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She stared up at hih he knew she was scared The scent of her fear,scent of her blood, inflaaze slid down, over the smooth skin of her neck, lower still, to the rise and fall of her brsts
Her eyes widened, her breath quickening under his regard "Let o" It wasn't a de a deep breath, he closed his eyes lest she see the hunger lurking in their depths He didn't want to frighten her ainst his tongue, kneas perilously close to not only losing control of his desire but control over the beast within hi her here
With a lol, he shoved her away from him, jerked open the door, and stalked out of the roo echoed loudly in his ears
The house was too s within hio out, to put soan, but he knew hiht not be able to control his hunger, and when he was out of control, people died
Muttering a vile oath, he paced the length of the long hall between the living rooer rose within hiht, every other need as it clawed at his vitals, clouding his vision with a blood-red haze
He didn't have to go out There was fresh prey upstairs A mortal woman from another century He could take her at his will, savor each drop as he drained her of blood and life He could easily dispose of her body She had no one to ht There was the rub, because he would miss her, his little witch
What was there about Brenna Flanagan that drew hiht but ancient ash by now, his re wind One look at her portrait and he had been captivated On the brink of seeking death, he had known he couldn't end his existence until he knew more about her No matter what the cost, he'd had to find her
He slae He had traveled through tirateful? No! She was afraid of hiainst him Foolish woman! As if a lock and sohed, the harsh, bitter sound echoing off the walls in the quiet house She should be afraid Her very life was in his hands
With an oath, he turned and headed for the staircase, only to pause halfway up He stared up at the landing, his preternatural senses bringing hi of her heart, the stink of fear that clung to her skin
His hands curled into tight fists as he fought against the urge to break down the door she had locked against hier whispered in his ear
Sweet, it whispered She'll be all the sweeter for the fear running in her veins You know you want her Take her! She's yours, yours for the taking
"No!" He roared the word as he turned on his heel, grabbed a long black cloak, and bolted froht, but it would not be Brenna Flanagan
Driven by the urgent need to hunt, he prowled the dark streets, his body quivering with the insatiable hunger that drove hihty-six years and in all that time he had been unable to coht it, sooner or later his hellish hunger prevailed, overcoained, proving to hier that dwelled within hi point, he fled the city and headed toward the dark underbelly of the tohere the drug lords and the pimps plied their trade Every city had such a place, an area where the city's less favorable citizens banded together Though Roshan usually preferred hunting in s, it was here that he caer would not be denied Death was not unknown here It often cale for power
The sound of angry whispers drew Roshan's attention Pausing, he lifted his head and sniffed the air, his nostrils filling with the scent of greed and whiskey
There Down the alley across the street
His cloak billowed behind him like the shadow of death as he followed the scent of his prey, his whole body vibrating with a need that would no longer be denied
Brenna pressed one ear to the door, listening for some sound that would tell her Roshan's whereabouts At first, she heard nothing, and then she heard the slam of a door She knew i of the door had nothing to do with that knowledge She felt a sudden void in the house and kneas gone The fact that she could be so aware of his absence frightened her in away nothing else had
For what see who he was What he was He was no mortal man, of that she was sure But if he wasn't rown up on tales of otherworldly creatures Granny O'Connell had believed in all nooblins, olves and va folk Brenna had refused to believe in such beings If they existed, where were they? Why had she never seen one? But Granny had believed and often posed the question, "If there be witches and warlocks, why not olves or other fey folk? 'Tis only another forick, after all"
Except for her own randical or mystical folk She didn't knohat ht be but she knew, in the deepest part of her soul, that he was like no otherdown on the inside of her lower lip, she pondered the wisdolanced over her shoulder and a sigh shuddered through her His bedroom His bed What did he intend to do with her? Why had he brought her here? He didn't even know her Why had he traveled through ti questions— questions for which she had no answers
One thing she knew, she could not stay here, in his house, in his bedrooana," she unlocked the door After looking up and down the hallway, she hurried down the stairs, out of the house, and down the long road that led to a huge, elaborately carved wrought iron gate set in a high stone wall She wasn't surprised to find that the gate was locked