Everythingblurred around him. He closed his eyes, sunk his fangs deeper anddrank greedily.
Someone moanedsoftly. Harper? Melanie? He wasn’t sure anymore.
Thenstruggling, a frantic scramble that was no match for his strength,and the moaning stopped. She went limp in his arms.
“Stop!” Nerissashouted. “You’re killing her.”
His eyesflashed open. Fangs retracted.
Blood coatedhis lips, his chin, but instead of wanting to savour every lastdrop, it repulsed him.
What have Idone?
Melanie’sheartbeat slowed, but she was still alive.
Horrified,Damon rushed her to the sofa and laid her down. Her body was weakand heavy, but her heartbeat returned to a steadier beat.
Nerissa kneltby the sofa. “Melanie, are you all right, darling?” She glowered atDamon. “What the hell happened?”
“I… I don’tknow.”
Out of nowhere,Nerissa delivered a blow to his chest with such force he hurtledacross the room. “You, stay there,” she demanded with anotherglower. She hissed, her fangs extended and glinting in the light.“I’ll deal with you later.” She retracted her fangs and returnedher attention to Melanie. The woman opened her eyes.
ThankGod. Damon wiped the blood from his lips with the back of hishand, its taste now bitter and rancid.
“You’re goingto be okay, Melanie,” she said softly. “You fainted, that’sall.”
Nerissa glancedhis way again. “Can I trust you not to bite her again?”
He nodded.There was no way he was going to let that happen again. Nauseathreatened.
In less thanfive seconds, Nerissa fetched Melanie a glass of water and abiscuit, and helped her sit up. “You’ll be okay, my darling. I havesome business to attend to, and then I’ll be back.” She tucked herhair behind her ear. “You understand, don’t you, my sweetgirl?”
Melanie nodded,clearly besotted with Nerissa.
His makerbeckoned him to follow her into the kitchen.
“I’m so sorry,Nerissa,” he began. “The bloodlust, it consumed me. I couldn’tstop. You told me it wouldn’t be like this for centuries yet, if atall.”
“It’s notsupposed to be. Only the ancients lose control like you justdid.”
“Youdon’t.”
“No, because Ichoose to be in control.”
“Sod this.” Hepaced the kitchen like a caged animal. “If almost killing someoneis what I’ve got to look forward to, I don’t want any part ofit.”
“Bullshit,”Nerissa sneered. “You asked for this, Damon. There’s no backingout. I made it perfectly clear before I turned you.”
Yes, the chanceto become a vampire had enthralled him, and he couldn’t deny it hadits advantages.
The opportunityhad come not long after the death of his dear friend and businesspartner, Bill. Only in his fifties, Bill’s sudden death made Damonquestion what he was doing with his own life and what wasimportant. Subsequently, he had asked Nerissa to turn him, so hecould be there for his wayward brother, Conner, to protect him fromthose he thought were his friends.
Conner was intodrugs. The idiot had gotten himself mixed up with a bad crowd, andduring a drink and drug-induced rave, he was lured into becoming avampire by one of the devious ancients who deemed himself above therules.
Even before hisbrother turned, Conner was a car crash waiting to happen.Impulsive, reckless, with no regard for who he hurt along the way.The troublesome little rat had no conscience or morals, but at theend of the day, he was his baby brother, ten years younger thanhim, and Damon had no choice but to play the responsible, sensiblebrother, as he had done since the day he was born.
And so he’dhung out with Conner in the dark, seedy clubs he liked to frequent,watched scantily clad women as they gyrated around poles—althoughhe’d enjoyed that part—he’d seen Conner struggle to come to termswith what he’d naively become. Damon watched and learned, realisedthere was more to this life than what he knew, a whole world ofsupernatural beings living amongst the unaware humans, and hewanted to be part of it, believing it might be what he wassearching for in his life.
Damon’sbusiness ventures had made him a wealthy man, and granted, becominga vampire had brought him more power, and even more success, buthad it made him happier? Had it filled the cavern of loneliness inhis heart?
No. Everythingwas the same. Except now he’d nearly killed someone. This was notwhat he signed up for.
He raked hisfingers through his hair and stared out of the kitchen window atthe Thames below. “I felt her go weak in my arms, Nerissa, but Istill couldn’t stop. And you know what the worst thing was? For oneglorious moment, I thought it was Harper. I wanted it to beHarper’s blood.”
“Who’sHarper?”
“She’s…” Hestruggled to find the words. “She’s a witch.”
Nerissa joinedhim by the window. “I’m sensing there’s more.”
“There is. Alot more. She’s the most incredible woman, and the way she smiles…”A brief smile of his own appeared, then he remembered how he’dalmost bitten her, and the look of horror on her face as she’dfled. His smile vanished. “Something came over me. I don’t know… Itried to bite her, without her permission. What’s wrong with me,Nerissa?”
“I’m not sureyet. How did you meet her?”
“The datingagency I told you about. The one you said would be a waste of time.She owns it.”
“I see.” Hismaker stared out of the window. “What happened before you went tobite her?”
“We went outfor dinner. I had the most wonderful evening, and it was like wehad an instant connection or something. Then I drove her home andkissed her.” He shook his head. “The scent of her blood called tome, so sweet, so intoxicating, it damn near turned me crazy. Icraved her blood, but I didn’t want to bite her. I knew if I did, Iwouldn’t be able to stop, but it was like I was possessed orsomething. If she hadn’t stopped me…” He trailed off, unable tobear the thought of what could have happened.
His makernodded sagely.
“You’ve heardof this?” he asked.
“Yes. I mustadmit it’s rare in a fledgling like you, but I know what’s going onhere. I’m actually happy you found it so soon into yourimmortality. It’ll make things a whole lot easier now.”
“Foundwhat?”
“You foundlove, Damon.”
“Love?Don’t be ridiculous. I only met her once.”
“The signs areall there—how you want to drain her blood until her heart stopsbeating, but you know if you did, you would never forgive yourself.Tell
