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Oh, we re killers all right, and sometimes for
money, but you can be very sure, that right, at this
moment, I would happily kill you just for fun. He
allowed a flash of fang to show, and Tasha s father
took a step back. You know what I am, Jack
continued, but then my companion here is
something else entirely.
Sebastian reached out one arm, and Tasha
watched in fascination as the fingers turned into
claws. She gasped. She had lived with this talk of
werewolves for so long that she d stopped thinking
about what it actually meant. Would she be able to
change like that?
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Bound to Night
With a little practice, Sebastian drawled in her
ear. Sleep with me tonight, and you ll see for
yourself. She glanced into his face in surprise, and
he laughed. I don t need to be a mind reader to
know what you were thinking, he said.
She turned to her father. He was backed up
against the wall, fear and revulsion on his face.
I don t understand, Natasha. How did you come
to be with these& he paused, & people? I thought
you were dead.
It seems your paid assassin got greedy, Jack
said. Saw a chance at some extra cash and sold
her.
I don t know what you re talking about.
I saw you, Dad. I read the man you paid.
You can do that? You have that much control?
He rubbed at the spot behind his left ear.
Sebastian s eyes narrowed at the movement.
Jack, he said, you ve been studying the implant
you got from the guard. Can you remove it?
Not here, Jack said, at least not without
killing him.
Well, Sebastian said, that would be my choice,
but I doubt it would improve our chances of getting
information. What about using some of your
persuasive vampire skills?
Jack shrugged. Might work. On the other hand,
with that implant it might blow his brain. We don t
know enough about them yet. Tasha, do you want to
try first?
Why, Dad? Natasha asked again. How could
you do that to your own daughter?
He glanced away for a moment, when he looked
back, his eyes were cold. I could do it, he said,
because you re not my daughter.
What do you mean? Who am I?
You re a laboratory experiment, in vitro
fertilization, DNA modification. You were grown in a
43
Nina Croft
test tube.
But why?
We were researching telepathy. We wanted to
increase strength. Your genetic parents were both
mild telepaths. We had managed to identify the gene
that gave them their talent, and then we modified it.
Once you were born, it was decided that you would
be grown in a home environment as near normal as
possible.
Tasha s head was about to explode. She was
finding it difficult to take in. What about my
mother? Did she know all this?
Of course she did. And she wasn t your mother.
But she loved you. She knew nothing about the&
he paused, and glanced from Jack to Sebastian,
other.
You mean about you paying a werewolf to kill
me.
I didn t know he was a werewolf. And, no, your
mother loved you. She was devastated when you
died. Heartbroken.
So why did you do it?
I was under orders. There d been problems with
the others.
Others?
You were one of a batch.
I have sisters and brothers?
A look of distaste crossed his features. If you
can call them that. There were ten in total. Seven
have been eliminated. Well, six now, there are three
others left.
Why were they eliminated?
They became telepathic. We were told to look
for certain signs.
But I don t understand. Isn t that what you
were trying for?
Yes, but we hadn t developed the shielding
technology at that time. What we were doing was
44
Bound to Night
confidential, and the handlers thought it was best
not to be exposed. We knew the process worked. We
could repeat it.
So you bred telepaths and then killed them so
they couldn t read your minds? Tasha shook her
head in disgust.
The orders came from the very top. I argued,
but Frank insisted.
Frank? Tasha asked.
Frank Latham, my boss at the unit.
Tasha glanced at Jack. He shook his head.
Anyway, Frank insisted. He said the others
hadn t been able to cope, had gone crazy. He put me
in touch with a man called Oswald. I didn t know he
was a werewolf. Back then, we weren t even sure
they existed. It was supposed to be quick. You
weren t supposed to suffer. And you have to
understand, I d always known it was a possibility.
Did you ever love me? At all?
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