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  Neomina called to him softly. “Take me, Lazarus. What are you waiting for?”

  He closed his eyes.

  The Tribe fell silent.

  In one swift move, Lazarus turned his back to his kin. He shielded Neomina with his body and blocked the deed from all eyes that gathered in the woods.

  This was a private matter.

  Lazarus took to the air and carried Neomina away.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Trust me on this, Neomina, trust me.”

  And she did.

  He brought her to Delacroix's cottage.

  “You haven't been home in a long time and I thought this would be a better place than among the Tribe.”

  “But the moon? Should we not be outside?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “In truth, it does not matter.”

  Neomina pursed her lips and seemed lost in thought.

  “What are you thinking?”

  She smiled at him. “Do you not know, Vampyre?”

  Thoughts of the apothecary came flooding back to him.

  He gave a slight laugh. “Is that where you would like to go?”

  “Yes. That is were we first met and I think such a place would be most appropriate.”

  “Very well, wife. We shall go to the apothecary.”

  In the woods behind the cottage sat a large wood, stone and glass building. The door opened with a single wave of Lazarus’ hand. In the hearth a fire blazed taking the chill off the room.

  Lazarus took in the mixed aromas of spicy, pungent herbs and sweet-smelling flowers. And he breathed in the scent of Neomina. The distinct smell of her blood filled his nostrils, calling him with urgency.

  He pulled her close and carried her to the floor in front of the fireplace. With quick ease Lazarus removed Neomina's clothing and then his own. The heat from the hearth warmed his soul. He wrapped the two of them in a soft blanket and embraced Neomina.

  The skin of her neck glowed in the firelight.

  “I love you, Neomina Conlon. You have my heart, you have my soul, now I give you my world.”

  He leaned over her and brushed his lips against the smooth flesh of her neck. He caressed her with long, loving kisses and buried himself in her the sweet essence of her scent.

  With ease, the tender flesh parted for his fangs and her blood flowed to him on command. In one bite, Lazarus began the sacred act of bringing her across.

  He had never tasted anything as sweet as Neomina. Her blood sated his hunger. He drank until he had his fill.

  Neomina cried out. The warmth that flooded her body was pure ecstasy. She never expected it to be like this. Memories of her birth, childhood, adolescence, all came back to her. Scenes long since forgotten flashed before her eyes. She remembered her mother, her father, the cat she had as a toddler. And then Lazarus pulled back.

  He bit into his own wrist and placed it upon Neomina's lips.

  “Drink from me and be part of me. Let the night take you, Neomina.”

  And Neomina did. As the warm, thick liquid eased its way down her throat, she saw scenes of Lazarus’ life flash through her mind. She felt his pain, his joy, his guilt and even his pleasure. Neomina took in all that was Lazarus, his every essence.

  Together they merged as one, a true union of both body and spirit.

  Neomina had once made Lazarus man and given him a part of her world. Now Lazarus made Neomina Vampyre and gave her a part of his world.

  Together they succumbed to the night, to a life that would be eternally sweet.

  Angelique Armae

  Paranormal fiction author Angelique Armae a.k.a. M. A. duBarry, has had a love affair with paper and ink for as far back as she can remember. She's been writing stories and poetry since grade school. According to Miss Armae, writing is in her blood. Her all time favorite author is her late Irish grandfather, from whom she inherited her passion for writing. Angelique favors novels with dark, brooding characters and gothic settings. She considers herself a typical Virgo, is addicted to all things Celtic and believes her soul belongs somewhere in ancient Ireland.

  Angelique began her professional writing career in 1999 and sold her first book a year later. Her critically acclaimed vampire novel Come The Night garnered nominations in both the prestigious SAPPHIRE AWARDS (for best sci-fi romance including paranormal sub-genre) and P.E.A.R.L. Awards (Paranormal Excellance in Romantic Literature), including Best New Author, Best Shapeshifter Novel and Best Overall Paranormal Novel. The book won BEST VAMPIRE ROMANCE in the LoveRomances Readers Choice Awards of 2001 and also took home HONORABLE MENTION for BEST E-BOOK.

  Miss Armae's work has been critically acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic, receiving rave reviews from horror novel reviewers, romance reviewers and from readers of both genres.

  Aside from fiction writing, Miss Armae works as a freelance journalist and as a reader for a major publishing house. She has had numerous articles published spanning various topics including Tarot, New York State Tourism, and History. She is currently working on the sequel to Come The Night and has additional projects scheduled for the near future including several sensual novels written under the pen name M. A. duBarry.

  You can view her works in progress page at:

  http://www.angeliquearmae.com.

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