“No,” he replied impatiently, shuffling from foot to foot.

  “Well, I’d like to go before it disappears. Some things aren’t as immortal as others. Before I was asleep, the civilised world told us that it was a land of savages, but that’s not true.”

  “As much as I’m enjoying the history lesson, I want to talk to you about something else,” he hissed into her ear.

  Aya placed the magazine back on the shelf. “And what do you want to discuss?”

  “I want to discuss the corpse you left in the front yard,” he hissed again, looking around to see if anyone was listening.

  “Oh, that,” she said.

  “Yes, that.” He took her arm and forcefully guided her from the shop, smiling at the attendant at the counter, who was eyeing them suspiciously. He took her across the street to the square where he was sure no one was close enough to hear them.

  Turning her to face him, he scowled as she laughed. “What the hell is so funny?”

  “You. Getting all worked up.”

  “It’s not funny, Aya. You left a desiccated corpse in the front yard for everyone to see.”

  “Not true. No one knows the house is lived in. No one comes to visit and the gates are meant to be locked because it is a site of ‘historical significance’. No one is going to see the corpse. I left Dean there to serve as a warning to his buddy who has camped out somewhere in town.”

  “Oh,” Zac said, throwing his hands up in exasperation, “so, the corpse has a name?”

  “Yes,” she replied as if it were the most normal thing to be talking about. “When his friend stops by tonight, he’ll try something else and I will be waiting for him to expose himself.”

  “You can’t just do things and not tell us! I nearly died when I went outside!”

  She laughed again. “Well, I really wish I’d been there to see that.”

  “Then why is it there and not someplace else?” He crossed his arms, glowering at her.

  “Well, you wanted my help. This is me helping. Dean was already in the house while you were sleeping, princess. If I hadn’t been there, it would have been curtains for the Degaud brothers.”

  “And how do you know his name was Dean?”

  “I asked him.”

  “You asked him?”

  “Yes, right before he told me about his friend. Then I killed him. You should’ve been there. I was brilliant.”

  “Jesus.” He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

  “I met a Jesus once,” she said. “He was all right.”

  Zac stared at her dumbfounded. The things that came out of her mouth. Enduring her mood swings was like having a bucket of icy water dumped on his head. “Just get rid of it before anyone sees it.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” she said, mock saluting him. “I will deny Dean his proper burial so his soul will wander for eternity.”

  “Just as long as it doesn’t wander anywhere near the house.”

  Aya began the walk back to the manor in a huff. She couldn’t wait until she came to the forest so she could run. Those boys had no sense of humour at all. Typical men, always thinking they’re right.

  Glaring, she brightened slightly when she saw Alex by the path ahead. He was pruning the hedge that bordered the sidewalk. Hacking would be a better description. He was annoyed, too.

  “Hello,” she said as she came level with him.

  He looked up at her and went back to his work, giving a grunt in acknowledgement.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, concerned.

  Alex shrugged. “Yeah.” He didn’t really convince her, but she didn’t press the subject, either.

  “Do you want to get a drink later?” she asked. “Tonight, I mean.” There was no reason she couldn’t go out and have a bit of fun. The more she was out, the more she could learn about the town and notice who was lurking about, especially that other vampire. He’d probably hang about the town once the sun went down. She knew she would.

  Alex seemed unsure as he said, “I dunno.”

  “I have to go to the manor and take care of something, but I’ll come and meet you after, okay?” She raised her eyebrows to force a response from him.

  “Yeah,” he said with a shrug.

  Something was still bothering him, but for now she had to go deal with Dean, the corpse in the front yard. She smiled and began walking, leaving Alex to finish hacking the hedge.

  There was a prickling feeling at the back of her neck as she walked. It felt like someone was watching her, but glancing around, she saw no one was paying her the least bit of attention. It was better to assume one of Katrin’s cronies were around by default. There was no doubt in her mind that all of them were being watched and she guessed it was Dean’s mate. They wouldn’t try anything in such a public place, but she better be on her guard.

  She continued through the park, her mind, eyes, and ears all out watching for something amiss.

  That night, Alex strode down the gloomy street, his mind wandering. It’d been a long afternoon alone with his thoughts. Ugh, why had he agreed to meet Aya tonight?

  Ever since he overheard Liz and Gabby, he couldn’t stop thinking about what they’d implied about Aya. The more he thought about it, the weirder it sounded. He was ignorant and they were shutting him out. They’d never kept him out of anything before and it hurt.

  He couldn’t shake the feeling at all.

  He really liked Aya, but there was something about her… She’d never really told him what she was doing in town—she’d never seemed to have worked her ‘job’ once. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t really told him anything about herself at all. Nothing specific, anyway.

  Perhaps he should confront her. That might be the only way he would get any answers. Liz had acted like nothing was amiss, but maybe Aya wouldn’t. She seemed the type of person who told things straight.

  He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he jumped as someone bashed into his shoulder. “Hey, watch it, buddy,” he exclaimed.

  The young man who’d bumped into him, turned and put his hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I know you.”

  He was built like a football player, with wide shoulders and thick arms; his blond hair cut into a severe crew. The kind of guy that used to beat him up in high school.

  “No, I don’t think so.” Alex shrugged the guy’s hand away and turned to keep walking.

  “I’m positive.” He followed Alex down the path into the square. “I know you.”

  “Look, buddy. I don’t know you, okay?” If he didn’t try to look the guy in the eyes, hopefully he’d leave him alone.

  The square had become quiet and empty, the people who’d dotted it before had all disappeared. Alex’s heartbeat began to pick up. If this guy wanted to beat him up or mug him, he had the perfect opportunity.

  Alex wasn’t the best fighter. High school bullies had only taught him to run. If he had to take a swing—

  Before he could do anything else, the man grabbed him from behind and turned him around. All Alex saw was the guy’s fist hurtling toward his face. There was a smack as he was punched square in the eye.

  Alex cried out, falling to the ground and clutching his face. “Just take whatever you want. Take my wallet, I don’t want a fight.”

  “I don’t want your wallet,” the guy snarled. “I want you as bait.”

  “What the hell?” Alex tried to scramble backward, but the man grabbed his leg and pulled him across the garden into the woodland area of the park.

  He was pushed roughly against a tree, his head cracking against the trunk. Dazed, he blinked hard, his hand clutching the egg-shaped lump that was already starting to rise. He yelled for help but was punched again, this time his lip splitting against his teeth. The cut was bleeding, the coppery taste of his blood filling his mouth.

  “Shut up,” the blond guy hissed. He pulled a branch from the tree with a superhuman strength that made Alex gasp in fear. Who the hell was this guy?

  “Stupid human,” he muttered. “Just bleed.” Alex tried to shield himself with his arms as he was hit again and again with the branch, his skin breaking open and bleeding from hundreds of tiny cuts. The blond guy laughed. “That’s it. They’ll come now with the blood. They’ll want to save you.”

  Alex couldn’t understand what the guy was talking about, he seemed completely insane. If he didn’t do something, he’d be beaten to death with a branch by a crazy person.

  He tried to kick out, but couldn’t connect with anything, but at least the assault from the branch stopped. Scrambling to his feet, he was too late to see the branch come at him from the left. It tore a gash in his forehead, ripping through skin as the force threw his head to the side.

  He was jerked to his feet, a hand clutching his throat. Alex cried out in surprise as he was wrenched in close to the crazy guy’s face. His eyes were black and his teeth… His teeth could only be described as fangs.

  Alex shook as terror overtook him. What the hell was he?

  He cried out as the guy leaned in and bit his neck. He tried to struggle, but he was held tightly. Jesus, he was being eaten alive by a vampire-wannabe weirdo.

  He panicked and tried to struggle harder, but he was losing blood. His limbs felt like they were filled with lead.

  Then the guy wasn’t there anymore, and he fell to the ground, landing heavily on his knees. It barely registered that his attacker had been thrown fifty feet away into a tree.

  Sam was pulling him up, propping him against another tree. Sam, his best buddy to the rescue. But when Alex looked again, he had the same eyes as the crazy cannibal who’d attacked him.

  “Jesus,” he yelled, but couldn’t make his limbs work.

  “It’s okay, Alex,” Sam said. “Sit tight, I’ll explain everything. I’ve just got to deal with this guy.”

  Slack-jawed in shock, Alex could only nod.

  When Sam caught the scent of Alex’s blood on the breeze, he knew it wasn’t good. He ran as fast as he dared toward its source, trying not to draw any attention from the surrounding people on the street.

  In the distance, he caught sight of two figures between the trees. He roared in fury as he realised a vampire had Alex and was feeding on him.

  He had to protect his friend, no matter what. Even if he found out, he had to save him.

  Grabbing the vampire from behind, he threw him clear across the path into a tree. A sickening thud echoed as his body collided with the trunk before it fell to the ground.

  There was so much blood, he couldn’t help it when his eyes misted over into black. He grabbed Alex, heaving him up against the tree behind him.

  “Jesus,” Alex yelled in shock as his eyes focused on his face. He would have to explain to his friend later.

  “It’s okay, Alex,” Sam said. “Sit tight, I’ll explain everything. I’ve just got to deal with this guy.”

  The vampire had picked himself up and was advancing on them. As he came within striking distance, Sam punched the side of his head and a sickening crack echoed through the park. The vampire was either newly made or older than Sam was because the punch didn’t seem to bother him at all. His fist connected with Sam’s jaw, the force sending him backward. He landed heavily on his back, the air pushed from his lungs.

  As he lay gasping for breath, his eyes widened in surprise as he caught sight of Aya perched on a branch above him. She pressed her index finger to her lips to silence him and gestured toward the vampire and then back down to him.

  Without giving away her position, he got up as quickly as he could…and not a moment too soon. The vampire was on him again, viciously punching him in the ribs. As he doubled over, instinctively clutching his side, he was kneed in the face and blood gushed from his nose and split lip.

  Sam didn’t even have a second to regain his composure before he stumbled back under the tree. The vampire had him around the neck in the blink of an eye, laughing in triumph. “Looks like I won,” he crowed.

  But Sam had already lured him into position. Aya dropped lithely from the tree onto the vampire’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Hello,” Aya crooned in his ear. Before he could compose himself, she sunk her fangs into his jugular, making him lose his grip on Sam’s neck.

  Sam, now free, tore a branch from the tree and plunged it through the vampire’s heart, barely missing Aya as she let him go.

  “Hey,” she cried, shoving the now dead vampire aside. “Watch it. We’re on the same side, remember?”

  Sam smiled, his chest heaving. “You knew what you were doing.”

  Aya smiled wickedly. “I see you’re the one who got all the book smarts.”

  “Thanks,” he puffed, wiping his bloody nose on his sleeve.

  They turned back to Alex, who was fixed to his spot against the tree in absolute terror. Sam glanced at Aya and she nodded.

  She knelt next to their hurt friend and put her hand on his. “I’m sorry, Alex. We came as fast as we could. Where are you hurt?” Her voice was soft, concerned.

  He was obviously afraid of them but didn’t scream or try to run. “I’m cut all over my arms. My face…”

  Aya nodded and turned to Sam. “You have to heal him.”

  “Why?” he asked, confused. “Can’t you?”

  “My blood will make it worse. If he has enough, it will kill him…and you. Make sure you remember that,” she said firmly, gesturing for him to kneel.

  At the mention of blood, Alex’s eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted. Frowning, Sam leaned over his unconscious body and wiped Alex’s brow with his sleeve. The blood didn’t bother him—he’d worked hard to keep that side him under control—but head wounds bled profusely. It was in all their best interests if he healed that first.

  It was a secret they kept close—that vampire blood could heal a human’s wounds and much more…with one caveat. If blood was given too late, then it was vampirism for the human.

  Sam wondered why Aya’s blood would do the opposite and act like poison. She wasn’t an ordinary vampire, perhaps that had something to do with it. He made a mental note to warn the others.

  “That was one of Katrin’s, right?” he asked.

  “That was Dean’s friend,” Aya replied. “I was waiting for him.”

  “Who’s Dean?”

  “The corpse-crow.”

  Sam rolled his eyes and dripped his blood on each of Alex’s wounds.

  As soon as he was done, Aya herded him toward his car as he carried Alex’s limp body, eager to get their friend home and safe.

  Zac found Liz at the same table as the day before, but this time with a bottle of Johnny. Really, he didn’t know why he came to the bar on today of all days. His brother was supposed to be here, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  He sat across from her, cocked his head to the side, and waited for her to speak first.

  Instead, she pushed the bottle across the table, staring at her hands.

  She was upset and obviously didn’t want to talk about it. All dressed up and no do-gooder boyfriend in the vicinity. He wondered what Sam was doing, standing Liz up when he knew today was important.

  They finished the bottle in silence and when it became obvious that Sam wasn’t coming, Zac took her arm and they left the bar. Hovering outside on the sidewalk, he wasn’t sure if he should take her home or not.

  Finally, she spoke. “It was today, you know,” she said, shivering.

  He glanced sidelong at her, gauging her expression. It had been a year since she’d died, since she had become a vampire. The anniversary had become lost, forgotten in the chaos of his stupid mistake and Aya’s chaotic presence.

  “Yeah, I know,” he told her.

  They stood awkwardly on the sidewalk for a moment. Liz was upset and he wanted to be there for her. Selfish as it was, his heart ached.

  Turning, Zac gazed at her as she looked out into the darkness of the gardens across the street. He’d wanted to kiss her at least once before he had to give her up. Just once.

  Liz turned, returning his stare.

  Reaching down, he ran his thumb across her cheek and drew a sharp breath as she sighed. Drawing close, he kissed her softly on the lips, lingering, testing her response, but he didn’t need to. She kissed him back with a fire he didn’t think she possessed.

  “Liz,” he whispered, completely in her trance. He was ripping a hole in his brother’s heart behind his back, but he couldn’t stop himself even if he tried. Regardless, he pulled back.

  “I…” he began, but this time, she kissed him and whatever he’d been thinking about was lost.

  Only twenty minutes had passed when Alex sat bolt upright, gasping for breath. Sam and Aya had bundled him into Sam’s car and brought him home. The beauty of a small town was that it never took long to get anywhere.

  They were still out the front of his house when he came to, having just put him on the bench on the porch.

  Sam looked at him warily, unsure what his reaction would be. If he totally flipped out, he was prepared to compel him if it protected his sanity. Alex was his friend and while he disliked the idea, he knew he had to protect Liz and Zac first. He was sure Aya could protect herself.

  Alex put his face in his hands and groaned. “What the hell are you, Sam?”

  There was no use hedging around the topic.

  “I’m a vampire. And Aya…” he glanced at her, “Aya is a vampire, too.”

  Alex stood and leaned against the front door. “I heard Liz and Gabby talking about Aya. This is what they meant, wasn’t it?”

  “Probably,” she replied.

  Alex glanced at Aya. “How old are you really? I mean, you’re not twenty-five, are you?”

  “No. I’m a lot older than that. I’ve been around quite a few more lifetimes that I had originally planned, but I’m flattered that you think I’m twenty-five.”

  “How old?” he whispered.

  “I think you should tell him your age first,” she said to Sam. “Ease him into it.”

  Sam grimaced. “I’m one-hundred and sixty-seven.”

  “You say that like its normal!” Alex threw his hands up in annoyance. “And you?” He jabbed a finger at Aya.