Promise Me Anthology by Tara Fox Hall

head. “Women like you are the
reason males continue to rule this world.”
    “Ease off, Leri,” Vince said gruffly,
shifting nervously. “I have no problems taking your orders.”
    “Because you know I’ll turn you into a
castrated duck if you don’t,” the woman said sweetly with icy eyes.
She turned back to Heather. “Goodbye,” she said with an arrogant
sniff, then turned and walked elegantly away.
    Heather was silent the whole trip back. Devlin was a king. If he turned her...if she could make him love
her...she could be his queen.
    * * * *
    In the months that followed, Heather resumed
her affair with Devlin. But she was careful this time to hide her
desire for him. She made it a point to cancel one of her bi-monthly
visits with him that summer, citing her busy intern schedule. The
scheme seemed to work. Her bimonthly visits took place every other
Friday evening at his home instead of at a hotel.
    But one thing still bothered Heather. Devlin
refused to talk of turning her. He also wouldn’t let her spend
entire Saturdays with him, insisting he needed to rest. Heather did
what he asked, hoping that by conceding to his wishes she would
earn more of his trust. That was the only way into his life
permanently, so he couldn’t ever shut her out again.
    It was the following spring when the illness
came. At first, Heather just thought it was a spring cold, a
holdover from the fast fading winter. But as she grew more and more
lethargic, the symptoms became harder to push away...and impossible
to hide.
    “You’ve lost weight,” Devlin said one night
gently, after making love. “Are you sleeping alright?”
    “When I’m here, I sleep fine,” Heather
answered weakly.
    “Tell me the truth,” Devlin said, an edge to
his words. “How are you feeling?”
    “I’m tired more often,” Heather admitted.
“Sunlight makes me feel sick. So does food sometimes...” she
trailed off.
    “Except rare meat?” Devlin supplied, his tone
distant.
    “I’m vegetarian,” Heather said evasively.
    “Not for much longer,” Devlin said hollowly,
sitting up. “Unless we take another hiatus.”
    Fear blossomed in Heather. She couldn’t go
through another half a year without Dev. “Turn me.”
    Devlin stared at her, then shook his head.
“You don’t know what you’re asking, Heather.” He got up from the
bed. “Maybe our break this time should be permanent.”
    Something told Heather it was now or never.
She had only the next few moments to change his mind. “How can you
say that to me like it’s nothing? Like I’m nothing?”
    “Could you be more of an idiot?” Devlin said
harshly, his eyes bleeding to red.
    Heather, shocked by his casual cruelty, begun
hastily gathering her clothes and dressing. All she could feel was
hurt, and his next words fell on deaf ears
    “It’s because I’m fond of you that I don’t
want to screw up your life. We had good times together, Heather.
But we’re nearing the end of our story. And unless you want this to
be a tragedy instead of a good memory, you and I have to end our
relationship.” He handed her purse to her. “I’ll have my man drive
you home.”
    Heather didn’t answer him. When she was in
the backseat heading down the long gravel driveway, she burst into
tears.
    She arrived home to her small apartment,
exhausted. Falling into bed, she fell asleep fully dressed. Near
midnight, she woke in fear, a hand over her mouth.
    “Quiet,” a raspy voice said, “Or we’ll gag
you.” Heather kept still as another person began to bind her hands
and feet. She watched in fear as several more shadowy figures came
into her bedroom, wincing as the light was turned on. There were
five people: two women, and three men, the oldest appearing to be
the leader.
    “This is her?” he stated.
    One of the women nodded. “We tracked her
coming and going from Hayden three times now. And she’s been seen
out in the vampire’s company more than once in the past year.”
    “You don’t have