Category Archives: vampire romance

It’s time for chapter four of Heart of Darkness, my new vampire romance book. Elise’s will to resist Aleksandr’s advances is beginning to crumble a little but she’s still standing firm, determined not to let the powerful vampire prince capture her.

Be sure to keep following these weekly posts in order to read the first six chapters of the book. You can find previous chapters under my Heart of Darkness label. Heart of Darkness is currently available in ebook from Amazon Kindle stores, my website, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBookstores, Smashwords and All Romance eBooks and in paperback from Amazon.com. It will soon be available in ebook at Sony Reader Store and Kobo Books too.

Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

ebook price: $3.99
paperback price: $9.99
genre: paranormal vampire romance
length: 130000 words
rating: sultry
released: October 2011

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-darkness-felicity-heaton/1106991833
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/
Apple iBookstore USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781466173286

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

Aleksandr sighed and watched Elise leave, loving the intent strut she had. She was beautiful.

Their dance last night had fallen far short of his expectations. Her refusal had vexed him but then he had seen it as a challenge. He had never been one to back down from a challenge and the one Elise had issued had only sweetened the fight to get her into his arms. The reward for his persistence had been nowhere near satisfactory. While she hadn’t been afraid of him, she had hardly been compliant. She had stared at her feet so much that he had wished he had chosen only to speak with her instead so he could have seen her beautiful face. As he had tonight. The moment he had awoken this evening, he had decided to ask her commander to order her to show him the city. He was more satisfied with the outcome this time but he still wasn’t content.

And something told him it wasn’t her refusal that had left the hollow feeling inside him.

Elise had been polite, blushing at all the right times, her beauty beguiling him and bringing out the full extent of his charm. It was a skill and repertoire long forgotten to him, used centuries ago at court on the women there and not since then.

The way she had looked at him from time to time, the flash of desire that had been in her blue eyes, had increased her beauty and his lust for her.

He had thought she would give in to him, but she had resisted again, escaping his embrace and walking away. He wasn’t a stranger to refusal. Women had occasionally rejected his advances, and he had always moved on with ease, unbothered by it.

Not with Elise though.

Her refusal only made his hunger for her burn hotter.

She disappeared from view and he followed her. He couldn’t let her out of his sight in the city, not when there were hunters present. She would be in danger.

Aleksandr frowned and studied the foreign feeling that had compelled him to go after Elise.

He had felt this before, centuries ago, for his sister.

He wanted to protect her.

The desire was so strong that it controlled him, ordering him to go to Elise and walk close beside her, not letting her out of arm’s reach in case someone attacked them. He had to see her safely back to the mansion and her kin. It had been wrong of him to bring her out into the city and expose her to danger.

He kept his distance instead and considered his feelings.

There was something about Elise and the way he yearned for her. He’d never wanted a woman like this, enough to chase her so doggedly and definitely never enough to want to protect them from harm. He ran a hand over his dark hair, fingers tangling in the longer lengths on top, and settled it on the nape of his neck. Elise was different. She had awoken something new in him—a fierce desire to protect her, and desperate need to possess her.

Since meeting her, he had thought only of her. She had stolen sleep from him, replacing it with movies of her in his head that relived every moment they had spent together. When sleep had eventually come, she had been in his dreams, beautiful and pliant, satisfying his every whim.

Aleksandr craved her.

She led him through the streets and he was a slave to following her, needing to be near so he knew she was safe. Whenever she turned a corner, he quickened his pace so he could see her again, and then dropped back and allowed her to move on ahead.

Aleksandr couldn’t get enough of her.

It was everything about her. It was her stubbornness and how she resisted him, it was the fact she didn’t fear him, and the open way she spoke to him when her guard slipped.

It was how she looked at him with smouldering eyes.

Elise was beautiful, sensual, alluring. He wanted her and he wouldn’t give in until he had won her. The hunt wasn’t over. It was only getting more interesting.

She would be in his arms soon enough.

She passed through the gate of the mansion, storming along the gravel drive towards the house. Aleksandr strode faster, until he was close behind her again, knowing that if she was seen entering the house with him trailing behind her that she would be in trouble for not protecting him.

Protecting him.

He would protect her from anything. She didn’t need to protect him.

Aleksandr entered the house beside her. Ladislav was coming down the broad mahogany staircase in the classical cream entrance hall. The younger vampire paused and smiled. The three women behind him stopped too, twittering and blushing on cue. They caressed Ladislav’s slight shoulders, smoothing the fine material of his black suit jacket. Ladislav wasn’t a large man, nowhere close to Aleksandr’s build. He was wiry and slender, and not handsome by anyone’s standards, but power made a man beautiful and alluring to the females of society hoping to gain a new, higher rank.

The women looked his way and then to his right, their charming smiles faltering as their eyes fell on Elise.
“Mission complete, Master. I will report to Commander Piotr,” she said and Aleksandr held his frown inside. He didn’t want her to leave. Not yet.

“Aleksandr, will you do me the honour of joining me?” Ladislav said, as though Elise hadn’t even spoken.

Aleksandr gritted his teeth against the desire to put Ladislav in his place for ignoring Elise and nodded. “Of course. The night is still young.”

“Elise, with us.” Ladislav waved his hand to her and continued down the stairs. He didn’t even look at her. He beckoned her as though she was a dog.

Aleksandr glanced at her to see if Ladislav’s treatment had bothered her. She was still dutifully bowing to her master. She was a guard. How often had his family treated their guards no differently? It was only now that he knew one that he saw how wrong it was.

He followed Ladislav down the gallery, gradually reining in his anger and reasoning with himself. It wasn’t his place to interfere. Even if it wasn’t, it left him in a foul mood and with little desire to amuse a male half his age.

When they passed through the red-walled reception room, the vampires there stood and bowed. Aleksandr ignored them and trudged on, weary of the attention when he had grown used to being alone. Perhaps he should have declined Ladislav’s desire to entertain him. Elise’s refusal had left him in a worse mood than he had realised. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was trailing behind him now, her gaze downcast and expression solemn. Something was troubling her.

It was probably him.

Her refusal had seemed genuine. Perhaps she didn’t like him. It was another strange thing for him to come to terms with. Whenever he entered society, all of the women clamoured for his attention. Elise shirked it and tried to escape him. At first, he had put it down to shyness, and then to her loyalty to her duty, but now he couldn’t find an adequate reason.

Except she didn’t like him.

And he refused to believe that.

The way she avoided his eyes, the way she blushed, it all said that she enjoyed his attention to some degree.

They entered the dark green reception room and Elise dropped back. Ladislav escorted his three young women and positioned two either side of him on the green couch that stood with its back to the door, and motioned for the remaining female to sit on the one opposite.

“Join us.” Ladislav grinned. “They are most amiable.”

Aleksandr seated himself far from the woman on his couch.

“Andrej, I didn’t realise you would be here too,” Elise said and Aleksandr’s attention was immediately with her.

A fair-haired male guard smiled at her. He shut the double doors and Elise moved closer to him. Aleksandr stared at him, his eyes slowly narrowing with his increasing frown. Elise had been with him last night, guarding the exit to the garden. A fellow officer, or more than that?

The doors opened again and an older man entered, came over to Ladislav and spoke to him in a low voice. Ladislav conversed with him, a scowl on his face the whole time. From the looks of the man, Aleksandr guessed that he was an aide to the master of the house, and had infinitely more sense and breeding than his lord.

Aleksandr busied himself with assessing his surroundings while he waited. Oil paintings of the bloodline’s previous rulers adorned the green walls. He had seen similar paintings in the red reception room and gallery.

The fire crackled and popped, throwing sparks out onto the marble surround. He stared at it for a moment and then his gaze wandered on to the white sash windows on either side of the fireplace. Two windows with a set of French doors between them lined the wall opposite and revealed the horseshoe-shaped courtyard. He tried to make out the shape formed by the neatly clipped low hedge in its centre but it was impossible to discern from this angle and under the pale light from the lamps at each corner.

With nothing else to entertain his eye and distract him, Aleksandr’s gaze moved back to the one thing guaranteed to bring him pleasure. Elise was deep in conversation with the guard she had called Andrej. What were they talking about in such quiet voices? Aleksandr focused on the pair, intent on blocking out every other sound in the room so he could hear what they were saying to each other. His senses sharpened but dulled again when the door closed, signalling the departure of Ladislav’s aide. Aleksandr reluctantly switched his focus to the young master of the bloodline.

Ladislav’s smile was back in place, as though the interruption had never occurred. How much responsibility did Ladislav place on his aides? Judging by how focused on pleasure Ladislav was, the aides were probably running the bloodline for him.

“Pour us some blood.” Ladislav didn’t even look at Elise. He merely waved his hand again. Beckoned her. Aleksandr frowned, riled by her poor treatment and the fact that Ladislav hadn’t even used her name this time. This man had no breeding. He treated a guard as though she was a servant.

The shock on Elise’s face faded and she humbly walked over to the round table beside the third, empty, couch facing the fire. She turned over five of the crystal goblets on the silver tray so they were the right way up, picked up a metal canister of blood, and then carefully poured an amount into each glass.

Ladislav and the females didn’t even acknowledge her when she handed them their blood. The sight of her so degraded sickened Aleksandr, twisting his stomach into knots that tightened with each second that he had to watch her being humiliated by her master. A dark hunger to stand, grasp Ladislav by his scrawny neck and throttle some sense into him threatened to seize control. Aleksandr drew a slow steadying breath and held the urge at bay. Barely.

Elise picked up the last goblet and came to him.

Aleksandr sat forwards and took it from her, slowly brushing her fingers with his as he did so and holding her gaze.

“Thank you, Elise,” he said in a quiet voice destined only for her ears. Her blue eyes brightened, as though his show of appreciation had pleased her and given her task meaning.

“Come, tell us your tales.” Ladislav leaned back into the green velvet couch. He sipped his blood and then handed it to the woman on his right. She placed it down on the round table for him. Ladislav settled his arms around the shoulders of the two brunettes.

Aleksandr wasn’t in the mood. He toyed with his glass of blood, looking at it. He had no interest in stored blood, even if it was fresh. How sweet would Elise taste? She smelled divine, intoxicating, and he would give anything to have a sip of her blood.

“What do you know of me?” he said to the blonde woman beside him. She giggled and blushed, and every simpering action she made increased his desire to leave.

Only Elise had him remaining.

“I heard you killed five hunters at once… once.” The woman beamed at him.

Aleksandr forced a smile. She couldn’t even speak correctly. Ladislav obviously wasn’t after these women for their intellect. He couldn’t judge the man for that though. Back at the palace, he had pursued women purely for their beauty and their bodies. Things changed though, and sometimes it happened without warning, altering your world and carrying you along a path towards a future you hadn’t anticipated. He had survived such a change and it had transformed him. He wanted more than external beauty now. He wanted a woman who was intelligent, strong, shared interests with him, and was the most beautiful he had ever seen because of it.

He wanted Elise.

His gaze crept to her. She was still talking to that man.

“I did, although it was a difficult battle and nowhere near as easy as they painted it. The fight was long, tiring, and almost cost me my life.” That night had been one of the most frightening of his life. Society’s papers had made it sound as though he had butchered the hunters swiftly and survived without a scratch. Their media was as twisted as the human one was.

“And I heard that you have killed almost six hunters a month since you began your crusade four centuries ago,” Ladislav said with a warm note of amusement that reached his hazel eyes.

Crusade? Aleksandr laughed and waved him away. His mission was a vendetta, not a crusade. “Nowhere near that. Perhaps one or two if I am lucky. I spend most of my time tracking or travelling to find the hunters who are most dangerous to our kind. Maybe in the beginning I killed more, but there are less of them these days. We live in fortunate times.”

“Thanks to you and your family of course. The Nemov line rules us well and gives us this great time of peace.”

“I am no part of that line or their cause. Any progression they make with bringing our species rest and humanity is all of their own doing. Do not associate my name with theirs. I wish it did not belong to me.” Aleksandr swallowed and dropped his gaze to his lap, studying his knees and struggling with his feelings.

This was why he avoided society. No matter how often he asked, it always called him a prince, and it always called him a Nemov. He had nothing to do with his family now. Couldn’t they see that? He had broken with them to keep their name clean of the blood he spilled. If society insisted on associating him with his family, the blood of his victims would tarnish it and their cause would falter. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

Aleksandr frowned when someone focused on him and raised his head to find Elise looking his way. There was a touch of concern about her expression, her dark eyebrows drawn together, narrowing her beautiful blue eyes.

He managed a brief smile and leaned back into the couch, shoving away the pain that blazed within him whenever he thought of his family and the things he had done.

“You fight only the most dangerous hunters, which means you must be very strong and very brave,” the woman to the right of Ladislav said, her dark eyes wide and innocent.

Aleksandr forced a short laugh. “Or very stupid.”

She giggled. Elise frowned and turned away, back to Andrej.

“It must be grand to travel the world hunting for humans.” The female on the other side of Ladislav smiled at him, fluttering her long dark lashes.

“Elise saw how grand it was when we first met. There is nothing good in what I do.” He wished with all of his heart that they would stop talking about him. Idle conversation he could handle, talk of bloodlines and politics, anything other than this. It dragged the past up from the black abyss, renewing the pain in his heart and the chill in his blood that he suffered with each hunt.

“Elise?” the women said, as though they didn’t know the name.

His gaze shifted back to Elise. Her eyes met his and warmth chased the cold away, lightening his insides and relieving the ache there.

He needed her. It went beyond a desire to have her to a deep need for her. He wanted her to come to him, to nestle in his arms with her head against his chest and soothe him.

Her expression changed, revealing fragility that caused a fierce desire to protect her to flash through him. In that moment, Aleksandr realised that if he said the right words or did the right thing, she would find shelter in his embrace just as he desired. But her look also told him that if he did something wrong, he would break her.

Aleksandr didn’t want to break her spirits in his attempts to win her.

She nibbled her lip, glanced away and then back at him. Her eyes darkened with desire, revealing that a passionate woman hid beneath her strong exterior and her uniform. A promise of things to come if he succeeded.

It only strengthened his desire to win.

“There is nothing glorious about hunting.” He held her gaze to see how she would react.

She had seen the body of the hunter. How would she react if she saw him fight and kill, not just stumbled upon the aftermath? Or if he told her the number of hunters he had killed and that he feared he was losing the remains of his humanity? Would she run from him again or would she come to him and soothe him?

He slid his gaze back to meet Ladislav’s. “Your city is a meeting point. A convergence of hunters will happen here, and one I am looking for may be amongst them. I will have to impose on you a little longer, and perhaps I could be granted larger quarters?”

The young fair-haired vampire smiled and nodded. “Whatever you desire, you will receive.”

Aleksandr would have been a happy man had those words been true. What he desired did not desire him and he was not going to get her without a fight. He needed to think of a way to keep her around him. Given time, he could break down her defences.

“I have not been very talkative this evening. Allow me to apologise and make up for it. You are probably aware that I have not been heard of in some time.”

“It has likely been a year.” Ladislav pulled his two women closer. They fawned over him, stroking the chest of his black suit jacket and sliding their hands beneath to the black shirt. “Where have you been?”

“I have not been in contact with society. I prefer not to involve you all. I was hunting someone across Russia and into Europe, and have strong reason to believe that he will come here.”

“Is this hunter dangerous?”

“We have almost killed each other many times over the past two decades.” Aleksandr preferred not to remember those times too. No other hunter had come so close to killing him so often. The man was strong and skilled. The original hunter in their line, the first he had eradicated, was nothing compared with this one.

Ladislav looked uneasy.

“You and your kin will be safe. I will not allow the hunter to interfere with your bloodline and he is exclusive about his hunt. He will only come for me.” His words didn’t seem to relieve Ladislav at all. The shine of fear in his eyes increased, even when he smiled. Aleksandr returned it, hoping to reassure him.

“How do you know he is coming to Prague?” Ladislav moved out from the arms of the women, pushing them away, and leaned forwards.

“Anyone can see it in our newspapers. The deaths of our top guards and hunters, anywhere an incision was made on the throat and blood was taken, all belong to the hunter. It is not another vampire searching for food. It is this man leaving me a trail to follow.” Aleksandr scanned the room for a copy of the paper but found none, not even on the dark desk in the corner. “I have been tracking him, and I am sure I can defeat him this time. I will need quarters away from the others, at the rear of the building if possible.”

“There is a reception room and bedroom in the guest quarters, over the ballroom. They have not been used in some time but they will be your private rooms now, for however long you may need them. If you need anything else, any form of assistance, you may speak with myself or Commander Piotr.”

Aleksandr nodded his appreciation and then looked at Elise. Could he request her presence in his bed each day?

He frowned when she laughed with Andrej. She was terribly familiar with him and Aleksandr didn’t like it. How could she smile and laugh with Andrej but look at himself as though he was filth? What did this man have that he did not?

His social skills were tarnished but he could fix those. As soon as he had caught up with the changes in society, she would see that he was a man worthy of her attention.

Unlike this man. Andrej.

Vast darkness bled into Aleksandr’s soul, tainting it and forcing out any light that remained. The black emptiness consumed him, fed by the twisting spears of emotion that stabbed his gut as he watched Elise with Andrej. It awakened a desire to hurt the man, to tear him away and demand to know his intentions towards the woman he had chosen to be his. He wanted to butcher him for even looking at her.

Jealousy was an ugly emotion.

Andrej frowned at Aleksandr as though he had sensed his intent.

A heartbeat later, Elise glanced over her shoulder at him.

Aleksandr averted his eyes, fixing them on the garden, and fought for control over his feelings. They were dangerous, whispering commands that he was close to obeying. The darkness grew inside him, until he felt cold and hungry. It gnawed at his insides, coaxing him into surrendering to his instincts and putting Andrej in his place.

He stood on the edge of the abyss, desperate to take a step back from the endless black beneath his feet. He couldn’t damage relations with the bloodline or Elise by murdering the man. He couldn’t lose control.

How could he have been so blind to the corruption in his soul?

He had denied its existence too long, had allowed the damage to grow to such an extent that he was now in danger of losing himself.

Aleksandr’s eyes sought Elise’s. He needed to look into them. He had been fighting the darkness when he had first met her and it had disappeared faster than usual. At the time, he hadn’t been sure whether it had been her or the danger of her attacking him that had driven it away.

She wouldn’t look at him.

Why?

If she did, he was certain this dreadful darkness would pass over, allowing the light of humanity back into his soul. He needed her to look at him. He needed her and it was about more than desire now.

An urge to extend his fangs burst through him. Aleksandr stood and walked swiftly towards the doors, struggling for control the whole time.

He felt her gaze on him, the warm touch of it on his profile as he passed her and then on his back. Why couldn’t she have looked at him when he had needed her to?

He couldn’t remain now.

He had to leave.

It was the only safe thing to do.

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-darkness-felicity-heaton/1106991833
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/
Apple iBookstore USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781466173286

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

Here’s the third chapter of Heart of Darkness, my new vampire romance book, and things are starting to heat up a little between the hero and heroine.

Be sure to keep following these weekly posts in order to read the first six chapters of the book. You can find previous chapters under my Heart of Darkness label. Heart of Darkness is currently available in ebook from Amazon Kindle stores, my website, Smashwords and All Romance eBooks and in paperback from Amazon.com. It will soon be available at Barnes and Noble, although you can buy a Nook version from my site and Smashwords, Sony and Kobo too.

Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

ebook price: $3.99
paperback price: $9.99 genre: paranormal vampire romance
length: 130000 words
rating: sultry
released: October 2011

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

Elise cursed the name of Aleksandr Nemov for the hundredth time that night, and it was barely two hours after sundown. It transpired that he had only danced with her at the ball. Now everywhere she went the ladies of the house whispered and glared at her. Even the guards were merciless in their teasing. She had gone to see Andrej to find some comfort but he had been so caustic that she had immediately left.

She hurried across the landscaped garden to the grey two storey square building at the back of the estate that acted as the garrison. It was past time to report in for duty. Hopefully, Commander Piotr would forgive her this small fault in exchange for the fact that she had followed his orders and ruined her life by dancing with Aleksandr Nemov.

Elise strode through the building, her focus so fixed on thinking of a way to gain a solo mission so she could patrol the city in glorious solitude and keeping her head down to avoid the snide taunts of her comrades that she didn’t notice the danger until it was too late.

The moment she saw Aleksandr, she turned and tried to escape her commander’s office.

“Elise,” Commander Piotr said and she froze, cursing Aleksandr again.

“Reporting for duty, Sir.” Elise saluted her commander and then Ladislav where he sat perched on the end of her commander’s oak desk dressed in a long black winter coat and pinstripe suit. She ignored Aleksandr.

“You are to show me the city tonight.”

Her gaze shot to Aleksandr. He smiled at her, all charm and sweetness.

She didn’t want to show him the city. He already knew it. He had been to Prague before.

Had he asked for her to be his guide tonight? She shrugged that question away. There was no reason for him to ask for her specifically. Then again, he’d had no reason to be so intent on dancing with her either. The look in his grey eyes unsettled her. Whenever he looked at her, he looked like a raptor eyeing its prey. She didn’t like it, and she hadn’t seen him look at anyone else that way.

Elise bit her tongue to hold in the refusal that tried to spring from her lips and saluted her commander again, stiffly this time and with anger burning in her gut.

She turned on the spot, took a deep breath, and led the way out of the garrison. A quick tour of the city wouldn’t kill her. It was an honour to serve their prince and she was sure that she was imagining everything about Aleksandr. He didn’t know any of the guards besides her and the commander, and he had met her in the city. Perhaps he merely thought her a suitable guide, one who would be able to give him information he needed.

Perhaps he was out to seduce her.

Elise would have laughed at that had she not feared it so much.

Aleksandr was quiet as they walked into the heart of the city. His eyes constantly scanned over the old buildings lining the narrow roads. She brought him to the Old Town quarter first, entering the main square from an alley at the bridge end, away from the open square itself.

“It’s a terrible place for hunting,” Elise said to break the silence.

Aleksandr glanced at her and then looked at their surroundings. He tensed and turned the second the astronomical clock mounted near the base of the tall stone tower in front of them began to chime the hour. With a frown, he walked forwards, towards the beautiful gold and blue dial that the tourists loved, studying it and the gold and painted circular calendar below. Elise went with him, her gaze seeking the model of death chiming a bell. She loved the clock too. Sometimes when she was here scouting for a suitable source of blood she became distracted by the way the models on the clock came alive on the hour.

The cobbled area in front of the clock was empty save for her and Aleksandr. The city was so cold in winter that few tourists came. Those who did rarely ventured out at night to watch the clock.

“It’s a good place for scouting for blood.” She hoped for a response this time. “We often come here and then follow a selected tourist to see if they venture somewhere quiet we can deal with them.”

“It seems like a very inefficient way to hunt.” His eyes didn’t leave the clock. “Why not simply lure them away? Or wait for someone to pass a quiet street and kill them?”

“It is not our way. Taking the occasional tourist is less conspicuous than killing the people of Prague. That way we risk the humans learning of our existence. We do as the Nemov line wishes, to protect our species from discovery.” She paused to reflect on his questions. “Luring someone could be considered taking pleasure from the hunt.”

His broad shoulders shifted in a shrug. “Some could say that.”

Elise wanted to ask him if he lured his victims or took any pleasure from what he did when hunting, but the sight of him caught her off guard. The light from the astronomical clock bathed his skin, warming it and making his steely eyes darker. He had a regal profile that matched his classically handsome face. The strong line of his jaw led her gaze down to his throat and the slow steady pulse that ticked there. She dropped it lower, to his waist, hidden behind his long black coat. She had been shocked when he had revealed his bloodline’s mark, and not only because she had discovered that he was royalty. He had shown no reserve about flashing his body and there had been a pleased look in his eyes when he had caught her staring. Just as she was now. She forced her eyes back up to his face. His bowed lips tugged into a smile.

“I like your city.” He turned on the spot, scanning the cluster of buildings at this end of the square, and then stopped and faced her, his smile widening. “It has many beauties.”

Elise’s cheeks heated at the suggestion in his voice. She walked past him towards the square, ignoring his charm. He caught up with her, walking close beside her, and touched her elbow to make her walk in another direction. He had done that several times now, each one feeling like an intimate caress rather than a mere suggestion of an order.

She moved a step away from him and walked past the tower and into the heart of the expansive square, heading for the tall row of coloured buildings opposite. Cafés and restaurants lined the square, spilling out from the arched walkway beneath the buildings in front and to her right. Behind the buildings in front of her, one of Prague’s most impressive sights rose. The twin spiked towers of the church and warmly lit façade captivated tourists even more than the clock. There were a few gathered in the square, their camera flashes puncturing the darkness.

“This is another good place to scout for tourists in summer,” she said and Aleksandr looked towards them. “In winter it is too conspicuous, but in summer there are often a large number of people here. It is easy to blend amongst them.”

Elise led Aleksandr towards the line of restaurants. The tables set out beneath the large white square umbrellas and heat lamps were mostly unoccupied.

“Another good place to scout?” His gaze scanned the people.

“Sometimes we come here in winter late at night, when the bars are turning out.”

He moved closer to her again and his voice dropped to a whisper. “You are far more talkative when you are not dancing.”

Elise looked away from him, towards the other side of the square and the restaurants there. She was thankful when Aleksandr’s attention left her and returned to the square. She needed space to breathe for a moment. She wasn’t used to so much attention, especially not from men, and she was starting to feel suffocated.

She glanced at Aleksandr. His focus was on the people, studying them closely. He seemed like a different person, colder and calculating, as she had expected him to be from the tales that she had heard and read in their society’s papers.

“The vampire hunters don’t come here.” She looked around the square. “At least not often anyway. They know how we work. They know we won’t kill the humans openly, and that we will follow them away from here. Most hunters gather over the river to wait for us.”

Aleksandr’s gaze returned to her along with his focus. She could feel his eyes on her, burning into the side of her face. She kept her gaze away from his, not wanting to see how he was looking at her now. He touched her elbow again, his fingers lingering longer this time, almost a caress.

“Show me where the hunters are.” His voice was low still, a soothing sound that felt like a physical touch over her body.

She nodded and led the way, quickening her pace to gain a little distance from him. Alarm bells were ringing loudly in the back of her mind. Aleksandr was too attentive, too charming, and too close to her. All of it made her feel as though he wanted something and she knew what that something was.

It wasn’t going to happen.

To keep him distracted from her, she talked to him about the city. She gave him all the information he might need about how the police operated, her family’s methods of disposing of bodies, how they acted as a military academy to avoid rousing suspicion when they were in the city, and the small number of hunters that passed through each month, heading deeper into Europe from Asia or vice versa. With each piece of information, Aleksandr moved closer, until their hands brushed occasionally, sending shivers dancing up her arm. She tried to distance herself again but whenever she moved away, he moved closer. It felt too intimate.

She passed under the arch beneath the dark stone tower that stood at one end of the Charles Bridge and out the other side, stopping a short way onto it. The tall antique lamps that lined the wide pedestrian bridge glowed softly, lighting the stone statues standing on the walls of it in warm sepia hues. The brightly lit gothic cathedral on the hill across the wide black river, and the buildings that clustered around it, cast twinkling lights on the rippling water. It was beautiful, and she hoped it would keep Aleksandr’s attention off her.

Aleksandr moved away from her at last, going to lean on the wall and peer over the edge at the river. He looked along the bridge in the direction of the other gate tower. A couple were walking towards them.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes almost black in the low light, and then looked back at the couple. She hoped he wasn’t considering killing them. Her family still had enough blood in storage to last them a week and another murder in the city so close to the death of the hunter would rouse too much suspicion amongst the local police.

Aleksandr turned slowly as the couple passed, his eyes tracking them, and relief eased her tension away when they passed her and walked through the gate tower behind her.

He leaned back against the wall at an angle, propping himself up on his elbows. His long black coat fell back to reveal his body and the dagger sheathed at his hip. The black trousers and shirt did nothing to hide the toned planes of his physique. Elise tore her gaze away and looked left, up the dark river towards the fountain and the small park where they had first met.

Since then, her entire world had been falling apart. Aleksandr had shaken it to its foundations and she was still spinning, unable to get her head straight.

Aleksandr came over to her, close again, near enough that his breath caressed her face. It felt as though he didn’t want to let her get her head straight, as though he wanted to confuse her and send her mind and heart in circles.

“The hunters favour the other side of the bridge, where the streets are narrow and quieter. It is easier for them to fight us unhindered there. It is also our favoured hunting ground.” Elise cast her gaze down when Aleksandr’s arm grazed hers.

When she eventually looked at him, he was staring at the cathedral but his focus wasn’t there. It was on her. He leaned down, bringing his mouth so close to her ear that his lips brushed it as he spoke.

“Can we see there?” he whispered and she stared wide-eyed at the cathedral across the broad glittering black river. “I would like to take you there.”

Elise sidestepped and cleared her throat, flustered by the connotation in his words. “It’s best we don’t. There have been many hunters entering the city recently.”

His dark eyebrows rose. “I can handle them.”

The smile he gave her was stunning. She looked away and fought for composure. Anger coiled in her stomach, turning her blood to flame. She had been right. He didn’t want a tour guide, just as he hadn’t merely wanted a dance partner last night. That was why he had looked so disappointed.

“Come, Elise, show me the other side and the narrow dark streets.” He held his hand out to her.

Her eyes jumped to the gate tower at the other end of the bridge near the area he spoke of and then to his, and she tried to look away again but failed. The look in them left her in no doubt of his intentions. He moved closer, his broad frame imposing, and dipped down, lowering his mouth to her ear.

“You will take me there.”

Elise stared at his ear, the tufts of his dark hair behind it, and the tall, sloped flat-topped dark grey roof of the tower beyond. She couldn’t breathe. His proximity, his persistence, his attention, it all smothered her. She couldn’t take it. She didn’t want it.

“You are a poor dancer, but a skilled fighter,” he murmured against her cheek, his breath teasing her skin and her throat. Another shiver cascaded through her, tumbling down her spine and urging her to close her eyes. She refused. He pressed his body against hers, his hands claiming her upper arms. “Your strength, your skill in the fight last night, it was astounding and graceful, almost as enthralling as your beauty.”

Elise broke free of him and backed away. “Leave me alone.”

Aleksandr laughed softly. “No, I cannot do that. Not yet.”

She glared at him, seeing in his eyes that he intended to pursue her. She wanted to tell him again to leave her alone but couldn’t find her voice or the conviction to refuse his advances.

Elise shook her head and ran away instead, storming through the arch back into the city, intent on returning to the mansion and finding solitude there, away from the madness of Aleksandr.

She didn’t understand why he wanted her.

Or why the thought of becoming nothing more than a conquest to him hurt her.

Elise stared wide-eyed at the pavement. Dismay swept through her.

No.

Her heart said it was true.

She wanted him too.

It wasn’t possible though. He would be gone soon, moved on to another city and likely another woman. If she gave in to her desire, he would take her heart with him. She couldn’t bear the thought of it so she shut her mind and her heart to it. She wouldn’t fall for Aleksandr.

He would grow tired of the chase soon enough.

Elise steeled herself against the hurt that thought caused and cursed the name of Aleksandr Nemov.

She wouldn’t give in to him.

She wouldn’t.

Her heart whispered to her.

She would.

It was only a matter of time.

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/

As promised, I’m posting the second chapter of Heart of Darkness, my new vampire romance book this week. I know it’s the middle of my Halloween event but just consider it a part of that event now.

Be sure to keep following these weekly posts in order to read the first six chapters of the book. You can find previous chapters under my Heart of Darkness label.

Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

ebook price: $3.99
genre: paranormal vampire romance
length: 130000 words
rating: sultry
released: October 2011

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/

Elise stood with her back to the tall Grecian column, guarding the north garden exit of the ballroom. Barely two hours had passed since she had escorted their guest to his quarters and the ball was already underway, everyone in the mansion in attendance to honour Aleksandr Nemov. They packed the long room, their excited chatter competing with the small orchestra at the end opposite her near to the entrance. Her gaze slowly scanned the room, searching for any sign of trouble amongst the throng of brightly coloured dancers. Everyone was relaxed but she could sense underlying tension building in the room. They were waiting and they were growing impatient.

Aleksandr Nemov was the only person not in attendance.

Several people had discovered that she had met him, and had questioned her relentlessly until she had reminded them that she was on duty and not at liberty to talk about such matters.

Her gaze did the rounds again, checking everything. The glow of candlelight from the chandeliers warmed the normally cold cream walls and decorative white inset columns. The shutters on the tall sash windows that lined either side of the room were open. Moonlight streamed in through the windows on the courtyard side to her right, but it couldn’t contend with the candles and only threw faint shadows across the hardwood floor.

Elise’s blue eyes drifted over the heads of the dancers to the entrance directly opposite her and her mind wandered to Aleksandr Nemov. She was a fool for believing that such a powerful and noble vampire was little more than a beast. There had been nothing princely about his appearance though, and she had discovered him at a brutal kill. She had never seen anything like it. He had torn the hunter apart.

What sort of man was he?

Elise knew of him. There wasn’t a vampire in Europe who didn’t know of their rulers, the Nemov bloodline, and Aleksandr. The tales of his hunts were legendary. He was legendary. No other royal had ever renounced their title and disinherited themselves in order to hunt the vampire hunters. She wasn’t too sure of Aleksandr’s reasons but her father had told her that their true prince and heir had vowed to protect his people and had left his family to avoid tainting their name with his actions.

He had become a killer.

Aleksandr Nemov was a fool too.

Since the Nemov line had first discovered the path to achieving humanity, they had led their people. By following their rules, vampires had evolved from beasts into a peaceful society, safe from discovery by the humans and from the darkness that lived within them all. They had found humanity through limiting their kills and not hunting for the thrill of it or to feed their bloodlust. A kill a year was all most had to make for their families so they would have enough blood. At most, three or four kills were required, still within the safe amount set out by their leaders.

Some had gone against the rules.

Aleksandr Nemov was one of them.

There was only one outcome from killing for the sake of it, in cold blood or without need for sustenance from a victim, taking pleasure from the violence and bloodshed.

Corruption.

It led only to darkness and to the threat of becoming a demon again, their humanity destroyed by their blackened soul and the blood that soaked it.

Was Aleksandr walking that path?

Everyone moved, bowing in a wave that swept back towards Elise and revealed the doorway opposite her.

Elise stared.

Gone was the matted long dark hair, replaced by a neat short style. Gone was the beard, exposing the strong line of his jaw and a sensual mouth. Gone were the tattered clothes, replaced by a smart black military-style jacket and trousers similar to what she wore. Before her stood a handsome man. A man completely different to the one she had left in the guest wing. He no longer looked like a beast. He looked noble and as princely as his blood.

Every female in the room had her eyes on him.

And his were on her.
She had to be imagining it. He had no reason to look at her the way he was, with the focus of a predator. He moved through the crowded room and her eyes remained glued to him, her attention so thoroughly captivated that she didn’t realise that she was the only one who hadn’t bowed until he stood toe-to-toe with her, staring down into her eyes with grey ones that made her insides flutter.

Elise bowed quickly, lowering her head to cover the shame that burned her cheeks. How could she have failed to respond correctly to his entrance? The moment his gaze had met hers across the room, she had forgotten the world existed. She hadn’t failed to notice the ugly black bruise on the left side of his face though. Her shame deepened. She hadn’t only forgotten to bow to royalty; she had fought and injured him too. How was she to have known that he was Aleksandr Nemov?

“My apologies for the events of this evening, your highness.” Elise stared at her feet, too afraid to straighten up and see how everyone in the room was staring at her. How he was staring at her. His eyes bore into her. He was waiting for her to emerge. Why?

“I will forgive you if you dance with me.” There was a slight Russian lilt to his English. The sound of his voice so softly spoken sent a shiver through her and she closed her eyes at the strange new feeling.

Elise straightened, her gaze catching on his broad chest and her cheeks flushing again when she remembered sitting on it. She had sat on royalty and held a knife to his throat. That was definitely worthy of punishment. She forced her eyes up to his face.

“My apologies again, your highness, but I am on duty tonight and not here to socialise.”

A flicker of darkness crossed his handsome face and his grey eyes turned stormy. “You disappoint me.”

“It is not my intention.” Elise tugged the hem of her short black uniform jacket. She had disappointed royalty. There was probably a punishment for that too, but she couldn’t do as he asked. “I don’t have leave to dance. Besides, there are many other partners who would dance with you, I’m sure.”

She gestured towards the horde of beautifully dressed women behind him. He didn’t even look. His eyes remained fixed on her face, the disappointment he spoke of showing in their depths.

“All very pretty and simpering, I am also sure, but not the partner I desire, Elise.”

She jumped at the use of her name. She hadn’t given it to him and she couldn’t fathom why he would’ve gone to any length to get it from someone, just as she couldn’t understand why he wanted to dance with her when so many women were crowding for his attention.

Elise held his gaze and smiled politely. “My apologies again, but it isn’t possible. I must remain here and guard the garden entrance to protect the party and your highness.”

“I have not been a prince in many years.” His low voice held a razor-sharp edge. He stepped closer to her, stared into her eyes for a few seconds with pure darkness in his, and then smiled. It sent another tremor through her that she chose to ignore. “It is not a prince asking you to dance, but a man. Will you not dance with me then?”

He was certainly persistent. When coupled with the seductive tone his voice had taken on and the wicked glint in his eyes, his persistence was nothing short of irritating. She had said no. Under different circumstances, she might have said yes to such a handsome man, or felt some sort of obligation to dance with him as an apology, but she was on duty.

Elise shook her head. “I have no leave to.”

He gave a short growl of frustration and frowned. “I will have your orders changed then.”

Aleksandr turned on his heel and left, the group of women that had gathered parting to let him through and then swallowing him.

“What was that all about?”

Elise looked over at Andrej, her captain, where he stood near the pillar on the other side of the door and shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.”

Andrej stared in the direction that Aleksandr had gone. Her eyes remained on Andrej. He had a noble profile and had grown into a fine figure of a man, especially in his uniform. The only thing that wasn’t neat about him was his fair hair, cropped short at the sides but messy on top, and his long sideburns.

Some of the women of the guard lingered nearby, their attention dancing between their friends and Andrej. Several of them had admitted to Elise that the slight show of wildness in Andrej’s hair only made him more handsome. Many of the female guards adored him.

Andrej’s gaze remained fixed ahead.

He didn’t acknowledge the women close to him, and hadn’t all night. His focus was on his duty. She and Andrej were alike in that respect, placing duty before affairs of the heart. Or at least that’s what she thought. Sometimes she wondered if she was wrong about him and he did love someone.

He looked at her, his blue eyes darkened by his wide pupils, and smiled the smile he only seemed to give to her.

“I think you are safe now,” he said in Czech, the smile reaching his voice and bringing hers out.

He spoke of Aleksandr as though he was a predator.

Elise looked across the room at the gathering of women that marked the spot where Aleksandr would be. They were all beautiful, wearing fine corseted dresses that scooped low to reveal ample bosom and their throats. They were females bred for this sort of occasion, from families who had a rank or sought to attain one. Her family weren’t of that ilk. She didn’t belong in the group, or amongst the dancers. She belonged here at the door, protecting her bloodline just as her father had done.

The crowd parted again and she spotted Aleksandr. He did look handsome now that he had cleaned up and she could understand why all of the women wanted his attention. He turned and looked at her, stepping aside at the same time. Elise’s eyes widened when she saw the commander of the guard with him, a dark-haired man of six hundred. Aleksandr looked older than him and she tried to remember how old he was. At least eight hundred. His appearance was more that of a man in his mid-thirties. Vampires aged slowly compared with humans.

He leaned towards her commander and said something, pointing in her direction. Commander Piotr’s expression was a picture of horror, of amusement, and then warning. Elise frowned. What were they saying about her? Aleksandr smiled and shook his head. Her commander shrugged.

Was he warning Aleksandr to stay away from her?

Why?

To protect her from Aleksandr or Aleksandr from her?

Her frown increased along with her irritation.

Commander Piotr nodded. Aleksandr walked away.

Directly towards her.

He cut across the dancers, interrupting their flow, his pace brisk and gaze fixed on her. She swallowed and glanced at Andrej, searching for a possible means of escaping what she knew was about to happen. He was watching Aleksandr’s approach with a glare.

“You have new orders.” Aleksandr smiled, both charming and victorious. “You are to dance with me.”

“I really—” Refusal seemed redundant when he had already taken her hand and was leading her towards the dance floor.

It loomed ahead.

Elise pulled back and Aleksandr stopped, his hand still tightly holding hers. He had a strong grip, and warm hands, and she wasn’t about to let that affect her. She refused.

The dancers slowed. Everyone stared. Panic closed her throat. She didn’t want to dance and have everyone watching her. She’d never been good at such things. Aleksandr paused, his expression softening and grip loosening the slightest amount.

“We can dance here, if you would prefer that.” Concern laced those low spoken words.

It was as though he had sensed her feelings. She stared at their joined hands and hoped that he was only guessing. A strong enough connection to another vampire, one that allowed the sensing of emotions, was rare, and often led to a mating or exclusivity pledged between them. She couldn’t sense his feelings, so he must have felt her fear. Vampires could easily detect that in one another.

Elise shook her head and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. It was better to be lost in a crowd than put on display. No one would see how atrocious her dancing was then.

No one except Aleksandr anyway.

They entered the dancers and Aleksandr turned to face her. The firmness of his hand on her waist made her jump and she swallowed when he drew her close to him, his smile all sin and seduction. What exactly was he after from her? A dance or something more? She couldn’t understand why he wanted either.

The moment the music began, she trod on his foot. His jaw tensed and he removed his boot from under hers, and then led the way in the slow waltz.

Elise stared down at her feet, barely able to see them through the small gap between their bodies. He was so close to her. She lost focus and trod on his foot again, grimaced, and pressed her tongue against the back of her teeth in concentration. His grip on her waist tightened and she bumped into him, her body brushing his. Her hand trembled against his arm. He drew her closer still, until there wasn’t a gap between them and she could no longer see her feet. Not good. In fact, it was terrible. Her dancing went from awful to abysmal and she cursed herself for being such a poor partner.

She hadn’t had the luxury of the training ladies received. No one bothered to teach soldiers to dance or etiquette or any of the skills needed to converse politely with royalty. Aleksandr would have been better off with any number of the women present, or possibly all of them.

“I have not met a female guard before.” His voice was a bare whisper, sensual and teasing. This man could talk about the weather and make it sound seductive. It was probably vast experience showing. His reputation said he had plenty of practice at seducing women, at least prior to renouncing his title. After that, only his battles with hunters had made vampire society’s papers.

Elise glanced up into his eyes, stumbled, saw the irritation cross his face, and looked away again. She focused on her feet and mumbled a response, unable to focus on both dancing and speaking.

“Your city is beautiful. I visited here many years ago with my family.”

She liked the Russian edge to his words, how hard but soft they sounded.

“Thank you.” Was that the correct response? Should she have been more formal or denied Prague’s beauty, or perhaps been flattered by his family’s visit that had likely happened before she had been born?

Aleksandr was quiet for a moment, turning with her in endless circles, and she focused hard on her footwork, determined not to tread on his feet again.

“I have not been here in winter.”

Elise looked up at him, right into his clear grey eyes.

They sparkled at her.

Her foot knocked his. She grimaced and went to lower her head but his hand left her waist and caught her chin.

“You have barely spoken a word.” Disappointment marred his tone and expression again.

“There might have been another reason for my refusal.” She closed her eyes and cursed when she trod on his foot, as if she needed to emphasise her point. Cracking an eye open, she peeked up at him. He didn’t look angry. In fact, there was warmth in his eyes now and a look she couldn’t quite decipher. She didn’t like it. It wasn’t anything she had seen before in them. It looked like hunger but not for blood. It matched his seductive tone.

The music mercifully ended and she was out of his arms in an instant and curtseying. Her heart pounded against her ribs at almost one beat per second, too fast for her liking. She preferred the usual slow patter of one beat per minute.

He didn’t say anything.

She looked up at him. He stared at her, the disappointment etched back on his face, and then walked away.

Elise straightened and watched him go. Perhaps his lack of satisfaction over her dancing and her inability to make conversation would keep him away. She certainly didn’t want his attention.

She looked at the floor and then over to him where he had joined Ladislav’s group.

The music began again and she left the dance floor, returning to her post beside Andrej, who greeted her with the same dark expression that he had been wearing since Aleksandr had led her onto the dance floor.

“What was that all about?” he asked again.

Elise still didn’t have the answer to that question. She tried not to look at Aleksandr but her gaze found its way back to him. She didn’t know why he wanted to dance with her, or why she felt so empty inside now that he had. He was attractive but she had heard enough of his exploits over the past few centuries to know that he would be gone soon enough, chasing after the hunters. It would never work and she didn’t want it to. She didn’t want his attention.

His disappointed expression flashed across her mind.

So why was she feeling disappointed herself by the cold way he had left her?

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/