In order to keep Clarissa safe he must seduce her. Even if it meant using some unscrupulous vampire tactics.

He stopped in his tracks.

Saints preserve me.He couldn't do this to her. She already understood he didn't live like a normal man. When he saw her again he would explain about his seven hundred year existence, and he would tell her the facts. Besides, he knew too well they didn't have forever to come together as man and woman. He must bed her and do it soon.

Once he reached St. Bartholomew's and entered the cemetery, he wandered into the crypt she'd fallen through. The tunnel under the crypt, dark and freezing, didn't bother him. He'd stopped at Erin's house long enough to grab his weapon loaded with silver bullets. His superb senses of hearing and sight detected little life nearby; most animals had taken shelter against the cold and increasing snow. He found Clarissa's camera where they'd forgotten it and snatched it up.

Before he could move he felt the pressure start. Like a hot, nasty poker the feeling intruded into his stomach. He looped the camera around his neck and checked the immediate darkness. At first Ronan couldn't be certain what he felt was real. The creeping sensation walking up and down his spine appeared on rare occasions.

Then it hit him. What if the ancient one managed to revive earlier than expected?

Although he hadn't anticipated fighting the ancient one by himself, he always knew it could happen. A chill, unexpected and unprecedented in his immortal state, rose inside his body and threatened to resurrect fear. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, he clenched his fists together and braced his feet wide apart to take whatever might come next.

The darkness came alive, rippling around him like bat wings.

What the hell-?

Red eyes burst from the tunnel toward him and he saw the gargoyle head upon the tall, cloaked body as the ancient one came to a stop directly in front of him. Ronan drew back several steps for leverage. Preparing for attack, he felt his immortal blood flow as it warmed and glowed within his body.

The ancient one's cloak flapped around his body in nonexistent breeze, revealing a tall body encased a black leather coat much like his own and leather pants. The ancient one hadn't stopped growing for some time after he first became a vampire a thousand years ago, and he towered over Ronan's six-foot four-inch frame. Nothing like encountering an almost seven-foot vampire in a dark tunnel to make Ronan feel ready for a fight.

Blood speckled near the corner of the creature's mouth, and Ronan realized with a sinking feeling the ancient one obviously had enough stamina regenerated to feed. The stench of blood made Ronan's stomach clench. Where blood might have aroused him at one time to feed, evidence the ancient one had killed made Ronan ill.

Damn the stinking hell rat.

The bastard stayed in his gargoyle head form, too spineless to transform into his true shape and reveal the face no one alive had seen. "Hello, Ronan." The ancient one's voice enveloped the tunnel, gravel-filled and layered with hatred deeper than Ronan remembered from their last encounter. "Fancy seeing you here."

Spiced with a bit of Scotland, the thousand-year-old vampire's voice would chill mortal hearts to the bone. Not Ronan. He'd talked with this beast on too many occasions to dread the effect the vampire's voice could inflict.

"Ancient one. You've called off your sleep too early."

A chuckle reverberated in the tunnel. "Too early for you, perhaps. Aye, you and Lachlan and your other weakling friends will regret my early return. You thought you would have more time to work on defeating me. Well, you were sadly mistaken."

Evidently.If he didn't think of something right here and now, all hell would break loose.

He took one step back from the evil so he could tilt his gaze upward and obtain a better look at his enemy. Shit. This wasn't good. He couldn't remember the last time his confidence felt so in the toilet.

"You should give up." The ancient one held out a thin, scaly hand as grey as death. "I've too much power for you to defeat me. Now it's assured once and for all."

"No. I've tracked you down, and now I'll have my revenge."

The laugher echoing down the tunnels almost hurt Ronan's ears. "That is all you want, isn't it? Not to help the stupid mortals. Why don't you turn away from this fruitless chase, and I'll allow you to leave unharmed. As one vampire to another, a gift."

Unbelievable. This stinking piece of flesh wanted him to quit? "I don't think so."

"Then prepare to die."

Ronan had heard lamer lines in B-grade movies, but coming from the guttural voice of this vampire, it sounded too serious for celluloid.

Before Ronan could do more than brace for impact, the ancient one launched across the small space between them.

"Feckin' A," Ronan said under his breath.

Ronan twisted to the side and avoided the head-on force of the ancient one's heavier body.

Twirling in the air like a top, the ancient one stopped before he impacted with the wall ahead. "Come here, little vampire. I can make this hard or easy. It's your choice."

"Since when, asshole? I don't remember you making your bloodsucking easy on anyone."

The ancient one walked toward him. "Since I've discovered new strength."

Renewed anger made Ronan cocky and he braced again. "Bring it on, tit meat."

The ancient one laughed, his harsh laughter once again making Ronan wince. "My, my, but you've become a trash mouth. Spending too much time with little dick Sorley."

"I wouldn't be so confident if I was you."

The ancient one charged.

Ronan yanked the weapon out of his holster at his waist and aimed. He pulled the trigger and hoped the silver bullet would find its mark. As the pistol barked out a report, the ancient one moved with laser speed.

Ronan tried to dodge, but the old vampire's impact threw him backwards at a tremendous rate. Ronan hit a wall and his breath whooshed out. Pain careened into his whole body, and he knew a mere mortal would have been crushed like a bug. He lost his grip on the weapon.

The ancient one rushed again, this time coming in with a two-handed grip around Ronan's neck. Ronan's throat hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but at least he couldn't be strangled. The ancient one drew Ronan off his feet and swung him by the neck in a wide arch. As Ronan was tossed away like a weed, he used his catlike agility to twist his body and attempt to land on his feet. Instead he skidded on the rocky soil. He tripped and landed face down. He stood immediately and swung around. The ancient one paused a short distance away, his smile filled with satisfaction. His razor-sharp teeth, as pointy and revolting as anything owned by a demon, made his grin particularly disgusting.

"The evil in the tunnels beneath theGunn Inn has given me all I need to defeat you and everyone else in this pitiful town, Ronan Kieran."

Ronan gritted his teeth in regret. Okay, how the hell would he get out of this one in one piece? If he'd fucked Clarissa tonight he might have more strength. Might survive this attack. He'd waited too long.

"Are you hoping to outwit me?" The ancient one asked. "I don't think so. You can't save your friends anymore than you could save sweet, innocent little Fionnghuala."

Taunted beyond endurance, Ronan's hot anger sent him rushing toward the older vampire. "Fenella loved me, you piece of shit and you took her away from me.Go to hell!"

Ronan attacked, kicking the bigger vampire's legs out from under him. The old vampire went down with a roar. Ronan's energy surged and he leapt into the air just low enough not to hit the ceiling but to come down on the ancient one's stomach area with both feet.

As he growled and pushed his feet deep, the other vampire yelled and grabbed Ronan's ankles. With a shove of tremendous force, he flipped Ronan backwards end over end.

Ronan managed to get his hands under him and executed the flip onto his feet as if he intended to do it all along. He retrieved his weapon and took dead aim at the older vampire's heart. He fired.

The bullet hit. The ancient one reeled backward, arms flailing. With a screech like an enraged bat, the ancient one staggered for a moment.

Feckin'-A yes!Ronan prepared to take another shot. Maybe he could-

The old vampire wavered but didn't fall. Then he put one hand to his heart area and the bullet popped out in his hand and to the floor.

Mother Mary.The bastard couldn't be hurt by silver bullets anymore.

Shocked, Ronan didn't move.

The ancient one repositioned on the far side of the tunnel. The gargoyle-headed creep might be the most powerful vampire on earth, but he seemed bigger, hardier and far more pissed than Ronan had ever seen him.

Something had changed in the ancient one, and not for the better.

Then, before Ronan could blink, he felt the vampire behind him. A powerful punch landed in Ronan's back and red-hot pain lanced his entire body.Groaning in extreme pain, Ronan started to fall. The ancient one grabbed Ronan by the waist and picked him up. With a mighty roar he tossed Ronan like a ball toward the opposite end of the tunnel.