CurseBetrayed Kindle

8/13/2019 CurseBetrayed Kindle

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You smiled, you spoke, and I believed,By every word and smile deceived.Another man would hope no more;or hope what I hoped be!ore"

But let not this last wish be in vain;#eceive, deceive me once a$ain%&alter 'ava$e (andor


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Prologue

Ancient Greece, 650 B.C.

)ta *etrov was livid. 'he was bound with ropes around her wrists and ankles to twelve+!oot

bamboo poles to be burned !or a sin she had never committed. er !riends had betrayed her. 'hehad been loved by the villa$ers. 'he, o! all the wives, was the most compassionate and carin$.But she was di!!erent !rom the others in two ways. 'he couldn-t conceive a child, and she was awitch. er mother had tau$ht her the ways o! the &icca, but thus !ar )ta had only used herknowled$e !or $ood. hat is, until toni$ht. ell hath no !ury than a woman scorned.

)ta turned to her husband, who sat upon the council, and once more pleaded !or his trust and!aith in her. e turned away and would not even acknowled$e her. 'he looked at her !riends; thesame that accused her. /nly one had a look o! sorrow in her eyes, yet still, she didn-t utter asin$le word. 0ven the villa$ers she had once called !riends, the same ones whom she-d helpedheal, birth, and care !or, all turned their backs on her. o one stood up in de!ense o! her or her$enerosity and $ood deeds.

*ain, a$ony, heartache, and ra$e burned throu$h her at the treachery o! those she had oncecalled !riends and !amily. 1ruelty seeped its way into her heart, and she !elt hate as she had neverbe!ore. As the !ires rose to consume her innocent soul, she raised her hands up with blue li$htburstin$ !rom them and shrieked,

2I curse you all, who hath betrayed me this very hour. 3rom now on, you will live as you arenow4without heart or soul. 3orever will you !east on the blood and pain o! others as you do atthis moment. )ntil the time comes when the bonded mate o! the seventh son o! the seventh soncan love unconditionally a monster o! the undead, and render a willin$ sacri!ice, you will notknow 5ustice. 'o I curse you"

To the fires of hell your souls shall fly.I send them screaming across the sky

Where they shall endure eternal ain

And slo!ly you shall go insane."ou !ill li#e as fate condemns,

$ut you !ill ne#er $e true friends,

and !ith this curse your soul I $indin deeest hell for all of time.%

At that moment, the !lames overtook her, and all they heard was the cracklin$ o! bone andthe stench o! burnin$ !lesh. In that instant, Anatolie *etrov saw the truth o! his wi!e-s innocencein the other wives- eyes. e had been betrayed; not by his beloved wi!e, but by the 5ealousy andenvy o! the others. e had not had !aith in his wi!e. e should have known that she would neverdishonor him. 'he had always loved him with all her heart, and he had seen proo! o! that 5ustbe!ore the ra$e had overtaken her completely.

e walked home a humbled and $rie!+stricken man. e had been one o! the !our whom hadcondemned her to death. e walked into the house he had shared with her and headed toward hisbed. e knelt down beside it and prayed to the $ods and $oddesses !or !or$iveness. e didn-twant to live with the knowled$e o! what he-d done. 'uddenly, he clutched his chest as his heart$ave out !rom all the $rie! and burdens he had carried. e-d been $iven his wish !or relie!. (uckyhim.


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Chapter Two

&une '0(0

6alerica Jackson sat at her cubicle in the university library studyin$ !or the last !inal she

would have to take as a student at )(6. 'he had been workin$ hard towards her $oal o!becomin$ a colle$e $raduate. 'he had completed this task in !our years. 'he had also 5ustcompleted an e7tensive research paper on &icca and its $rowin$ attraction amon$ those o!1hristian descent. hat term paper and her !inal e7am was the last o! what she needed tocomplete !or her Anthropolo$y de$ree with an emphasis in Ancient 1ultures and 8ytholo$y.

'he sat there tryin$ very hard to concentrate on her te7tbook, but it was di!!icult tryin$ to!ocus while so many open thou$hts were !lyin$ around her. 'he cau$ht one thou$ht and lookedup, searchin$ !or its owner. A !ew rows over sat a $eeky, $an$lin$ $uy 9she assumed he was a!reshman: with $lasses and the classic button+down shirt with 9she $lanced over uickly: yep, apocket protector. 'he smiled to hersel!. It was obvious !rom the stran$led look on his !ace that hehad been cau$ht. 'he shook her head at his !latterin$ remarks about her.


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6alerica was com!orted by the sweet and carin$ thou$hts o! both individuals who 5ustwanted to $ive her a $ood home and protect her. &hat she hadn-t known, however, was that thecaseworker had already !illed them in on all that had occurred previously in the prior homes.

hey took her into their home and loved her; she bloomed in their attention and care. Abouta year a!ter she was there, she con!ided in them about her ability. hey understood and loved her

unconditionally. 'he had !inally !ound a sa!e haven and it was miraculous.A!ter a !ew incidents o! naively answerin$ people-s uestions, she stopped. It was then thatshe reali=ed that words had never actually le!t those individuals- mouths. hey had thou$htthin$s and she had answered in return. 'he never had !i$ured out why she had the 2$i!t> and noone else did. It was both a blessin$ and a burden. hat was the main reason that her ma5or hadinterested her so much.

0ver since she could pick up a book and read, she had studied anythin$ related to theparanormal4witches, $ypsies, psychics, anythin$. &hat interested her most were both the?omani 'he raced into her bedroom to chan$e into her waitress 2uni!orm.> )ni!orm, yeah whatever,

she thou$ht as she wi$$led into the black short shorts and the 2(air> +shirt that was two si=estoo small. 'he slipped her black heels on to complete the ensemble. he last thin$ she neededwas to lose this 5ob. 'he needed the money. 'he made $reat tips and she couldn-t mess that up.*lus, she wouldn-t be able to see Anton anymore.

Anton Jenecko. Just thinkin$ about him brou$ht a si$h !rom her lips. e was 5ust about themost beauti!ul man that walked the planet. 'he-d !allen instantly !or the 5et black hair that traileddown his back and his piercin$ black eyes that mesmeri=ed her continually. e, on the otherhand, had never shown any more interest in her than that o! a boss with his employee. 'hecouldn-t even be$in to count the numerous !antasies she-d had o! him tellin$ her he loved herand sweepin$ her o!! her !eet.

2/h, well. I-m so not his type anyway. I-ve seen that enou$h with all the tramps hesurrounds himsel! with,> she mumbled to hersel! as she walked out the door.

en minutes later she walked in throu$h the back door o! he (air. It was 6e$as- hottestand most cuttin$+ed$e ni$htli!e locale. It was both indoors and out. he (air e7perience startedindoors where $uests were enticed into temptation by the club-s si$nature @+!oot dra$on,restin$ behind the main bar.

he club o!!ered a darkly dreamy, decadent evenin$ to destroy realism and to brin$ $uestscloser to le$end, myth, alle$ory, and dreams. 1ross the !ootbrid$e and pass the torture chamberand you arrived at the entrancin$ courtyard. Immediately, $uests be$in to !eel the di!!erence.heir hearts be$an to beat !aster as the adrenaline rose inside them. 8any e7plained that they !elt!ar+removed !rom the thron$ o! the world, as they prepared to enter the heart o! the #un$eon, themain $atherin$ area o! the club.


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/nce inside, their senses would be devoured as the si$hts and sounds o! the dun$eonarrested the spirit. hey could $rab a witchCs brew or some dra$onCs blood at one o! the threebars, or catch up on their readin$ in the library. And, o! course, there were the !amous D@ drinkspecials. )pstairs, however, was the main event. A hu$e e7panse, with opulent decor, nooks !orconversation and a !ull dance !loor, he (air was amon$ the lar$est ni$htclubs in (as 6e$as.

/verlookin$ the street below, the main dance !loor became the weekly home to one o! theresident #Js, who rotated throu$h a three+week cycle, and usually !eatured one $uest #J. she heard a sensual and charismatic voice say !rom behind her.'he turned around to !ind hersel! nose to nose with Anton. 'he immediately !elt her

stomach clench as his spicy and divinely stimulatin$ colo$ne wa!ted up throu$h her nose. esmelled $ood enou$h to eat, she thou$ht to hersel!.

'he saw a small smirk twitch on his lips. It was almost as i! he had heard her thou$hts. hatwould be embarrassin$ as all $et out. I! that was true, then he had heard all the impropercomments she had made since she started workin$ here si7 months a$o. /h, man. *lease don-tlet it be true% 'he then remembered that he had spoken to her and she had yet to respond.

2I-m sorry, Anton. I was studyin$ at the library and $ot a little distracted.> 'he smiled athim, her eyes pleadin$ with him not to be an$ry.

2Yes. I have heard that e7cuse numerous times. It-s $ettin$ old,> he told her.2Just thinkFI-m almost done with school. I have my last !inal in two days, and then I-m all

yours.>&hen she reali=ed what had 5ust come out o! her mouth, she blushed !uriously. 'he looked

up and !ound him starin$ intensely into her eyes. 'he heard him pantin$ so!tly and saw a lookshe had never seen !rom him be!ore4one o! interest and need, !or her. It threw her o!! entirelyas she stepped back and nearly !ell over the bench behind her. e cau$ht her in his stron$ armsand steadied her.

2)h, thanks. I need to $et $oin$ on my shi!t.>&ith that, she $rabbed her apron, turned around and practically raced back to the bar area.

'he said hi to a !ew o! the customers that were already there and walked behind the bar to $raban order pad and pen.

2ey, sweet pea,> her !riend, Bill, $reeted her.Bill was one o! the three bartenders who worked there and was by !ar her most !avorite. e

was a !i!ty+year+old widower. e was sweet and o!ten treated her like a dau$hter. hat was whatshe liked the most. 'he had missed havin$ a !ather, and Bill reminded her a little o! her own!ather; or at least !rom what she remembered o! him.

2i, Bill. &hat-s up toni$htG I see we have the usual crowd.>


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'he $ave him a peck on the cheek when he bent towards her. It was kind o! a ritual withthem now that they both treasured. e missed his dau$hter who had moved away three yearsa$o, and she missed her !ather.

2Yep. 'hould be pretty slow toni$ht, I-m thinkin$. )sually thin$s don-t $et too wild on a&ednesday.>

'he smiled at him and nodded her head in a$reement. 'he looked up to see i! &endy, herroommate, was there yet and was shocked to see an an$ry lookin$ Anton starin$ at her !romacross the room.

28an, what-s up with Anton toni$htG as he been harsh with everyoneG> she asked Bill.2o. e-s been in a $reat mood. &e were 5okin$ around 5ust a little while a$o,> he

commented.2mm. e must really be mad at me !or bein$ late. e keeps $ivin$ me the stink+eye !or

some reason. I better $et workin$. 'ee ya.>'he headed toward her section and started servin$ a couple who had 5ust sat down. hey

$ave her their drink orders and asked !or a !ood menu. 'he said she-d be back in a second withthe menus. 'he $rabbed two menus !rom the menu bo7 and headed back to where they were

seated.'he handed each one a menu, and said, 2I-ll be back with your drinks in a minute.>'he !lashed her most charmin$ smile at them and walked over to the bar.2I need a (on$ Island Ice ea and a ?um and 1oke, please.>21omin$ up,> Bill replied.e had them in her hand within a minute. 'he immediately took them to the two colle$e

kids at the table.2ere you $o. 0n5oy%> she said as started to turn away, then remembered that they had asked

!or menus. 2/h, sorry, did you want to order anythin$ to eatG>2Yes. 1an you $et us an order o! the nachos, pleaseG Are they any $oodG> the handsome

colle$e kid asked.e winked at her, but she purposely didn-t respond to the double entendre. 'he wouldn-t

$ive him the pleasure o! knowin$ that she understood.2'crumptious%> she added enthusiastically and headed over to check on another table be!ore

turnin$ in the !ood order.As she was clippin$ the !ood order on the cook-s carousel, she !elt a presence behind her.

'he then !elt someone-s breath on the back o! her neck and chills ran down her arms. It was atthat point that she smelled Anton. 'he sti!!ened, waitin$ !or him to yell at her a$ain !or bein$late. Instead, she trembled at the words he spoke.

2I don-t pay you to !lirt with the colle$e babies, 6alerica, or with our bartender.>'he didn-t know what to say, so she opted !or the truth.2I certainly did not !lirt with anyone% 8aybe you should have thou$ht more about the

uni!orms you have us wear, i! you didn-t want any !lirtin$ $oin$ on. &hat other ideas are the$uys that come to this place supposed to $et when you $ive us uni!orms that are two si=es toosmallG /r are you 5ust 5ealousG>

'he then turned and stomped away !rom him. ow dare he think that o! her. 'he didnothin$ but be !riendly to the customers. 'he had never even dated any, even thou$h she-d beenasked out uite a !ew times in the past si7 months. /! all the nerve%


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hen she $asped out loud, havin$ 5ust reali=ed that she-d 5ust yelled at her boss !or the !irsttime 060?. 'he didn-t know what had come over her. 'he shook her head as she hurried back tocustomers.

Anton stood uite still !rom shock as 6alerica stomped away !rom him. 'he had neveryelled at him be!ore. e was appalled. &hat on earth had he said to cause such an outburstG e

had 5ust asked her to stop !lirtin$ with the customers. &ell, accused her, he admitted to himsel!.&hy had he even done thatG e knew that 6alerica didn-t do it on purpose; it was 5ust the sweetpersonality she had that made the customers !lirt alon$ with her.

e pondered on it !or a second be!ore he reali=ed that he had been 5ealous% It was the !irsttime he had ever slipped up in !ront o! her. e hoped she didn-t comprehend what he had let slip.3rom the moment that she had come in lookin$ !or a 5ob, he had been attracted to her. 'he wasthe most ethereal creature he had ever met.

3rom her lon$, !lowin$ locks that made him want to run his hands throu$h them incessantlyto her curvaceous body that had his head spinnin$ whenever he watched her walk in those killerheels she wore to work. 8aybe he ou$ht to rethink the uni!orm. ah, then he-d miss watchin$her. e smiled as his $a=e dri!ted over to watch her work. he !eatures that $ot to him the most

were her a=ure eyes. e could look into them !orever and $et lost. er lips were the mostkissable he-d ever remembered in all the centuries he-d been alive. Alive, ha% e always !oundthat statement !unny when it pertained to him.

e had kept his !eelin$s to himsel! because he en5oyed havin$ her around. 'he made him!eel li$hterFmore alive, when she lau$hed, talked, etc. e was a!raid that i! he told herwho...uh, what he was, that she-d be $one instantly. I! only he knew i! she could handle thein!ormation that would be presented to her. ormally, he would listen to her thou$hts to $ainsome insi$ht, but !or some reason, he couldn-t $et throu$h.

ruly, it was uite odd. e-d never come across the problem be!ore. It made him even morecurious about her. is senses told him she was di!!erent than the other women he associatedwith. e looked over at her a$ain and this time he cau$ht her attention. 'he blushed and turnedback uickly to the $irls she was servin$ at the moment. mmmFwas that a si$nG 8aybe heshould !inally !ind out and put himsel! out o! this misery he-d su!!ered !or the last !ew months.

2AntonG You seem distracted. &hat-s up, brotherG>e looked to his le!t and !ound his brother 'te!an standin$ beside him.2I-m contemplatin$ a stupid venture.>2&hatG /h, you mean your !ascination with the waitressG 6alerica, isn-t itG 'he-s aw!ully

nice on the eyes, brother. 'he-s a $reat employee. #o you want to possibly mess that upG> heasked.

2I could always sweep her mind,> Anton su$$ested.2Yes, but are you willin$ to do thatG 'he may lose more than you want her to.>Anton looked at him. 2I know that, brother% I-ve been on this earth a !ew years lon$er than

you.>2Yes, you have, but in all this time, you-re the only one without a mate. &hy is that, I

wonderG>2You know damn well why% Because o! this dread!ul curse placed upon us. hat, plus the

!act that since I-m the seventh son, special circumstances apply. I can-t choose 5ust anyone.>'te!an nodded. 2Yes, I know that, and I-m sorry. 8aybe she is the one. You never know.>'te!an turned to look over once a$ain at his brother to !ind that he was no lon$er there. e

heard the o!!ice door shut. /bviously, his brother was $oin$ to mope !or awhile. hat was his


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way. It was best to leave him be until he !i$ured thin$s out. 'te!an stepped back behind the bar tohelp Bill with the crowd, which had built up uickly in the last !ew minutes.

A hal! hour later when she was on break, 6al was !eelin$ pretty $uilty about how she-dtreated and spoken to Anton. 'he worked up the coura$e to seek him out and apolo$i=e. 'he-dseen him enter his o!!ice. e hadn-t come back out yet, so she decided to $o in and !ace the

conseuences.'he knocked. wice. e didn-t answer. 'he started to $et worried. e had been in there !oruite awhile. 8aybe he-d !allen or was sick. 'he hesitantly opened the o!!ice door, turned theli$ht on, and screamed.


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Chapter Three

)alerica felt something !et on her forehead. *he raised her hands u to her head andtouched the foreign o$+ect co#ering her head. It felt like a !et !ashcloth. *he closed her eyes

and then oened them slo!ly. The room !as s!aying. *he closed her eyes again, !ondering

!here she !as.26alerica, are you doin$ okayG> Anton asked with a serious tone in his voice.'he opened her eyes and saw him leanin$ over, lookin$ somewhat nervous and worried. 'he

looked into his beauti!ul black eyes and remembered. 'he sat up abruptly%2oly cow% I saw you, Anton. I saw you drinkin$ blood !rom a blood ba$. 0wwww% &hy

would you do thatG &ho are youG> she asked rapidly, wonderin$ to hersel! i! she really wantedthe truth or not.

2'hhh, #ra$a. You-re hallucinatin$. &hy would I be drinkin$ bloodG You must have hityour head a little harder than I thou$ht,> he whispered $ently, while $a=in$ into her eyes.

'he stared back at him.2&hy do you always do thatG> she asked. 2&hy do you call me #ra$aG You have called me

2dear> twice in the last !ew hours.>'he remembered hearin$ him callin$ her that be!ore, althou$h she had never told him thatshe understood what he was sayin$. In re!lection, it must have been said in thou$ht and not inwords.

2You understood meG> he asked incredulously.2Yes. 8y $randmother was ?omanian. 'he and my mother tau$ht me the lan$ua$e when I

was youn$. I also know (atin. &hen they died, I missed them so much that I kept speakin$ andstudyin$ the lan$ua$e in a way to remember them. 8y $randmother was o! ?omani herita$e. Isuppose that-s why I chose mytholo$y as my ma5or. I-ve always been interested in the odd, I$uess.>

A!ter she had spoken, she noticed that he seemed to look at her suspiciously.

2&hatG> she demanded, circlin$ around him and then comin$ !ace to !ace.2I take it you !ind it hard to believe that I-m a vampireG>2&ell, I $uess it-s not shockin$ with all that I-ve studied, yet still, I-ve never seen one or

heard anyone talk o! them actually e7istin$.>2ow does that chan$e your !eelin$s toward meG> Anton asked.2&hat !eelin$sG> she inuired uncertainly. 'he looked up at him and saw desire and a look

o! intense concentration.2&hy do you do thatG> she asked Anton uietly.2#o whatG>2'tare at me like you-re tryin$ to read my mind or somethin$, that-s what%>28aybe I am,> Anton replied, with a wide $rin. 28aybe I would love to know what $oes on

inside that pretty little head o! yours.>&ith that he bent his head and kissed her, ever so $ently. 3or a second, 6al was stunned that

he was actually doin$ what she-d always dreamed o!. 'he returned his kiss wholeheartedly andvi$orously.

hen suddenly, they went !rom kissin$ passionately to livin$ an encounter that amounted toa !lash o! li$htnin$ snappin$ between them.

2&hat the heck was thatG> she shrieked.2A si$n,> he whispered, not knowin$ i! it was time !or him to reveal the secret to her.


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2A si$nG A secret and me bein$ Hthe oneG-> she demanded.2You heard thatG> he asked her.2Yes, o! course I heard you%>2I didn-t say anythin$ out loud.>'he wanted to call him a liar and then resisted. &hat he had 5ust e7perienced reminded her

o! how it !elt when she had read other people-s minds. 'he reco$ni=ed the di!!erence now. hena vision was brou$ht to her memory !or the reason why she-d been lyin$ on his couch in the !irstplace.

2a% &ait% You still have some e7plainin$ to do,> she demanded. 2#on-t think !or a minutethat I-ve !or$otten about the whole blood drinkin$ thin$. &hat was that all about, anywayG> sheasked insistently, all while thinkin$ to hersel! that she-d lau$h i! he told her he was a vampire.

2I am,> he whispered.2&hatG> she asked, lookin$ at him in unbelie!.2A vampire. hat-s why you saw me doin$ what I was doin$. It was dinnertime !or me.>'he looked away and then $ave him a sideways $lance to see i! he was 5okin$. e looked

serious, like he always did. 'he tried to conceal her look o! surprise, and then as she was !amous

!or, she re$ained her composure and attempted to respond to him.2A vampireG *lease% hey-re a complete myth. (et me remind you that I-m ma5orin$ inmytholo$y and le$end.>

2Just because you can read people-s thou$hts doesn-t mean you-re a vampire. I can do whatyou do, but I-m not a bloodsucker,> she hissed at him.

'he re$arded him care!ully and noticed that he raised his eyebrows at her response. &ithouttryin$ to show any physical emotion, she !elt in her heart that his handsome looks were makin$her weak. 'he thou$ht, 2I! only.>

o her surprise and morti!ication, he said, 2hank you. &hat was the Hi! only- aboutG>2othin$,> she mumbled.'he instinctively turned away !rom him and ran out o! the o!!ice !eelin$ completely

humiliated. #istracted, she didn-t see &endy comin$ around the corner.2/h, here you are,> &endy shouted. 22I was a little late. &here have you beenG> 6al asked.2/h. Anton put me in char$e o! the $roup that reserved Area @. 1asey and I were runnin$

our butts o!! toni$ht.> 'he si$hed and then $ave 6al a hu$e smile. 2But hey, $reat tips thou$h.&hy were you in Anton-s o!!ice !or so lon$G All he told 'te!an was that you !ainted and youneeded someone to cover you !or awhile. Are you okayG>

'he wri$$led her eyebrows at 6alerica, and 6al 5ust lau$hed nervously.2I 5ust wasn-t !eelin$ $ood !or awhile there. I-m !ine now.>2/kay, but I-d $ive anythin$ to be trapped in that man-s o!!ice with him% &hew%> she said

as she pretended to !an hersel!.6al lau$hed and pushed &endy into the main club area.2I-ve $ot to $et back to work,> 6al said.2/kay, see you at home. &hen do you $et o!!G> &endy asked.28idni$ht. I-ve $ot to study !or my last !inal. &hat time are you leavin$G>2/h, I-m here until closin$. (ucky me, huhG>'he shook her behind at 6al as she returned to her reserved room o! $uests.6al $lanced back at the o!!ice door. Anton was there, starin$ at her.


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'he read his thou$hts, 2&e-re not done with this conversation.>o her ama=ement, once a$ain, not one word was uttered out loud.he rest o! her shi!t went !airly smooth. #espite it bein$ a slower ni$ht, she made a load o!

tips. &ell, e7cept !or the !act that she !ound out her boss, the $uy she lusted over, was a vampire.8aybe. hat-s what he claimed, but she had yet to see any proo! to back up those claims. 'he

supposed she did have one. 'he-d seen him drinkin$ blood.&hen she returned home that ni$ht, oodles $reeted her. e 5umped into her arms, mewlin$like cra=y. /dd, she thou$ht, because he didn-t ordinarily act like this.

2&hat-s up, babyG Are you mad about me leavin$ you a$ainG 'orry. I-ll be here all daytomorrow studyin$, okayG> she told the cat as she cuddled and stroked his !ur.

oodle-s heart was beatin$ !aster than usual. 'he $rew uiet and sent out her senses, !eelin$!or any other minds. /h, $ee=, there was somebody in her apartment. 'he could sense someone,5ust not their e7act hidin$ place. 'he put the cat down and walked into the livin$ area o! theapartment. 'he had 5ust barely $otten to the couch when she !elt a breath on the back o! her neck.'he shivered.

2I told you that our conversation wasn-t over, #ra$a. I am here to !inish it.>

e kissed the back o! her neck so!tly be!ore walkin$ around to !ace her. 'he could hardlybreathe. 'he tried to block her thou$hts !rom him as she thou$ht about how many times she haddreamed about this moment. ow here he was, ri$ht in !ront o! her.

er knees went weak when he kissed her neck. 2&hy on earth, and a!ter all this time, washe payin$ attention to her nowG &hy all the dreamy kisses and a!!ectionG> she thou$ht curiously.

'he sti!!ened when she heard his ne7t sentence.21ome now, my dear 6alerica. ?emember our shared ability at hearin$ each other-s

thou$htsG>21rap, that-s ri$ht. Just out o! curiosity, 5ust how lon$ have you been able to hear my

thou$htsG he whole time I-ve been workin$ !or youG> she demanded.2Just todayFsince we kissed. hat-s another reason !or the talk we need to have. I-d like

your help, especially i! you decide to take a chance on me.>28y, that-s mi$hty presumptuous o! you. ow-s that e$o o! yours these daysG &hy do you

want me anywayG 3rom what I-ve seen, you have more than enou$h help at your disposal.>2Jealous, I see. hat 5ust $oes to prove that I-m ri$ht. You do have !eelin$s !or me. I can

read it in your body lan$ua$e, and I heard it in your thou$hts A(( day lon$,> he said withobvious satis!action.

2&ait 5ust one minute, you liar. You 5ust !inished tellin$ me that you-ve only been able toread my thou$hts since we kissed. But now you tell meF>

Anton moved into her personal sphere o! closeness, and $a=ed at her, without sayin$ a word.?i$hteous indi$nation poured out o! her as she spat the words toward him, 2'o all o! a

sudden, I-m supposed to believe that you-re interested in meG You-ve done nothin$ to prove thatin the past si7 months that I-ve been workin$ !or you%>

'he wanted him to de!end himsel! and proclaim her desires !or her, but was he capable o!bein$ a real manG

Anton pulled her into his hu$ and kissed her with a passion that she !elt !rom the top o! herhead down to the tips o! her toes. As he drew her into the kiss, she !elt warmth in other areas aswell. o, not warmth. eat%


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'he !elt like she was on !ire !rom the inside out. his was more than she-d ever ima$inedpossible. 'he-d been kissed be!ore, but those were 5ust practice pecks !rom ine7perienced malesouls and nothin$ more.

'he breathed deeply as she let hersel! become more enthralled with the e7citement anddrivin$ !orce o! bein$ catapulted into the breathtakin$ war o! their mouths. &hen it was evident

that conscious thou$ht was no lon$er possible !or her, she !orced hersel! to retreat !rom his sin!ulkisses.As she $lared at him, he looked startled that she had pushed him away, but he smiled in his

own knowin$ness.2Is that enou$h proo! !or youG> he asked. 20ven with all the e7perience I have o! love, no

one could !ake that, my dear. I mi$ht have been able to !ake my attraction to you in the past !ewmonths, but I need to become absolutely transparent to you. I never want to kiss another womanand envision you in my thou$hts while doin$ so. It would be sheer torture. I want you. All o!you. I know you want me, too.>

2&hoa% old on, Anton. his is all too much !or me. I have absolutely no e7perience withmen, or with any o! those thin$s you think I-d know about.>

2&hat do you mean by no e7perienceG> he asked. 2You-re the most beauti!ul woman I-veever encountered. #o you really e7pect me to believe that you-ve never had a boy!riend or beenintimate with anyoneG>

2hat-s e7actly what I mean. I was raised to believe that se7 was reserved !or marria$e. 8ymother believed with her whole bein$ that it was a sacred thin$. It-s one o! the !ew thin$s that Iremember her teachin$ me, and I want to keep the promise that I made to her to stay chaste untilmarria$e. ot that it-s any o! your business, but I-ve never been tempted by any other men. I-vedated every now and then, but nothin$ ever clicked with any o! them. I-ve been kissed a !ewtimes, but it never !elt like it did with you and me. his was the !irst time that my body everreacted to anyone,> she admitted shamelessly.

Anton surprised her by takin$ her hand in his and kissed it as he curtsied in !ront o! her.2I-m !lattered. It-s rare !or a beauti!ul woman to have stayed chaste in this day and a$e. I

respect you $reatly !or it. his is also a si$n that you-re destined to be mine and the one to helpmy people.>

2&hat do you meanG ow could I help a bunch o! vampiresG I don-t intend to be anappeti=er or the main course !or your ne7t !east.>

e lau$hed and she !elt the tension leave her body.2o, 6alerica. &e stopped huntin$ humans years a$o. &e don-t kill people !or blood or !or

!ood. *reviously, we only received blood !rom willin$ donors while causin$ a very minuteamount o! pain, and in most cases, no pain at all. But now, that-s allowed only in e7tremecircumstances. Back when superstitions, !ears o! witches, vampires, werewolves, =ombies, andother monsters ran rampant, it was impossible to $et a willin$ donor. &e use blood banks now.8ost o! them are owned my one o! the three vampire !amilies in e7istence. It drew too muchattention when people went missin$4when we !irst became vampires. &e needed to protectourselves. Blood banks seemed like the per!ect solution.>

2'o how can I, a lowly mortal, help your peopleG> she asked curiously.2hat is a lon$ story that will have to wait !or tomorrow ni$ht or the ne7t. It-s almost

sunrise, and I must $et back home. I know you have a test to study !or and you need rest also.You look like you-re about to collapse. I want you to believe that I want you in my li!e. 3orever./ne thin$ I ask is that you keep this a secret. /h, and try to recall as much as you can about what


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you-ve e7perienced in the past and your $randmother-s herita$e. It could prove help!ul. I need to$o. I-ll see you tomorrow ni$ht at the club.>

hen he vanished.6al was astonished at what she-d 5ust witnessed. &ho would have thou$ht it possibleG

oni$ht de!initely e7plained a lot o! instances when it seemed as i! he had appeared out o! thin

air at work. 'he lau$hed at the mind+bo$$lin$ occurrence.At home, she headed !or her bedroom, ready to collapse a!ter all that she-d e7perienced. Butshe knew that she had to prepare !or her !inals. owever, she couldn-t stop thinkin$ that Antonwas a vampire.

his encounter made her reali=e why he had never answered his cell phone durin$ the day.e was dead. 8akes sense, she thou$ht, especially since he had called her only at ni$ht. &hatelse had been $oin$ on at work that she hadn-t taken notice o!G &ere any o! her other coworkersvampires alsoG 'he hu!!ed in !rustration. his was $oin$ to be one lon$, sleepless ni$ht.


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Chapter Four

It was di!!icult !or 6alerica to concentrate on what she needed to $et done that day. 'tudyin$was a 5oke a$ain. 'he !i$ured she-d 5ust take the test and $et it over and done with. she asked.2/kay, I think. It-s weird to ima$ine that that was my last one. Are you workin$ toni$htG>

6al asked.2ope. Anton $ave me the ni$ht o!! since last ni$ht-s $roup was such a pain in the derriere.

I have a date with ony toni$ht.>ony 6erdu=co was &endy-s boy!riend. hey-d been to$ether !or about three years now.

&endy said they-d talked about marria$e, but evidently it wasn-t on the top o! their priority list.&endy knew how 6al !elt about premarital se7, so she made sure that ony never stayed over attheir apartment. 6al appreciated that &endy honored her values and was such a considerate!riend.

21ool. &hat are you $uys $oin$ to do toni$htG>2I think 5ust dinner and a movie. &e may hit a casino !or !un. &ho knowsG> she said

smilin$. 28aybe I can win enou$h money to buy a house.>2&ell, &endy, I $otta $o lie down !or awhile be!ore work. I-m still e7hausted,> she said.2/h, speakin$ o! work, Anton was wonderin$ i! you could take the earlier shi!t toni$ht

instead. e said you $uys needed time to discuss thin$s !urther. &hat did he mean by HdiscussG->22Yeah whatever $irl!riend. hat-s code !or wantin$ you eventually in his bed.>6alerica smiled at her !riend and said, 2e know there has to be a rin$ !irst.>'he uickly slipped out o! the room and headed into her bedroom, shuttin$ the door, while

assumin$ that &endy-s 5aw had dropped in astonishment.&endy woke her up at !our as promised. hat $ave 6al !orty+!ive minutes to $et ready and

$et to work on time. &hen she arrived, she nodded in Anton-s direction as she walked past hiso!!ice on her way to the bar. 'he prepared her usual items !or the ni$ht and chatted with Bill !ora little bit. ow and then she would look !or Anton-s whereabouts.

'he was both nervous and e7cited !or their talk toni$ht. 'he only saw him a couple timesdurin$ her shi!t, but each time he had !elt her $a=e, he had winked at her while telepathicallysendin$ $oo!y and cheesy love phrases at her. It was ridiculous, but she absolutely loved it. Itmade her !eel somethin$ she-d never !elt be!ore4desired and beauti!ul. 'he ate it up likepuddin$, and she knew she was a $oner, hopelessly in love with Anton Jenecko.

&hen her shi!t ended at ten, she headed back to the employees- room to put her apron awayin her locker. As she came out o! the door, she was met by Anton.

2Are you readyG> he asked as he stuck his arm out !or her to $rab a hold o!.


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'he nodded and wrapped her arm around his. e led her out to his to+die+!or car4Aston8artin #B'. &henever 6al would even think o! the words CAston 8artin,C she tended to think o!cool, !ast, loud, and Bond, o! course. he words Cpower, beauty, and soulC came to mind, too.

&hen Anton turned it on, the words power, beauty and soul didn-t distract her !rom thewonder!ul . liter 6 roarin$ into li!e. hey set o!! !or a $entle drive to his place, she $uessed,

since her apartment was in the other direction entirely. he seats !elt like smooth hands on herbody. 'he loved it. wenty minutes later, he pulled up to a $ate that was clearly his, punched inhis code, and the $ates slid open !or them.

is driveway was e7tensive; 6al !i$ured it was at least a uarter mile lon$. &hat she sawne7t blew everythin$ she had ever thou$ht about Anton Jenecko ri$ht out o! the water. 'hepictured him livin$ in some kind o! $rand castle. 8ost likely because o! all the vampire moviesshe-d seen, she thou$ht to hersel!.

&hat she saw was a truly breathtakin$ home. he e7terior desi$n was as uniue as it wasbeauti!ul. 6alerica knew that no one could look at this house, day or ni$ht, without bein$ movedin some way% hey parked the car and entered his home. his was lu7ury livin$ at its !inest withsumptuous materials and dramatic spaces throu$hout. is stunnin$ home opened in the rear to a

curved deck with a dramatic barrel roo! above it, and a covered patio below it. Abundant $lassdoors and windows lit the interiors, which were detailed with wood beams and wood columns.he prominent curve o! the deck was repeated as a desi$n element in many parts o! the house,such as the $reat room rear wall, the staircases, the upper balcony, the lower bar, which !ramedthe entry, the lar$er windows, and the planters around the e7terior.

)pon enterin$ the !oyer !rom the covered porch, throu$h the tall stained $lass and wooddouble doors, she !ound hersel! in a two+story space with a view into and throu$h the $reat room,and to the balcony on the upper !loor. here was an open, ele$antly curved stairwell on eitherside, which provided views to the !loor below as well.

'trai$ht ahead, wood columns !ramed the openin$ to the $reat room, which boasted vaultedceilin$s with a curved wall o! lower and upper windows and $lass doors at the rear that sheassumed mi$ht lead to an opulent deck.

2oly !reakin$ cow%> she e7claimed. 2his place is so beauti!ul and like nothin$ I wouldhave ever pictured you livin$ in.>

2&hat did you thinkG A castle with an entire

e shook his head and smiled at her.'he smiled and said, 2&ell, you are a vampire. It 5ust seems an appropriate type o!

atmosphere !or your kind.>2&ell, as you can see, I-m not your typical ollywood vampire. I must see to occupyin$

your time more worthily. &ould you like anythin$ to eat or drink be!ore we $et to our talkG 8ycook can prepare somethin$ i! you-d like. ave a seat.>

'he sat down on the $or$eous, supple leather coach that was positioned near the ele$antstone !ireplace.

2I don-t suppose you have an espresso maker, do youG> she asked him 5okin$ly.2Actually, I do. &hat would you likeG>2I would love a vanilla chai latte i! you have some. I-m a little hun$ry, too. Any !in$er !oods

like cheese, crackers, cookiesG I have the munchies, but I don-t want a !ull meal.>2'ounds $ood to me.>e walked over to the wall where an intercom was installed and pressed a button.


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2Yes, sireG> a voice asked.2Jacues, I need your services in the kitchen, please,> Anton reuested o! his butler. 21an

you brin$ us some re!reshments in say, !i!teen or twenty minutesG /h, and do we have any chaiteaG>

2Yes, sire. I believe we do. I-ll only be a moment, sir. ow many teas should I make, sirG>

2wo, please. And thank you, Jacues,> Anton said.28y pleasure, sir.>Anton turned !rom the intercom and looked at 6alerica. 'he had a spark o! con!usion in her

a=ure eyes.2&hatG> he asked. 2&hy are you lookin$ at me like I have two heads all o! a suddenG>2You 5ust told me that what I wanted sounds $ood to you. I thou$ht vampires couldn-t eat

normal !ood. I thou$ht you e7isted only on blood.>2Yet another myth, little one. &hen Jacues brin$s the !ood, I-ll tell you about the curse on

our !amily and answer any uestions that you have. All ri$htG>'he nodded, still wonderin$ what he needed !rom her and how she, an orphaned $irl with no

!amily, could ever help such a power!ul bein$ as him.

e let her sit uietly !or a !ew minutes while they waited !or his butler to brin$ there!reshments. Jacues came throu$h the door a !ew seconds later with a tray !ull o! !ood inaddition to the two chai lattes.

6al sipped the latte and si$hed with pleasure. It was !abulous as was the spread that Jacueshad prepared !or them. 'he evidently was hun$rier than she thou$ht. 'he watched as Anton ateas well.

2'o, where do you want to startG> he asked. 2#o you want to $et all your vampire uestionsout o! the way !irst, or do you want to hear o! how our !amily was cursed with vampirism andthe need !or us to break itG>

2I don-t know. &hat would be easier and less con!usin$G> she asked him.28aybe i! I tell you about the curse, then some o! your uestions may be answered alon$ the

way. Is that okay with youG>6al turned her body around on the couch so she could !ace him at the other end. e looked a

bit tense. It was certainly understandable. e was a very private and $uarded person. 'he knewthat sharin$ his !amily secrets was not an easy venture. e cleared his throat and ensued with thestory.

2&e lived in By=antium, a small villa$e located on the Bosporus 'trait. 3our !amilies, the*etrovs,


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or 1amarilla, as they called themselves, had no choice but to put )ta on trial !or her supposedsins, even thou$h no proo! could be !ound o! her $uilt.

2he other three wives had $reat in!luence over their husbands and had been constantlywhisperin$ )ta-s trans$ressions into their husbands- ears. hey, in turn, loved their wives andthou$ht them honest and trustworthy. hey didn-t know o! their wives- 5ealousy and connivin$

ways.>Anton paused and took a drink o! his tea.2'o what happened to )taG> 6alerica asked curiously.2hey sentenced her to death. hey burned her at the stake,> he said so!tly.2&hatG ow could they do that to a woman who was practically !amilyG And without any

proo!G> she asked an$rily. 2I don-t understand a kind o! !riendship that would lead to puttin$one-s !riend to death !or such a trivial and petty thin$.>

Anton nodded and replied, 2hin$s were handled di!!erently back then. 'till, it didn-t takelon$ a!ter they killed her that they !i$ured out 5ust how underhanded and deceit!ul the other threewives had been. he looks on their !aces $ave it away as they had to watch their !riend put todeath. But it was too late to undo anythin$.>

2'o why are you tellin$ me all thisG &hat does this have to do with me or what did yousayFa curseG>2I-m $ettin$ to that,> he said patiently. 2(ike I said, by the time the 1amarilla !ound out they

had killed an innocent woman, it was too late. &hat no one knew about )ta, includin$ herhusband, was that she was a trained witch. )ntil then she had been only usin$ her arts !or $ood.hat was why she was so pro!icient in herbs and healin$. er mother was a witch and hadsecretly raised her up with the knowled$e. ?i$ht be!ore she died, she cursed all !our o! the!amilies. &e are stuck in vampire !orm until the curse is broken. &e only know a little aboutwhat may help break the spell.

2here are only three o! us who can restore li!e back to our !amilies. he curse said thatuntil the time comes when the bonded mate o! the seventh son o! the seventh son can loveunconditionally a monster o! the undead, we will not know 5ustice. I am the seventh son.

2hrou$h the years, we have $leaned a !ew clues as we-ve $one over the words o! the curse.&e know that she wrote the curse and the cure on a scroll that she hid be!ore she died. &e !oundthat clue in a 5ournal my mother !ound o! )ta-s. &e 5ust don-t know where the scroll is. It willalso be written in (atin, which we will need translated.>

2(atinG I know a little o! that, too. I would need to study up a bit, but my $randmothertau$ht me. &hat else do you knowG> she asked inuisitively.

2ot much more than that. &e have a clue as to where the scroll may be hidden, but not ade!inite one.>

2&hat was the curseG &as it written downG I would like to look at it. 8aybe somethin$ willstand out to me that you-ve missed.>

2Yes, it was written down. But believe me, no one could ever !or$et the words that werespoken. It chan$ed us !orever.>

Anton walked over to an ancient lookin$ roll top desk and pulled out a parchment o! paper.It looked very old. 'omeone had apparently put it in a protective cover to keep it as undama$edas possible. 'he took it !rom him when he care!ully handed it over to her.

'he read, 2-I curse you all, who hath betrayed me this very hour. 3rom now on, you will liveas you are now; without heart or soul. 3orever will you !east on the blood and pain o! others asyou do at this moment. )ntil the time comes when the bonded mate o! the seventh son o! the


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seventh son can love unconditionally a monster o! the undead, you will not know 5ustice. 'o Icurse you"

o the !ires o! hell your souls shall !ly.I send them screamin$ across the sky&here they shall endure eternal pai,

And slowly you shall $o insane.You will live as !ate condemnsBut you will never be true !riends.And with this curse your soul I bindIn deepest hell !or all o! time.->2Boy, was she pissed or whatG I ima$ine I would be too, thou$h,> she commented.Anton nodded his head in a$reement with her. 'he studied the te7t !or a !ew minutes and

said, 2I think our !irst task would be to !ind a practicin$ witch to help. #on-t happen to knowany, do youG>

'he looked up and saw a smirk on his !ace.2&itches and vampires don-t e7actly han$ out to$ether. In $eneral, we try to stay as !ar

away !rom each other as possible.>'he thou$ht !or a minute and then told him, 2I may know someone who can help. A $irl!rom one o! my classes mentioned once that she was a practicin$ witch. I think she saidsomethin$ about her aunt, $randma, or someone like that was pretty hi$h up in their coven. Icould $et a hold o! her i! you want. You never know.>

'he was startled at how !ast he had moved. /ne second he was at the other end o! the couchand a hal! second later he was holdin$ her a$ainst him. e $ently bent his head and took hold o!her lips in a slow and sensuous kiss. 'he responded immediately. 'he couldn-t help it. he pullshe !elt toward him was astonishin$. e broke the kiss and smiled at her.

2'o, I take it that you are willin$ to help us, me actually, on this uest. Are you sureG Itcould be dan$erous,> he cautioned her.

2And han$in$ out with vampires isn-tG &hatever,> she spouted o!!, while rollin$ her eyessardonically.

Anton let out a lau$h that was so loud and deep that it surprised her. e rarely lau$hed. 'he$ave him a dirty look and then 5oined him. It !elt $ood to lau$h. 'he didn-t even know how lon$it had been since she-d lau$hed that hard. 'he wiped the tears away and saw that he was cryin$,too, but his were tears o! blood. hat reminded her o! his promise o! answerin$ any uestionsshe had about his race, kind, whatever they called themselves.

2'o, I thou$ht vampires could only di$est blood and nothin$ elseG> she asked him.2A vampire needs blood, but as you have seen, we can eat and drink real !ood, too. It

doesn-t have any nutritional value !or us, thou$h. 6ampires must sustain themselves on the bloodo! the livin$. 3or us, the act o! !eedin$ is hi$hly sensual. he vessel !eels ecstatic when ithappens, and the !eedin$ vampire under$oes a heady rush. 1ertain vampires sustain themselvesby drinkin$ the blood o! animals, but rarely !or lon$, as either their tastes or the needs o! theircursed bodies !orce them to seek human blood. Blood is where we $et our ener$y, and at thesame time, we $et a !ew perks,> he said.

2You mean like !lyin$, stren$th, and all thatG>26ampires canCt !ly. #o you believe everythin$ that you see in moviesG &e do $et stren$th,

speed, telepathy, etc. !rom the blood, thou$h.>2'o what about the sunli$ht thin$G>


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2'unli$ht wonCt kill us. owever, we do have an e7tremely hei$htened sensitivity to it, 5ustlike we have with basically everythin$ else. ave you ever had a bad sunburnG>

6alerica nodded.2&ell, times that by about ten. ot to mention, sunli$ht is very uncom!ortable to our eyes,

even at times while in a shadow durin$ overcast weather.

2'o, vampires are not undead creaturesG> she asked care!ully.2hat-s a tricky one. 6ampirism is a curse, not a blessin$. It does carry with it $reat power,

but the state o! bein$ a vampire also brin$s with it numerous detriments, not the least o! whichinclude the internali=ed ra$e o! the beast and !eedin$ on human blood. &e are livin$, but it isobviously di!!erent than humans. *lus, our souls were taken !rom us until the curse is broken,>he uttered uietly.

2I already know that you have !an$s. I saw them in the o!!ice. 1an you make them come out

whenever you want or 5ust to eatG>2&e can control them. hey 5ust kind o! come out instinctively when we smell blood,> hestated. e saw her open her mouth to ask more uestions, but he held up his hand to stop her.

2I-ll hurry this up since you-re askin$ all the stereotypical movie+type uestions. 3irst, we#/ / sleep in co!!ins. &e do need sleep and we sleep in beds like every other person in theworld. &e 5ust have the room darkenin$ shades. 6ampires are !ar !rom bein$ immortal.owever, we do a$e noticeably slower, and we do survive a lot o! thin$s that a normal personwould not be able to survive. &e can only be killed by beheadin$ and burnin$. A stake in theheart 5ust holds us in stasis. A vampireCs body slowly withers while trapped in this state,becomin$ ever more corpselike. Also, you do not necessarily become a vampire i! youCre bittenor killed by a vampire. It takes a conscious act o! will, known as the 0mbrace, to create a newvampire.

2Indeed, a vampire leaves little to mark his or her passin$, i! care!ul. All a vampire must doto hide the wound le!t by her !eedin$ is to lick it when we-re done. 6ampires canhave se7.&hile the act o! !eedin$ replaces all physical ur$es, vampires can still indul$e in se7 and eventake pleasure !rom it. 1uriously, however, the emotional aspect o! se7 vanishes a!ter the0mbrace. A vampire mi$ht en5oy the physical sensation o! se7, but no more than he or sheen5oys a particularly savory smell or the touch o! a lu7urious !abric. hey say that chan$es withyour bonded mate, however.>

e looked at her with a $a=e so !ull o! lon$in$, passion, and love that she !ound hersel!tearin$ up.

2&hatG &hat did I sayG> he asked nervously.2othin$. I 5ust reali=ed how lonely you must be, and it breaks my heart,> she said and

kissed him. 3irst, his !orehead, then his cheeks, eyes, and then !ull on the mouth. It was a kiss o!pure unadulterated love, and he !elt it, actually !elt it. e cleared his throat and continued on.

2#o you have any other uestionsG>2&hat about $arlic, holy water, crosses, and all thatG> 6alerica asked.2 he lau$hed. 2I love it on my !ood. 'uch notions are nothin$ more than old wivesC

tales or cultural biases. &e are not repulsed by crosses and other holy symbols. &hile such is not$enerally the case, the devout sometimes do a!!ect our kind with miraculous aspects o! their


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!aith. (et-s see, what else is thereG /h, yes. It-s true that we donCt show up like normal people oncamera or in mirrors. 6ampires show up with their !eatures obscured in photo$raphic media9includin$ video !oota$e: and in mirrors.

2hey can temporarily counteract this e!!ect, but by de!ault their !eatures are obscured. hesame is not true !or voice recordin$s; vampiresC voices are captured normally on voice recorders.

I think that about takes care o! all the myths and such.>e pulled her close a$ain and took possession o! her lips a$ain with his own.2You taste so sweet. I love your lips. hey are so kissable and addictive. ow about we !ind

out what other thin$s are addictive about you, hmmm, my loveG>e kissed her a$ain and she could !eel hersel! slowly bein$ pulled into the lull o! his

caresses. e slowly rubbed her back and he cupped her bottom to brin$ her even closer to him.'he responded with a need that she had never even ima$ined possible. er head !inally took overand she pushed him away !rom her shakily.

2o, Anton. I thou$ht I made it clear that you are $ettin$ none o! this.> 'he used her handsto show him a path down her body, 2until we are married, bonded, or whatever you $uys call it.'orry, I-m a bit old+!ashioned that way, and I-m not $oin$ to bud$e. I! you love me like you say

you do, you-ll respect that.>'he hoped with all her bein$ that he would reali=e that she was serious. 'he wasn-t stupid.'he knew he was stron$er and could probably compel her to do anythin$ he wanted.

26alerica, I do respect you !or that. I !ind it commendable that you want to keep yoursel!pure !or your intended mate. I am touched that you would even $ive me a chance to be in yourli!e, considerin$ how di!!erent everythin$ will be.>

e $ently kissed her a$ain, and then he $lanced at the clock.2You should $o, sweetheart. &e both need some rest. 'o, does this mean you-re $oin$ to try

to help break the curseG> he asked her hope!ully.2Yes, Anton. I will help you, because I love you and have ever since I laid eyes on you.

&hen I !eel like I-ve $otten enou$h sleep, I-ll try to contact my !riend and $et some in!o !romher. 'eems like the best place to start. I-ll have to ask my boss !or time o!! with pay, o! course,>she whispered, 5oy shinin$ !rom her eyes.

2I-m sure we can work somethin$ out. As soon as I can bind you to me eternally, you willno lon$er be an employee anyway. /h, by the way, 'te!an is my brother. You-ll be meetin$ therest o! my !amily soon, so prepare yoursel!.>

2hat e7plains some thin$s. I !i$ured you $uys looked too much alike !or it to becoincidence. As !or the rest o! your !amily, I can-t wait to meet them.>

'he $ave him a uick peck on the cheek and walked toward his !ront door. As she walkedout, she !lashed him a uick, sassy smile.

2By the way,> she said, 2I-ve decided I-m not comin$ into work today.>


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Chapter Five

6al $ot up at about one o-clock in the a!ternoon. 'he showered, dressed, and $ot ready to $oout. &hile lookin$ throu$h her old class notes, she was hopin$ to !ind Brianna 3orster-s number.

In this day and a$e, it was help!ul to keep a paper list o! everyone-s cell numbers, 5ust in caseyou mi$ht happen to lose your electronic device.'he !inally !ound Brianna-s number and called her. Brianna picked up ri$ht away and a!ter

listenin$ to 6alerica-s reuest, she a$reed to meet her at three o-clock at Brew-s, a popularco!!ee shop !or the locals. 6al arrived a !ew minutes early and !ound her !riend sittin$ at a tablein the back corner.

As she approached, she smiled and with a happy sound in her voice, said, 2ey there. (on$time, no see.>

Brianna smiled and responded, 2i. 'o, are you relieved to be done with everythin$G I wishI was. /nly two semesters le!t thou$h.>

'he si$hed and 6al lau$hed.

2Believe me,> 6al said in an encoura$in$ tone, 2it-ll $o !aster than you think. At least that-show it seemed !or me.>2

2I need someone with a lot o! knowled$e about the old ways. I have some uestions about acurse and how to break it,> 6al e7plained. 2It-s !or a vampire !riend o! mine.>

26ampires%


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of the soul, !hate#er caused the eelling of the soul, or a conglomerate of these forces. It is this

emhasis on the hysical $ody to the eclusion of the soul, !hich causes many #amires to $e

o$sessi#ely sensual and addicted to their o!n suddenly intense ercetions.There are many things !hich can cause a creature to $ecome a #amire. These include

certain forms of intimate demonic ossession, #arious #iruses, the casting of sells to $ecome a

#amire, or mental disease. -ach of these causes has its o!n eculiar nature, and can result in#ery different outcomes for the #ictim.

6al circled that particular para$raph. hen she kept readin$.The change into a #amire is almost al!ays accomanied $y hysical changes in the

creatures $ody. The most common of these is a remo#al of the a$ility to feel ain, and a

fundamental change in their ercetion of the !orld. These are caused $y the sudden lack of

soul, !hich influences the !ay e#erything looks and feels. The immortality of the creature comes

due to a ercetual change. The $ody in comlete control of itself does not choose to harm itself!ith entroy, and so stos doing it. /o!e#er it is the soul !hich ro#ides a creature !ith true

!isdom and this form of immortality almost al!ays results in ma+or sychological ro$lems.

While immortal, e#entually almost all #amires end u committing suicide due to the ressure of

their o!n thoughts.6al $asped in horror a!ter readin$ that last sentence.Changes such as an increase in strength, the a$ility to fly, sychic and telekinetic o!ers

and magic a$ilities are fueled $y a o!er source !hich accomanies the transformation. As

such, these a$ilities are deendent on the amount of energy !ithin the $eing, and !ill $e

increased or decreased $y this factor.

-T/12* 314 B-C1IG A )AI4-Intimate infection from a demon7 When a demon infects a mortal in such a !ay that they

$ind !ith the hysical $ody of the creature, they can often ry the soul out of control of the $ody

and ermanently remo#e it. The o!er of the demon fuels the initial remo#al of the soul, as !ellas the first fe! hours of action. After this, most #amires !ill re8uire the $lood or soul of other

conscious $eings. 1#er time the demon !ill $ecome more efficient at etracting the energy from

these sources, and !ill re8uire less. /o!e#er initially, the need !ill $e 8uite great.These #amires tend to $e the most o!erful, and ossess the strongest attri$utes. This is

$ecause the energy of the demon fuels the initial transformation, and the first fe! hours of

eistence. The demon also hels the $ody to $ecome accustomed to its ne! eistence, and cansynthesi9e the souls or $lood of other creatures, making it a usea$le source of energy. They also

make it easier for the $ody to ta into telekinetic, sychic, and magical o!ers, as !ell as the

ne! hysical o!er !ithin its $ody.

'he scanned over more o! the te7t and !ound that an in!ection !rom a virus was another wayto become a vampire.

'he snorted and mumbled, 2ow, that-s a bit ridiculous.>'o ridiculous in her mind that sheskipped that particular section until she !ound one that was a tad more interestin$.

2Ah ha. his is what I was lookin$ !or,> she e7claimed e7citedly.W-A:-**-* 13 T/- )AI4-

The greatest !eakness #amires face is their need for energy, often in the form of $lood.*ince consuming the $lood and souls of conscious $eings is generally oosed $y the conscious

$eings themsel#es, #amires ha#e a constant enemy that they are intrinsically tied to. They cant

li#e !ith their rey, $ut they cant li#e !ithout them.


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If a #amire finds a !ay to synthesi9e enough energy to sur#i#e, they !ill usually de#elo a

second ro$lem. As a creature increases its a$ility to take energy from su$tle eistences such as

life, they !ill $ecome more sensiti#e to the energy in the !orld around them. Generally if the#amire $ecomes good enough at synthesi9ing energy from $lood or souls to sur#i#e, they !ill

also $ecome so sensiti#e to energy that sources such as the sun and fire !ill $e etremely

harmful to them. This is !hy many traditional demon induced #amires, !ho en+oy instantacclimation to #amirism, also suffer from the ina$ility to go out in daylight. /o!e#er there can

$e a con#ergence oint for some #amires !here they $ecome so good at synthesi9ing energy

that their o!er increases faster than their $odies are sensiti#e to light and heat, and they$ecome imer#ious to them once again.

2mm, I-m $lad I read up on that a$ain. It-s been a couple o! years. It seems to match a loto! what Anton described,> she said to hersel!.

'he wondered when Brianna would call, because her curiosity was makin$ her impatient.'he an7iously made a chai latte, and took her !irst sip when the phone ran$. Almost trippin$ overher own !eet to $et to the phone, she answered.

26alericaG It-s Brianna. I talked to my $reat aunt and she has a$reed to meet with you and

your vampire !riend. In !act, she was actually very interested and e7cited about the story. 'hesaid she could meet with you toni$ht around " p.m., i! you could arran$e it. ere is heraddress.>

2hank you so much, Brianna. You can-t even ima$ine how important this is. I appreciateyou doin$ this !or me. I owe you one.>

2You bet you do, sister. And I meant what I said be!ore. *lease don-t put her in any dan$er.'he-s a tou$h old broad, but I love her to death.>

2I promise. I-ll see you later.>6al hun$ up the phone a!ter writin$ the in!ormation down and immediately called Anton-s

cell. e answered on the second rin$, and she told him the news that Brianna had $iven her.2I-m surprised that a witch would be e7cited to meet with us, or at least me.>2I thou$ht you-d be happy,> 6al said.2Yes, I am happy about that,> Anton said. 2&hat I-m not so happy about is that you didn-t

show up !or work last ni$ht.>2)h, I toldyou I wasn-t $oin$ to.>2I reali=e that. I 5ust didn-t think you meant it,> he said, soundin$ surprised that she actually

did.2mm. 'eems maybe you need to $et to know me better be!ore assumin$ thin$s. You do

know what they say about assumin$ thin$s, don-t youG>2o. &hatG>2&hen you assume, you make an ass out o! you and me.>'he smiled as she heard his impatient $runt o! disapproval on the other end o! the phone.2I-ll pick you up about L"M,> Anton said as i! in a rush, and then he disconnected the call.6al stood in shock !or a moment, and then chose not to let his words inter!ere with their

plans. 'he selected her !avorite black 5eans !rom the closet, knowin$ that Anton liked them, too.'he had noticed the look in his eyes when she had worn them be!ore. is $a=e reminded her o! alion stalkin$ its prey, she thou$ht.

'he slipped into one o! her !avorite tops that had a pearl choker, which tied in the back. Itwas a nod to vinta$e estate 5ewelry. he collar o! the tank was embellished with !au7 pearls, seedbeads, and seuin+trimmed crystals on a modern sleeveless silhouette with a bubble hem. 'he


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loved how it made her !eel4se7y and !lirty. he keyhole tie+back neck was !latterin$ withoutbein$ too revealin$. 'he hated any clothin$ that revealed as much as the bits o! clothin$ that washer uni!orm.

hat reminded her o! a talk she needed to have with Anton one day about chan$in$ theuni!orms. 'he didn-t mind wearin$ a se7y uni!orm; she 5ust thou$ht there ou$ht to be more

material to them. 'he always thou$ht that you needed to wear enou$h to keep men $uessin$, not$ive them the answer.A com!y pair o! black boots complemented the out!it. &hen she stood up to admire hersel!

in the mirror, she heard a knock at the door. As she threw the door open, there stood Antonlookin$ like he-d 5ust stepped o!! a runway at a !ashion show.

You know how women have their special+ass 5eansG &hat Anton was wearin$ was sort o!the $uy version o! those. Acne-s ?oc 'o!t ?aw 5eans. heyCre not cheap, that-s !or sure. o thathe added a JuicyAnd'tone casual slim !it dress shirt that hu$$ed all the ri$ht places. It de!initelyshowed o!! his well+toned body. *ut bluntly, he looked ama=in$. 'he had to tear her eyes away!rom his body in order to $et her brain back under control.

2AhFyou look very se7Fhandsome. andsome. Yes, very nice, Anton,> she stammered

out the compliment. As a side note, she added, 2ave you eatenG>2Yes, I have. hank you, my dear, and you look rather delectable yoursel!. I love those 5eanson you. It-s not !air !or you to dress like that, you know. It makes my need !or you harder toresist,> he cautioned her.

2&ell, you have to resist. 'orry. 'hall we $o and $et this over withG ope!ully Brianna-saunt has some valuable in!ormation, and this isn-t a waste o! time,> she commented.

2o time spent with you is wasted.>


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hey entered the house, and Alana escorted them into the livin$ room. As 6al-s $a=escanned the decor in the room, she noticed the pro!ound &iccan in!luence. here was everythin$!rom a han$in$ penta$ram dream catcher, to a chalice, and an incense burner. 'he sawA Book of*hado!sand a &iccan trinket bo7.

his was all very e7citin$ !or 6alerica, because this is what she had spent her last !our years

studyin$. 'he reco$ni=ed almost every item in the room and what each thin$ was used !or. 'he$ently brushed her hands over the beauti!ul and e7tremely old arti!acts as she walked past them.'he knew that every classical witch must have the essentials because they were needed !orvarious rituals" a broom, a cauldron, and a chalice.

ABook of *hado!swas another inte$ral part o! every witch-s belon$in$s. hat was theplace where a witch recorded all her best spells, he7es, and curses. Alana-s book was about si7inches thick, which told 6al that it was very old, and could possibly have been passed down!rom many $enerations. he cover o! her decorative notebook looked like it had been madeentirely !rom cold cast resin and hand painted. he back$round was primarily a blue+$reen colorthat had been decorated with a smatterin$ o! silver+$ray stars. A crescent moon decorated with1eltic knots rested at the center, while a witch in a purple and black dress !lew her broom across

the sky and over the moon.Across the bottom o! the cover were the words, 2Book o! 'hadows.> 'he resisted thetemptation to peek inside, which was a no+no, o! course. 6alerica strolled over to Alana-s trinketbo7. 'he understood how important it was to a witch to keep all their little ritual items sa!e andsecure. It was hard to de!ine the appearance and the !eelin$ behind the Black 1at with 'kull Bo7;it had a duality o! NcreepyN and NcuteN that worked stran$ely well to$ether.

2*retty thin$s, aren-t theyG> she heard Alana-s warm, motherly voice say !rom behind her.6al turned around and !aced the old woman with a smile. 26ery beauti!ul, yes,> she a$reed.Alana $ently hooked her arm inside 6al-s and said, 2&ould you two like to sit downG> hey

nodded a!!irmatively and were led to a time+worn couch in the corner.2'o, tell me what you need !rom me,> Alana reuested.2&e need your wisdom and knowled$e on how to break a very old curse,> 6alerica

responded.2A curse, ehG &hat kind o! curseG>Anton replied, 2A curse that was placed upon my !amily and two other !amilies close to

O,L years a$o. he result o! that curse was vampirism. here is only one person !rom each!amily who has the ability to break it. In my !amily, it is upon my head to put this damnablecurse to rest. I am the seventh son o! a seventh son.>

2/h, my% I know o! that curse% Are you talkin$ about the curse o! )ta, the healer on the!amilies o! Jenecko-s, #enikov-s, and the she inuired o! him.

2hat-s the one. ow do you know about the curseG> he asked, with much curiosity in hisvoice. 2&e-ve kept it secret !or all these years.>

Alana slowly $ot out o! her old rockin$ chair and headed !or her bookcase. 'he reached !orand $rabbed the Book o! 'hadows and carried it care!ully back to her chair. 'he !lipped throu$hthe $i$antic book and !inally stopped at the pa$e she needed. 'he $ently $lided her handslovin$ly over the words. hen she si$hed, picked up the book, and turned it around so Anton and6al could read the section that she pointed to.

/n the top o! the le!t+hand pa$e was written, 2he 1urse o! the Betrayed.> 'he looked atAnton and was startled when he $asped at the words that were written on the pa$e.


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2ow do you know o! the curseG> Anton stressed a$ain. 2/nly our !amilies and )ta hadknowled$e o! it and wrote it down. )ta is dead. o one else is allowed to speak o! it.>

2You !or$et, youn$ man, that there were others present. 8ost o! the villa$ers witnessed theburnin$ o! )ta. A!ter the curse mani!ested itsel! in !ull, the villa$ers all le!t within si7 months./ne o! those villa$ers 5ust happened to be )ta-s cousin, 6ictoria. 'he was a widow at the a$e o!

!i!teen and a mother o! two small children. 'he le!t with some o! the other villa$ers. )ta was heronly tie to the town.I am a direct descendent o! 6ictoria. 'he kept a 5ournal and wrote down the account o! what

happened that horrible day,> she revealed to them.6alerica-s hands went up to cover her mouth in shock. 'he couldn-t believe it% A direct

descendent. &hat were the oddsG Anton looked as shocked as she was. 'peechless may 5ust be abetter word !or it. is mouth opened and closed like a !ish out o! water.

2You wouldn-t happen to have any o! 6ictoria-s 5ournals by any chance, would youG>6alerica asked, crossin$ her !in$ers.

2I do. hey-re in my attic somewhere. I knew that they were important and mi$ht come inhandy someday. (ooks like this is the day.>

'he smiled $enuinely at the two shocked individuals.2I-ll have to $et someone to di$ throu$h the stora$e area !or them.>Anton looked at 6alerica and said, 2&e-ll do it. hat is, i! you trust us with your

possessions.>2I thou$ht you mi$ht want to do it yourselves.>6alerica sat on the ed$e o! the so!a and asked, 2#o you remember anythin$ that may help us

know where to be$inG &e know that the cure was written down and hidden. he only other thin$we know is the 2seventh son> part. 'o, basically, we are at suare one with all this.>

Alana paused !or a !ew moments. 3inally, her eyes lit up as she recalled somethin$.2I think there may be clues in the 5ournals as to where the scroll is hidden !or your !amily,>

she told Anton.'he looked over at 6alerica ui==ically and !ocused her attention on her.2#o you understand or even know your part in all o! this, dearG>2*art o! it, but not much,> 6al admitted.'he watched as Alana turned the Book o! 'hadows back around so she could read it.2)ntil the time comes when the bonded mate o! the seventh son o! the seventh son can love

unconditionally a monster o! the undead, and render a willin$ sacri!ice, you will not know5ustice.>

2I $uess we can assume that the Hmonster o! the undead- would be Anton. 'orry, youn$man,> Alana said.

2o problem. But you do reali=e that I am about O, years older than you, ri$htG> Antoncountered.

28aybe in a$e. But to me, i! you don-t look it, it doesn-t count.>Anton and 6alerica lau$hed with her.Anton cleared his throat and cau$ht Alana-s attention.2Alana, what did you mean when you said the 5ournals mi$ht have clues to cure my!amilyG>2Your !amily, yes. I! I remember ri$ht, your mother was )ta-s best !riend, correctG> she

asked Anton.e nodded his head positively, and with a look o! sadness on his !ace, he whispered, 2Yes,

she was. 8y mother has re$retted what she did throu$hout her whole e7istence. 'he is heavily


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burdened by her $uilt and is morti!ied at her actions and the circumstances that led to )ta-sdemise. 'he re$retted immediately heedin$ the alle$ations and lies o! the other two women. Butit was too late to save her !riend.>

6al was ama=ed that Anton-s mother was one o! the other three women who had condemned)ta. 'he was speechless. er heart hurt !or two people. he !irst was obviously )ta and the

whole betrayal o! her !riends. he second was !or Anton-s poor mother. 'he couldn-t even be$into ima$ine dealin$ with over a thousand years o! $uilt. /ne li!etime is enou$h !or anyone. 'hehad had uite a !ew li!etimes o! carryin$ the burden. Alana brou$ht her back to the moment withher ne7t uestion.

2You didn-t really believe that she-d let all o! the !amilies o!! that easily with one spell tobreak the curse, did youG here are three !amilies and three di!!erent cures. 0ach !amily willhave to !ind their own way to help the mate o! each seventh son. 'he was not willin$ to let themo!! so easily !or the dread!ul turpitude they all dealt her.>

2&ell, I $uess the !amilies need to be in!ormed about this new piece o! in!ormation.>Anton lowered his head, understandably stunned at this new development. 6al uickly

moved to his side to com!ort him.

Alana murmured to them both, 2I am willin$ to be your $uide and help you with whateveryou need. As you can tell, my Book o! 'hadows is si$ni!icant. &ith my help and all ourknowled$e put to$ether, I think we may be able to overcome this curse. owever, we will needall the in!ormation we can $et to help us.>

'he looked over at Anton, and asked, 2ow close do your parents live to youG I thinkhavin$ your mother here will be invaluable to us.>

2hey live in #etroit. hey will not hesitate to come here i! it will help. hey stay with mewhenever they visit, anyway. I have plenty o! room,> he stated. 2Alana, thank you.>

2You-re welcome. ow out you $o. &e have a startin$ point to !ocus on. omorrow we-llbe$in uncoverin$ what-s in my attic.>

'he $ot up wearily out o! her chair and waved them towards the door.2ow, I need to $et my old bones into bed. I-ll see you tomorrow. Blessed be.>'he kissed each o! them on the cheek as they headed out the door.


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Chapter Six

Anton drove her home in complete silence. 'he knew that some o! the thin$s he had learnedtoni$ht were hard !or him to hear and at the same time surprised him. 'he had to a$ree with

Alana. 'he had a $ut !eelin$ that the breakin$ o! the curse was not $oin$ to be an easy one. 'heknew that i! she put hersel! in )ta-s shoes, she wouldn-t let those who betrayed her o!! in onesin$le shot. 'he-d have made each !amily pay separately. As enra$ed as )ta was at the time, itwasn-t e7actly a shocker.

6al looked over to Anton and si$hed. 'he needed to $et him out o! this endless reverie hewas stuck in. 'he remembered him mentionin$ his parents at Alana-s. 'he !i$ured she mi$ht aswell start there.

2'o, hearin$ you speak o! your mother reminded me that I know nothin$ o! your !amilye7cept !or the !act that 'te!an is your brother. &hat are they likeG> she asked, her mind stirrin$with curiosity.

e looked over at her !rom the driver-s seat and sent her a look that told her he wasn-t happy

with her uestion. 'he 5ust stared ri$ht back at him. 'he sent him a mental messa$e that in!ormedhim that she could be 5ust as stubborn as he was i! he wanted to play it that way. e sent her asmall $rin and decided to $o alon$ with her evident distraction method.

e si$hed and said, 28y !ather-s name is Abel, and he-s a $iant o! a man with a teddy bearheart. Yes, I know, an odd description o! a vampire, but it-s true. I have his eyes. e is a bitrotund, but not overly so. e-s a very wise man and is much respected within our community.>

28y mother is very ele$ant and poised. You-d think she was raised as royalty, even thou$hshe was raised in a !armin$ community in ancient he said with obvious love in his words.

e smiled momentarily and then said, 2here were ei$ht o! us children.>

Anton-s eyes clouded over in apparent heartache.2&ereG> 6al repeated.e nodded.2he oldest was Bodyan, then Yessenia, 'te!an, (aurentiu, /ctavian, Ivan, 8a=onn, and

then me. Bodyan and (aurentiu were out !eedin$ one ni$ht in the !orest, when they were hunteddown and killed by a couple o! rackers.>

6alerica $asped in horror and e7claimed, 2&hat are rackersG>2rackers are what modern day people re!er to as vampire hunters. About a year a!ter the

curse was placed upon us, a $roup o! reli$ious !anatics took it upon themselves to rid the worldo! vampires. hey have honed their skills and are very dan$erous to our kind. &e still have to bevery care!ul all the time because they-re everywhere. &e know most o! them, but they-reendlessly recruitin$. 8ost o! their recruits are e7+military who are already trained to kill withoutmuch remorse. hey !i$ured out early on that the only way we could die was by cuttin$ o!! ourheads and burnin$ the entire corpse. hat-s how my brothers died,> he ended so!tly.

2I-m so sorry, Anton. ave any o! the other !amilies lost anyone to the rackers, tooG>2he #enikovs have lost three, and the 2&here do they all liveG> she asked Anton.2he #enikovs make their home in ew /rleans, and the


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2'o you have only one sister thenG &hat is she likeG> 6alerica probed.2Yessenia is a little min7. 'he-s charmin$, vivacious, and loves to $et her nose into

everyone-s business. (uckily, her mate, Alin, is much more levelheaded and reasonable, so hebalances her out uite nicely.>

2Are your brothers married alsoG>

2Yes, they all are. 8a=onn is married to *etronda, 'te!an to /ana, Ivan to 'tella, and/ctavion $races us with Ana.> e said the last name with more rancor than any o! the others.2I take it you don-t care much !or AnaG> 6al concluded.2ot much, no. 'he-s an absurd, shallow, and crass woman. I cannot !or the li!e o! me see

what my brother !inds remotely attractive about her,> he said bitterly.2&ell, I can-t wait to meet them,> she said enthusiastically. 2I don-t have any siblin$s so it-ll

be nice, I think.>As she !inished her statement, Anton had 5ust pulled up in !ront o! her apartment. 'he turned

to $ive him a li$ht kiss be!ore she $ot out o! his car. But instead, he pulled her brusuely into hisarms and kissed her intensely.

'he !elt sudden warmth !low to every part o! her body and kissed him with a !ervor she had

not yet achieved.e pulled away and whispered huskily, 2You had better $et inside be!ore my animalisticside overrules my $entlemanly one. I want you with a power that is all encompassin$. I couldmake you mine ri$ht here and now.>

6al-s breathin$ was rapid and heavy.2/h, dan$ you. You are too temptin$% &hy does my body react like this to youG I have

never had a problem controllin$ my emotions and se7 drive with anyone else.>2Because you were made !or me. &e are destined to be to$ether !orever.>As she !elt Anton-s body close to her, warm and !amiliar, emotions churned within her.A !leetin$ thou$ht passed throu$h her mind about not carin$ what her mother had tau$ht

her about premarital se7. 'uddenly reason kicked in and she $ently pushed him away !rom her.'he looked him suarely in the eye and asked, 2#oes that mean you-re $oin$ to marry meG>2/! course, I am% #on-t be so obtuse, my love.>2'o, how is your kind married and what needs to be done to accomplish itG> she asked.2here is a traditional ceremony that the council came up with lon$ a$o. I-m sorry, but as

lon$ as I-m a vampire, there can be no white weddin$ in a cathedral or chapel o! any kind. I wishit were so, !or your sake.>

2&e-ll !i$ure somethin$ out, my sweet, se7y vampire.> &ith that, she kissed him soundlyon the mouth and climbed out o! his car. 2I-ll see you tomorrow. &hen do you want to startlookin$ throu$h Alana-s stu!!G>

2I-ll need some rest, my dear. ow about you start, and then I-ll arrive when I can. I have a!ew thin$s to see to at the club be!ore I can come,> Anton su$$ested.

2'ounds like a plan. 'ee you tomorrow,> she said, then turned and walked happily up thewalkway to the door o! her apartment

6alerica was so e7cited she couldn-t sleep. 'he was at Alana-s house by P" a.m. Alanashowed her up to the attic, so she could $et a head start on !indin$ 6ictoria-s old 5ournals. Alanahad so much stored away that it took two hours until 6alerica even !ound the bo7 that containedthe old 5ournals.


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'he pulled the 5ournals out one by one. here had to be at least !orty+!ive to !i!ty in the bo7.'he skimmed throu$h them all until she !ound the one that she wanted. It dated back to A.#.,and it was written in ancient she asked.2Yep. 2&ell, thank you,> 6alerica said and kissed the sweet woman-s cheek.2&here is your scrumptious vampire boy!riendG &asn-t he $oin$ to help you out with all

thisG> she inuired o! her.2e should be here soon. e had some thin$s to $et done at the club. e te7ted me a !ew

minutes a$o and said he-d be here soon. I-ve !ound some $ood stu!! already. 'he si$hed, thinkin$ o! all the tra$edy poor )ta had had in her li!e. Just as the last word le!t

her lips, a knock sounded on the !ront door.


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2I-ll $o let him in,> 6al said as she popped out o! her chair.'he knew she looked ea$er, but she didn-t care. 'he wanted to see Anton. 'he had missed

him. /penin$ the door, she saw her se7y vampire wrapped up like a mummy. 3rom his head tohis toes, he was layered like a kid in snow clothes. e reminded her o! the little brother in themovie, The Christmas *tory4the brother who was about a !oot wider when his mother put all

his snow stu!! on.'he $i$$led as she let him in. /nce the door was closed, and he stepped out o! the directsunli$ht, he started to unwrap himsel! !rom his protective clothin$.

As he took o!! what she assumed was the last layer, he looked at her play!ully and asked,2You think that-s !unny, huhG (et-s see how !unny it-d be i! a looked like a !ried potato.>

6alerica lau$hed, and he $rabbed hold o! her and started to tickle her. 'he suirmed in hisarms, lau$hin$, and be$$in$ !or mercy. e tried to push his thou$hts throu$h to her. It wastou$h. e had to $ive her credit; she was $ettin$ better at closin$ her mind !rom probin$supernatural ones. e pushed a little harder this time.

2I love you, 6alerica Jackson. &ill you marry me, pleaseG You are my other hal!. &hen I-mwith you, it almost !eels like my soul has been returned.>

&ith tears in her eyes, she nodded happily and threw her arms around his neck. 'he kissedhim tenderly as she answered him in his own mind. 2Yes, I will marry you, and as cra=y as itsounds, I love you, too.>


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Chapter Seven

'he led Anton up into the attic and throu$h the piles upon piles o! 5unk. 'he !inally $ot toher spot. e could tell it was where she had spent some time, because it was the only part o! the

!loor that didn-t have inches o! dust. Anton !ound an old sheet and cleaned o!! another spot ne7tto the 5ournals she had stacked up.21an you read ancient she asked absentmindedly.'he didn-t hear anythin$ !rom him so she raised her head to look at him. All she saw was his

5et black eyebrows raised uestionin$ly at her.e cleared his throat and reminded her, 2I aman ancient 26ery true, old man. 'orry%> 'he $rinned at him, picked up a 5ournal, and threw it in his

direction. 2I think that-s the second one. 'ee what you can !ind in there. I-ll !inish up with thisone.>

2'o have you !ound any clues yetG> he asked curiously.2o, at least not pertainin$ to breakin$ the curse. here-s a lot o! interestin$ in!o thou$h. I

!ind mysel! on )ta-s side. I know that-s probably not what you want to hear, but hey, ya-ll didher wron$. &ay wron$%>2Yes, my parents know that. hey reali=ed it !airly uickly a!ter )ta-s death. hat-s why I

want to $et this over with as soon as we can. 8y parents, my mother especially, has carriedaround the $uilt !or more than O, years. I hate seein$ the pain in her eyes,> he said so!tly.

6alerica nodded in a$reement and !illed him in on the !acts she already knew. Basically, itconsisted o! the stu!! everyone knew already, 5ust a little more !rom )ta-s point o! view ratherthan !rom a vampire-s perspective.

2&ell, in 6ictoria-s words,> 6alerica announced, 2she was understandably pissed o!!. &hatdid she say hereG Just a second.> 'he !lipped back a !ew pa$es and !ound what she wanted. 2hecurse she laid upon them was the most vile and hate!ul thin$ that I have ever seen her do. It was

so unlike her. he rumors and lies tore at her soul until she was nothin$ but a ball o! hate. It hurther terribly that the people she called !riends and even her husband could believe the vile thin$sthat were thou$ht o! her. 'he also said that what broke )ta in the end was that they had $ottenyour mother with their lies, too. 'he loved your mother. 'ounds like she still would have beenmadder than hell with all the lies even i! it was 5ust the other two heartless wenches. But whenthey $ot to her husband and your mother, it was the last straw.>

'he looked up at Anton and said, 2I-m sorry, but I don-t think that I ever want to meet thoseother women. hey sound $hastly% /h, and did you know the H!act,- 6al used her two hands tomake uotation marks in the air, 2that !inally made your mother turn her back on )taG>

Anton shook his head and said so!tly, 2o, she won-t tell a soul. 'he-s very ti$ht+lippedabout that whole thin$. #on-t worry about the other !amilies. &e-re not that close anymore. &eonly $et to$ether !or the yearly meetin$ or i! anythin$ serious has to be dealt with by the1amarilla. 8y mother hardly associates with atiana and Ylenia any lon$er.>

e looked at her and then remembered that she had asked him i! he had known what !inallychan$ed his mother-s mind.

e took 6al by the arms and asked, 2&hat didchan$e my mother-s mindG>2In!idelity. 'upposed in!idelity anyway. hey $ot her to believe that )ta had seduced your

!ather.> she murmured uietly.


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2Impossible% 8y !ather would never do such a thin$% e loves my mother like nothin$ I-veever seen. 8y mother would-ve known that he would never be un!aith!ul,> he e7claimedincredulously.

20vidently not. It sounds like there were occasions when both your !ather and )ta were$one at the same time. #rop some hints in anyone-s ears, and more than likely the $reen+eyed

monster will raise its head,> she stated matter+o!+!actly.e didn-t like it, but he nodded in a$reement.2I suppose you-re ri$ht. I 5ust can-t $et over that she doubted him.>e shook his head in disbelie!. 6alerica stretched her arm out and $ently caressed his cheek.'he smiled and said, 2(et-s take this as a lesson learned. *romise that we-ll never doubt

each other.>e took her hand in both o! his lar$e ones and kissed the back o! it.2Beauti!ul,> he said, addressin$ her with honor, 2i! you have not $iven into lust yet in your

li!e, I know that you will not have a problem bein$ !aith!ul in the !uture. Besides, once I $et youon my bed, you-ll never want to leave. I promise you that.>

e $ave her a smolderin$ look that made her $o weak in the knees.

28y, don-t we have an e$o the si=e o! e7as, ehG ow will I know i! you-re $ood or not,anywayG>'he looked back down at her book, then smiled sheepishly and added, 28aybe I should

practice a little with some other hot dudes, and then I-ll have some e7perience to 5ud$e you by.>Be!ore she knew it, the book that she had been holdin$ was !lyin$ throu$h the air. 'he was

on her !eet and en$ul!ed in Anton-s power!ul embrace. is mouth rou$hly overtook hers.3orce!ully, he held her to him, as i! he-d never let her $o.

'he was stunned and turned on at the same time. It !inally dawned on her that he was5ealous. 'he couldn-t help hersel!. 'he $i$$led and $i$$led and $i$$led some more.

2&hy on earth are you lau$hin$, 6alericaG Is somethin$ !unnyG>'he nodded as she was tryin$ very hard to stop the $i$$lin$ that apparently was upsettin$

her poor vampire.2You-re

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