A hand wrapped around the nape of his neck and held his head down. “Just breathe.” It was an order delivered in that same mesmerizing voice from the storehouse.

Gary took in great gulps of air, fighting off the dizziness. He made a poor attempt at humor. “I’m sorry, but it’s not every day I meet someone like you.” When the hand slowly retreated from his neck, he straightened up to look at the tall, powerful figure looming over him. He had never seen a more dangerous-looking individual. He swallowed his fear. “Are you going to kill me?” The words slipped out unintentionally.

Stop looking like the big, bad wolfSavannah suggested. You’re going to give the poor man a heart attack.

Gregori sighed, exasperated. “If I was going to kill you, you would already be dead. What reason would I have for taking your life?”

Gary shrugged. “None, I hope.” He stood up carefully and let his breath out slowly. Up close the man looked even more dangerous. Like a hungry jungle cat.

“I have already fed this night,” Gregori said dryly.

“You’re reading my thoughts, aren’t you?” Gary tried to keep the excitement out of his voice. He had always wanted to meet the real thing. Always. From the first vampire movie he had ever seen, he had been fascinated, hooked. He was scared, no question about that, but this was the chance of a lifetime. “I’ve seen you. Does that mean you have to kill me? You let the girl go because she never saw you.”

Gregori nodded toward the street, and they both began walking, slowly putting the chaotic scene behind them. “No one would believe you if you told them. In any case, I could easily remove your memory of our meeting. The girl will not remember you.”

“I can hardly believe this myself. You’re right, you know. If I told you my own parents, they’d have me locked up. This is awesome, completely awesome.” He spun around in a circle, his fists clenched in victory. “Man, this is great.”

Bring him home, Gregori,Savannah suggested.

Not a chance, Savannah. This one is crazy, too. I do not need the two of you driving me nuts. Why would anyone with a half a brain want to meet one of us?

“I joined the society to see if they had any real evidence of the existence of—” Gary hesitated— “vampires. You are a vampire, right?”

“You might think so,” Gregori said noncommittally.

“They said they had this vampire blood, you know. At first I thought it might be a hoax, but it was unusual, real interesting stuff. I’d never seen anything like it. I’m a biochemist, and this was such an opportunity. The blood made a believer out of me.” His words were tumbling over one another in an effort to get out. “Everyone thought I was crazy, even the members of the society, but I thought it might be really cool to establish contact with a real vampire. Unfortunately, they just wanted to capture them and slice them up.”

Gregori shook his head over the naiveté of human beings. “Did it occur to you that a vampire might be a very dangerous creature? That maybe to lure one out into the open would cause your own death? Perhaps even the death of your family? Everyone you loved or cared about?”

“Why? Why would a vampire necessarily do that?” Gary challenged. He was clearly a man who thought the best of everyone.

Do you see why I avoid humans, machérie? They are silly, exasperating creatures.

You like him. You can’t hide it from me, even if you try to hide it from yourself. Invite him home. Not for all the trees on this earth.

I want to meet him.

Savannah.She was up to no good, he was certain of it. Gregori’s hand went to the back of his neck, massaging deeply. What I should do is scare the holy hell out of him so he will get over this nonsense.

“So, are you?” Gary asked.

“Am I what?” Gregori was distracted. Why had he ever talked to this fool in the first place? Because Savannah was making him crazy. Savannah had made him do something dumb. He had read Gary’s mind and found him to be an interesting, likable person.

Don’t blame me.She sounded innocent.

“Are you a cold-blooded killer? Would you kill my family and friends?” Gary persisted.

“Yes to the first question,” Gregori answered honestly. “And a true vampire is a great deceiver. Surely you have read the legends that vampires often lure humans into their power? A true vampire would destroy you and all you love. That is his sole enjoyment. Do not ever wish an encounter with a vampire upon yourself. As to killing you and your family, were you to threaten mine, I would not hesitate.”

Gary stopped walking and stared up at the man beside him. Gregori moved through time and space soundlessly. His unusual silver eyes were mesmerizing, as was his beautiful voice. He moved like a predator, his eyes unblinking and restless. Everything about him screamed danger, yet Gary was strangely drawn to him. He could have listened forever to the sound of that voice. “You aren’t kidding me, are you? But are you saying you aren’t a vampire?”

“I am a hunter of the undead, a destroyer. There is, however, a true vampire among the members of the society you are in league with. He will destroy them all.” The voice was soft and dispassionate, without expression.

Gary pushed a hand through his hair. “You’re telling me all this because you’re planning to take away my memory of you, aren’t you?”

The silver eyes settled on Gary’s face with regret. “I can do no other. I should not have revealed myself to you, but you had great courage, and your one wish that I could grant to you was to allow you to meet something of what you sought.”

You’re so sweet, Gregori,Savannah purred, her voice strong in his mind.

I am not sweet,he objected strenuously.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” Gary said, “but I’m really grateful.”

“You tried to save both the girl and me. I did not believe one of your kind, from your ‘society,’ would ever attempt to come to the aid of one of one of my kind.” Gregori was truthful because he felt the human warranted it.

“You can trust me, you know. I’m not about to give away your secret. Aren’t there any humans who know the truth?”

“They are in constant danger. I would not wish that for you.”

You are the sweetest man,Savannah inserted softly, her voice brushing at him. Echoing.

Gregori frowned. Echoing? Close. He swung around, cursing in French, an eloquent dissertation that had Gary cringing. Savannah, however, simply took Gregori’s arm and smiled up at him, the stars in her eyes dancing. She was like that. Distracting him and then slamming him sideways with her smile. With her blue-violet eyes with their accursed star centers. She didn’t even have the decency to look repentant.

Don’t be angry, Gregori. I was lonesome in the house all by myself. Are you really, really angry? Or just a little angry?Her voice was soft, a siren’s whisper, made of silk sheets and candlelight. Her long lashes were thick and heavy, a sweep of magic that caught his eye and held it there.

It is impossible for you to be lonely when you are always running around in my head.

“You’re Savannah Dubrinsky.” Gary breathed her name reverently. “My God, I should have guessed.”

Gregori’s entire demeanor changed, becoming all at once menacing and dangerous. His face was etched in stone, his mouth hard and faintly cruel. The hair on the back of Gary’s neck literally stood up. He swallowed hard and instinctively moved a little distance from the woman. Not that he blamed the man, creature, whatever, but his reaction was more that of untamed beast than civilized man. Gary was taking no chances.

Savannah laughed softly. She leaned into the man despite Gregori’s restraining arm. “He can read your mind,” she reminded Gary softly, her breath swirling with tantalizing warmth over his neck.