“I don’t buy it.” Katie took a step closer to Alexis. So close that Alexis could smell her perfume and see the throbbing vein in her neck. There was still a mark from where the other vampire had fed, and Alexis hated it. It fuelled her anger and frustration.

Katie continued, “I don’t ever see you trying to impose these rules on any other human in the household. So try again. Why does the safety of someone who you won’t even feed from matter?”

Inside Alexis was bursting to tell Katie that she cared, that she wanted Katie, but instead she stared at her stiffly.

Katie said, “Just as I thought. I’m going now and maybe I’ll meet a vampire who isn’t repressed and emotionless.”

Katie walked away, leaving Alexis alone. She looked over to the other side of the room, where long ago she discovered her Anna, dead by the Dred vampires’ hands. Finding Anna like that had nearly destroyed her.

Alexis put her hands to her forehead and said, “No, I can’t feel this again. I won’t.”

She had always been so determined that she would never let herself feel for another like she did for Anna, but it had crept up slowly on Alexis, and one taste of Katie’s blood was enough to stir her heart again.

* * *

At The Sanctuary club, Katie and Daisy were dancing with two werewolves who knew how to party. When the song came to an end, Katie said, “I think we’ll sit down for a while. Thanks for the dance.”

“We’ll be here waiting for you if you change your mind, ladies.” The werewolves gave a synchronized theatrical bow.

Katie took Daisy’s arm, and they both chuckled.

“We’ve been popular tonight,” Katie said.

They had been asked to dance by one person after another ever since they arrived. They took seats at the table.

“It’s the novelty value, I think,” Daisy said. “They don’t often get humans in here.”

“You know, Alexis was trying to stop me coming tonight.”

Daisy grinned. “Oh, really. Someone feeling a little jealous?”

“Even if she was, Alexis is repressed up to her eyeballs. Besides she doesn’t even like the taste of my blood. She just loves ordering me around.”

Daisy raised an eyebrow. “You know, you haven’t thought about one thing.”

“What?” Katie asked.

Daisy leaned closer and said, “What if she didn’t run because she didn’t like the taste of your blood? What if she liked it too much, and it scared her?”

Katie’s stomach flipped. Could that be true? Today when they had both been in the blood room, the feelings had been so intense. Did Alexis really—

Before Katie could contemplate further, Daisy doubled over in pain and grasped her neck.

“Daisy?” Katie took her hand. “There’s something wrong. You’re not going to dismiss this again. What’s going on? Tell me the truth.”

Daisy took a few breaths to calm herself, then pulled the scarf on her neck to the side. Katie gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. There was a fiery red vampire bite on Daisy’s neck.