Adopt a Vampire

2

Let me tell you something, being in a werewolves’ den was a whole different experience. Barrett’s house sat in the middle of a quaint neighborhood, a two-story stucco with amazing rock work around it. My guess of Barrett being a stonemason by trade was obviously dead-on. But on the other hand, these people had absolutely no concept of personal space. I barely got through the front door when I found this out the hard way.

Four very cute furballs tumbled right into my shins. Apparently, when the kids were home, they chose to romp around in puppy form—puppy form, naturally, being about the size of a full-grown dog. Three layers of sandstone-colored fur made them soft and round looking, and I couldn’t for the life of me think of them as something dangerous. They tumbled right into my legs then paused at my feet, looking up at me curiously.

“Will you four quit,” Barrett growled at them, sounding exactly like an exasperated yet doting uncle. “We have a guest; you shouldn’t be bowling him over.”

One of them yipped something, the tone lilting up like a question.

“Yes, he’s a vampire. Fortunately a nice vampire. Shoo. We have things to talk about.”

Being kids, only two of them listened and immediately went to another room; the third shuffled backward but stayed, curiosity making the child linger, and the fourth lifted their head to nose at my wrist, inhaling deeply. I let them do so, watching sharply in return. I’d grown up around dogs—my parents raised collies most of my childhood—so I knew something about canine behavior. But how much of my knowledge applied to someone who had the instincts of a dog but the intelligence of a human?

“Grace,” Barrett warned in a low tone. “Quit.”

“She’s all right,” I assured him, meaning it. “She’s just curious. I probably don’t smell like any other vampire she’s seen, what with my odd diet.”

Barrett gave me an odd look. “True enough. You don’t. You’re pretty comfortable being surrounded by the furballs.”

“Grew up with collies,” I explained with a shrug. “They’re about the same size and also have no concept of personal space. Kinda reminds me of my childhood.”

Grace whined in protest.

“Well, if you don’t want me to treat you like a dog,” I responded archly, “then don’t act like one.”

Her ears went flat as she whined again. Barrett laughed, grinning down at her. “He’s got you there. Come on through, Jesse. Dining room is probably the best place to park it, as it’s usually mostly clear until the dinner rush starts. It’s a whole thing, so brace yourself.”

I followed him through the entrance and shortly saw what he meant. We quickly came across a lively scene in the living room, where two huge sectionals and every part of the room were covered with either people lounging or puppies demanding attention. I got more than one curious look as we walked past. A few looked borderline alarmed and conversation tapered off, but Barrett simply dismissed their concern with a flippant wave of his hand. Which, wow, that was some obvious trust right there because most turned back to whatever activities they’d been engaged in and the noise level once again rose, with only a few intrigued stares lingering.

We left the hardwood for tile as we crossed into the dining room. There was a vibrant landscape up on the far wall, but no other decorations. Probably because there wasn’t room for more if the pack frequently gathered here. The room held a massive dining room table, easily able to sit fifteen people, chairs given just enough room on all sides to be pulled back. I saw more people in the open-concept kitchen taking me in curiously, whom Barrett just waved away again. I took note of a set of French doors leading to the backyard, where I could see even more people loitering around the big swimming pool or under the patio awning, with several others dancing in the sparse grass to a quick and lively tempo. Good grief, this was the mostly clear he’d mentioned? Just how many people were in this house? Forty? Fifty?

Something of disbelief must have shown on my face. As we sat down near the head of the dining table, Barrett remarked, “It’s pretty busy here most days up until bedtime. Then people actually clear out to their own homes. Being alpha means I’m rarely ever alone, but I don’t mind it. I’d rather have them close. We have strong family values, and dinner especially is a large affair around here.”

Duly noted, but I found myself drawn to the warm, inviting ambiance in this house. Even a complete stranger like myself wasn’t uncomfortable here. It also smelled strongly of cumin and citrus, a testament to the hearty meal being prepared for all to enjoy. Compared to the cold silence of my apartment, it was overwhelming, but I envied it a little, too. “If you have family, enjoy them.”

He nodded in agreement, but something in his eyes and how he looked at me suggested he found my comment interesting. Or perhaps troubling. “I’ve got some coconut water in the fridge. You want one to sip on while I make the phone call to Oscar?”

My stomach gurgled happily at the idea. Or maybe that was its lodged complaint of neglect, hard to tell. “Please, if you don’t mind.”

“I’ve got it,” a slender woman said to Barrett, already sailing past the table. “Although I don’t think a drink from the fridge is what our guest needs. Surely someone wouldn’t mind feeding him.”

I held up a hand, stopping this idea before it got off the ground. “Thank you, but no.”

“Our guest is against feeding from people,” Barrett informed her before turning back to me. “The saucy brunette is my lieutenant, Marissa. She’s a nutritionist as well, so maybe she’ll know of something else you can have that will get some meat back on your bones.”

I perked up with interest, regarding her more closely as she weaved amongst people preparing food. She wore black slacks and a dressy purple blouse, something office appropriate, hair done up in a simple twist at the back of her head. A pretty woman, and if I swung that way, I might have flirted just because. “That would be good.”

“This is Jesse Hunt.” Barrett completed the introduction with a wave at me, and I saw several other people’s ears perk up, no doubt intrigued by the information. “He was turned by a rogue about six years ago. We’re the first supernaturals he’s seen since.”

Marissa stopped mid-motion in reaching for the fridge door. “How in the world did you manage that?”

“No one was here then,” I responded, avoiding the full history and explanation. I just didn’t feel like giving it for a second time today. “It was actually easy.”

With a sharp look at me—I had a feeling she hadn’t bought my story—she rummaged through the fridge before pulling something out. I saw the blue and white label and smiled in relief. It would help my hunger a smidge.

As she bustled about, occasionally pausing to let someone pass, Barrett pulled his phone out and dialed a number. It rang a few times before it clicked on and he got an answer.

“ Well, Alpha Barrett, this is an unexpected call. Please do inform me that there is no trouble brewing .”

I blinked at the distinct British accent.

“Not as such,” Barrett denied calmly, keeping his eyes on me as he spoke, “but it has the potential for it. Are you aware you have a lone vampire living in this area?”

“ A rogue ?” Oscar demanded sharply.

“No, he’s not that. He’s actually quite polite and law abiding. Came up and introduced himself and everything.” Barrett gave me a teasing wink. “He tells me he was turned by a rogue vampire six years ago, and we’re the first supernaturals he’s seen since.”

“ That…is a very strange story .”

“You’d believe it more readily if you could see him. He’s not exactly well. Oscar, I have him at my house, and I’d really prefer we continue this conversation with you present. I think there’s a lot you’ll want to ask him, I know he has lots of questions for you, and I want this cleared up before anyone mistakes him as a rogue and attacks him. That kind of thing will lead to all sorts of trouble.”

“ I quite agree, but I’m not currently in a position where I can just drop in for tea. I’m outside of Flagstaff at the moment and don’t anticipate I’ll return before late tomorrow. In the meantime, shall I send someone to meet with you and get the particulars ? At the very least, I’d like to have one of my own people see him and report to me .”

Barrett lifted an eyebrow, silently asking me if I was all right with this. I didn’t mind and nodded in encouragement. The sooner we got this over with, the better.

“That’s fine.”

“ Then, expect someone within the hour .”

Barrett recited the address to his house before he ended the call and laid his phone on the table. About that point, Marissa finally wrestled herself free from the kitchen crowd and deposited two bottles of coconut water in front of me. I didn’t fall on them like a ravenous animal, although it was a near thing. As much as I had solid control when it came to blood, being around this many werewolves was giving me some issues. They had more iron-rich blood than a human—I could smell the difference, and it made my mouth water. Even with both drinks in my system, I might have to step outside at some point to avoid…that. At this rate, my craving for blood just might send me over the edge.

I gave Marissa a smile. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she said, coming around to sit on my other side. Her blue eyes made no secret of the way she studied me as I sipped my drink. “Mr. Hunt—”

“Whoa. Jesse, please,” I requested.

“Jesse, then. I do understand why you’d avoid feeding from someone, but we’re willing to shed a little blood for you. There’s really no reason to make do with something as paltry as coconut water.”

I shook my head before she could trot all of that out. “I can’t. I’ve never once fed on human blood.”

Barrett inhaled sharply, startled.

“I can’t get the taste in my mouth,” I told her firmly, even as part of me wistfully dreamed about doing just that. “Today, you’re willing to help me out. Tomorrow, I’ll be back to this same diet. My willpower isn’t that good, to know what I’m missing and still refrain. Easier to not know.”

A pinched expression drew her face inward as she looked me over from head to toe again. She didn’t have to say it out loud because we were all thinking it: I was starving. Literally, slowly starving to death. Part of the reason why I wanted to talk to Oscar was to learn how vampires legally and ethically fed themselves. The rogue vamp hadn’t taught me anything beyond surviving. He’d taught me precious little, in fact. If I could just learn their secret, my life would be much better for it.

If not, well…I didn’t know how much longer I’d live.

I focused on my drink, gulping down a mouthful and sighing in pleasure. It did taste good, so I at least had that going for me.

“Tell me, Jesse. What do you do for a living?” Barrett inquired.

“Lawyer,” I answered carefully around my mouthful. “I focus on real estate and tax law.”

“The boring stuff.”

“The boring and lucrative stuff,” I agreed ruefully. “I hadn’t planned it when I’d gone through college, but I interned at a law firm that mostly handled inheritance cases and real estate, and then I was offered a job after graduating. I got sucked into it, I guess. Made it easy when it came time to move, as everyone needs someone with my skill set.”

“Especially with parts of the West’s real estate market booming,” Barrett remarked, relaxing back into his chair. “I run a construction business, and it’s part of the reason why we moved here. Business is good, very good, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

“Yeah, the common complaint around Flagstaff at the moment is not having enough good skilled labor. I bet your company is in high demand. Do you do handyman work or renovations?”

“Sure, it’s all part of the trade. Why?”

“People buying up properties constantly ask who I’d recommend to do some work. Give me a stack of business cards, and I’ll hand them out.”

Barrett gave me a surprised, delighted smile. “Sure. I’ll get you some before you leave.”

“Where were you before this?”

“Northern California, actually. We were running out of business up there, and the packs in Oregon had started to encroach on our territory.” Barrett shrugged, as if this wasn’t unexpected. “Population boom, at least among the weres. They bought us out, gave us the money and means to move elsewhere. I don’t have a large pack, only about two hundred people, so it was easier all around for us to pull up stakes rather than try to fight with them over territory.”

“Weres, not vampires?” I asked, drink temporarily forgotten as I focused on getting some answers.

“Vampire clans as a rule don’t grow quickly, or experience ‘baby booms,’” Marissa explained patiently. “Only rogue vampires irresponsibly turn others into vampires, you see. Established, older vampires have better sense than that, and they’re very careful on who they turn. Rogues usually don’t give the new vampires any sort of information or training, and the newly turned often go wild as a result and get themselves killed very quickly. You’re one of the rare few who’s survived the initial rebirth process. I’d say there’s less than a hundred vampires on earth who are younger than fifty years old.”

I startled at the number, staring at her with wide eyes. “You’re kidding. That few?”

“Not many are turned to begin with,” she said with a shrug. “And those who are usually don’t survive the first year, which is why Oscar reacted so quickly in sending someone to meet you. The younger vampires are better with technology and understand current trends more than the older vampires, so they’re a precious commodity. When vampire clans do discover a young vampire, they take them in if at all possible.”

That sounded potentially good but also potentially troublesome. I hadn’t realized it was so rare for new vampires to be made, but in a way it made sense. Vampires would have overrun the world already and I would have met some over the last few years if the situation were different. “So you’re saying I have some bargaining power. I don’t necessarily have to throw my lot in with Nash’s group.”

“Correct. Although from what we know of him, he’s not a bad leader. He’s one of the more business savvy of the vampire clans, at least.” Marissa nudged the second bottle of coconut water closer, a gentle reminder to drink and listen. “You’d do far worse than joining him.”

I took her advice with a grain of salt and went back to sipping.

“Oscar will be very excited to hear you’re a lawyer,” Barrett mused. “You’ve got the sort of information and training that makes their lives easier.”

Yeah, I’d bet. If you constantly had to change identities in order to avoid detection from humans, it meant selling properties, doing creative things with tax history, etcetera. I’d worried about meeting vampires and having any ground to stand on, but apparently I had some bargaining power just because of my education. Good to know.

I chatted some more with Barrett and Marissa, learned a few more things, but the smell got to me eventually. The rich scent of blood was so much stronger from a were, stronger than from any human, and it made my canines ache. I think Barrett realized it first, as he offered to walk with me outside and let dinner settle a little. I gratefully seized the excuse and went with him.

The outside air had the twilight scent of warm stone and baked pavement. I stood on the sidewalk for a moment, looking around the neighborhood properly. It had the cookie-cutter look of most subdivisions, the houses all eerily similar to each other as if stamped from the same mold. Which, in a sense, they had been. I saw differences with some of them, recognized the same handiwork as the landscaping around Barrett’s house, and connected the dots. “This entire street belongs to your pack.”

“The entire subdivision basically belongs to us,” Barrett corrected. “We got a steal on most of it because they were foreclosed houses and in bad condition. Still have three of them that aren’t completely done yet, but we’re almost there.”

I heard a vehicle approaching before I saw it round the corner, coming onto this street. A dark SUV sharply pulled up to the curb near us, half straddling the rocky landscaping. It jerked to a stop before a pale man with close-cropped platinum hair hopped out of the driver’s side and came straight for me.

Something about his expression, his attitude, screamed danger. I fell back a step, wary, because I didn’t like the way he stalked toward us. Barrett didn’t either, as he took a step closer to me, a warning growl in his throat.

The vampire stopped and spared him a glance. “Oscar sent me. I’ll handle this.”

Handle ? Excuse you very much, what was that supposed to mean?

In the next second, his pale hand darted out almost faster than I could track, striking as fast as a viper. In my weakened condition, even though I instinctively realized his intentions, I still had trouble jerking out of range.

Something cold and sharp sliced the skin above my collarbone, angling sideways across my neck, and I felt a trail of fire in its brutal wake as I tried to escape. At the exact same moment, Barrett burst into motion, grabbing the hand holding the blade and jerking it roughly back. I heard the sharp snap of a bone giving way, and then the vampire’s face contorted as he screamed in pain.

Gasping, I fell back several steps, hand grasping my open wound, instinctively trying to stop the flow of blood. I could feel the hot liquid pouring out against my trembling fingers and groaned in dismay and pain. Dammit, I didn’t have enough blood in my system as it was, and this idiot was putting holes in me!

People burst out of the houses on all sides, likely alerted by the scent of blood and the screaming, and more than one person went wolf as they tumbled through the door. It made the already tense atmosphere turn lethal. I desperately tried to keep my feet, to stay alert in case the vampire lunged again, but it was hard to pay attention while choking on my own blood.

Outraged, Blondie held his broken arm defensively against his torso and spat at Barrett, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“That’s my line,” Barrett snapped back, and in that instant, amidst my pain, I saw why he was the alpha. This slender man suddenly gave the impression he was twice his actual size, his tone so firm and unyielding that rocks would have leapt to obey him. “I called Oscar for a peaceful relay of information and a meeting, not for you to go stabbity on someone who is a guest in my territory . Are you completely shit for brains?!”

The vampire stupidly bristled instead of apologizing. “I’m well within my rights to—”

“GET OFF MY LAND,” Barrett roared, the hair on his body lifting as if he were seconds away from going full wolf. Several other werewolves howled in agreement or snarled in warning, backing up their alpha.

He might have been stupid, but Blondie apparently had survival instincts. Seeing himself surrounded by hostile werewolves on all sides, he paled even further before scrambling for the safety of the SUV. It took seconds for him to start the engine and gun it out of the cul-de-sac.

Danger now gone, I was losing the battle to stay conscious when Marissa was suddenly right there beside me with a towel, which she pressed against the wound while trying to support my swaying body. I hissed but gratefully moved my hand to allow this, as the towel would be much better at staunching the blood than my soaked fingers.

“Shit, this is bad. It nicked the artery,” Marissa hissed out. “He damn near tried to take your head off, and you’re not in good enough shape for your regenerative powers to quickly take care of this. What the hell was that idiot doing?”

“I don’t know, but Oscar’s ears will ring from this.” Barrett had some assassin eyes going on, visibly livid as he gingerly lifted the towel for a second to get a look. “Dammit. Let’s get him inside. Marissa, call Hector.”

“Hector won’t know how to fix this,” Marissa protested.

Hector must be some sort of doctor. I would have put my two cents in, but the blood loss made me dizzy, and my head felt lighter by the second. My knees buckled, too, and I just knew what was going to happen next and tried to gurgle out, “I’m…gonna fain—”

“Shit.” Barrett reached out and grabbed me just as blackness took over.

I was on fire, or at least felt like I was. Unable to focus beyond a haze of intense pain, I barely registered the soft and cushiony surface under me, or the sopping wet towel pushed against my aching throat. Unable to even scream, I couldn’t focus on anything beyond the burning pain along my frayed nerves. My skin felt like charred kindling, and I was desperately, desperately thirsty. My only relief was a sweet, rich aroma just out of reach, a siren’s call to my instincts. If I could just find the source, I’d be free from this utter agony.

Unable to move, lost to thoughts of finding the overpowering aroma, I caught muffled voices nearby, as if I were listening through cotton.

“—too weak! He should have been able to ward that attack off and heal himself before I even got the call,” a male voice I didn’t recognize said tartly. “I don’t know what you expect me to do. For pity’s sake, feed the poor man!”

“We tried ,” a voice that sounded like Marissa’s snapped from somewhere nearby. “He refuses to feed from people. He says if he does it once, it’ll be too hard for him to resist in the future.”

“If you don’t feed him properly now, he won’t have to worry about it, as he’ll be dead in the very near future,” the unknown voice retorted, sounding fed up. “He doesn’t even have anything left to bleed! Here, hand me my bag. I’ll feed him.”

At those words, a modicum of awareness returned, the feeling of dread swift and sharp.

“ No .” The alpha had spoken, the single word containing a wealth of command and power. “I’ll do it. Wrist?”

“That would be the easiest in his condition. And Barrett, I agree you have the best chance of holding him down if he loses control, but he’s lost too much blood to be able to feed from just one donor. Let’s take this in turns. I’ll go next.”

A pause, then came a clipped, “Fine.”

“N-no,” I rasped in denial, panicking even more when I couldn’t get my eyes to open. Oh god, no, if they did that, I’d be screwed. I wanted to protest more, to tell them to just let me die—I couldn’t live with becoming a monster—but I couldn’t push any more words past my mangled throat.

A warm hand carded through my hair, and Barrett’s low voice whispered near my ear but sounded far away. “Jesse, you don’t deserve to die, and I can’t watch you do it. Please, let us help you. I promise you, you won’t be alone after this. You won’t have to starve ever again.”

What was he saying? What did he mean? I wanted to ask, but once again I couldn’t get the words to formulate, succumbing to another wave of pain. Barrett didn’t give me the time to ask more questions, anyway. I heard a slicing sound, and then the heady, wonderfully sharp scent of fresh blood overwhelmed my fractured mind.

Just like that, all my willpower flew out the window, and my body gave over to instinct, only seeking sweet relief. I didn’t even remember what the word “resist” meant, much less why I should. Something touched my lips, warm and wet, giving me the relief I sought, and I latched onto it greedily. My hands weakly rose, tilting that smooth appendage for a better angle, and I sucked on it with a deep moan of satisfaction, the noise wet and gurgled.

“Well. To no one’s surprise, he’s still polite about matters even while he’s eating,” Marissa observed in amusement, her words clearer than before, less muffled. “And here I thought he’d bite in like a starved dog.”

“It’s not as painful as I thought it would be, either,” Barrett informed her thoughtfully. “It’s almost…pleasant? As strange as it sounds. It now makes more sense to me why people volunteer to be blood donors.”

I felt like they were being rude, talking about me right over my head, but I really couldn’t bring myself to care as the searing pain along my nerves quieted. I lapped at the open wound with heady delight, enjoying the feeling of consuming something that actually filled my stomach for once. The rich taste was nothing short of addictive, and I wanted to drink until I fell into a food coma, but that would be rude and inconsiderate to the man kind enough to feed me. I took two more swallows before I forced myself to stop and pull back. It took a few more moments before I finally found the strength to open my eyes, needing to orient myself.

“No,” Barrett ordered firmly, pressing his wrist back against my mouth. “You’re not anywhere close to full. Keep going.”

With my hands still on his wrist, I had the leverage to push back, barely. He wasn’t even using a quarter of his strength, though, I could tell. “I-I don’t want to drain you.” I had to force the whispered words around a small lump in my throat, but I figured they got the message.

“He’s right,” Hector—I assumed this middle-aged man standing behind Barrett to be Hector, at least—intervened. “It’s safe enough for us to help, Barrett. Let me go next.”

As Hector left to fetch a fresh scalpel, I turned my head just enough to catch Barrett’s worried eyes and tried for a smile. “Thank you. You’re, uh, delicious.”

He snorted, then burst out laughing, although it sounded tinged with disbelief. “You’re welcome. God, you scared me. I’m glad you’re feeling well enough to joke.”

“Is it a joke if it’s true?” I teased him in a low voice. I really did feel much better. Even with a cut on my throat, I hadn’t felt this good in years.

Barrett gave me a relieved smile. “I’ll take your word for it. Let’s check on your wound before Hector steps in. Does it still hurt?”

“Stings,” I admitted, then winced when he gently pulled the towel off. It had dried enough around the edges to make removing it distinctly unpleasant. “How’s it look?”

“Wound is closing,” he answered in patent relief. “Let Hector and Marissa feed you some, then we’ll try cleaning you up.”

Hector came around to sit at my bedside, his hip against mine. He was older than Barrett, more stocky in build, kind brown eyes meeting mine. He radiated heat like most of the pack members, and he carefully held a scalpel near his wrist, waiting on my signal. “Pleasure to meet you, Jesse.”

“And you, Hector,” I responded, still careful to speak slowly, bemused at the situation I found myself in. “I’m glad you’re all willing to help, I really am, but I’m not sure if I need you to slit your wrist on my account, too.”

“Why don’t you listen to the doctor and eat anyway?” he responded acerbically.

Granted, he had more expertise than me. As I fed, it finally struck me that the one thing I’d feared—losing my head when presented with fresh blood—hadn’t happened. I’d done it, I’d pulled away without hurting someone or taking too much. Holy shit. Too many vampire movies had made me think I’d lose all control, but really, people didn’t lose their minds over food. I mean, I’d never gone insane over delicious curry or ice cream. Turned out feeding as a vampire wasn’t much different. The relief washing through me at the realization was so strong I nearly went giddy under the force of it.

Hector fed me for a few minutes, and it intrigued and disturbed me a little to find he tasted different from Barrett. Not bad different, just…different. Why? Then Marissa fed me, and she tasted different too. This was worrisome because if people could taste different, then that meant people could taste bad. Or really, really good. And what happened if I got a particular craving? I couldn’t just go around snacking on people on a whim.

As my thoughts swirled, I felt a little stronger with each passing moment. I could only equate it to how a dehydrated man wandering through a desert would feel, how his first sip of water would taste like nectar of the gods, and then every bottle of water he drank after that gave back his body the strength it had lost. I felt so, so much better with every mouthful.

I lost track of time during those feedings. I just knew from the streetlight coming in from the windows that it was now night outside. The wound on my throat had taken longer to close than Hector would have liked, but it eventually did, leaving me with a pale pink line he swore would disappear completely after another day. My dress shirt and jacket had long since been removed, probably because they’d been in the way and drenched in blood, so Marissa had borrowed a shirt from Barrett’s closet while the men carefully cleaned me up. Barrett gently lowered the warm pullover on me, and it smelled strongly of sun and the alpha werewolf, a scent I already connected with things like “friendship” and “safety.” I basically swam in the material, like a child playing dress up, but I didn’t want to complain. It was very comfortable and soft. Only then, with me more or less set to rights, did Barrett sit next to me on the bed.

His bed, I realized belatedly. The mattress and bedding all smelled of him, and the pictures he had up on the walls and the traces of him I could see around the room made it very obvious this was his bedroom. Wow. For some reason, I felt privileged.

“First, Jesse,” Barrett started with a very angry expression, “I must apologize. I never once thought you’d be in danger from your own kind. Especially with me telling Oscar you weren’t a rogue, I didn’t anticipate any trouble. I should have guarded you better.”

I held up both hands. “I think you’re very much not to blame for this, Barrett. It’s clear to me there was either a misunderstanding or that blond idiot acted on his own agenda. Oscar gave no indication over the phone that he thought you were harboring trouble. Unless you think he was just pretending?”

Barrett immediately shook his head, looking rumpled and tired. “No. I meant what I said earlier. You’re a valuable resource for any vampire clan, and even without him knowing everything about you like I do, I can’t imagine he’d be so hasty in judgment. It’s more likely a misunderstanding, but now I can’t trust his people with you. I’m going to call him again in a few minutes and tell him what happened, but I want to ask a few things first. Now that you’ve fed from people, are you still scared of it?”

A reasonable question. I wasn’t sure how to answer him, but I tried to put my impressions into words and capture what I now instinctively understood. “Not…as much. I always thought I’d lose control if my teeth ever met skin, and honestly, it’s what worried me the most. I didn’t want to become a monster. But I was still in complete control of myself while feeding from all of you. The only thing I’m worried about now is finding people willing to be my donor. I’m, uh, not sure how to manage that and keep my identity intact.”

He held up a hand, stopping me. “Worry about that part later. So you’re all right with feeding from people now? Good. Okay, here’s my thought. This is a strange situation, and not everyone will agree with me, but hear me out. First off, everyone in the pack who’s met you likes you.”

I blinked at him. What?

“Werewolves get a pretty quick impression of someone,” he explained, mouth curling up at the edges as if he knew very well what I was thinking, “and it normally doesn’t take more than a few seconds for us to decide if we’ll like someone or not. I know you’re going to become good friends with us. It’s just a matter of time. We really don’t like the idea of you being out on your own, especially if you can’t trust other vampires. I also hate the idea of a man with your willpower and skills going to waste, especially when my pack could use them. You’re in the perfect position to help us with the nitty gritty details that come along with keeping our identities hidden. All that said, I don’t want to call another vampire clan and give them another shot at taking you in. Why don’t you just stay with us instead?”