Page 1 of Twilight Destiny

Chapter One

Hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jeans, Rylan Saintcrow strolled through the business district of Morgan Creek. All the stores and shops were closed at this time of the night. The only place still open was the hotel. He knew a moment of satisfaction as he passed by. Rooms and campsites were booked a solid year in advance. No one looking at the town now would ever guess it had once been a haven for a coven of vampires. Sometimes he could scarcely believe it himself. There was a hell of a lot of history here, all of it bad, he thought with a grin, until Kadie Andrews—now Kadie Saintcrow—stumbled into Morgan Creek. From that fateful night on, things had never been the same.

His head snapped up as a car drove across the bridge that separated the town from the highway. He muttered an oath when he recognized the young woman behind the wheel. Rosa Ravenwood. He’d had dealings with her brother, Micah, and the Ravenwood family in the past. What the devil was she doing here?

She slammed on the brakes when he stepped in front of the car.

Rosa switched off the engine and rolled down the window. “What are you trying to do?” she exclaimed. “Get yourself killed? Oh, it’s you.”

“What are you doing here?” Saintcrow growled. “Why aren’t you in Italy with Kadie and the rest of your family?”

“That’s not a very nice way to greet a guest.”

“No one ever accused me of being nice.”

“Well, I can certainly see why,” she retorted.

He blew out a sigh. “What are you doing here?”

“I have a favor to ask and it isn’t something to discuss over the phone.”

“Yeah? Must be a hell of a favor.” Sliding into the passenger seat, Saintcrow closed the door. “You can tell me about it when we get to my place.” He gave her directions, then stretched his legs out in front of him. With Kadie away from home, the big old house was too quiet. It might be nice to have a little company for a day or two.

Rosa recognized the big, white house her brother-in-law, Ethan, had built for her youngest sister, Sofia, as they passed it by. Sofie had sent her numerous photos during and after construction.

Rosa frowned, thinking it would have been nice to stay there while Sofia and Ethan were on vacation, but she hadn’t been able to think of a single logical reason why she would visit Morgan Creek when Sofie wasn’t there. And she could hardly tell her sister why she’d come here.

Her brother, Micah, had lived in Morgan Creek for a while, but about a year ago, he had moved back to Arizona to be close to their parents. Micah had always been her favorite brother. He and his wife, Holly, had bought a house not far from her apartment and she was glad to have him back in town again.

Saintcrow’s house was nearby. Large and square, it was made of weathered gray stone. There were turrets at the four corners, which gave the place the look of an old English castle. Thick iron bars covered the front door and the windows.

Rosa parked her rented Kia in the driveway. She was reaching for the handle when Saintcrow appeared at her door and opened it for her. Surprised by his show of manners, she followed him through the heavy wooden door into a spacious living room that was beautifully decorated with expensive furniture and tables. Several paintings adorned the walls. Fancy draperies covered the windows.

When Saintcrow gestured for her to sit down, she perched on the edge of a leather couch, hands tightly folded in her lap. She had been around Saintcrow a few times before, but she was suddenly aware of the fact that they were alone in the house, and that he was a vampire. And friend of the family or not, she was prey. The thought should have frightened her. Instead, it filled her with an odd sense of excitement. It was easy to see why Kadie had fallen in love with him. He was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen, broad-shouldered and lean-hipped, with inky-black hair that brushed the collar of his gray shirt, and eyes that were black and unfathomable. A thin, white scar ran from the outer corner of his left eye, down his cheek, and disappeared under his shirt collar. His preternatural power danced lightly over her skin.

He stood with his back to the fireplace, watching her through narrowed eyes. “It’s for damn sure that neither Micah or Sofia knew you were coming here.”

Rosa shrugged. That was for darn sure. If her brother had gotten wind of the real reason she hadn’t gone to Italy with the rest of the family, he would have locked her up and thrown away the key! No doubt her sister, Sofia, felt the same way.

“So, what brings you to Morgan Creek?” Saintcrow asked for the third time.

“I want to meet a vampire.”

“Don’t you think you’ve already met more than your share?” he remarked dryly.

“I want to meet one who isn’t family. Or a friend of the family.”

He wasn’t surprised. Ethan had told him Rosa had asked a lot of questions about vampire life, the kind of questions that had led him to believe she was toying with the idea of becoming one. “I’m not running a dating service.”

“I know, but … maybe you could tell me where to find one. Or two.”

With a shake of his head, Saintcrow dropped into the overstuffed chair across from her. “I’m guessing neither Sofia or anyone else in the family knows what you’re up to.”

“Of course not. They think I went to Florida with a couple of girlfriends.”

“Why this sudden urge to meet a vampire?”

“I’m just curious.”

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