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“McConnell’s durmin tried to capture her in Anatoly’s territory. There was a fight, and Anatoly offered his protection to her,” Gio explained. “McConnell and I had the same maker, so Anatoly asked me if I would speak to him. Ask him to leave Skyler alone.”

Carter stopped eating for a moment. “Nymphs aren’t very powerful, are they?”

“Nymphs bonded with land can be exceptionally powerful when they’re on their land,” Gio argued. “But when off their land, they’re limited.”

“But a landless nymph like Skyler would be really vulnerable, yeah?”

“Demonstrably so,” Gio agreed. “She’s basically trapped inside Anatoly’s building. The strengthened wards keep her safe, but if she leaves, she’s easy prey for any vampire without a flock.”

“We could protect her!” Carter announced. All kinds of urges to protect a woman he’d never met filled him.

Gio frowned. “I’d be no better than McConnell if I forced her to be part of my flock.”

It hadn’t occurred to Carter that she’d say no to their offer. “I didn’t mean we’d make her do anything. We would ask her. We’re both handsome, especially you with all that artistic flair. I bet we could charm the shit out of her! How could she refuse?”

Gio didn’t look convinced. “I guess we could meet her.”

“Tomorrow night?” Carter pushed.

“I’m not sure,” Gio said. “I’ll ask Anatoly if we could meet her at Joy. With the new wards against vampires, I’d need permission in advance.”

The name didn’t sound familiar. “Joy? Is that a bar? Have we been there before?”

“We went when Zan first opened,” Gio reminded him. “Back then, it was called Sanguine. After the human Rissa joined Anatoly’s flock, they renamed it to Joy.”

Carter remembered the place now. It was nice, but he wasn’t one to hang out at pubs or bars. He liked quiet time with Gio or running in the open in his fur. “How do you know all this?”

“Anatoly and I are friends,” Gio said, then gave Carter a rueful grin. “Well, as good of friends as two vampires can be. We speak on the phone occasionally to keep track of each other and share knowledge of the community.”

“Vampire gossip!” Carter teased.

“Hardly,” Gio sniffed, then gave Carter a serious look. “It might take a few days to arrange a meeting. You need to promise me you’ll be patient.”

“Sure,” Carter lied.

Chapter 4

Mila

“I’m afraid you have too much experience for us,” the donut shop manager said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. “You really should be working at a bakery that will appreciate what you have to offer.” She didn’t even bother holding out her hand for a shake, just pointed to the door. “Have a nice day.”

Dismissed.

Mila didn’t bother to keep the smile on her face as she trooped out of the donut shop’s tiny office and out the back door, leaving the scent of sugar, grease, and vanilla behind.

It was a short walk to the shady spot she’d found to park the van. Unlocking the back door, she was enthusiastically greeted by Babette.

“I missed you too,” she whispered to the dog.

Babette whined and jumped up and down a few times. Mila leaned over and picked up the bouncing bundle of fur. Tucking her close, she turned around and sat in the doorway of the van.

After a few licks to her face, Babette settled into her embrace with a happy sigh. Despite her latest setback, having Babette in her arms made her feel better.

“You won’t believe what happened,” she said to the dog.

“I didn’t even get a chance to sit down,” she explained to Babette. “I wasted all that time and data filling out that stupid application on my phone even though it all said the same things on my resume, which they made me upload as well. After all that, she didn’t even want to talk to me. Why did she set up the interview in the first place?”

The feeling of defeat made tears gather in her eyes. It felt so good to talk to Babette that she kept going.