Prologue
From the shadows he could see her, smell her, was so close to touching her. If he just reached out his hand when she passed...
News on the grapevine was, Lydia Jones was back in town after an absence of many years, and the beauty of small towns was they never let you down on the gossip.
The problem he had, was the gift currently lying in the grounds of her ancestral home. Deserted places made excellent burial grounds.
Still, he was only leaving Lydia a little taster. Shortly it would be her turn to join all his other girls. And Lydia would be the prize in his collection. A true gem.
From his hideout, he saw Lydia run past. He resisted the urge to see if her ponytail, lit by the pale light of the moon, felt as soft as it looked. He sniffed the air. It smelled of grapefruit, mixed in with the delicious lemon scent of shampoo.
Soon. Very soon, he promised the demon alive inside him; Lydia Jones would belong to them. With shallow breaths he forced the monster back into his every day persona, and stepped out of the shadows.
