“Sorry,” Zack said reflexively.
Seamus made a noise of acceptance, then bit his victim again. The fact that he killed most of his prey wasn’t seen as a fault of control. But when he was drinking like this, Zack could taste the dry burn of his hunger through their bond. Was he in control of his need to feed? Or was he faking it?
Anton and Takashi murmured to each other while they went over their planning materials for the upcoming party. According to the invitations, Katie was being presented as Anton’s sireling. Anton had included Takashi in the preparations, especially when Seamus brushed him off as too busy to do menial work.
Zack was glad his opinion wasn’t needed. Party planning was awful. However, his gut twisted when Anton and Takashi sat too close to each other. He wasn’t fond of the wrenching in his stomach or the way Takashi relaxed around Anton. They had to act like they hadn’t learned about Anton’s experiments, but that didn’t mean cozying up so close to Anton, did it?I don’t like how Anton looks at him.
“Do you need to finish mine, too?” Katie motioned at the human in front of her. She must have perfected being a mean girl in life because she was too damn good at it.
“I’m fine, thanks,” Zack drawled.
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to go hungry.” Katie picked up the bloody wrist of her human and waved it at him.
Honing his senses to pick up the heartbeat of her mortal, Zack listened to the waning rhythm. He leaned forward. “Looks like I’m not the only one who overdid it.”
“What?” Katie lifted the head of her human. The mortal wasn’t opening her eyes. “Shi—oot.”
Anton rubbed his brow. “Perhaps we shouldn’t accept any pet in their debuts.”
“But you promised, Papa!” Katie whined.
“If you’re able to go three nights in a row without killing. You’ve only gone one, and Zack hasn’t been able to managethat,” Anton said. “I don’t want you to offend our guests by immediately killing their gifts. We’re still a week out. No one’s arrived. We can easily tell everyone that it’s too soon for pets.”
“We’re not even sure anyone’s planning on presenting you with any,” Takashi added. “You might be getting your hopes up for nothing.”
“But Papa said he’d get me someone if that happened,” Katie said.
“I will find you a pet when the time is right. Not a moment before,” Anton declared.
Katie pouted.
“I think waiting’s a great idea,” Zack said smugly.
“Way to be a jerk,” Katie replied.
Zack shrugged one shoulder.
She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Children, if you’re finished, go elsewhere so I can eat in peace,” Seamus growled.
“Yes, master,” Zack and Katie said in unison.
On the nights when Zack didn’t wind up going with Seamus on his errands, he would spend as much time as he could in the occult library. Katie joined him whenever Anton was too busy for her magic lessons. They headed down the long hall together.
Katie got a mischievous look in her eye. “Bet I’ll get there first.”
Then she took off at vamp superspeed.
Zack ran after her. The first time they’d had a race, he outdid her by a margin big enough that she accused him of using secret passages to get there. He was just outright faster than her, so he’d started challenging himself to arrive a fraction ahead of her during their impromptu races.
Because Katie had made one thing abundantly clear.
Zack wasn’tnormal. Takashi had told him so his first night upon rising, but Katie had a level of control that Zack still lacked.Her eyes often faded back to their mortal color. She didn’t always kill her prey. She wasn’t overwhelming anyone with her ability to read them.
It wasn’t like she was a weak spawn either. Both Seamus and Anton seemed impressed with her bursts of speed, her casual strength, and, of course, her magic. Her arcane power was the only thing that set her apart from a typical fledgling of a powerful vampire, though.
New generation. The words became stuck in Zack’s mind anytime a difference between them came up. What was that supposed to mean?
