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T here was nothing like a master vampire to go with your brand-new stilettos. Tiffany balanced on one lone shoe, her other braced against the Dumpster outside the club. She patted the panic button strapped to her inner thigh one more time to make sure it was securely in place before she handed her weapons over to Damon and rearranged her shawl.

Without a word, they walked to the entrance of the alleyway. Around the corner was the entrance to Cha?teau Blanc, one of the trendiest restaurants in town. With her budget, she had never eaten there before, but she’d heard the place was excellent, and thank God Damon—and the E.U.—had loads of extra cash to buy her a nice dress for the occasion.

“You look good enough to eat,” Damon whispered from behind her, the heat of his breath on her neck hardening her nipples to taut peaks. She fought back a smile. Screw him and the sexual dominion he had over her. “But try not to entice the monster too much, okay?”

She inhaled a deep breath, then glanced over her shoulder one last time, expecting to see Damon encouraging her on, but already he’d disappeared into the night, the shadows seeming to swallow him whole.

“I fucking hate when you do that!” she called into the dark, certain he’d hear her.

She was certain she didn’t imagine the dark chuckle she heard in the distant shadows.

Steeling herself for the evening, she swallowed the lump in her throat, heading toward the restaurant. She felt naked without her weapons by her side.

Damon was right. Facing a vampire unarmed was light-years different from having a stake at your side. Even if she wanted to, there was nothing she could fight with now. But Caius had never scared her before, and she wasn’t about to allow him to scare her now. And all emotions aside, she knew Damon would protect her.

This was a chance to prove herself.

To show she could be something more than just Mark’s baby sister.

She exhaled the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, increasing her pace a little. There wasn’t any time to waste. A master vampire was waiting for her.

She wrapped her shawl more tightly around her shoulders and entered the restaurant. The soft sounds of melodic piano music carried to her ears amidst the murmurs of the demure dining couples. The dim lighting hit her cocktail dress at the perfect angle, and the midnight-blue material glittered through the dark.

Her stomach growled as the smells of lobster bisque, baked bread and fresh herbs filled her nose. Vampire hunter or not, for a broke-ass college student who subsisted on a diet mainly made up PB&J sandwiches, microwave macaroni and cheese, and chicken-flavored ramen noodles, divine didn’t even begin to cover the nose-gasm she was having.

A handsome restaurant host in a nicely pressed suit cleared his throat. “Are you meeting someone, miss?”

She eyed the layout of the restaurant.

Well, damn.

The only entrance was the door she’d just came through. There wasn’t even a single emergency exit visible. There had to be a way out, though. The law required it. She searched, eyes combing the restaurant, before she saw the Emergency Exit sign right above the kitchen door. Inconvenient, but not worth abandoning the opportunity. Come hell or high water, Damon would figure out how to slip inside the building undetected if necessary.

And where was Caius?

She had just started to look for him when the host cleared his throat again. “Miss?”

She snapped to attention. “I’m sorry. Yes, I’m meeting Mr. Dermokai—”

The name hadn’t even escaped her lips before the host’s eyes widened, and he swept his arm out in a welcoming gesture. “My apologies, madam. Right this way.” He hopped to as if someone had lit a fire under his ass and poured gasoline on it, any hint of his earlier haughtiness gone. She glided across the restaurant behind him.

At least she hoped she was gliding. Heels were not her thing.

Her heart beat hard as the restaurant host led her toward the far corner of the restaurant.

Shit.

Privacy was not what she wanted with Caius—at least, not now. She had agreed to have dinner with him before he escorted her to a private location for feeding.

They were supposed to have been in plain view. Not this.

Tiffany schooled her features into place, trying to hide her shock at the change in plans. Caius’s ill-temper and inflated ego needed stroking and removing himself from the public eye clashed with that deep-seated need. This was not his usual style. She’d hoped he hadn’t sensed something different about their interaction, wasn’t somehow onto their plans, and yet, she was unable to contact Damon to even give him a heads-up.

She focused on the friction of the button strapped to the top of her thigh.

It was a kind of weapon in its own right. All she had to do was remember that.

The host led her to a secluded room and ushered her inside.

“Someone will be right with you,” he said, before closing the door behind her.

Tiffany’s eyes locked with Caius’s, and a wide devious grin spread across his face. He was waiting for her at a table set for two in the middle of the room, the only table theirs though clearly the space was intended to host multiple diners, maybe even large private parties. A pure white cloth was draped across the table, and the lights from a tiered crystal chandelier reflected off the marble flooring.

She was a not-so-hopeless romantic, but even if she’d been here with someone she wanted to be with—a certain ice-eyed hunter immediately came to mind—this was a little over the top for her tastes. Then again, Caius came from an era of overindulgence.

“Tiffany.” He stood and gestured her forward. “You look lovely this evening. Won’t you join me?”

Her gut clenched. She hated the way her name rolled off his tongue with the slightest trace of an accent from thousands of years ago.

She could do this. She had dozens of times before.

It didn’t matter that things were different now. That she wanted to certain to see another day. A certain dark-haired hunter had gone and changed that.

She forced a grin across her face. “Gladly.”

Crossing the room, she allowed Caius to pull her chair out for her. She slid onto the comfortable chair cushion, far from relaxed as he squeezed her shoulder and leaned in to speak. His hot breath brushed against her ear, causing goose bumps to cover her whole body, and the small hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end.

“You look good enough to eat,” he purred, his words echoing Damon’s earlier compliment, before he returned to his side of the table.

Only from Caius, the true meaning sent a chill through her.

“Thank you,” she smiled tersely. How sweet: a bloodsucker who enjoyed toying with his food.

As if I try to marinate myself to an edible state each day.

The battle between the words that came from her mouth versus what she really thought commenced.

She batted her eyelashes. “I’m glad you’re pleased, but it’s nothing compared to how you look. Dashing and handsome,” she said, trying to appease his ego.

More like disgusting and vomit worthy.

“As always.”

Caius soaked the words up as if it were the heat of the sun, something she had no doubt he hadn’t felt in a very long time. “I’m pleased you recognize that.”

God, could one really be so conceited?

She continued smiling.

A moment of silence passed between them, an unreadable expression crossing Caius’s face. “Let’s eat. Shall we?”

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, and on Caius’s command a waiter entered with two prefixed menus in hand. He approached their table with a smile. “Good evening. My name is Joshua, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. May I interest you in something to drink? Perhaps a bottle from our wine list?” He glanced toward Tiffany.

Ladies first.

“I’ll just have some wat—”

Caius interjected. “If you could bring two wine glasses and a bottle of Pe?trus, it would be greatly appreciated.”

The waiter nodded. “I’ll return in a moment to take your ord—”

Eyes locked on Tiffany, Caius held up his hand. “I think we’re ready to order now.”

Joshua paused but didn’t miss a beat. Clearly, he was used to dealing with demanding guests like this. “Of course,” he said.

Tiffany blinked. “Caius, I haven’t looked at the menu yet,” she said.

Caius reached across the table and placed a hand over hers. “Trust me. You’ll love this.”

Releasing her hand, he unfolded his napkin as he spoke. “We’ll have a starter of spinach and sea-urchin ravioli in a white-wine reggiano broth, and che?vre-stuffed smoked dates wrapped in prosciutto with aged balsamic saba on a bed of arugula. For our meal we’ll have fresh herb-crusted Kobe filet mignon, cooked rare, and Maine crab cakes with a micro-green and lobster remoulade served on a plate of pure pink Himalayan Sea salt, and the apricot cre?me bru?le?e for dessert.”

Joshua didn’t even pause to write down the order, as if he’d be trained to remember it. “Right away, sir.” He gave a curt nod before quickly exiting the room.

Tiffany removed her napkin from the table and unfolded it across her lap. “You’re tastes are…very specific,” she said.

That’s putting it lightly.

Caius ran his fingers through his golden blond hair. If she hadn’t known he was a vampire and an egotistical douchebag to boot, maybe she could have found him handsome—at least before she’d met a certain dark-haired vampire hunter.

“I make it a habit to eat nothing but the finest foods.” He grinned. “You only live once.”

“Or forever in your case,” Tiffany grinned as if she’d meant the comment affectionately, before she took a sip of the water Joshua had left them with. She swallowed hard, fighting not to show her hand. Was Caius’s statement intended to be as threatening as she’d thought it’d been?

She returned his smile.

“I suppose that’s true.”

Thankfully, Joshua chose that moment to return with a bottle of wine. He opened it at the tableside and gave Caius a sip to taste, waiting for Caius’s approval, before he then poured the red liquid into two crystal glasses. “Your appetizers will be out shortly.” He removed the extra plates from the table before exiting.

Tiffany sipped her glass of Bordeaux. She was quickly coming to realize it was Caius’s old favorite. The wine slid down her throat, already warming her cheeks. “Very nice. It has a complex flavor to it.”

Caius smiled and sipped from his own glass. “Let’s get to the point, shall we? We both know what we’re here to discuss.”

Tiffany had to catch herself before she sputtered slightly, nearly spitting the wine back into her glass. Shit. This was happening much more quickly than she’d expected.

Caius inhaled deeply. “I can tell by your scent that you’ll be a perfect Host. My main Feed.” He ran his tongue over his teeth, and she prayed his fangs stayed in place. Leaning back in his seat, he fixed his ice-cold stare on her. “You’ll reap all the benefits, of course. I hear the human sensation as we feed is phenomenal.”

She struggled not to choke on her own tongue, reminding herself that no fangs would ever mar her throat. Never. And as for phenomenal...No, not for her.

Maybe if you were into pleasure-pain.

She ran her hand over her thigh, reminding herself of the panic button. And she would wager that the flatware lying before her was at least part silver—an extra protection. Once it penetrated the skin, silver was like acid to a vampire’s insides.

Her hand itched to hold her stake. When it was strapped to her side, she felt power surging through her in the face of vampires.

Now, she wasn’t as certain.

A moment later, Joshua and a second waiter paraded into the room, balancing their starter plates on trays. Fast service.

One of many bonuses of shelling out ridiculous amounts of money for a meal.

They set down the plates in front of Tiffany and Caius. Joshua flashed a respectful smile. “We hope everything is to your liking.” Then he and his shadow exited.

Tiffany eyed the plate before her. Artistic foodie explosion or delicious high-class meal? She wasn’t quite sure which, but the overcompensating extravagance was certain.

Caius leaned forward in his seat and fixed his stare on her. “Where did I leave off?” He paused, then, grinning, pushed his seat away from the table. “Ah yes, the advantages.” He stood and crossed to her side of the table, looming behind her. “As I said, you’ll reap every benefit. I’ll make sure you have the finest of everything, and, of course, there are always...” He squeezed her shoulders and whispered in her ear, “...the sexual pleasures.”

She froze beneath his touch. Her mouth went dry and sweat gathered on her palms. “In other words, I’ll be your high-end call girl.”

She slid away from his hold and rose from her chair to face him.

She wasn’t about to sit by while he waited like a snake at her back.

The ancient vampire frowned. “Call it what you like, but I assure you that you’ll be receiving the better end of the deal.”

He leaned closer, and a feeling of dread crashed hard in her chest, turning her breathing labored. This was going south, and fast. She wouldn’t show her fear, but she couldn’t allow him to have any more of a physical advantage, either.

She held her voice steady. “What exactly would those benefits be?”

He stepped closer, and she took a matching step back. Slowly, they circled the table, and the frown on Caius’s face became a smile. He thought she was being playful, she realized. Better that than have him realize what she was really being.

Cautious. Defensive.

Prepared for violence, really.

“You’re the one who asked me to meet you tonight, Tiffany, so don’t play coy. You know exactly what those benefits are. Don’t you?” His gaze narrowed, staggering in its intensity.

She glanced at the floor and up again, praying she looked flirtatious instead of terrified. “I’m really not sure. You may have to spell things out for—”

Before she knew what was going on, Caius had pinned her between her chair and his body. He moved so fast she barely saw him.

He grasped her throat. With one squeeze, he could crush her windpipe. “Don’t get cute with me,” he snapped. “We both know what I want, and I intend to get it whether you’re willing or not.”

Her eyes widened. Heat rushed to her face as she fought to breathe. She strained for the panic button and gasped for air as Caius’s grip tightened. With the tiniest snap, his fangs descended, his canines glistening in the light of the chandelier. Without warning, he reared his head and prepared to strike. But Tiffany was no one’s plaything.

Her hand gripped onto the silver tableknife. Her fingers closing over its handle at the exact second Caius’s lunged.

And then, Tiffany did exactly what she’d been training for.

She swung.

Damon stormed through the kitchen, shoving his way into the restaurant. The smells of simmering white wine and melted cheeses invaded his nose, an array of shouts echoing behind him. An angry cook yelled as he passed, “You can’t come in here!”

“Like fuck I can’t,” he growled.

Not a surprising reaction to a man in a ski mask. He ignored them all and kept going, ripping the mask off.

At the sight of him, a woman in his path spilled a large vat of what appeared to be pea soup, the liquid splashing over the steel toes of his boots.

But he didn’t care—nothing would stop him from finding Tiffany. When he’d heard the panic button sound, her safety had become his sole mission.

He burst into the restaurant. His eyes darting across the room.

Shit.

Where was she? His line of vision followed a waiter as he walked past a back hallway. She had to be in a private room. Damon tore through the crowded room as fast as he could before he bolted down the hallway. A faint whimpering sound carried through the only door.

Something inside him snapped.

Pulling his gun from his belt, he wrenched the door open, stepping to the side and aiming to make sure Tiffany wasn’t in the line of fire. He squeezed the trigger. The mix of music and voices from the main dining room drowned out the muffled shot.

Silencers were a hunter’s blessing.

Caius’s body jolted before he spun to face Damon. Tiffany fell to the floor, gasping for air. A small trickle of blood ran down her neck from where Caius’s fingernails had dug into her skin as he choked her and from the butterknife lodged in the side of Caius’s neck, she’d gotten her own shot in. A surge of pride coursed through Damon at the sight.

She may not have been a true hunter—yet—but someday, she’d make a fierce partner for him in her own right. Mark had been right to train her.

Though he’d continue to protect her.

So long as she let him.

At the sight of her on the floor, her neck bleeding slightly, a loud snarl ripped from his throat. Caius would die.

He fired another shot straight into the ancient bloodsucker’s chest, blowing a massive hole in Caius’s body, but at Caius’s age, the skin and organs knitted together again in seconds. Damon tucked his gun away and ripped a silver dagger and his wooden stake from his jacket.

Fangs already down, Caius hissed, and the two of them charging each other.

They collided at full speed, meeting each other blow for blow. A normal man would have stood no chance against a vampire as old as Caius but gifted with the speed and strength of his training, Damon held his own. Anger and rage fueled his every move.

No vampire hurt Tiffany and lived. None.

Raising his dagger overhead, Damon slashed the knife across Caius’s face. The leech hissed in pain. Blood gushed down his cheeks, and the wound smoked as if Damon had poured acid into it, but that didn’t deter Caius. He blocked the swing of Damon’s stake and punched Damon in the solar plexus. Gasping for air, Damon rushed the vampire, hitting him straight in the midsection. They toppled to the ground and Caius grabbed for Damon’s stake, but Damon held tight. No way in hell was he giving his weapon up that easy.

Rolling his body overtop Caius, Damon plunged his knife downward and nicked Caius’s arm, but the vampire managed to roll out of his grasp. Caius jumped to his feet and gripped Damon’s throat, lifting him into the air. Damon was over six feet, but still Caius managed to dangle him above the ground.

Tiffany screamed. Shit. She was still unarmed.

She lunged for a piece of flatware.

Damon tried to shake his head to stop her. “Tiff—” he choked out.

With both hands, she jabbed a fork into the back of Caius’s neck, causing the vampire to whip his head around to address the distraction.

Exactly the opportunity Damon needed.

Though the vampire’s attention was on her now.

He twisted and kicked his foot straight into Caius’s gut. Caius’s grip faltered. Seizing the vampire’s arm, Damon drove the blade of his silver dagger straight through the bone. A loud roar ripped through the empty room, as Caius grasped at the dagger, pulling the blade out so his wound could heal. Blood spurted from his forearm as he threw the blade with expert precision straight into Damon’s shoulder.

Pain exploded through Damon’s flesh as adrenaline cut through him. He fell to his knees. Warm blood gushed down his chest, and he faintly registered the sound of Tiffany yelling his name. Clutching the dagger by the hilt, he ripped the blade from his wound. His vision spun from the pain, but he would not falter.

Not when the woman he loved was at stake.

A fresh wave of energy pumped through him as Caius rushed forward, but Damon swept the vampire’s legs out from under him. The bloodsucker toppled over, and they rolled in a heap on the ground, both fighting to gain the upper hand. Caius’s fist slammed into Damon’s face.

Damon hit the bastard with an uppercut to the jaw, sending him flying backward. Only for Caius to scramble across the floor as Damon jumped to his feet. Using every ounce of strength he possessed, he gripped Caius by the throat, lifting him into the air and slamming him down onto the dinner table. Shattered plate shards scattered the floor.

Damon lifted his stake over his head, growling as he brought it barreling down. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

Caius caught Damon’s wrist mid-stab, struggling to hold off death. Blood dripped across Caius from Damon’s injured shoulder, but Damon fought through the pain.

The image of Mark’s face contorted with pain flashed through his mind giving him strength. This leech had killed his fellow hunter, his closest friend. Had robbed Tiffany of her brother. Damon couldn’t allow him to live.

Caius would die.

Damon shook as he shoved against the ancient vampire, losing blood, and fast. He felt the wooden stake being raised as Caius gained the upper hand.

No.

Damon’s vision blurred. Blood poured from his wound, and he felt the color drain from his face, but he refused to give in.

Caius. Would. Die.

He released one of his hands from the stake and saw Caius grin. The dumbass thought he was losing the fight. Not a chance.

With his free hand Damon pulled his gun from his belt. A bullet to the chest wouldn’t deter Caius, but he knew what would. Glancing up, he aimed his gun straight for the fragile hook that held the chandelier in place. He squeezed the trigger.

The bullet blasted into the plaster of the ceiling, and the chandelier teetered before plunging toward the ground. Damon jumped back, shoving Tiffany out of the way along with him. The gold bars and crystals of the chandelier exploded on top of Caius’ body.

Writhing beneath them, Caius squirmed to release himself from their weight.

“Tiffany,” Damon shouted. “Now.”

He tossed her his stake, watching her eyes go wide as he offered her the kill.

To Tiffany’s credit, she didn’t miss a beat.

“Do it,” he said, urging her on. “For Mark.”

Nodding, Tiffany turned toward Caius, a loud battle cry ripping from her throat. Running forward, she lifted his weapon over her head and stabbed the stake straight through Caius’s heart.

The ancient vampire burst to pieces, blood splattering in all directions, and coating her in the thick crimson liquid.

For a moment, Tiffany simply stood there, her chest rising and falling as she panted.

Damon felt his knees buckle.

“Damon!” Tiffany’s eyes widened, and she ran to his side as he crumpled to his knees.

Tiffany fell to the floor beside him, kneeling at his side. Blood covered her face and her sparkling dress as dots of black clouded his vision.

But to him, she’d never looked more capable, more fierce.

His spitfire of a Shortcake.

She examined his wound. “Shit.” She pressed her hand onto the hole to gauge its depth.

He let out a low hiss from the pain.

“What were you thinking risking giving me the kill like that?” She grabbed her now blood-covered shawl from the chair and wrapped the material tight around his shoulder to slow the bleeding. Man, she looked like an angel as she cared for him, even with all the blood.

His heart thudded against his rib cage. He couldn’t be sure whether it was Tiffany or the blood he’d lost that was making him delirious.

“Wanted you to forgive me,” he rasped.

Her jaw dropped open as she shook her head at him. “So, you gifted me the death of an ancient vampire?!” she practically shrieked, her voice rising on the end note.

He coughed. “Didn’t figure you…cared for roses, Shortcake.”

Despite her panic at his bleeding, she laughed, pulling him closer. “I would have forgiven you from the start, you fool. All you had to do was ask.”

She gripped his face in her hands then, kissing him, quickly, deeply.

Far too quickly if you asked him.

“Damon, we have to get out of here,” she said, pulling away from his lips. “All you have to do is make it to the car. All right?”

He clenched his teeth and nodded. With her help, he stumbled to his feet and hobbled from the room as fast as he could, though he was teetering on the brink of passing out. Loud screams and shrieks had already filled the restaurant, their exit lost in the chaos. Tiffany led him out the front door, holding his arm around her shoulder to help steady him.

The smells of restaurant’s food faded from his nose, replaced by the tang of blood coating them both and the cold Rochester night air. He coughed once more, fighting to breathe. “S-s- sorry I ruined your dinner.” He was trying to joke even as his vision spun. He wanted to be strong for her, show her he was okay.

Tiffany joked back. “Oh, yeah, I was really looking forward to some of that pink Himalayan crap.” She forced a small smile.

But hard as she tried, even in his fading consciousness, she couldn’t fool him. Her eyes told him everything. He knew how she felt even as his name on her lips became a distant echo, and for once in her life...she was terrified.