Immortal Wounds: Book #1 in the Immortal Wounds Vampire Series-Paranormal Romance/Vampire Romance/Romantic Fantasy by Nicole Grane

teeth in the light resembled a sinister smile. He wasn’t looking for me this time—he was looking for Marcus.
    “You won’t touch him,” I hissed as I asserted myself between them.
    He growled, warning me to step aside. I held my stomach for a moment. I knew I was saying goodbye. Damen’s eyes narrowed. He watched as I raised my sword up into the moonlight. A loud growl greeted me as I ran toward him, taking on my final fight.
    Startled, I sat straight up, gripping my stomach as I had in my dream. I looked around the room frantically.
    Marcus was in a chair beside the bed and was instantly at my side.
    “Where is he?” I yelled out, still not focusing on any one thing in the room.
    “Who?”
    “Damen!” I shouted. “He was just here!”
    Marcus leaned slowly back from me, his eyes wide. “Who?” I could hear the uneasiness in his voice.
    I was trying to see out my bedroom window from the bed—I didn’t see anything but the tree outside. I frowned.
    I looked at Marcus and saw his shaken expression. “How do you know that name?” he hissed.
    “He’s the one that killed me!” I said excitedly, as if I’d just cracked the biggest mystery ever.
    “How did you know that?” he spat.
    “You did?”
    “Of course. He was seen fleeing after he . . . but you couldn’t have known that.”
    “I just dreamed it,” I said pausing thoughtfully, a blush coating my cheeks. I drew my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. “I saw so many things . . . you and I in this beautiful room filled with flowers.” I snuck a glance his way.
    Marcus’s mouth opened to speak, then closed. He looked . . . awestruck.
    “I saw you leading troops to battle the werewolves, and me rushing to help, hoping to find you so I could tell you I was . . .” I stopped suddenly. I debated quickly and decided to skip this memory for now. I bit my lip nervously. “I even saw my fight with Damen.” I reached out to touch Marcus's stunned face, noticing my bare arm for the first time. I followed it back to my body, looking down—I was completely naked beneath the covers. “MARCUS!”
    He immediately knew what I was thinking. His expression went from one of disbelief to shockingly-embarrassed in a fraction of a second. “You fell in the shower and hit your head!” he said defensively. “I didn’t look, honestly. I wrapped you in your towel and put you right into bed. I’ve been sitting right over there ever since, watching you, making sure you were alright.” He pointed to the chair in the corner.
    I looked down and lifted the covers back. I was indeed wrapped in my bath towel. I reached behind my head, rubbing the small knot that was throbbing as we spoke.
    “I told you that you were in shock,” he scolded, trying to divert the attention off him. “You could have drowned!”
    I smiled at him through flushed cheeks. “It appears you have me at a disadvantage Mr. Ashworth.”
    His face looked puzzled.
    My eyes dropped as I smoothed the covers over me. “It would seem that there is nothing left for the imagination where I’m concerned,” I teased.
    Marcus blushed in his own way. But I could see there was something else weighing on his mind. He sat on the edge of the bed; his eyes reluctantly meeting mine.
    “Marcus?” I was starting to feel uneasy.
    “Phoebe, I have to ask. Do you really believe that I let you die? That I didn’t . . . love you enough?” His voice cracked as he spoke.
    I hung my head in shame. “No, I don’t believe that. I think you loved me more than I can imagine. I don’t know why I said those things to you last night.” I buried my face in my hands.
    Marcus scooted over, pulling me against him. I rested my head on his chest and breathed in deeply. It seemed like forever ago that I took in his sweet scent. “I was afraid for you to leave me,” I admitted. “Marcus. I don’t want to die.”
    “You won’t!” he said with a hint of finality in his voice. “As for Damen . . .” His tone had