him with the promise of sweet relief

Why did the need to take blood fro for more, yet a few drops of Kelly&039;s blood taste like the sweetest nectar on his tongue, soothing his hunger, calhts, she turned to face hiry - not for blood but for the taste of her kisses

Slowly, so slowly, he closed the distance between them, and when she didn&039;t back away, he claimed her lips with his

He had expected her to slap him, or push hi her Instead, her hand slid around his neck to cup his nape

It was not his first kiss He was, after all, forty-two years old But even Katherine&039;s first kiss had not affected him as profoundly as did this one He was stunned when Kelly&039;s tongue met his It was a kiss that went on forever and ended too soon

"Oh, Edward," she ive ot into ize, Edward," she whispered as she drew his head toward hers "Just do it again"

The otten as her lips touched his Soft, war than whiskey had ever been He felt like a teenager on his first date: clu She ht never let go

He never remembered what the movie was about, or even as in it All he re beside hi taste of her lips on his

He drew back, sohts ca drive Not much was said, but the silence between them was easy, coht in the living roo after her like a lovesick schoolboy until she was out of sight

Sooff his coat, he tossed it over a chair, frowned as someone knocked on the door He knew a moment of trepidation He had no friends in this town, no acquaintances to speak of save Chiavari and Marisa, and he didn&039;t think they would be calling at this hour of the night

Chiding hi at shadows, he opened the door "Khira!" She was a vision of shining silver hair and a whisper of black silk

She s smile "May I come in?"

"I don&039;t think so"

"Surely you are not afraid of lanced past hi softly "Will I find Barnabas Collins lurking in the hallways?"

"Very funny" He stepped outside and closed the door behind her "What brings you here?"

A pretty pout teased her lips "Aren&039;t you glad to see me?"

"Sure"

"You&039;ve been with a woman" Her nostrils flared "She&039;s here That little lided toward hiernail over his cheek, hard enough to break the skin "I told you before, I don&039;t like to share Not territory Not anything"

He grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand away fronored his grip on her ar on tiptoe, she licked the blood froaze burned into him like blue fire "You&039;ve fallen for her, haven&039;t you?"

"Of course not"

"I&039;m in the mood for a little fun," Khira said "Come, hunt with me"

He wanted to refuse, but it seemed wiser to do as she wished And so he sht

Khira quickly found a young reen eyes and a tri as they followed her prey into a nightclub

Ramsey sat back and watched her,all the tricks of an old-fashioned Southern belle The man was polite but uninterested, and Ramsey&039;s amusement quickly turned to revulsion as Khira slid into thehis will to hers

Ra behind as she led her prey down a dark street He watched as she toyed with hi him kneel at her feet He kissed her hand and declared she was thefavors, she placed her fingertips on his shoulders and bade hiathered him into her arms - arms that could easily have broken hiled against her, and Ramsey knew she had released control of his mind, that the man knew her for what she was His eyes ith horror as he looked death in the face, his voice high-pitched with terror as he realized there was no hope of escape

The rapid beat of the man&039;s heart echoed in Ramsey&039;s ears The scent of terror, of blood, filled his nostrils, and he had an overpowering urge to join her, to feast upon the ed to life within him, and he took a step forward, and then another, the lust for blood thruht-blue eyes glowing hotly, her lips and fangs stained cri now His face was ashen, his heartbeat slow and heavy in his chest He looked at Rahter rolled through the darkness like smoke from a funeral pyre

Raerness to be a part of it

" You can be a man with a peculiar lifestyle, or you can be a monster" He heard Chiavari&039;s voice echo in the back of his asped He held out his hand in a feeble gesture of entreaty "Help me"

Khira caressed the man&039;s face with one pale hand "There is no help for you, my handsome one," she said "No escape" She smiled at Ramsey "Come, join me"

He shook his head and backed away

"Come, Edward; it is ti a vaht of himself as a monster, but there was only one monster here, and it was Khira She was like Kristov in her thinking, and that sickened hiht all va Chiavari had told hi at Khira, he knew she was evil disguised in beauty

He took a last look at the man imprisoned in the vampire&039;s ar hione

"Edward! Do not defy me Edward!"

"No"

He spoke softly, but Khira felt his power ripple through the air He was very powerful for a newly made vampire Even more powerful than she had first suspected But then , considering his bloodline, that was not surprising She wondered if he had any inkling of the strength he possessed

"You fool!" she hissed "It is time to accept who and what you are!"

He shook his head One last look at her, at the blood dripping froht toward the only one who seemed to care Kelly

"You cannot run away from what you are!"

The sound of Khira&039;s voice chased him down the street