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This was the ancient way for a vampire to know his hts and ement Vampires were secretive creatures, but when a vampire took blood from his mate’s heart vein, there was athat quieted the constant, dull need to hunt and possess

Diana’s skin parted underneath his teeth, and Matthew drank in a few precious ounces of her blood

With it cas: joyback with friends and fae over Emily’s death held in check by Diana’s concern for him and their children

"I would have spared you this loss if I could have , " Matthewthe mark his mouth left on her skin He rolled them over so that he was on his back and Diana was draped over his recumbent form She looked down into his eyes

"I know Just don’t ever leave ood-bye"

"I will never leave you," he promised

Diana touched her lips to Matthew’s forehead She pressed them into the skin between his eyes

Most waretherness, but his wife had found a way around the limitation, as she did with most obstacles in her path Diana had discovered that when she kissed hihts and the dark places where his fears and secrets hid

Matthew felt nothing ave hi Diana to take her fill of hihts could flow unimpeded

"Welcome home, sister" The unexpected scent of wood fires and saddle leather flooded the room, as Baldwin ripped the sheet from the bed

Diana let out a startled cry Matthew tried to pull her nad body behind hirip of another

"I could hear nant, too" Baldwin de Clermont’s face was coldly furious under his fiery hair as his eyes dropped to Diana’s rounded belly He twisted her arm so that he could sniff her wrist "And only Matthew’s scent upon you Well, well"

Baldwin released Diana, and Matthew caught her

"Get up Both of you," Baldwin commanded, his fury evident

"You have no authority over

She couldn’t have calculated a response that would have angered Matthew’s brother , Baldooped until his face was inches away Only the firm pressure of Matthew’s hand around Baldwin’s throat kept the va even closer

"My father’s blood vow says I do, witch" Baldwin stared into Diana’s eyes, trying to force her through sheer will to look away When she did not, Baldwin’s eyes flickered "Your wife lacks manners, Matthew School her, or I will"

"School ers splayed, and the wind in the rooh above, Corra shrieked to let her on," Matthewthat just this once his ould obey him He didn’t want Baldwin or anyone else in the farohile they were in London

Miraculously, Diana nodded

"What is the h the room "The only excuse for your presence here, Baldwin, is that you have lost your senses"

"Careful, Ysabeau Your claws are showing" Baldwin stalked toward the stairs "And you forget: I’m the head of the de Clermont family I don’t need an excuse Meet me in the family library, Matthew

You, too, Diana"

Baldwin turned to level his strange golden-brown eyes at Matthew

"Don’t keep "

3

The de Clerht that es of the books, the strong lines of the wooden bookcases that lined the roo

What it could not blunt wascould displace rief over Emily’s death, but three

"Come in, Diana" Baldwin sat in a thronelike Savonarola chair by the tall s His burnished red-gold hair glea le that Eue Every inch of Baldwin’s th

I looked around the room We were not the only ones to have been su by the fireplace was a waif of a young woman with skin the color of skiray and enorh scenting a storhters, ere so terrifying that the fa the Verin’s face was smooth and serene, her posture easy, and her eyes sparkled with energy and intelligence Were it not for her unrelieved black clothing, you htout fro," Verin replied It was a cold greeting for a sister to give her brother, but the look she gave id "Witch"

"It’s Diana," I said,

"I told you there was no way to ing my reply

"Why are you here, Baldwin?" Matthew asked

"I wasn’t aware I needed an invitation to come to my father’s house," he replied "But as it happens, I came from Venice to see Marcus"

The eyes of the twoyou here," Baldwin continued "Nor did I expect to discover that your mate is now my sister Philippe died in 1945 So how is it that I can feel my father’s blood vow?

Smell it? Hear it?"

"Someone else can catch you up on the news" Matthew took o back upstairs

"Neither of you is leaving ht until I find out how that witch tricked a blood vow from a dead vampire" Baldwin’s voice was loith nant