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coming for me. If you stay, maybe he won t find me.
 Why is he looking for you? He knew she meant the man in her nightmare.
 He thinks I love him. Jake killed them. He killed five. It was only a matter of time before

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Anastasia Rabiyah
 Who is he?
 He was my boyfriend. We were engaged to be married next month. She closed her eyes.
Her breathing steadied until she snored softly, obviously weakened and weary from the loss of
blood.
 I should have waited, he whispered against her lips, hungry to taste them.  Now I ve gone
and spoiled the night. Zale stroked her hair, humming to himself.  Don t worry, Victoria. If he
shows his face around my house, I ll kill him for you. He chuckled, tangling his legs in hers.  I ll
make a meal of it.
The night wore on and she slept, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He didn t shiver with
anxiety or long for the dreamless sleep he often slipped into after feeding. Zale didn t understand
the odd peace he felt. He knew only that he wanted to remain in her bed, beside her.
Outside, the dog was silent. Zale listened to the lonely song of the same sad bird, calling for
a mate at the wrong hour.  I have mine, he whispered.
Victoria stirred, mumbling in her sleep.  Did you bring me the roses?
His brows furrowed. He ran his lips along her silken ones, hoping she d wake.  You want
roses? I ll bring you anything you desire. He traced her cheek. Her eyes were rolling behind her
closed lids. He didn t want to peek into her mind a second time. It was not a trick he liked. Too
many variables, and if he could see inside her thoughts, he wondered if she could see his. He didn t
want anyone to know him that well.
 On my truck& in the morning& 
 Mm. I ll leave you dozens of roses, any color you ask for. He kissed her forehead and
closed his eyes, basking in the warmth her body put off. Zale let his mind wander. He drifted
between sleeping and waking. It felt heavenly to be close to someone. The urge to feed hadn t
returned.
Out in the night, the wolf-dog growled louder. It didn t bark, but Zale heard it shuffling
around in something, probably the garbage cans. I ll tell her she has to get rid of it. I don t want that animal
attacking me again. He nodded to himself, satisfied.
The night waned and Zale awoke. Angry for having fallen asleep, he sat up and ran a hand
through his thick hair. Victoria reached for him, and her arm hit the pillow. Twilight lit the window
behind the sheer curtains. He stared at it, longing to watch, to walk about in the day. He d tried once
and had been burned for it. Years passed before the scars healed over. His hunger had pained him
then. His body needed more blood than usual to sustain him through the healing. He licked his lips,
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In the Moon s Light
remembering the easy pickings, the migrant workers that waited on the corner of Main and Chelsea
in a band, so much like a herd of cattle. They returned there every morning so the farmers could
load them up to pick crops in the field. They came early, two hours before dawn.
The wolf-dog let out an errant howl.
Zale twisted off the bed. He padded out of his old bedroom and down the stairs.  Might not
have enough time to make it. The thought of crawling back into bed with Victoria made him hard.
 Yeah. That d be nice. Wake up next to a pile of gray ashes. No more nightmare, no more midnight
fucks.
You re foul as the words that slither out of your mouth.
 Shut up. He hissed at the memory of his father s voice.  I m not hurting anyone. I never
was. I didn t ask for this.
Something crashed along the garden wall, followed by that incessant howling. It was too late,
or rather, too early to investigate. Zale opened the door and stepped into the hazy light before dawn.
His skin itched. He padded across the lawn toward his hidden chamber, willing the door to lock
behind him.
Just as he stepped onto the shadowed side and opened the door that would lead him to his
musty hiding place, he heard something different& a man s voice, low and garbled. He turned his
gaze to the front of the house and made out the figure near Victoria s truck. His eyes narrowed, and
he growled.
The sun lipped over the horizon. Zale squinted at the intruder, a man, tall and thick of build.
The vampire couldn t make out full details because morning obscured his vision. He backed into the
worn guest house, anxious and useless.
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Anastasia Rabiyah
Chapter Six: Rex
Rex howled louder. Tory rolled in her sleep, fighting to open her eyes. She felt exhausted,
like she hadn t slept all night. Worse, her body ached. She wore nothing and she couldn t remember
letting the dog out, but obviously, he was out, howling at something, or& someone. She cracked her
eyes open. The sunlight hurt. Groaning, she forced herself out of bed, pulling the sheet with her.  I
have to get to class, she murmured.
Metal clanged, and something in the garden fell. She guessed it might be the little tin shed by
the gate.  Aw God, that dog s gonna make a mess. She hurried down the stairs, grasping the
banister in one hand. When she reached the landing, she stopped. The room spun. Tory blinked
away the dizziness.  Whoa.
She edged to the porch door and leaned against it to peer outside. Her dog hung over the
wall by his forepaws, his ice blue eyes intent on something at the front of the house. He howled and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]