A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

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Of the mortals she had turned, Petrina was the most like Kitana . Not every mortal could handle immortality, but Petrina had been a vampire at heart even before the change. She was a relentless hunter. She delighted in keeping her prey alive, toying with them as a cat played with a mouse, taking the blood of her victims a little at a time, all the while letting them know that death awaited them.

Ah, Petrina . She far excelled Kitana in cruelty and blood-letting. And she had set herself against Dominic. Kitana frowned. Sooner or later, her two fledglings would again seek to destroy one another. And while she was fond of Petrina , it was Dominic who had ever been her favorite. Perhaps she could find a way to arrange a peace between them before they destroyed each other. She did not wish to lose them both.

Long ago she had vowed to bring Dominic to his knees, but they had been words spoken in anger. Though she had told him she could destroy him, she was no longer certain it was true. Power radiated from him, power perhaps equal to her own. And while she would have enjoyed his company through the ages, she was no longer certain of her ability to control him. He was a proud man, arrogant in his preternatural strength,

But tonight was not a night for thinking of the past. Tonight was a night for romance.

Smiling, she ran a hand through her hair, filled with an almost girlish excitement at the prospect of seeing the boy, Bryan, again.

Chapter 31

Tracyknew the moment he entered the room. One minute she was alone, staring out at the lights that lit up the city, and the next, she was aware of a subtle shift in the atmosphere and Dominic was standing behind her, his arms around her waist, his lips nuzzling her neck.

She leaned against his chest, overcome by a sense of completeness now that he was there.

It had been in her mind to ask him to take her home but now she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms. Just for a little while, she told herself. The night was young. They had plenty of time.

His tongue laved the sensitive skin behind her ear. "Did you miss me, my best beloved one?"
"Of course."She turned in his embrace and smiled up at him. "I even bought you a present." "Indeed?"

She nodded."Two, actually." Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him,then slipped out of his arms. Going into the closet, she withdrew a shopping bag and handed it to him.

Dominic looked at her, then delved into the bag and withdrew a midnight blue robe with black silk piping.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

He ran his hand over the velvet,then reached out to cup her cheek. "Thank you, querida ," he said, then