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  “This way, Lady Harding. I am certain they are out here.” Isaac glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as they crested the hill. Did he imagine things, or did she seem even more silent than usual? He desperately hoped Amelia and Elijah were here. He couldn’t stand another moment of her stone-cold beauty.

  Arriving at the meadow, he stopped as pain grabbed hold of his heart and squeezed. They were here, indeed, but not awaiting their betrotheds. No, they were quite content to be alone. His loving brother and fiancée were making love.

  The pocket watch his father had given him for his eighteenth birthday fell out of his hand as he studied the pair in horror.

  When the hell had this happened? How long had it been going on?

  Son of a bitch.

  A growl broke him away from the horror before his eyes, and he swung toward Lady Harding in surprise. The sound seemed too feral to come from such a small slip of a girl. She crouched on the ground, her silk dress getting dirty from the mud at their feet, and snarled as she bared her teeth.

  Bloody hell, she couldn’t be human. Not if she had those teeth. He ripped his gaze away from her face and ran toward the lovers embraced across the meadow. They had to get out—now. As enraged as he felt, he didn’t want to see them eaten alive by this monster. Whatever she—or it—was.

  He got maybe two steps before being thrown to the ground, Lady Harding straddling him in a mockery of an embrace with her long skirt hiked up to her hips. She slammed his head into hard stone, and his vision blurred. She jerked his head to the side, and he heard a bone snap.

  Damn, that hurt.

  Unfortunately for him, it only symbolized the beginning of his pain. His blurry vision caught sight of shining teeth headed toward his neck before the agonizing pain ripped through his body.

  She must be a bloody demon of some sort.

  Who even knew they were real? He tried to break free. To scream his agony to the world, but he’d been paralyzed. He couldn’t even fight.

  And worse yet, when Lady Harding twisted his head to the side, she faced him toward the traitorous pair across the meadow. He didn’t know which hurt more: the pain wracking his body as she sucked the life out of him, or watching Amelia and Elijah make love. The anguish of their betrayal echoed deep inside of him, and he closed his eyes to the sight of their writhing bodies.

  It didn’t work. He saw them as vividly as if he were standing above them, cheering them on.

  Son of a bitch.

  Tears escaped his eye, rolling down his face to land in the grass below, like raindrops falling from the sky.

  Mercifully, the world faded to black.

  ***

  Sabrina slowly opened the door and peeked around the side of it to examine her visitor. She studied his eyes most carefully before she sagged in relief. It was Isaac. She motioned him in and locked the door behind him.

  Thank God he’d come.

  Unsure of how to act, she hovered by the door. How did one greet a non-human guest? Her indecision got miraculously taken away when he opened his arms to her. She lunged into their welcoming warmth, and the fear that had been a constant companion all day rolled off her shoulders.

  He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. Just before their lips touched, he froze and seemed to wait for some form of approval from her. Instinctively knowing he sought her compliance, she pulled his head the rest of the way down so their lips met. It was all the reassurance he needed before entwining one hand in her hair, while the other crept down to cup her buttocks firmly. Lifting her, he pressed his hard erection against her, causing them to groan in unison.

  This was too much, too fast.

  Gasping for air, she tore her mouth from his and rested against the wall for support. Desire burned throughout her body as she fought the primal urge to fling herself back into his arms.

  Before his arrival, she had lectured herself to keep her distance. Get her answers. Yet not two seconds in the door, and already she clung to him like a dog in heat.

  Have a shred of control, woman.

  He cursed and reached for her, his intent written clear as day on his face. She shook her head and put a defensive hand in front of her. “Please, no. I can’t think straight when you kiss me.” Taking a shaky breath, she met his eyes, only to see pure male satisfaction glowing on his face. Why, the smug son of a…. “You do it on purpose, don’t you?” she demanded. His dimples flashed at her as he smiled charmingly, and she forgot why she felt angry. In fact, she forgot why she’d stopped kissing him at all.

  Maybe she should remedy that.

  “If you’re accusing me of kissing you until you lose all thought or purpose, I’m guilty as charged.” He cocked his head to the side before continuing. “But if it makes you feel better, you have the same effect on me.”

  “Yes, I do believe it does.” She chuckled softly and shook her head. Mesmerized by his brilliant blue eyes, she carelessly stated, “Your eyes are just so beautiful. Every time I see you, I’m amazed at the shade of blue. So like Elijah’s, but much softer.” Anger crossed over his features, squashing the sparkle she loved. Gasping in horror, she put her shaky hand over her mouth and took an unsteady step away from the angry man advancing upon her.

  Did I say that aloud?

  What a freaking idiot.

  “Elijah?” he muttered. His jaw clenched, as did his fists.

  “W-wait, let me explain. He came into my dreams, and only the dreams. Well, until yesterday, anyway—”

  “Until yesterday? He came here, inside this house? When?” His voice rose with each word, until he ended on a shout. She flinched at the volume. “I thought he’d only been in your dreams. But it’s gone past that, hasn’t it? You let him inside, knowing he could hurt you. Knowing what he has done!” His fist slammed on the foyer table, and she jumped as it echoed throughout the house. It seemed like a miracle the wood didn’t shatter at the force. She swore the windows shook at the blow. Or had it been from his shout?

  “Isaac, please, calm down. You’re scaring me.” She backed away from him and covertly searched for her knife. She didn’t have it close by. She’d never dreamed she’d feel the need for it with Isaac. “Yes, he came here, but just once, and I haven’t seen him since.” She watched his body tremble. She had never seen anyone this mad. Ever.

  Holy crap

  A loud bang of thunder shook the house, and she yelped. A glance out the window revealed torrential downpour accompanied by flashing lightning, gusty winds, and deafening thunder. Even though she feared storms, she gauged the storm less of an imminent threat than Isaac, so she turned her attention back to him.

  “What did he do? You invited him in, after what I told you? How could you? I’ll kill him. I swear I will. He won’t do this again. This changes everything.” With one last angry scowl, he spun on his heel, opened the door, and left. The door swung in the fury of the storm, banging against the wall so hard it knocked down the picture hanging next to it. She gaped at the door before rushing to close it against the tempest outside.

  She stumbled to the couch in a daze and sat on the edge as she dropped her head in her hands. Her stomach lurched and tears welled in her eyes. How had she become such a freaking idiot? To announce how much prettier his eyes were than Elijah’s?

  In her defense, whenever he held her she turned into a babbling idiot. He was a devastating force who stole her senses with one smile, every time. So could she really be blamed for what she blurted out?

  Yes.

  She collapsed onto the soft cushions of the couch and leaned back, only to notice the storm had ended as fast as it had begun. What the hell was up with the weather lately, anyway?

  A shadow moved over her, and she shrieked in terror. It took a split second for her to realize Isaac crouched in front of her, but it took long enough, thank you very much.

  “Jesus Christ, you’ve got to stop doing that!” She wailed as she clenched her fists in anger.

  “I’m sorry. I lost my temper.
You don’t know how dangerous he is. How much he could hurt you. I shouldn’t have yelled, but I’m terrified of seeing you get hurt. I’ll tell you anything you want to know about him, and me, if you will listen.” His eyes were pleading, and she knew she would forgive him. Hell, she forgave him already. They were both stressed out and tightly wound. It was natural they would snap. And she’d been the idiot who had said Elijah’s name

  “Should I leave?”

  “No,” she stammered. “I think it’s time you told me what’s going on. Everything.” He hesitated, and she nudged her foot against his. “I mean it, I want to know. No lies, no excuses. I think I deserve that much.” Her chin jutted out, and she folded her arms across her chest. She wasn’t moving till he bared all.

  He could start by removing his pants….

  No, wait, he could start by telling her how he had become—well, not human.

  Whatever that meant.

  He sighed and settled on the couch beside her. “Well, I’ll start at the history and work my way up. I’m sure you have realized by now—” He hesitated over the name and grimaced. “Elijah and I aren’t what you’d call…normal. Human. We were born in the year eighteen fifty-four.” He paused, clearly expecting a reaction from her. Receiving a simple, serene nod, he gritted his teeth and continued. “Elijah was born ten minutes before me. As the heir, he was always so tense. So wound up. In what was probably a way to rebel against his responsibilities, he became a rake and loved taking risks. The only time I ever saw him relax was in Amelia’s company. He’d been betrothed to a woman, a young lady of quality, a few years before Amelia died. He’d have gained a lot of land with the match. Her name was Louisa. Back then, though, she went by Lady Harding.

  “Amelia grew up by us, but when we reached an appropriate age, it became more than friendship. We got betrothed six months before she died, and life was never better for me. Stolen kisses in the barn. Long walks in the meadow. She had the most gorgeous curly hair.” He rubbed Sabrina’s hair between his fingers of his left hand. “And absolutely glorious green eyes.” He ran his fingers over her brow with his right hand. “Like I had never seen…until now.”

  “Wait, a second. I didn’t want to interrupt, but are you telling me she looked like me? That’s what this is all about? I resemble her?”

  “Yes. She looked as much like you as I do like Elijah. When I first saw you, in the tavern, you took my breath away. I knew, as surely as I was seeing you, Elijah would, too.”

  Bewildered, she took a deep, calming breath. She was the spitting image of Amelia—their long-lost, cheating love? Whom they both wanted back?

  Jeez, it sure sounded like a healthy start to a new relationship. Not.

  “Well, I dreamt about Elijah before I saw you.”

  His cold mask was back, and he inquired, “You did? I had no idea.”

  “Yes. It’s why I stared at you like you were a ghost. I thought I was going insane.”

  “I was too busy thinking you were a ghost to notice you staring at me.” He snickered and grinned. The ice-man was gone, thank God.

  “Understandable, I suppose,” she murmured.

  “But I digress. One day, Elijah and Amelia were alone in the meadow and we walked upon Amelia and Elijah, entwined in the grass.” His eyes held a haunted look, and she knew he was replaying the scene in his head. Reaching out, she put a comforting hand on his knee. He covered her hand with his and smiled lopsidedly. “Louisa walked beside me, but I picked up something odd from her. She scared me. I scoffed at myself even though I quickened my stride to match hers.

  “I heard her hiss, and she was crouched on the ground. I tried to run. To warn them.” He chuckled. “I never stood a chance. She was on me before I took more than three steps. She slammed me to the ground, and I knew I was going to die…and so were they. The last thing I saw before her teeth ripped into my neck was Elijah and Amelia, kissing and whispering words of love. They looked so happy.” His words drifted off as he stared into space. His eyes focused on hers once more, and they held a sad and angry tone to them she’d not before seen him have. She realized he looked more like Elijah than ever before.

  “I have no idea what happened after, but I heard the screams. I knew she’d gotten them. She killed Amelia, but me and Elijah, she…bit. I guess she thought it would be funny if he had to live eternally with a brother who despised him.” He smiled in a mocking manner, and she squeezed his hand in an attempt to reassure him.

  “So, you’re a…vampire?” she whispered.

  “Nope, I’m not. Elijah is. I am an even weirder freak of nature. There are very few of my kind. We were chosen to be a group of the elite. The elite monsters, what a joke.” He chuckled coarsely. “We’re called Enforcers. Believe it or not, all the mythical creatures you’ve heard of do exist: werewolves, vampires, shifters.

  “Well, we are the top of the food chain, so to speak. We attempt to protect humans by eliminating the dredge of all immortals. If I need to fight a vampire, I get those powers. The same goes for the other creatures. I’m all of these monsters, in one neat package. But, Sabrina, Elijah is a vampire. He could kill, crush, or bite you, and you couldn’t do a thing to stop him. I got taken down by a tiny woman. Picture that. Imagine how strong they must be. You can’t trust him, not even for one measly second,” he pleaded.

  She ignored his pleas for a more pressing question on her mind. “How? How do you get chosen to be an Enforcer?”

  “They look at the time you died. Were you pure of heart? Or doing things that don’t match their values? Are you willing to put your life at risk to save others, or do you care only for your own wants and desires? Since I died trying to save Elijah and Amelia—even in the face of such a betrayal—the Council deemed my moral qualities upstanding. Therefore, I am an Enforcer.

  “Whereas people like Elijah, who died betraying his brother, are deemed beneath their notice, and therefore become whatever monster they are doomed to be. In Elijah’s case, a vampire.”

  “So, if you die while helping someone, you are automatically an Enforcer?” she questioned in confusion. “If so, there should be a lot of you around.”

  “Not as many as one might think. They don’t just look at the moment of your death. They look at your whole life. From the time you were a child to the time you die. It’s not a split-second decision. It isn’t even up to the Enforcers. It is up to the Council.”

  “The council?” she squeaked.

  “Yes. There’s a judge’s panel, of sorts, although no one’s ever seen them. Or will. But, we all answer to them. And by us, I mean the Enforcers. They decide who’s worthy, and who isn’t, and we’re sent by their orders to ‘collect’ them.”

  “Is the order sent by carrier pigeon?” She fought back the urge to burst into hysterical laughter. Un-freaking believable.

  “Don’t be silly.” He grinned. “They’re too unreliable. By owl, of course.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously,” he assured her.

  “Holy crap.” She breathed deeply. “How in the world do they figure it out so fast whether you are worthy or not? I assume they don’t have warning you’re going to die?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Out of all the stuff I told you, you question timing, and only timing?”

  “Well, it seems a bit of a rushed decision,” she argued as she blushed. “But I see your point. If all this other crap is possible, why question the how, huh?”

  “Right.” He chuckled. “Anyway, my job is to kill all the monsters walking alongside humans like you. Monsters like Elijah,” he emphasized.

  “Oh, my God. So if you see him, you have to kill him? That’s horrible.” He was duty-bound to kill his brother? This didn’t seem fair at all. No matter what he had done, Elijah was still his brother. He couldn’t desire his twin’s death that much.

  Right?

  “Yes, if ever I see him, I’d be duty-bound to kill him. Or to try, at least. He’s very fast and strong. Even with my powers, it’s not
an easy fight. And even worse, if Elijah knows you’re here, inevitably Louisa will know as well. I’ve been hunting her throughout this life and have yet to catch her. She’s cunning. Dangerous. She’d think nothing of killing you again. Trust me.”

  Stillness came over her as his words clicked in her head. A beautiful woman who would want to kill her….

  Her horror must have been written on her face, for he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently to get her attention.

  “What? What is it, Sabrina? Have you seen her?”

  “Yeah, in my dream,” she whispered. “She had long red hair, and brown eyes. Elijah fought her off by throwing a tree at her. It was the dream I had the night you were here. She kept trying to get to me, but Elijah wouldn’t let her. Now I know why.” She shuddered as she remembered the woman—Louisa—trying to get to her, desperate to kill her again. Great, so now she had a jealous vampire who wanted her dead, too?

  So to sum it up, she was dating an Enforcer, who was required to kill his brother—who happened to want her—and had a jealous fiancée who wanted nothing more than to see her dead?

  How had this become her life?

  “Shit. I’d worried this would happen. I’ve been watching, but haven’t seen her. At least Elijah protected you.”

  This time.

  “So you believe, both of you, I’m Amelia”—she put a hand to her chest “—reincarnated or something? Or I bear a striking resemblance to her? Is it even possible, to be the same person, reborn?” The condescension in her tone rang clear even to her ears, but she couldn’t help it.

  “I believe anything to be possible. I’ve seen it all. And yes, I think you are she. I’m sure Elijah feels the same.”

  Her mind reeled, but she had too many questions to linger. Shock would have to wait until later. Way later.

  “Can you be hurt by these creatures? What do you eat? Are you immortal?”

  He stopped her by pressing a finger to her lips. “Slow down, honey.” He laughed. “Yes, I can be killed. When I change into one of them, whichever I’m fighting, I’m as susceptible to death as they are. But it’s not an easy task to kill my kind. There are different ways to kill different species. Vampires, for example, need to be decapitated and thrown into salt water. It eats away their skin. If you don’t do both those steps, they come back to life. Werewolves go down when shot by silver bullets and burned in fire. But, when I’m in front of you, like this, as a human, I’m one in every way.