"Tell us," Erin said.

"I was walking through the tunnel area beneath the crypt. The one I fell into. I could see in the dark, which is weird. I saw a body at a fork in the tunnel. I realize when I get there its Ronan. He looks bloodied, like he's been in a fight. At first I think he's dead, but then he opens his eyes and reaches out for me. He says my name, but then I realize there's someone behind me. I turn around and there's this gargoyle-faced figure."

"Oh, no," Erin whispered. "You've seen the ancient one in your dreams."

A shiver ran over Clarissa. "So this could be a prophetic dream. Something that might happen to Ronan in the future." Worry added to the cold feeling inside her. "I'll tell him as soon as I see him."

Erin glanced at Lachlan, then back to Clarissa. She cleared her throat. "There's something else we should discuss. I mean, I feel a little awkward asking you-"

"Then maybe we shouldn't ask," Lachlan said.

Glancing at her fiance, Erin allowed a crooked grin to part her lips.

Curious, Clarissa spoke up. "Ask me what?"

Erin hesitated, a flush spreading up her face. "Did Ronan tell you what must happen before the ancient one can be defeated?"

"No. He started to. I thought for certain he'd explain considering how important it is we figure out how to stop the ancient one right away."

Lachlan made a sound between a groan and a growl. "Damn, Ronan. He should have told you by now."

Rather than defend him, Clarissa said, "Since he's not here, maybe you should tell me."

"It's a little difficult to talk about, but...well..." Discomfort etched Erin's face. "It's very personal. Ronan will probably be mad as hell if I tell you."

A little guilt crept into Clarissa as well as embarrassment. She couldn't say Ronan had been too distracted by sex to give her any important information. "He probably would have told me, but I mentioned my camera and he volunteered to get it."

"But he said he was going to come back last night?" Lachlan asked as Clarissa saw him glance in the rearview mirror.

"He was supposed to stop by this morning," Clarissa said. So, did these two think that she'd slept with Ronan? That could explain the awkwardness. She considered them new friends, but her sexual relationships weren't their business. "He'll probably stop by the hotel first and when he sees my note he'll come by the library right away."

Erin nodded. "We'll leave explanations to him."

"Erin," Clarissa said with a warning in her voice. "Come on, 'fess up. What's going on?

What should he have told me?"

Erin managed a weak smile. "It has to do with saving Pine Forest, as you know. But there's much more." Erin's gaze darted to the snowy landscape outside. "An Irish seer that Ronan consulted and Yusuf, a long time vampire hunter in Morocco, told Ronan the only way to defeat the ancient one is if Ronan makes love to a woman."

Clarissa blinked. "What?"

Erin flushed again. "Ronan must have sex and from that mating the town will somehow be saved."

Clarissa sank back against the seat, amazement and disbelief warring inside her.

"I see we've left you speechless," Lachlan said a short time later.

Resentment eroded Clarissa's control. "Oh no, I'm not speechless. I'm mad as hell."

Chapter Ten

Clarissa thought Erin looked a little startled, but then who could blame her. Just as no one could censure Clarissa if she kicked Ronan's handsome ass the next time she saw him.

"I'm going to kill him," Clarissa mumbled, staring at the floorboard.

Erin put up a placating hand. "It's not an easy thing to tell someone." She cleared her throat. "I mean, he should have told you before things became...intimate..."

Aha. So Erin thinks I already slept with him.

"So you all knew this last night?" Clarissa asked.

Erin's gentle eyes held remorse. "We've known for a long time what Ronan would have to do."

Clarissa chanced a glance in the rearview mirror and the seriousness in Lachlan's eyes.

"We'd never dream of getting into a couple's personal business like this if it wasn't important to the survival of this town," Lachlan said.

Clarissa nodded and released a breath. "I'm not angry with either of you. I'm pissed at Ronan."

"Maybe he wasafraid to tell you?" Erin asked.

Clarissa considered the possibility for two seconds. "That doesn't seem likely. Have you ever known him to be scared of anything?"

Lachlan sniffed. "No way. He's a fearless bastard."

Bastard is right.

They arrived at the library a few moments later, and when they went inside Clarissa hardly noticed the quiet and the few people milling around the area. Instead her thoughts centered around how many ways she could kill Ronan.

Then it struck her and she stopped. Erin almost bumped into her.

"What is it?" Erin asked as she stripped off her coat.

"Why does it have to be Ronan? Why would Ronan in particular be the one who would receive the power to destroy the ancient one?" Clarissa asked.

Lachlan looked around, then kept his voice low. "He didn't tell you that either, I can see."

Frustration made Clarissa's voice go tight. "There's more?"

Erin hesitated, and for a moment Clarissa thought she might not answer. Then she sighed and opened up. "Ronan is a vampire, Clarissa. He doesn't just have a few extraordinary vampire abilities like Lachlan, Jared and Micky. He's a full-fledged, seven hundred year- old vampire."

As Clarissa's mouth dropped open she thought the world would open up and swallow her. She didn't care if she sounded like a Mynah bird repeating her own phrases. "I'm going to kill him. I'm just going to kill him."

"We need to get this resolved between you," Lachlan said, his expression stern. "There's no time to lose."

New anger made Clarissa bristle. "Oh, I see how it is. It's perfectly all right for a vampire to use me as a means to the end. We just need to get it one and everything will be all right with the world?"