HerVampireLover by Anastasia Maltezos

windows. I’ll be fine.”
    Cat knew if he wasn’t concerned, she shouldn’t be. Tobias struck her as the kind of man who didn’t leave any stones unturned, who was in control of his destiny, who didn’t leave anything to chance.
    He kissed the top of her head where it lay on his chest. “Sleep now. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow.”
    She felt the steady rise and fall of his chest and closed her eyes. She was going to New York. To his home.
     Cat couldn’t deny the excitement she had at the prospect seeing where and how Tobias lived. The thought left her feeling curiously pleased and slowly she drifted off into sleep.

Chapter Seven
    The next morning arrived with a dim sky and more snow. While Cat made her breakfast, Tobias went out into the woods to feed. She buttered her toast, mulling over what he’d told her after they woke up.
    There were others like him where he lived and they all lived in a tight knit community where they rose and fell as one. They looked after each other. They protected each other. Vampires, the good ones, had an unwritten code unto themselves. They protected humans. Tobias had also explained how they all kept low profiles and contributed to society with normal jobs—policemen, waitresses, lawyers, doctors, cashiers. No profession was without a vampire in its midst.
    Cat had listened with fascination. Had she ever come across a vampire on a cloudy day and not realized it?
    She also learned Tobias was very wealthy. Four centuries was quite a long time to acquire a fortune. He spoke six languages, owned a yacht called The Seraphina, and played the piano, violin, and guitar. He painted in his spare time and liked to listen to classical music.
    The more she discovered about him, the more she wanted to know.
    Could she do it? Could she leave the life she knew behind her and be with her vampire lover, and live forever? If the last couple of days were any indication, she knew boredom was never going to be an issue.
    Cat touched her stomach. He’d told her she was pregnant, but she didn’t feel any different. She sighed wearily and wondered if believing him was going to set her up for a huge disappointment.
    In the midst of her whirling thoughts, a deafening sound came from the living room, making her jump. She sped to the other room and screamed. The front door was blown off its hinges and she smelled gunfire in the air.
    Her heart pounded as she watched two men enter, dragging Tobias over the threshold. They let him drop to the floor and she gasped as she stared at the blood pouring from his shoulder. His face was ashen, his beautiful eyes lackluster as he looked up at her with a mixture of grief and rage.
    “Run, Cat,” he said hoarsely. “Get the Hell out of here.”
    The younger man pointed a gun at her. “This bitch isn’t going anywhere, animal. I have her right where I want her.”
    “Tobias!” She ran to him and dropped at his side, putting her hands up to his cheeks. Her eyes brimmed with tears. One tear slipped and fell. “No,” she whispered brokenly.
    The older man swore under his breath. “Kill them. Now!” he yelled at the younger man.
    Cat was numb. She knew there was a gun pointed at them, but she didn’t care. Every fiber of her being was focused on Tobias. “What happened?” she asked him with a tremor in her voice.
    “He was about to feed,” the younger man spat disgustedly, “smiling like some sick, evil bastard. I shot him before he could bring the fox up to his mouth.”
    Cat ignored him, keeping her gaze fastened on Tobias.
    “I was thinking about you the whole time,” he said, his deep voice breaking. “I wasn’t paying attention to the sounds around me because I was thinking of you and how happy I was.”
    He swallowed convulsively and Cat stifled a heart-wrenching sob. She saw the light dim from his eyes and knew he was dying. Panic made her faint with fear. She had to do something. She couldn’t just watch him die. A strange sounding