ridiculous book,
then he starts the tours, then the Dracula restaurant and hotel, and now this. I swear, God as
my witness, I'm going to get an ax and kill him once and for all."
Francesca's light blue eyes were warm with concern. Even though she was a wolf in animal
form, those eyes were very catlike when she was human. The only thing the human
Francesca shared with her wolf counterpart was her thick, dark chestnut hair. And speedy
reflexes. "Calm down, Retta . You know he's only doing this to get under your skin."
"And it's working."
"C'mon, he wouldn't really do this."
"To get back at me? Yes, he would." She ground her teeth in frustration as she continued to
call down the wrath of hell on his head. For centuries Velkan had done nothing but strike at
her and her family. "I hate that man with every fiber of my being."
"Why did you marry him then?"
That was something she didn't want to think about. Even five hundred years later, she could
still see the night they'd met clearly in her mind. She'd been on her way home from the
convent, for a visit with her father when her party had been attacked by Turks. They'd killed
everyone but her and were well on their way to raping her when all of a sudden her
assailants had been beheaded.
Too scared to scream, she'd lain on the ground, covered in their blood, waiting for her own
death as she looked up at the men in armor who were routing the few attackers who'd
managed to run.
Dressed in his dull black armor that held a gold serpent emblem, the knight who'd killed her
would-be rapists had quickly wrapped her in his fur-lined cloak and picked her up from the
ground. Without a word to her, Velkan had carried her on the back of his destrier to his
home, where he'd made sure she was well tended and fed.
She could still remember the sight of his fierceness, the raw power that had bled from every
part of him. He'd worn a black basinet helm that'd been fashioned to look like a bird of prey
so that it inspired fear in his enemies. And it had definitely scared her to the core of her
soul.
She'd had no idea of his features until later that night when he'd come to check on her. But it
wasn't his handsomeness or his strength that had captivated her, it'd been his uncertainty
around her. The fact that this man who'd been so intrepid and strong before the Turks had
actually trembled when he reached out to touch her.
It'd been love at first sight.
Or so she thought.
Her heart aching from the memory, Retta curled her lip as she banished that memory and
reminded herself that in the end Velkan had betrayed her and murdered her father. "I was
young and stupid, and had no idea what I was letting myself in for. I thought he was a noble
prince. I had no idea he was barely one step up from a monkey." She grabbed the
printed-out page that Francesca had brought to lunch from Yahoo! News. "I take that back
and I deeply apologize to all the primates of the earth for insulting them. He's not worthy of
monkeydom . He's a slimy slug trail."
Francesca dipped her french fry into ketchup. "I don't know, I think it's kind of sweet that he
keeps doing these stunts to get you to come see him."
Yeah, right. "That's not why he's doing this. He's trying to torture me and get back at my
father. This isn't about tender feelings. It's about a man who's ruthless. A man who, even
after five hundred years, can't let my family rest in peace. He's an animal." Sighing, Retta
tossed the paper back to the table and reached into her purse for her Treo phone.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm booking a flight to Transylvania so that I can kill him in person. Then I'm going to stop
these antics once and for all."
Francesca snorted. "No, you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"Then make it two."
Retta would have questioned that, since shape-shifting Were-Hunters could teleport from
one location to another, but for some reason Francesca had always liked to travel with her.
Of course, if Retta were
then he starts the tours, then the Dracula restaurant and hotel, and now this. I swear, God as
my witness, I'm going to get an ax and kill him once and for all."
Francesca's light blue eyes were warm with concern. Even though she was a wolf in animal
form, those eyes were very catlike when she was human. The only thing the human
Francesca shared with her wolf counterpart was her thick, dark chestnut hair. And speedy
reflexes. "Calm down, Retta . You know he's only doing this to get under your skin."
"And it's working."
"C'mon, he wouldn't really do this."
"To get back at me? Yes, he would." She ground her teeth in frustration as she continued to
call down the wrath of hell on his head. For centuries Velkan had done nothing but strike at
her and her family. "I hate that man with every fiber of my being."
"Why did you marry him then?"
That was something she didn't want to think about. Even five hundred years later, she could
still see the night they'd met clearly in her mind. She'd been on her way home from the
convent, for a visit with her father when her party had been attacked by Turks. They'd killed
everyone but her and were well on their way to raping her when all of a sudden her
assailants had been beheaded.
Too scared to scream, she'd lain on the ground, covered in their blood, waiting for her own
death as she looked up at the men in armor who were routing the few attackers who'd
managed to run.
Dressed in his dull black armor that held a gold serpent emblem, the knight who'd killed her
would-be rapists had quickly wrapped her in his fur-lined cloak and picked her up from the
ground. Without a word to her, Velkan had carried her on the back of his destrier to his
home, where he'd made sure she was well tended and fed.
She could still remember the sight of his fierceness, the raw power that had bled from every
part of him. He'd worn a black basinet helm that'd been fashioned to look like a bird of prey
so that it inspired fear in his enemies. And it had definitely scared her to the core of her
soul.
She'd had no idea of his features until later that night when he'd come to check on her. But it
wasn't his handsomeness or his strength that had captivated her, it'd been his uncertainty
around her. The fact that this man who'd been so intrepid and strong before the Turks had
actually trembled when he reached out to touch her.
It'd been love at first sight.
Or so she thought.
Her heart aching from the memory, Retta curled her lip as she banished that memory and
reminded herself that in the end Velkan had betrayed her and murdered her father. "I was
young and stupid, and had no idea what I was letting myself in for. I thought he was a noble
prince. I had no idea he was barely one step up from a monkey." She grabbed the
printed-out page that Francesca had brought to lunch from Yahoo! News. "I take that back
and I deeply apologize to all the primates of the earth for insulting them. He's not worthy of
monkeydom . He's a slimy slug trail."
Francesca dipped her french fry into ketchup. "I don't know, I think it's kind of sweet that he
keeps doing these stunts to get you to come see him."
Yeah, right. "That's not why he's doing this. He's trying to torture me and get back at my
father. This isn't about tender feelings. It's about a man who's ruthless. A man who, even
after five hundred years, can't let my family rest in peace. He's an animal." Sighing, Retta
tossed the paper back to the table and reached into her purse for her Treo phone.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm booking a flight to Transylvania so that I can kill him in person. Then I'm going to stop
these antics once and for all."
Francesca snorted. "No, you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"Then make it two."
Retta would have questioned that, since shape-shifting Were-Hunters could teleport from
one location to another, but for some reason Francesca had always liked to travel with her.
Of course, if Retta were
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