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Climbing the stairs, she went into the bedroom. Pulling her underwear from the dresser, she piled it on top of the bed, thinking that all the beautiful clothing and nightgowns that Ronan had bought for her would never fit in the one suitcase that she owned.
She paused in the act of folding one of her nightgowns. She had no right to take the things he had bought for her…she was no longer pretending to be Eva Black, no longer living under his roof, no longer in his employ. Nothing in the house belonged to her. Even the suitcase she had taken from the closet was his.
Everything is yours, love. I bought it all for you.She heard his voice in her mind, saw him smile wistfully as he added,Anyway, the dresses aren’t my size.
His wry comment made her smile and then, suddenly, she was crying. Sinking down on the bed, she cried for the life she had lost, cried because the man she loved had betrayed her trust and thrust her into a new world that was strange and scary. She cried because she would never marry and have children and grandchildren, never be able to go to the beach and work on her tan. She would never be able to sit and enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with her family again, or open presents on Christmas morning. Never drink hot chocolate on a cold winter night, never again eat ice cream or drink a thick chocolate malt, or gobble down a double cheeseburger and fries. She refused to listen to the small voice of her conscience that reminded her that in a week or a month, death would have put an end to those things as surely as did her new lifestyle.
She blew out a sigh. So many things she had taken for granted that were forever lost to her.
But there is so much to learn, love. So much to see and explore. A whole new world is out there, waiting for you.
She sniffed back her tears.I’ll find it on my own, thank you.
Shannah, don’t let your anger keep us apart, not now. I’m not asking you to forgive me, only to let me help you until you’re ready to be on your own. You don’t have any place to go. Stay in the house. Sleep in my lair, if it pleases you, or make one of your own.
I can’t stay here.She dried her tears on a corner of the bedspread.Where will you stay?
You needn’t worry about me. Please, love, keep the house. I’ve taken everything else from you.
Let me give you something in return.
I don’t think…
Shannah.His voice was stern now, a loving father speaking to a stubborn and rebellious child.Keep the clothes. Keep the damn house. I don’t want it anymore.
Why not?
It was only a home when you shared it with me. Now it’s just a house. I’ll find a new lair.
She didn’t want to take anything from him, but he was right. She had no place else to stay except that smelly old warehouse, and that wasn’t as safe as his basement lair. And she had grown to love the house…And darn it, he did owe her something for what he had done.
I’ll stay, for a little while,she said.Thank you.
Will you let me help you?
She wanted to say no. She didn’t want his help. She never wanted to see him again. She was being childish, and she knew it. And, darn him, he was right again. He could make her transition from mortal to vampire so much easier.
Shannah?
All right.
Just say when.
Whenever it’s convenient for you.
Tonight?She heard the underlying note of longing in his voice.
No. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of hurrying right over, didn’t want him to think she was anxious to see him or worse, that she missed him.Tomorrow night will be soon enough.
All right, Shannah. Have it your way.
She started to answer him, but knew it was useless. He had withdrawn from her mind and closed the door behind him. She tried to slip past his defenses, but he was blocking her thoughts.
She was surprised by how much it hurt to know he was blocking her. She tried not to think of him while she put her underwear and nightgowns back in the dresser, or while she filled the tub with water, or while she relaxed in a hot bubble bath, but it was impossible. She should have known it would be impossible to forget him as long as she stayed here, in his house. It was here that he had sheltered her and cared for her when she was sick, here that he had kissed her. Her toes curled with the memory of his kisses. No mere joining of lips had ever been as tumultuous, as arousing, or as satisfying.
She lifted a hand to her neck. The skin tingled where he had bitten her. Somehow, the thought that he had taken her blood wasn’t as repulsive as it had been a few days ago.
And she had taken his. Why didn’t the idea disgust her the way it once had? She felt her hunger stir to life at the memory, felt her fangs brush her tongue. Why did she suddenly find herself wanting to taste him again?
“Why, indeed?” she muttered wryly. “Does the word ‘vampire’ ring a bell?”
Like it or not, her life had changed, she had changed. And she knew it was only the beginning.
She stayed in the tub until the water grew cool. Putting on her nightgown and robe, she went downstairs, plucked one of Ronan’s books from the shelf, and curled up on the sofa to read.
The vampire bent over Miranda’s neck, his eyes blazing, his fangs gleaming in the light of the full moon.
“Do it,” she whispered. “Do it now. I’m not afraid.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You must be sure.”
“As sure as I’ve ever been about anything in my life,” Miranda said, forcing a brave smile.
With a nod, the vampire wrapped her in his dark embrace. There was no turning back now for either of them.
She moaned softly as his fangs pierced the tender skin of her throat.
He drank deeply, drank until she hovered between life and death, and then, with a groan, he tore open his own wrist and held it to her lips.
“Drink,” he said. “You must drink, quickly.”
So, Shannah thought, that was how it was done. That was how she had become a vampire. It wasn’t the vampire’s bite that made the transformation. He had drained her of blood, taken her to the point of death, and then poured his life into her.
Interesting, she thought, and turned the page.
She dressed with care the following night, choosing a pair of silky black slacks and a dark blue sweater. She brushed her hair until it crackled, spritzed herself with perfume, then looked in the mirror to apply her makeup. She could see the shower behind her, the towels on the rack, the door into the bedroom, and nothing else. How could she have forgotten that she would never see her reflection in a mirror again? It was as if she had been wiped from existence and memory. Shannah was gone and what remained was an abomination.
