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And what about Rhys?
He cursed softly. Another two hours until sunset. There were times, like now, when he hated the weakness that kept him trapped inside until sundown.
After changing into a dry T-shirt and jeans, Erik found his cell phone and dialed the number of the vampire who had been his best friend for the last two hundred years.
He feared the worst when there was no answer.
Chapter 19
Daisy woke with a start, surprised to find herself in Erik's house. What was she doing here? And then, all too vividly, she remembered going hunting with Alex, finding Rhys, although they hadn't known it was Rhys at the time. She would never forget the sight of Rhys hovering over her brother, never forget how she had doused the vampire with holy water before driving a stake into his chest. And missing his heart, she thought bitterly.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, Daisy hurried out of the room. Alex. She had to find Alex.
Her heart seemed to stop beating when she opened the door to the room where he had been. Last night, she hadn't paid any attention to the room's decor. Now she wondered how she could have missed the garish green paint and jungle wallpaper.
She moved toward the bed, only then noticing that it was empty. The sheets had been stripped from the mattress; the mattress was stained with blood. She peeked into the bathroom, but it, too, was empty.
Where was Alex?
And where was Erik?
She stared at the door at the end of the hall. If she opened it, would she find Alex or Erik inside?
She stood in the hallway, listening to the house. It sounded as dead as its owner. As dead as her brother? No! She couldn't think that. Alex had been alive when she saw him last, alive and drinking Erik's blood.
"Your brother owes me a new mattress and a set of sheets."
Daisy whirled around, her hand at her throat, at the sound of Erik's voice. "Where is he? Where's my brother? What have you done to him?"
"I haven't done anything to him. He's downstairs, still unconscious. I don't imagine he'll be waking up anytime soon."
Daisy stared at Erik, hurt and confused, trembling now. She hated him because he was a vampire, because one of his kind had almost killed Alex and yet, if it wasn't for Erik's vampire blood, Alex would be dead now.
"I'm...I'm sorry," she stammered. "I should be thanking you."
"He'll be all right. That was quick thinking on your part, bringing him here."
"I was going to take him home. I've got some...some blood there, but it isn't fresh, and he looked so pale...and you were closer."
"I doubt that any of your old blood would have worked on that belly wound."
"Thank you for saving him."
"As I recall, you said you'd do anything I asked."
Her gaze flew to his face. "Yes. I...I did."
"Did you mean it?"
She nodded, unable to speak past the growing lump in her throat.
"Come here, then."
She stared at him, her heart racing. She willed herself to move forward but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. Not like this, she thought. Please, not like this.
When she didn't move, he closed the short distance between them. As though spellbound, Daisy stood motionless while he drew her body against his, then pushed her hair behind her ear.
His fingers traced the curve of her throat. "Sweet," he murmured. "So sweet."
His tongue skimmed over her skin, hotter than any flame. Why hadn't she realized he would rather have her blood than her flesh? And why was that thought so disappointing?
Placing one finger beneath her chin, he tilted her head back, then claimed her lips with his.
As always when he kissed her, Daisy's mind seemed to shut down. His lips were firm on hers, cool at first, then slowly warming. His tongue teased hers as his hands cupped her bu**ocks, drawing her against the unmistakable evidence of his desire. And in that moment, she would have given him anything he asked.
She felt bereft when he took his mouth from hers. She blinked up at him, her eyes filled with desire and confusion. "I thought..."
"Did you really think I'd take advantage of you?" he asked.
Still confused, she lifted her chin defiantly. "Don't you want me? I said I'd do anything."
"Oh, I want you all right, more than you can imagine. But when you come to my bed, it'll be your idea, because you want it, not because you think you owe me a favor." He raked a hand through his hair. "You'd better go check on your brother. He's waking up."
Before she could ask how he knew that, Erik vanished from her sight.
Daisy stared at the place where he had stood only moments before, thinking how incredible it was that he could just disappear into thin air like that. What was she going to do about Erik? She knew he wanted her in the most primal way, but he wanted more than that. He wanted her body and her blood, her heart and her soul. How could she surrender herself to him? How could she not, when she wanted him as much as he wanted her? Ever since the night she had met him, he had been in her mind, in her heart. It didn't matter how often she told herself it was foolish to even think of having a relationship with him, the thought was always there, like an itch she couldn't scratch.
"It's impossible," she muttered. "The whole thing is impossible. He's a vampire, you're a Blood Thief. Your father and Alex are hunters."
Daisy scrubbed her hands up and down her arms. How could she and Erik ever find any common ground between them, besides the insatiable desire that flared between them whenever he was in the room? Her parents would never accept him. And what about her friends? Her best friend's little sister had been killed by a vampire. Jennifer would never, ever understand how Daisy could be friends with one of the Undead, let alone be in love with one...
In love. For the first time, Daisy admitted she felt more for Erik than just affection, more than an undeniable attraction. She was deeply, hopelessly, in love with him. She didn't know when it had happened, didn't know if what she felt was real or if he had worked some sort of supernatural vampire mojo on her, but it felt right. It felt real.
In love with a vampire, Daisy thought. How could that be? She had been taught since childhood that they were no longer human, that it wasn't a crime to destroy them or to sell their blood. Hunting vampires, marketing their blood online, those were considered laudable occupations.
Oh, Lord, what was she going to do now? How could she explain her feelings to her family, to her best friend, to herself?
Try as she might, she couldn't find an answer. Feeling the mother of all headaches coming on, she pushed the tumultuous thoughts from her mind. Alex was waking up. Dealing with her brother was something she could handle.
