“You don’t have to edit yourself on my account,” Mackenzie said as they made their way around the juice bar. “It’s not like I’m a prude or anything.”
“I have to watch my language around Zoe, so it’s good practice. I really only cuss around these ass— guys. My mother nearly had a heart attack when I let the f-bomb slip last time I was up. Said talk like that is too rough for someone like me—imagine that. Promised her I’d work on it for next time.”
When Lily unlocked the door to the women’s locker room and it swung open, Mackenzie felt as if she’d just stepped into a fancy spa. A dark wood shelf, probably mahogany, with diamond-shaped compartments holding rolls of white towels, lined the back wall of the handsome foyer. On a cocktail table several glass pitchers of ice water with floating slices of cucumber and lemon sat alongside a heaping bowl of fresh fruit. Mackenzie half expected an attendant with a tip jar to offer her a fluffy white robe and assign her a locker.
“You must have employees who keep this place up. But is it difficult with the daylight restrictions?” Mackenzie asked.
“We employ a few changelings as well as humans who are aware of the vampire race and have proven themselves to be very loyal. They even serve as donors from time to time. I’ll introduce you to Xian. I think you’ll find his family history very similar to your own.”
Lily stretched out her free arm in a perfect Vanna White impression. “Back around here are the private changing rooms and showers. We girls like a little more privacy than the boys. They don’t mind their business hanging out for all to see, but some of us are a little more modest.” She scratched her flat belly and the crystal in her piercing flashed. “Well, some of us, that is.”
“How many female agents work here?”
“Right now, there are only three of us on rotation. One is out on maternity leave, but she might not be back. She’s into the mom thing right now.”
“Were you working here when Zoe was born?” Being a Guardian seemed like a difficult job for someone with children. She wondered if any of them had serious relationships.
“Yeah, off and on between a few different field offices. As a scent-tracker, my schedule is project-based most of the time.” Lily led Mackenzie to the sauna and steam rooms. “Hopefully we’ll get a few more female agents soon. It gets pretty testosterone-laden around here. We also have a co-ed whirlpool tub through those doors. It quite the hot spot. Gets a lot of action, as you can imagine.”
Yeah, she could. With each step she took, the razor burn from Dom’s stubble on the tender skin between her legs reminded her of how she’d spent her last twenty-four hours. He’d explained about vampires’ ramped-up sex drives compared to humans, but she wanted to hear the woman’s perspective. “Tell me about that. You all seem, much more sexual than humans. Am I right?”
“You’re absolutely right. Not only does sex help curb our naturally aggressive tendencies, it’s a survival thing, almost as necessary as eating or breathing. Centuries ago, our race nearly went extinct and, since then, infighting among our people has kept our numbers low. Plus, because of the increased energy requirements, not all of us are capable of bearing children. I was a lucky one.”
Recalling what the doctor had told her about not being able to bear children, Mackenzie realized that her situation wasn’t unique. At least they had that in common.
“Speaking of sex, Dom’s told you we’ve shagged right?”
Mackenzie nodded, tried not to look surprised. They sure were blunt about their sexual habits.
“Good. I’d hate for there to be any weird secrets.” Lily smiled. “Don’t worry, love. We’ve not slept together in years. I’ve been in a committed relationship for a while. Don’t tell anyone else, though—I’d like to keep it a secret for now. Just between us girls, okay? Here, let me show you how these massage chairs work.”
On the surface, this woman would be easy to hate, but the more they talked, the more at ease Mackenzie became. Although Lily was model-gorgeous and somewhat brash, Mackenzie liked her, found her demeanor warm and welcoming. She climbed onto the leather recliner, and Lily explained how all the controls worked. As her chair hummed and the massaging action began, Lily sat in the next one over and programmed her own controls.
“How are you able to be around me?” Mackenzie asked, her voice a little shaky from the vibration of the chair. “Isn’t it hard?”
“You do smell fantastic, that’s for sure. I used to live with a human guy, a sweetblood, many years ago, so I got pretty used to it. It’s really not hard when you set your mind to it. Dom’s doing well, I see.”
“I think so, but he’d disagree. What happened to him? Your boyfriend. Did you guys break up?”
Lily got a far-off expression on her face. “Darkbloods got Keith during the damn day,” she said softly. “I think he stumbled into their den somehow. Sorry. Don’t mean to freak you out, but that’s one reason Dom is so paranoid about you. He knows exactly what they’re capable of.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks,” Lily said with a tight-lipped smile. “Fifty years ago, and I remember it sometimes as if it were yesterday. He was a good man.”
Mackenzie closed her eyes as the chair kneaded the back of her calves. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“Did you two...you and Keith...take each other’s blood?”
“He didn’t know I was a vampire,” Lily said matter-of-factly.
How was that even possible? Mackenzie was attracted to everything that made Dom who he was—including being a vampire. “Was it difficult to keep a secret from him?”
“I drank from him only once and did manage to stop, but I was afraid of taking too much the next time, so I never did it again. I wasn’t really in love with him, eh? So, it wasn’t a big deal.” Lily reached over and patted Mackenzie’s hand on the armrest.
“We’re at a critical juncture, everyone,” Dom said. “The Darkblood lab is set to go online in two weeks, with several breeding pairs already lined up. Lily’s source tells us they are searching for a few more pairs. Their prisoners are undoubtedly being subjected to some of the most horrible testing procedures, let alone acting as forced donors, even though the operation isn’t in full swing yet.”
