“Yeah, it does.”

  She ran her hand over Dane’s bare chest. “What if this has to do with a completely different situation than you’re thinking of? I mean, what would anyone hope to gain if they set you up for the ambush? You ended up being turned into a vampire. What was the worst thing you lost?”

  “Being a full hunter.”

  “And? Your brothers stuck by you, but my family hadn’t. But we both lost the people we were engaged to.”

  He snapped his fingers. “Moose had always wanted to date my fiancée. He was so angry when I asked her to marry me, she said yes, and her family was all behind our marriage. Until I was turned. Hell. He wouldn’t have dared do that. If they learn he was behind that, he would be putting his own life in danger.”

  “Yeah, but maybe he didn’t realize Lucilla was going to turn you and keep her for her own. Maybe he thought she would just kill you with her vampire minions and then no one would ever know that was the deal.”

  “Hell.”

  “But that’s just conjecture. How can we prove something like that? I mean, other than the fact he is dating your ex. Talk to him? Or, wait, what about talking to informant Green?”

  “That’s it!” Dane said. “We can make him tell us what was really going on. I always forget we can make humans do what we want.”

  “I know. It seems like it’s something illegal that we’re doing. But really, we’re not. It’s like giving them a truth serum and then they just tell us the truth about the situation.”

  “Yeah. I agree, though it’s hard to remember that we can do that sometimes.”

  “Too bad we can’t control a hunter’s mind to learn the truth from the proverbial horse’s mouth,” Jacqueline said.

  “True. But if Green will tell us the truth, that’s all we need.”

  “Do you know how to get in touch with him?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I’ve got his cell number, though usually he calls me to tell me what’s going on. I’ll give him a call.” Dane pulled out his cell phone and called Green, but he didn’t answer the call. He left a message.

  “What if Moose is afraid that Green might tell on him, especially now that you’re a vampire and can get Green to tell you the truth?” Jacqueline asked. “If he had anything to do with this.”

  “Moose probably doesn’t believe I would ever think that he was the one who set me up if he was.”

  “Hmm, that’s probably so. And Green probably wouldn’t just come clean with you, afraid of what Moose or you might do to him. Unless maybe you point-blank ask him, but in any event, your vampiric persuasion should get to the truth,” Jacqueline said. “We just need to get to him.”

  “I hope nothing bad has happened to him.” Then Dane got a call from Green, and he put it on speakerphone, “Yeah, Green?”

  Green said, “Hey, I just saw your message. If you want to see me, I’ll be at the vampire club, the Blue Moon at three.”

  Dane glanced at Jacqueline to see if she wanted to do it.

  “I’m game,” she said.

  “My girlfriend and I will be there,” Dane said, then ended the call. “We slept so late that we can have lunch and then go shopping for your engagement ring.”

  “Oh, yes!”

  They made tuna fish salads, and then they headed over to a nearby jewelry store. Jacqueline was so excited. When they reached the store, they began looking at all the engagement rings. She loved a gold ring that had a half-carat diamond.

  “How about this one?” Dane asked, showing her a one-carat diamond.

  “Are you sure?” She loved it but she didn’t want him to pay so much for it.

  “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

  She smiled. “I love it. That’s the one I want. Thank you so much, Dane. I love you.”

  “I love you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.” Dane paid for the ring.

  Then the jeweler resized it for her, but Dane took the ring, got on one knee, and asked her, “Will you marry me?”

  She had never expected him to do it at the jewelry store. She loved him for his spontaneity. “Of course I will. I love you.”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear. I love you too.” Then Dane slipped the beautiful ring on her finger and kissed her.

  The jeweler and store clerks all cheered and clapped. She figured nobody had probably ever proposed in the store. She was so happy. Then they left the store, the beautiful ring sparkling on her finger. She couldn’t believe she would be engaged to another hunter ever.

  Then he drove her to her place. “We’ll need to dress up a bit. Are you sure you want to do this? We could go together, but you could stay out in the truck, and I’ll go in and speak to Green, or ask him to come outside to speak to both of us.”

  “Nope. We’re in this together.”

  Dane was so glad Jacqueline was marrying him. She was the perfect mate for him. “Okay. I’ll drop you off at your place and be back in a few minutes to pick you up.” Then they kissed and hugged, and she vanished. He really wanted to know if they would be accepted in the vampire club, but no matter what, he wanted to speak with Green and learn the truth. Had a hunter set him up or not? And if so, who had done it?

  He returned home and Princess purred and greeted him. “Sorry, Princess. Your momma and I have more business to take care of.” Then he vanished and ended up in his bedroom, thinking about moving Jacqueline into his place now and not waiting5, if she was agreeable, and selling hers. There wasn’t any reason for them to live apart any further. He just hoped she wanted to do it.

  He quickly dressed in a white shirt, black trousers, and black dress shoes, and glanced at his tie rack. But he thought he didn’t really need to wear a tie.

  He hoped going to the vampire club wasn’t a big mistake. No matter what, he didn’t want Jacqueline to be in harm’s way for anything.

  Maybe Jacqueline was crazy, but she really had wanted to go to the vampire club to see what it was like. To see if they could fit in, or would the vampires know they were both hunters and not just vampires. Though it would be hard not to just go and enjoy themselves without looking for rogue vampires while they were at it. Or being self-conscious about not belonging and listening to the conversations all around them about the hunters who shouldn’t be there.

  She dressed in a black cocktail dress with a flouncy skirt and spaghetti straps, her red hair the perfect contrast. She wore high heeled black shoes too, even though fighting in them could be more difficult. But she had to think that she wouldn’t be in a fight. If she and Dane stirred up trouble, they would just need to leave. She eyed her sparkling diamond ring and was thrilled that she could say she was engaged to Dane, whom she loved with all her heart.

  Then she heard Dane’s truck pull up and she headed outside. He was already out of his truck wearing black trousers and a white shirt, dress shoes, no tie, so he looked dressy but not overly so. He smiled appreciatively at her, kissed her, and opened her door for her. “Man, am I glad you’re with me.”

  She loved that about him. One minute, they were in a vampire or a hunter fight, trying to take down a rogue, watching each other’s backs, the next, dressed and glamorous, ready to enjoy the nightlife. Well, at least they looked like it. She wasn’t sure they would be doing much more than speaking with Green, not dancing until the place closed down. But she was glad Dane was so free with his compliments where she was concerned. Van had always been stingy with them, as if he thought telling her she looked nice might go to her head.

  Dane fastened his seat belt, and they were on their way.

  “Well, I’m so glad you’re with me. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Not only as a fighter companion, but also as my lover, loyal friend, and fiancé. And you dress up nice.”

  He chuckled. “You are the same for me. Not that I would have wished this on either of us, but it really was a wakeup call as far as who we were engaged to be married to.”

  “Yes! Even little things like dancing. Van and I loved to dance, but he would dance with other women friends, like being with me wasn’t enough. And of course the hunting business. Oftentimes, hunter mates hunt together. They’re always there for each other. They can have different hobbies or interests or friends, but their mate comes first.”

  “Precisely. Why bother mating each other otherwise?”

  “That’s just what I was thinking.” She realized she had a lot more negative things to say about Van than Dane had about Wendy. Maybe they were more compatible than she had been with Van. Maybe the only thing that was wrong between them was the business with him being turned and her parents being unhappy about it. Then again, Dane did say that he didn’t like hunting with her.

  “Okay, contingency plans?” Dane asked Jacqueline as they neared the vampire club.

  She appreciated that he wanted to hear what she wanted to do first. “We look for Green and try to convince him to go outside with us. If he’s afraid of us and feels more comfortable in the club, he can stay in there with us. Though I keep forgetting that you can tell him that he wants to go outside and then we’ll discuss the situation. If other vampires try to interfere, then we play it by ear. If they’re just trying to give us grief but not really threatening us, we can go about our business. If the vampires begin to get hostile, we’ll leave, get into your truck, and depart the area.”

  “And make a later date with Green?” he asked.

  “No way. We take him with us when we leave.”

  Dane smiled. “I like the way you think.”

  “We have a mission, and if we can accomplish it without getting ourselves killed, I’m all for doing it in any way that we can go about it.”

  “I agree.”

  When they finally arrived at the club, it was in full swing, cars filling the parking lot, a man and a woman talking to each other outside near the door. He was wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt and sneakers, not the look of a vampire at a fancy club. The woman was likewise dressed in jeans and sneakers, her T-shirt featuring a green luna moth. They didn’t even give Dane or Jacqueline a second glance.

  “They look a little underdressed,” Dane said telepathically to Jacqueline.

  “Which may be the reason they’re standing outside the club instead of inside of it. Maybe they aren’t vampires.”

  “Blood bonds,” Dane guessed.

  “Right. And without the appropriate attire, they’re just on the sidelines, looking for a vampire to pay them for their blood, I suspect,” Jacqueline said. This was all so new to her. She hunted down vampires. She didn’t really get into their social customs that much as far as blood bonds went unless she needed to learn more to follow and eliminate a rogue.

  “Yeah. So far so good.”

  23

  The music at the Blue Moon was playing so loudly, they could hear it all the way out into the parking lot. As soon as Dane opened the door to the club for Jacqueline, a big, burly man with a shaved head said, “I haven’t ever seen you in here before.”

  “We’re new,” Dane said, sharing the telepathic communications with both the bouncer and Jacqueline.

  That was a smart move. If the bouncer thought they were blood bonds, they would have given the name of a vampire who had invited them, most likely. As vampires, they could have shown their fangs, but that could be a sign of aggression in any circle. Telepathic communication was perfect because rarely did a hunter have that ability, so in a non-aggressive way, they were able to confirm that they should be allowed to be there. And technically, they were new in more ways than one.

  The bouncer just jerked his head for them to enter.

  Vampires were talking, drinking, and dancing, wearing a variety of clothes from tuxes and full-length gowns to cocktail dresses and dress shirts and dress pants. A few blood bonds were standing at various places in the club—visiting with each other, waiting for a vampire to approach, wanting a drink from them instead of buying bloody cocktails.

  The ceiling was covered in blue lights and stars and a bright white moon. Lights flashed across the dance floor and the people in the club. It was interesting to see the different decors and ambience in the various clubs. Despite the dancing and music, it seemed more subdued in certain areas where vampires and blood bonds were seeking a sexually charged blood-bonding experience.

  “Do you see Green?” Jacqueline asked.

  “No. So we kind of blend in, though no one seems to really notice us yet. We could get a drink,” Dane said.

  “Sure.” But she really wanted to dance. She loved dancing with Dane and listening to the music. She just felt like moving to the beat.

  Dane smiled at her. “Come on, honey.” He took her hand and pulled her into his arms, forgetting about a drink. He began to dance with her, and she loved it.

  “This is so nice.”

  “Even if we’re not at one of our clubs,” he said.

  “When dancing with you,” she said, “anywhere is super good.” She ran her hands over his buttocks, and he smiled at her.

  “If Green doesn’t show up soon, we’re going to have to go home and finish this up.” He kissed her, and she tongued him, finding his canines elongated.

  She smiled, loving how that happened to him. Not only that, but she could feel his arousal pressed against her body. “Oh, I’m all for it.” Then she began hearing some conversations at tables near the dance floor.

  “Isn’t…isn’t he a hunter?” a guy said.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him before. What about her?” the woman next to him asked.

  “I think she’s a hunter,” another woman at their table said. “I don’t know anything about him.”

  Then they got quiet and the next thing they knew, a male vampire approached, and Jacqueline was afraid this was going to go south. But then he asked Dane if he could cut in and dance with her. Ohmigod, no way did she want to dance with a vampire that wasn’t a hunter turned.

  Dane looked like he didn’t like the idea. His teeth had already extended just from dancing close to her and she was afraid he was going to expose them to the vampire and get them in real trouble.

  She squeezed Dane’s hand, curious what the vampire had to say to her. “I’ll dance with him and see what he wants.”

  “All right.” But Dane didn’t seem happy about it.

  She didn’t blame him. She would have felt the same way if he started dancing with a female vampire and left her to fend for herself. But then it happened. A female approached Dane and asked him to dance with her.

  Jacqueline started to dance with the male vampire, keeping her distance from him, unlike how she danced with Dane, while a vampiress, black hair, blue eyes, long red gown, looking hot and sexy, danced with Dane. Jacqueline felt somewhat unnerved dancing with a vampire she didn’t know.

  The blond male vampire dancing with Jacqueline said, “We haven’t seen you here before—the two of you. But my girlfriend thinks you’re a huntress.”

  “I am. And I’m a vampire.” So they were curious about Dane and Jacqueline.

  The vampire raised his brows, then it looked like the light dawned as his jaw dropped. “You were turned.”

  “Right.”

  “Oh.” Then he frowned. “Against your will?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh. We don’t see any of your kind in here ever.”

  “We’re looking for Green, a blood bond we believe might have some information about a hunter who set up my fiancé to be terminated by a rogue vampire.”

  “What if I was a rogue vampire?” The blond guy smiled a little at her, his expression somewhat dark.

  “Then I would have to terminate you.”

  He laughed. She smiled. She was serious and she was sure he realized it.

  “This Green, was he supposed to be here?” the vampire asked.

  “Yes, he told us to meet him here.”

  “I believe he’s in a backroom then, offering sustenance to a vampire—willingly, of course.”

  “Of course.” She really wasn’t here looking for rogue vampires. They had to learn if a hunter was the reason for Lucilla getting the best of Dane.

  “Your name is?” the vampire asked.

  “Jacqueline.”

  “Jacqueline…?” the vampire persisted.

  “Anderson. And you are?”

  “One of the good guys. Reese Butler. We don’t like to see rogue vampires get away with crimes against anyone—hunters, humans, and vampires alike. If we can, we take them down ourselves. But sometimes they have friends who help to protect them. Then they’re considered rogues also. They give us a bad name, you do understand? We can’t have that.”

  “Just like we can’t have hunters turning on other hunters, or humans or law-abiding vampires,” Jacqueline said.

  “I like you. If you weren’t already with a hunter turned, I would make an effort to get to know you better.” Reese gave her a genuine, rather devilish smile.

  She was thinking Dane might want to put him on his terminal list, whether Reese was a rogue or not. “Can you tell us where Green is exactly so we can talk to him briefly?”

  “He’s busy. Believe me, when a powerful—friendly—vampire is busy with a blood bond, you don’t want to interrupt things. Now that you’re one of us, you’ll have to learn how to live by our rules too,” Reese said. “I would be willing to teach you more about us.”

  “Thanks, but we’re good.” Not really. It would be nice, she realized, to make acquaintances with a few decent vampires to learn what they could about their ways. She also was now aware that though she still thought of herself as a hunter, she and Dane were also vampires and there were another set of rules to navigate by as such. “Wait, I have an idea. I would have to ask the others in the group what they thought about it, but maybe a couple of vampires who have always been vampires, or at least early on, centuries ago, could come to a couple of our…uhm, meetings.” She didn’t want to say therapy sessions because it might sound like they were weak. But she thought having vampires speak to them about doing things their way might help the newly turned deal with the changes better.