Dark Destiny

Fear clawed at the pit of Destiny's stomach. Her first instinct was to turn and fight, but the pressure of his fingers at the nape of her neck was a clear warning, preventing her from moving. Without taking his censorious gaze from Mary Ann, Nicolae bent very close to Destiny, until his breath was warm against her ear and his lips skimmed her earlobe, a mere wisp of contact that set her heart pounding and sent heat rushing through her veins. "You cannot call attention to our kind in this place, Destiny. It is the last thing you want."

His hair brushed her skin like raw silk, and she felt a shiver all the way to her toes. His masculine scent enveloped her. Beckoned. Tempted. His arm, so casually draped over her shoulder, was hard with muscle and sinew, felt hot through her thin blouse. Destiny was so aware of Nicolae as a man, she couldn't think properly. Her world narrowed until it encompassed only the two of them. A strange roaring throbbed in her ears. Her body seemed heavy yet alive, every nerve ending shrieking at her, though whether in alarm or need, she wasn't certain. She didn't care.

Destiny had spent most of her life alone. Never touching another person unless she was feeding, rarely speaking to anyone. Yet now, here in this place, she was surrounded by people, overwhelmed by the smell of blood, the beating of hearts. Music pounded out a primitive rhythm. She was suffocated by perfume. Alcohol. The noise was deafening, the scents overpowering. This was too much. All of it. She never should have allowed the door to her past to crack open for even a moment. And here was Nicolae. Coming to her when she was lost in the midst of hell. She wasn't prepared for her strange physical reaction to him.

"Why in the world would you think I'm doing something to hurt Destiny?" Mary Ann looked more shocked than intimidated. "I would never do such a thing. Destiny is upset and rightly so, but not at me. Are you a friend of hers?"

Destiny let her breath out slowly, forced herself to attempt to relax beneath those strong massaging fingers. Mary Ann's voice snapped her back to the reality of here and now.

Pretend.

She was a mistress of illusion when she had to be. The pad of his thumb lingered over the pulse beating so frantically in her throat, slid back and forth in a gentle, soothing caress. Nicolae could feel her body trembling - how could he not? He could hear her heart pounding loud and hard, and that telltale pulse told him much more than she wanted him to know. But she couldn't stop trembling. She, who was always so controlled, could not control her own pulse beneath his marauding thumb.

"Perhaps I misread the situation. I could feel Destiny's distress from across the room and I thought you were upsetting her." Nicolae smiled at the woman, a show of elegant charm. He bowed slightly, his white teeth perfect, his sensual face without guile. He looked like a lord of old, at home in a palace. He leaned lower to brush a lingering kiss across the top of Destiny's dark head. Strands of her hair caught for a moment in the stubble along his jaw, connecting them. "I cannot bear it when she is upset. Forgive me if I frightened you. I'm Nicolae Von Shrieder."

"Mary Ann Delaney." Mary Ann couldn't take her eyes from Destiny's pale face. For just a moment, she thought there were dots of blood on Destiny's forehead, but Nicolae leaned over the younger woman, his head and shoulders blocking Mary Aim's view, and with exquisite care seemed to press a small kiss on the spot. When he straightened, the tiny dots were no longer there, and Mary Ann was certain she had imagined them.

The swirl of Nicolae's tongue was too much for Destiny to endure. In another minute she would lose control completely. She had no idea what she'd be capable of if she became hysterical, but control was everything to her. She was determined not to lose it. Destiny pushed her palms against the table, sliding her chair deliberately into Nicolae, and surged to her feet, certain she would catch him by surprise.

As if he had choreographed her movement, Nicolae turned her neatly into his arms, drawing her body into the shelter of his. "Excuse us," he said to Mary Ann, and without missing a beat he whirled Destiny out onto the dance floor.

"What are you doing?" To her horror, her voice shook Hunger was a craving now, a terrible, inevitable craving she couldn't ignore. Her face was pressed into the warmth of the hollow of his shoulder. She remembered the taste of him. With his blood on her tongue, the insatiable hunger had been appeased for once and the continual torment inside her had lessened. She had never felt so sated by anything.

"I'm dancing with you," he answered easily, pulling her closer to him.

Their bodies were pressed together, their clothing the only bather between them. With each gliding step her breasts pushed into his chest, her nipples becoming sensitized from rubbing against his shirt. His muscles were taut and defined as he whisked her around the floor. More than anything, she was aware of the thick, hard part of him pressed against her stomach as they moved together. Floated together. It frightened her, yet fascinated her. Her own blood seemed to pool, low and thick, so that she throbbed and burned with an unfamiliar need.

Their feet barely touched the ground. She had never danced in her life, yet her body followed every movement of his flawlessly. As if she had been born to partner him.

"Close your eyes, give yourself up to the music." To me . He whispered the temptation in her ear, his

hand moving over her back, tracing her spine. You have not fed, Destiny. Why have you come to such a place hungry? Do you think to punish yourself?

It was too close to the truth. She had come to remove Mary Ann's memories, to violate the trust of a woman who was inherently good.

You are not evil.

He whispered the words against her skin, even as they brushed in her mind. His tongue swirled over her pulse. Tasted. Lingered. Her entire body clenched in reaction.

You are Carpathian, a race in harmony with nature. A protector of mankind. You do not kill wantonly or lightly.

He was killing her. With hope. With dreams. With things she dared not reach for. Trust was something she could never give one of his kind. He made her feel things she didn't want to feel. Made her long for things impossible for her to have. Every ounce of self-preservation shrieked at her to wrench herself out of his arms and run for her life. Instead, almost helplessly she nuzzled closer, found his beckoning pulse with her mouth.

I could kill you, she breathed. Drain the blood from your body right here.

She wanted him to know she was undecided. His fate was undecided. That her fingers curling in the silk of his shirt meant nothing. That her body molding itself to his didn't matter. That she had control. She had power. His voice was sheer magic. It washed over her, into her, wrapped itself around her heart and soul, but none of that mattered. It would never matter.

Yes, you could.

The words purred in her mind, a blend of heat and smoke.

Take what you need, I offer freely.

He nuzzled her hair again, his breath warm against her cheek as he switched to speaking, his voice low and soft. "Each rising I wake with your pain crawling through my body. I wake with your sorrow in my mind." His hands found her hair, bunched silken strands in his fist. "It is my right to care for you, to be your solace. If you seek my death, little one, if that is what you need for your own survival, so be it. I would give my life for yours and never look back. "

I am willing to give my life to you.

There was intimacy in his voice. There was tenderness. There was honesty.

Her eyes burned with her effort not to see him. Not to hear him. Not to trust him. Not to need him. Heat beckoned. Seduced. Her tongue lapped at his pulse. She felt his reaction. Not fear. Hunger. Sharp and terrible. Erotic hunger so strong his muscular body shuddered. Hardened. Grew hotter. His breath left his lungs in a rush of anticipation.

Nicolae whirled her into deeper shadows, away from prying eyes, blurring their images so that there seemed to be a veil of haze between the couple and the rest of the people in the place. She was in his arms at long last, fitting perfectly. Belonging. He willed her to feel it, feel their deep need of one another, even as he acknowledged her terrible struggle. She had survived the abomination of her childhood by choosing solitude. By never trusting. He knew what he was asking of her. Not even asking. Demanding. Trust. Such an easy word. Such an impossible quality. How could he ask or demand such a thing of Destiny? She had been taught never to trust. Her life had depended upon it. Her very soul had depended upon it.

Nicolae allowed his lashes to drift down, his head to rest over hers. His heart fragmented. He knew his own power, his enormous strength. But he could not, would not force compliance from Destiny. If they came together it would be with her full consent. It couldn't be any other way. An evil monster had forced acts of humiliation and degradation upon her, along with years of unspeakable pain and horror. Nicolae could not force a relationship on her. How could he do anything that might resemble the actions of that depraved creature who had stolen her childhood, her family and her innocence?

Destiny moved restlessly in Nicolae's arms.

You shouldn't tempt me, Nicolae.

She hadn't meant to use his beautiful name. She wanted nothing intimate between them, and his name seemed musical to her. It came out sounding all wrong. Husky. Intimate. Aching. She breathed his name against his pulse while her body burned and pulsed and throbbed. While butterfly wings brushed at the pit of her stomach. Helplessly she touched her mouth to his skin. Tormenting herself. Torturing him.

"Destiny." There was an ache in his voice.

She made a sound of horror, wrenched her body away from his. Nicolae saw her eyes, the confusion and terror in their depths. "Get away from me right now," she demanded, backing away. Fearing him. Fearing for him.

Movement across the room caught his eye. Mary Ann had stood up, frowning. She took several steps toward Destiny but halted as Destiny lifted her hand in warning. Then Destiny was gone, moving so quickly she was a blur. Nicolae was left standing alone on the dance floor, his body as hard as a rock, his heart aching for his lost lifemate.

Mary Ann made her way to Nicolae's side. "Tell me what to do to help her." She touched his arm to draw his attention more fully to her. "I can see the sorrow in her eyes, and it breaks my heart. I know I can help her."

Nicolae stared down at the woman, seeing the compassion and determination written on her face. He had been slipping in and out of Destiny's mind for years even though he had never taken her blood to seal the bond between them. It had been Destiny's horrendous pain, coupled with her tremendous psychic abilities, that had allowed her to connect so completely with Nicolae. He had caught glimpses of the woman before him many times in Destiny's mind, although Destiny had tried to shield her from him.

This woman knew more than any human should. She knew things that could get her killed.

"I'm no threat to you," Mary Ann said softly. Nicolae's face was a mask. Unreadable. Handsome and compelling. Dangerous. Instinctively she knew he was the same as Destiny, not quite human. "I want to help her. She saved my life twice."

"She has survived things so hideous you cannot even conceive of them. Why would you presume to think you can help her?"

Although his words were spoken in a low, beautiful timbre, something in that perfect tone made her shiver with apprehension. She was conversing with a powerful being, something she knew nothing of. Someone who made life-and-death decisions over others every day of his life. Mary Ann felt the impact of each of his words. She lifted her chin. "Because she chose me."

Nicolae studied her face for a long time. She had the feeling he was examining much more than her features. For one horrible moment she felt him moving in her mind. He didn't bother to hide it from her, deliberately showing her his power, a not-so-subtle threat. A warning. Whatever he found must have satisfied him, because he withdrew from her mind, leaving her memories still intact.

"Do you have any idea what you are asking?" Nicolae demanded in a low, compelling voice. "You must be very certain this is what you want. You know what I am. You know what she is. And you have an inkling of the demon we hunt. There is one in this city - at least one, maybe more. He is out there now, killing the innocent. Maybe hunting a small female child with the amazing gifts Destiny has. The knowledge of our existence that you have right now constitutes a danger to all immortals, whether they are vampire or hunter. It is allowed only in rare instances."

Mary Ann followed Nicolae across the room to a secluded table away from the crowds, knowing that whatever she said to him now would decide her fate. She thought of Destiny's eyes. Troubled. Filled with shadows and sorrows. "I can't leave her to suffer. She won't find her way back, Nicolae. I know she won't. You think you'll be able to reach her, and you might on some level, but it won't be enough. She's suffered a terrible trauma. That won't just go away because you will it to do so."

"You are risking your life." He wanted her to know the truth. "Destiny would not want you to risk your life for her." He pulled out a chair, stood courteously while Mary Ann slipped onto the seat. As he sat down across from her he waved off the waitress. "Think very carefully before you speak. I can remove your memories of all of this. Of Destiny. Of me. Of the creature that wanted to kill you. All of it. You will never worry about Destiny, because you will not remember that she exists."

"I don't want that." Mary Ann shook her head adamantly. "She's important to me, and I think I'm important to her." She leaned across the table toward him. "I can handle this. I really can. I'm afraid. I'd be silly not to be afraid, but you don't know what she did for me. Twice. She saved my life twice. She's given the sanctuary so much money, money we desperately needed to expand and to make sure the women had counseling and job opportunities. Destiny did that. She deserves a chance, too."

"Mary Ann - " His voice washed over her. Gentle. Compelling. "I will take care of Destiny. I give you my word of honor."

"I honestly don't think she will get better. I think she'll try, but you won't be able to help her overcome what's happened to her."

"I lived through it with her."

"I know," she said quietly. "I see the same things in your eyes that I see in hers."

"I understand her, understand what she needs. And we are meant to be together. Two halves of the same whole."

"She isn't whole, Nicolae; she's fragmented and lost. She can't go into a relationship that way and have it work. I think you know that or you wouldn't be talking with me. You would have already removed my memories."

"If I leave you with this knowledge, I will have to be able to monitor you at will. I am responsible for the safety of my people. I have to know that you are capable of keeping our secret at all times, and I will have to make sure that the undead cannot use you to get to Destiny."

Mary Ann swallowed her fear. "I think that's fair enough."

"It entails my taking your blood, Mary Ann. Not converting you, simply taking a small amount of your blood so that I can touch your mind at any time. It wouldn't hurt and you wouldn't be in danger, but the idea of it is uncomfortable to humans."

Mary Ann was silent, leaning her chin in her hand while she studied his face. "Destiny wasn't given a choice, was she?"

Nicolae shook his head. "She was converted by the vilest of creatures. The undead. A vampire lives for the pain of others. He made her suffer for years. He subjected her to every humiliating degradation he could think of. He murdered men, women and children in front of her and forced her to drink their blood. He used her body for years in the most painful ways possible although she was an innocent child."

Mary Ann rubbed the heel of her hand over her face. "And you want me to desert her because I might be uncomfortable for a moment or two? I owe her more than that. Take my blood if you feel it is necessary, Nicolae, and let's find a way to help her."

Destiny rushed out into the night, dragging great gulps of air into her lungs. It was humiliating to be shaking like a child just because she was in such close proximity to so many people. She wouldn't admit her distress had been caused by anything else. How could she want to touch a man's skin? Be held in his arms? Breathe him into her body?

She knew about men, what they did, what they wanted from a woman... a girl... a child. A scream welled up from her soul, the terror of a child trapped with a monster. She pressed the scream back with her hand, as if to shove it back down her throat and bury the terror where she would never have to look at it. See it. Think of it.

The night is so beautiful, Destiny. Clear and cold and crisp. Look above you at the stars.

His voice came like magic. Soothing. Gentle. Out of nowhere, simply there in her mind. Pushing away the memories of hard, hurting hands, rivers of blood, the faces of the damned.

There is nothing so beautiful as the night. Even the leaves are a shimmering silver. I did not remember that. Did you notice the color? Silver and gold tonight. The wind is whispering to us. Hear? Just listen to it, little one. It speaks to us of the secrets of the earth.

She closed her eyes, listened to his voice, found her heartbeat, knew she was alive and whole. Knew she could make it through another minute. Another hour. Even another night. Destiny knew the truth then, accepted the truth. If she were to survive, then so must Nicolae. The nightmares haunting her were far too strong to conquer on her own. She might fight and win every other battle, but not the one for her sanity. Not the one for her soul. That was Nicolae's battle.

She took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, at the stars glittering like gems over her head. The tension was slowly draining out of her body, but the need was there, crawling through her with insistence. A craving she couldn't ever escape.

Your craving is natural, Destiny, like breathing. We are of the earth. We do not eat the flesh of living things. Is it so terrible what we sustain ourselves on? We harm no one. We see to the protection of humans. We live among them, do business with them. Just as you have learned to care for the people who live along these blocks, so will you care for our people.

Her first reaction was denial. More of them? Vampires? She shook her head, forcing herself to consider his words. Carpathians. A race of beings she now belonged to. Beings with special powers. Beings who could enter churches and stand under strings of garlic. She suddenly laughed, the sound flowing down the street like music. She had a reflection. She knew what she looked like.

The tension began to drain out of her. Destiny inhaled deeply, thankful to be alone. A movement down the street caught her eye and she swung her gaze in that direction.

"Come here, girl!" Velda was imperiously waving at her, beckoning her up the street.

Destiny had forgotten to make herself invisible to the human eye. Velda shrieked again, waving so enthusiastically she nearly fell from her chair at Inez's side. Knowing she did not have it in her to deny the old lady, Destiny jogged along the sidewalk until she was a few feet from the two sisters. They were smiling at her with open, welcoming smiles, without guile, hiding nothing.

"At last! I've spotted you several times," Velda said with satisfaction, "haven't I, Sister? Haven't I told you such a pretty young woman shouldn't be out be herself so late at night? You need a young man. Don't worry, Inez and I have been giving it some thought, figuring just what man you should be with."

Destiny's eyebrow shot up and she blinked rapidly trying to assimilate what Velda was saying. Were the two women looking to hook her up with someone? "You don't even know me. I could be a horrible person. You wouldn't want to stick some poor unsuspecting man with me, now would you?"

Velda and Inez looked at each other, then beamed at her. "Now, dearie, you're a nice little thing. You need a man and a place to stay. We've been thinking about the little apartment across the street there. We think it would suit you just fine. I'm Velda, and this is my sister Inez. Ask anyone - we have a reputation as matchmakers."

Destiny had never thought of herself as being a "little thing," and a reluctant smile found its way briefly to her eyes.

"There, dear, so much better when you smile." Velda's pink-tipped hair swung breezily as her head bobbed. "I have the second sight, you know. I see a young man for you. Quite handsome, with nice manners."

"Rich, dear," Inez added. "Velda told me he's rich and handsome." She beamed, her purple hair glowing in the dark. "That should make you happy. Settle down, dear, have two or three children. You'll be happy. I wanted ten, but Velda stole my beau right out from under my nose."

Destiny gaped at the two elderly women as they patted an empty lawn chair insistently. They clearly expected her to join them. Not knowing how to decline graciously, she slid gingerly into the chair. She was aware of Nicolae's amusement at her uncomfortable predicament. Aware of the warmth of his laughter brushing her mind. Turning her attention to the two sisters, she determinedly ignored him, wondering fleetingly how they could be so closely connected. How could he touch her mind when he had not taken her blood?

Velda snorted, patting Destiny's arm. She didn't seem to notice Destiny wincing or drawing away. "Inez was such a beauty. All the men wanted her. She wouldn't choose, you know. She liked having them chase her. She's making up a story about my stealing her beau. I'm a true spinster. I never wanted a man in my life, and she certainly didn't want ten babies! Did you, Inez? You wanted to sing in a bar."

"I did sing in a bar," Inez returned haughtily. She patted Destiny's knee, unaware that Destiny was squirming to get out of reach. "I was a raving beauty, dear, not unlike you. But I had a real figure. I was no stick like you girls now. And I had a voice like an angel. Didn't I, Sister?"

"An angel," Velda agreed solemnly. She leaned close to Destiny. "Don't look at me, dearie. Pretend you're interested in the apartment over the dress shop there." She waved airily, so Destiny followed the direction of her pointing finger. Immediately Velda lowered her voice to a conspirator's whisper. "We're thinking of hiring a private eye. We've been discussing it. I think we need someone hard-boiled like Mike Hammer, but Inez thinks an intellect like Perry Mason would be better. What do you think?"

Destiny gaped at her. She had no idea what or whom the sisters were referring to. "Why do you think you need a private detective?" It was the only thing she could think of to say. She had no idea how she had ended up sitting between these two eccentric women. The thought of two seventy-year-old women needing a "hard-boiled" detective was laughable. Destiny had watched the women for the last few months. They were open and honest and so much a part of the neighborhood, she couldn't imagine the streets without them.

Velda looked around. Inez did the same. Simultaneously they hitched closer to Destiny. "There've been strange goings-on around here."

Inez nodded solemnly. "That's right, Sister, you tell her. Listen to her, dear - it's mojo. Bad, bad mojo."

Laughter bubbled up in Destiny's throat, but she blinked rapidly, battling to stay solemn. The two women deserved respect. They were gossips, but they were sharp. Destiny settled back into her chair. "I'm Destiny, by the way." She felt she owed them her name because they had spotted her on the streets often enough to recognize her. If they could see her as she moved rapidly along the streets at night, they had sharp eyes to go with their sharp minds. And more than that, they had restored a semblance of balance in her world. "Please do tell me."

"No one believes us, Sister," Inez cautioned. "They think we have bats in the belfry." She parted her bright hair, and Destiny noticed that her nails matched the amazing shade of purple. So did her tennis shoes. The laces were coiled and metallic purple.

"I doubt that," Destiny answered decisively. "You're very well respected by everyone. If you say something is going on, it probably is. I'd have to hear some details, though, before determining what sort of detective you'd need."

The sisters exchanged a long, satisfied look. It was Velda who took up the challenge. "It started a month or so ago. We began to notice small things, but at first we didn't connect them."

Inez nodded wisely. "Small things, you know?" she echoed solemnly while her head glowed purple and red from the odd lighting of the streetlamp.

Velda shushed her. "Sister, let me tell her."

"I was just verifying. An account must be verified or no one takes it seriously. Isn't that right, dear, don't you want verification? Two eyewitnesses are better than one, don't you think?"

Destiny didn't know if she reached out or if Nicolae was already a shadow in her mind. Or maybe she was a shadow in his. All she knew for certain was that she wanted to share with someone the extraordinary relationship these two wonderful women had. They were everything she had always wanted in a grandmother. They made her smile inside and lightened the burden she always carried.

She was pleased with Nicolae's reaction. Warmth flooded her, amusement, but not mocking laughter. He saw the sisters the way she saw them. It was the first time she could remember sharing something fun, lighthearted, a connection of warmth rather than pain and degradation. She knew that the moment would be etched in her memory forever.

Destiny took in every detail of the two women - their open, honest faces, their eccentric hair and attire. Even the green-and-white striped lawn chairs. The way the wind was riffling the leaves in the bushes and blowing small bits of dust and debris along the streets. This was as close to happiness as she had ever come.

"Destiny?" Inez prompted. "Velda's right about this. She has the second sight, you know."

"Do you, Velda?" Destiny asked curiously. She had never run across another person who had special gifts.

Velda nodded sagely. "I know things about people," she whispered. "That's how I can match people up. And that's why I know something's wrong." The whisper was dramatic, the voice theatrical. Destiny automatically scanned the minds of the two sisters, even though she knew it was an invasion of privacy. Velda was worried and so was her sister. They believed something had crept into their neighborhood, but no one would listen to them. They fully expected Destiny to laugh at them.

"I know things about people, too," she admitted, seeking to reassure the sisters. "It can be frightening to have information and not know how to convey it so that others listen. Please tell me what you've observed, Velda."

Velda patted her arm. Inez patted her knee. Neither seemed to notice that she squirmed uncomfortably, but Destiny knew them now. They were both good at reading people; they knew she didn't like to be touched, and they were determined to push past the protective barrier she erected around herself.

"You're a good girl, dearie," Velda said approvingly. "You were right, Sister - she's the one who will listen to us."

Destiny considered screaming in frustration. Couldn't they get on with it? This close proximity to others was unnerving. Her head was beginning to throb, and she was afraid there was danger of it exploding.

Male laughter echoed softly in her mind. Gentle. Teasing. So typical of Nicolae, amused by her self-inflicted predicament, but never malicious about it. Why was she softening toward him? Why was she noticing little things to love about his character? Vampires were deceivers, sweet-talking, cunning deceivers.

I do not like your thinking I am the undead. My heart is very much alive and in your hands. Do your best not to destroy it. You are very lucky it isn't in my hands.

She responded to him immediately. To his words that turned her heart over and left her helpless and vulnerable.

The only thing I know to do with hearts is incinerate them! Ouch!

His laughter swept through her mind, moved through her body with the heat of her blood. Turned her to jelly right there in the silly lawn chair. His laughter should be outlawed. She'd thought that more than once over the years.

"It all started with Helena," Velda confided, dropping her voice and regaining Destiny's attention immediately. "Have you seen little Helena? Nice young girl, with a real figure, not like the half-starved bodies we see so much now."

Inez nodded. "She has a woman's figure, meat on her bones for a man to snuggle up against. And she knows she's a prize."

"True, Sister, Helena knows it. She has the confidence of a woman who can wait for the right man." Velda confirmed.

"The right man," Inez echoed, bobbing her purple head.

Destiny knew the "young woman" they were speaking of. She was in her late thirties or early forties and was a bright spot on the street when she hurried along the walkways calling greetings to everyone. She had mahogany skin and straight hair as black as a raven's wing. Her eyes were a dark chocolate, and she was nearly always laughing. She did have confidence in her walk and a way of enticing men.

"I know who she is," Destiny admitted.

"She has a lover, a sweet man, John Paul. A great big bear of a man."

"A teddy bear," Inez explained.

Destiny had seen them together - Helena, a short woman with a ripe, curvy figure, and John Paul, a huge, burly man who looked at her as if she were the sun and the moon and everything in between. They held hands everywhere they went, and John Paul was always touching Helena, a small, stroking caress on her hair, on her shoulder, on her arm. John Paul seemed a gentle giant, well pleased that he had managed to capture Helena's attention.

"They've been together for years," Velda said. "Always in harmony, a perfect match. Helena is a flirt," she added.

"A terrible flirt," Inez affirmed.

"But she never goes home with other men. She talks and laughs, but it's always John Paul. She adores John Paul, really adores him. And he's wild about her."

Destiny knew they were speaking the truth. She had been watching the residents of the neighborhood for months, was a silent observer of their lives. John Paul lived for Helena. His every waking thought was for her.

"Helena was crying a few weeks ago, wandering around at night. She came over to us, and her face was swollen and bruised. John Paul had struck her several times. She said it wasn't like him at all. He came home from work and was 'different.'"

The nape of Destiny's neck prickled in alarm. A shadow crept out of the darkness, slid along the street toward them. Overhead, a sudden gust of wind carried swirling black clouds to obliterate the stars.

"John Paul is incapable of hurting Helena." She made it a statement. She knew his thoughts, knew his gentle nature. She knew how much he loved Helena. He would never risk his relationship with her. Helena was not a woman who would put up with a man striking her. "Are you certain?"

Velda nodded. "Helena believes him to be ill. She was planning to ask him to go to see a doctor. She thought he might have a brain tumor or something. It's just so out of character. The next day, when she confronted him, he didn't seem to remember what he'd done."

"Not at all," Inez affirmed. "He was horrified by Helena's injuries. He didn't remember yelling at her or hitting her or..." She trailed off, glancing at her sister.

Rape. The ugly word was unspoken but it shimmered in all of their minds. Destiny's stomach churned in protest. Helena loved John Paul. And John Paul was incapable of such acts.

What would cause such bizarre behavior?

She held her breath, waiting for the answer, waiting for Nicolae to confirm her worst suspicions.

Do not jump to conclusions. Our minds are always on the undead, but not all crimes are committed by vampires. Humans are capable of great atrocities.

She didn't want to be reminded of that. She wanted to think a vampire was responsible. How could a human be responsible for changing John Paul's entire personality? That didn't make sense to her.

"How is Helena?"

"She doesn't come out of her house much, and when she does, she is quiet and subdued. Not at all like her. And John Paul is upset and afraid of losing her. He told me he honestly doesn't remember anything about that day. It's sad," Velda said. "And, of course, there are other things."

The door to the bar opened, spilling light and loud music and laughter into the street. The three women turned to watch Mary Ann emerge with a man beside her. He was holding her elbow. Neither glanced toward the women, but rather turned toward the small alleyway leading behind the tavern.

Destiny's heart nearly stopped beating for a moment, then began to pound fearfully.