Twilight Dreams by Amanda Ashley

at the woman in his arms. Somehow, he doubted Holly would be interested in meeting Kadie.
    * * *
    Holly woke with a start to find Micah watching her, his expression pensive. “What happened?” She glanced around the room, eyes narrowed and filled with confusion. “Where are we? How did we get here?”
    â€œI needed to get out of California in a hurry,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “And I brought you with me.”
    She sat up, her gaze quickly taking in her surroundings. They were in a large, sparsely furnished, rectangular room. A fireplace took up most of one wall. A tall bookcase dominated the opposite one. A coffee table separated the sofa on which she sat from the one across from it. “Brought me where?”
    â€œMorgan Creek.”
    â€œBut, that’s impossible. You said it was in Wyoming.” She cradled her head in her hands. “I feel so strange.”
    â€œLook at me, Holly.”
    She looked at him warily, fear replacing the confusion in the depths of her eyes. “I want to go home.”
    â€œYeah. About that, I’m afraid it’s not an option at the moment.”
    â€œAre you kidnapping me? If it’s money you’re after, you’re out of luck. My folks aren’t millionaires by any means.”
    â€œIt’s late. Why don’t you get some rest and we’ll talk tomorrow?”
    â€œNo! We’ll talk now.”
    â€œYou’re tired,” he said, his voice low, hypnotic. “So tired you can’t keep your eyes open.”
    â€œTired,” she murmured.
    â€œThat’s right. Just relax. You’re going to go to sleep now, and you won’t wake up until the sun sets tomorrow.”
    Her head lolled back on the sofa, her eyelids fluttering down as her body went limp.
    Lifting her into his arms, Micah carried her down the hall and into one of the larger bedrooms. He lowered her onto the mattress and undressed her down to her lacey black bra and panties. Desire knifed through him. Tucking her under the covers, he wondered if she had expected him to seduce her, or if she just liked pretty underwear.
    He studied her for several moments before leaving the bedroom.
    He had never been inside Blair House before. It had once been the lair of the Morgan Creek vampires.
    Now, he wandered from room to room. A number of vampires—seven men and one woman—had lived here for decades. Their scent lingered in the drapes and the carpets, in the very air. Kiel had been killed by Saintcrow for attacking Kadie. Micah wondered where the rest had gone—Nolan, Trent, Felix, Quinn, Wes, Darrick. Though he hadn’t known any of them well, he couldn’t help wondering how they were faring out in the human world on their own. They had been prisoners as much as the humans they preyed on in Morgan Creek, but they had been safe from hunters.
    He paused outside one of the doors. Though he had never been here before, he knew the room had belonged to Morgan Creek’s lone female vampire. Lilith. Even after five years, her scent remained strong. She had died in this room, destroyed by a hunter, after Saintcrow sent the humans and vampires away.
    Leaving the house, Micah strolled through the town. Once the vampires left, Shirley and her friends had turned Morgan Creek into a popular rest area for tourists and travelers. The homes in the residential area, once inhabited by mortals whose sole purpose had been to supply the vampires with blood, had been rented out to tourists in the summer. The restaurant had been redecorated. Some of the old buildings, like the movie theater, had been spruced up.
    A new pump had been installed at the gas station, although the old hand pump remained, for sentimental reasons. It had been a favorite picture spot for those visiting the area. Some of the older buildings had been demolished. With Shirley’s passing, Micah had locked up the town. As far as he knew, no one had stayed here until