enough to clear the debris trapping them down here, but with heart blood? It could give Snod the extra
boost that they needed to escape.
But what the vampire was saying didn’t make any sense.
“Vampires’ hearts don’t beat,” Snod argued, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
The vampire shook his head sadly. “You really don’t know anything about us, do you? Except how to
kill us.”
“Tell me.”
“God,” the vampire groaned, appearing distressed by Snod’s ignorance. “It beats when we’re first
born, when we lose or make a progeny, or... uhm...”
“Or what?”
“When we fuck,” the vampire finished bluntly.
“You’re not turning me!”
“I didn’t say I was going to!”
“That’s it? Those are the only ways?”
“Yes!” the vampire insisted stubbornly. “I have nothing to gain by lying to you.”
“Or I can just stake you and find out for myself if you’re telling me the truth,” Snod reasoned, pursing
his lips.
“I already told you that won’t work,” the vampire growled in frustration. “If you try to harm me, I will
defend myself. We both know that will not end well for you.”
Snod thought back to the incredible chase that had led them here. Having learned the vampire’s
nightly routine in the weeks preparing for his attack, Snod had been waiting for him to leave the
karaoke club he visited every Thursday to make his move. Unexpectedly, the vampire had left much
earlier than Snod had anticipated and prompted the demanding pursuit.
It was like chasing a ghost. Snod had never met a vampire that could move like this one, simply
disappearing and reappearing in a blink. As much as he prided himself on his skills as a hunter, he
knew there was no way he could kill this vampire without taking him by surprise.
Even in that scenario and under the most optimal conditions, there was doubt whispering in the back
of Snod’s mind. If he couldn’t kill him to get the necessary blood, that left only one option. It was one
that made Snod’s loins tighten up and he could barely believe what he was about to say.
“So, sex,” Snod said quietly. “We should have sex.”
