Page 75 of Bitten Vampire

“When you put it like that, itdoessound bad,” I mumble, then laugh, low and humourless. Who would have thought mousy Winifred would cause such a stink?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

James openshis mouth to reply, but the man who has been propping up the bookshelves glides forward first. Even at a glance he radiates danger. He has dark hair and skin, is leaner and shorter than Valdarr, yet moves with the predatory ease of a seasoned fighter. Anyone with half an instinct would mark him as lethal.

“James, you’re being unreasonable,” he says, voice cool. “Do you really think I’d let anyone near our liege without running a full background check?”

“But, Harrison?—”

“Do not interrupt me.” His tone could frost glass. “You’re acting like a child forcing a square peg into a round hole until the corners snap off. You can’t twist the facts to suit yourself.” He folds himself into a chair, leaning forward.

Simone mirrors him; she’s now wearing a smug smile.

“Besides, you are upsetting our liege.”

Now that Harrison has pointed it out, Valdarr’s expression is rigid. His jaw is clenched so hard he must be grinding his teeth down to nubs.

“Explain, youngest,” Harrison orders. “Start at the beginning.” His dark-blue gaze pins me. “Tell the truth, we’ll know if you lie. What happened the day you met the Grand Master?”

I glance at Valdarr for help.

“It will be okay,” he says gently.

I nod, throat tight. “All right. I was making Sunday deliveries. Food orders. One was for a house with a yellow door: Valdarr’s. It was about four o’clock, broad daylight. I knocked, left the takeaway, and returned a hoodie Valdarr had lent me the day before when I’d been soaked in the rain. The door opened as I was leaving. A vampire I didn’t know took the food, grabbed me by the hair, and dragged me inside.”

I swallow and rub the scar tissue on my throat.

“He pinned me to the wall and bit me. I told him to stop. I never gave permission to take my blood.” I draw a breath. “I woke up in the bin, drove home, and the next morning my heart was beating, my lungs working. But at sundown the vampire magic kicked in—I died again. That’s how it’s been ever since.”

I set the glass down and tap the rim to steady myself.

“I did my best to ignore the vampire thing; I was scared. I kept working days in the Human Sector and nights from home doing customer service shifts.” I never gave notice, just disappeared. I’ll have to email them.Focus, Fred.“Istarted losing weight, and House and I thought blood might help.”

“The house? You can talk to a house? That’s utter bullshit, the girl is barmy.” James throws his hands in the air and laughs.

“James.” Harrison growls. “Ignore him, please continue.”

“I drank blood for the first time about a month after I was turned, and a few hours later, it felt as though I were crawling out of my skin.”

“How did you get the blood?” Harrison interrupts.

“From House. The wizard’s house cantakethings—she sourced bags from a vampire warehouse.”

“Bagged blood?”

“Yes, only bags. I’ve never bitten anyone.” I shoot James a glare. “I had so much energy that night, I ran down the road to test my abilities. It was amazing, but I lost track of myself. House sat near scrubland on the edge of the Vampire Sector. Looking for varied footing—or maybe guided by instinct—I crossed into vampire territory. Border patrol caught me, and they took me to their station, and Valdarr rescued me and brought me to a safe house, but by morning, I was human again. I was worried he might discover my strange condition, and I had Baylor and House to think about. So I jumped out of a window and went back home.”

“Baylor?”

I manage a small smile. “Baylor’s my dog.”

He nods. “When did you meet Clan Nocturna?”

“I met a member of their clan while searching foranswers about my friend Amy and her husband, Max. They were killed after dining at One Bite Won’t Hurt?—”

“See? Poking around where she’s not wanted,” James mutters.

“But I didn’t meet the clan vampires until—um—I stopped a vampire from killing Crystal, one of their thralls. I drove her home.”