For the remainder of the evening, Justin and I were to practice acting like the mates of our respective vampires. We milled about the house, discussing things like vampire etiquette and societal norms, and my parents gave us constructive criticism.

Since it went completely against my nature, it was a challenge for me to act demur. However, I had a feeling that once I was in a large house packed with vampires, I wouldn’t have any problem keeping silent and being polite. I planned to stick to Wells like glue, and the fact that he was relatively old for a vampire meant I didn’t have to worry about being bothered. Still, after so many years of reacting to a vampire with violence, it was hard to be at ease around them, even if they were well mannered and friendly.

When Wells walked up behind me and put his arms around my waist, I jumped. “No one is going to believe you’re my mate if you don’t relax,” he said. He stroked a finger down my arm, and I twitched away in reaction. “See? You get all stiff and tense.”

“Look, Wells,” I began and then leaned back so that only he heard me, “I’m used to killing vampires, not making friends with them. On top of that, I’m not used to giving or receiving affection. Bonding with other humans, it’s just too risky. I don’t expect you to understand what it’s like to lose someone you’ve become attached to.”

“You have no idea how much I’ve lost,” he said flatly. “But forfeiting the ability to love and receive love destroys part of your humanity. If you aren’t capable of at least  pretending to care about me, this won’t work.” With me in his arms, he swayed from side-to-side.

I was a little surprised, and I wondered if Wells was just different from other vampires. The way he spoke, it was as if he had regular human emotions.

“I imagine that very few humans care about their vampire mates, and when humans pair up, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything. You can be someone’s mate without all the touchy-feely stuff.”

“Not mine, and that attitude won’t deter Benoit’s man, Luc, or anyone else from making me an offer for you.”

He turned me around to face him and danced with me as we talked. I had no idea how to dance, never having a need for it. I looked down to watch his feet. Before long, I learned the steps enough to look like I knew what I was doing.

I had a lot on my mind, but Wells’ statement about deterring the interest of other vampires bothered me. “I thought you said they would back off, what with you being so old and powerful, and me wearing this.” I deliberately looked down at my broach.

“Of course, but if they were to see that you were unhappy with me, they would continue to press the issue. Even knowing that as my mate, you are free, they might try to lure you away or offer me a trade of several women for you. I am curious what they would offer, but I don’t want to risk it. Do you?” He whirled me to arm’s length and pulled me back.

“No.” I had to try harder. “Okay, so you’ll have to help me.”

“Easy enough. Learn by example.” He pointed to Justin and Selene with our joined hands.

I never knew that Justin could dance. He glided around the floor like a pro. He and Selene smiled and made small talk. A casual touch here and there, lots of eye contact. They were believable as a couple, much like my parents.

“Justin is naturally an affectionate person, though. He’s a people-person. I’m just not either of those, Wells,” I complained.

“First, you have to start calling me Leslie, or no one will believe that we are a couple.”

“Okay, Leslie. How do I act more affectionate?”

He took a deep breath. “Don’t act more affectionate, be more affectionate. Start by touching my cheek or my hair every once in a while, holding my hand, sitting or standing very close to me when we’re not dancing.”

“Maybe I should take notes.”

Leslie shook his head and smiled. “While we’re swaying here, just practice running your fingers through my hair, like I did yours a few minutes ago.”

I lifted my hand and looked into his eyes. They were so bright and clear, like the Caribbean Sea in the picture I had torn out of an old encyclopedia I’d found in one of the many houses we’d inhabited. I slid my fingers into his hair and found it was soft, almost like a child’s. It wisped through my fingers and fluttered against his cheek. I pushed it behind his ear.

“Very good,” he praised. “Your stare could bore holes in a man. So intense.” He continued to look at me. “I almost believed you wanted me.”

That made me uneasy, and I pursed my lips. “Maybe it’ll be enough for other people to believe it, too.”

I refused to let my eyes drop first. It was as if we were engaged in a battle of wills, but I found myself getting lost, swimming around, wondering what it was I should be doing. My hands slid off his shoulders and down so that they pinched his waist. I pulled him closer. His eyes flashed, and suddenly, his touch and his kiss were all I wanted. He leaned toward me, and I parted my lips just a little.

Instead of kissing me, he whispered, “Did you know that a few vampires can hold humans in thrall without having their blood?”

“No,” I mumbled before my foggy head cleared, but I thought I had gotten a taste of it firsthand. Whatever he was doing to me, he stopped. I realized how intimately I held him, and I released his waist and took a step back from him. “I thought the vampire had to bite the human first.”

“Biting isn’t necessary. Drinking the human’s blood is. To not require it is a very rare gift.”

“And you have it?”

“Yes,” Leslie said.

“How convenient.”

“It can be, very. I’ve used it to diffuse situations and add fuel to the flame, like I did to you just now.”

I sweetened my tone. “Makes me wonder.”

“What is that?”

“How many women you’ve hypnotized in order to get what you want.” My voice could have iced a glass of tea.

Unoffended, Wells said, “It works on men too, but I assure you that I stopped using it for sexual gratification a long time ago.”

He took my hands and resumed dancing with me. “Like having slaves, it left me feeling as though I had taken their rights away. However, it can be very useful when you wish to command a large room. It makes it especially easy to kill when your targets are all mesmerized.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” I said, intrigued. “It would be a good way to take out patrols, bodyguards, overly-protective mates.”

“Not just humans.”

I drew back from him to look into his eyes. My mouth fell open in surprise. “You can do this to vampires?”

“Yes. It’s one of the main reasons why I am a judge.”

“You’re a judge?”

“Did I not mention that?” He shrugged. “Anyway, truly exceptional talents vary, and few vampires have them. Those that do tend to stay alive longer, and hence, rise to positions of power. Because of my talents and position, I’ve met vampires that possess extreme talents in speed, agility, strength, vision, hearing, and smell. The most common sort of bonus skill is flight.” He paused for effect. “I can do that, too.”

Flight. Every human, at least once in his or her life, dreamed of being able to fly. Too bad you had to die first, and that wasn’t even a guarantee. I had encountered a few vampires that could fly and guessed that was where all the turning-into-a-bat stories originated.

“I haven’t ever met a vampire who could shape-shift, was psychic, or was telepathic. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” he was quick to add, “just that if they do, they are extremely rare.”

“Like you.” This time, he nodded before he whirled me around the room. “What about being a judge?”

“The vampire justice system is somewhat similar to the justice system that humans used.” I nodded. I knew a little bit about government and civics, as my father had tried to explain the old ways to me and my sister. “In the case of vampires, when there are crimes or disagreements in the south, they call on me to make decisions,” Wells explained. I hoped that meant that he was wise and fair. Changing the subject, he said, “Those two paired nicely, I think,” and gestured toward Justin and Selene.

It was disconcerting how cozy they had gotten. I shouldn’t care if Justin was intimate with someone else. No, I shouldn’t, but why did she have to be a vampire? I frowned in their direction. “Sun’s almost up. Shouldn’t the two of you be heading for home?”

With a heavy coat of sarcasm, Leslie said, “I was enjoying your company so much that I lost track of time. Are you always so rude?”

“I prefer blunt.” I dropped my voice lower. “Even though I don’t love him, I don’t like her fawning all over him.”

“Well, I’m sure he doesn’t like me touching you either, but he has some manners.” Leslie’s brow furrowed as I set my jaw. We stopped dancing and just stood there, glaring at each other.

“People are going to think you two have been married forty years,” my father said, stopping beside me to pat my shoulder. “I’m off to bed. I’m old, and I prefer to sleep mostly at night. This staying up until dawn stuff is for the vampires.”

Selene glided over to us and said, “Please don’t fight. Make peace, and we’ll go. We shouldn’t leave in anger.” I gave her a sharp look and folded my arms over my chest. Justin had already left the room. “I’ll be outside, Leslie.” She darted out the back door so quickly it shocked me.

“She’s fast,” I said, impressed.

“Look, Camellia—”

I cut him off by saying, “You should get used to calling me Lily.”

“Point taken.” He frowned down at me. “And, you shouldn’t get mad at me just because I tell you the truth, even when it’s not what you want to hear.”

“Point taken.”

He tugged at my arms until they unfolded. He took both my hands in his and sighed. “I think I’ll rest today. You take a lot out of me.” He squeezed my hands gently and released me. “Something else to think about practicing.” He quickly cupped my face and kissed me softly. He rubbed his lips lightly over mine and hummed. “Sweet, just like the scent of your blood.”

Then, he was gone, and I stood in the living room all alone. My arms dangled out at my sides where he’d left them, and my body leaned toward where his had been. I stood there with my chin still upturned and the feel of his lips on mine. I shivered as chill bumps popped out all over my body.

He kissed me, a vampire. I covered my mouth to stifle the scream. The fact that it never  came worried me.

END Ch4P2

Chapter Three: Group Decision

This was going to be big.

Leaning against the wall the dining room shared with the living room, I listened as my father spoke to our family about the offer. They were afraid. Robert suggested we move immediately. Mandy assumed that Wells bit me and suggested that my father kill me before we moved. That suggestion was poorly received, most of all by Justin, who yelled at her.

With what little information I had given him, my father answered their questions. Most of all, they wanted to know his opinion. He wouldn’t force the group into a truce with the seemingly friendly vampires, but he wanted to speak with Wells in person. He informed the group that I was going to arrange a meeting. There were murmurs and more questions. The tension was high, and I couldn’t be inside anymore.

For the first time in ages, I went outside at night with a lit lantern. I walked the path to the training area, and once there, I sat on a mound of pine straw at the edge of the clearing. In an attempt to calm my mind and organize my crowding thoughts, I shifted to sit cross-legged, wrists on my knees, and practiced my yoga breathing.

I never imagined that humans would be able to work with vampires. I had assumed that all vampires felt superior to humans and would therefore feel it beneath them to treat their food as equals. I found myself wondering if they were capable of caring about humans, even loving humans. If so, it meant that vampires were capable of compassion and caring but chose not to feel either of those things or any other noble emotions.

From what my parents had told me of the past, humans weren’t much, if any, better when it came to morals and ethics, but at least, in most of the world, we had put an end to legal slavery and cannibalism. At any rate, my knowledge of our world and vampires wasn’t as complete as I believed it to be. It was a lot to wrap my head around.

“I can smell you from a mile away.”

At the sound of his voice, I jolted out of my thoughts. I sprang to my feet, ready to fight. The reaction was instant, a reflex from so many years of fighting. I knew his voice now, but instinct was instinct. Slowly, I relaxed, letting the adrenaline run its course.

Wells appeared from behind a tree and walked over to me. The lantern gave off little light, but his luminous skin glowed in it.

“Excuse me,” I said sarcastically, “but unlike some used-to-be humans, we don’t have electricity. Cold showers aren’t much fun.”

“I didn’t mean that you smelled bad, just that I can smell you in contrast to the  surroundings—very striking and potent.” He waved his nose around in the air.

“Okay.” That might have been a compliment. “My father wants a meeting, tomorrow night. You’re guaranteed safe passage and entry into the house.”

While he mulled over my words, I thought about the things that Mandy and Robert said in the meeting. Those two were certainly not on board, and if I didn’t know better, I would think that Mandy actually just wanted me dead no matter what. I couldn’t understand what she had against me. I pursed my lips and furrowed my brow.

“What is it?” Wells walked over and took my hand, so quickly that, even with my reflexes, I wasn’t able to yank my hand away from his grasp. “You look tense.”

“You’re very fast.” When he only looked at me, I continued, “He’ll convince them they should at least hear it from you, get a chance to ask you questions. They’ll be afraid, but I’m not. If they vote against it, I’ll seek you.”

“You’ve decided?” He squeezed my hand ever so slightly. His eyes danced in the lantern light.

“With or without them,” I sighed. “I want to work with you. I need to act. This way of life…something has to change, and I want to help.”

Sensing the contact made me uncomfortable, he shook my hand once and released it. “This makes me happy,” he said softly. “And, you shouldn’t worry about finding me. I can find you easily now.”

“How’s that?”

“I know you by scent and by sound. Your footsteps, and when you’re close enough, your heartbeat.” He stood absolutely still for a moment and bounced his index finger up and down in what I supposed was the rhythm of my heart. “I can smell when your hormones change so I know when you’re angry, when you’re afraid. By the way, you’ll start menstruating tomorrow.”

That was all incredibly creepy. “Um, thanks for the warning.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Incidentally, how long have you been watching me?”

“Since you arrived, of course.”

“I knew it.” I shook my head. “You made this house available for us, didn’t you?” All he gave for an answer was a small smile. “My dad is going to be so pissed about that.” Then, it really hit me. Wells was watching me. When my thoughts backtracked far enough, I said, “You were here, that day when Justin was throwing me. I felt or saw something. It was you.”

He laughed softly and said, “It was one of the most interesting conversations about masturbation that I’ve ever heard.”

As my face heated, I clenched my teeth and growled, “I think you must go out in the day a lot. You’re not afraid one of us would grab you, throw you in the sun?”

“You’d have to catch me to do that, and I don’t go out unless it is very cloudy. It’s unpleasant but bearable.” He seemed to shake off something. “I’ve had a long time to get over my fear of sun, as I don’t have much use for sleep. Older vampires don’t need to feed or rest much.”

This was more than I had learned about vampires since, well, ever. If nothing else, I could gain quite a bit of knowledge from Wells. From what I could tell, he was forthcoming, and it amused him to share with me.

I ventured another question. “How old are you?”

“Older than Benoit, and that will work heavily to our advantage.”

“How’s that?”

“I’ll explain more about vampire etiquette and customs later.” He beamed at me. “I will enjoy working with you. From what I’ve learned, you’re strong, creative, deadly, and an extensive planner. So much like me.” He walked in circles around me, giving me the feeling of being caged prey. I wondered if I looked like a juicy slab of meat to him. “Can you feel it?” he asked, his eyes growing wide. He stood still, spread his arms, and inhaled deeply.

Completely confused and a little mesmerized, I asked, “What?” and sniffed at the air. I smelled pine trees and straw. The air felt cool and maybe a little damp. “Rain?”

Wells treated me to one of his smiles. “It’s coming. I hope we all live through it.”

I gave a short, sardonic laugh and said, “Me, too.” I was excited about this project but worried. If I went off on my own, I had to know that someone would take care of my parents. Justin would do it, but I couldn’t decide if I should talk to him about it.

“Concerned?” Wells came over to me again. “Your mouth is quirking.”

I sighed. “I think Justin is going to be a problem.”

“Of course he will. You’ll be spending a lot of time, if not living with, another man.”

“You’re funny, Wells, you know? He’ll worry, especially after he sees you.” I waved my hand to indicate him from head to toe.

“Am I that fearsome?” His fangs ran out, and he bared them as he hooked his hands into claws. Instinct had me jumping away from him. He was just as terrifying as any other vampire that fights and bites back, and it took me a moment to regain my composure. Already relaxed again, Wells gave me a harmless-looking smile.

“I meant that you’re pretty,” I clarified.

“Well, I don’t know if ‘pretty’ is the right word.” He paused and pressed his index finger to his lips, as if in deep thought about the meaning and nuances of the proper words needed to describe his splendor. “Beautiful is more like it but so are most vampires.”

“You are exceptional, I think.” There was no point in denying it.

“The feeling is mutual.” He paused and gave me a meaningful look. “Be that as it may, our relationship is professional. Justin needn’t be jealous.” He smiled. “Still, mutual attraction has its benefits. It will be nice that we won’t have to act. Just one less piece of the façade to maintain.”

“Sure,” I said, trying to shrug it off as a given. “Okay, I’m going back. I’ll see you tomorrow night, one way or the other?”

“Yes.” When I started to walk away, I heard him call, “Camellia, I hate to say it, but part of  me hopes that they won’t agree so you’ll join my family.”

“Thanks for creeping me out right before bedtime, Wells.”

END Ch3P1

“Please, try to trust me.” His brow furrowed a bit. “I can offer you protection, aid.”

“Why?” I wondered what the price might be.

“I want to work with you, specifically. Beyond that,” he took his hands out of his pockets, “you should know that a household like Benoit’s is always on the lookout for young females…for various reasons. One of your recent visits to the grocery store drew the attention of Benoit’s right-hand man, Luc.”

I straightened. “How can you know that?”

“His men have been asking around about you, trying to find out who owns Lily.” I grimaced. “I imagine he wants a trade, but knowing his nature, I wouldn’t put it past him to just take you and deal with any consequences after the fact.”

My eyes narrowed. “I’d kill him first.” Then, I shrugged. “Hell, I’ll kill him anyway. Take them all out. That’s the plan after all.”

“I can get you in the house,” he said with a sly grin. My attention snapped to him, and in response, his grin spread to a smile. “I am well-known in vampire circles. You and I could work together; you gather intelligence from the humans, and I get it from the vampires. We use what we learn to end Benoit’s rule and free Florida. What do you think?”

“You know how to tempt me,” I admitted.

He laughed, and the sound made me feel comfortable, the fact of which made me instantly uncomfortable again. “Talk of killing, espionage, destroying and rebuilding the entire world order does it for you?”

“Oh, yeah.” I lifted an eyebrow and nodded. “I’ll have to think about it…um…?” Palm up, I held my hand toward him.

“Sorry. How rude of me.” Gently, he popped himself in the side of the head. “Leslie Wells.” He realized that he had released me and looked flustered for a moment before offering me his hand. I shook it.

“Wells, I need to think about it, and you should realize that my father may not be on board with this even if I am. I, we, will have questions.”

The truth was that I toyed with the idea of going rogue for a few years, and since Justin had made his feelings clear, the need to flee pressed on me harder. Now, I had an option, something huge, that I could accomplish. I salivated at the possibilities.

“My friends call me Leslie or just Les.”

“I don’t know if I should trust you, much less call you a friend. You could be bullshitting me and bring your whole nest back to the house tonight to kill us all.”

“Knowing the reputation of the Rosegartens, at least half of us would be killed trying to get near the house.” He smiled at me, but I felt very uncomfortable, almost sick. “What?” he asked. “I can hear your pulse racing.”

“We have a reputation,” I breathed out, seriously worried now. I leaned back against a pine for a moment.

“I stand in the presence of slayer royalty.” He bowed to me as I propped against the tree. “You have led groups that have wiped out vampires all over this country. If Benoit knew you were here, you wouldn’t last long. There is quite a bounty on your heads.”

I glared at him. “Are you trying to blackmail me now?”

“No, just explaining the nature of the world you kill in. You need some friendly vampires in your corner.” He took a few steps closer to me. “If I wanted you dead, you would be. If I wanted your family dead, I’d bite you and send you back to them. If I wanted to hand you over, I’d have taken you with me already. You have to admit, if you want to take out Benoit, you need me.”

“What do you propose? I need more than pretty words and a name to take back to my father. How exactly do you plan to protect us?”

“It’s simple—you will pose as my mate.” He waved a hand at me like that would magically solve the problem. “That will certainly explain why you aren’t enthralled, why you are out running errands without a chaperone.” He nodded as he thought. “Yes, I’ll say you and your family are rescues. That should explain your obvious nerves.”

I pointed my finger at him. “I don’t have nerves!”

“Mark says you’re jumpy.”

“I take it he’s in on this?” I whirled my finger in the air. When Wells nodded, I re-crossed my arms over my chest. “Yeah well, I’m ready to fight or run. That doesn’t mean I’m jumpy.”

“Mm hmm.” Wells smiled at my glare. “Rest assured, once it is known that we are together, no one will take you without my permission.”

I relaxed just a tad. Wells regarded my self-inflicted bite marks. “Also, they know I don’t drink humans for nourishment so the lack of multiple bites won’t matter, but those marks won’t fool a vampire.”

“I guess, if we want to stay here and take down this bastard, I don’t have much of a choice.” I tore a limb from a nearby shrub and yanked the leaves off one at a time. After I mutilated all the leaves, I stripped off the twiggy branches. When the limb was nothing but a pile of bits at my feet, I looked at Wells. “It’s as likely as not that my family will think I’m compromised and kill me.”

His tone both teasing and patronizing, Wells said, “Justin won’t let them kill you. He loves you. You should offer to let him go with you on Wednesdays as your bodyguard, what with your position and all. He has a rough time of it when he’s not with you.”

“Well, that’s his problem, and it’s none of your business,” I said a little more loudly than necessary. It angered me that he knew so much about us.

“Ouch. Too bad for him.” He rubbed his hands together. “I will relish it when I see the look on Luc’s face when I introduce you to him.”

“If I agree, you mean. Why is that?”

“I would think it’s obvious.” When it became clear to him that I wasn’t of that opinion, he asked, “How long has it been since you’ve looked in a mirror, Slayer?”

“A while,” I admitted.

“You’ve a few scars, but you’re quite lovely all around. Strong but with nice curves.”

“Thanks for the compliment. You’re not too bad looking yourself, for a vampire.”

He laughed generously at that. He knew he was gorgeous. All vampires had allure, but Wells was particularly pretty.

He stopped laughing abruptly. “Someone’s calling for you.”

I turned my head to listen. “I’m going. Just give me a few days.”

When I started to leave, he swooped to my side. After taking my hand in his, he kissed each of my cheeks and vanished.

The panic and adrenaline hit me. I sprinted back to the house and passed my confused-looking father. I hoped it looked like I’d come in from a run and not like I was terrified. Once inside the house, I went straight to one of the bathrooms, ran a cloth under the tap, and put it on my neck.

I didn’t need a mirror to know that my hair had darkened from the white-blond of childhood to something closer to khaki. My oval face had thinned, making my greenish-blue eyes appear even larger. Better than I knew those colors, shapes, and textures, I knew those of my scars. None was so large that it marred my face or marked me in any distinguishable way, but I had far more than the average human did. They had come from one of three things: scouting in the woods, fighting with a vampire or a slave, or in an escape. It was no wonder Mark had asked about them.

My mother always told me I was tall. I spent almost all my waking hours training, which earned me a lean-muscled build and a flat, hard tummy. Justin had always complimented those, as well as my “nice curves” at my breasts and hips.

I rinsed the rag under the sink, wrung it out, and passed it over my face. I sighed and looked at my reflection. I could see how, even if it looked like somebody had dropped me a few times and then kicked me, someone might say I was “quite lovely all around.” Yet, now that I really looked, I realized I needed a better backstory and to wear long-sleeved shirts.

* * * *

Since I knew my father would overreact, I waited an entire day before I invited him out to the clearing for a private conversation. My idea was to give him proof that it wasn’t a trap. As expected, he was supremely angry, but he stood quietly while I told him about my encounter in the woods.

“He knows everything!”

“Shh. Someone will hear you,” I said. “Not everything.”

“Don’t you shush me.” He shook his head. “It’s a trap.”

“How can you say that? No one came in the night. I believe him, Dad.”

We argued and speculated. My father thought Wells just wanted control of Florida, and no matter what, he thought for sure it would end in our slaughter. I couldn’t tell him otherwise, but the longer we stayed under the sun, the less he argued against the idea of joining forces with a vampire. More importantly, he didn’t order me inside to pack. The temptation Wells dangled so carefully in front of us was too much to ignore.

I tried to make him understand that we couldn’t eradicate vampires, but with vampires like Wells around, we might be able to learn to live with them as equals. Inspired by Well’s passion and my own pleas, I made up my mind to go along with Wells whether or not my parents or the rest of my family agreed. I was ready for change—change in the status quo, change from the constant hiding and fighting. I had a feeling my father was, too.

“It could lead to a better existence for us all. I want that for me and for you and Mom.”

“Set up a meeting with him,” he decided. “We’ll make the way clear tomorrow night.”

“I don’t even know if I can find him. I have no idea where they are based.”

“He’ll find you or vice versa…probably got someone out there right now casing the house. Damn!” He smashed his right fist into his left palm. “That really burns me that they found us.”

When he said that, I realized that most likely we found the house because of Wells. It made perfect sense—big house, water, no vampires in the immediate area, except the (possibly) good ones.

“Dad,” I put my hand on his forearm, “I think we need him and the protection he can  provide. Wells told me…he told me that our names, Harold and Camellia Rosegarten, are well-known and hated among vampires.”

He looked at me, and his face turned pale, almost haggard. He was tired. He couldn’t hunt anymore. At the age of fifty-two, his body had seen more wear and tear than most others saw in their entire lives. I knew what I told him would scare him. I only hoped it was enough to make him accept help from a promising source.

He ran his hands over his face and then through his hair. “Hell, that makes us even bigger targets than I might have suspected.” His face darkened, and I knew the train of thought his mind took.

“I already asked if we were being blackmailed, to which Wells replied he would simply turn us over or kill us if he’d wanted that.” I kept my eyes on his. “I don’t think he’s even told his family that we are who we are.”

Angry, he asked, “Oh, so they’re a family now? And you’re so eager to join them? Are you sure you weren’t bitten?” He scowled at me.

“I wasn’t bitten,” I sassed. “Do you want to check me?”

“No.” He sighed. “I believe you. I can’t think that if you were bitten a vamp would leave you so hard-headed and smart-mouthed.”

Despite the tension between us, I coughed out a laugh, and he chuckled. I fisted my hands as I looked at him. “I need to do this.”

“You’re a grown woman now. You can do what you want.” He waved a hand at me. “Although you know I prefer you to stay with me and your mother. Set up that meeting for tomorrow night. After I hear from him, the family will vote.”

END Ch2P2