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A slender shadow crossed the curtains Etienne gli herself with more weapons than he had realized she carried Damned near as hed

Was this what he had co her like one of those freaks on the Internet you heard about on the news?

Yes, he i him

Had he really sunk so low?

He had even been tempted to circle around to the other side of the house, peer through her bedroom , and watch her dress, but that had just seemed too sleazy Besides, if he ever saw Krysta naked, he wanted it to be on her teroing to see Krysta naked He couldn’t see Krysta naked She bore as obviously a deep-seated hatred for vampires, from which she didn’t differentiate hiiven the opportunity

Even if he ed to lessen her desire to decapitate hi He wasn’t sure she was a gifted one If her brother was her half brother, she may not possess the advanced DNA needed to transfor vampire Not that she would want to anyway because of the whole I hate vahtened

Was he really trying to think his way into a relationship with a woman anted him dead? Was he that lonely?

Or was she just that irresistible?

Don’t answer that, he warned himself and blamed all of the happy pappy lovestruck crap that had surrounded him of late for his current confusion First Roland had fallen in love with Sarah, who clearly was delusional for thinking him sweet

Then Marcus had found Ami The jury was still out on whether or not their relationship was going to have a happy ending because Ami had not yet asked Marcus to transform her

Richart had fallen hard for Jenna, who--Etienne was very pleased to note--made his brother very happy

Even that bastard Bastien had fallen in love with andof keys shook Etienne fro open

Krysta exited first, her shoto swords clutched in one hand, her coat in the other

Etienne silently cursed as his pulse picked up its pace

Sean exited next, carrying a pile of heavy books, and tromped down the stairs

Etienne had learned fro sessions (there had been more of those than he cared to ad her) that Sean was in medical school and usually studied in the car while she hunted

Krysta’s eyes scanned the area as they crossed the yard to their crappy car

Both doors groaned when pried open And the dah Krysta worked days and Sean weekends, freeing up the nights for hunting, they barely made ends meet

Etienne had been tempted to call in the network tothe sibling vaood idea

Etienne raced through the countryside, following the shabby vehicle andsure forest, field, or structures always hid hiht

The hunt was on

That’s right, dullards, Krysta thought, , follow the poor, unsuspecting undergrad who doesn’t know you’re there because she’s busy drunk dialing her ex

That one was always popular There were times, in fact, when she could actually hear sos she said or shouted into the phone while staggering up the path Perhaps, in another life, she could have been an actress

There had been no vaht Rather she had found thehead to stu on whatever it was he or she researched until the wee hours

Along the sidewalk, Krysta led thes, and into a darker area near the loading dock She thought there had been lights back here the last time she had passed by The va to feed on their victian to pound, not with fear as she prepared to spin around and fight, but with anticipation Etienne was nearby She knew it She could feel it And she wasn’t going to let hi to confront the va her shoto swords, she spun around at the same moment Etienne appeared behind the va he had coaze "Darinned "Nope You’re late"

The vaed between the two of the with fear as he stared at Etienne "An Immortal Guardian"

Gasps from his vampire cohorts

A what?

Another vampire looked at Krysta "She’s human She must be his Second"

"Bastien has a mortal Second," another said

Who had a what now?

Krysta was given no time to ask

Their faces contorted with fury "Bastien the Deceiver!"

"Death to Bastien!"

"Kick their fucking asses!"

The vampires dreeapons and attacked

Krysta inched backward and swung her swords as e auras shot toward her

The va her than they would Etienne

Sh