Scattered shouts of “Hear, hear” rang out as men, women, and children raised their glasses.

When Victor leaned toward Kay and kissed her, it was all Gideon could do to keep from grabbing the man by the neck and ripping his heart out. The fact that Gideon could sense Kay’s revulsion at Victor’s touch only made it worse.

He had to get out of there before he did something stupid. Cussing under his breath, Gideon eased away from the table and left the house.

Outside, he stared up at the sky. Here, away from the lights of the city, the star-studded heavens stretched away into infinity. He rarely thought of the past, or dwelled on how many years he had lived as a vampire, or what he had lost when his mortality had been stolen from him.

Until now, mundane things like home and family had seemed insignificant when compared to what he had gained. He liked being a vampire. Living forever, never growing old and feeble, never getting sick, more than made up for whatever he had lost. He reveled in the incredible speed and power of his kind, the ability to read minds, change shape, dissolve into mist, will himself from one place to another. Who would give all that up for a few paltry years of humanity?

Gideon glanced back at the house, which was lit up like a Christmas tree. He could hear the musicians tuning up, the clink of silverware against china, the mingled sounds of conversation and laughter, the aromas of roast beef and fried chicken. With a shake of his head, he admitted he would happily give up the next five hundred years of immortality to spend one human lifetime with Kay.

And even as her name crossed his mind, she was hurrying toward him, throwing her arms around his neck.

He gathered her close, inhaling the fragrance of her hair and skin. The underlying scent of her blood called to him, clouding his senses. “How’d you get away from your guests?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “I said I had to make a trip to the ladies’ room.” She looked up at him. “Gideon … ?”

“I know.” Lowering his head, he claimed her mouth with his.

She held nothing back as she returned his kisses, her arms tightening around him as if she would never let go.

“You never gave me an answer to my proposal,” he murmured between kisses. “Although I’m guessing it might be yes.”

“Yes,” she whispered, then shrieked as someone jerked her out of Gideon’s arms.

Before Gideon could react, two men wrestled him to the ground, holding him immobile while a third dropped a heavy silver chain across his chest.

Rendered physically powerless, Gideon glared at the man holding tight to Kay’s forearm. “Rinaldi.” He hissed the word between clenched teeth.

“I told you before, bloodsucker. She’s mine.”

Kay struggled in Victor’s grasp and when he failed to release her, she sank her teeth into his arm.

Grimacing in pain, he slapped her, hard.

A low growl rose in Gideon’s throat, but he was helpless to do anything.

“Lock him up,” Victor said.

“And then what?” one of the men asked.

Victor shrugged. “Kill him or let him go. I don’t care.” “Rinaldi! Damn you!” Gideon stared after the man as he dragged Kay into the darkness. A moment later, he heard the throaty purr of a car’s engine, felt his anger and frustration mount as Kay’s panicked voice rang out in his mind. Gideon!

I’ll find you, he promised.

Looking at the trio of burly men staring down at him, he hoped it was a promise he could keep.

“Let me out of here!” Kay shrieked as Victor stuffed her into the trunk of his Lexus and slammed the lid. “Let me out!” She couldn’t believe what was happening. She had resisted with all her might, but her struggles had been in vain. Now, with her hands tied behind her back and her ankles lashed together, there was little she could do except scream her outrage. Sadly, there was no one to hear her.

And what of Gideon? Once again, his life was in danger because of her.

Victor drove for what seemed like an eternity. Where was he taking her? What would her father do when he found out Victor had kidnapped her? She frowned as a new thought wormed its way into her mind. What if her father knew that it was Gideon she wanted? Her father’s hearing was exceptionally keen. Had he overheard Gideon’s proposal? What if it had been her father’s idea for Victor to abduct her?

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Victor didn’t have the guts to do something as outrageous as this on his own.

Anger replaced fear as certainty overcame doubt. She knew her father loved Victor like a son, knew that Victor had taken Mark’s place in her father’s heart. If her father had any weakness, it was his inability to see Victor for what he really was.

She would never forgive her father if he had had any part in this, whether he had planned it, or had merely given Victor his blessing. Never! But what hurt worst of all was realizing that her father cared more for Victor than he did for his own daughter.

That knowledge unleashed the tears she had been holding back. Closing her eyes, she cried herself to sleep.

Gideon glared at his captors as they debated what to do with him. The oldest of the three was in favor of killing him then and there. The other two—younger and less bloodthirsty—opted for letting him go.

Gideon’s physical power might be negated by the silver, but he retained enough power to mesmerize those around him. Focusing on the youngest of the bunch, he willed the man to remove the thick chain that held him immobile.

“What the hell are you doing?” the other two men exclaimed in unison.

But the question came too late. As soon as the young man lifted the chain, Gideon dissolved into mist and disappeared from their sight. Had he been in corporeal form, he would have laughed at their startled expressions.

But there was no time for that. It was almost dawn. Leaving his car behind, he sought shelter from the rising sun.

The sudden absence of noise and motion roused Kay from a horrible dream. Forgetting where she was, she sat up. A harsh gasp escaped her lips when she hit the back of her head.

Reality returned with the pain.

She blinked against the early-morning light when Victor opened the trunk. “My father will kill you for this.” There was little conviction behind her words; the smug look on Victor’s face only served to reinforce her earlier suspicions that her father was behind the whole thing.

Smirking, Victor untied her ankles, then grabbed her around the waist and lifted her, none too gently, out of the trunk and set her on her feet.

Kay glanced around, a groan rising in her throat when she recognized her surroundings. Victor had brought her to his pack’s home.

“How long do you intend to keep me here?” she demanded.

“Until we’re married and you give me an heir. After that, I don’t care what you do, or where you go.”

Kay stared at him. Victor had always been concerned with pack politics. As the eldest son of the Green Mountain Pack’s Alpha, he was next in line to be pack leader. With Kay as his wife, the bond between the Green Mountain Pack and the Shadow Pack would be solidified. Add a son or daughter who was the grandchild of the two pack Alphas, and Victor’s rank would be secure.

“Are you going to keep me tied up until then?” she asked, her voice laced with venom as he dragged her toward the house.

“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.”

“I’ll never marry you.”

“I think you will,” he said smugly.

“You can’t force me to marry you.”

“True enough. But your Alpha can. And will.”

Kay’s shoulders sagged. Victor was right. As much as she might wish to resist her Alpha’s wishes in the matter, she wasn’t sure she had either the strength or the courage to do so.

Victor’s father was waiting for them when they reached the house. Diego Rinaldi was tall and slim. He wore his brown hair cut short. His eyes, as hard and gray as stone, were cold when he looked at her. His wife stood behind him, her blue eyes worried. Vivian Rinaldi was almost as tall as her husband. She smiled uncertainly as Victor pushed Kay across the threshold.

“The room downstairs has been prepared for her,” Diego said. “I’ll call Russell and tell him you’ve arrived safely.”

Kay’s insides went cold at his words. So, they were all in this together. Knowing it was useless, she sent a mute plea for help in Vivian’s direction. The woman managed to look ashamed, but Kay knew she couldn’t expect any aid from that direction.

Nodding, Victor tugged on Kay’s arm, forcing her to follow him down two flights of stairs and into the cellar. He flicked on the light, revealing a dozen or so wine racks. At the far end of the room, a door stood ajar, revealing another, smaller room.

Victor stopped at the threshold. Jerking her around so that her back was toward him, he untied her hands. “Welcome to your new home,” he said, and shoved her inside.

“Wait!” She whirled around, but he had already closed the door. She heard a sharp click as he turned the lock. “Victor!” She pounded on the door. “Victor! Let me out of here!”

Blowing out a breath, she turned around, her gaze moving quickly over the room. Until recently, she guessed it had been used for storage. Now, there was a twin bed covered by a patchwork quilt, a small round table and a ladder-back chair in one corner, a sink and a porta-potty in the other.

Filled with restless energy, she removed her shoes and paced the floor. She had to get out of here before her father showed up with a priest, before she was forced into a marriage she didn’t want to a man she loathed. She had no doubt Victor would let her go once she gave him a child; she was just as certain that he would not let the child go with her, thereby keeping her under his thumb, at least until the child was grown.

It sounded all too horribly familiar. Only a short time ago she had declared that she never wanted to live the way her mother had.

I know, her mother had replied. But I’m afraid you don’t have any other choice.

Kay shook her head. She refused to believe that. There was always a choice.