"This is my decision. Not yours," Charles snapped. "In the long run, this is best for her. I will not burden her with my problems."
Mel raised her eyes to heaven. "What a cop out."
"How about this." Zigor paced the room slowly, his brow furrowed in thought. "I "ll tell her you encountered vampire hunters and haven"t been seen since. I"ll give you three months to come to your senses before I tell her you"re dead."
"No."
"Excuse me?" Zigor glared. "I think I"m being very generous, considering this entire conversation sickens me. You are acting like a coward, boy. That"s not something you learned from me."
Charles"s teeth ground. The coward comment didn"t sit well with him, but he was in no position to goad Zigor further. If he did, the ancient might not help him at all. "I think it"s better for her to just get over me and go on with her life."
"Well I don"t. And one more thing, if you don"t confess to her and I ever find out you have taken up with another mortal, I will hunt you down and kill you myself. Do you understand?"
"That might not be so easily done." Fury filled Charles. His fists clenched at his sides. How he longed to ram Zigor"s arrogance down his throat once and for all. What enraged him most was that his Master was right. He was taking the coward"s way out. He"d endured torture at enemy hands, had fought through the worst battles in history, but nothing had ever frightened him as much as the thought of being rejected by this young mortal woman.
Moistening her dry lips, Marie followed Mel and Zigor into a private room at Burgundy Peak. She and Charles sometimes spent an evening at their friends" club. Zigor was Charles"s vampiric creator, and Charles had told her many stories of the old days when they rode together as warriors. Something about Zigor intimidated her. He rarely smiled and possessed such a discerning expression in his dark blue eyes that he made a person feel completely naked. His companion, Mel, was his opposite. She was outspoken and had a wonderful sense of humor. She and Marie became friends as soon as they met.
When Charles had disappeared two days ago, she had immediately contacted Zigor and Mel to see if they knew where he was. This evening when she stepped into Burgundy Peak and they asked to speak with her privately, she sensed something was terribly wrong.
"Sit." Zigor offered her a chair.
Marie"s pulse raced so that she almost felt faint.
Sitting beside her, Mel placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Charles had a run in with some hunters and he"s missing."
"Missing?"
"I have searched for him and will continue to do so," Zigor stated. "However, when a vampire is trapped by hunters, the odds are rarely in his favor."
"What -- what happened?"
"I"m not sure of all the details, but it seems he was on one of his moral crusades again."
Drawing a deep breath, Marie fought back tears. d.a.m.n Charles and his integrity! Most vampires kept to themselves. Self-preservation was even more rampant among their kind than among humankind. Why did he have to play the part of a hero? Still, his sense of honor was one of the things she loved about him. She just prayed that it would not destroy him. Wherever he was, she hoped he wasn"t suffering.
"You know the relationship Charles and I share." Zigor held her gaze. "He once asked me to tell you, should anything happen to him, that you are to go on with your life."
"He is my life." Unable to control the tears trickling from her eyes, she swiped them with her hand. "I"m sorry."
"It"s all right." Mel hugged her.
"Is there anything I can do to help look for him? I"m human, maybe it would be easier for me to find the hunters."
Zigor and Mel exchanged glances.
"No," Zigor stated. "These hunters are known to us. They would sooner expose themselves to a vampire with the hope of trapping him than welcome a strange mortal into their circle. Please believe that my acquaintances and I are doing everything in our power to return him to you."
"Would you like me to take you home?"
"Thanks, Mel, but I need to be alone for a while." Standing, Marie walked to the door. "Please keep me posted on what you find."
"We will."
Numb, Marie walked to her car. She sat for several moments, trembling, her heart breaking. Charles couldn"t be dead.
Gazing at the engagement ring sparkling on her finger, she never felt so empty in her life.
I love you, Charles. Wherever you are, I love you so much. Please come back to me. I don"t care how long I have to wait.
Chapter Three.
Three Months Later October 28th Growling, Charles blinked sweat from his eyes and slashed the air with his twin swords. For several moments, he fought with his shadow cast on the concrete wall of an abandoned parking garage. A fire burned in the center of the garage, its scent reminding Charles of nights long ago when he had trained for battle amidst the ruins of his family"s ancestral home.
Since sustaining his injuries, he had spent most of his time practicing with his swords and other weapons of his youth. It helped keep his mind off his problems, though it couldn"t sway his thoughts from Marie. Mel said she"d been quite upset when they"d brought her the news, but she"d held up with admirable strength.
"She"s a survivor," Mel had said. "She has courage."
"Remember what that"s like?" Zigor had taunted.
It seemed everyone was p.i.s.sed off about his decision regarding his fiancee. His friends had lectured him more times than he cared to remember. Though he tried avoiding everyone, he had been paying for bottles of blood at the bar at Burgundy Peak, so his path had crossed Mel and Zigor"s several times. Mel and Marie saw each other often. The times when he"d caught her scent on Mel had been almost too much to handle. It seemed to clutch him in the heart and the c.o.c.k at the same time.
No one understood that he was doing the right thing by leaving her. Even if she did accept his deformity, it wouldn"t be the last time his life was in danger. Something inside him refused to turn his back on evil. He felt there was a purpose to his vampirism. In his mortal life, he had been a warrior, a protector of his people. Deep inside, he believed he had been fated to become immortal and use his power to right the wrongs of the world.
Most other vampires scoffed at his philosophy. By nature, they were predators who preferred to hunt alone. Though Zigor spent centuries battling with Charles over his decision to sacrifice himself for people in need, he knew his Master at least understood his desires. Zigor relished his power and enjoyed dominance over all those surrounding him, yet he had never deliberately harmed creatures weaker than himself. Perhaps through the sharing of their blood, the ancient Master"s code of ethics had reinforced Charles"s heroic nature.
Heroic. Of late, Zigor considered him nothing but a coward. Zigor couldn"t understand that Charles wanted to protect Marie as well as himself. Over the past two years, he"d seen fear and worry in her eyes too many times when she learned of his confrontations with other vampires, not to mention the hunters. She needed a more dependable man, one who refused to engage in private wars no one else seemed to care about.
"That is good. You remember all I taught you."
Charles spun, his chest heaving from exertion, and stared at his Master who stood on the chipped concrete steps leading down to the garage. Moonlight illuminated Zigor" s tall, sinewy form and glinted off his waist length black hair.
"Practicing helps me focus."
"Unless you are completely honest with yourself, there will never be balance in your life."
Charles grunted. Sheathing his swords, he approached Zigor. "Have you or Mel seen Marie lately?"
"Yes."
"How is she?"
"How do you think?"
"I thought she might have forgotten about me."
"Even mortals" memories aren"t that short."
Charles rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms. He"d been training since dusk and it was nearly midnight. His sweat soaked clothes clung uncomfortably to his skin. It was time for a hot shower and a meal. Moments like this he especially missed Marie. Every night he longed to talk with her, eat with her, and sip her delicious blood. He wanted so much to sweep her into his arms and make love with her. It was so long since he"d been touched by her. His c.o.c.k leapt at the image of her sensual lips parted in a sigh of pleasure. The thought of her full, creamy b.r.e.a.s.t.s tipped with rosebud nipples sent his pulse racing out of control.
"She misses you so much. With love comes responsibility. You are shirking yours, unless of course, you never truly loved her."
"I love Marie more than anything."
"You have a strange way of showing it. The woman is sick with worry."
Charles"s heart seemed to drop to his feet. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I"m serious. She"s scarcely been working."
"What about her graphics business?"
"She doesn"t seem to care that much about it anymore. The few times she"s gone out with Mel it was nearly impossible to make her leave the house. She keeps waiting for some word about you."
"She"s a strong woman." Charles tried ignoring the guilt inside him. "She"ll handle it."
"I think you did do her a favor. She is too good for you."
"She always was."
"f.u.c.k it!" His fangs exposed and his eyes flashing, Zigor shoved Charles full in the chest. "What is wrong with you? I know you, Charles. I made you. You fight for what is yours. You don"t slink away from it!"
Instinctively, Charles bared his fangs and rammed Zigor against the wall, not caring if he incited his creator"s wrath. "I do, but Marie is not property. She"s an individual and deserves the best."
The men stepped away from each other, growling deep in their chests.
Zigor glared. "At one time I thought you were the best."
Surprised, Charles paused. The Master"s praise was difficult to earn. Never before had Zigor bestowed such a compliment upon Charles. Unfortunately, the qualities that made one "the best" to another man were insignificant when applied from a woman"s point of view. Of course, when he ran a similar observation by Mel, she had disagreed. Surprisingly, she had given him the best advice in learning to deal with the stares he drew from almost everyone he pa.s.sed. Usually, he glared at the onlookers, even growled or picked fights with them. Mel had suggested that he smile instead, as they were most likely curious but ignorant. Surprisingly, many times they smiled back.
What he wouldn"t give for one of those smiles to belong to Marie. Instead of becoming easier, each day without her was pure torture. He wanted to go to her and tell her everything, regardless of whether she welcomed him or looked upon him with disgust. Something stopped him. As he said, she wasn"t property or a puppet to be used for his whims. He made a decision and needed to stand by it.
"There will be a masquerade party this week at Burgundy Peak. You will come."
"I should." Charles snorted. "I"ve got a permanent costume."
"Your self-pity is wearing thin, Charles."
"I"m not in the mood for parties."
"It might be enjoyable."
"You hate Halloween parties, Zigor. Your employees hold one every year and I don"t think you"ve ever been."
"This year I have decided to indulge Melinda. We will be attending as a Viking warrior and maiden."
Charles snorted with laughter. "Might be worth going just to get a look at that. I hope you"re not wearing one of those silly horned helmets."
"Of course not. No man wore such a headdress into battle. I will be in a replication of the armor I wore back in 950."
Shaking his head, Charles headed for the stairs. It was really time to go home and take that shower. If only he could share it with Marie.
Marie. She would love the masquerade.
Masquerade! Charles"s pulse raced and his mouth went dry. Could he pull it off?
Pausing, he tugged a picture of Marie out of his pocket. Her beautiful green eyes, so kind and filled with humor, stared at him, almost scolding. Those full, sensual lips reminded him of so many nights of hushed conversation and soul stealing kisses.
His plan was crazy, almost childish, but at least it would be a way to see her again without being forced to reveal himself.
b.a.s.t.a.r.d. You are a rotten, self-centered b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Charles Free.
But he missed her too much. He needed to see her again, touch her. Halloween, the most mysterious of all holidays, was the perfect night for a secret admirer to finally approach the object of his pa.s.sion.
Marie glanced at her friend. "Mel, I"m really not in the mood for a party."
"As a favor to me, please come."
"Why is it so important to you?"
"Because you"re my friend and I"m tired of coming here and seeing you in your bathrobe looking depressed. You need to get dressed, go out, and start living again."
"Every time I think of something fun to do, I remember Charles."
"I don"t think he would want you to wallow in depression. I think he would want you to take up your life again and go on."
Marie shook her head. "If I thought he was dead, I might eventually be able to do that, but not now. He could still be alive out there, suffering."
"Or maybe not."
"If he was able to get back to me, don"t you think he would? G.o.d knows what those d.a.m.ned hunters have done to him."
"Please come tonight."
"I don"t have a costume."
"You don"t need one. Just put on a s.e.xy dress."
"I don"t feel very s.e.xy." Marie glanced down at her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s and rounded belly poking against the terrycloth robe. She"d never been uncomfortable with her body, but had never thought it beautiful until meeting Charles. He made her feel like the s.e.xiest woman in the world. Without him, life seemed to have lost its glow.