The Vampire's Kiss (Other World Series Book 1) by Ramona Gray Page B

that I believe
he’s capable of loving anyone but himself,or that I have to approve of his plan
to keep Abby as a pet.”  Neil’s voice was growing louder and Maria glanced
around worriedly.
    “Neil, keep your voice down!”  She
muttered.
    “Abby is a nice girl and she deserves
someone like David, not Val.”  Neil said heatedly, although he lowered his
voice.
    “She’s in love with Val.”  Maria said
softly.
    “Horse shit.”  Neil spat.  “She’s
infatuated with him because he bit her, nothing more.”
    Maria held up her hands. “Okay, Neil.  Calm
down.”
    Neil, breathing heavily, stared furiously
at her.  “She is not in love with him, Maria.”
    “Tell me why you’re so upset.”  Maria
suddenly said.
    “I’m not upset.”  Neil gave her a cautious
look.
    “Yes you are.  And I want to know why.  We
have been friends for a few years now and I know hardly anything about you. 
You’re friends with Val, hell you stick up for the vampires more than any other
human I know, and I want to know why the thought of Abby being in love with Val
is so upsetting to you.”
    Neil sighed harshly.  “I was married once.”
    Maria stared at him in shock.  “I had no
idea.”
    “Her name was Atina.  I loved her so much,
Maria.  We grew up in the same village and I think I fell in love with her when
I was still a small boy.  We married young.  She was nineteen and I was
twenty.”
    “What happened to her?”  Maria asked
softly.
    “A pack of vampires overtook our village
for a time.  There were more of them back then, although their numbers were
already starting to dwindle.  They didn’t stay long – a month maybe – but it
was long enough.  They fed from a bunch of us and Atina, she wasn’t a strong
woman.  She was sweet and gentle and when the head vampire fed from her, she
became obsessed with him.”
    He raked his hand through his short dark
hair.  “I tried to tell her that it would fade with time and that the vampire
felt nothing for her.  She didn’t – couldn’t – believe me.  When the vampires
eventually left she became withdrawn and depressed.  Two weeks later she took
her own life.”
    “Oh Neil.”  Maria squeezed his arm.  “I’m
so sorry.”
    She hesitated.  “I’m surprised you don’t
hate them.”
    He shrugged.  “I did.  For years I couldn’t
stand their kind or how they treated the humans.  But then Val saved my life
and I realized that they’re similar to us in that there are good ones and bad
ones, you know?”
    Maria grunted.  “Val and Eone are the only
good vampires I’ve met and it might be a stretch to call them good.”
    “Yeah.”  Neil agreed.  “Anyway, as grateful
as I am to Val for saving my life we need to keep Abigail away from him when we
reach Karna.  She deserves the chance to realize that what she feels for him is
just because he’s feeding from her.”
    “And if it isn’t?” Maria asked softly.
    “It is.”  Neil replied firmly.
    * * *
     
    “If he keeps touching you, I’ll kill him.”
    Val’s voice drifted out of the darkness and
Abby raised her head from where it rested on his chest.  She had been listening
to the steady beat of his heart and marveling between the differences in the
mythical vampires of her world and the reality of vampires in this one. 
    “You’re overreacting.”
    He sat up in the bed and ran a hand through
his long hair.  “No, I’m not.”
    “Yes you are.”  She sat up beside him and
tucked the covers around her naked body.  “And keep your voice down please.”
    They had found lodging for the night in a
house that was surprisingly large.  Nearly everyone had claimed their own room
and shortly after dinner Abby had retired to her room, using a headache as an
excuse.  She had found Val waiting for her in her room as she knew she would.
    “He touches you constantly and he gives me
this look like he has won you in a game of barnen.”  Val’s hands were rolling
into fists