Page 5 of Imperfect Gifts

“Or we send another vampire with her who can handle the people in surrounding vehicles,” Dev said. “She usually prefers to drive on the sand dunes in video games, where she doesn’t have to worry about staying on the road so much, but she’s quite good at racing through the city, too.”

* * * *

Genie was suddenly happy to still be in Dev’s arms, watching this adorable little girl in pigtails with fancy bows that matched her fancy dress, and little girl shoes with little white socks — and knowing she was a centuries-old vampire with so much power, Genie wanted to rub the goosebumps on her arms.

“I apologize,” Brooke said. “I forget to contain my power when I’m playing games, sometimes.” A timer went off in the game, and she quickly thumbed through a menu to save her place before turning the game and screen off.

And she was just a little girl who didn’t feel at all like a vampire, though her eyes told acompletelydifferent story.

“We will owe the bikers recompense for your fear. You weren’t physically injured, but you were in fear for your safety, and that should’ve never happened.”

The little girl gave Dev a brief look that chilled Genie to the bone. Genie wanted to make sure Dev wasn’t to be punished, but she knew better than to tell a Master Vampire how to manage her people.

“Dev rescued me, and he took good care of me.”

“I hear what you are saying. Do you wish to see the mountain lions being punished? I can pull up a video feed if it’s important.Or you can watch later, when I allow Mad Dog and Frost to view the video.”

She shook her head. “I appreciate that there needs to be consequences, but I don’t need to see it, Master Brooke.”

“You may call me Brooke. Do you have a preference for placement of the bite?”

* * * *

Brooke’s body language told Dev he was most certainly going to be punished for not adequately keeping their houseguest safe, not to mention the brief look she’d given him, and then Brooke’s silence about it when Genie tried to protect him solidified that knowledge. Honestly, while he didn’t look forward to whatever she’d decided upon, it was a relief to know she wasn’t going to let it slide. Dev was ultimately Brooke’s creature, and he’d fucked up.

She paid his salary, but she was so much more than his employer. He considered this home to be his primary residence, but it was owned by Brooke, not Dev. He wasn’t her slave, and yet, she was the master of the coterie.HisMaster, and he was fully blood-bonded to her. Also, that bond was what gave him long-life. He’d have died centuries ago if he hadn’t belonged to her, if they didn’t love each other. The connection between them powered the magic, and it wasn’t romantic love in this case, but it was love, nonetheless.

Brooke gave him near-total autonomy in how he handled the jobs she gave him, but a fuck-up is a fuck-up, and should be addressed.

But that would come later. For now, he sat in a large chair, built for his size and not Brooke’s, and situated the little owlet on his lap, her chest to his, her head turned and rested on his chest.

Little Genie hadn’t voiced a preference, and Dev knew from experience it’s easier for the vampire to come in from behindwhen there isn’t an established relationship. It’s less intimate. Less personal. Less awkward.

Brooke nodded her approval at his choice, and she levitated up to sit on Dev’s thighs. Since Genie was straddling them and Brooke’s knees rested on top of them, the vampire was tall enough to easily reach Genie’s neck.

Dev had tilted Genie’s head so the side with shorter hair was accessible. Brooke touched beside where she intended to bite, licked the spot a few times to put the deadening saliva on, and then took her time sinking her teeth into the little owl.

Dev had been told that, for a vampire, predators taste completely different than prey, and that feeding from a shifter who is both predator and prey is a special delicacy. Not something they want all the time, because most powerful vampires prefer to drink from apex predators, but it’s a special treat.

Genie relaxed into Dev while Brooke fed, and he used his left hand to lightly embrace Brooke as well. Dev adored Brooke and he loved watching her feed.

Everyone in the coterie knew down to their toenails that Brooke is far from a child, and yet she looks like a child, so feeding her seems to mean more than feeding an adult vampire.

The deal with the bikers was that the coterie would provide a safe place for the owl to sleep after she fed Brooke, and would feed her before she went to sleep and then again when she rose — and would then provide transportation to her apartment. Dev had originally planned to let the coterie’s usual driver take her, but if he could splice away enough time, he’d personally drive her home.

Dev also planned to eat both meals with her because the little owl fascinated him.

And if he wasn’t mistaken, she’d offered sex. He needed to let Brooke know so she could negotiate that with the bikers, but not yet.

Chapter Four

Genie awoke in a strange place, but the first scent she smelled was Dev’s, and she knew she was safe. He wasn’t in the room, but he’d tucked her in after eating a meal of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and gravy with her.

Dev was a large man, and he’d put away a ton of food. Genie had been hungrier than usual after feeding the vampire, so she’d eaten more than usual as well.

She looked at her phone to doublecheck the time, nearly six in the evening, scanned through her text messages, and replied to Frost, assuring him she was fine. Apparently, Brooke was awake already and had contacted Mad Dog to apologize for the breach in protocol. Genie understood the supernaturals took a promise of safety and protection seriously, but she hadn’t actually been hurt. Only scared.

Her phone rang, she saw it was Frost and answered, and he told her, “If we’d known you were attacked, we’d have brought you home before you had a chance to feed Brooke.”

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