Dark Cravings [Claiming Series, #2]

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Special Note: Please kindly excuse any discrepancies you may come across as you read this book including formatting issues. I hope the power, depth, and beauty of the content outweighs any grammatical inconsistencies or lack of aesthetic quality. Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of your life through my writing.

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Soren stared at her in utter perplexity. Not all humans, of course, were amenable to being vamped. Not every human could be controlled by the Voice. But this one... She believed him. He had been so certain that she would get mad, believe he was telling another lie, or just forget he'd even said it.

Now, what the hell was he going to do? And how was it possible she believed so readily what almost no one else in the modern world believed anymore?

He racked his brains, wondering what he had done that had convinced her. Her comments about the food really amounted to nothing. His avoidance of her had been countered by his truthful insistence that he didn't find her repulsive at all.

He happened to glance toward a glass-fronted bookcase and then he knew: his eyes had gone as black as night.

Sighing, he retreated to the far end of the living room and wondered how best to handle this so that whenever cleared her apartment she could go on with her life.

He watched her sitting there all curled in on herself and wondered why people always wanted the truth when the truth so often appalled them. Why couldn't they just be happy with polite social fictions?

Well, he admitted, most people probably were. But not this one. She'd clearly sensed something, and hadn't been willing to let it go.

Which left them here and now. He cleared his throat. Slowly she lifted her head and looked at him. She still hadn't recovered from the shock, and he missed the usual spark in her green eyes.

"I hope," he said, "that you won't share my secret."

"Who would believe me?"

Good question. He chose not to answer directly. "You believed me."

"After what's been going on in my condo for a week, I'm ready to believe in almost anything. Why the hell wouldn't I believe in a vampire?"

"Because almost nobody believes in us anymore."

She gave a short laugh, absolutely humorless "Your secret is safe with me. I wouldn't want to get myself committed. Or wind up on your menu."

"I told you I won't hurt you."

"No? Don't vampires survive by killing?"

"Not me. Not Asher."

Her head jerked sharply at that. "Why should you be any different?"

"I guess I still have some human hang-ups."

Her eyes widened, and he saw with relief that a hint of the spark had returned.

He let her have some silence, some space to think whatever she needed to think about this. Finally, she looked at him again "Asher, too?"

He nodded.

"Julie?"

He shook his head.

"But she's his wife. How can she not be?"

"He won't change her. Says he wants to be absolutely certain she knows what she's getting into."

Her brow knit. "Are you telling me it's awful?"