“No.”
“So you’ve been hanging around the bar?”
She shrugged and brushed back a strand ofher messy, oily hair. A shower would be amazing for her achingmuscles and to get rid of the sweaty, back alley odor she currentlysported. People participating in triathlons smelled better than shedid right now; it would be nice not to reek of death before heractual death.
Rubbing at her temples, she wondered if theloss of blood had caused her brain to short circuit. What did itmatter what she smelled like, or how she felt before she died? Shehoped she smelled so bad the taste of her would still be stuck intheir fangs months after her demise. Maybe she’d give themheartburn, if vampires got heartburn.
Yep, the loss of blood had definitelyaffected her mind, she decided.
“For a little bit,” she admitted.
Her thoughts chugged along sluggishly as shetried to recall everything that had occurred last night. She’d seenhim in the bar, and for the first time he’d also seen her. Thenshe’d gone outside with Nabel and walked around to the back. That’swhere they’d finally foundhim, the one she’d been huntingfor, the monster who had haunted her dreams even before he’d becomea walking dead guy. The one she’d been searching for, for what feltlike forever. She’d found him, but it had all gone so horriblywrong. She’d played the scenario of their reunion out in her headmillions of times over the years. In every one of those scenariosshe’d been the one to drive a stake through his heart, not the oneto end up being his Lunchable.
Then… then… her memory came up against awall. Where had Nabel gone when she’d entered the alley? How hadshe ended up being alone in the alley with the vampire? Her headbegan to pound when she tried to recall what had happened to Nabel.She’d been training for years to fight a vampire, but it hadn’tbeen enough, and now she was sitting in a nest of them.
“What were you doing there?” His questionbrought her attention back to him.
“Hanging out with a friend.” It wasn’tentirely a lie, but she wasn’t about to tell him the truth.
“Your friend is a hunter,” he stated. Theonly part of her that indicated any kind of reaction to hisstatement was the dilation of her pupils. “What does that make you?Are you a hunter or one of the humans they use as bait?”
That got a reaction as her nostrils flared.“They did not use me as bait!”
“I guess that answers that question then,human.”
If she’d been a vampire her eyes would havebeen red as fire, instead she glared at him. “You have no idea whatyou’re talking about.”
“Then enlighten me.”
“I’d rather die before I ever told youanything about me, or anyone I associate with. If you want answerstear them from my mind, that’s the only way you’ll get them.”They’d all be lies, but she wasn’t about to admitthattohim. “You can torture me or whatever it isyourkind does, Iwon’t tell you anything.”
“If I take control of your mind…”
“Youarea monster!” she spat.
“I’m not,” he murmured. “and you will not bemistreated. Nor will we take from you what you know about yourlife, we’ll only change what you know about us. The hunters aredangerous; they don’t understand there are differences in allvampires, but hunters serve their purpose by helping to rid theworld of some evil. I will kill one if they try to kill me, butyour secrets are yours to keep.
“They will do me and my family little good.We lead peaceful lives. I hope to never encounter another hunteragain, but if I were you, I’d rethink your loyalties and whatyou’re doing. You were nearly killed. The hunter you were withdidn’t arrive on the scene untilafterI did. You would havebeen dead if I hadn’t gotten there first, and I know the two of youleft the bar together.”
Paige didn’t respond to him; she didn’t knowwhat to say. “So what were you doing in the bar, trying to learnhow to tell a vampire from a human?” he continued. “Not as easy asyou thought it would be, was it?”
Paige felt an uptick in her heartbeat at hiswords. How had Nabel not known he was a vampire? Nabel had beendoing this sort of thing far longer than her; he’d been born intoit. Shouldn’t Nabel have known something else to look for, but thenthis man had been associating with humans. They certainly couldn’thaveallbeen vampires in the bar, and every woman she’dseen him leave with had still been alive the next night. What kindof a vampire was this man if he didn’t kill?
Refusing to answer his question, she simplystated a fact. “You left with a different woman every time I sawyou.”
“And they were all very happy and alive whenthey walked back out of my room.” The words were casual, but hissmile had vanished. “You have some pretty ingrained ideas aboutwhat we are; you’re wrong. Not that I expect you to believe me; Ican see in your eyes that you don’t, but I can promise you, I’venever killed a human.”
“And the others in this house?”
“Sometimes there are things that must bedone, no matter if you want to do them or not. Everyone in thishouse can walk in the sun, cross water, and wouldn’t have killed ifit hadn’t been necessary to save themselves or someone they love.”He rose to his feet, his massive frame towered over her, but shedidn’t get the impression he was trying to intimidate her.
“You said you’ve never killed a human,you’ve killed something else then?” she asked.
“I’ve killed vampires who deserved itbefore.”
She swallowed as she stared up at him. “Isee.”
“Do you? Or do you still have me lumped intothe same category of monsters as the ones of us who kill forpleasure?”
