Page 10 (1/2)

"I’ll be fine once I get in the , virile man be so slow? "Maybe I should touch you after all To help you get in the rabbed her hand

"What kind of gift do you need to be queen?" he asked, encasing her hand in both of his

She groaned silently with frustration "Why do you need to know? You cannot be queen You are a roin with suspicion "That is, if you can ever get in thethere Just a few ift does the queen need?"

"She ed creatures" Neona winced Now she’d said too much

Zoltan inhaled sharply "You ave hie"

"No It doesn’t" He gazed into the fire for a roup who have had that gift?"

"My twin sister, Minerva, did, but--" Neona tensed, afraid a wave of grief would sweep over her She steeled her nerves and continued, "Winifred has the gift, so she will be the next queen"

Zoltan turned toward her "You had a twin sister?"

"Let rabbed the teapot Her hands treht" Zoltan took the teapot from her and set it down "I don’t really need any tea"

She sat back down and clenched her hands together in her lap "I think we’ve talked enough"

"You lost your sister?"

She nodded "Teeks ago"

"I’m so sorry" He reached over and took hold of her hands "I’ve lost lanced at hiolden amber eyes "I’et injured? Are you able to heal yourself?"

She shook her head "There was another healer Frederic’s wife, Calliope But she died about six years ago I couldn’t save her"

"And now you’re on your own? You relieve everyone’s pain, but there is no one to help you?"

Tears filled her eyes "The pain I have cannot be healed"

"I know" He reached up and brushed her hair back froive you co Oh, God, don’t fall for him Her heart yearned for someone to hold her and care for her But it couldn’t be Zoltan She had to have a daughter She could hold and cherish a daughter

But what if she had a son? Would Zoltan react like Frederic had when Calliope had given birth to a son? Frederic had waited till the boy was old enough for school, and then he’d taken hihters behind Abandoned

A tear rolled down her cheek What if she fell in love with Zoltan? How could she bear to lose him? Good God, she could lose hi now could triple "I cannot do this" She jumped to her feet and ran for the door

"Neona!"

She dashed outside, headed for the strearabbed her ar?"

She shook her head "You’re not wrong You’re too right! I could fall for you"

"Would that be so bad?"

She broke away fro I wanted frohter!"

He stiffened "What?"

"I told you Men are not allowed here" Tears streahter, but I changed ain Good-bye"

Chapter Seven

Stunned, Zoltan watched her run along the strea behind her All she had wanted frohter? Had she planned to bed hi ed through hi hiht that she would have dismissed him from the start if she’d known the truth She would have considered him entirely useless Hell, she probably would have killed hiive her jewels and gowns Mansions and castles He could give her pleasure In tiive her iive A child

Rejected again For the same damned reason Over the centuries, he’d fallen for a feomen The affairs would last for a year or two, but they always ended the same way The lure of immortality would fade, and then they always left hirow old with theiven Zoltan hope that he could break the cycle of rejection A brilliant Vaured out a way to insert their Vamp DNA into live hu kids like crazy Technically, he could give Neona children, but it would require a trip to Romatech in New York, where Roo there for the artificial insehter if that hat she really wanted But would she expect Zoltan to drop her and his daughter off in Tibet, never to see theain? He would not abandon her or his child, dammit!

And why the hell couldn’t a woman want him for himself? Was he so damned unlovable that a woht provide? He’d been rejected in the past for that, but he would not sit by and let it happen again Not with Neona She was different Somehow, her fate was linked to his They were connected He wasn’t sure how, but he knew in his gut that she belonged with hi vampire speed to catch up with her Six feet behind her, he slowed to a rapid walk

The cat looked at hilared at Neona’s back "So that’s it? You’re giving up?"

The cat huffed Great idea, yelling at her That will make her like you

Shut up, cat "Talk to e your"I decided it was unwise"

"Bullshit You’re afraid What kind of warrior are you? I thought you were tougher than that"

She whirled to face him, her clenched hands raised and ready to punch hiain"

"Then do it!" He spread his hands in surrender "Tie me up and ravish me"

"I don’t want to anymore!"

"Why not?" He stepped toward her "Are you afraid you ht feel close toa fist at hiress, the cat sneered

Sod off! "You knohat really pisses me off?" He stepped closer "That you see me as a damned sperm bank There is more to me than my ability to father children And there is a hell of a lot more to you than your ability to bear a child!"

She blinked, staring at hi at her, or I’ll claw your foot off

Not before I stuff it down your throat Zoltan gave the cat an annoyed look, then lowered his voice and o back in and talk? I thought ere getting along very well"

She slowly lowered her fists "I cannot be afriend to you"

"Why not? I like you I thought you likedto know each other That’s what couples do--"

"We cannot be a couple!"

"We can!" He grabbed her by the shoulders "I’ up on you"

A pained look crossed her face "You have to There is no future for us Men are not allowed here"

"Why not?"