Page 34 of Unhallowed Murder
“I consider the coterie’s wolves mine, since they’re part of our security team and I’m in charge of them, but really, everything belongs to Abbott.” He shrugged. “The point is, I feed from my wolves so frequently, a change to a different shapeshifter is nice. I rarely feed from humans these days — shapeshifters give so much more of their life force. Abbott’s flock is fed a specific menu, so their blood always tastes exceptionally good. My wolves have a list of forbidden foods, but they’re allowed to eat as they wish on a rotating cycle. We have enough, they aren’t always on the menu.”
“Which foods?”
He shook his head. He wasn’t going to make her feel as if she shouldn’t eat garlic or asparagus. Not many people liked cooked cabbage or Brussels sprouts these days, so those items weren’t usually a problem.
“Fine. Don’t tell me about the food, but you didn’t answer the male or female question.”
Spoken like a skilled interrogator. He was rapidly falling for this woman.
No, he’d already fallen for her.
“It depends upon my mood. I enjoy both, for different reasons.” He sighed. He didn’t have to dig into her mind to know where her questions were leading. “Ask what youreallywant to know, please.”
“It’s none of my business.”
She didn’t know it yet, but her life was now his business, and his life was going to be hers. He answered even though she hadn’t asked.
“I can feed without the fucking part, but I don’t often do so. Sometimes, Abbott sends a ‘feed only’ treat, and I don’t push for more. A few of the coterie wolves don’t like being fucked by me, so when they come up on the schedule, I only feed from them because I’m not a monster.”
Unless there was an attitude problem and it was necessary, but that was a different conversation. He glanced at her and looked back to the road. “I wish I knew what you’re thinking, but I won’t go back on my word, so I’m not looking.”
“Tigers aren’t especially monogamous, but I find I’m envious of whoever you’ll screw tomorrow when you awaken.” A sigh. “I’m not asking you not to have sex with them, but you’re nice enough not to look, so it seemed I should tell you.”
He sensed a sudden question — something she’d just thought of — a microsecond before she asked, “You screw the menandwomen? No, don’t answer that, of course you do. I remember someone telling me the long-lived are almost all bisexual.”
“I believe the modern term is pan, and yes, I am. Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all, it was just a surprise, until I considered it.”
“I won’t fuck anyone else for the near future, at least until we figure out whatever is happening between us.”
“I didn’t ask that of you.”
“I know, but it feels important. We need to figureusout. The spark got us started, but now we have to…” He caressed her cheek. “Like someone weaving a tapestry, we must weave the details of our lives into a single image. How it looks is entirely up to us.”
Her sent went off the charts into alarm and she exclaimed, “Fuck, I work with a bunch of human detectives. I can’t date a vampire!”
Right, because eventually, they’d realize they only saw him at night, and would try to create reasons for him to show up during the day. Detectives have to pick at the unknown. It’s who they are.
“Not a problem,” he assured her. “Abbott and Kendra are better at long term adjustments. I can ask them to make sure no one who works with you will wonder why they never see me during the day, and will never do a deep background check. It’s solid, and will hold up to scrutiny, but your men might smell something just because they’re so good at their jobs.”
“I want to forbid you from screwing with their heads, but I know that isn’t realistic. Nothing yet, though. Okay?”
* * * *
Ronnie’s cop instincts went on alert at the two unknown men on the balcony when Josef pulled into the back parking lot of The Billiard Club at close to one in the morning. She opened her door and stood to get a better look, her hand close to her weapon because strange men in an alley might mean problems. Her gaze met that of a gorgeous vampire. His companion wasa werewolf, and just as beautiful. She breathed out and relaxed. They belonged here.
Josef exited the car slower than her. “I’m more than capable of protecting you, should it be necessary, though it isn’t this evening.” He walked her up the steps and introduced everyone. “Lieutenant Veronica Woods, meet The Abbott and Spencer. Abbott, Spence, this is Ronnie.”
“It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance,” said Abbott. “We’ve been most curious about you.” He eyed Josef. “This is a woman who will never wait for someone to rescue her. She might call for a pickup after she’s slaughtered those who mean her harm, or perhaps arrested them if they’re human, but I don’t think the protective knight thing is going to work with her.”
“What he means to say,” Spencer said, “is that Josefneverfalls head over heels, and we’ve been dying to meet you. Have you eaten? The kitchen’s about to close — want to help me eat whatever was cooked and not ordered? There are always appetizers at the end of the night.”
“No, thank you. Josef is quite good at keeping me fed.”
“And I have a task to complete for her,” Josef told them, “so I’m going to have to disappoint you by squirreling her away with me in a sleeping room a few hours.”
After about ten seconds, Abbott looked at Ronnie with a new understanding. They’d been telepathing, apparently. “Ah. I see. Well, I look forward to getting to know you better another time.”
