Night's Surrender Read Online Free PDF Page B

gone.
    He grunted softly. He wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t there. After all, he hadn’t really expected her to spend the day waiting for him. What surprised him was the depth of his disappointment. He hardly knew the girl, and yet he was drawn to her in ways he couldn’t explain.
    After leaving the condo, he strolled the crowded streets to her apartment. He loved hunting in New York. A vampire could find prey on every corner, he thought with a wry grin, and there was no end of variety. Male and female—and some who hadn’t yet made up their minds—people of every ethnic origin imaginable. A veritable smorgasbord of humanity to choose from.
    But it wasn’t prey on his mind just now.
    He took the stairs to Abbey’s apartment two at a time. An indrawn breath told him she wasn’t here, either. A second breath told him another vampire had been there not long ago.
    Frowning, Nick returned to the street. He had smelled vampire on her before, but not this particular vampire. Was she in the habit of keeping company with the Undead? The thought that she might be a hunter skittered, unwanted, across his mind again.
    Was it possible that the lovely Abbey Marie was not the innocent she seemed?
    Determined to see her again, hunter or not, he opened his vampire senses, homing in on the blood link that bound them together.

Chapter Seven
    Abbey woke early on her first day back at home. For a moment, she lay in bed, listening to the familiar sounds of the house. Outside, a rooster crowed. Smiling, she threw back the covers, bounded out of bed, and headed for the shower. It had been a long time since she’d gotten up with the chickens, she thought with a grin.
    After showering, she pulled on a pair of jeans, donned a red sweatshirt over a white T-shirt, and tugged on a pair of well-worn boots. A cup of coffee and a doughnut served as breakfast.
    Although her parents could both be up and about during the day, they preferred to sleep late, often not rising until midafternoon.
    With that thought in mind, Abbey grabbed three apples and hurried down to the barn, eager to ride while the air was still cool. She could move into the cottage later. Right now, she wanted to see her horse.
    Freckles whinnied softly when Abbey entered the barn. Her father’s gelding and her mother’s chestnut added their greetings to the Appy’s.
    â€œHey, girl.” Abbey offered the apples to the horses, idly scratched the mare’s neck while Freckles quickly devoured hers, then sniffed Abbey’s hand, looking for more.
    After dropping a halter over the Appy’s head, Abbey led her out of the stall. She picked the mare’s feet and gave her coat a quick going-over with a dandy brush before lifting the heavy Western saddle into place.
    Abbey tightened the cinch, gave Freckles an affectionate pat on the rump, and swung onto her back. Nudging the mare with her heels, she rode out of the barn and into the cool, misty morning.
    Holding Freckles to a walk, Abbey wondered why she had ever left home. She loved it here, loved the horses, the cattle, the sense of freedom that riding gave her. How had she ever thought to find happiness in a small apartment in a crowded city?
    When Freckles tugged on the reins, Abbey loosened her hold and the mare took off running. As they flew across the dew-damp grass, laughter bubbled up inside Abbey. Oh, how she had missed this! The sting of the wind in her face, the power of the animal beneath her, the rhythmic pounding of hooves. It was exhilarating.
    Abbey let Freckles run flat out until, sides heaving, the mare slowed of her own accord.
    Abbey reined Freckles to a halt in the shade of a tall oak. After dismounting, she stood there a moment, idly scratching the mare’s ears while taking in the beauty of the land that stretched away into the distance, the vast blue vault of the sky. The air was crisp, redolent with the scents of earth and grass, trees and