Born in Twilight: Twilight Vows by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page A

life.”
    â€œYes, that’s true enough. But living the life of the undead is a far different matter than just witnessing it. You’ve discovered that already, haven’t you?”
    It was true. It was different, far different than he’d imagined it would be. His senses were altered, heightened somehow. And there were new ones to explore as well.
    â€œAll right,” Jameson finally conceded. “All right, we’ll all go. But I’m coming back. I’ll find out what those bastards wanted with me, if it’s the last thing I do.”
    Every one of them looked worried. Except Rhiannon. She wore her Mona Lisa smile. Very secretive. And Jameson wondered what the hell she was thinking.

Chapter Four
    T hey took me to a large building, down in an elevator to a sterile white room, with a bed, and a chair, and little else. I was led inside, full of questions. How could they help me? What was this experimental cure that could return me to humanity?
    I turned to ask my questions, only to see a solid steel door closing on me. No window in that door, and locks aplenty. I heard the locks turning, and a feeling of dread welled up inside me. I went to the door, tried to push against it, but it didn’t give at all. And it should have. It should have. I was strong, stronger than any locks they could make. I knew that.
    Ah, but that man, the one who’d brought me here. He’d injected me with something. A drug, he said, to prepare my body for the shock of becoming mortal again. And it had to be that that had taken away my strength.
    And now I was here, locked in this room. A prisoner, for all practical purposes. And I recalled the voice of my beautiful victim telling me not to trust them. Not to go with that stranger.
    God, had I made a terrible mistake?
    I paced the room throughout that first night, and it seemed endless. And then finally the door opened, and a kindly, white-haired woman of tiny stature smiled at me.
    â€œHello,” she said. “My name is Dr. Rose Sversky. I’ll be taking care of you while you’re here.”
    Taking care of me. This sweet, harmless-looking old woman. I nearly sagged in relief. I hadn’t made a mistake after all. They would truly help me here.
    â€œWhy am I locked in like this?” I asked her. “It frightens me.”
    â€œOh, dear, they really should have explained.” Dr. Rose came in, closing the door behind her. “There are others here, others like you. People we’re only trying to help.” She shook her head, clicking her tongue. “But some of them…well, they can be quite monstrous, you know. They’d attack anyone, even one of their own kind.”
    I believed that readily. I’d fallen victim to one of them, and I had no doubt that they were all just as beastly. Just as horrible as I had started to become now that I was one of them.
    â€œThe locks are to keep them out, dear, not to keep you in. For your own protection, honestly. Someone should have told you.”
    I sighed hard, my relief palpable.
    â€œNow, if you’ll just hop up onto the table,” she said, smiling her reassurance, “I can get started making you human again.”
    I obeyed hurriedly. The woman eyed my dirty habit, shook her head, and pulled a hypodermic from her pocket.
    â€œHow long will I have to be here?” I asked.
    â€œWell, it might be weeks, to be honest. The process involves several steps, you know. But you needn’t worry. We’ll take better care of you than your own mother would. You’ll see.” The needle’s tip sank into my arm, and in a few seconds, my world became dark and murky. I drifted into unconsciousness.
    When I woke, I wore a white hospital gown. I had been bathed, and my hair had been washed and brushed. I felt oddly violated. I wondered what sort of procedure the kindly old doctor had performed on me, but there was no way of knowing.
    Eventually, my door was opened