“You’re hurting me.”
It took him a moment to realize his fingers were digging into her shoulder. Lowering his arm, he muttered, “Sorry.”
“Are you okay?”
“No.” Pushing off of the sofa, he put some distance between them.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. Then, seeing the taut lines of his face, the faint red glow in his eyes, she said, “Oh.”
Hands tightly clenched, he let his gaze lower to the pulse throbbing in the hollow of her throat.
“Johnny?”
“I need to go out.”
Cassie bit down on her lower lip, unable to believe what she was about to say. “Would it help if you . . . you drank from me?”
“Maybe.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know.” It might help to ease his hunger and satisfy his curiosity, he thought. Then again, it might make it worse. “Go get the crucifix.”
She hurried to do as bidden. In the bathroom, she took several deep breaths as she picked up the chain and slipped it over her head. The silver, thick and strong and reassuring, felt cold against her skin.
In the living room, she perched on the edge of the sofa. “What should I do?”
“Just stay still.” He sat beside her. Slipped his arm around her waist. Pushed her hair out of the way. “If you get scared, just hit me in the face with the cross.”
Nodding, she clenched her fingers around the crucifix. “Will it hurt? When you . . . you bite me?”
“No,” he said, his voice tight. “Are you ready?”
“Wait! It won’t turn me into a vampire, will it?”
“Definitely not.”
“Okay, then.” Her whole body tensed as his arm tightened around her.
“Relax,” he said, though he had to admit his own nerves were wound tighter than a spring. He kissed her cheek. And then, as gently as he could, he bit her just below her ear, careful to avoid the chain around her neck.
Cassie let out a gasp of surprise that quickly turned to a sigh of pleasure. Who would have thought something so gross would feel so amazing? For a moment, caught up in the thrill of it, she closed her eyes. Only to open them seconds later. What if he was taking too much? How was she to know? She lifted her hand, wondering if she should press the cross to his cheek. She heard his voice telling her that silver against preternatural flesh burned like hell and left a nasty scar. She didn’t want to hurt him. But she didn’t want to die, either. Before she could decide, he lifted his head.
Her gaze searched his. “Did it help?”
He nodded. Then, cupping her cheek in his palm, he kissed her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You never told me it would feel so wonderful. Why didn’t it hurt? I mean, I’ve seen your fangs. They look very sharp.”
“I can make it hurt the next time, if you like.”
“What makes you so sure there will be a next time?”
He grinned a knowing grin. “Because you liked it the first time.”
“How do vampires make other vampires? I saw a movie where the vampire had to bite the girl three times to change her. But in Dracula, he drank her blood and then she had to drink his.”
“Are you thinking of joining the ranks of the Undead?”
“Heavens, no! Just curious.”
“The film, Dracula, had the right idea. To turn you, I’d have to drain you to the point of death and then give you some of my blood.”
“Eww. That sounds worse than gross. And dangerous. What if you took too much by mistake? Would I die?”
“Probably.”
“Have you ever turned anyone?”
“No. That’s one thing I don’t have on my conscience.”
“So, vampires don’t go around making lots of other ones?”
He shook his head. “No. Too many vampires would only draw unwanted attention to our kind. It’s safer for the public, and for us, if we keep our numbers small.”
“What happens when you make a new one?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do they stay with you?”
“Your sire—that’s what you call whoever made you—is supposed to stay with you for a year or so while you’re a new vampire—a fledgling. They’re supposed to teach you how to hunt, hopefully how to feed without killing your prey. Teach you what you can and can’t do.”
“Kind of like vampire kindergarten?”
He grinned at her. “I guess you could call it that.”
“Was your sire a good teacher?”
“I wouldn’t know. He turned me and left me.” Funny, that still rankled, even after all these years.
“But you survived.”
“Barely.”
“Were you scared?”
“Terrified. I woke up in a cave not knowing what had happened to me. Or what I had become. I had a voracious hunger, but I didn’t know what I was craving.” He paused. “Are you sure you want to hear this? It’s not a very pretty story.”
She nodded, fascinated by what she was learning.
“I came across a man who was bleeding. As soon as I smelled the blood, I went kind of crazy. I attacked him and drained him dry.” The guilt he felt for that man’s death and the others that followed plagued him to this day. “It took me a while to learn that I didn’t have to kill,” he said, his voice thick with regret. “That I could satisfy my hellish thirst without doing any harm.”
“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know. Your sire is accountable for those lives, not you.”
“There’s no excuse for what I did. I was a priest.” He groaned low in his throat. “I was supposed to provide comfort and ease suffering, not take human life.”
Hearing the anguish in his voice, Cassie put her arms around him. “I’m sorry, Johnny. But I’m so glad you survived.”
He buried his face in her shoulder, finding a measure of peace in her touch, in the nonsense words she crooned as she stroked his hair. He had done nothing to deserve her, he thought, even as he murmured a silent prayer of thanks that Cassie Douglas had come into his life.
* * *
I’ve been bitten by a vampire. It was Cassie’s last thought as she tumbled into sleep that night, her first when she woke the next morning.
Sitting up, she lifted a hand to her neck. Had it left a permanent mark, like in the movies? If she looked in a mirror, would she find two little puncture wounds in the side of her neck? Would she have to wear scarves the rest of her life?
Curious, she threw back the covers and padded into the bathroom. Opening a drawer, she pulled out her hand mirror and turned her head this way and that, but found no telltale marks.
“You’re in love with a vampire, Cassie,” she told the image in the mirror. “So, what are you going to do now?”
What did people do when they fell in love with a creature of the night? She supposed there were only two options—stay or go. The third option popped, unwanted, into her mind. Or she could become a vampire, too.
She grimaced at her image. “Do you think there are people who actually want to be turned?”
She couldn’t imagine it. And yet . . . he had told her that some of the women he considered family had asked to become vampires. What if Johnny asked her to marry him? It was a long shot, sure, but the man had been a priest. He was still a virgin. Did that mean he didn’t believe in sex outside of marriage, even though he was no longer a practicing clergyman? Did she love him enough to give up her humanity to be with him? How did anyone make a life-changing decision like that?
With a shake of her head, she put the mirror back in the drawer, then turned on the shower. She absently massaged the side of her neck while she waited for the water to heat, then stepped under the spray. Johnny was still a virgin.
Would he still care for her when he learned she wasn’t?
Chapter 18
Alric grinned with satisfaction. It had taken several nights, but he had finally found a link to Mara’s whereabouts. It wasn’t a member of her family, as he’d ho
ped, but a part of her inner circle nonetheless. And he’d found it quite by accident when he ran into an old acquaintance of his in a tavern. Alric’s ears had perked up when Reynolds mentioned a vampire bar in Dune, New Mexico, run by a couple of vampires named Edna Mae and Pearl.
“Edna and Pearl,” Alric murmured as he headed for his lair. They were well-known in the vampire community. A couple of old broads, they had once been vampire hunters until they ran afoul of one of Vince Cordova’s twin sons. The women had been in their seventies when Rafe turned them both. Alric chuckled. He still found it amusing.
Tomorrow might, he would head for New Mexico and pay them a visit.
* * *
Edna Mae smiled at Pearl as Monroe and James hung the new sign over the entrance to the combination bar and café. Bright red letters proclaimed the grand opening of the Bloody Mary Café and Motel.
“It’s about time, don’t you think?” Edna Mae asked. “I never liked the old name.”
“I didn’t either, dear,” Pearl agreed.
“Coming here was the best decision we ever made,” Edna Mae said, watching her husband.
Pearl nodded. “Yes, indeed. And not just because we’re getting rich,” she said with a grin.
Edna Mae laughed. “But money helps.”
“What are you two gabbing about?” James asked as he slipped his arm around Edna’s waist.
“We were just saying how happy we are to be here.”
“That makes two of us,” James said.
“Four of us,” Monroe added, coming up beside Pearl. “Let’s go inside and drink a toast to our good fortune.”
* * *
Alric stood outside the Bloody Mary Café. Through the open window, he could see perhaps a dozen people inside. His nostrils told him most of them were vampires imbibing wine heavily laced with blood. It was easy to pick out the old broads. One, dressed in jeans and a flowered blouse, was short and plump with curly hair that looked too red to be real. The other, tall and angular, with shoulder-length white hair, wore pants and a bright green shirt. They sat at a round table with two men, who were also vampires.
Gathering his power, Alric strolled through the door.
* * *
Edna Mae looked up as a strange man strode toward their table. Without asking if he could join them, he pulled a chair from an adjoining table and sat down.
“Can we help you?” Monroe asked.
“Butt out!” Alric said brusquely. “I’m here to see the ladies.”
Edna Mae and Pearl exchanged glances.
“What do you want?” James asked.
“This doesn’t concern you, either,” Alric snapped. “I’m looking for Mara.”
“Mara!” Pearl exclaimed “Whatever for?”
“That’s my business, you old bat. Where is she?”
Pearl and Edna Mae exchanged glances again.
“I’m sure we don’t know,” Edna Mae said, shrugging. “We haven’t seen her in quite a while.”
“I don’t believe you,” Alric snarled as he grabbed Monroe by the neck. “I’d advise you to tell me what I want to know.”
A hint of preternatural power flooded the room.
“Wait!” Pearl glanced around the bar, dismayed to see all eyes were turned in their direction.
Three of the human patrons rose quietly and practically tripped over each other in their haste to leave the café. The vampires simply vanished from sight.
“Stop! Don’t hurt him anymore!” Pearl begged as Alric loosed the full force of his power on Monroe. “The last we heard, Mara was spending the summer in her castle in Transylvania.”
Alric snorted. “A castle in Transylvania? I don’t believe you.”
“It’s the truth! Tell him, Edna.”
“She has a castle there,” Edna Mae said. “She’s had it for centuries. I thought everybody knew that.”
Alric’s gaze bored into hers for a moment. Then, digging his fingers into Monroe’s neck, he looked back at Pearl.
Unflinching, she stared at him.
Alric grunted. So, Mara had a castle. He shook his head. And then he grinned. It had been three hundred years or so since he’d been to the home country. He could revisit the place of his birth and destroy his enemy.
Monroe slumped over the table when Alric released him.
Alric stood, his narrow-eyed gaze fixed on Pearl. “If you’re lying about this, I’ll come back and finish the job.”
Pearl nodded. She didn’t doubt it for a minute.
A wave of his hand and the vampire was gone.
“Are you all right?” Pearl asked, reaching across the table to grasp Monroe’s arm. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in all my life!”
“I’m okay,” Monroe said. “I just hope to hell I never see him again.”
“Me, too.” Pearl smiled at Edna Mae. “Thanks for backing me up.”
“I’m so proud of you!” Edna Mae said. “How did you ever think of telling him that?”
“I don’t know, dear. But what are we going to do when he finds out we lied to him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should call Mara and warn her that some vampire is looking for her,” Edna Mae suggested.
“I think that’s a good idea,” James said. “I don’t know who that guy was, but I don’t mind telling you, he scared the crap out of me.”
“The four of us together don’t have that much power,” Monroe muttered, rubbing his neck. “I say call Mara.”
* * *
Mara glanced at her ringing phone and then at Logan. “You won’t believe who’s calling,” she said as she answered. “Edna, this is a surprise.”
“I hate to bother you, but we’re in trouble and you might be, too. Some rude vampire that I’ve never met before is looking for you. We told him you’d gone to Transylvania and he seemed to believe us. But we’re worried about what he’s going to do when he finds out you’re not there.” Edna Mae paused to take a breath. “We need help.”
“What did this vampire look like?”
“He was tall, with black hair and a tattoo on his neck.”
“Alric,” Mara muttered. “I knew he was looking for me, but thanks for your concern. As for your problem, why don’t you close up the café for a while? You can go stay at my home in Northern California, if you like. You should be safe there.”
“That would be wonderful! We’ll leave as soon as we get packed. Thank you so much!”
“I’ll send Logan to let you in and reset the wards.”
“I don’t know how we can ever repay you.”
“I’m sure I can think of something. Logan will be waiting for you at the house when you get there,” she said, and ended the call.
“Nice of you to volunteer me,” Logan said. “What do I get in return?”
A lazy grin spread over her face. “What would you like? As if I didn’t know.” She slapped his hands away when he reached for her. “Don’t you ever think of anything else?”
“Not when you’re in the room.”
She laughed softly. “Maybe later.”
“What’s wrong with right now?”
“Have you forgotten? You’re going to Northern California.”
Chapter 19
Cassie found herself thinking about becoming a vampire at random times during the next few days. She considered the pros and cons while taking a walk around the block in the morning, while changing the sheets on the bed, or while eating a cheeseburger and drinking a soda. Of course, hamburgers and fries and the like hadn’t existed when Johnny was turned, but there must have been foods he missed, at least at first. Still, being a vampire didn’t seem as awful as she had once imagined. Johnny wasn’t a blood-thirsty maniac who went around terrorizing the countryside. She never would have guessed what he was if he hadn’t told her. He had just seemed like a nice, ordinary guy who had once been a priest. Even now, she sometimes forgot what he was . . . except for times like this evening, when she knew he had gone hunting.
How did he do it? Did he sneak up on people and take them unawares? Knock them unconscious? Use some kind of vampire magic to hypnotize them?
She put the question to him as soon as he came home.
“You ask the darnedest things,” he muttered, following her out of the kitchen and into the living room.
“Well, can you blame me?”
“I guess not.”
“After all, I am living with a creature of the night,” she said, kissing the tip of his nose. “Who better to help me sort fact from fantasy?”
She sat on the sofa and he dropped down beside her. “Sometimes I find my prey in bars, sometimes it’s just someone walking down the street. I speak to their minds, assuring them that I’m not going to hurt them. After I take what I need, I wipe away the memory of what happened and send them on their way, none the wiser.”
“What does it taste like?”
He frowned at her. “Like blood, what else?”
“Well, I’ve tasted my own when I get a paper cut or something like that, but I’ve never actually drunk any. Isn’t it kind of gross?”
He shook his head, amused by the train of her thoughts. “I thought it would be disgusting the first time I preyed on someone, but it wasn’t. It’s warm and coppery and a little salty. And I can’t live without it.” He thought a moment before adding, “I can exist on animal blood if there’s nothing else.”
“Yuck,” she said, grimacing, “That’s really disgusting!”
“Blood is blood,” he said matter-of-factly. “But yours is sweetest of all.”
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”
“Trust me, it is.” He thought for a moment, then said, “Now that I think about it, not all blood tastes exactly the same. But none of it satisfies me the way yours does.” Although he had no idea why that should be. Perhaps it was because of the emotional connection he felt between them.
Cassie nodded, and then she grinned. This had to be the strangest conversation she’d ever had. “In the movies, when a vampire bites someone, there’s always a mark.”
“You can’t believe everything you see in the movies,” he said with a wink.
“I guess not.” She pursed her lips, her brow furrowed. “So, what about garlic?”
“What about it?”
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