“I’m happy to help. The Debrek clan is happy to help,” Katie said.

Josie reached for her cheek and caressed it. “I need your help again, Katie. I’m so hungry, and I can’t get your blood from my mind.”

“But it’s not a good idea. Didn’t Byron and Alexis explain that to you?”

Josie slid her hand from Katie’s cheek into her hair and grasped it tightly. “I know what I need, Katie, and it’s in you.”

“You have to have consent to take blood in the Debrek clan. That was explained to you, and I do not consent, Josie.”

“I don’t care about your stupid rules. I take what I need.” Josie’s teeth erupted, and Katie knew she was trapped. She pushed her hand behind her and felt her mug of tea. Maybe she had one chance to get away.

Katie grasped the handle of the mug, and just as Josie was about to strike, Katie threw the mug and its contents over her attacker. Josie squealed in pain and covered her face with her hands as the boiling liquid scalded her skin. Katie ran as fast as she could up the kitchen stairs and into the entrance hall.

She had to get upstairs to get help. Katie didn’t look back but ran up the grand staircase and made it to the landing. She looked down and saw Josie below in the hallway.

“Come back. You’re mine!”

Katie had to get to one of the bedrooms. Suddenly Josie jumped from below and landed right in front of her.

“You didn’t think you could outrun a vampire, did you?”

Katie didn’t have time to think. What happened next was a blur, until she felt Josie’s fangs bite deep into her neck, and her strength ebbed away.

* * *

Alexis was sitting at her writing desk making up this week’s security rosters. The Debrek clan had gone computerized many, many years ago and had moved into using apps on phones and tablets for the running of the banking business and clan.

Byron took to these changes like a duck to water, but Alexis was an old-fashioned person at heart. Nothing felt better than using a scratchy fountain pen and paper. She looked up at the painted picture of her mother that she kept on her desk.

“If only you could see me now, Mama.”

She often wondered if her mother would be understanding of her circumstances or if she would simply see her as a bloodthirsty vampire.

Not that she had a great deal of choice after Victorija had found her on the battlefield dying from her wounds. It should have been her fate to die with honour, fighting for King and country, but that was snatched away from her when Victorija fed her own blood to her.

Alexis put her pen in its holder and rubbed her face. She chose to believe that her mother would love her no matter what. She always had before, even when she found out about her interest in women rather than men, at a time when that was unthinkable.