No magic rimmed the car. Nothing that pointed to something supernatural.
Still, it felt like I was being watched. I didn’t like it. Not one bit.
A shadow moved within, too far away to glimpse the person’s features.
“See that car?” I asked.
Nathan glanced in the direction I was looking at. His eyebrows furrowed as he picked up on the same thing I did.
Most of the cars parked on this street were clunkers. Many hadn’t seen a car wash since the last decade.
Nathan took out his phone, typing out a text. “I have Makoto pulling up the surveillance feeds to see how long it’s been there.”
Seconds after he sent the text, the car’s lights came on and the person drove away.
We watched until the car was gone.
“It’s probably nothing, but we’ll check it out all the same,” Liam said from behind us.
I looked up at him to find him staring at the point where the car had turned off the street with a frown.
His electric blue eyes focused on me. “In the meantime, I'll find Thomas and secure a meeting for us."
Oh goody.
"It would be a good idea for you to feed." Liam's gaze on me made it clear who he was addressing. "Beyond the fact that it will likely put Thomas into a better frame of mind to know that you took care of your needs, it's also important to gather as much power as possible. You'll need your strength in the event the Scattered are truly after you."
He waited until I nodded grudgingly.
It was good advice. Even I could see that.
"Nathan," Liam said, the name a summons.
Nathan shot me a questioning look, asking without words if I was going to be okay. Relevant, considering my less than stellar history at keeping myself supplied in fresh blood.
I waved him off. I might not like it, but my days of not feeding on humans were over. At least the humans the vampires kept as blood donors were adequately compensated for their sacrifice.
"I already ate," Connor informed me when I glanced at him.
"In that case, I'll catch up with you afterward," I told him.
We parted at the front door, him heading deeper into the mansion while I made my way to the section of the house claimed by the blood donors.
My steps dragged as I hesitated on the threshold of a room with an eighty-five-inch TV on one wall. Today, the oversized sectional and comfortable looking arm chairs next to the entertainment center were occupied by four humans.
There were two statuses for humans in the mansion. Claimed and unclaimed.
Being claimed meant the human was only required to feed their vampire. They provided for any needs the vampire deemed necessary—up to and including sex.
In exchange, the lucky human received a handsome yearly stipend. More importantly, they had access to regular feedings of vampire blood, which extended their life and kept them eternally young.
From what I'd heard, the competition to become a companion was vicious. Even more so because it wasn't the humans doing the choosing.
The unclaimed were their opposite. Responsible for keeping fed those among Thomas's vampires who didn't want the responsibility of a companion, they rotated in and out of this room fairly regularly.
I recognized three of those present. The fourth was a stranger to me. Either new to the mansion or just returning from vacation.
I lingered in the doorway, feeling awkward. Asking another person if they'd let you gnaw on their wrist or neck wasn't exactly covered in any of the classes or training I'd ever attended as a human.
