Page 4 of Silent Stalker
“Yes, that will work well. It was carved with love, and that’s the intent that is needed. May I take it? I do not wish to hurt her, but I am concerned. I expect she will have a difficult time adapting in some ways. It could also be that her body is ready to make the transition and she’s hunting for her first meal. I simply don’t know.”
I gave the stake a kiss before holding it out to Clarke. “Yes, of course. Has she taken the news of me becoming a vampire well? Had my father told her?”
“He had not told her, but when I spoke of Emerick and how you settle here, she seemed relieved.”
“I escaped to a place he can’t reach me.”
“Yes. I believe she has realized she has likewise escaped. When I left her to come here, she was busy making my home her home.”
Emerick’s eyes narrowed. “Do you intend to pursue her?”
“I admire her tenacity, much as you admire your Pepper’s tenacity, and unlike that monster she had been trapped with, I understand the importance of freedom. More, I respect her right to choose. She will be the one to decide if she is pursued. Will I play my cards in such a way I may become the victorious man? Of course. After learning what I have, that monster falls, and I will crush him so completely the world will understand that ambition and greed at the cost of a wife and a daughter will be punished beyond even the law.”
“He’s mine,” I warned Clarke.
Emerick’s maker grinned and showed off his fangs. “May the best vampire win then, Mrs. Lowrance. I will take my leave now. Consider these next few weeks to be a head start. When I return to these shores, I mean to wage war, and I will not show mercy solely because you wish to be the one to secure justice.”
Clarke left. The door leading to the reception opened and closed. I scowled.
Emerick laughed. “Your mother must have put up quite the fight when he picked her up. I have not seen my maker this lively in well over a hundred years.”
“But she’s still married to my father, Emerick.”
“Do you think that marriage would survive for long once she learned you lived and your father had used you to further his businesses? You did not get your fire from your father. May my maker be wise in his future steps, because I suspect he will find himself having bitten off more than he can chew.”
“Oh? And what about you, Mr. Lowrance?”
“Your rules vex me, but I look forward to the day you confirm we are a bonded pair.”
My rules vexed me, too. “One of these days, I will learn to think before I speak,” I complained, heading for the dresser to find proper clothes. “Hurry up and get bonded already. You’re slow.”
Emerick laughed. “Give it a few weeks of daily blood exchanges, and it will happen. There is something to be said about savoring the hunt, although I do find the current situation slightly frustrating.”
“Only slightly?”
His glare promised some form of future retribution, and with a grin, I picked a pair of tight jeans and a nice blouse.
“One day soon, I will enjoy making you pay for that, Mrs. Lowrance.”
I looked forward to it.
