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The vampire’s fangs aren’t visible at all. He’s obviously practiced a smile that hides them. I wonder how long he’s hidden here among them and what he’s heard. Humans have always left me curious. With my new mate, however, vampires may just become my new obsession.
“After you.” He motions us into a small room, his button-down shirt shifting slightly as he does and the scent of vampire permeates the air. There’s a simple desk with a computer that looks old as shit sitting in the corner. Behind it are a swivel chair and a cabinet housing a variety of equipment. A medical waste bin sits in one corner. Overall, everything looks very simple and not nearly as high tech as I was expecting.
“It’s a bit outdated, isn’t it?” I quirk a brow at the vampire and he smiles, revealing a bit of his fangs. With no humans around, he freely drops the act.
“Humans get suspicious of wealth.”
I nod at his admission. “Makes sense.”
Veronica takes the lead, asking him, “What changes have been made since the abductions? We want to know the ins and outs of operations. If you could also explain how vampires managed to disappear in human territory, I would appreciate that information as well.”
Her nose wrinkles at the modest surroundings as she paces to the chair with her arms crossed listening to the vampire’s response.
“Melinda said a member of Adreana’s coven would be here. She didn’t say anything about a wolf.”
In a blur, she’s beside me. “He’s with me.” With a smirk, she trails her nails along my arm. The move elicits a low growl of approval for the public display of affection.
“Is your Alpha open to relations with other covens?” His question is directed at me, although he noticeably swallows and doesn’t make eye contact.
“No. We are willing to appease my mate’s queen. That is all.”
“I see. How … unusual.” The vampire eyes Veronica’s neck, lingering on my mark.
“I asked about the changes to protocol?” Veronica says coolly.
“As you can see, we have two of us on guard now. At all times. The three who were abducted were alone when it happened. Since then, we haven’t allowed the rogue vampires a chance to take anyone else.”
“Rogue vampires?” My hackles raise.
“It had to be other vampires.” There’s a pause and Veronica’s gaze narrows. “There’s no way it could’ve been anyone else. Humans wouldn’t dare even if they had the ability to kidnap vampires. The wolves here in Still Waters respect our treaties. Our coven showed the security footage to the Authority. They haven’t found anything yet.”
“Who was it from the Authority that you spoke with?” My voice comes out hard and his gaze shifts from Veronica to me, back to her and then settles on me once again.
“I’m not sure. It was between them and my queen.” He clasps his hands in front of him, not hiding his unease at my presence.
“It’s no matter. Do you know why your queen is convinced it was vampires?”
He nods his head at Veronica’s question, much more comfortable addressing her. It’s probably better that way. Vampires naturally fear my kind and it should stay that way. “We could clearly see the vision of a running vampire. But only for a moment on the screen before Joshua left the property.”
“So he was lured away by a vampire?”
“We have no doubt.” With a curt nod, his voice is firm. “However, you have nothing to worry about. Although the Authority hasn’t made any arrests, we haven’t seen any strange activity since we’ve placed two of us on the property at all times. It is safe and operations have gone seamlessly since then.”
“So you simply collect the blood and bring it back to your coven?”
“Yes. Nothing less and nothing more. I’m certain you won’t encounter any problems.” My eyes search the room for anything amiss. Devin’s convinced they’re poisoning the blood somehow. My eyes narrow as they zero in on the boxes behind the door.
“Where do you get your equipment?” I ask.
“The Authority sets you up with everything you need to start. It’s cheaper than buying everything separately from the humans. And this way we avoid doing any more activity with them than we have to.”
“Well, that’s very convenient.” Veronica voices my own thoughts. If I had to guess, I’d say the blood bags used to collect donations are what’s poisoned; maybe they lace the plastic lining.
But what the hell do I know? We’re going to have to test the materials after we place an order.
“Do you drink it?” I can’t help but to ask if for no other reason than curiosity. A part of me feels complicit for knowing these vampires could be consuming drugs without knowing. It’s obvious that Veronica’s coven isn’t adhering to the law, but how many other covens are as lenient as hers?
His eyes dart between the two of us before he replies, “Of course I do. It’s law.”
