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Without pausing, he rolled up his sleeve and used his fangs to slice through the skin of his wrist and open a vein Sitting on the bed and bending over the young wo the first few drops fall through her open lips Jere hisin her ear of his love for her, encouraging her to drink, to live for hi her to s before the blood choked her Soain, and then again, before her thin, pale hands ca wrist to her reedily at the bounty that was his blood--the blood of a va produced in centuries of hury child, and Jereaze was fixed on the physical connection between his Sire and hiswith every second Vampires were possessive creatures, even one so new as Jere Jererabbed for more She mewed unhappily at the loss, and Jere the blood froues twined

Duncan handed Raphael a warm, wet towel to clean the blood fro the towel over his wrist as he watched Jerery mouth He handed the towel back to Duncan and held out his hand to Cyn She ca her cheek briefly to brush against his head

"Jereers tightening anxiously on Mariane’s pale hands

Raphael rolled down his shirt sleeve casually, the self-inflicted wound already healing He stood, taking Cyn’s hand and pulling her into the circle of light "My ers to his lips "Cynthia"

Jeremy’s entire body relaxed at those words If Raphael had aMariane Raphael understood "She will be well, Jeremy And if you need me further, I am here"

As Raphael prepared to leave, Jere it in gratitude "My lord" His voice broke with ehtly, resting it instead on Jeremy’s bent head "You areelse that needed saying

He looked up and er show for the first ti "Duncan"

"Yes, athered va orders via a throat mike to Juro and the others Cynthia held out Raphael’s jacket, holding it as he slipped it over his ar it across his back before he turned to face her Unshed tears filled her eyes and he sainst a world that had shown her little love for most of her life But there was a soft spot that only he could touch He pulled her close, kissing her gently

"Lubiered on his jaw, then slipped behind his neck to tug hio after the bastards who did this?" she aze with one of his own "Very soon,low on her back "We will hunt them to the ends of the earth"

Chapter Five

Raphael allowed Wei Chen to lead the way froh blueprints of this new couide, but this was the first time he’d been here since its completion A visit had been planned for the near future, albeit under very different circumstances Who could have foreseen the murder of two of his own, the attehtened at what had been done to Mariane She had been defenseless against them She wasn’t a warrior, not like his Cyn But he was all too aware that even Cyn could be overwhelmed when faced with that sort of brutality

He pulled her closer with the slight pressure of his fingers She obliged, but glanced up at hiave her a faint sh he knew it didn’t succeed It would have been easier, he thought, if he’d fallen in love with a stupid wonore the s She was smart and intuitive, especially, it see with trouble was to confront it head on It was precisely those qualities that had drawn him to her in the first place--the first tih to fear hiive in to that fear

He adht about all the things in the world that could rip through that stubbornness and tear her apart Like they had Mariane

Their group , a spacious living space with high ceilings and a wall of glass granting a spectacular vien the hillside, across the city far below and on to the distant bay It was early enough that the city was still full of light, but the ocean was a black, ehts frole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>