Chapter Five


Colin was deep in thought as he set his wife's letter down on his desk. He had been sitting in his library, reading it and all of her letters over, wondering what to do now. They were on their way home. He'd have to meet them at the pier tomorrow afternoon. Then what?

He had been the dutiful husband and father, writing his wife and son several times each month, but the letters had been difficult to compose - after all, he couldn't tell them about what was really happening his life. So he had to talk around it; talk about anything, except what really mattered. Angela's letters had been loving, but somewhat distant. It seemed that as time progressed, she filled them more with what she and Caleb were doing - how they were keeping busy, and less and less of how they missed him. Could he blame them? He knew he had pushed them away. But they must never know what he had become. And more to the point, they must never know how much he liked what he had become. It had taken him by complete surprise! He had been repulsed in the very beginning - that first night, after his long discussion with John Malvern, he had barely known what to do next. It was as if he were living in a fog. And then, slowly, as his craving for blood intensified, and his ability to kill small animals increased, he started to feel the power, the heightened senses, and the bloodlust became overwhelming. By then it was time for his first human kill. That had happened soon after Angela and Caleb had left for America. It was the reason he had gone to London, actually. He knew it was time to do it, and he didn't want it happening in his hometown. Not with the Koviches running around looking to kill every vampire they could find.

And then, of course, there was Katarina. The gorgeous vampire who had started it all - and he had fallen head over heels in lust with her! Not love - lust! He couldn't get enough of her! He kept having thoughts of her by day and she filled his dreams at night. Funny, though, how she hadn't come again to him after that first night she turned him, until after Angela and Caleb had left on their trip. He had been alone on the streets of London around midnight, trying to stalk a drunken street person just to see if he could really do it - really make his first human kill - and then he saw Katarina, who appeared out of nowhere, beckoning him to her side. She took him to her flat there in London, and made passionate love to him for hours! He was totally captivated by her, mesmerized by her taste, her touch, the feel of her skin on his…Afterward, in the wee hours of the morning, just before dawn, she accompanied him on his search, guiding him until he found the proper victim. She was his teacher, his mentor, his lover. He had come to depend upon her, so much so that the relationship was an addiction, especially whenever he felt the need to feed. So now, where did that leave his life with Angela and Caleb? He pondered this question for the rest of the night, falling asleep in his desk chair.

"Master Colin - wake up sir! Why, I had no idea you had fallen asleep here last night! If I'd known I would have woken you up so you could have spent the night in your bed! I'm so sorry, sir!" Andrew had a look of consternation on his face. "Oh, that's all right, Andrew. I'm fine - perfectly fine! You know how it is when you stay up too late. Sometimes, I lose track of time, but my body doesn't! It knows when it's time for me to sleep!" Colin answered, trying to make light of the subject. But Andrew sensed that all was not right. He had known for months that there was something seriously wrong - very different about his employer, but he still couldn't put his finger on it. One of these days, though, he'd figure it out…one of these days…

By 2 p.m. Colin still had no answer to his dilemma. He'd simply have to try to be a better father and husband for now; after all, he really did feel love for them both. And, for a time, it would be all right - he'd made a human kill just two nights prior, so he'd be contented for at least three, maybe four weeks. That would give him time to mend fences - at least a little.

End Of Chapter Five
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