Vows of a Vampire Read Online Free PDF Page A

spine. She swallowed hard, afraid to ask her next question. “Do you know what happened to my mother?”
    He sat at the edge of the lounge. His close proximity made her heart pound.
    “Yes, as do you. Your mind has sheltered you. The scene you witnessed as a little girl could have scarred you for life.”
    Helplessness, that’s what she remembered most. “I think that I remember bits and pieces, but mostly I remember I was scared and couldn’t do anything. I’ve always wanted to know… Um. Never mind.”
    He leaned forward and she glanced briefly at his broad shoulders and sculpted chest. It was difficult to ignore the way her body had heated up since he’d entered the room. She flushed and felt herself go wet between her thighs. Why did she act like a kid in a candy store?
    “Please, what do you want to know?”
    She chewed her lip, afraid of the answer. “Did she go in peace?”
    He replied with a solemn nod. Aubrey reached out her hand and touched his shoulder. “Please, would you tell me what happened?”
    The sadness in his expression seeped into his voice. “I’m not sure you want to hear it from me.”
    Who else would ever be so bold and honest? “No one else will tell me the truth. I’ve been lied to for most of my life.”
    His hesitation made her pulse pound. “It’s upsetting…”
    She sighed. The one person who knew and he was being resistant. “I’m an adult. Twenty years have passed. I should be able to handle it better than I could at ten. Please, I beg you.”
    Aubrey took hold of both his hands. Warm. Inviting. Strangely familiar. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch his face, press her lips to his.
    After an extended pause he finally spoke. “Very well. I’ll stop any time you want.”
    She nodded and prompted him with a look to continue.
    “There had been a string of murders in the neighbourhood where you used to live. Because of the manner in which the people were found, rumours spread of a rabid animal or an evil monster. I’ll spare you the grisly details, for they’re unnecessary.”
    Her chest tightened. “Was it an animal?”
    His lip twitched briefly. “No, the newspapers would later declare the person a serial killer. At the time, no one cared about facts. Drama sells papers. The truth doesn’t. People sought to put blame on anything or anyone seeming even the slightest bit out of place. Acquaintances and friends of your mother claimed the nights Dante was seen in her home were the same nights the reported deaths occurred.”
    Shivers feathered down her spine. “Is that true?”
    He shrugged. “If they were it was merely coincidental. Close friends betrayed your mother and went to the police. They said a strange man visited her at night and was gone well before the sun rose, prompting suspicion. They said he had white, pasty skin and devil red eyes, and that they feared for their lives. Once word got around, the rumours spread like wildfire. They screamed vampire and pointed fingers at Dante.”
    Aubrey shook. It all sounded frightening and ridiculous at the same time. Something from a late-night movie, not real life. “What did my mother do?”
    He reached out for her, but she cowered. Not so much out of fear, but more for what his touch did to her.
    “As Dante relayed it to me, he told your mother he would stop seeing her until the panic died down, but she wouldn’t have it. They were truly in love. He always said it was love at first sight. Your mother refused to let others tear them apart. On the night your mother passed away, Dante had just left when several men broke into your home. She hid you in the closet and told you to stay put, no matter what.”
    Blood drained from her face, the memory, a faded picture in her mind. “She must have been frightened.”
    Varick stood and paced in front of her. “Love was her strength. You see, Dante could have changed her into an immortal, but he loved her too much and didn’t want to make her choose. Didn’t