The car waiting outside for them was large and blue:a relic of an era when people were more interested in size than gas mileage.Natalie found herself quickly bundled into the backseat. Gabriel slipped back into the motel room to return with the ugly orange bedspread. He wrapped it tightly around her,  soaked clothes, murmuring encouraging phrases to wipe away the horror that shone in her eyes. Her head bobbed in time to his words and she agreed to the nonsense he was saying. She wanted to believe that it was all okay. And then a strange calm feeling descended on her. She let herself go with it, floating away on the tide of safety it offered.She relaxed back into the seat and Gabriel saidsoftly, “I’ll be right back,” before he disappeared into the hotel room again.With Gabriel gone, she suddenly became aware of the driver's presence. He had broad shoulders and long tawny hair that hung in a ponytail down his back. He didn’t bothe

Gabriel’s smile was small but warm. “All right, then get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gazed into her face asif he might kiss her, but to her disappointment he only released her arms and moved away.He left quickly and she berated herself as she ran a hot bath. She’d just decided that something was wrong with all of them, so how could she want him to kiss her? He might have a contagious disease!She scrubbed herself clean and then ran a second bath to soak in until she felt sane again. Her mind tried to replay the day’s events but she refused to let it. She needed a few moments of quiet peace where she thought of nothing.When her eyelids grew heavy, she climbed from the bath and dried herself off with large soft towels. The nightgown provided for her was the color of cream and she slid it over her head. The feel of the material against her skin was almost exciting as it settled into place. The neckline dipped low, with

Natalie’s head swam with the realization of what she was witnessing, and she’d have fallen if Gabriel hadn’t held her up. Patra seemed to enjoy Natalie’s horror. Her cold, cruel laughter echoed through the evil nursery.“Enough, Patra,” Gabriel snapped. “I don’t know if you're trying to impress me or intimidate Natalie, but either way it's pointless.”“Impress you?” she asked mockingly and took a stepforward. “Hardly. And as for your snack...” she smiled cruelly andadded, “She should already be properly intimidated, if you’ve done your job correctly.”Natalie whimpered, and Gabriel bit back, “I don't require kowtowing servants like you.” His eyes moved to Mara And her peculiar outfit. “A creative punishment, I suppose, if you find holding power over the weak so interesting.” His eyes moved back to Patra. “But it’s of no concern to me. What matters is what you’ve done. I’ve granted this woman my protection, and by doing this, you ha

Natalie lay on the bed and tried to calm herself until Gabriel returned with another microwaveable dinner. She greeted it enthusiastically, despite the fact that it tasted like cardboard. She’d had less to eat in the last few days than her last diet had allowed. A sick smile flickered across her face as she thought of a way to make a fortune: “the all new Vampire diet! Guaranteed to lose pounds in only a few weeks by spending your time with the undead. In fact, you’ll be lucky to get any food at all.And, as a limited time offer, it’s free, so long as you’re willing to give up your entire life.”As she ate, she snuck quick glances at Gabriel from under her eyelids. He was a vampire. The statement seemed detached and unreal, no matter how many times she repeated it to herself.He, Gabriel, was a vampire. He was not human. He did not need to estas she was eating. He was immortal. He was not human… He glanced up sharply and her thoughts stopped abruptly. His dark

She stared at his small, pointed face in surprise.She found it hard to believe that the pale strange vampire child,who only spoke to certain people, had gone to all that trouble just to ask her to play?“What?”“I asked if you would like to play with Vera ,” he repeated patiently. The woman child smiled at the mentionof her name. “It’s been awhile since we’ve had anyone new to playwith. I like playing with humans. You always have such interestingideas.” He smiled so that his miniature fangs gleamed.“Oh?” Natalie swallowed. She found herself wondering if Vera’s position was to guard anyone coming in or to keep her from getting out, which was what the logical portion of her brain told her to do.“Oh yes!” he enthused, oblivious to her discomfort.“In fact, our newest game came from a human – it’s called dungeon.It’s a lot of fun, I promise! We haven’t gotten to play it in along time,” he added sadly but then perked up i