Page 10 of Thirsty

“Well, there’s not a lot of information out there about it,” Rachel said, taking a swig of her drink.

“How did you find out about it?” Charlie asked.

A cool wall fell across Rachel’s features. “I don’t talk about that.”

She stood up from the couch and cleared her dinner things away, as Maggie turned to Charlie. “So, will you publish your thesis? Get the word out there about the supernatural?”

“Oh, no,” he said with a quick glance at Lorenzo. “It’s just a student thing.”

“Okay,” Maggie said. “Well, I’d still like to read it.”

Charlie smiled at her. “That’s really nice.” Maggie beamed right back at him, her lower tusks peeking out delicately from her wide smile.

Abruptly, Lorenzo said, “I think it’s time for Charlie to be going.”

Now he had the gall to look disappointed. “But what about the rest of your clothes?” Charlie asked.

“This is it,” Lorenzo said, shoving the drawstring bag at him.

“Okay,” Charlie said, and began gathering up his things. “Uh, it was great to meet you all.”

“Sure!” Maggie said. “Come over any time.”

“No. Don’t,” Lorenzo said, beckoning Charlie toward the exit. “Only come here when you are invited.”

Rachel laughed as she came back into the living room.

“Oh, you know what you should do?” Maggie prattled on, ignoring Lorenzo’s warning look. “You should come back when Isolde is here.”

Charlie turned around, his face lighting with curiosity. “Isolde?”

Rachel scowled at them. “Seriously, Lorenzo, are you going to trot us all out in front of your human?”

“He is notmyhuman, he isahuman,” Lorenzo snapped. “And he is leaving.”

“Who’s Isolde?” Charlie asked, peeking around Lorenzo’s shoulder as he attempted to gently muscle him toward the door.

“Our third roommate,” Maggie said, grinning. “She says she’s a—”

Before she could finish, a loud thunderclap seemed to split the room, and they all blinked back to find Rachel having thrown a hand up angrily, thick black smoke billowing all around her. “Don’t even,” she said threateningly, pointing at Maggie.

“I just—”

Rachel rounded on Lorenzo with an evil smile. “You know where you should take him? The wolf thing at Carter’s Point tomorrow night.”

Lorenzo fixed her with a murderous glare. Charlie said, “The what?”

Rachel was unmoved by Lorenzo’s fury. “The werewolf party! Y’know, all the little pups get out and socialize. You should totally go, and talk to people for your thing.” With a pointed grin directed straight at him, Rachel said, “Lorenzo’s working as security there. He could take you.”

At times like these, he was intensely irritated that poltergeists and their hosts were not the natural prey of vampires. Their blood tasted of corruption, which some vampires didn’t mind but Lorenzo found to be soapy. Charlie looked giddy. “A werewolf party? Really?”

“No,” Lorenzo said firmly.

“Why not?” Maggie asked.

“Charles, our transaction is concluded,” Lorenzo said. “Thank you.”

He shoved Charlie out the door and slammed it in his face before his roommates could cause any more trouble.