Night's Master (7 page)

I tried the door at the end of the hallway, but it was locked. It was Rafe’s room. I knew it as surely as I knew the sun would rise in the morning.

Backtracking, I returned to the living room, my feet sinking into the carpet’s deep pile as I made my way to the sofa. I had never known anyone who had white carpeting before. My first thought was that bloodstains would be really hard to get out, but then I realized that he probably didn’t bring his dinner home with him.

Raphael sat beside me. He made a gesture with his hand, and a fire sprang to life in the hearth.

“You should be a magician,” I muttered, remembering how he had opened the door and turned on the lights, all with a wave of his hand.

“The Great Cordova,” he remarked with a grin. “I like the sound of that.” And then his expression turned serious. “What were you doing with Cagin?”

“I wasn’t ‘doing’ anything with him. I was having dinner when he invited himself to join me. How did you know I was there, anyway?”

“As I said before, I could find you in the dark, ten feet down.”

I told myself I should be annoyed that he had been following me, or at least looking for me, but I couldn’t be angry because it proved that he had been thinking about me, maybe missing me, and that pleased me to no end.

“Why does my being with Cagin make you so angry?”

“I don’t like him. I don’t trust him. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Like what?”
A glass of blood in a crystal goblet?
I banished the image from my mind.

“A glass of wine, a soft drink, a cup of coffee or tea?”

I blinked at him, surprised that he kept such a variety of beverages on hand.

Apparently reading my mind again, he said, “I bought them the night after we met.”

“So, you were that sure of me, were you?”

“Not sure,” he replied. “Hopeful.”

“Hopeful that you’d get me here and have your wicked way with me?” I asked, only half kidding.

He laughed, the way an indulgent parent might laugh at a precocious child. It reminded me that he was old enough to be my grandfather. Lord, in his eyes, I probably
was
little more than an infant!

“What did Cagin want?”

“What?” The sudden change of topic gave me pause. One minute we were talking about intimate things and the next he was asking about a Were-creature. Was that why he had brought me here, to see if I had any inside information on the Weres? I lifted my chin defiantly. “He asked me out on another date.”

Rafe leaned forward, his hands clenched. “You didn’t accept?”

I had his full attention now. “A girl has to date someone,” I said flippantly.

In a move faster than my eyes could follow, he was towering over me. “We talked about this before.”

I stared up at him. The man could be scary as hell when he wanted to.

“I want your promise,” he said. “Now, tonight, that you won’t see him again.”

“I can’t help it if he shows up where I am. I mean, what am I supposed to do if he comes into my store? Run away?”

“That’s a good start.”

“Like I could outrun a Were-tiger,” I muttered drily.

Raphael gazed down at me, his expression softening. “Forgive me,” he said, resuming his seat. “It’s just that I’m worried about you.”

“Worried? About me? Why?”

He hesitated, as though debating whether to tell me the hard truth or sugarcoat it with a lie. The truth won out. “You’re important to me,” he said slowly, “and Cagin knows it. And until I know what side he’s on, I’d rather you stayed away from him.”

I stared at Raphael, a sudden coldness sweeping through me. He didn’t have to spell it out for me. Cagin and Raphael were enemies, that much was obvious. No doubt I would make an excellent hostage for the Werewolves. Even more frightening was the thought that, even though Raphael seemed fond of me, we hadn’t known each other very long. There was no bond between us, no reason to think he would spill any secrets or turn traitor if my life was threatened.

Leaving Oak Hollow was starting to sound better and better.

Raphael shook his head. “It’s too late for you to leave.”

“Stop that!”

He lifted one brow. “Stop what?”

“Reading my mind. It’s very annoying.”

He laughed softly. “I’m sure it is.”

“How do you do it, anyway? Are you psychic on top of everything else?”

“In a way, although I have to admit, most people aren’t as easy to read as you are.”

“And what makes me so easy to read?” I asked irritably.

He dragged his hand over his jaw, his expression thoughtful. “I’m not sure, but I’ve got a theory.”

“Would you like to share it with me?”

“You won’t like it.”

I was sure of that.

“Do you believe in soul mates?” he asked. “One woman made for one man, that sort of thing?”

Feeling skeptical, I asked, “Do
you
believe in that sort of thing?”

He didn’t move, but he suddenly seemed closer. “I never used to, until I met you.”

A romantic Vampire. Just what I needed. “And what makes me so different from anyone else?”

“Come on, Kathy, I know you feel it, too, that connection between us. It was there the first night I walked into your store.”

I wanted to contradict him, but I couldn’t. I remembered all too clearly the night I had been in the back room at the bookstore. I had known the minute Raphael had entered the building. I’d had no explanation for it at the time, and while I wasn’t sure I believed that we had been made for each other, we did seem to have some kind of extraordinary awareness of one another.

Logic made me shake my head in denial. He was sixty-two years older than I was, and a Vampire to boot. Unless fate was playing a really bad joke, there was no way on Earth that Raphael and I could be soul mates, or any other kind of mates, for that matter. And yet, even now, the attraction between us crackled like a live wire.

“We’re supposed to be friends,” I said, my voice little more than a husky whisper. “Just friends. Remember?”

He nodded slowly, his gaze locked on mine. Dropping to his knees in front of me, he took one of my hands in his.

“I remember,” he said, his voice as rough around the edges as mine had been. “But I don’t think it’s possible.”

The flames in the hearth seemed to burn brighter, hotter. It felt like the room was closing in on me as I tried to draw my gaze away from Raphael’s and failed. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Whatever it is that you’re doing.”

“Honey, I’m not doing anything.”

“I don’t believe you.” It had to be some kind of Vampire magic. I mean, it just had to be. How could I feel this way about a Vampire, even if he was the best looking guy I had ever seen? I shook my head. “This…whatever it is I’m feeling, I don’t believe it’s real. It can’t be real.”

“How can I convince you?”

“I don’t know.” I pulled my hand from his and made a shooing motion. “For starters, you can give me some space.”

“Whatever you want.” Rising, he backed up several paces, putting some distance between us.

It didn’t help. My skin felt too tight; my blood felt like it was on fire. It was hard to think, hard to remember to breathe.

“I need to go to the restroom,” I said, and then wondered if Vampires had the same needs as humans. After all, they didn’t eat….

The look in his eyes told me he knew this for the ploy it was.

Rising, I forced myself to walk sedately out of the room. I stared at the closed door at the end of the hall. Why was it locked? What was he hiding in there? The image of a coffin quickly sprang to mind, something burnished and bronze with white satin lining. Shaking off the morbid mental imagery, I went into the bathroom, closed the door, and turned the lock.

Standing in front of the sink, I soaked a washcloth in cold water and pressed it against my burning cheeks, hoping it would cool me off, although I doubted even a dip in the Arctic Ocean could put out the fire Raphael had ignited. What was I going to do about him?

Sitting on the edge of the oval-shaped tub, I glanced at my surroundings. There were no windows in this room, either, and no mirrors. I noted absently that he had good taste, and I wondered if he had decorated the house himself or had it done by a professional decorator. The sink top was black marble veined with gold; the basin was white, the fixtures antique brass. The deep red towels hanging from the towel bar made a bold statement against the white walls. The stall shower was easily large enough for two. I quickly shook off the all-too-erotic image of the two of us in that shower, our bodies pressed together in a soapy, steamy embrace.

I ran a hand through my hair, then glanced at my watch. I couldn’t stay in here forever. Sooner or later, I would have to go out and face him.

I jumped when someone knocked on the door. It could only be Raphael.

“You okay in there?” he asked.

“Fine.”

“You planning to come out anytime soon?” There was no mistaking the amusement in his voice.

Muttering under my breath, I unlocked the door and came face-to-face with the man who had troubled my thoughts and haunted my dreams since the moment he walked into my store.

“How long are you going to fight this attraction between us?” he asked.

“Until I get over it,” I retorted.

“Take as long as you need,” he said, a glint of humor lighting his dark eyes. “I’ve got time.”

Indeed, I thought, he had all the time in the world.

Raphael was driving me home later that night when I suddenly remembered what Susie had told me earlier in the day. I glanced over at Raphael. If there had been some kind of Were/Vampire battle fought the night before, he would surely know about it. But would he tell a mere mortal like me? I shrugged inwardly. There was only one way to find out.

“Was there some sort of confrontation between the Vampires and the Werewolves last night?”

He looked at me, his eyes narrowed. “Who told you that?”

I shrugged. “I don’t remember. Is it true?”

“An acquaintance of mine was destroyed last night,” Raphael said, his voice tight. “He was attacked by three Werewolves.”

“I’m sorry.”

“How did you know?”

“I told you, someone mentioned it. They heard a noise but thought they might have imagined it.” I studied Raphael’s profile. His expression was hard, implacable. “I thought Oak Hollow was neutral territory?”

“It’s supposed to be.”

“Then why are there so many Vampires and Werewolves running around? Is something going on?”

“We had a meeting last week.”

“What kind of meeting?”

He grunted softly as he pulled up to a stop sign, then made a left turn. “I guess you could call them peace talks. There have been an inordinately large number of deaths among us in the last few months. Some of the older Werewolves and Vampires, my grandparents among them, have been…”

“Your grandparents are Vampires, too? All of them?” I’d been taught Vampires couldn’t create life. Had I been wrong?

“No, just the ones on my mother’s side.”

“And they’re married?” I couldn’t keep the shock out of my voice.

“Of course.”

Married Vampires. Who would have guessed? Once again, I realized I had a lot to learn about the Undead. “Go on.”

“As I was saying, the older Werewolves and Vampires are trying to persuade the young hotheads that killing each other isn’t the answer, and that whichever side prevails will just have to turn around and fight the humans. The Werewolves aren’t as vulnerable as the Vampires, but they’re still small in number compared to the human population. My grandfather reminded everyone that, once spurred to action by fear or in self-defense, the humans can be a formidable foe. Better to live in the shadows as we have done in the past, he said, than give the mortal population reason to hunt us to extinction.”

“Did anyone listen to him?”

“Mara agreed with him. She decreed that the Vampire community would honor a truce, if the Weres would do the same. Clive, who’s the head of the Werewolves, also agreed to a truce. Unfortunately, not everyone wants peace. There are hotheads on both sides who want to take over the world, and they don’t care how many on either side are killed in the process. The Weres who attacked Cristophe last night did so in an effort to destroy the truce, but Mara and Clive had been expecting something like that to happen sooner or later.”

“I’m sorry about your friend.”

“He wasn’t a friend,” Raphael replied. “Just someone I knew.” He pulled up at the curb in front of my house and put the car in Park, then turned to face me. “Not a friend like you.” His hand slid over my shoulder and down my arm, leaving a frisson of sensual pleasure in its wake. “Losing you, now that would be a real loss.”

He certainly knew how to get a girl’s attention.

I quivered with anticipation as he got out of the car and came around to open my door. Taking my hand, he helped me out of the car; still holding my hand, he walked me to my front door. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world when he wrapped his arm around my waist and drew me close.

My heart did a happy little joy-joy dance as his mouth captured mine. I moved closer, aligning my body with his, marveling at how well we fit together. The feel of his arousal sent shivers of desire exploding through me. I might have invited him into my house, into my bed, if a bloodcurdling howl of pain hadn’t shattered the quiet of the night. The sound, filled with unspeakable agony, sent a chill slithering down my spine.

Raphael released me, his whole body taut as he turned to sniff the wind.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Go inside and lock the door.”

“I don’t want to stay here alone.”

“All right,” he said, taking my hand, “come on.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to go with him, either, but I had no choice now. I followed him around the side of the house and into the dense grove of trees that grew along the north side of my property. It was a good thing he had superior night vision, because I couldn’t see a thing. Raphael moved unerringly through the dark, moving deeper and deeper into the woods. As we walked, I could hear rustling in the underbrush. I tried not to think about what might be hiding in the detritus, but thoughts of rats and mice scurrying around quickly came to mind.

A few yards later, Raphael came to an abrupt halt. Shifting a little to his left, I gazed into the darkness. At first I didn’t see anything, and then I saw something dark and furry writhing on the ground. Just then, the wind shifted, and I caught the coppery smell of blood.

“Stay here.” Raphael’s tone warned me not to argue. He didn’t have to worry. I had no desire to get any closer to whatever it was that was thrashing on the ground.

Raphael moved ghostlike through the darkness, his feet making no sound even though the ground was littered with dead leaves and broken branches.

I peered into the darkness, but I couldn’t see anything other than Raphael’s dark figure as he knelt on the ground. A horrible keening wail rose in the air, and I wrapped my arms around my middle, chilled by a cool breeze that carried the scent of blood and death.

I glanced behind me, suddenly overcome with the feeling that we were no longer alone.

Unnerved by the thought of what could be lurking in the darkness, I moved a few steps closer to Raphael.

Another moan rose on the wind. And then a voice, low and edged with pain, whispered, “Do it!”

Raphael leaned forward. I heard a strangled sob, a gasp, and then silence. The stink of urine filled my nostrils.

Before I could make sense of what was happening, Raphael was at my side. Taking my hand in his, he led me back to my house. When we were inside, he locked the door behind us.

“Do you own a gun?” he asked.

“A gun! Of course not.”

He swore under his breath. “Whatever you do, whatever you hear, don’t leave the house tonight. Do you understand?”

“What happened out there?”

“Not now. Promise me you won’t leave the house no matter what, and that you won’t open the door for anyone.”

It was the look in his eyes more than his words that made me promise. “Where are you going? What happened out there? What was that thing in the woods?”

A muscle throbbed in his jaw. “You’re better off not knowing.”

“Friends don’t have secrets, remember?”

“Dammit!” He raked a hand through his hair, then pulled me roughly into his arms. “A Vampire attacked a Werewolf. He drained him to the point of death, then…” His arms tightened around me. “You don’t need to know any more than that except that the Were wasn’t going to get better.”

“He said ‘do it.’ What did he mean by that?”

“He wanted me to put him out of his misery.”

It was suddenly hard to breathe. “Did you?”

Raphael’s gaze slid away from mine. “Yes.”

I didn’t even want to think about what that meant, how he had done it, or what would become of the body lying in the woods. Was a mercy killing the same as murder?

“I’ve got to go.” Raphael’s voice and his expression were distant as he released me and walked toward the door. “Be sure to lock up after I leave.”

I followed him to the door. He paused at the threshold, his gaze caressing me, the touch of his hand achingly tender as he stroked my cheek. And then he was gone, disappearing into the night as if he had never been there.

I closed and locked the door, unaware that I was crying until I felt the tears dripping down my cheeks.