possible. You're Mr. Dalakis, but you're also Cris. My Cris."
"Yes. Surely you knew by now that you weren't dreaming all those years."
"Well, yes, but this is different. You've only ever come to me in dreams. I came to
Transylvania on a business trip and to fulfill my dream of seeing this country. I never
expected you to actually appear in myreal life." Johanna frowned at him, shaking her
head in denial. "Who are you, really?"
"I am Cristofor Dalakis and it is I who have brought you here." He saw the exact
moment that she began to see all the possible implications of the situation. Her dreams
and reality had collided and there were many truths she now had to face.
Her face was pale, but calm as she straightened her shoulders and met his gaze.
Clutching her hands in her lap, she held them so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"What are you?"
"I am the same man who has come to you all these years." Standing, he began to pace
the room, trying to give her some space, and at the same time find the words to make her
understand. "I am of the family Dalakis. We have always been different."
"Different!" she exclaimed. "You've been in my dreams for years." She swallowed hard
and her face paled even further before a blush began to creep up her cheeks. "We've had
mind-numbing, heart-pounding, raw sex over and over in my dreams." Her voice lowered
until it was barely a whisper. "Was it real?"
"Don't lie to yourself. You knew it was." He refused to soften the blow. "All of it was
real. You are mine and I am yours. As it has always been." Coming to a stop at the end of
the sofa, he loomed menacingly over her. "Ask the question you really want answered."
Scrambling off the sofa, she stood her ground and glared at him. "In my dreams, you're
not human. But vampires don't really exist."
"Are you sure?" he taunted her.
Johanna took one step backwards. "Are you a vampire?"
"You know I am." As he was finished speaking, Johanna started to bolt, but he reached
out and grabbed her wrist, whirling her around to face him.
Her fear of him made him unreasonably angry. "Why do you run from me? I have had
years to hurt you if that was my intention." His voice was soft, but she heard the
underlying anger and flinched.
He released her and she backed slowly towards the door. "I'm not sure I'm ready for
this." Her hand went to protectively to her neck. "It's not that you tricked me, but maybe
I've deluded myself into believing that you were just a harmless fantasy."
Cris stalked towards her, not stopping until her back was pressed hard against the door.
He loomed over her much smaller frame and ignored the hand she held out to ward him
off. "You are fascinated by the idea and the lure of the vampire, but not the reality even
though I have never harmed you." Wrapping one hand around her neck, he tilted her chin
up as he slowly lowered his lips to hers. "Although at the moment, I am reconsidering my
options."
Her eyes widened as he held her immobile with his gaze, and she did not fight him as his
lips brushed hers. His tongue swept inside her mouth to claim what was already his.
For a moment, she did not move at all, but within seconds, he could feel her whole body
softening towards him as her body remembered all the pleasure they had shared. Closing
his eyes, he savored the taste of her and moaned when her tongue tentatively touched his.
While he explored her mouth, his fingers slowly undid the buttons of her jacket. Pushing
the lapels back, he placed his hands on her waist, enjoying the way she arched her back
and pushed her chest towards him.
Her nipples were hard little buds stabbing against his chest, driving him mad with desire
for her. Unable to resist her allure, he swept his hands upward until they were covering
her breasts. The lush mounds filled his hands perfectly, as he caressed them through the
silk of her blouse.
As he nipped a path down her neck, he opened her blouse one button at a time. He could
feel the heat of her skin on the backs of his fingers, and a rush of pleasure filled him.
Expertly, he flicked the front clasp of her bra open and pushed the lacy cups out of his
way until she was totally exposed to him.
Bending, he captured one of her nipples between his teeth. He rolled the tasty morsel
around in his mouth, teasing it with his tongue, her hot flesh tempting him to take a bite.
Growling, he gripped her waist tighter as he feasted on her breasts. He could smell her
arousal now and he inhaled deeply, allowing her fragrance to fill his nostrils. Her warm,
musky scent enthralled him.
His cock was hard and throbbing, and every instinct he possessed was urging him to rip
off the rest of her clothes and take her now. She was his. Pulling back from her luscious
breasts, he grabbed her hips and ground her soft feminine mound against his cock. He
could feel her heat through the layers of their clothing and knew that she wanted him.
Her tight skirt kept him from pushing her legs wide open, so he reached down and
yanked it upwards. Thrusting his hand between her legs, he fingered her pussy through
her panties. She was so wet. So ready for him.
Sliding his fingers under the edge, he pushed the material away. He closed his eyes and
savored the feel of her soft, downy pubic hair. Sifting his fingers through it, he slipped
them between her legs, stoking the moist flesh of her sex. Not stopping, he dipped two of
his fingers into her pussy. Johanna moaned and pushed her hips towards him. His cock
strained against the front of his pants, wanting to be buried in her hot depths. Cris pushed
his fingers deep inside her cunt, enjoying the way her inner muscles squeezed them.
Using his thumb, he flicked at her clit. Johanna responded immediately, circling her hips
and driving his fingers deeper.
Anticipation grew in him as he envisioned taking her here in his study with her back
against the wall. He'd strip her clothing from her a piece at a time and pound into her hot,
wet flesh until she was begging him for release. Cris felt his whole body tighten in
anticipation.
Everything was perfect. Until she spoke.
"What are you doing to me?" The accusation in her voice as she turned her head away
from him nearly shattered him.
It took every ounce of discipline he had to pull his hands from her aroused body. He
brought his fingers to her mouth and stroked them against her lips, knowing she could
taste her own juices. There was no denying that she wanted him.
"I am doing nothing to you. If anything, it is you who are tormenting me." The air in the
room was electric now, his anger and lust a living thing waiting to explode.
He clasped her face in his hands, forcing her to face him. "For years, I have had to be
content with stolen moments with you." His grip on her tightened and for a moment the
temptation to just fuck her against the door taunted him. He could still smell her arousal
on his fingers.
Clamping down hard on his primordial lust, he took a step away from her, but kept her
pinned to the door with his fierce glare. "You have tormented me every night in my
dreams." He stalked away from her, afraid that if he didn't, he might shake her.
Like some wary animal, she never
took her eyes off of him as she shoved her skirt down,
pulled her blouse closed and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. That she felt
the need to hide herself from him enraged Cris. "I have waited endlessly for you to come
to me and now that you finally have you are full of accusations and fear."
He forced himself to take a deep breath and center himself. A feeling of defeat swept
over him. If she truly did not want him, he could not, would not, make her stay. He had to
let her go quickly, for if he did not, the beast inside him would claim her regardless of
what she wanted. Then she would hate him forever, and he would rather face the killing
midday sun than face her hatred.
Determined, he strode past her, ignoring the fearful look in her eyes as he grew closer.
Grabbing the briefcase from the floor by the sofa, he stalked to his desk. Opening it, he
pulled out the folder with his name on it, withdrew the papers, scanned them, and signed
them. Stuffing them back into her case, he returned to her and hooked the bag back over
her shoulder.
He stared at her for one long moment, imprinting her image on his soul, knowing he
would not see her again.Keeping his hands fisted at his sides to prevent himself from
grabbing her and locking her away in a tower, he felt what was left of his soul begin to
shrivel. He knew his eyes were glowing red now as the familiar longing to possess her
raced through his blood. The full moon was rising. He could feel it, and longed for the
nights gone by that they had spent together in its welcoming glow.
Gathering all his strength, he turned on her and smiled cruelly, flashing his elongated
teeth. Gripping the door handles behind her, he flung the doors wide open. "Go," he
commanded her.
She hesitated for a moment and he felt his resolve falter. "Go." His shout echoed down
the empty stone corridor.
This time she didn't hesitate. This time she ran as fast as she could on her broken shoes
and didn't look back. He closed his eyes and felt the pain move inside him as, with her,
she also took his heart.
Chapter Five
Johanna tore through the front door as if the hounds of hell were after her. A cold gust of
wind rushed over her as she raced through the utter blackness of the night. Dark, ominous
clouds now obscured the moon, which had been so bright moments ago. She didn't look
back as she skidded and slipped along the gravel path, her heart pounding and breathing
labored.
Her body still ached with unfulfilled passion as she ran. She could hardly believe what
had just happened to her. Vampire. For all her fascination, reading, and encounters with
Cris in her dreams, the logical side of her brain had always told her that it was
impossible. Vampires didn't exist, except maybe in dreams.
The hidden, wilder side of her nature, the part that craved the visits of her dream lover,
had always believed in the possibility. But believing that it might be true and coming
face-to-face with the fact were two different things. In the firelight, she could still se his
fangs gleaming bright and his eyes glowing an eerie red.
Johanna had always kept the untamed part of herself tucked away, confined to the dark
of the night. Most people knew her as sensible and career minded. No one knew the real
her.
No one but Cris.
The night air around her seemed to still for a moment. Then the unnatural silence was
filled with a roar of utter anguish. Deep in her soul, she knew it was him. Her legs slowed
their frantic pace until she finally came to a complete stop in the middle of the road.
Opening her mind to him, she was suddenly filled with such despair that her legs
crumpled beneath her, and she fell to her knees. Pain. There was nothing but pain,
longing and suffering. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she rocked back and forth
in the dirt, keening softly.
For the first time, she truly understood the suffering he had endured by choosing to wait
for her. Everything was suddenly becoming crystal clear. He had given her time to forge
her own path in life. Time to grow and experience life before offering her a choice. It was
due to his patience that she'd had the opportunity to grow into the intelligent,
independent woman that she was. Even now, he thought only of her and released her at
the peril of his very soul.
Tears tracked down her cheeks as she was forced to face her own fears and selfishness.
He had given her so much over the years and she had turned her back and run from him,
treating him like some monster, when confronted with the reality of him.
Johanna was ashamed of herself. It was time to stop acting like some overwrought
heroine from a Victorian novel, and be the strong, mature woman that she really was.
This was the man she'd known and trusted for years, the man who, years earlier, had
him and accepting him, she had feared him, scorned him, and run from him like a
frightened child.
Another roar filled the darkened sky and suddenly she was back on her feet, running
once again. Only this time, it was back towards the castle. Back to him.
A flash of something caught the corner of her eye, and she looked towards the woods.
Something was running in there, keeping pace with her. She tried to run faster, but her
lungs were burning and her stomach cramping from exertion.
The shadowy figure leapt onto the road in front of her, and the dark shape of a wolf took
form. It was large and muscular, it's silver-gray coat shining in the moonlight as it
blocked her path. Skidding to a halt, she froze as the animal bared its long, sharp teeth
and growled. Eyes glowing, it stood in the center of the road staring at her.
Johanna whirled around, looking for an avenue of escape, but she came face-to-face with
another large silver-gray wolf blocking the road behind her. This one looked slightly
bigger than the other and had a silver patch on its chest. It too stared at her, but instead of
growling, it was silent and still, but watchful.
They were both beautiful in a deadly way, with their powerful bodies, and intelligent
eyes. Slowly, they began to circle her, readying themselves for attack. In that moment,
Johanna knew that she was going to die.
Gripping her leather briefcase with both hands, she turned in a circle with them,
watching their every step. She waited for them to make their move, prepared to swing the
briefcase when they attacked. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all she had, and she
wouldn't go down without a fight.
Mentally, she opened her mind and called to Cris, screaming that she was sorry for how
she had reacted to him and that she would have returned to him if she'd only had the
chance. She didn't want to die without trying to tell him how much he meant to her.
The first wolf sprang suddenly and Johanna swung the bag hard, hitting it in the head.
With a yelp, it landed on all fours a few feet away from her, and scrambled to regain its
composure. The large wolf canted its head and looked almost quizzical, as if it couldn't
believe that she'd actually hit it. Tilting back its head, it howled. The sound was long and
soulful and made her unbearably sad.
It howled once again before swinging its gaze back to her. "Great," she muttered as she
braced herself for the next attack. "All that did was piss you off even more."
Her fingers tightened on the bag and she found herself praying as she waited for the
wolves to spring. The larger of the two launched itself towards her, but never reached her.
A blur flashed in front of her, and then the wolf was flying through the air and crashing
into the bushes.
Another wolf had joined them. This one was just as big as the other two, but heavier and
more muscled. Its silver coat was thick and Johanna was filled with the desire to run her
fingers through it just to see if it was as soft as it looked.
Now she knew she was losing it. She had bigger concerns that what the wolf's fur felt
like. Staying alive was at the top of that list. While two of the wolves were distracted, she
started to edge towards the woods. She didn't think that wolves could climb trees, so if
she could just get close enough, she might be able to take refuge in one of the large trees
that filled the forest.
The third wolf planted itself between her and the possible safety of the woods. Its tongue
lolled out of its mouth and if Johanna hadn't known better, she would have sworn it was
laughing at her. A growl startled her from behind and she swung around, swinging the
bag as she turned. The momentum turned her in a complete circle and she struggled to
maintain her balance.
All three wolves were sitting in front of her, watching her every move. The stronger of