Excerpt Continued …

Sighing, Zane explained, “I told you Nicole’s a writer. Well, when she writes sex scenes or imagines them in her mind, I hear every word—see every detail as she puts it on paper. We also connect when we’re having sex.”

“The ruby. Where is the ruby you received from Yuli?” Vlad grabbed his arm.

Zane frowned. Fuck the ruby. “I don’t give a shit about the ruby, Vlad! I want Nicole back.”

Vlad thumped him on the forehead with the flat of his hand. “You idiot! The ruby is one of the ancients’ relics. It has powers we don’t usually screw around with. Vampires form a mental bond with their mates after the bonding. But sometimes—before the link has been completely forged—there can be shadows of what is to come. Your ability to share Nicole’s thoughts while she writes was most likely augmented by the stone. One of the ruby’s powers is to intensify the connection between a mated pair. It acts as a strengthener for love, inducing awareness of your heart’s connection. There is some doggy-crap about it opening you to self-love in order to receive the devotion of others.”

Vlad glared at Ronnie when she giggled. Turning back to Zane, he continued, “The true bond is intense enough without being strengthened by the stone, so those of us who knew what it could do decided to keep it locked away. But it’s too late for you anyway. You might as well use it to see if it can help you reach Nicole with your mind.”

Zane’s jaw dropped. “What the hell! Why wasn’t I told about this?” The ancients were vampires he never wanted to meet. Several thousand years old instead of the few centuries Zane or Vlad could count. The stories told about their supernatural abilities and extremely short tempers scared the shit out of him. If he knew the ruby belonged to them…he never would have touched the thing.

“The lead-lined box holding the ruby should have protected you from its powers. And there are other, less-pleasant aspects to the ruby. It can be used by the unscrupulous among us to create zealous idolatry among humans, a sort of mass hypnosis removing free will. They would follow the user no matter his insane plot. Because of this, the ruby is kept with those we know would never use its powers.” Vlad glared at him as if to say he was disappointed Zane touched the thing.

“The damn ruby didn’t come in a box! I pried it from the delivery man’s hand when he died on my doorstep.” Zane glowered right back.

Vlad let out his breath and nodded. “Ah. Well. That explains it. Get the ruby, Zane. Maybe with the stone’s help, you can create a pathway to her mind.”