"Don't leave me..."

Torididn't want to wake up. She was still caught in the afterglow of her dream, her entire body trembling with little aftershocks. Yeah, she could happily lie here for a couple of hours, reliving the dream and pretending it had been real.

Pretending that Declan was still alive, lying beside her in bed.

But somebody was knocking at her door and it was a vampire. It was also a vampireTori didn't recognize. A woman. There was a faint, almost tropical scent in the air. It wasn't a scent thatTori could remember smelling before.

She climbed out of bed in a fit of temper, struggling free from the blankets and kicking them aside. "

Gimmea break," she snarled at the door as she looked around for her shirt. Oh man, she hurt. She was so d.a.m.n h.o.r.n.y, she thought she just might die from it. Her nipples ached, her p.u.s.s.y throbbed and she was wet.

But instead of lying on the bed and reveling in actually feeling anything besides grief, she was wide awake and staring at the door. She grabbed her shirt from the floor and jerked it on over her head, muttering irritably. "I ought to strangle you," she whispered to whoever was on the other side of the door.

She flung it open and the woman standing in front of her just smiled. "You could try. Trust me, it won't doya any good. I don't need t' breathe." Her wine red lips curved up in a smile that didn't quite reach her pretty, amber-colored eyes. Her skin was a warm chocolate brown and her hair hung to her waist in intricate braids. Just below the corner of her left eye there was a small sickle-shaped tattoo.

"You'reLeandra ,"Tori said brusquely.

The woman arched a brow. "I do not know if I should be offended or complimenteddat you know who I am." Then she shrugged. The little wooden beads on her braids clacked together. "Don' worry. You can go back t' your dreams in a minute. I am only here t' tell youdat you need to go to Tennessee."

Torileaned against the doorjamb and drawled, "Really. And why is that?"

Leandrajust shrugged. She had a secretive little smile on her lips. Narrowing her eyes atLeandra ,Tori said, "I'd heard you were an annoying pain in the a.s.s."

"Really?"Leandra didn't look disturbed. If anything, her smile got a little wider. "Start in Gatlinburg." She turned to leave.

Torilaughed. "Gatlinburg. Honey, I don't work for you. Or anybody. I go where I want. When I want.

And I don't feel the need to go to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and look for some pervert or murderer while trying to fend off drunk college kids."

Leandrastopped and looked back atTori . "Yes, you do need to go."

"No."Tori shook her head. "No, I don't. Whatever it is that needs fixing down there, you fix it. Or find somebody else. I'm not going." The only thing she was going to do was cuddle back in bed and try to recapture the warm, happy moments she'd had in her dream just a few minutes ago. "I don't need this."

That mysterious smile appeared onLeandra's face again. "Dishasnothin ' t' do with Hunting,Tori . It has to do wit you and whatyou need. Go to Gatlinburg."

She wasn't going to do it.

Toriwas perfectly content right there in BFE. Also known as Stanton, Illinois. Well, maybe not perfectly content. Just as content as she could hope to be.

Except she wasn't able to go back to sleep. She'd gone nearly a week without sleep before taking down that b.a.s.t.a.r.d pimping out his teenaged daughter. She'd bled him dry and fed off the pain and fear she sensed inside him. Should have been enough to keep the edge off her rage for a few days. She should have been tired enough to retreat back into the world of her dreams and hide from life.

But she couldn't shake the funny feeling in her gut.

It has to do withyouand what you need...The voice kept circling round and round through her head until finally she stopped resisting. She'd checked out of the hotel and hit the road. For the past year, she had hitchhiked her way across the country. Under normal circ.u.mstances, it wasn't the safest way to travel b.u.t.tori had left normal behind years ago.

She had a car but it was one she had picked out with Declan. His scent permeated it. The one time she had tried to drive it had been a rousing failure. She'd ended up blubbering so hard she couldn't see the driveway in front of her. She never made it out of the garage.

Torihadn't bothered trying since. She supposed she could have bought another car but she just didn't have any interest in doing so.

"Pain in the a.s.s."Tori had heard that aboutLeandra . The woman had spent most of her mortal life as an enemy of the Hunters. She had fought and killed Hunters. Now she was one of them-a vampire, a witch, a confusion. "Definitely pain in the a.s.s."

Torishoved a hand through her hair. Her fingers tangled in the curls and she automatically started to finger comb the tangle out, smoothing the locks back from her face. "You okay over there?"

She cast the truck driver a glance and forced a smile. The faint light from the dashboard gave his skin a greenish cast. His eyes were kindly, concerned. It chafed her nerves for some reason. She wished he would just be quiet and leave her alone. "I'm fine. Just preoccupied."

He nodded. "I can see that. But if you feel like talking..." His words trailed off.

Softly,Tori murmured, "There's nothing more to talk about." At least nothing that was believable.

Talking about it wasn't going to help anyway.My husband is dead. I am empty. The only time I feel alive is when I dream. But I can't sleep. And now I'm going to Gatlinburg because somefreakazoid vampire-witch says I needit.Nope, talking wa.s.soooooo not going to help.

Getting her husband back would help. Turning back time. But that would require a power that no Hunter on earth had. AndTori really didn't put much stock in divine intervention. Not anymore. She wasn't sure she believed in anything anymore.

She looked toward the sky, watching as the sky bled from black to blue. The sun was rising.Tori was tired. The sun still didn't pose a threat to her-it hadn't, even from the first. Her Change from human to vampire hadn't been the typical Change. She wasn't fully vampire-Toricould eat like a mortal and she could tolerate sunlight. She wasn't fully human-she had a hunger for blood and she could move with a blurring speed.

But her abilities were weakening. She was weakening. She'd lost weight. Food had little appeal so she rarely ate.Tori still Hunted but she rarely fed. She wasn't feeding her human appet.i.te or her vampire appet.i.te and it was draining her strength. Exhaustion usually made her vampire attributes a little stronger, so the sun's ascent was making her tired. She wanted to find some place dark and quiet so she could sleep. She wouldn't sleep though. Even if she had a warm featherbed, piled high with down comforters and fat, fluffy pillows, she wouldn't sleep.

Not until she ran herself into the ground. Best way to do it would be to start the Hunt. If she Hunted hard enough, long enough, she could satisfy some of her baser instincts enough to shut her brain down and get some rest. And dream...

She looked at the clock on the dashboard. The numbers blurred together and she rubbed her eyes. A yawn escaped her and the Good Samaritan next to her laughed. "Want to stop for some coffee?"

Ugh. Even the thought of caffeine was enough to make her belly churn. "No. Just need to get some rest.

How much longer?"

"Two more hours. Maybe three. Depends on the traffic. You know where you're heading? I don't mind taking you into town but traffic on the strip is pretty miserable. Especially with this rig."

Torishook her head. "No. Not sure where I'm going." She nibbled thoughtfully on her lip. "There's a welcome center just outside of Gatlinburg, right? Why don't you just drop me off-Idunno -wherever it's easy for you to get to. I can ride the trolley into town."

"Hmmm. We'll see." He glanced into his side mirror and then hit the signal, changing lanes to go around a slow-moving bus. Through the tinted windows,Tori could see the still forms of the pa.s.sengers.

Sleeping. "Lots of tours through Gatlinburg this time of year. People like spending Christmas in the Smokies . Me, I'd rather be in Florida. Why don't you catch a cat nap? I can wake you when we getcloser."

Torijust shrugged. "I don't sleep well unless I'm in a bed."

It was amazing what a d.i.n.ky little tree and a couple strings of light could do. Brian stood with his back to the wall, his hands tucked inside his pockets and a smile on his face.

Lee looked like a normal, happy child. Brian figured that Lee hung each ornament with the same serious focus a surgeon would use in the operating room. Each ornament had a particular spot, according to Lee.

The red ball couldn't go onthat branch. It had to go right there. In that very spot.

"We have the best tree," Lee said. He grinned up at Brian and Brian felt his heart clench with love. This tiny, stubborn, funny little guy was so amazing. The tree had cost thirty bucks at the drug store and the ornaments were nothing special. But as far as Lee was concerned, the tree couldn't have been any better if Santa and his elves had personally picked it out.

"Yeah, it's a nice-looking tree all right." Brian almost hadn't bought it. He needed a better pair of shoes for work but that would just have to wait. So much construction took place in this part of Tennessee but n.o.body was hiring construction workers.

However, there were also a lot of bars and restaurants. Bars and restaurants almost always needed help.

He'd gone into one hoping to get a job bussing tables. Instead he was hired on as a bartender. While the hourly wage sucked, the tips were excellent. He'd bought the tree when he'd gone into the drug store for some vitamins and cough medicine for Lee. The tree had the kid feeling better than any amount of drugs.

"So is this our home now?"

Brian looked away from the tree and smiled at Lee. "Home?" Glancing around the small apartment, Brian shook his head. "I just don't know,Bub ."

Lee grinned. He had the cutest grin. Little dimples appeared in his cheeks and his nose wrinkled just a bit. "Seems like it should be home. It's not real big. But we been here a long, long time. You bought a tree. I think I'd like this to be home. At least for a while."

"Why's that?"

Lee bent over the couch, staring at the ornaments. He smacked his lips together then blew a raspberry.

"This is hard work. Making the tree perfect." He finally picked the large red candy cane instead of the small one and went to work searching for the right spot to hang it on the tree. "We need to pick a home.

Stay in the same place. You know, so Santa can find me." Small shoulders slumped and he sighed, a bereft little sound that broke Brian's heart. "We moved around a lot since Mom died. I know Santa can see me but if we keep moving...well, what if I get lost?"

Pushing off the wall, Brian moved over to his son and crouched down in front of him. "You won't get lost. I won't let you get lost." He bent forward and pressed his lips to Lee's forehead. "Santa will find you on Christmas, no matter what." Santa had already started on that, as a matter of fact. Brian's truck held the most precious cargo imaginable. Five wrapped presents, hidden under a blue tarp. One box was a new pair of jeans and two new shirts.New , not something that Brian had found at the Goodwill Store.

The other four boxes had toys.Legos . Cars. A train set, complete with tracks, and a stuffed bear. Forthe longest time after they'd left Kansas, Lee had cried himself to sleep, reaching forBibby , a stuffed rabbit he had gotten from his mom.

The stuffed bear wasn'tBibby but hopefully it would help some.

Lee's life had been one upheaval after another since Grace had died. Brian just wanted some sort of normal life for his kid.

h.e.l.l. For himself.

Thirty minutes later, Lee was sound asleep under the mostly decorated tree. He still had the little candy cane in his hand. He flopped around onto his back and started mumbling. The mumbling turned into clear speech, almost like he was wide awake. "Mama. Uh-huh." More mumbling and then that was it.

There were nights when Lee seemed to carry on an entire conversation in his sleep. Eerie as h.e.l.l but Brian figured Lee was just dreaming about his mom. Talking to her in his dreams was how the boy coped.

He crouched down by Lee's side and reached out, taking the candy cane ornament out of Lee's hand.

He placed it on a branch before he picked the boy up. Cradling Lee against his chest, he carried him over to the bed and laid him down. As he drew the cover up over the kid, there was a knock at the door. Brian bent down and kissed Lee before he stood up.

He let the sitter in. "Lee's down."

Britney looked around the room, eying the discarded ornament boxes and tinsel. "Looks like you all have had a good night. Nice tree."

She moved over to Lee and grinned. "Guess I'm going to have an easy night. Cool. I want to get some more studying done."

"Thought you were done until January."

She smiled. "Technically, yeah. But these courses are h.e.l.l. Doesn't hurt to go ahead and try to get a jump on it. How's he doing tonight?"

Restless, Brian shrugged. "Pretty quiet tonight. I think it's getting better."

He glanced at his watch and said, "I need to get." He made a brief detour in the bathroom, changing into the black dress shirt that was hanging on the back of the door. He slicked his hair back and paused by the bed to kiss Lee's forehead. "Call me if you need me." He waved and headed out. It was a mile to walk but the less he had to drive his car, the better. The engine kept making a weird clanking noise and Brian didn't want to pay a penny on it until after Christmas. He headed for the strip, hands tucked in his pockets, head low against the wind.

Finally, the main strip came into view. Just beyond the intersection, he could see the sign for his work.

Valley Pub and Grille-the kind of joint where a guy had to have a collar on his shirt or he didn't get in.

Brian didn't know if he particularly enjoyed the job he was doing, but he was good at it. The money was steady and it sure as h.e.l.l beat the temp construction jobs. The trolley came rolling by and he waited until after it had pa.s.sed before he headed across the road.

Halfway across, though, he stopped. Like something was drawing him, he looked toward the trolley. A smell, warm and sweet, teased something in the back of his mind. Like he was in a trance, he turned toward the trolley and started to walk along behind it. It slowed to a stop in front of a dive called the Roadhouse and Brian started walking faster until he was practically running to catch up.

A horn blared behind him and Brian came to a jerking halt, feeling like somebody had thrown ice cold water in his face. "s.h.i.t." He looked behind him at the cars. Shaking his head, he crossed the road, heading toward work.

"What in h.e.l.l was that?"

Chapter Four.

"Now why in b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l am I not surprised to seeyou here?"

Malachi stood in the doorway, glaring at the witch on the bed. She had one long leg drawn up to her chest and was painting her toenails with a red color that matched the lipstick she favored.Leandra bent over with boneless grace and blew on the wet polish before looking up at him. She twisted the cap on the polish and without looking tossed it across the room. It landed in the open bag sitting by the door.

Her amber gaze flicked from Malachi's face to Eli's and finally landed onSarel . She gave the other witch a catty smile and said, "Because you have a nasty habit of following me?"

Tori'sscent permeated the room. She'd been here all right. Recently. Eli figured she had left sometime the past night. He wasn't surprised. So far,Tori had stayed just out of their reach. No, he wasn't surprised at all byTori's absence. What he was surprised about wasLeandra's presence. Malachi had been training her and he had left her in Arizona.

So why was she in Illinois?

Her eyes glinted and she smiled at Eli. "He is so paranoid.Tinks I follow him everywhere." She reached behind her and grabbed something. She tossed a small bottle through the air. Malachi caught it and Eli craned his neck around to look at it. Another bottle of nail polish. It didn't look at all like a color that Leandra would wear. "It's too pink for me."

Malachi just stared at it. "And what am I supposed to do with it? I am quite certain it's too pink for me too."

Sarelelbowed her way between Eli and Malachi and looked at it. She plucked it out of his hand and studied it. "Too pink for me but Lori would love it." She slid it inside her pocket and looked atLeandra .

With her head c.o.c.ked,Sarel studiedLeandra , eying the faint smile on her lips. "You're up to no good."

"No. I am painting my nails. No ulterior motives, no hidden agendas. Just a pedicure." She frowned and wiggled her toes. "I could use a real pedicure."

"You came all the way from Arizona to give yourself a pedicure in a tiny, cramped hotel room."

He was going to laugh. He knew it. Eli could feel his lips twitching and he bit the inside of his cheek tokeep from laughing. The irritated look onMal's face wasn't helping. The two of them were so much alike.

It was amazing they hadn't killed each other yet.