Grunting with pain, Derek bent over the mortally wounded man.
He had never deliberately baited a human before. Never gone looking for a fight. Or enjoyed killing.
He glanced at the sky, wondering if his hunger and his anger had been sparked by the werewolf sleeping inside him.
Later, after disposing of the body, he wondered what Sheree would think if she could see him now, eyes burning, clothing splashed with blood.
Sheree. His need for her grew stronger with every passing hour.
What was she doing? His jaw clenched as he imagined her with other men—dancing, laughing, letting them steal a kiss or two. Did she ever think of him? Was she planning to come back to California, or had she decided to stay in Philadelphia and marry some puny mortal? He slammed his fist against a nearby wall. Why in hell had he let her go?
He strolled down Hollywood Boulevard, ignoring the come-ons of the streetwalkers, sidestepping a couple who’d had too much to drink.
How had he ever lived without Sheree? She had been away for a week and it seemed like years. He hadn’t realized just how empty his existence had been until she was no longer in it.
What would he do if she never came back?
Sheree smiled politely as an elderly man with snow-white hair asked her to dance. She would rather have refused, but since her parents were hosting the party, she was expected to dance with anyone who asked, and pretend she was having a good time.
She had been home for over two weeks, and it seemed like an eternity. Every day had been crammed with activities—an endless round of parties, dinners, charity auctions, and Sunday brunches. Ralph had proposed to her twice, Neil three times. And now her mother had ferreted out a new suitor, James van Horn, who made Ralph and Neil seem vastly appealing by comparison.
Waltzing around the floor with her elderly partner, Sheree decided she’d had enough. Tomorrow, she was booking a flight back to California. She missed her little house. She missed the California sunshine.
She missed Derek.
Relieved when the music ended, Sheree thanked her partner for the dance, and hastened out to the verandah for a few minutes alone.
She had never gotten around to telling her mother she was in love with Derek, but perhaps that was a good thing. Better to make sure he still wanted her before she said anything to her parents. One thing she knew for certain: she wanted him more than ever.
She gazed up at the sky. The moon would be full next week. Was he dreading it? Or anxious to confront his fears once and for all?
Sheree.
She whirled around at the sound of his voice, her heart fluttering with excitement at the thought that maybe he missed her so much, he had come after her.
But there was no one there.
It was late the next night when Sheree arrived at her home in California. She had intended to wait until after the full moon, but after hearing Derek’s voice in her mind last night, she couldn’t wait any longer. He needed her. She was sure of it.
She knew a moment of trepidation when she unlocked the front door, remembering all too clearly what had happened only a few short weeks ago.
Standing in the entryway, she cocked her head to one side, recalling how Derek had assured her there was no one in the house because it “felt empty.” She knew now he had probably used his vampire senses to ascertain there was no one there. A handy talent, no doubt, when people were hunting you. She tried to imagine what it would be like knowing people hated you enough to kill you just because you were different.
Turning on the lights, Sheree moved warily through the house, breathed a sigh of relief when the house was, indeed, empty. After leaving her suitcases in the bedroom, she slipped into her nightgown, then went downstairs to make a cup of tea. She would have to go grocery shopping tomorrow. She had emptied the refrigerator before she left. The cupboards were bare except for the basics.
Sheree carried her tea into the living room, then curled up on the sofa. Back home, she had been certain coming here was the right thing to do, but she was suddenly beset by doubts. Derek was a vampire. He slept during the day. He drank blood to survive. He could read her thoughts. He couldn’t give her children. He would never grow any older. His mother was a vampire, the oldest vampire in existence, and he belonged to a family of vampires. . . . What would they think of her? Would they accept her? Would she be safe among them?
Sheree sipped her tea, then put the cup aside. Then there was the whole werewolf thing. What if he turned into a werewolf and couldn’t control himself? Would he tear her to shreds?
She had come back determined to convince him they belonged together. But now she wondered if she was wrong. He couldn’t change what he was. If she wanted to be with him, she would have to accept his lifestyle, his family, the fact that her life would always be in danger. Most troubling of all was the knowledge that she would grow old and gray and he would be forever young and healthy.
Almost, she could hate him for that.
She was about to go to bed when the doorbell rang.
She froze for an instant; then, feeling like Little Red Riding Hood about to meet the Big Bad Wolf, she opened the door.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Derek asked gruffly.
“I’m glad to see you, too,” she retorted, her voice razor sharp.
He glanced up at the sky, his skin prickling. Five nights from now, the moon would be full.
“I know I should have waited,” she said, following his gaze, “but I couldn’t. You called to me last night, didn’t you?”
His gaze softened and the next thing she knew, she was in his arms. “How could I hear you when I was so far away?”
“I’ve tasted your blood.” He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I will always be able to find you, know your thoughts, and let you know mine.”
“So, you missed me?”
“You have no idea.” He held her close, his forehead pressed to hers. “I shouldn’t be here,” he rasped. “It’s dangerous for you, but I couldn’t stay away.”
“How did you know I was home?”
His hands moved restlessly up and down her back. “I could feel your nearness calling me.”
It was, she thought, romantic and creepy at the same time.
He lifted his head, his gaze searching hers. “You were having second thoughts before I got here.”
He had been reading her mind again. How would she ever get used to that? Was she to have no privacy at all?
“I’ve been going crazy without you,” he said quietly.
She looked into his eyes, eyes as gray as winter clouds, and mirrored in their depths she saw her own need, her own loneliness. His fears were there, too. Fear of the unknown. Fear that in a moment of weakness, he might lose control and attack her.