“Get away from me, you beast!”

Gabrielle’s heart slammed against her ribs as she rushed from the dining room.

Darius called out to her. “I will not hurt you, lass. Trust me. I love you, Rose.”

Rose? Why was Darius calling her Rose?

She looked behind her. He was running toward her, and by the time she turned around, he stood in front of her, stopping her progress.

How in God’s name had he gone from being behind her, to being in front of her?

It was physically impossible—unless he was a vampire. Fear rippled through her as she looked into his ice-blue eyes.

Clan members had been talking about his death on the battlefield at Bannockburn. How then could he appear days later, without a wound or scar?

It did not end there. He slept throughout the day, and stayed up all hours of the night. Friends dropped by less often, too afraid of what he had become.

Tonight at dinner she had seen his fangs, which explained why her neck hurt for hours after they had made love last night. He had kissed her there, and she had felt a sharp prick on the tender skin of her throat. She touched that place now, her heart hammering. Dear God, was it too late? Would she become a creature as well? She laid her hand on her round stomach. And what of the child that rested in her womb? What would happen to the babe?

“Stay away from me, Darius!” She raced from the room, certain she heard his steps behind her, yet when she looked back he was not there. She raced for the steps, looked back once more, and lost her footing.

She grabbed for the balustrade, but missed it.

It happened so quickly. One moment she teetered on the edge, the next she was falling fast. She could hear her bones breaking as she tumbled, and then, she hit her head hard and black rose up to greet her.

Darius screamed her name over and over again, his voice full of pain and fear.

Gabrielle awoke with a start, her heart still pounding like she had run a great distance. She blinked a few times, looking about the room, and recognized the library in Darius’s home in the Scottish Highlands.

From the moment she had walked into the manor, she had been inundated with thoughts of Rose. It seemed as though the woman wanted to torment her.

Was Gabrielle really this woman in a past life, or did they simply just look alike?

Whatever the case, she wished she could have peace. She could not afford many more sleepless nights.

Even last night she had awoken from another dream, much like the one she had just experienced. Not wanting to bother Darius, she slipped on her chemise and robe and went in search of a good book, hoping it would take all the strange emotions away.

But reading could not rid her of Rose and her tragic end. However, she now understood Darius’s sadness, or the strange look in his eyes whenever Gabrielle brought up his dead wife.Chilled, Gabrielle pulled the blanket tight around her shoulders and stared into the blazing fire. Candles that had been lit earlier had now burned down, casting the room in eerie shadows.

How did Darius, his brother, and Remont find the blood they needed to satisfy their thirst? Did they slip out in the middle of the night, finding a victim? Darius had told he did not kill many, only those who deserved it. But what of Demetri and Remont? Did they kill each night, or just feed from some unsuspecting person who would not remember what happened? What if they could not find victims? Would they start feeding from animals like she’d read?

“Gabrielle?”

Gabrielle’s heart jumped to her throat. She had been so lost in thought she had not even heard the door open.

Darius walked toward her and pulled her into his arms. He loved being home and seemed so relaxed. “You were not in bed. Could you not sleep?”

“No.”

“Nightmares—again?”

She nodded. “Yes, it seems I cannot escape them.”

Darius’s fingers curled around Gabrielle’s.

Though he rarely made a habit of reading her thoughts, he did so now, wanting to know exactly what tormented her, so perhaps he could help her.

He concentrated and was shocked to see Rose’s final minutes, where she raced from the dining room to get away from him.

He could feel her inner torment, the concern of being with him, and what that would entail. Could she live with a man who was immortal? What if they wanted children? Could she become pregnant with a man who was by all accounts dead?

Little did she know he too had agonized over those very concerns since the moment he took Gabrielle to bed. It all came down to one thing—what would happen if he did make her into a vampire? Would the powers she already had intensify, or would it harm her or even kill her? And perhaps she did not want to become a vampire at all.

The vision ended with Rose falling down the stairs.

Shaking away the horrible image, Darius took her by the hand. “Come, there is something I wish to show you.”

Her brows furrowed. “What do you wish to show me?”

“You shall see soon enough. First you will need to dress warmly.”

“We are going outside?” She looked toward the window. “It is too cold to go for a walk.”

“I shall keep you warm, lass.”

“Promise?” she asked, her soft, full lips curving in a sensual smile that made his blood warm and put his fears at ease.

“Aye, I promise.”

* * *

They walked for what seemed like forever. Surprisingly, it was not as cold as Gabrielle had thought, and Darius had kept true to his promise and kept her warm.

Finally, when they reached the top of the hill, Darius turned around and told her to do the same.

The manor house, slightly hidden by the trees, stood out like a beacon, every room lit up. The top floor had several stained-glass windows, which only helped add to the manor’s ambiance.

“It is so beautiful.”

He grinned, obviously pleased. “I used to come up here on occasion and watch the sun rise. I know it sounds silly, but that is the worst part of being a vampire. Not being able to see the world in color. Not feeling the sun upon on my skin. Just small things that you take for granted. You have no idea what I would give to have just one more chance to see the sunrise.”

He turned to Gabrielle, took her hands in his, and kissed them softly. “One day, when it is safe to do so, I want you to come up here, to this very spot, and watch the sunrise for both of us. It will take your breath away.”

Gabrielle’s throat tightened with unshed tears as she looked into his handsome face. “I will. I promise.” Resting her head against his shoulder, she felt some of the fear and anxiety she had been feeling since waking from her dream faded. “I am afraid, Darius.”

He put her at arm’s length. “Afraid of what?”

“Everything. I am afraid of how I feel when I am with you, and how I feel knowing that my past could catch up with me at any time. That Sutherland and my uncle will never stop searching for me. I am afraid that we are so different, we will not stay together.”

“I will never let Sutherland get you, and you know that. When it comes to our differences, you have to believe that everything will work out.”

“I just feel that something very bad is going to happen. I sense it. I know it. I have always been able to see things, sometimes before they happen. When I lived in the convent I could not use my powers, and they became weak. But now that the door has been opened, I cannot close it. Just yesterday I had a strange vision of my uncle. He lay dead in a ditch, murdered, and then I saw Sutherland. I honestly feel that my uncle is dead, Darius.”

Darius lifted her chin with his fingers and stared into her eyes that were filled with tears. “You have no control over what happens to your uncle, Gabrielle. If the image you saw ends up being fact, then you must remember that he sold you to Sutherland in order to pay off his debts. Your uncle did not care about your welfare. He only wanted you for what you could give him, love.”

“I know you are right. I just wish I could get all the thoughts out of my head. I will not have peace until I do.”

“You are safe from both of them, Gabrielle. You will never be forced to marry Sutherland and face a fate like his other wives. You are strong, lass.”

She knew what he said was true, but she could not shake the feeling that had plagued her since waking. Hopefully Sutherland would stay away and leave them all alone. If anything happened to Darius, Remont, or Demetri, she would never be able to forgive herself.

Gabrielle closed her eyes, content to hear the slow rhythm of his heart. His large hand moved up and down her back. “I will never let him hurt you, Gabrielle. You shall be safe. I promise you.”