ADarkDesire by Natalie Hancock Page A

her stomach. There was no one for miles and Belia knew her little snow bike couldn’t hold both of their weights up.
    He lay face down, completely naked and covered head to toe in snow.
    Belia’s hands shook as she pulled off her gloves and touched the man gently. He was freezing. Oh no. She turned his large frame over with difficulty and exhaled with relief when his chest rose and fell quickly.
    Keeping her hands on his chest, she put her face closer to his, brushing some of his icy hair away from his face so she could see his eyes. “Hello? Can you hear me?”
    No response.
    Belia shook him slightly, her teeth chattering as she tried to rouse him. Come on, wake up!
    Still, there was no response.
    Belia pulled his eyelid up and was surprised for a second when she saw him staring back at her. Then he moved, faster than he should have been able to in his state, flipped her over and slammed her into the snow. The air left her lungs and the cold from the snow underneath her seeped through her clothes, stinging her skin as she stared with wide eyes.
    A growl erupted from his chest and he bared his teeth.
    A vampire. He’s a vampire. Belia held her breath, unable to turn away from him as he inhaled deeply near her neck. Oh God no, he’s going to bite me. I thought I escaped from them all? She didn’t even question the fact that the sun shone brightly on them both.
    Squeezing her eyes shut, Belia waited for the sting of the bite she was about to receive as the vampire tilted her head up, exposing her neck to the cold wind and to his fangs.
    Nothing happened.
    Opening one eye slowly, surprise flitted through her when the man watched her through the icy sheet of his long hair. Belia didn’t speak. Why isn’t he attacking me?
    “You have been attacked by a vampire,” he spoke in Spanish, his sensual voice washing through her senses, causing her heart to beat hard.
    Slowly, afraid to do anything more, she nodded her answer and jumped when his touch warmed her neck, despite how cold he was.
    He ran his thumb over the spot she had been bitten.
    How did he know?
    “I am sorry.”
    Belia swallowed, still feeling his touch, rubbing gently. “Why?” Through the curtain of his hair, she saw his eyes widen and his eyebrows rise. Was he surprised that she spoke in Spanish? Or that she spoke?
    “I am surprised you speak my language.”
    Belia’s mouth gaped open, her pulse raced. How did he know what I was thinking? “I am Belia G…Garcia Sanchez. My birthplace is Madrid, Spain.” Her eyes wondered across his body, taking in the colour of his golden tanned skin that reminded her of her father’s colour. “Is that where you are from?”
    The man turned away, his eyebrows drawing down. “I…I do not know.”
    He doesn’t know? Brows furrowed, Belia swallowed hard. “Who are you?”
    He gazed down again, as though searching for the answers inside of her. “I do not remember.”
    Amnesia?
    “It is possible.”
    Belia’s heart stopped for a second before thumping hard. He can read my mind. Belia didn’t think he knew what he was doing. Was it all natural for him to answer her thoughts as though she spoke them aloud?
    Swallowing once again, Belia inhaled deeply before reaching up slowly. She moved his hair away from his face and stilled once more, her eyes taking in his high cheekbones, straight nose, full lips and blue-white eyes ringed with red.
    “Nikalye?”

Chapter Two
    “Nikalye?” His brows turned down. Nikalye? What was that?
    “It…It’s your name, who you are.” The woman underneath him shook, her eyes wide, darting around. The scent of fear washed through his senses.
    Did she think he would attack her? He was not a monster. He would never strike a woman. Even a human.
    “Nikalye?” The name rolled off his tongue but didn’t spark any recognition. It was his name? Nikalye?
    “Yes…Nikalye Rodriguez. Don’t you remember?”
    He shook his head slowly, still repeating the name in his mind.
    He definitely