JARHARIS by Fawn Lowery Page A

quench his thirst filling his mind. He flew into the nightclub district and transformed, strolling along the street as though he were mortal. He spied two females coming toward him on the sidewalk. He ducked quickly into the shadow of a building and waited for them to approach.
    He heard their soft voices then laughter as they passed in front of the alley. He sprang forward, taking up a position directly behind them on the sidewalk. A quick wave of his hand and they were under his power.
    Obey me! They halted their feet and turned toward him, their eyes glassy. He circled their waists with his arms, placing himself between them and resumed walking up the sidewalk. To all passersby they were merely strolling along with nothing out of the ordinary taking place. As soon as the next dark alley appeared Jarharis steered the pair into the passageway.
    He cleared his mind of all else aside from the need for blood that beckoned to him and fed first on the larger of the women then the smaller one, taking his fill before releasing them back onto the street. He transformed quickly and leapt into the air, the thought that he had not harmed either of the women to any great extent solidified in his mind.
    As on the nights before, once he had nourished his body with warm blood, his thoughts turned to Selena, and sex. He mentally chided himself for slipping into a rut. He smiled. The fact that all his needs were being met by the magical powers of the witch’s amulet left him free to pursue other pleasures.
    Mi’s warning came swiftly to mind. Aston’s legion was nearby, watching, planning to destroy him. He realized that he would have to take the pixie’s advice and aide the vampire club, regardless of how insane he thought their efforts appeared to be. For a brief second he recalled the group’s attempt to destroy the vampire creature they had captured the past evening. They were poorly equipped to do battle with the undead.
    He arrived at Selena’s apartment just as she was leaving for the evening, her battle fare tucked safely into her left boot.
    “Come with me. The group is hunting on the outskirts of the city. Tanya thinks Aston’s sanctuary is somewhere in that vicinity.”
    Jarharis took hold of her upper arms, halting her steps as she headed down the sidewalk. Thoughts of his encounter with Aston last night came quickly back to mind. “You may be walking into a trap.”
    “Tanya said—”
    “She may be luring the group into danger, Selena. Remember, she belongs to Aston.”
    “She’s just pretending to be with him. She hates him and wants the club to destroy him.”
    “You’re too trusting. Aston has immense power over anyone he’s turned.”
    “But she’s been keeping us informed of his activities, Jarharis . Doesn’t that prove she’s on our side?”
    He shook his head. “ I don’t trust her.”
    Selena sighed. “Well she’s the best informant the club has. Just last night, she told us where the vampire was that you ended up helping us kill.”
    He contemplated her words. On the one hand, it almost sounded as though Tanya was aiding the club, telling them where to find a lone vampire to destroy, but on the other hand, she hadn’t given them Aston. The poor creature she had directed them to was capable of little more than finding sustenance for his withering body.
    He thought about the threat Aston had made against Selena. He didn’t impress him as a vampire who made idle threats. No. He fully intended to carry out his promise of turning her. And then Selena would be his to command. His senses wrenched at the thought of beautiful Selena being the pawn of a ruthless vampire. “All right. I’ll help the club.”
    She threw herself against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly. “I knew you’d see things my way.” She kissed his cheek then his lips, pressing her breasts against his chest and tangling her hands in his long hair.
    A shiver of longing coursed through his