are not so human after all?” Cassandra’s
mockery pricked his mutinous silence.
“I would not
dishonor you once you became my lover. I would have no need of any
others. What you speak of is not the same. I feed off of those women
because I cannot feed off of you. Not yet, Cassandra.”
“So you save
your dishonor for me now. I fear what will happen to me in the
future.”
“Do not twist
my words, darling. Please do not.” Lord Constantine’s
gloved finger brushed against her cheek. “I never wanted this.
I only wanted to keep you happy. I thought it was the best for us
both. . .I was wrong.”
“Yes, my lord.
You were very, very wrong and Lady Lenore was very right.”
“Cassandra,
what do you mean?”
She pressed her palm
against the hand still on her cheek. “She told me I was unwise
to want your love. She told me it was dangerous. She was right.”
Cassandra moaned piteously. “I hurt so badly, my lord. I love
you so much that it kills me to know this. I wish I had never known
you for the man you truly are.”
Lord Constantine
flinched. His dark eyes filled with tears he could not allow himself
to shed. “Do you really mean what you say, darling?”
“Yes.”
Cassandra laid her head against his chest and sobbed. “Why, my
lord? Why have you made a fool of me? You express yourself freely
with her but not with me. You make her laugh but make me cry. Why did
you make me think I was special to you?”
“You are
special, Cassandra. You are my most special girl for precisely that
reason.” The vampire threaded his fingers through her
disheveled hair and promised, “It will be all right, darling. I
can fix this. Look at me.”
She flung her head
back. “How can you fix this?” Cassandra’s venomous
voice slid into a whimper. His stare caught her wide, unblinking gaze
and she was as lost as if she had fallen into a tunnel to nowhere.
8
Constantine peeled
Cassandra apart, burrowing deep into her mind and stripping away all
that had brought them to their ruin. Guilt leeched the vampire even
as he probed deeper. Frustration lashed him as he unsuccessfully
tried to see how Cassandra had stumbled across his sin. Crystal
memories glistened dark, drawing Constantine to them. Caught in
suspended time, he saw himself through her eyes. Cassandra’s
sense of betrayal stung him to tears. The intimate knowledge of her
suffering poisoned him.
I truly broke her
heart. Lady Lenore warned me but I did not want to believe. Now I
wish I had. . .
The incriminating
memories flaked away from his beloved human only to reassemble in his
ageless mind. Cassandra’s evening became a blank slate for him
to write his lies on.
“You fell ill
while bathing. You have yet to leave this room. You have yet to see
me tonight. Close your eyes and sleep, my love.”
Caught deep in his
trance, Cassandra obeyed him without resistance. She fell against him
with a kitten sigh. Constantine picked her up, mind still absorbing
and dispersing her volatile emotions. Cassandra’s beautiful
hair tumbled over his arm, making her look more a doll than the
beloved human of his heart. He clutched her closer as he made his way
to her bed.
Pain plucked him
with each step. He concentrated on the present task, wishing to
devour his stolen memories without experiencing them so thoroughly.
His non-beating heart burned, making him feel useless and crippled.
Constantine pulled back the plush covers and slipped Cassandra
between the sheets. Her arms flopped, hands striped and still oozing
with blood.
Constantine leaned
over her. His fangs descended in blasphemous ardor. His gaze pulsed
red. Lifting up one delicate limb, Constantine took in her delicious
scent. Justification wrote the script—he had to heal Cassandra
or all would be for naught.
All an excuse for me
to be a very, very bad man.
His tongue rasped
over her skin slowly. She tasted of all things sinful and wonderful.
Constantine licked up every drop of blood, damning
mockery pricked his mutinous silence.
“I would not
dishonor you once you became my lover. I would have no need of any
others. What you speak of is not the same. I feed off of those women
because I cannot feed off of you. Not yet, Cassandra.”
“So you save
your dishonor for me now. I fear what will happen to me in the
future.”
“Do not twist
my words, darling. Please do not.” Lord Constantine’s
gloved finger brushed against her cheek. “I never wanted this.
I only wanted to keep you happy. I thought it was the best for us
both. . .I was wrong.”
“Yes, my lord.
You were very, very wrong and Lady Lenore was very right.”
“Cassandra,
what do you mean?”
She pressed her palm
against the hand still on her cheek. “She told me I was unwise
to want your love. She told me it was dangerous. She was right.”
Cassandra moaned piteously. “I hurt so badly, my lord. I love
you so much that it kills me to know this. I wish I had never known
you for the man you truly are.”
Lord Constantine
flinched. His dark eyes filled with tears he could not allow himself
to shed. “Do you really mean what you say, darling?”
“Yes.”
Cassandra laid her head against his chest and sobbed. “Why, my
lord? Why have you made a fool of me? You express yourself freely
with her but not with me. You make her laugh but make me cry. Why did
you make me think I was special to you?”
“You are
special, Cassandra. You are my most special girl for precisely that
reason.” The vampire threaded his fingers through her
disheveled hair and promised, “It will be all right, darling. I
can fix this. Look at me.”
She flung her head
back. “How can you fix this?” Cassandra’s venomous
voice slid into a whimper. His stare caught her wide, unblinking gaze
and she was as lost as if she had fallen into a tunnel to nowhere.
8
Constantine peeled
Cassandra apart, burrowing deep into her mind and stripping away all
that had brought them to their ruin. Guilt leeched the vampire even
as he probed deeper. Frustration lashed him as he unsuccessfully
tried to see how Cassandra had stumbled across his sin. Crystal
memories glistened dark, drawing Constantine to them. Caught in
suspended time, he saw himself through her eyes. Cassandra’s
sense of betrayal stung him to tears. The intimate knowledge of her
suffering poisoned him.
I truly broke her
heart. Lady Lenore warned me but I did not want to believe. Now I
wish I had. . .
The incriminating
memories flaked away from his beloved human only to reassemble in his
ageless mind. Cassandra’s evening became a blank slate for him
to write his lies on.
“You fell ill
while bathing. You have yet to leave this room. You have yet to see
me tonight. Close your eyes and sleep, my love.”
Caught deep in his
trance, Cassandra obeyed him without resistance. She fell against him
with a kitten sigh. Constantine picked her up, mind still absorbing
and dispersing her volatile emotions. Cassandra’s beautiful
hair tumbled over his arm, making her look more a doll than the
beloved human of his heart. He clutched her closer as he made his way
to her bed.
Pain plucked him
with each step. He concentrated on the present task, wishing to
devour his stolen memories without experiencing them so thoroughly.
His non-beating heart burned, making him feel useless and crippled.
Constantine pulled back the plush covers and slipped Cassandra
between the sheets. Her arms flopped, hands striped and still oozing
with blood.
Constantine leaned
over her. His fangs descended in blasphemous ardor. His gaze pulsed
red. Lifting up one delicate limb, Constantine took in her delicious
scent. Justification wrote the script—he had to heal Cassandra
or all would be for naught.
All an excuse for me
to be a very, very bad man.
His tongue rasped
over her skin slowly. She tasted of all things sinful and wonderful.
Constantine licked up every drop of blood, damning
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