Chapter One

London, England 1811

The night was clear while the full moon shone brightly in the sky and the stars twinkled like a thousand diamonds against the blackness. The moonlight casted long shadows long the stone walls of the manor house and the lights from behind the curtains gave the manor house the look of having multiple yellow eyes. The stone fountain outside the double French doors was quiet as the moonlight shimmered on the water and a few drops of water dripped from the stone statue of a small boy with a pitcher in his hands. The sounds of boot heels on the stone filled the quietness of the night as a lone figure walked out from the stone manor house and closed the double French doors behind him. The air had a slight crispness to it for an early autumn night as the figure pulled the black cape around his shoulders tightly around his body and the moonlight dances in his chocolate brown eyes.

To ask if Giacomo Vincenzi thought he was a handsome man, he would gently smile and tell whoever asked that he wasn't. He had a nice face, in his opinion, but to be called handsome would be silly. It was true that women tended to look at him with sweet smiles and would do low whispers as he walked by but it never caught his attention. This was why he wondered why someone like Constance Lake would even give him the time of day, let alone agreed to marry him. She was a tall and bewitching beauty, who could have any man she wanted. Yet, for some reason, she picked him. His family did have some wealth but it wasn't something one bragged about. Why did she want to spend the rest of her life with a man that had no idea what he wanted out of life?

Then again, what he did in secret was a source of rumors. He had heard the talk that he might be a man that fancied other men, which was totally untrue, but even his own father looked at him with questions in his eyes.

"How can I tell him the truth?" Giacomo whispered as he walked to the fountain and sat down on the stone bench that was in front of the fountain. He lightly cursed himself for coming outside wearing a suit of such thin material and his feet ached from being crammed into boots he knew were a size too small.

"That's what you get for having big feet," he thought with a small smile and looked up at the moon. The moon was full enough to see small shadows on its face and he shivered, knowing full well what sort of creatures lurk out in the nights when the moon was full. He had seen the results of such creatures after his friend at the Yard would send word for him and there were many times he had to sneak out in the middle of the night to deal with whatever it was that had killed those poor people.

"Heaven help me, why me?" he sighed but didn't notice the double French doors opening and someone walked closer, their hand reaching out to touch his back. Whoever was behind him was startled when he sprang up like a tightly coiled spring and spun around to face them. "Oh, it's you."

Constance Lake placed her hand against her chest as her heart slammed against her hand and he looked at her chest. Her breasts were barely covered by the lace of her deep blue gown and the moonlight shimmered off the sliver and sapphire necklace that lay against her pale skin. Her jet black hair was pulled up into curls as diamond and sapphire pins held her hair in place and the moonlight shimmered in her hazel eyes. She gently lowered her hand as he came closer and stood in front of her with his hands behind his back.

"I do apologize, my dear lady, I didn't mean to startle you," he said and she nodded. He was bewitched with her flawless beauty as she smiled and titled her head to one side.

"It is I who should apologize for not saying anything," she said and he felt himself getting lost in her eyes. "Why are you out here all alone? It's your engagement party as well as mine."

Giacomo moved closer when he cupped her cheek in his hand and she leaned into his hand, feeling the warmth there.

"Answer me truthfully, Constance. Why do you want to marry me? I am nothing special," he said and her eyebrows arched up as she gave him a blank look.

"Oh, please, you are special. There is power in you, Giacomo Vincenzi," she said and he softly laughed.

"No, I am afraid that you are mistaken. I am a coward and proud of it," he said with conviction and she shook her head.

"If that were true then you would have never been able to use this," she said as she reached over and patted the top of the sword that was in the scabbard hanging against his left hip. The sword had a golden handle and hilt and the blade was made from flawless silver. He wore the sword constantly but no one knew where he got the sword or what he had done with it. He was stunned that Constance seemed to know about it and he balled his hands into fists.

"I don't know what you are talking about," he said with a stern tone to his voice and turned to go back into stone manor house.

"Then you deny that you used that against the loup garou that were terrorizing that village not far from here?" she asked and he spun around, his heart slamming in his chest,

"How did you know about that?" he demanded.

"Do you remember the witch who gave you that sword?" she asked and he felt his heart catch in his chest. No one knew he had received the sword as a talisman from a witch woman that lived in the village where the loup garou were hunting and his fingers flexed over the handle of the sword.

"I do not…" he said as she walked closer, placed her hand on top of his and pressed her fingers against his lips.

"You do know, and there is no reason to be afraid. My grandmother told you that you would be rewarded for saving the village. Do you remember what that reward was?" she asked as his mind rolled back to the words the witch had spoken to him and he nodded.

"She said that I would meet my match and my heart would be stolen," he said and she smiled at him.

"She also said there was a power hidden deep inside you. This power is inside all members of the Vincenzi family, but only a rare few use it. YOU are one of them! YOU are a true hunter and a true warlock!" she said and his eyes went wide. "Do not deny what is truth, Giacomo."

"But….if that is true, why am I so afraid?" he asked as she moved closer and kissed his lips.

"It's simple really. You're human," she said with a smile and Giacomo smiled back, kissing her lips while he held her against him. He felt her arms wrap around his waist as he held the back of her head in his hand and slid the other hand down her back. She arched her head back as he kissed down her neck, feeling her pulse thudding against his lips, and moved down to deliver light kisses on the top of her breasts. He was slightly shocked when she moved back then started loosening the ribbon that tied the top of her gown shut and she moved the top of her gown lower so he could just see the top of her nipples.

"This is…This is highly improper," he stuttered then moved closer as his fingers inches toward her breasts and…

Las Vegas, Nevada 2011

The sound of the alarm beeping louder and louder caused daggers to pierce his brain as Peter Vincent opened his bloody shot eyes and looked at the glowing numbers. Blinking his eyes a few times, he rolled onto his back as he sighed and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Shit, every bleeding time!" he growled as he tossed the duvet back, got out of bed and walked naked toward the bathroom, closing the door behind him.