Mei Li hesitated. "Lord Ming will know I am not you."

"Yes, but it is an honor to be bitten by him, right? No honor at all in being bitten by an American." Abigail wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Mei Li shuddered. "I do not wish to feed one of them."

"Great! Then we'll switch places." Abigail felt a twinge of guilt at manipulating someone who wasn't thinking clearly. She was using poor Mei Li as much as the creepy vampires were. But she was desperate to avoid Lord Ming and his nasty nails and fangs. And she had to find Gregori and the guys. They needed to stick together so they could escape.

Five minutes later, Abigail, Ping, and Genji all filed out of the room, dressed in similar robes with identical veils over their heads. Mei Li stayed behind, wearing her robe and veil, awaiting the summons from Lord Ming.

Ping led the way down one hallway after another, then finally emerged outside. Abigail noted they were behind the Buddhist temple now. They crossed to a low building lined with heavy metal doors where three armed soldiers stood in front. The jailhouse, she figured.

Ping spoke to one of the guards. He slid a small window open on the first door, then nodded with a grunt. He unlocked the door and Ping went inside. Abigail caught a glimpse of Russell lying unconscious on a mat before the door was shut and locked.

The guard opened the next door. Abigail spotted J.L. and stepped back so Genji would enter.

The guard unlocked the third door, and Abigail slipped inside. The door slammed behind her.

She hurried over to see if Gregori was all right. He was still unconscious, but his heart was beating strong. The silver cuffs were gone. His boots were missing, since the soldiers had removed them, so his feet were covered with thick woolen socks. His sweater and jacket were still on. He was lying in the middle of the room on a thin mat. There was no floor, just hard dirt.

She straightened to take a look around her. A rectangular fluorescent light fixture glared overhead, making the smooth, metallic walls gleam. Stainless steel? She looked closer. Silver. Of course. It was probably the only way to imprison a vampire. Even the ceiling was silver.

Gregori moaned and lifted a hand to his forehead. Then he sat up abruptly and looked around.

His eyes narrowed on her. "Get out. I'm not interested."

Her heart soared at his faithfulness. "Are you sure?" She pulled the veil off her head.

"Abby," he breathed, then leaped toward her and pulled her into his arms. "Oh, thank God, you're all right. And you're with me. I was afraid that asshole Ming would try to get his claws on you."

"I was supposed to go to him, but I talked Mei Li into switching places with me."

"Oh, Scholar, you are so brilliant." Gregori kissed her brow.

"It wasn't all brains, believe me. When I thought about you being locked up with the beautiful Mei Li, I was ready to rip this compound apart with my bare hands."

He laughed and hugged her close.

She gazed up at him and brushed his hair back from his brow. "I'm not sure if Lord Ming is going to accept the trade, since he appears to have a thing for unmarked necks."

"Virgin necks," Gregori muttered. "Creepy bastard."

"Well, under the circumstances, I think we'd better get rid of my neck virginity really quick."

His eyes widened. "You mean . . ."

"Yes. I need you to bite me before Lord Ming realizes I pulled a switcheroo on him."

"Abby." Gregori released her and stepped back. "No."

"You have my permission."

"No! We'll just escape from here." His form wavered then solidified again. "Shit. I can't teleport." He paced around the perimeter of the room and examined the walls closely.

"It's solid silver," she said.

He touched the door and jerked his hand back with a grimace. "Even the door is silver."

"We're not getting out of here for a while, and if Lord Ming still wants a virgin - "

"Abby, how can I return you to your family with fang marks on your neck?"

Tears stung her eyes at the thought of her family. For the hundredth time, she hoped her mother was all right. "At this point, I'll be glad to return at all."

"I'll get you out of here. Somehow."

She dragged in a shaky breath. "Gregori, it was terrible. The demon said he could make my mother better if my dad was willing to work with him. I told him to go to hell, and he said he was going to see my mother and make her worse!"

"Sheesh." Gregori pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry. This happened while I was in my death-sleep?"

She nodded, her cheek nestled against his chest.

"God, I hate it when I'm not able to protect you."

She glanced up at him. "You can protect me now from Lord Ming."

He winced. "I don't want to bite you, Abby. I've never bitten a mortal before."

"If you don't bite me, he will!" She fisted her hands around the lapels of his jacket. "Please. I can't stand the thought of him touching me. Or sinking his teeth into - "

"Okay." Gregori dragged a hand through his hair. "Shit. I can't stand the thought of him touching you, either."

"You told me at the nightclub that you bit vampire women, and it was somehow pleasurable. Can you do that with me?"

"It's . . . possible."

"Good. Let's do it."

He paused. Shifted his weight.

She lifted her eyebrows. "Well?"

"I don't want you to see me with my fangs out."

"I've seen every other part of you." She huffed with impatience. "Come on, Gregori. I know you have fangs."

He scowled at her. "You haven't seen them extended. They get really long."

"I've seen another extended part of you, and it wasn't too long for me to handle."

He crossed his arms. "You think you can handle it?"

"Yes. Bite me."

His mouth twitched. "You're trying to goad me into it."

"Whatever it takes. I'm not letting that creep touch me." She sat on the mat and arranged her silken robes around her. "So, just how long do you get?"

He arched a brow. "Long enough to get the job done."

"Okay, do you prefer the right side?" She tilted her head left. "Or the left side?" She tilted her head right.

He removed his jacket and tossed it on the floor. Then he walked toward her, his eyes glittering with green intensity.

She swallowed hard.

He fell to his knees in front of her. His eyes turned red.

"Right side or left side?" she whispered.

He pulled her onto her knees and into his arms. "Backside," he growled and slapped her rump.

She gasped. "Greg - "

He cut her off with a fierce kiss. Meanwhile, his hands squeezed her buttocks and pressed her against his groin.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and delved her hands into his hair. He nuzzled her neck, and her head dropped back.

He dragged his tongue up her neck, and she shivered.

He did it again, and she gasped. Somehow she'd felt it between her legs. Her knees trembled, and she fell back onto the mat.

"Abby." He untied the sash and opened her robe.

Her nipples hardened under the sheer white silk shift.

"So pretty." He rubbed his fingers over her nipples, then lightly pinched the hardened tips.

She moaned. "Gregori, bite me."

He chuckled. "You really want this, don't you?"

"Yes." She reached for him. "I love you, Gregori. I want to experience every part of you."

His red eyes glowed brighter. "I love you, too." He kissed her, then returned to her neck. He licked and nibbled, and with each move, she felt it between her legs. And she wanted more.

"Oh God, touch me." She rubbed a leg against him.

He pulled up her shift and slipped his hand between her legs. She jolted with pleasure when he touched her clitoris and his fangs scraped the side of her neck.

With a soft pop, his fangs broke through. With each deep suck, it felt as if he was penetrating her deeper and deeper. Her climax hit with a shattering force.

Gregori removed his fangs and held her until the last of the throbs faded away.

He gazed into her eyes. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. His eyes were back to green, and his fangs were retracted. "Make love to me."

"I thought I did."

"Not completely. I want more."

His eyes glinted with humor and he kissed her nose. "I don't want to take you on a dirt floor, Abby."

She smiled. "We could always try the ceiling."

He laughed, then stopped and looked up. "The ceiling."

"It's covered with silver."

"Yeah, but that's a big light fixture." He stood and levitated to the ceiling.

She stood and adjusted her clothes.

"Stand back against the wall. This could get ugly." He ripped the light fixture off the ceiling.

Lights sizzled and popped. He yanked harder. The lights exploded, and the room turned dark.

"Stay put," he told her. "There's broken glass on the floor."

"Can you see?"

"Barely. There's an opening here. I think it's big enough I can levitate through it."

She waited, then heard his muffled voice.

"I can feel the tile roof. I'm going to teleport out. Hang on."

She listened, then heard a thump on the roof. She waited in the dark for what seemed a long time, then the door opened.

Gregori leaned in with a torch in his hand. "Watch your step."

She hurried outside and found the three guards unconscious on the ground and the other doors unlocked. J.L. and Russell were helping themselves to the guards' weapons. They each took a sword and a dagger, and handed Gregori the same. Ping and Genji stood nearby, hugging each other and whispering.

Gregori wrapped an arm around Abigail's shoulders. "I should teleport you straight to Kyo's place."

It was tempting, so tempting. "We can't go until we find Howard."

A roar sounded in the distance. Bearlike, angry and hurt.

"This way," Russell led them quietly around the Buddhist temple.

They stopped behind some pillars.

Abigail gasped.

There in the courtyard was a giant cage, and inside was a huge bear. Blood coated the side of his head. Soldiers stood around the cage, jabbing long spears inside to pierce the bear's skin. The bear circled, swatting and breaking the spears in front of him, but more spears would stab him the back.

Abigail's eyes burned with hot tears. "They're torturing him."

Gregori glanced at the other two Vamps. "Shall we show these assholes how it feels to get stabbed?"

The Vamps teleported behind three soldiers, spun them around, and stabbed them through the chest. With a whooping war cry, they continued fighting and slashing at the guys with spears.

An answering war cry sounded outside the compound, then the courtyard filled with Vamps teleporting in. Abigail cried with joy as she recognized Angus, Robby, and Kyo among them. Another roar filled the air, and tigers leaped over the walls. The Vamps succeeded in opening the cage, and Howard leaped out, roaring and slashing at the men who had tortured him.

Ping and Genji screamed and ran inside the temple. A loud gong sounded, and more soldiers streamed into the courtyard.

Abigail eased up the steps of the temple so she could steer clear of the fight and have a better vantage point. She didn't want to take her eyes off Gregori. He was slashing a path through the enemy, working his way back to her.

Suddenly a hand clapped over her mouth and dragged her back. Lord Ming's sharp nails curled into her skin, and his foul breath filled her nostrils.

She elbowed him hard in the ribs and pulled away. With vampire speed, he was on her again in a second, clutching her by the arms. His eyes narrowed on her neck.

He shrieked with rage and shoved her back. She stumbled on the stairs, banging up her knees, but righted herself quickly. She froze.

He had drawn two long daggers from his belt.

Gregori shouted behind her.

With a growl, Lord Ming threw the daggers.

She ducked just as Gregori teleported in front of her. Two sickening thuds. Gregori's body jerked.

"No," she whispered. He crumpled in front of her.

"No!" she screamed.

Russell ran up the steps and skewered Lord Ming in the chest. He turned to dust.

"Oh God, no!" She fell to her knees beside Gregori. He lay pale and still with two daggers embedded in his back.

She hugged him, turning her head to press her cheek against him. "Gregori."

At the top of the stairs, by the entrance of the Buddhist temple, she saw Master Han.

He stood quietly watching the battle, then vanished.

Chapter Twenty-nine

"He's still bleeding!" Abigail cried as she tossed a blood-soaked towel into a plastic tub, then grabbed a fresh one to press against one of the wounds on Gregori's back.

Angus pressed a towel against the other wound. He'd removed both daggers from Gregori's back, but they'd had no luck in stanching the flow of blood.

"Here, we try this." Kyo pushed her hand aside and slathered a paste onto the wound.

"What is it?"

"Yunnan Baiyao. Secret medicine to stop bleeding."

"What's in it?"

"If I tell you, it's not a secret!" Kyo smeared more of the paste on the second wound. "But it has some very good things in it - ginseng, myrrh, and dragon's blood."