Enchant the Night. Amanda Ashley

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      Chapter 1

      Quill strolled through the shifting shadows of the night, a tall, dark-haired man shrouded in a long, black coat, unnoticed by passersby. Mortals, he thought, so oblivious to the world around them. Not only its incredible beauty, but the danger that dwelled in their midst like a hungry lion among lambs.

      Times changed. Centuries rolled on. The old myths and legends lost their power. He had seen the rise and fall of nations and kings. But he remained forever the same, a solitary creature with little hope of forgiveness either in this life or the next. He had traveled the world from one end to the other. Made love to many women—but loved none of them. They had provided fleeting moments of passion in a long line of conquests that satisfied his lust as their blood fed his hunger.

      He had long ago accepted that he was forever damned. With that acceptance came a measure of peace. He had not chosen this life, but bemoaning what he was, what he had to do to survive, accomplished nothing.

      His needs were few and easily met. Still, after the first few hundred years, there had been times when he had grown weary of his solitary existence. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, he went to ground, seeking rest and relief.

      The last time he had done so, he had risen to a new generation filled with inventions and technology he had never imagined. Computers and cell phones, jet planes and drones and satellites, and a hundred other amazing devices, some that would have been viewed as witchcraft or the works of the devil in the century when he’d been born.

      It was a new age, and he reveled in it. Humanity no longer believed in his kind anymore. Hiding from the world was, in some ways, easier than ever. There were so many other monsters roaming the planet—remorseless gangs that preyed upon the weak, drug dealers who sold death in pretty pills to innocent children, politicians who betrayed their country for cash and power.

      All thought of the past faded as his gaze settled on a young woman emerging from the shop in front of him. She was petite and comely. A cloud of golden wheat-colored hair fell over her shoulders and down her back in a riot of waves. She radiated youth and vitality as she hurried down the street, her stiletto heels clicking on the sidewalk.

      Increasing his stride, he moved up beside her and caught her arm. A few quiet words calmed her fears as he led her into a shadowy alley between two large buildings. She stared at him blankly, eyes unblinking, lips slightly parted as he caressed her cheek.

      He had intended to drink deeply, but something in the depths of her midnight-blue eyes changed his mind. Muttering an oath, he drew her into his embrace, bent his head to her neck, and satisfied his most basic need.