Lucas shrugged. “It’s different for everyone, although most vampires, the rank and file, so to speak, simply gleam red. Those of us with greater power are more unique.”

Kathryn rolled her eyes, although she had to agree that Lucas was unique. “So pretty eyes go with being a vampire lord, then,” she said.

“Among other things, yes.”

She studied him for a moment, then said seriously, “Lucas.”

“Kathryn,” he mimicked, matching her tone.

“Where did all that blood come from on your pants earlier? And what happened to Nicholas?”

Lucas stared back at her for a long moment, his hand growing still against the skin of her back. She thought he wouldn’t answer, or that he’d come up with another lie, but then he surprised her by saying, “Vampires are territorial, Kathryn. Viciously, obsessively territorial. Vampire lords even more so than others. And we’re violent. It’s in our blood. Whatever it is that makes us Vampire amplifies aggression until it’s a constant thing, something we have to work hard to discipline, so we can function in our day-to-day lives.

“As a vampire lord, I rule a territory. To every side of me, there is another territory, another vampire lord. These territorial boundaries are old and well-established, but occasionally, someone decides he wants more. When that happens, we go to war.”

“War?” she repeated, frowning. “You mean like shooting and killing?”

“Killing, yes. But there’s very little shooting involved. Vampires are capable of using weapons of all sorts. I’m sure you noticed the MP5s used by my gate security, along with several other guns or knives you probably didn’t see. This is mostly to impress humans who might think to test my security. But the truth is that our best weapon, the one we use against each other, is ourselves. Vampires are strong, fast and deadly. As I said, we’re a violent people.”

Kathryn mulled over what he was telling her. “So you’re saying another vampire lord is trying to take some of your territory.”

“Exactly.”

“And you had some sort of confrontation with him that got bloody.”

“Not exactly, but close enough. You needn’t worry about Nicholas, by the way. By tomorrow morning, there will be nothing but a fresh scar, a day later, not even that.”

“You can heal that quickly?” she said in disbelief.

“Some of us. And some of us need help. A vampire lord rules his people, but he has an obligation to them as well. What is it your Bible says? ‘To whom much has been given, much will be expected?’ I’m certain your priests would be appalled to see it used thusly, but it is never more true than among vampires. We live it every day.”

“How does it work? The healing, I mean.”

“We don’t know the science. We don’t want to know. And we certainly don’t want humans to know. They’d be chasing after us with those pitchforks again, but this time for our blood.”

Kathryn stared at him, nearly face to face. They were lying so close. Naked skin to naked skin, their bodies fitted together perfectly, as if they’d been made for this one moment. He gave her a crooked smile, and she felt her heart swell.

Oh, no, she bemoaned silently. Not Lucas Donlon. What the hell was wrong with her?

“Kathryn, a cuisle, it is nearly dawn.”

She blinked at him blankly before it hit her. Vampire. Oh. My. God.

“What happens?” she asked with some urgency. “Where do you have to go? Do you have a special—”

“Coffin?” he supplied dryly.

“No, of course not,” she snapped. “But maybe a basement or something?”

“I’m touched, a cuisle, but no. I do like my comforts, and this bed is perfectly fine. However, there are security precautions. Steel shutters will cover every window and door moments before sunrise. These walls, as you may already have surmised, look flimsy, but are, in fact, rather severely reinforced.”

“What will you—”

“I will sleep. I have little choice in the matter.”

“I should go, then,” she said hesitantly. She didn’t want to offend him, but now more than ever, Kathryn felt the need to get out of town, to flee to the TwinCities or anywhere else, as long as it took her far away from Lucas Donlon. He was a temptation, a complication, that she couldn’t afford. She had a job back in Quantico. A job she had fought and clawed her way into. She tried to imagine what her superiors would say if she became involved with a vampire lord. Most of the people at the FBI viewed vampires as criminals, and that was just the regular run-of-the-mill vampires. Vampire lords were viewed with far less favor, if that was possible.

“I need to go,” she said more urgently.

Lucas gave her a puzzled look, as if aware of the turmoil inside her head and not understanding the cause of it. That look tugged painfully on her heart and made her want to cry. Another thing she hadn’t done in years.

“Kathryn?” he said, with obvious concern. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” She shook her head, as if that could brush away her feelings. “Of course. But I really do have to leave. I have things to do tomorrow, or rather later today, and I don’t want to compromise your security.”

She forced herself to push away from the embrace of his powerful body, from the warmth in his golden eyes. She leaned down for one final kiss, then jumped up and headed for the bathroom before he could see the tears filling her eyes.

Lucas let Kathryn go as she hurried away. He wasn’t as sensitive to emotions as his friend Duncan, but even he could tell that there was some sort of battle going on inside Kathryn’s excellent brain. Guilt, maybe? She’d probably broken some FBI rule or other about sleeping with witnesses. Although he wasn’t technically a witness, since he hadn’t seen anything. Or maybe she was feeling guilty about enjoying herself instead of spending every moment searching for her brother. Given what he knew about their relationship, that seemed likely. He could even understand it if she felt that way.

He flexed his abdominal muscles and sat straight up in bed before swinging his legs over the side. He wasn’t the kind of man who lay in bed while his lover dragged her clothes on and scurried out the door. Kicking the ruined leather pants to one side, he pulled a pair of fresh sweats out of his closet and slipped them on, along with a matching gray T-shirt. He strolled out to the living room and located Kathryn’s clothing for her—her dress, shoes, jacket. . . even those ridiculous leggings she’d donned to protect herself against unwanted attention at the blood house. As if a pair of pants would deter any vampire worth his salt.

Walking back into the bedroom, he shook out the articles of clothing and laid them on the bed in a neat pile, then searched around the bed until he found the tiny black thong she’d been wearing. He was tempted to keep that as a memento, but decided not to tease her, and laid it on top of the dress next to her sensible white bra. He took a moment to imagine Kathryn’s beautiful breasts encased in silk and lace instead of ordinary cotton, her dusky rose nipples visible as they rose up hard and pressed against the sheer silk.

The bathroom door opened to reveal a naked Kathryn, and his cock sprang instantly to attention. Lucas caught her around the waist as she hurried past, pulling her against his body. He dipped his fingers between her legs and found her still hot and wet from their lovemaking.

“Are you absolutely certain you have to go?” he whispered against her ear.

Kathryn closed her eyes, leaned her head against his shoulder, and expelled a long sighing breath. “I wish I didn’t,” she murmured, her husky voice breathless with desire. “But I have to get up early in the morning. I have things to do.”

Lucas kissed the side of her neck and released her, but not before slipping one finger into her wetness and bringing it to his lips for a taste.

Kathryn’s eyes flared she watched him taste the cream coating his fingers. “Delicious, a cuisle.”

“Not fair,” she breathed.

“I don’t play fair,” he said. “Remember that, Kathryn.”

Lucas watched as she dressed, taking pleasure in the heat of embarrassment that colored her cheeks. He helped her on with her jacket, then walked her outside and gave her a lingering kiss good-bye, a promise of things to come. He waited until she was safely in her vehicle and away before entering the security code to initiate the daylight safety measures. The steel shutters he’d mentioned to Kathryn deployed instantly, sliding down in near silence over every door, window, and vent, until the exterior walls were a solid steel surface and nearly impregnable. Nearly, because anything was possible. Only death was 100 percent safe.

Lucas felt the hot sun peeking over the horizon as he stripped away his sweats and fell into the bed. He lifted the sheets and smelled Kathryn, not her perfume—she didn’t wear any—but her arousal, the scent of their lovemaking. His cock hardened at the reminder, and he stroked it absently, thinking of all the things he had yet to enjoy with his luscious FBI agent.

He was still smiling when sleep took him, and he dreamed.

* * * *

1791, Kildare County, Ireland

Lucas crouched small and silent in the great hall of his grandfather’s castle. Or so his mother told him. He’d never known before today that he had a grandfather, much less one with a castle. But it was certainly grand. As big as the cathedral in town where he and his mother lived, bigger even when one added in outbuildings and stables.

He’d wanted to linger in those stables. There’d been horses there, great, beautiful beasts like the ones ridden by the lords and merchants in town. He’d entertained the fancy that he might be permitted to ride one, this being his own grandfather’s estate and all. But his mother had snatched him away, and the man she called Father had quickly dashed any hope Lucas had of getting near the animals. The giant of an old man had barely acknowledged Lucas’s existence, and certainly not as a blood relation. He’d taken one look at Lucas standing there holding his mother’s hand, then spit to one side and walked away.