Whispers of Night: 1 (Immortal Embrace) by Erin Simone Page A

goodbye. Her unhappiness affected him, causing an inner torment to brew. He ran his palms down his face, still fighting the urge to go to her. He wanted to take away her sadness, not cause it. But what choice did he have? Letting her be a part of his world was too dangerous.
    Sharing sex with her last night was a mistake. It had obviously upset her, which hadn’t been his intent.
    Bloody perfect… He grimaced. There was no way to fix the quandary he’d created. At least she’d get over him before being sucked in too deep.
    Marcus’ words stung him as he watched her through the glass. She deserved better. He closed his eyes and sat back on his haunches as a wave of loneliness swept over him. It was going to be a long night with no relief in sight. Hopefully, his concern for her safety would be for nothing and she could go back to her life without any more interference from him.
    He sighed heavily. Letting go was going to be painful but necessary. He hated the fact that he wasn’t human. If he were, things might’ve been different between them. Maybe they’d have married and started a family. He’d have liked that, which surprised him, considering he’d never entertained such a notion when he was human.
    It’s nothing more than a pipe dream, lad. She was born in this century, and you in another. Your paths never would’ve been destined to cross. “It’s nothing more than a bunch of wishful thinking,” he whispered as he rose to his feet.
    Dane glanced over the railing of the balcony, at the street below. There didn’t seem to be any activity going on near her apartment building. He decided it was wise to trace around the area, check the stairwells and the roof to make sure.
    * * * * *
     
    Jenny tried to keep her mind busy by reading. She had hoped if she focused on other things, her thoughts wouldn’t wander back to Dane.
    Maybe I should’ve taken his call. What if he wanted to apologize? He’d called twice. That had to mean something, right?
    Indecision was a bitch. But it was too late to regret her actions. She got up from the kitchen table. Reading wasn’t helping. She couldn’t focus on anything.
    She went over to the balcony and stared out the window. New York City was such a big place for a small-town girl like her. She touched the glass, feeling lost here. Her best friend was back living in California and she was in this big city all alone with no one to confide in. She would’ve called Marley but her friend was vacationing in Europe with family and wouldn’t be back for at least another week.
    This sucks, I need her advice. She rested her forehead against the cool glass.
    I know what she’d probably say. Let him go. He’s out of your league, babe. And she’d be right. She exhaled.
    The doorbell rang, startling her. Huh—wonder who that could be at this hour?
    She walked to the door and peeked into the peephole. A tall, slender female with messy brown hair, pallid skin and dressed in black fatigues was standing outside her door. It was hard to see her profile because she didn’t face the peephole, which struck Jenny as kind of odd. It appeared as if she was doing it on purpose to avoid being recognized.
    “May, may I help you?” she asked, wondering if maybe the woman might be one of her neighbors.
    “Uh, hi—I’m Carole. I live a few doors down from you. I got locked out of my place accidently and I don’t have a spare key. The apartment manager’s office is closed for the night and I need to call my husband at work so he can let me back in. Can I use your phone?” the woman asked.
    Jenny noticed her scan both directions. A warning voice whispered in her head, Don’t let her in.
    “Sorry, I can’t. But if you give me his name and number, I’ll call him for you.”
    The woman’s expression changed as she faced the peephole and a low, threatening hiss escaped her lips, revealing a set of sharp fangs.
    Holy shit! Jenny stumbled back. New Yorkers were a strange lot and this one was