Kiss of the Vampire (The Vanderlind Realm Book 2) by Gayla Twist Read Free Book Online

could. I still had an open invitation to her home and I felt like I was on the verge of taking advantage of it in the worst way possible.
    I couldn’t kill Erika. I just couldn’t. If I was going to black out into some type of vampire murderous feeding frenzy, it shouldn’t be directed at one of the few people on the planet who had actually shown me a little kindness.
    Flying blindly through the night, I felt like I had to find a vault and lock myself in it or I would turn around and head straight back to Erika’s house. Almost unintentionally I found myself heading for the Vanderlind Castle. I’d driven past the crazy looking fortress enough times to know how to find it. There was a large metal fence surrounding the building and a gate that was patrolled by two guards. I landed a dozen yards up the road from the castle and started walking toward the entrance.
    “Is the family expecting you?” one of the guards asked as I strode up to the gate. They were all dress in dark purple uniforms and didn’t seem to find it unusual that a young woman would turn up at the house in the middle of the night.
    “Dorian Vanderlind will see me,” I assured them.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 7
    Dorian
     
     
    There was a knock at my door. “Mr. Wanderlind?” I heard a voice say. It was pretty obvious that it was the Russian.
    “What is it, Hugo?” I asked, not opening the door. I was still embarrassed by my emotional outburst in the kitchen and didn’t feel up to facing him.
    “There is a young lady here, asking to you,” the man said. “She says her name is Haley Scott.”
    Haley Scott? I’d just been pacing the length of my room, trying in vain to think of anything or anyone other than Haley Scott. And then out of nowhere she was at my door. “Show her in,” I stammered. “I’ll be right down.”
    Checking my look in the mirror, I noted that I wasn’t at my best. I was on the verge of appearing scruffy. Obsessing about the stupid girl was taking its toll on me. “Pull yourself together,” I growled at my reflection. “No one is attracted to a desperate idiot.” And I had been acting like an idiot. One kiss was no reason to lose one’s head over a young lady. It could have easily been a fluke. I had been so carried away that I had not thought of that before. The earth’s magnetic field, polar winds, the position of the moon; there were a million reasons why I might have felt an instant and intense connection to Haley Scott. It wasn’t necessarily because we were meant to be together.
    I decided to play it cool. I’d been acting like a love-sick puppy, holding her hand and fawning all over her. That kind of behavior would repel any woman. As I headed down the stairs, I felt completely in control and ready to treat Haley as an impersonal visitor.
    “Dorian!” Haley rushed across the room as soon as I’d entered the great hall.
    She flung herself at me and I wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to kiss me or slapped my face. Either way, I caught her in my arms. “What is it?” I asked.
    Her long, chestnut hair was tousled and her eyes look a little wild. “I need your help.”
    “What has happened?” I asked, thrilled to feel her body pressing against mine, yet concerned for her distress.
    “I went to see a friend,” she said, twisting around to look at the front door as if she would bolt out of the castle at any moment. “I needed someone to talk to.” Haley turned back to look into my eyes, her face contorted with torment. “And she invited me into her home.”
    “Hugo,” I snapped. “Please bring us refreshments immediately.”
    The giant had already anticipated me. He extended a tray bearing two goblets and a large carafe. “I took the liberty, Mr. Wanderlind.”
    I quickly filled a goblet and pressed it to Haley’s lips. “Drink,” I told her. With trembling hands she grasped