A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

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Tracystared at the place where he had been standing, wondering if she would ever grow accustomed to his ability to vanish in the blink of an eye, wondering if she truly wanted to.

Chapter 17

Dominic stalked the night, his anger as dark and thick as the clouds that scudded overhead.

Someone had dared to hunt in his territory, killing not once but three times. Even though there were a dozen other vampires in the village, he had claimed this piece of ground as his own over a century ago. He had been the first vampire to take up residence in Sea Cliff; therefore, it was his. He allowed others to dwell there but only if they agreed to abide by his law. He had toldTracy that the vampires had no democracy and no ruler and that was true, to a point. No one vampire ruled over the others. But there were a few vampires likehimself , ancient vampires filled with power, who had staked out parts of the world as their own. This tiny village on the coast ofCalifornia was his and he would not allow any other immortal to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere he had created.

He moved swiftly through the dark streets, his preternatural senses reaching out, searching through the night for the one who did not belong.

Each vampire resident was accounted for: Zarabeth was already at rest, her hunger sated. Nicholas, Marcus, Landau, andMagdalena were huddled together at The Catacombs, debating whether it was more fun to take their prey by surprise or seduction. Franco was hunting in the city. Laslo and Turk, the two youngest of his kind, were playing billiards in a back alley pool hall. The other four were wandering the night, oblivious to the rain. Try as he might, he could find no hint of Kitana's presence. Had she left the village?

He scoured the village and the beach from one end to the other and back again, unable to find any trace of an unknown vampire.

Pensive, he walked the dark streets that led home. Even though he had been unable to find evidence of an intruder, something was not right.

He jerked his head up as the scent of fresh blood was borne to him on the night wind.

Quickening his steps, he turned down a narrow alley that ran behind a small delicatessen. Blurred by a curtain of rain, he saw two shapes struggling in the darkness. The scent of blood grew stronger.

As he approached, one of the figures vanished from his sight. Was it Kitana ?
The second figure, a mortal female, dropped to the ground. Blood oozed from her throat.

Dominic frowned thoughtfully. To his knowledge, Kitana was the only vampire in the area who had the ability to shield her presence from him. A law unto herself, she would not feel bound to abide by any rules he set forth.

But there was little time to worry about that now. He knelt beside the woman, the scent of her life's blood strong in his nostrils, awakening his hunger even though he had fed earlier. His fangs pricked his tongue. He licked his lips as he stared at the unconscious woman. Her pulse was slow and erratic, her