Destined for an Early Grave

"You remind me of the girl you were. You're not her anymore, but right now, you look like you are."

It was incredibly strange. He was remembering someone I used to be, and I had no idea who that was. A sixteen-year-old Catherine who didn't hate vampires and went to Paris with one? Never met her.

"No, I'm not her anymore," I agreed. "Since there's no turning back the clock, why don't we part in a semifriendly manner now?"

He didn't respond to that. "Your body's also different. You're an inch taller, and you've gained weight."

"Everyone's a critic," I muttered.

That made him smile, creasing the scar on his eyebrow. "Twas no insult, ma femme. It plumps your br**sts and softens your thighs."

Way too much information and in the wrong, wrong direction. "Gregor," I shifted, and a strained breath escaped me. The movement put pressure on my ribs.

In the next instant, he was looming over me. "You're hurt. I thought it was just unease after the transport, but you're in pain."

"It's nothing." I brushed his hands away. "Got banged up sparring with a friend, I'm fine. Where are we? You never said."

"Austria." He sat without being invited, and I scooted back, not liking his proximity.

"And what's this news Lucius doesn't want me to know?" My brow arched as I asked, daring him to tell me.

His shoulder lifted in a half shrug. "No one you hold dear was captured or killed. My men ceased as instructed, and my promise is fulfilled."

"Not all of your promise." Sharply.

"Nor all of yours. It's your turn." From his pants pocket, he withdrew a small silver knife, intricately etched. "Drink from me. Learn what was stolen from you."

Now that it was time for me to discover what had been ripped from my mind, I was uncertain. Was it possible I'd loved the vampire in front of me? I couldn't imagine that, but Gregor seemed so sure. What if learning this piece of my past did change things between Bones and me? Could I risk that?

But on the other hand, I didn't have a choice. If Gregor wanted to force me to drink his blood, in my condition, it would be easy. Besides, I refused to let doubt dictate my actions. I loved Bones. Nothing I remembered would change that, no matter what Gregor thought.

I didn't look away as I accepted the knife. When I reached for his hand, however, Gregor stopped me.

"No. Take from my neck, as I once took from yours."

I really didn't want to be closer to him, but refusing would be irrational. At least Bones was wrong, I thought. He swore Gregor would make me bite him.

Without hesitation, I jabbed the dirk into Gregor's throat and sealed my mouth over the wound, sucking. As I swallowed, I felt his arms go around me, but they didn't fully register. Something exploded in my brain. I wasn't falling this time; I was being propelled forward.

I waited downstairs by the front door as Cannelle, Gregor's housekeeper, had instructed me. She'd muttered something in French I hadn't completely understood, but it didn't sound friendly. Oh, in front of Gregor, Cannelle was polite. But as soon as his back was turned, she was cold and cutting. I didn't know why, but it made me sad. I was a long way from home, and I hadn't seen another soul aside from the few people in this house. A friend would have been so nice.

Gregor's entryway had the coldest design, I'd decided. High ceilings that didn't offer a glimpse of the sky. Harshly done paintings of unsmiling figures glaring at all who dared to enter. A set of hatchets crisscrossed together over a coat of arms. Yeah, comfy. If you were Adolf Hitler.

Gregor walked through the door moments later. He looked very imposing, wearing a long dark coat and shirt over coal-colored pants. Even though he intimidated me, I couldn't help but be dazzled by how gorgeous he was.

It still didn't seem real that Gregor was a vampire. I'd barely come to terms with being a half-breed myself before I was whisked away by a strange vampire that - unbelievably - my mother seemed to trust. Since she didn't trust anyone, Gregor had to be special.

"You're beautiful in your gown," he commented as he looked me over. "Very much a lovely young lady instead of a wandering farm child."

I cringed, but I didn't want him to see that he'd struck a nerve. "Thank Cannelle. She had everything laid out for me."

"I shall thank her, later," he answered with a glint. "Don't you prefer this to stained jeans and twigs in your hair?"

I'd barely spoken at all in the past two days, being too awed by him and my new circumstances, but that stiffened my spine. "It's been good enough for me my entire life," I said. "If you've got such a problem with where I came from, maybe you should put me back on a plane."

Come at me all you want, but don't put down my family. They couldn't help it that we weren't wealthy. My grandparents worked harder than most people and they were up in years.

Gregor spread out his hands. "I meant no offense, cherie. I'm from a farm as well, in the south of France, but there were no cherries to be found there. You see? More that we have in common."

I was somewhat mollified. "What else do we have in common?"

"Ah," he smiled, his features changing from their hard planes. "Come. You'll find out."

Gregor and I walked through the Parisian streets. He took me to the lighted fountains in the square, retelling their history. It would have been a dream evening, if I hadn't had so many unanswered questions he kept changing the subject about.

"Why am I here with you?" I ended up blurting in growing frustration over not knowing why I'd been shuttled out of Ohio in such a hurry. "I mean, my mother said I had to go with you because some bad vampire was after me, but nobody said who."

We were almost at the Eiffel Tower. It was breathtaking, but all the scenery in the world couldn't distract me from finding out what was going on with my future.

Gregor gestured to a nearby bench, and we sat on it. The temperature had been dropping since sundown, and he took off his coat and handed it to me.

The simple gesture touched me and made me feel shy again. It was the way a guy would act on a date, or so I imagined. Gregor sat very close to me as well. Self-consciously, I worried about my breath, or if there was anything in my teeth.

"What you are, Catherine," he began, "is very rare. There are vampires in this world, as well as humans and ghouls, but there has only been one other known half-breed in all of history, and that was centuries ago. Because of your uniqueness, there are those who would exploit you. One man in particular would try to use you."

"Who?" I gasped, feeling so alone at the knowledge that there was no one else like me. "And why?"

"His name is Bones." Gregor almost spat the words. "He will force you to become a killer as he is. Turn you into a whore to lure his victims. Kill your family, so you will have no one but him to protect you. And you'll need protection, Catherine. After the atrocities he'll have you commit, you'll be running from danger for the rest of your life."

"No!"

It was a cry of denial at the fate he'd just predicted. Hearing I'd become a monster who would get my family murdered made me want to run, but Gregor put an arm around my shoulders, keeping me where I was.

"That's why I came, ma cherie. He won't find you here. Soon, I'll bind you to me, then no one can take you. If you do what I say, you'll never suffer such an existence."

"My family? My mother? They'll be safe?" I was shaking at the thought of their deaths.

"As long as you are with me, they're safe."

He sounded so confident. That's why my mom sent me here, I thought dully. If I didn't leave, they'd all be killed.

He brushed my cheek. "You must heed me, though, oui? Else I can't protect you from this."

"Okay." I drew in a deep breath. "I'll do what you say."

"Good." The green left his eyes, and his smile was relaxed. "It's for the best. Now, come to me."

He held open his arms, and I hesitated. He wanted a hug?

"Um," I fidgeted. "What - "

"Already you question?" he interrupted, gaze narrowing.

"No, no." At once I put my arms around him, my heart starting to beat faster. This wasn't a position I was used to.

"Better." It was almost a growl. Gregor tightened his grip until I blushed. "We'll return home now. You must be weary."

"Well," I began, "A little - huh?"

He propelled us upward. My bleat of fright dissolved into a gasp of wonder as I looked down. Oh, wow. No wonder they called this the City of Lights.

Gregor glided us above the buildings, too high to be seen from below. It was indescribable to feel the wind whistling by me and the power radiating off him while looking at the stunning visual canvas. My heart wasn't beating; it was thundering. If this is a dream, I thought, I don't want to wake up.

All too soon, he landed at the gray building that was his house. I had to hold on for a second longer while I regained my footing, still overwhelmed with the experience. Flying. If that was a vampire perk, being a half-breed couldn't be all bad.

"You enjoyed that," he noted the obvious, smiling. "You see? All you must do is trust me."

"I don't know what to say." It came out breathlessly. He'd let go of me, but he was still very close. "Thank you."

His smiled deepened. That fluttering began in my stomach. No one had ever smiled at me like Gregor did.

"You're welcome, Catherine."

Chapter Fourteen

THE NEXT THREE WEEKS PASSED WITH AMAZING swiftness. Aside from Cannelle's continued snootiness and worrying about my family, I had to admit I'd never been happier.

Gregor was wonderful to be around - as long as I didn't argue with him or challenge him with a differing opinion. I learned that fast. Who was I, a teenager, to argue with a thousand-year-old vampire who possessed powers and knowledge I couldn't even imagine? That was Gregor's favorite line when he was ticked. It was a good one, too. I didn't have much to rebut it with.

But when Gregor was in a good mood, it was heavenly. He'd listen for hours as I spoke about my insecurities growing up. He encouraged me to show my nonhuman traits, something I'd tried to hide as much as possible around my mother. Then he bought me clothes, shoes, and jewelry, overriding my protests by saying pretty girls should have pretty things.

No guy had ever called me pretty before. In fact, no one had ever paid attention to me the way Gregor did. I'd gone from being a lonely outcast to feeling very favored and special almost overnight. Here was this attractive, suave, charismatic man spending all this time with me, and even though I knew it was stupid, I was getting more infatuated with Gregor every day.

Gregor didn't act like anything but a protector, however. Every day, I tried to talk myself out of my embarrassing crush. Not only is Gregor about a thousand years too old for you, he's probably got ten girlfriends. Cannelle couldn't be more obvious about how she wants him, but he doesn't give her the time of day even though she's a beautiful woman. So what chance do you have? None, that's what.

I'd convinced myself to stop secretly mooning over Gregor by the time he took me to see The English Patient. After a crash course, my French was good enough that I didn't need to read all the subtitles to know what was going on, and there were certain parts that required no translation.

The he**ine's name was Catherine. Hearing my name moaned during the erotic parts of the movie was like a spotlight on my hidden fantasies. I was hyperaware of Gregor's knee grazing mine, his arm resting on the divider, and how very large he was in his chair. I started feeling flushed, and I bolted out of the seat with a hurried excuse about the bathroom.

I didn't make it. In the hall, I was seized and whirled around, crushed against Gregor's body. My mouth opened in surprise only to have his come down over it, shocking me with his invading tongue. He grabbed my hair and held my head as he kissed me.

It felt consuming, terrifying, and good all at once. I couldn't move with the grip he held me in, and I couldn't breathe from how deeply he was kissing me. Finally, my flapping hands must have registered, because he let me go. I almost stumbled, glad the wall was there to keep me from falling. My heartbeat must have been loud enough to make his head hurt.

"Your first kiss?" Gregor asked thickly, giving a rude glare to a couple who paused to gawk at us.

I didn't want to admit it, but he always seemed to know when I lied.

"Yes." How pathetic. I was sixteen; half my classmates had already had sex.

A smile curled on his lips. "'Twas the answer I wanted. You take to it very well." He placed each arm around me, caging me against the wall. "I wonder how well you'll take to the other enjoyments I'll show you."

I stared, thinking I must have misunderstood him. This was such a switch from how Gregor normally acted around me, I couldn't keep up. "You're saying you want to, uh, have sex with me?"

He responded to my stunned whisper by yanking me to him. "Why do you think you're here? Why do you think I took you into my home, garbed you in lovely clothes, and spent day and night with you? I've been waiting for you to adjust to your new home, and I've been very patient, oui? Yet my patience is running thin. You are mine, Catherine, and I will have you soon. Very soon."

I was at a loss for words. Sure, I'd been madly crushing on Gregor, but I hadn't been prepared to jump into bed with him.

Tentatively, I smiled. "You're joking, right?"