B006P1R39O EBOK (5 page)

“The predator is in your blood Kathrina. Harness that hunger and use it to your advantage.”

“I will never feed on blood!” Kathrina spoke through clenched teeth.

His laughter caught her by surprise. “I have sensed your hunger Kathrina. You cannot deny the vampire within you.”

“You are wrong.”

Luciano grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “Open your mouth Kathrina.”

Kathrina clamped her lips together defiantly, but relented when he began to squeeze her jaw painfully.

“I knew I felt fangs when you kissed me,” he smiled. “You are a born killer Kathrina.”

“Did you forget that my mother was a wolf?”

“This is true enough, but it is the vampire that dominates your soul.”

Kathrina was ready to refute his words, but again he put a finger to his lips to quiet her. She became still, listening to whatever it was that had caught Luciano’s attention. At first she couldn’t hear anything, but within a few seconds her ears picked up the sound of footsteps from the dark street beyond the graveyard. A second later a figure stepped into the yellowish glow of a nearby streetlamp. 

The lone figure seemed relaxed, unaware of the danger that was so close to him. The man’s nonchalant stride appeared too relaxed, especially for this area of town. He had a smooth - olive complexion and sharp features that were framed by dark - curly hair. His hands were hidden in the pockets of the brown sports jacket he was wearing. On the back of the jacket was the emblem of a popular football team. 

The hunger radiated within Luciano’s eyes. Kathrina knew that the man would become the vampire’s victim. Hoping to change his mind, she shook her head in silent opposition, but Luciano didn’t seem to notice. He was already anticipating the kill. Before she could reach out to stop him, Luciano had risen into the air with such speed that he became no more than a streak across the night sky.

Horrified, Kathrina watched as Luciano came out of the darkness to swoop his victim into the air. She expected to hear the man shriek, but all was silent. A moment later she heard movement on the ground in front of the tomb. Though she hesitated, Kathrina finally forced herself to peer over the edge of the roof, and immediately wished she hadn’t.

Luciano was hunched over the limp figure, feeding greedily from the dying man’s throat. All that Kathrina could see of the victim was one pale - lifeless hand, and blue jean covered legs.  Squeezing her eyes closed, she backed away from the edge of the roof. If she’d had some illusion to what Luciano’s true nature was, the horrifying scene that she’d just witnessed had shattered that illusion. He was a killer, as all vampires were - even her own father. Kathrina found the realization revolting.

Suddenly nothing mattered but getting away - she didn’t care about some elusive destiny - Omar - the wolves - she didn’t care about anything. All she could think about was running away from the ghastly scene of the creature feeding on the unfortunate man who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Kathrina crawled to the back of the tomb. Turning around, she held on to the edge of the roof and lowered herself toward the ground, but she couldn’t quite make it. She was forced to drop the last couple of feet. She hit the ground with a thud. Sharp pain tore through her ankle and up her leg.

Forcing the pain from her mind, she got to her feet and started limping away as fast as her injured ankle would allow. There was no way she was going to let him turn her into some kind of monster. Kathrina no longer had any doubt about what Luciano was. He was a monster that could only live by taking the lives of others.

She’d only gone about twenty yards when she heard him behind her. Kathrina tried to move faster, but it was no use. She had not gotten far when she looked up to see that he was in front of her and was now blocking her path.

“Where are you going Kathrina?”

“Get out of my way!” she yelled.

Luciano shook his head. “You cannot run from what you are Kathrina.”

“You are wrong. That is not what I am!”

“It is not what I am that frightens you … it is the darkness … the hunger within you that you are afraid of,” he told her in a soft - sadistic voice.

Kathrina shook her head, denying the truth of his words. How could she accept such an appalling reality? When she saw him feeding, she’d felt something creeping out from beneath the horror. She’d felt the hunger gnawing at her like some pestilence eating away at her soul.

“I will never let that part of me take over!”

“You must … or you will fail Kathrina,” he warned.

“You are a monster!” She wanted to portray fury, but the lump in her throat made her words sound more like sobs.

She hit a nerve. Though it was barely noticeable, Kathrina was sure she’d seen him flinch.

“I will never let you turn me into a creature like you!”

She’d finally cracked his cool composure. Luciano grabbed her arm and jerked her toward him. “In the end you will give in to your hunger,” he promised.

“Never!” Kathrina said, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

Luciano said nothing, but he didn’t have to. His smile, and the anger that distorted his features said it all. He was going to make sure that she gave in to that dark part of her nature.

As Kathrina stared into his cold - unyielding eyes, she became aware of the stillness and silence that surrounded them. The wind had stopped and the night had become so quiet that she could hear her own heart pounding within her chest.

Something wasn’t right!

The moment had a strange feeling to it - like the calm before the storm. It was almost as if the air was charge with a silent - invisible energy that would release its fury when you least expected it.

“We need to go now,” he told her, obviously picking up on the same feeling that she had.

Before Kathrina could say anything, the silence around them was shattered by a low - guttural growl. It seemed to come from somewhere off to her left, but before she could pinpoint the location, the snarls started coming from several different directions. They were surrounded.

As if on cue, the beasts began emerging from behind the various tombs where they’d been hiding - their movements graceful - predatory. She saw at least half a dozen wolves - animals that were so huge they could not have been natural. The yellow glow within the beasts’ eyes reminded Kathrina of the vampire when they were about to feed. In that instant, she knew that these wolves intended to tear them to shreds.

Luciano was fast enough that he could have fled and remained unscathed, but he hesitated just long enough to save Kathrina. He had a hold of her arm and was ascending into the air when a set of sharp teeth ripped the black leather of his pants away from the flesh.

Kathrina saw him clench his teeth together, but it was the only sign he gave that he’d been injured. She closed her eyes so that she would not have to see the beasts leaping at them as they rose above the cemetery, but she could not block out the sound of their vicious snarls.

She didn’t dare open her eyes until she felt her feet touchdown on the rooftop of the orphanage. Kathrina now knew where she was. When they’d left earlier in the evening, she’d recognized the building as the old St. Mark’s Orphanage.

They’d gotten away this time, but she had no doubt that this was just the beginning. The wolves would make the immortals pay for what had happened to Summer. When the vampire Marius had turned Summer, he’d ignorantly led the immortals into another war.

“It’s started,” she whispered.

“And you still think that you’ll survive while holding onto your innocence?”

Kathrina didn’t respond. Her eyes traveled from his face to his injured leg. “You’re bleeding,” she commented; as if she were seeing something that she couldn’t quite believe.

“Yes … I bleed the same as you,” he said, a bitter tone to his voice. “Some monsters do bleed you know.”

“Let’s get you inside.” Kathrina turned and headed for the window without waiting for a reply.

Luciano’s voice stopped her just as she was ready to step through the window and into the dark attic.

“Wait … let me go first. They may be waiting inside,” he explained.

Kathrina stepped aside, though she had her doubts that the wolves had managed to track them to their hiding spot. She’d been raised by the wolves and was very familiar with their tactics. They were not narrowing in on specific targets, at least not yet. Right now there would be no rhyme or reason to the hunt. All immortals would be a target, but later that would change.

She could not help but wonder what it must feel like to have the tables turned? What it was like to so quickly go from being the predator to being the prey?

“It’s clear,” Luciano called to her from inside.

Kathrina entered through the window. After her eyes adjusted to the dark, she went to the table and lit the candle.

“That’s not a good idea,” he warned.

“They won’t bother us here,” Kathrina told him. “Now let me take a look at your leg.”

“Why do you care? I’m a killer … a monster remember.” Luciano’s amusement was written all over his face.

“But I’m not … so will you let me look at the wound?” Kathrina was irritated more by the fact that she couldn’t be so callous as to ignore his injury, than she was by his sarcastic attitude.

Luciano made no move to stop her when she carefully peeled away the bloody and torn leather from his leg. Though his leg was covered with blood, she could see that the torn flesh was already starting to heal.

“The cells regenerate themselves in vampires,” Luciano told her.

“I know … I guess I must have forgotten for a moment that you were invulnerable,” Kathrina told him as she stood up and turned away. “You’ll want to clean that blood or the scent will draw the wolves.”

Luciano smiled. “My sweet innocent Kathrina … you are so well acquainted with my enemies that I have to wonder if you didn’t call them here somehow?”

Kathrina laughed. “If I could have done so … I would have.”

“Yet you worry about my injury? You are a walking contradiction, but I do find it very intriguing. You loathe the vampire, but it is what you are. You wish to destroy me, but long to discover my secrets?”

“You flatter yourself,” Kathrina frowned.

His dark laughter grated on her nerves, but when he stepped closer to her, she felt her senses spin out of control. He was right, she had no idea who or what she really was.

“Before I take your life Kathrina, I’m going to watch you give in to that darkness that is inside of you. I’m going to enjoy it when you beg me to take your innocents … before I feed on you.”

Luciano pulled her into his arms and his mouth came down on hers in a punishing - harsh kiss.

Instead of cowering away from his touch, Kathrina licked at his lips with her tongue and returned his kiss. Instantly she was intoxicated by his nearness - his touch. That darkness that he spoke of crept over her and she wanted nothing more that to feel that thrilling sensation that could only be experienced when she became one with him - when she gave in and let him feed on her.

As much as she wanted to deny this truth, she couldn’t. He was right. They were like two parts of one soul, and only by coming together could she ever truly live or feel joy. How ironic that she would experience death so soon after.

Just like in her dream, all that existed for her was this vampire and the way it felt when he touched her.

Finally Luciano pulled away, and when he did she was forced to clutch his arm to keep from falling.

“You are mine,” he whispered. “You have always been mine.”

“I don’t want to die a virgin.” Even Kathrina couldn’t believe what she was saying.

Where had the thought come from?

Luciano jerked away from her so quickly that her legs nearly collapsed beneath her.

“What did you say?” he glared at her.

“I want you to make love to me,” she told him. Kathrina suddenly realized what it was that she had to do to get through to him. A plan began to take shape. She had to make him see her as a person - a woman, and not just as a means to an end.

There was no doubt that he had planned to take her all along, but he wasn’t prepared for it to be something that she actually wanted. To him it would all be part of the feeding ritual.

“You’re playing with me again,” he growled. “Why would you want that from someone like me … a monster, as you so readily labeled me only a short time ago?”

“I am a virgin. It is not fair that I should die not knowing what it’s like to be a woman … to feel what a woman feels.”

“That’s unfortunate for you. Maybe you should have done a little more experimenting while you had the opportunity,” he told her, refusing to look into her eyes.

“Luciano … please. I am giving up so much for you. The least you could do is help me to experience this.”

“I can’t,” he whispered. She thought she detected regret in his voice and it spurred her on.