Page 52 of Starved Until Sunset

“This is not helping us find Zenona,” Lucia said, glaring at Clarabell before turning her attention to Michael. Even though Michael claimed to be a four hundred-year-old vampire, Demetrius was glad to see Lucia’s angry expression still managed to make him flinch. “That Aldrik moved fast. How far can he have gone?”

“As far as he wants,” Michael said. “The sun has just gone down, so he has the whole night ahead of him to act.” He looked away and added quietly, “He’s always been faster than me.”

“Son of a…” Lucia turned in a circle, hands on her hips.

“Why did he come here?” Clarabell asked. “To Parson’s Hollow?”

“That, I don’t know. Not really.”

“What’s that mean?” Cody asked, and when Demetrius looked at him, he shrugged and said quietly, “Couldn’t help myself.”

“Someone has called him here. Or, rather, us. Our kind.”

“What do you mean ‘called you’?” Deputy Walsh said. “Who the hell would call vampires into town?”

Lucia looked over her shoulder and right at Demetrius, and he could almost read her mind: Another alpha werewolf?

“God, I hope not,” Cody said, obviously picking up on the vibe in the room.

“What?” Michael and Deputy Walsh asked together.

“How well do vampires get along with werewolves?” Lucia asked him.

“Oh, that.” Michael shook his head. “No. That’s not an issue.”

“That?” Deputy Walsh looked at Lucia, who shook her head.

“Later,” Lucia said.

“‘That’ really should be mentioned in the sheriff’s department interview process,” Cody said, and received a deadly look from Lucia that Demetrius knew would only serve to rev him up more.

“This is someone different,” Michael said. “Something different. I haven’t figured that out yet, either.”

“You’ve been here a long time, Doc, and seem to have very little to show for it,” Lucia said. “Have you spent too much time romancing the pretty young Dr. Baldwin and distracting yourself from the most important reason for you to be here?”

“Yes, I know.” For his part, Michael did look beaten down and guilty. “And I need to make things right.”

“Yeah, you do. For starters, help us find Zenona. Then help us stop your brother and this Father you two have mentioned.” Lucia looked at him a long moment in silence. “And, if needed, help us stop you, too.”

Michael looked slightly startled. “I… Of course I’ll help find Zenona. And my purpose for being here in Parson’s Hollow has always been to find and stop Aldrik. I’ve never held any nefarious intentions. And I’ve never taken…” He stopped and pulled himself up right. “I’ve always honored the law and the residents of your town.”

“So, wait a minute,” Clarabell said, cocking her head slightly. “If you’re a vampire... ”

“I am a vampire.”

“Right. Okay. So you’re a vampire. But to survive, you need to drink blood.” Clarabell looked around the room then back at him. “Is that why you work in the morgue?”

“What?” Deputy Walsh and Lucia exclaimed together, and Demetrius felt a queasy knot of cold fear twist inside him.

“The fuck?” Cody whispered from just over Demetrius’s shoulder.

“No, no!” Michael held his hands up as if they’d all drawn weapons. “I promise you, I’ve never taken blood from a body here in the morgue. I swear it. Not only is against my principles, but…” He made a face. “It spoils once the heart no longer beats.”

“Jesus Christ,” Cody said quietly.

“Then how have you been surviving?” Clarabell asked.

Michael blew out a breath. “I’ve mainly been hunting in the woods around town.”