The NightMan (18 page)

As
Dorian’s
mind
came
back
to
the
present
he
realized
Alessandra
wasn’t
Caitlin.
Anger
swept
over
him.
His
eyes
travel
further
down
her
stomach
to
the
connection
of
his
body
entering
hers.
He
did
like
to
see
what
he
was
accomplishing.
He
watched
as
the
excitement
overwhelmed
him.
Damn,
this
will
be
Caitlin
one
day,
he
thought,
continuing
to
watch
while
he
drove
harder
into
Alessandra.

Snapping
his
head
toward
the
bedroom
door,
he
stopped
suddenly.
That
smell!
His
eyes
closed
while
he
inhaled
deeply,
exploring
the
scent.
Dorian’s
eyes
opened
wide.
He
knew
that
smell,
it
was
Caitlin’s
blood.
Not
only
was
it
her
blood,
but
there
was
the
scent
of
sex
mixed
in
the
air.

“Bitch!”
he
hissed.

“Dorian!”
she
growled.
The
sudden
release
surprised
her
as
he
dropped
her
on
the
floor.
“You
can’t
leave
me
this
way!”

“Finish
it
yourself!”
he
seethed
and
then
he
grabbed
his
jeans.

He
pulled
on
his
jeans
then
quickly
headed
toward
the
door.
Damn
that
beast.
He
would
kill
them
both,
he
grumbled
in
thought
as
he
marched
out
of
the
bedroom.

Taking
his
time
walking
down
the
hall,
he
contemplated
how
he
would
kill
them.
Adriel
knew
better
than
to
cross
him.
He
knew
he
was
not
to
touch
her.
How
many
times
had
Dorian
warned
him?
How
many
times
had
he
told
him
to
stay
away
from
her?
Caitlin
had
been
warned
more
than
enough
times.
Still
she
didn’t
listen.
Over
a
hundred
years
of
waiting
for
the
right
time
to
take
her,
the
right
time
for
someone
to
remove
that
damn
necklace
and
he
failed
once
again.
This
time
Dorian
would
not
fail.

Curse
or
no
curse,
pain
or
no
pain,
Dorian
would
kill
Adriel
then
take
Caitlin.
He
would
take
her
so
violently
she
would
wish
she
were
dead.
Better
than
that,
she
would
beg
for
her
death
to
come
quickly.
Satisfied,
Dorian
would
oblige
her
request
in
part
and
take
her
life
in
the
slowest
manner
possible.
She
would
suffer
before
her
eyes
closed.
Protection
or
not,
she
would
need
more
than
a
necklace
to
save
her
now.

Dorian
marched
down
the
hallway,
following
the
delicious
scent
of
Caitlin’s
blood.
The
scent
he
recognized
which
came
from
Adriel’s
room.
With
every
step
he
took,
his
anger
turned
into
rage.
He
didn’t
care
if
the
damn
pendant
burned
his
hand
off,
he
would
rip
it
from
her
neck.
For
all
the
pain
and
torment
she
had
caused
him
over
these
last
one
hundred
years
it
was
not
worth
it
any
longer.
Tonight
the
torment
would
end
and
with
it
her
life.

Chapter
8

Before
Adriel
could
speak
another
word,
the
door
to
the
bedroom
opened.
Dorian
stood
in
the
doorway,
his
eyes
flared
red
with
a
blood
rage.
A
killing
rage.
Worse
yet,
Adriel
knew
what
it
meant.
The
Master
was
enraged
because
something
far
more
valuable
than
Caitlin’s
virtue
had
been
stolen,
her
love.

“I
will
kill
you
both!”
Dorian
roared
as
he
sprang
toward
Adriel.

Caitlin‘s
scream
froze
in
her
throat.
Adriel
swiftly
moved
away
from
her.
Every
second
was
a
blur
as
she
watched
him
leap
toward
Dorian.
It
was
not
Adriel
who
made
contact
with
the
vampire,
but
a
large
black
wolf.
Not
the
evil
werewolf,
but
the
wolf
she
knew.
To
her
surprise,
it
was
the
wolf
she
played
with
as
a
child.

For
the
first
time,
in
that
split
second
she
knew
it
was
Adriel
who
was
the
gentle
loving
and
playful
wolf
who
watched
over
her
all
those
years.
He
was
her
watchman,
her
NightMan.

Dorian
caught
the
massive
wolf
by
its
sides
as
the
two
sailed
into
the
far
corner
of
the
wall.
The
two
bodies
collided
with
a
tremendous
crash,
tearing
down
the
beautiful
tapestry.

The
wolf
was
suddenly
thrown
to
the
side,
landing
sideways
against
the
tall
canopy
bed.
Caitlin
grabbed
the
sheets
tighter
around
her
as
a
scream
erupted
from
her
mouth.
Dorian
moved
with
incredible
speed.
He
picked
the
wolf
up
and
gave
him
another
sling
toward
the
window.

“No-o-o-o!”
Caitlin’s
eyes
widened
with
fear.

The
large
black
wolf
hit
the
window,
the
glass
shattered,
but
the
wolf
didn’t
fall
through.
Instead
he
slid
down
into
the
shards
of
glass
that
lay
on
the
floor.
It
was
over,
Dorian
thought.
He
watched
the
wolf’s
body
go
limp.
Dorian’s
attention
turned
to
Caitlin.
His
eyes
burned
with
joy
when
he
saw
the
necklace
was
no
longer
around
her
neck.

“Ah
Caitlin,
my
torment
has
ended
this
night.
At
last
I
shall
give
to
you
all
that
I
am
and
then
kill
you
ever
so
slowly,”
Dorian
seethed
and
then
moved
closer
toward
her.

“Let
me
go
Dorian!
Please!”
Caitlin
screamed.
“You
have
nothing
to
take
from
me!”

Dorian
moved
quickly
to
Caitlin
and
grabbed
her
by
the
neck.
“Your
life
my
dear,”
he
hissed
as
he
pulled
her
up
from
the
bed.

Caitlin’s
eyes
widened
as
they
peered
past
Dorian’s
shoulder.
Dorian
froze
for
a
moment.
The
expression
on
Caitlin’s
face
was
something
other
than
fear.
Slowly
Dorian
turned
around.
A
low
growl
rumbled
from
the
black
wolf
that
was
airborne
toward
the
two
of
them.

Dorian
dropped
Caitlin,
but
was
not
fast
enough
to
catch
the
large
black
wolf.
Caitlin
moved
quickly
out
of
the
way
as
the
two
bodies
fell
on
the
floor
beside
the
bed.
    

The
large
wolf’s
teeth
bore
down
against
Dorian’s
neck.
 
Caitlin
heard
loud
tearing
noises
and
a
mixture
of
deeply
triumphant
and
plainly
terrified
growls.
Her
heart
pounded,
and
her
breath
came
to
a
quick
halt.
For
the
moment
she
couldn’t
tell
which
one
growled
in
triumph,
and
which
one
acknowledged
its
imminent
and
irrevocable
final
defeat.
Her
mind
swirled
with
the
horrifying
thought
of
losing
Adriel.
If
he
was
lost,
then
she
would
gladly
accept
any
death
that
waited
for
her.
She
no
longer
had
the
will
to
live
without
Adriel’s
love.
Silence
suddenly
filled
the
room.

Caitlin
slightly
trembled
as
she
leaned
forward,
anxious
to
know
the
victor.
Slowly
Adriel
rose
to
his
feet.
A
flash
of
fire
erupted
from
the
body
of
what
once
was
Dorian.
Suddenly
a
puff
of
grey
ashes
dissipated
into
thin
air.
Dorian
was
gone.

Terrifying
screams
echoed
throughout
the
luxurious
mansion,
followed
by
a
deadly
silence.
Every
vampire
in
the
house
met
their
end.
The
curse
of
a
vampire
was
lifted.

“It
was
you,”
Caitlin’s
voice
trembled.

Adriel’s
eyes
softened.
“Yes
Caitlin.
It
was
I
who
watched
over
you
as
a
little
girl.
It
was
I
who
watched
you
grow
into
the
beautiful
woman
you
are
now.
There
was
no
secret
to
your
father’s
curse.
He
knew
I
was
in
love
with
you
back
then.
It
was
his
wish
I
stay
close
to
you
and
protect
you.
Alexander
knew
one
day
you
would
love
the
man
as
much
as
you
loved
the
wolf.”