Dragon is still being recalcitrant but I am now up to page 306. I thought you might like a sample of whats in this part of the book... Kevin took a deep breath only after leaving headquarters. He stood outside on the sidewalk in the crisp night air and breathing deeply again. He felt aflutter in his long; he cleared his throat and cough took him by surprise but no blood came up. All the blood in his body had gone to heal his injury, leaving Kevin with an empty tank. He ignored the cramping and concentrated on keeping his features at human norm. Glancing briefly at the subway entrance, Kevin moved past and chose to walk the dozen blocks home. Even at this late hour, the trains would be too crowded for him to risk that mode of travel. The sidewalks were relatively empty and Kevin easily avoided contact with a few pedestrians and transients out and about. He entered his apartment building with relief and took an empty elevator up to the tenth floor. Her scent flowed around him as he opened the door. Comfort warred with need. “Hi!” The sight of her was like a mirage in the desert: fresh greenery, sparkling water and the sweet scent of jasmine. Kevin clamped down hard on the desire for blood. The predator strained at the desperate control and Kevin clamped down even harder, gnashing his mental teeth. None of that war his hit face. Instead, he smiled and greeted Val with his usual warmth. “Hello, sweet.” The calm façade cracked a bit as Val took a step towards him. He backed into the door. Her smile of greeting faltered. She narrowed her eyes and studied him. “What’s wrong?” Kevin had half-dozen excuses ready. He sifted through all of them, but discarded each one, realizing they were no better than lies; he had promised Val the truth. He spread his jacket, exposing the damaged and bloody remains of his shirt. Her eyes flew wide and she released a sharp breath through parted lips. Val took another step towards him but Kevin stiffened, then sidled away. “You’re hurt! What happened?” He tried to take refuge in humor and give his answer a satirical spin. “Battled an extra frisky vampire with a love of irony. Slammed my own cross into my chest.” “Oh my God, Kevin!” Val’s face and voice reflected the horror she felt at his glib explanation. “I’m all right. The stake missed my heart. The wound’s mostly healed.” Instead of reassuring Val, Kevin’s words only evoked deeper emotion. He watched the horror grow and expand until it engulfed him as well and he began to tremble from reaction. “Missed your heart,” she choked out through constricted throat. Her head jerked back and forth in tiny increments. “You could’ve been killed!” Val took another few steps towards Kevin but he moved in the opposite direction. Val anticipated that strategy and stepped right into his path. The struggle to avoid her embrace lasted only a moment. As Val took him into her arms, she ignored the rote formula running like a ticker through her mind. She didnt hold a wounded vampire, she held an injured man, the man she loved, who was hurt protecting others, and if he were hungry, she had faith in the promise he had made not to hurt her. She couldnt be afraid; she wouldnt be. That fear might mean the end of their relationship. She couldnt contemplate that end. Val wrapped her arms tightly about Kevin. His trembling grew incrementally until her body shook as well. She crooned softly in his ear and stroked his head and back, ignoring all the danger claxons blaring in her mind. His nose was buried in her hair and his slow breaths stirred the silken strands with every exhale. She held him until the trembling subsided and a completely different emotion held sway. Desire replaced horror, a dangerous emotion this close to a hungry vampire. She felt his lips against her throat, and then suddenly he stood across the room, chest heaving. Val started towards him but Kevin held up his hands, cautioning her to stay back. Val ignored the first warning but his second one was punctuated by a feral growl that raised gooseflesh and stayed her feet. She finally let her fear out and watched as Kevin’s face collapsed in sadness. His features hardened by degrees as black washed over his eyes. A point of a fang appeared, framed by his lips as he opened his mouth to speak. “I need to feed,” he stated bluntly. Kevin turned abruptly away, afraid to see the effect of his unadorned words, coming from a predator’s mouth, dreading she’d be scared enough to leave, frightened she’d be brave enough to stay. The hunger burned inside and pulsed to the beat of her heart. He practically ran into the kitchen, putting a solid door between him and the object of a dangerous desire raging on so many levels. Kevin stalked across the room, pulled open the refrigerator door and took out a bottle of blood. He drank it down cold, with the cold air swirling around him unheeded, hoping it could quench the burning hunger in his veins.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 01:30:08 +0000
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