Dark Secret is a novel written by American author Christine Feehan. Plot introduction Rafael De La Cruz has spent centuries hunting vampires with his brothers, and with each passing year his capacity to feel emotions has grown weaker and weaker until finally there's barely been a memory left-until only sheer willpower keeps him from turning into the very abomination he hunts. But it'll take more than will to keep him away from the woman who is meant to be his and his alone... For five years, rancher Colby Jansen has been the sole protector of her younger half-siblings, and with fierce determination and work she has kept her family together and the ranch operational. Now, the De La Cruz brothers are threatening that stability. Colby was illegitimate, but she viewed Armando Chevez as her father. The Chevez family have worked closely with De La Cruz family for centuries. When Armando Chevez married Colby's mother the Chevez family patriarch was displeased and disinherited Armando. A plane crash left Colby's mother dead and Armando paralyzed. On his death bed, Armando, wrote to his family for aid but went unanswered. Now, several years after Armando's death, the Chevez families patriarch has died as well and the letters from Armando are uncovered. The Chevez family want very much to heal the tear in their family and want custody of Colby's younger brother Paul and sister Ginny. Colby vows to fight them-after all she believes that they left Armando to suffer and die without so much as a letter. Unable to reconcile with Colby the Chevez family have gone to the De La Cruz brothers for aid. Enter Rafael and Nicholas De La Cruz. Nicholas pretty much scares Colby to death and she marks him as dangerous. But Rafael frightens her on another level for he is after more than her family-he wants Colby and will not let anything stand between them. After ages of loneliness, the raw desire to possess her overwhelms his very soul, driving him to claim her as his life mate, though she has nothing to do with him. She believes that he is nothing but a rich playboy and is trying to seduce her to steal her brother and sister from her. But Colby has another problem, for several years, she's been assisted on the ranch by an old cow hand named Pete Jessup, who is now missing. Several days