“How old are you, really? I’m afraid to ask.”
“Twenty-five.”
“And you’ll never look any older?”
“No.”
“Does it hurt? Becoming a vampire?”
“I don’t know. For me, it was a natural transition.”
Sheree rubbed her hands up and down her arms as the night grew colder.
“You should go inside,” Derek suggested, rising. “It’s getting late.”
“Will I see you again?”
“Do you still think dating a vampire’s a good idea?”
When she nodded, he lifted her to her feet and drew her into his arms. “If you change your mind, if what I am gets to be too much for you to handle, just tell me. I can’t promise I’ll never hurt you and it scares the hell out of me.”
“We’ll just have to learn to trust each other.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Sheree frowned. “I saw your mother during the day. How is that possible?”
“She’s Mara, Queen of the Vampires,” he said, starting down the steps. “Most of the rules don’t apply to her.”
“Hey! Aren’t you going to kiss me good night?”
She was wrapped in his arms before she had time to blink. His mouth covered hers in a searing kiss that burned every thought from her mind and left her weak and wanting more.
“Tomorrow night,” he said, and it sounded like both threat and promise.
Chapter Eighteen
Pearl stared up at the house on the hill. “What are we doing here?” she whispered. “Have you lost your mind?”
“I just wanted to see where he lives,” Edna whispered back, her voice edged with excitement.
“You idiot! Mara’s in there.”
“Mara!” Edna’s eyes widened. “I was so busy following Derek, I didn’t pay any attention.”
“We need to get out of here, now!”
“Do you realize how many hunters would pay a fortune to know where she lives?” Edna asked.
“All the money in the world won’t do you any good if you’re dead, dear. And I mean really dead!”
“Just one more minute. I’ve been thinking. What if it wasn’t Mara turning human that allowed her to get pregnant, but the werewolf gene itself?”
“If that’s true, why didn’t any of our experiments work?”
“Maybe artificial insemination won’t work. Maybe the sperm loses potency when exposed to the air.”
“Are you suggesting that Derek might be able to father a child?”
“It’s a possibility.”
“So is the danger of Mara finding us. Let’s get out of here! Oh, Lord,” Pearl hissed. “It’s too late.” Heart in her throat, she glanced over her shoulder to find Mara standing behind her.
“Years too late,” Mara said. “I should have destroyed you decades ago.”
Pearl grabbed Edna’s hand, intending to dissolve into mist and disappear, only to discover that she was powerless to do so.
“Any last words?” Mara asked, her gaze drilling into Pearl’s.
“You can’t kill us!” Edna exclaimed.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because we know something about Derek.”
Interest flickered in Mara’s eyes. “Go on.”
Edna shook her head. “Not until you promise to let us leave here alive.”
“No chance.”
“He’s been craving meat!” Edna said. “Don’t you want to know why?”
Eyes narrowing, Mara glanced from one woman to the other. Dressed in black from head to foot, they looked like a pair of over-the-hill ninjas. “Does this have anything to do with Ramsden?”
Edna nodded vigorously.
“I’m listening.”
“Your promise first,” Edna said.
Mara cocked her head to the side. “I can make you tell me, just as I can make your death agonizingly long or blessedly short.” Capturing Edna’s gaze with her own, she willed her power into the other woman, planting thoughts of excruciating pain into Edna’s mind until the woman screamed in agony. “I’m still listening.”
Moaning, Edna dropped to the ground.
“Leave her alone!” Pearl shouted. “I’ll tell you.”
“I’m listening.”
“Your son carries the werewolf gene.”
Mara snorted. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“It’s true. Kyle Bowden was a werewolf, but the gene was latent in him. We think it’s becoming active in Derek. It’s why he’s craving meat.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Mara scoffed. “And even if it’s true, wouldn’t it have manifested itself long before now?”