Suddenly nauseous, she sat down again.
“Elena, are you ill?” Katiya asked.
“I’m fine. It’s just all this stress,” she said with a shrug, “plus I haven’t had anything to eat.”
“Of course,” Katiya said. “How thoughtless of us, not to offer anything. Andrei, please find her some nourishment.”
With a nod, he left the room, only to return moments later with a tray bearing a roast beef sandwich, a bowl of sliced fruit, and a cup of tea.
Murmuring, “Thank you,” Elena picked up the sandwich.
Katiya and Andrei sat side by side on the sofa, trying not to stare at her as she ate.
Elena did her best to ignore them, but she couldn’t help wondering if they ever missed solid food. She loved malts and chocolate milk and orange juice, but she wouldn’t be happy living on a liquid diet, especially one as stringent as theirs. Malts were good, but so was chicken and French fries and steak, not to mention pie and ice cream.
Katiya cleared her throat. “Andrei, what do you think Drake will do now?”
“I have no idea, but I would not be surprised if he turned the Fortress upside down.”
Elena was trying to figure out what he meant by that when Drake entered the room.
“Not now, Andrei,” he said, seeing the curiosity in his brother’s eyes. “I am in no mood to answer questions. All I want is to spend what’s left of the night with Elena.” Taking her by the hand, he drew her to her feet. “If that is all right with you?”
“It is more than all right, my lord,” she murmured.
“Andrei, we will need to use your apartment.”
“As you wish. My lord,” he added with a grin.
Drake glared at his brother; then, wrapping his arm around Elena, he transported the two of them to Andrei’s quarters.
“What now?” Elena asked. She glanced around the living room. It was sparsely furnished with a brown leather sofa and matching chair, a pair of glass-topped ebony end tables, and a large, wall-mounted TV. Through an open doorway, she saw a king-sized bed covered with a brown velvet spread.
“What now?” Drake repeated. “I wish I knew.” He paced away from her, then stood staring at the pair of paintings over the sofa. Both pictures depicted an ocean—one by day with the sun shining brightly on an expanse of clear blue-green water; the other by night, with the moon’s silver light reflected on troubled black waves.
Elena stood in the center of the room, not knowing if she should follow her heart and put her arms around him, or leave him alone.
“I will take control of the Fortress tomorrow night,” he said at last.
“Oh?”
He turned to face her. “You need to decide what you want to do.”
“Do?” She frowned at him. “About what?”
“About us.”
“I thought I had already made that decision.”
“Things are different now. I am not sure how what I have planned will be received.”
“Whatever happens, I want to be with you.”
He didn’t say anything, just wrapped her in his embrace. He sighed, and she felt the tension drain out of him.
“Did you think I would leave you?”
“I cannot think of a single reason why you would want to stay. Your life has been anything but peaceful since the night we met.”
“And I’ve loved every minute we’ve spent together,” she said. “Well, almost every minute. So, are you through being the master for the night?”
He arched one brow. “That depends. Is there something you desire?”
“You,” she whispered. “Only you.”
“Granted. Do with me what you will.”
“So, it’s okay for me to do this?” Rising on her tiptoes, she pressed herself against him. “And this?” Cupping her hand around his nape, she kissed him, long and slow, then drew back so she could see his face. “Any complaints?”
“None so far. What else have you got?”
She ran her tongue across his lips, then kissed him again.
“And if I was to sweep you into my arms and carry you to bed, do you think you could find something for us to do there?” he asked with a wicked grin.
“I can guarantee it.”
“Show me,” he said, his voice low and husky with de - sire as he swung her into his arms and carried her swiftly to bed.
Elena awoke slowly; then, remembering where she was, she turned to study the man sleeping soundly beside her. Whatever else might happen, after last night she had no doubt that Drake loved her completely and that he would do everything in his power to ensure that they could be together.
Rising, she showered, then dressed. Last night, Drake had warned her not to leave Andrei’s apartment, then told her that one of the drones would bring her something to eat at 10 A.M. A glance at her watch told her the drone would be there any minute. A moment later, there was a knock at the door.
Though it was unnecessary, Elena thanked the drone, then locked the door after him, though she doubted it would keep the vampires out. It was sure to arouse suspicion if any of the vampires learned food had been delivered to Andrei’s quarters, especially during the day, when he was supposed to be sleeping. But she was too hungry to worry about that now.
After a meal of French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon, she wandered around the apartment, which consisted of four large rooms—bedroom, bathroom, living room, and library. The library was stocked with books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and newspapers in several languages, and an assortment of crossword puzzle books. A desk held a computer with a large monitor. There was also a state-of-the-art stereo system.
Elena turned the stereo on low, found the latest Frankenstein novel by Dean Koontz, and lost herself in another world.
When she tired of reading, she went in search of a movie, surprised to find that Andrei had what looked like every movie John Wayne had ever made. She was watching Hondo when the drone delivered her lunch.
She was browsing through Andrei’s CD collection when a whisper of power flowed through the room, making the short hairs on her arms stand at attention.
“Drake.” She knew he was there even before she turned around.
She sighed when he drew her into his arms, closed her eyes as his mouth covered hers, whispered “more” when he would have let her go.
He kissed her again, longer, deeper, then brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “I need to go,” he said. “I have business to attend to. One of the drones will come for you in an hour or so.”