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So, I have to live off what I have with me, which is the money I took from my home safe and my purse. When we were offered to eat with the pack, I was reluctant at first, but quickly realized how beneficial it would be. With us not getting a constant blood supply every day, we had to supplement it with actual food. Groceries are a large expense, and I need to save as much money as I can in case I have to leave again. But clearly that’s not happening.

“Once we get settled and some of the heat dies down, I’ll go over to the next town and hunt.”

“Until then, can we have lasagna tonight?” she asks excitedly.

Shaking my head. I smile. “Yeah, kid.”

I push the cart further up the aisle, stopping at the pasta sauces. A handsome dark-skinned man with the whitest, most perfectly straight teeth I’ve ever seen grabs my attention. Hesmiles at me. His eyes are dark brown and almond-shaped. A thick, full beard accentuates his wide lips. He had his low fade shaped and cut to perfection.

He and I make eye contact as he pushes his buggy past.

He’s absolutely handsome, yet nothing stirred inside me. After three hundred years of this, I’m used to the empty feeling.

Once he passes, I return to shopping.

“Seriously?”

I look over at Marley. “What?”

“I saw that.” She glances over her shoulder at where the guy went. “He was very interested.”

I roll my eyes as I grab our favorite spaghetti sauce. “Well, I wasn’t.”

“You can’t tell me that man wasn’t attractive. I don’t even like older guys, and he was hot.”

I glare at my sister. “He was cute. But I don’t have the time nor desire to be in a relationship.”

She didn’t need to know that I didn’t believe in love. Marley’s still young and had faith that there was a mate out there for her. Someone that would fit her perfectly. I knew the truth.

“Are you seriously telling me you don’t want to fall in love again? You don’t want to spend time with a man that adores you. Someone that thinks of you when you’re away and spends his time making you smile and laugh?”

I stare at the silly smile on her face as she recants the delusional image she has in her head.

“Absolutely not,” I tell her. “Even the thought of it turns my stomach. And if I find out you are spending your time with some hormonal boy, you’ll be spending time at a funeral.”

She scoffs and waves me off. “You’re almost 500 years old. I’m ready to be an aunt.”

We move further down the aisle, placing more things in our cart.

“Have you forgotten you have two older brothers? Both of which have children.”

She wrinkles her nose. “You know I don’t like them or their demon spawn.”

I have to laugh at that. My brother’s kids are awful. They are entitled pricks.

“Well, you better start to like them, because there will be no nieces or nephews from me.”

“You suck,” she teases.

“Yes, I do.” I joke.

Suddenly, my phone rings. There are only two people that have my new number.

“Here, take the cart and get the rest of the stuff on the list. I need to take this.” Handing the cart to Marley, I step away and answer the phone.

“This better be an emergency,” I immediately say as soon as the call connects. I slip out of the automatic doors of the grocery store and onto the sidewalk.

“It is,” my cousin Chelsea or Diya says.