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“Uh-huh, Layla, she’s one of them.”

“Damn, they got bloodsuckas every fuckin’ where. Oh shit! Is bloodsucka a racial slur like the N-word?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t think they care about stuff like that, but I will ask Zand.”

“It doesn’t really matter. They aren’t supposed to know that I know. I should only call people by their names, even if I know they’re vampires.”

“Facts.”

“What about Harlen?” Morgan’s expression grew serious as her thoughts turned to him.

“What about him?”

“Am I supposed to act like I don’t know what he is?”

“Ah, you can just stop talking to him. You ghost his ass.”

“I’m not going to do that. I like him.”

“What? Morgan, is you cool? I just told you he was a vampire, and he is not one of the good ones from what I’ve been told.”

“I like him. His dick is amazing, so I’m not going anywhere.”

“You can find more amazing dicks.” She really could. She was what the men called exotic. Morgan was bright and White presenting and could live her life White passing if she wanted to. She didn’t have to go looking for more dicks. The dicks would line up and down the street for her.

“I don’t care about his vampire status. He’s what I’m doing right now. I told you. He’s not scary. He comes when I call him. He does what I tell him to do.”

I could tell she meant that shit, so I wasn’t about to argue with her. “I know you’re drawn to him, but you need to be careful. Harlen is unpredictable, and his intentions aren’t always clear.” My voice was soft but firm. I only repeated what Zand told me. I assumed it was all true.

Morgan’s eyes flashed with defiance. “You think I can’t handle myself around him?”

“I don’t know. I just want you to be safe.”

“I’m not some naïve little girl, Coco. I know how to handle myself.”

With a vampire, girl please, I thought, but didn’t dare to say.“I mean, you grown.”

Chanel twirled a strand of her long, wavy hair. “You slept with Zand, and he didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No, he didn’t.” I told her the truth, knowing it wasn’t going to matter either way.

I could tell the idea of Harlen being dangerous thrilled her biracial ass. It had to be Harlen’s vampire status that she loved because she wasn’t even the type to date White men. Craig was Black. The guy before Craig was Black. The real estate guy was Arab, and the old doctor guy was Nigerian African Black.

“I can’t just ignore what I feel for Harlen. There’s something between us, something I can’t explain. It was there before I knew he was a vampire.”

“I’m not asking you to ignore your feelings. I just want you to be aware of the risks and to be cautious. They can kill us easily. They can drink our blood and drain us to death.”

“But they can’t hypnotize us, right?” She asked.

“No, they can’t do that.” I clarified.

“Can they mind control you?”

“Ah, no. They can’t mind control you. They can basically kill you in many ways if they feel like it. Zand told me it goes against their normal rules. He said they want to just live amongst us, but in the shadows. He told me most of them just want to blend in with society without bringing any attention to themselves. He said they don’t have to kill humans to survive.”

Morgan blew out a breath of sheer relief. “Okay, well, that means what I’m feeling is real. Harlen didn’t glamour me like in True Blood or mind control me or anything. I had control of my mind and body, and I just wanted to be with him.”

Well, that was a way of looking at it. It was one hundred percent clear she was going to date, sleep with, and whatever else with Harlen, despite the danger.