“You have to have a word with her, Principe, because she won’t listen to me.”

Byron held up her hands. “Just take a breath, Duca. Katie is safe, but I will have a word.”

“Katie forgets she is not like us. If she is attacked or killed, there is no second chance at life. She could be gone in an instant and I”—Alexis’s emotions threatened to overcome her—“know how much the whole clan would be devastated if that happened.”

“Yes.” Byron sighed. “Her family is everything to me, so she must be well protected. I’ll make sure she understands. Did you get any information out of our new vampire?”

“Nothing, she is having difficulties with the change. Her thirst for blood is extremely high. We found drug paraphernalia in her pockets.”

“Good God. That’s all we need,” Byron said.

Humans with drug or alcohol problems always had a more difficult time turning, and their addiction often refocused to blood—always trying to get that first high of blood when they turned, chasing it relentlessly, and injuring and killing humans on the way, unless they got proper support.

“Okay, well, she’ll need a tightly managed blood regime. I’ll come down and see her tomorrow morning. Go and get some rest.”

“Yes, Principe.”

But as Alexis walked out of Byron’s office, she knew she wouldn’t sleep a wink. She would play tonight’s events over and over in her mind, and the what might have been, like finding Katie drained of blood in the alley. The thought filled her with horror.

Alexis needed blood but didn’t want to go downstairs to the blood room and disturb the medical care Josie was getting. A glass of blood and whisky would have to do.

Alexis walked to her room and poured out a glass of Debrek Special Reserve blood and downed it quickly. She then got a large glass of whisky to try to dull the aching want she had to be with Katie, protecting her, and the deep hunger she had for Katie’s blood.

Her mind kept being tortured by images of finding Katie drained of blood and dead in that alley. Then a different memory struck her. When she’d tried to grasp Katie’s arm, she remembered the discomfort Katie showed. Alexis didn’t think she had grasped her that hard.

“No, it couldn’t be, could it?”

Then the suspicion hit her: Had the newly turned vampire fed on Katie?

Alexis slammed down her whisky and stormed to Katie’s room. She knocked hard on her door, and when Katie opened the door, Alexis pushed past her.

“What are you doing?” Katie demanded to know.

“Take off your dressing gown,” Alexis ordered.

Katie crossed her arms defensively. “Excuse me? I don’t take off my clothes to order, especially your orders.”

Alexis motioned for Katie’s arm, gently pushed up the sleeve of the dressing gown, and saw a bloodstained bandage on Katie’s wrist. Josie had fed on Katie. Alexis felt a mixture of panic, jealousy, and anger. She didn’t know what to say. Alexis’s mind raced with all the emotions she was feeling and processing how dangerous it was to have Katie in the same house as Josie.