Rodger, Stephanie, and I decided on sushi, but none of us ate much. Then, we headed back to the house and I was already dreading it, knowing that Stephanie would take over my house. I took a deep breath."Leila, dear," Rodger said in a soft voice, bringing me back from my reverie. I looked at him in the rearview mirror and lifted my eyebrows. "Stephanie and I have decided to go to a hotel while we're here," he said apologetically. Then, seeing the look in my eyes, he added, "Now, before you say anything, it would be best for us to give each other a little space. Don't you agree?"I breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, if you're sure ""Yes, I am," he said as he pulled the rental car up in front of the house the house that belonged to Steven and me. As if reading my mind, he asked, "Will you be okay alone?""I'll be fine." A slight twinge of guilt pulled at my chest at the memory of Lance sleeping in my bed with me the night before. But, true to his word, he had made no attempt to
"Excuse me," a feminine voice said from behind me as I scooped a spoonful of casserole."Yes? May I help you?" I asked, turning to see a pretty, young woman with stunning features standing near. I knew that I would have remembered her if I had ever seen her before. "I'm sorry for your loss," the young woman said with kind eyes. At least they weren't filled with pity."Thank you," I replied, placing the large metal spoon back into the casserole dish. "How did you know Steven?"She took a deep breath as she hesitated. "The woman he was with was my sister," she whispered in a rush, and then looked away. I nodded, looking around to see if anyone had heard. Thankfully, everyone was lost in their own conversations. "Maybe we should go some place more private," I said in a low voice, nodding toward the back patio.She nodded in agreement. I set down the plate and walked through the sliding glass doors that led to the patio in the backyard.I motioned toward the earth-toned patio set
I didn't do a lot over the next week. I cried, thinking of Steven and our life together; sat on the couch and watched television without really seeing it; and thought too much. Sitting on the couch curled up with a pillow began to be the norm for me.I hadn't seen Lance since that last night when he held me, the night Steven had died. It was probably just as well. It had probably been a weekend affair, after all. I was just grateful that he had been there when I needed him, but thoughts of the erotic weekend that we had shared kept coming back into my mind, feeling like eons ago. Could it have been just a few weeks before?I also wondered about him. How old was he? How long had he been a vampire? Maybe I should become a vampire, too, but I didn't want to feel this kind of pain for the rest of eternity. Then again, maybe the pain would go away.I pushed the thought aside as I flipped on the television and watched without really seeing it. I was probably just a good meal and a good fu
She set her plate down next to mine and took my hand. "You know you can tell me anything."I nodded as a tear slid slowly down my cheek. "Rosa, I don't know how to say this, but Steven and I had been having problems for a while ""Well, no wonder, with him cheating on you like that ""That's not everything," I cut her off. I took a deep breath, and then continued, "Rosa, I had an affair with another man the weekend before Steven died." Tears rolled down my cheeks. Rosa just listened, saying nothing. "Then, Steven found out about it and confronted me right in the middle of having sex.""He what?!"I nodded. "Yeah, that's right," I said. "I went in to work, mainly to give myself time to think everything through. Then, he went away for the weekend and so did I with Lance. When I came back home, Steven never came home. I went to work the next day and they brought him in " Tears coursed down my cheeks. " he was supposed to be coming back from New York, having been away on business, bu
"Well, there she is!" Rosa greeted me when I walked through the hospital doors, ready for work. She had called me often while I was out, checking on me and making sure that I was okay, letting me cry or laugh when I needed to, in addition to dragging me out of the house this morning. If she hadn't visited me the day before, I probably wouldn't have been back at the hospital now."Morning, Rosa," I said cheerfully. I was surprised that I didn't have to fake it. "What do we have going on this morning?" "Leila, are you okay?" Rosa asked, ignoring my question as concern filled her eyes. "Oh, no! Now don't start that!" I said, reaching for a chart. "Who was it that came to my house last night, bearing Chinese food, telling me to get my ass back to work?" I joked. I looked at the chart and said, "I appreciate your concern, but please don't treat me like I'm wounded. It's time. I need to get back to work, but most of all, I need people to start treating me normally again." I was determin
I walked down the hallway after leaving Ms. Johnston's room, thinking about what she had told me, as shock and disbelief filled my body. I just couldn't bring myself to think that a vampire I had an affair with was responsible for my husband's death. Could Lance have killed Steven to get to me? I suddenly remembered what he had said: that he didn't want to share. I shuttered at the thought as tears came to my eyes. If this was true, then I was indirectly responsible for my husband's and his mistress' deaths. I quickly pushed the thought aside, unable to accept it. It was just too much. I couldn't let my mind go down that slippery slope. If I did, my heart would go so far into a pit that I feared it would never recover. Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach at the thought. I covered my mouth quickly and ran to the bathroom, then threw up everything that was in my stomach into the toilet. No, I refused to believe it, but a part of me knew that it might be true as I wiped my mouth and
"Leila, you don't know that it was him," she said in a low voice, sympathetically patting my arm. "It was just an unfortunate accident ""But what if it was him?" I asked, cutting her off. "What if he caused the accident to get to me? To get rid of Steven? I don't know if I could live with ""Now, stop," she said, forcing me to look into her eyes. "Stop that kind of talk right now! You're sounding like a crazy person! You don't know that was what happened. Here. Take a drink." She pushed my coffee cup closer to me. "You just can't think like that. How do you know that it was him? How do you know that it was intentional? The chances of him doing this on purpose ""Rosa, he was looking directly at Steven's car ""That still doesn't prove anything," she interrupted. "A man could have just been crossing the road and stopped when he saw the cars.""Ms. Johnston said that he was just standing in the middle of the road!" I said, a bit louder than I had intended. "Why on earth would someo
I finished my shift, despite the protestations of Leo and Rosa to go home, and I didn't see Lance for the rest of the day. I wondered what Rosa had inadvertently done. I remembered the look of hurt and anger in Lance's eyes as he walked away, and the most prominent of his emotions was the latter. You don't upset a vampire and live to tell about it. "Are you sure that you're going to be all right?" Rosa asked, pulling me in for a quick hug, something that she usually didn't do at work. "Yeah, Rosa, I'll be fine," I said, smiling, then added, "Stop being such a mother hen!""When you grow up, then I'll stop mothering you," she teased, patting my shoulder. "If you need anything, I'm just a phone call away.""I'll be fine, but thanks, Rosa," I said appreciatively."Don't mention it," she said. "Hey, Rosa! We need you in Examining Room Four!" Ellen, another nurse, yelled to her. "Well, they're playing my song!" Rosa joked, blowing me a kiss over her shoulder.I just hoped that it
Leila reached over and took her from me. "Well, Amy and Angela went through a lot of trouble to organize a surprise anniversary party for us, so you'd better not disappoint them and look surprised."In the last several months since The Outsiders attacked and Leila was turned into a vampire, the cure had been perfected and several vampires were turned successfully back into humans. We had to set up a secret relocation program for them, as well, as they would no longer be able to protect themselves from supernatural creatures. Many of the innocent Outsiders were also turned into humans again, successfully. Once they had the cure, their bodies reverted back to their human form, to our relief. Also, Drake had built a private facility just for vampires going through The Change, headed by Amy and Elias. They both would be busy for a long time.I raised my eyebrows and opened my mouth, over exaggerating mock shock. "How's this?""Silly Daddy!" Sirena said as she laid her head on her mothe
"Something tells me that you won't need to bite your wrist for me anymore," she joked, suddenly sounding more like herself."Leila!" I said, crying openly as I pulled her to my chest. I pulled back and crushed my lips to hers, and she responded with all of the pent up passion that we both felt. "Leila, love. I'm so sorry ""Shush," she cooed, looking into my eyes. "It wasn't your fault.""Yes, it was!" I said, as tears ran down my cheeks. "I should have protected you. I should have been there for you!""Shush," she said, then smiled. "You were." I looked at her, puzzled. "You were with me in my heart. Before I died, you were the last thing I thought of; your face was the last thing I saw in my mind. I love you, Lance.""I love you, too," I cooed, "always and forever."Suddenly, the noise behind us began to die down. I helped Leila to her feet. Drake and Amy were behind us, still protecting us, having never left our sides. Amy was holding her scythe, and Drake held my sword. "Than
"Leila?!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as the screams of dying vampires resonated within the cave behind me. I closed my eyes for a moment and then silently prayed. "Please, help me to find them."I opened my eyes. As I looked at the caves, the one in the center of the humongous cavern stood out. I ran down the narrow path, throwing vampires over my head behind me as I ran, letting my coven tear them apart, and killed several at once, taking their heads off easily with my sword. I threw several against the wall with a wave of my hand, who were ripped apart by shifters. Then, I shoved my hand into the chest of another vampire with milky white eyes when he got too close and listened to his screams as he burst into flames. I jumped over his flaming body when I saw a faint light at the end of the tunnel, running my sword through another vampire that was coming at me. As he lay on the ground, I stomped on his throat and ripped his head from his body. As I rushed down the tunnel toward t
We ran over the rough terrain as the wind blew past us. The sun was high overhead, but the heat didn't affect vampires the way it affected humans. None of the elements did. We ran over mountains and even jumped over a gorge, not losing one vampire. Within minutes, the sound of running water rushing by filled my ears and I knew we were getting close. Soon, the black and red mountain peaks rose up before us. Within minutes, we were on the edge of Promontory Point, on the west side of the Hoover Dam.I looked down at the blue lake and at all of the surrounding igneous rock formations that created mountains, just as Xander came up on my right side. "She could be anywhere."Xander clasped a hand on my shoulder. "We'll find her." Then, he turned to his wolf pack, who had joined us. "Split up! Look for any sign of Leila and the baby!" Xander then began ordering his pack to go in every direction. Immediately, they leapt and turned into werewolves in midair, digging into the sand and pushing
I pulled the phone out of my pocket and dialed Javier's number."Mr. Steel," he answered on the first ring. "Who was standing guard?""Gregory and Cal," he said in clipped tones, knowing that I meant the penthouse"The Outsiders took Leila," I said, headed down the stairwell. "Round up some men. We're going after her. Meet me in the lobby in five.""Yes, sir," he said as I hung up the phone and dialed Ferdinand's number. "Mr. Steel?""How the hell did The Outsiders get into the castle?!" I demanded."The fire alarm sounded and there was smoke," he said, his heels clicking against the hard, tiled floor of the lobby. He was in the casino. "We were busy evacuating the guests ""While they came after my family?!""They must have come in the back way," Ferdinand said. "There was chaos ""Tell me about it later. We're going after Leila." I hung up the phone just as I reached the bottom of the stairwell, flung open the door, and looked around, spotting him walking toward me. The
I pulled out my cell phone and quickly dialed Adeline's number, but there was no answer. I shook my head, realizing how close I had come to becoming human. Just a few minutes later and I wouldn't have been able to save my family. I just hoped that I wasn't too late. I quickly dialed Javier's number as I headed out the front door of Kalyssa's cottage."Lance?" he said, answering on the first ring. Chaos erupted in the background as my heart sank."What happened?""Oh, thank God it's you," he said. "Leila has been ""I know. Xander just told me," I replied. "Where is she?" I was already starting to run, not waiting for Amy, Xander, and Elias."I don't know, but someone had to have taken her." Sirens sounded loudly in the distance.Anger filled my body. "Tell me about it when I get there. I'm on my way."I clicked off my phone and ran at super speed across the desert, faster than a car could travel. My vampire seethed for vengeance, pushing me harder, faster, as memories of the y
I woke in a cold sweat. Moonlight was streaming in through the window, piercing the darkness. Hunger rose within me; a hunger like I'd never known before. I needed blood and I needed it now. I rose from the bed and stalked toward the door.I could smell blood and it smelled luscious.My fangs extended immediately as I skulked down the hallway, closer to the delicious scent, closer to what I wanted, closer to what I craved. The scent grew stronger, more delicious, more tempting as I drew near and it was clearly, fully human. I placed my hands on the wall, beyond all reason, beyond sanity, as I inched closer to my target. I turned the corner, ready, as saliva rushed into my mouth in anticipation of the meal in which I was about to indulge. My heart pounded against my ribcage, as if it wanted this kill just as much as I. My vampire seethed within my chest, inching me closer, but when I turned the next corner it was Leila."My God, Lance! You scared me!" she said as she reached for t
"Have you thought of becoming human for her?" I asked in a low voice.Kellen let out a deep breath and sat back down on the couch. "Yes, I have.""And?" I knew that I was prying, but he had been a vampire for a very long time, and becoming human again was a big step.Kellen bit his lower lip, thinking, and then looked directly into my eyes. "Yes. I would do it. If I could grow old with her, I would do it in a heartbeat," he said without hesitation. "That's why I get it, Lance, between you and Leila. I get why you're doing this. I would do the same thing, if I were in your shoes."I reached out and clasped his hand, giving him a man shake. "What does Crissy say about it?"He shrugged. "She wants to become a vampire for me."I nodded. "And how do you feel about that?"He shook his head. "Man, I love her with all of my heart, but I don't want that for her." He pushed up from the couch, walked across the room, and then turned around abruptly. "I want her to go to college. To have
She smiled. "Well, after tomorrow, it won't be a problem.""Well, after tomorrow, you won't be able to find me.""Not until after the baby's born," Amy corrected. "After Leila's fully recovered, then you can go anywhere you wish.""Sounds good to me." For a moment, I wondered if we had another child and we were both human, would the child be human, too? But I brushed the thought aside. After this baby was born, we would have two children, which was more than I had ever hoped for."Well, I'm off," Elias said as he headed toward the door. "Amy, I hate to leave you alone with him in this state."She smiled. "I'll be fine. Go! Your patients await. I, on the other hand, am off from work for the next few weeks."Elias laughed. "Yeah, yeah! Don't rub it in.""You really need to take some time off, too, though."Elias laughed. "Well, with my staff taking time off ""Okay, don't you have to go?""Why? Trying to get rid of me already?""Yes! How'd you guess?"We all laughed when ther