Page 31 of The Vampire's Thirst
“Idaho.”
“Near the Nez Perce reservation?”
Chiara nodded.
At least part of the plan worked. He was in a familiar region. “How far from here did you find me?”
“About a half-mile.”
“Last I remember is coming through the Whorl with two demons and a warlock on my six. I killed one.”
The same portal was too remote to hitch a ride home. Little traffic. Also, the bad guys might be covering it. He needed another gateway where Aeternal travelers passed through frequently.
The female curled her legs beneath her fine ass. “The dogs found you. Some men were hightailing it through the brush, dragging someone between them.”
Dax carried his tumbler to a window. When he drew the curtains aside, he threw back the last swallow of his drink. No one was outside. “Did anybody follow you back to your cabin?”
Though Ivan’s ear twitched, the dog didn’t stir.
“I don’t think so. Demons? A warlock? From your place?”
“Yeah.” He turned to lean against the windowsill, a bare foot cocked over the other.
“Apparently, sunlight does not bother you.”
“Huh?”
“You’re standing in it.”
“Don’t believe all the vampire shit we’ve fed humans over the years. How close are we to Seattle?” There, he could seek help from Braelyn’s father, who owned a tabloid, or from an Alliance office.
“Five or six hours by car. More if it’s snowing in the mountain passes. An unseasonable cold spell is on the way. A bad storm, I hear.”
“How about Missoula?” That was a well-traveled portal. Someone always coming or going.
“Maybe three-and-a-half hours. Again, more with snow.”
“Do you live here alone?”
“Why?”
Dax snarled, his patience thin. Conversation with the little witch was a challenge.
Chiara shivered. “Don’t snap, snarl, or growl. Yes.”
“Why the boonies by yourself?”
“My business. I don’t know you well enough to tell my life story.”
“After I saved you from a burning car?”
With an arched brow, she looked over the rim of her untouched glass of booze. When she took a sip, her nose wrinkled. “You’re playing that card?”
“Fair enough.” He wasn’t much of a sharer himself. Dax returned to his relaxed slouch on the sofa. He hadn’t been to Missoula. He hadn’t visited Seattle either. Both locales were out unless he had wheels. “You have a car?”
“Yes.” Chiara’s stomach rumbled.
Dax grinned. “Did you growl at me?”
