A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

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"Your nearness arouses me in more ways than one," he said bluntly. "Good night."
And just like that, he was gone.

Tracyblew out a sigh of exasperation. Why should she feel so guilty because she didn't want to let him drink from her? But feeling guilty wasn't the worst of it. Stronger than her guilt was the unexpected surge of jealousy that burned through her at the thought that he might be going out to ease his physical desire with someone else.

"Oh, girl," she muttered, "you're losing it."

She slippedThe Mummy Returns into the DVD player, put on a fresh pot of coffee to keep her awake, but Dominic didn't come back. She couldn't help wondering where he had gone. Was he prowling the streets here, inMaine , or had he taken off for some distant land?

She stayed awake until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer; then, filled with resentment and jealousy, she went to bed.

Her dreams were frightening that night, filled with shadowed images chasing her down unfamiliar paths. She heard distant cries for help, never certain if they were her own or someone else's as she ran through a maze of dark streets. Leering eyes watched her; maniacal laughter filled the air and echoed off the sides of buildings. She felt the hell-hot breath of her pursuer on the back of her neck. Her breathing was labored as she ran across a wobbly wooden bridge, praying she would find refuge on the other side. She screamed when it collapsed beneath her, dropping her into a river that ran red with blood.

She woke with the sound of her own screams ringing in her ears. Sitting up, she switched on the light.
Trembling, she wrapped her arms around her waist.

In the distance, she heard the melancholy howl of a wolf. The sound, filled with the loneliness of eternity, tugged at her heart and brought tears to her eyes.

"Dominic," she whispered. "Where are you?"

Outside, a large gray wolf ceased its restless pacing as the sound of Tracy's voice drifted through the window. He heard the fear and the loneliness in her soft lament, sensed her confusion. She was caught up in a world she did not understand, had questions only he could answer. He knew she was torn between loving him and wishing they had never met. Her life had been peaceful until he found her. He could not fault her for wishing to return to that time, but he could not let her go, not when he had just found her again. But perhaps he could ease her pain, comfort her until the sun chased the moon from the sky.

He was about to change shape and go to her when a new scent was borne to him on the wings of the night.

Lifting his head, the wolf sniffed the air, hackles rising as the scent of danger filled his nostrils.
After all these centuries, Kitana had found him.

Chapter 14