Page 60 of Cruel Destinies

Piper nodded ever so slightly, little puffs of air releasing from her mouth as she breathed quickly. “That sounds lovely.”

I put my arm around her shoulder, knowing that my own lack of body heat would do little for her, but I hoped she’d at least take some comfort in the gesture.

I never thought I’d see the day I’d be walking a vampire Initiate back to my apartment, but that was precisely what I was doing.

***

I opened the door for Piper, and we walked into the apartment complex.

“Thank you,” she said through chattering teeth as she quickly entered the warmth of the lobby.

I watched as she eyed the large gas fireplace with several couches and chairs surrounding it.

“I’ve got a smaller fireplace in my apartment,” I said. “You can warm up there.”

She nodded, and together, we walked through the lobby and past the restaurant that was closed for the evening.

I took long strides as I passed my neighbors’ doors. I didn’t know them—I generally kept to myself. Getting to know humans was dangerous. All it took was for one of them to find out I was less than human, then suddenly, a group of hunters would be forcing their way through my door. Because I was athreat to the community.Yes, it had happened once, but before I’d moved to Chicago.

We finally arrived at my place. Judging by the door being intact, it was obvious that Hadrian hadn’t forced entry.

“Should I be concerned that Hadrian could so easily enter my apartment?” I muttered as I tested the doorknob. The door was unlocked, and I threw Piper a hesitant glance.

She shrugged. “Hadrian’s the most powerful vampire in the world. I’m not sure there’s any place that could keep him out.”

I snorted. “Except for the shifter school.”

“For now.”

I pushed the door open, the dim lamp in the far corner of my apartment shining through and revealing a woman with black hair styled in a pixie cut lying unconscious on my authenticKashan rug. I recognized her immediately as my neighbor from three doors down. I’d never spoken with her before and didn’t even know her name. Her head was tilted to the side, revealing a vampire bite in the softness of her pale neck.

The slow and subtle beating of her heart told me Hadrian hadn’t drained her completely, and I was relieved to know that she was still breathing—at least for now.

Stepping past her, I found Hadrian sitting in the only heirloom I’d salvaged from the Skye Boarding House a hundred years before.

Anger rose within me seeing him sitting smugly in the chair that had survived the destruction of vampires, but I didn’t let it show. Hadrian was staring at me with disinterest.

“There’s our Winter Watcher,” Hadrian said softly.

“You left a mess on my rug,” I deadpanned.

“Her name was Jolene,” he said, crossing one leg over the other as he sat up straight. “And it appears your pet is doing a fine job cleaning things up.”

I shooed Rainbow away, and the cat meowed in frustration as it hid behind the curtains. It was one thing to see a vampire guzzling blood, but it was beyond unsettling seeing a cat lick the bloody remnants as if they were the spills from a bowl of milk. Was Rainbow showing vampiric tendencies? After all, the thing had died, and I had noticed the small creature pawing at the blood bags I’d been drinking the past few days.

I made a mental note to talk to Shea about it.

Hadrian chuckled. “She sacrificed a date with a doctor to spend the evening with me.”

Disgust bubbled in my throat. “You hypnotized her to gain entrance into the apartment complex?”

Hadrian nodded, his eyes flashing back down to the sleeping form on the rug. Tapping his head, he said, “She wasn’t endowed with much up here. Really, it was far too easy to control her mind. But her blood was remarkably sweet. I’d highly recommend drinking from her at some point, if you get the chance.”

I didn’t even entertain the idea. “Why are you here?”

He smiled as he leaned forward. “I came for an update, of course.”

I blinked a couple of times. “An update? On what?”

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