by Iris Abbott
Kara fiercely hugged her, making Tara squeak. “I think that’s a natural response,” her twin insisted. “You almost died, and you were out of it for days. You aren’t gonna be the same person you were before.”
“Yeah,” Zoe agreed. “Nobody could go through something like that and come out unscathed.”
“It’s more than that,” Tara whispered.
Her sisters didn’t respond. Zoe sucked in her bottom lip and lightly chewed. Her sister looked guilty like she was trying to hide something. She got the distinct impression that Zoe had a secret, a big one, that had something to do with Tara and the conflicting emotions that swirled around her. She wanted to push for an answer, but Zoe skillfully changed the subject and the moment was lost.
“Speaking of changes, I’ve made a few big ones while you were recovering,” Zoe admitted with a big smile.
Tara returned the friendly gesture. “Kara might have mentioned something about that. I’m all for whatever makes you happy, but isn’t it kind of sudden?”
Zoe shrugged. “When you know, you know. Drew’s the man for me.”
“Don’t you mean wolf?” Kara joked.
“Man, wolf, whatever, he’s it for me.” Zoe was adamant, and the tone of her voice left no room for further argument.
Tara frowned. “Aren’t you worried that his wolf will lose control and take your head off as easily as he decapitated the Puppet Master’s creatures?” She clutched at her sister’s hand to reassure herself that Zoe was sitting next to her and was perfectly fine.
She felt Kara shudder at the mention of the evil beings whose actions had orchestrated so much turmoil. She laid a comforting hand on her twin’s shoulder. As horrible as the ordeal was for her, Tara knew it hadn’t been any easier for her sisters to endure. She looked from one sister to the other while she waited for Zoe’s response.
“No, I trust Drew and his wolf with my life. It’s as if our souls are connected, making us one. What we feel for each other is so much deeper than love. It’s indescribable. I can’t even begin to put it into words that would make sense to anyone but Drew and me.”
Kara snorted and shook her head. Tara noted that her twin didn’t look too convinced, but she didn’t refute anything their older sister said.
A sudden and shocking thought occurred to Tara. If Zoe could find happiness with a wolf shifter then maybe anything was possible, even a hot and steamy fling between a hunter and vampire. The thought left her breathless, and she tingled all over.
Tara smiled and hugged Zoe. She was determined not to be as skeptical as her twin. “You sound really happy, and that’s all that matters.” Unfortunately, happiness was something that had been in short supply for the last ten years.
“I am more than happy!” Zoe insisted. Her sparkling eyes, bubbly laughter, and big smile confirmed it. “And I hope one day the two of you are lucky enough to experience whatever it is that Drew and I have.”
“Maybe one day,” Tara answered with a shrug. She tried to act nonchalant, but her nerves fluttered, and images of Raphael swirled around and around inside her head. He consumed her every waking hour, and it scared Tara half to death. She had the feeling that he’d take over her life if she weren't careful. She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that it might already be too late.
“So,” Zoe reached out and grabbed both of Tara’s hands. “I really want both of you to get to know Drew much better because he’s a permanent part of our family now. Are you up for a small adventure like dinner with us at Drew’s house tonight?”
“Yes!” As soon as Tara muttered the exclamation, she realized she was conflicted. She couldn’t wait to get away from Raphael’s house, but the thought of leaving him behind filled her with dread. The clashing emotions confused and scared her. Hopefully, as she got stronger, she’d get her bearings and be less troubled.
“Good,” Zoe hugged her. “Raphael knows where Drew lives. I’ll see both of you at six.”
Tara took a deep breath and slowly released the air from her lungs. “I was under the impression it was a family dinner.”
A guilty look crossed Zoe’s face, but it quickly disappeared. “You’re still too weak to run around Enigma on your own,” her sister declared.
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Tara was quick to tell her sisters, feeling somewhat slighted by Zoe’s insinuation that she couldn’t take care of herself. It made her feel even guiltier about failing in battle and almost getting herself killed.
Zoe cleared her throat. “I never said you did,” she insisted. She ran a hand through her hair. “It’s early days yet since your trauma, and frankly I think you’d feel better with Raphael there.”
Always one to speak her mind, Tara’s twin spoke up. “Raphael’s more than a bodyguard. He saved your life when no one or nothing else could. That makes him family in my book, ‘cause I don’t know what I’d do without you!”
The emotion-filled declaration caused a flurry of hugs and tears from the three sisters. They cried and embraced each other for several minutes. The emotional storm was disrupted by a sleek, black sports car that roared into the driveway and disappeared into the detached garage to the right of the house. Tara recognized the sound of the engine and knew Raphael had returned from his meeting. She reluctantly pulled away from her sisters.
“Speak of the devil,” Tara said with a long sigh. As much as she wanted to dread being in his presence, it didn’t happen. Instead, her nerves fluttered, and her heart raced.
“I’m still a little confused about vampires and sunlight," Kara said with a frown. “We’ve only encountered vampire’s at night, until recently, and now we know that those weren’t really vampires, so how is Raphael able to function in sunlight?”
Tara shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t have a clue, but she’d love to know the answer to Kara’s question too.
“Ladies,” Raphael joined them in the shade of the porch and gave them a courtly bow that was reminiscent of manners from a time long ago.
Tara’s insides heated and a warm glow spread through her entire body. She tried to brush aside the feelings he evoked in her and focus on solving the enigma standing in front of her. Her mind craved to know everything there was to know about him. “Yeah, I’d like to know the answer to that myself.”
Raphael’s steely gaze came to rest on Tara. She looked into his eyes, brown clashed with ice-blue. Her breath caught in her throat and as if ensnared by his stare she couldn’t look away.
“Paranormal beings closely guard their secrets for obvious reasons,” he said in a cold hard voice that sent a chill down Tara’s spine. “But since the three of you have an alliance with Lucian and the council I can fill in a few blanks.”
“Good, because there are a lot of those,” Tara whispered. “The whole thing is confusing even to someone who already knows that vampires exist.” She thought of her parents and shuddered. The frightening memories made her close her eyes, effectively breaking the eye contact she had with Raphael.
She didn’t have to be looking at him to feel the tiny, invisible threads connecting them together. When he started talking, she listened intently to his deep voice and hung on his every word. She told herself it was because of the nature of the information, but she knew it was more than that.
“About the only thing movies and books got right about vampires is our need for blood to survive. Sunlight doesn’t kill us. Vampires will not catch on fire or spontaneously combust when the sun touches our skin. However, we burn easily, and the sun weakens us. Most vampires, especially younger ones are night owls.”
“Sounds familiar,” Kara gently elbowed her twin in the side. “Tara’s a night owl too.”
“It’s true, I do my best writing at night,” Tara admitted. A lot of people were scared of the dark, but Tara was intrigued by it. And it was hard to compete with the beauty of an inky black sky on a clear night filled with thousands of twinkling stars.
“Ah, yes, you’re a freelance travel writer. I’ve read several o
f your articles. You have a way with words, very descriptive,” Raphael complimented.
Tara flashed him a satisfied smile that lit up her face. “Thank you! I love my job,” she animatedly exclaimed. She loved traveling to all kinds of different places, seeing the sights, tasting the cuisine, meeting the people, and sharing the experience with others. As far as she was concerned it was a dream job. And on the darker side, being a freelance travel writer was the perfect cover for a vampire hunter on the prowl.
“There’s plenty for you to write about in Maine. I’ll show you around once you're up to it,” Raphael offered.
She thought about saying no, wanted to say no, but when she opened her mouth to politely decline his offer, that’s not what happened. “I’d like that,” she said instead.
Zoe wrapped an arm around Tara and hugged her tight. “Brittany and I are having a business meeting in about an hour to finalize the details of our partnership, so I guess I better be going. I’m so glad you’re back with us, Tara.” Her voice trembled, and suddenly, Tara felt like crying herself. “I don’t know what I’d do without either one of you.”
Tara felt her twin’s arms wrap around her from the other side. “That makes two of us. Don’t ever scare me like that again! I’m supposed to be the devil-may-care one of the bunch,” Kara reminded.
“No, it makes three of us.” Tara managed to get the words out of a tight throat. “See you tonight, and I look forward to getting to know Drew better. He must be something if my sister thinks he’s all that,” she teased Zoe.
“Yeah, he’s something all right,” she heard Kara mutter under her breath. Tara’s energy was lagging, but that didn’t stop her from giving her twin a sharp jab in the ribs. The startled yelp from Kara and the giggle from Zoe let her know she hit her mark.
She loved being with her sisters, but she was suddenly dead tired. She stifled a yawn and slumped back into the swing. Almost as if he was reading her mind, Raphael was there.
“Tara’s still recovering,” he reminded them. “She should rest, especially if she’s going out tonight. Wolves can be so tiring,” he said with a smirk.
Tara was sure that Zoe had a quick comeback, but she didn’t hear it. She was too focused on Raphael’s deep, slightly accented voice which reminded her of the smooth, rich Belgian chocolate she discovered while on a trip to Belgium. She was obsessed with the stuff, and Tara had a feeling Raphael could be just as addicting. She was going to have to be very careful around that one. She sensed it would be so easy to become mesmerized by the vampire.
Zoe was the first to stand. “See all of you tonight, six o’clock sharp, don’t be late.” There was a touch of nervousness in her voice.
Tara watched Zoe sprint down the stairs of the porch and practically hop and skip her way to her car. She looked at her twin. “She’s so happy joy radiates from her. I’ve never seen Zoe like that, ever.” Her gaze became somber. “At least not since Mom and Dad died.”
Kara sighed. “Me neither. Guess I better make an effort with wolf boy.”
Tara laughed at her twin. “It’s what family does,” she reminded her. “This family anyway.”
“That’s true.” Kara hugged her one more time and slowly stood. “I didn’t really bring anything appropriate for dinner with the future in-laws,” she said with a smirk. “I better do some shopping.”
Tara had to stifle a giggle. Her twin loved to shop and would use any excuse she could find to buy a new outfit. “Glad to see one of us is acting normal. Shopping’s your favorite hobby,” she teased.
Kara grinned at her. “Better be nice to me, ‘cause I’m the one who’s gonna be picking out your outfit for tonight. And revenge can be a glorious thing.”
Tara felt her eyelids begin to droop. She had just enough energy to make a last stand. “For the love of God, whatever you do, don’t buy anything with more than a two-inch heel, that’s what got me into this predicament in the first place.”
Raphael snorted. She turned her attention away from her sister long enough to glare at him. It took almost every ounce of energy she possessed, but Tara straightened her spine and lifted her chin. “That’s right. I’m not usually so clumsy. It was those damn shoes,” she insisted with a pout.
Her twin took a couple of steps away from the swing. “When you start cursing shoes that’s my cue to get out of here.” She glanced at Raphael. “But I’ll be back in a couple of hours at the most.”
“Lucian and the other guardians have teams patrolling the area looking for puppets. Don’t do anything stupid like go hunting on your own,” he warned.
Tara felt her heart beat double time. Her hands and fingers became numb. It was suddenly difficult to breathe, and she felt faint. A horrible feeling of impending doom assailed her, swamping her with dread, unlike anything she’d ever felt before.
She was on the verge of blacking out when Raphael sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He took her hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart. “Feel the beat of my heart and the rise and fall of my chest,” he urged.
Tara closed her eyes and focused on nothing but the feel, smell, and touch of Raphael. Miraculously, her heart stuttered and then slowed to match Raphael’s. She slowly opened her eyes. The black edges disappeared, and her body slowly returned to normal. She took a deep breath and regarded her twin who watched her with keen eyes. And no wonder, Tara never ever experienced a panic attack before and she was sure that was what just happened.
“Listen to him, Kara, please,” she implored her twin. Despite the fact she was the one who almost died, the three of them knew that Kara was the impetuous one, always running to face danger head-on no matter the cost to herself.
Kara rolled her eyes, but then she turned serious. “One major scare per week is more than enough for our family. I wouldn't dare do that to you or Zoe.” Her jaw clenched and her lips pressed into a white slash in her golden tanned face. “Besides, I’m well aware that I’ve picked up an unshakable shadow since coming to this town. Dogs might be irritating, but that damn cat takes the cake, won’t leave me alone. He’s probably skulking in the bushes somewhere on the property right now as I speak.” She slowly turned all the way around, looking at every possible hiding spot within range of her sight.
“I doubt if even a guardian as powerful as Alexander could break through the safeguards and enter my property uninvited,” Raphael assured her. “But you’re right. I do sense his presence somewhere nearby.” He flashed an evil looking grin.
“I bet he hates shopping, especially for clothes. You should visit every boutique Enigma has this afternoon,” he suggested with a laugh.
Kara matched his grin with a smirk of her own. “You’re not half bad for a vampire,” she joked. “I can see that Tara is in good hands. I’m off to shop.” She spun around and hopped down the porch steps. She turned and looked at them over her shoulder. “On second thought, Tara, don’t expect me back for at least another three or four hours.”
Tara didn’t answer. She just watched her twin run to her car and take off, burning rubber on her way down the driveway.
Raphael’s hearty laughter followed the sporty car’s hasty exit.
“She’s not going to outrun the guardian no matter how fast she drives,” he warned.
Tara shrugged. “As much as I hate admitting this to you of all people, that’s fine with me as long as he helps her stay out of trouble. Trust me, that’s a full-time job for any being even one as powerful and gifted as a guardian.”
Her eyes drooped again, and she stifled another yawn. Her energy was all but gone. “I could definitely use a nap,” she admitted.
Raphael scooped her into his more than capable arms and carried her to the master bedroom. He left her with parting words that demanded she rest. For once she didn’t argue. She curled up on her side and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
FOUR
Raphael parked and jumped out of his black roadster. A cool autumn breeze put a nip in the air. Dry leaves
skittered across the asphalt driveway, creating an eerie scraping sound. The moon peeked out from behind building clouds. A lone wolf howled in the distance.
He quickly walked around the front and opened the passenger door for Tara. His gaze skirted over her body and came to rest on her upturned heart-shaped face and her glittering mocha-colored eyes. It was better to focus on the colored orbs instead of her lush mouth outlined with blood red lipstick. He wondered if the choice of makeup was intentional.
“Remind me to thank your sister,” he said as his gaze skirted over the flirty and sexy dress Tara wore. The little black dress was made mostly of lace and stopped several inches above her knees, exposing her long, willowy legs. His sex hardened, and he ached to feel those legs wrapped around his body.
Tara gave him a puzzled look. “Um, which sister, and why?”
“Your twin, of course. She has great taste in clothes and makeup.” He couldn’t resist touching Tara’s flawless, creamy skin. He reached out, brushed aside her wavy, tawny brown hair, and stroked his fingers over the bare flesh of her shoulders and neck. It was silky to the touch, and he caressed it for several seconds.
He leaned in until his lips practically touched her ear. Raphael lowered his voice to just a whisper. “I’ve walked this Earth for centuries, and there has never been a more desirable and beautiful woman anywhere, ever.”
She blushed, and her face turned a pretty pink. “I bet you say that to all the women.”
“Hardly, there’s never been any need.” He’d won over many a woman over the centuries, but he’d never felt an overwhelming need to share his blood with any of them, until now. The sexy vampire hunter shook up his world. Knowing her changed everything.
Raphael placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her to the front door of Drew Gannon’s lodge-style house. A faint tremor ran through Tara’s body, and tension radiated off of her in waves that were strong enough to disturb his heightened senses.
