by Beth Alvarez
Kade couldn’t help smirking. “But we ain’t talkin’ about any mundane human. I found one of the boys this thing’s owner hired. He figured out what I was.”
Thaddeus heaved a sigh. “Did you kill him?”
“Didn’t quite have the opportunity. He ain’t gonna tell, though. The man he’s workin’ for is a vampire.”
The Keeper digested that for a moment, then chuckled darkly. “Congratulations, Colton. It seems your potential payout just tripled.”
Kade closed his eyes, grinning in a combination of excitement and relief. A vampire involved in such illicit activities marked them as rogue. Hunting one of his own kind was the most dangerous sort of job, but also the most fiscally rewarding.
“So what do you need of me?” Thaddeus asked, his voice taking a tilt toward amicable. It was good news for him, as well; Keepers prided themselves on maintaining order among the undead, and finding someone else’s charge gone rogue—and subsequently handling the matter—would yield him high praises and appreciable compensation.
“Couple things. I’ll give you the bad news first. For one, I’m gonna need some glass repaired on that pretty new SUV you gave me. Got into a shootout, got a hole in the front windshield and lost the window out of the passenger side door. Missin’ a tail light, too, but I looked it over and the rest is good.”
“Give me the address where you’re staying. I’ll arrange for glass replacement this afternoon,” Thaddeus said without missing a beat. “I’ll take care of the light replacement after your job is done.”
Kade double-checked the information placard by the phone before relaying the address. “Second issue, I think our vampire’s usin’ a fake name, so I might have trouble trackin’ anything down by myself.”
“What’s the name?”
“Drake du Coudray.”
The keeper paused.
“I know,” Kade said. “Not exactly doin’ a stellar job of hiding.”
“Well, aliases do tend to surface in our databases. I will see what I can find. You should call me when you wake this evening. I’ll let you know what I’ve uncovered. Is there anything else?”
“One more thing.” Kade rubbed his eyes. Tired as he was, he still had a few things to do before he could rest. “Need you to check records for a license plate. They’re either hauling stolen cattle in it, or transporting the chupacabra between the barn where they’ve been feedin’ it and wherever they’re keepin’ it. Either way, the owner’s gonna be our next lead for huntin’ down our new target.”
“So the trail is still obvious. Excellent.” Praise from the Keeper didn’t come easily, and his pleasure was clear. Both boded well for the mission’s outcome. “What is the plate number?”
“Hang on.” Kade slid off his bed, stretching the phone cord to its limit as he leaned across Felicity’s bed and grabbed her notebook. “CKL-I63. It’s a Texas farm trailer plate. Think you can have an owner named for us by tonight?”
“Consider it done, Colton,” Thaddeus said. Then the Keeper hung up.
Exhaling, Kade hung up the hotel phone and flopped back onto his bed, relaxing. That went better than he could have imagined. Now all he had to do was fix the rest of his problems.
* * *
Kade had time to shower before Felicity came back. He sat on his bed, paging through one of his field guides while he shaved. She raised a brow at the buzz of the electric razor, but said nothing. She carried a plate with a pair of pastries on it in one hand, holding a paper coffee cup and a bottle of water in the other.
“Snacks for later?” he asked, turning the razor off and rubbing his jaw with one hand, exploring for places he might have missed. There were a few things he missed from his years of normalcy. The clean, close shave he got with a straight razor was one of them.
Felicity nodded, putting her plate on the room’s small desk, turning to offer him the water. “I’ve seen you drink this before. I thought it was a safer bet than coffee. I mean, you did say you didn’t like coffee.”
He leaned forward to take the bottle, lingering when his fingers brushed hers. She was so warm, so vital. He wanted her in his arms, but the guarded look on her face said that was a bad idea. He sat back, offering a lopsided smile instead. “Water’s good. Mouth would get mighty dry without it. Thank you.”
“So did you learn anything?” She sat down on the other bed, kicking off her shoes before putting up her feet and making herself comfortable.
“Not yet, but we can rest easy for now. My Keeper’s looking into it, gonna scrounge up some idea of where we’re headed next. And Thaddeus Birch is one of the best Keepers there is. I’m lucky to work with him. He won’t let us down.”
Felicity frowned, nursing her cup of coffee. “I can’t believe there’s a whole secret order dealing with this kind of supernatural stuff. I mean, it wasn’t that I didn’t believe there could be weird stuff out there, it’s just . . .”
“Different,” Kade supplied, “when you’re dealin’ with it yourself.”
“Right.” She turned away. “It’s just a lot to take in, that’s all.”
He put his razor and the sealed bottle of water on the bed beside him, shifting to the edge. “Listen, Filly. I know I should’ve told you about all this sooner. Before I let things get complicated. But I can’t change what’s already happened.” That water suddenly seemed like a great idea. The words left his mouth cotton-dry.
“Knowing better didn’t stop you from letting it happen,” she murmured.
He couldn’t deny that. But he also couldn’t deny that she made him feel things he’d forgotten, awakened senses and needs that had fallen by the wayside when he changed. She’d made him lose his head. “I’m sorry.”
“You made me have feelings for you.” It came out like an accusation, like she wouldn’t have let it happen if she’d been on guard.
“I know.” He didn’t know what else to say.
She sipped her coffee, staring into the cup.
Watching made him thirsty. Thirst was one thing that had never gone away; blood was thick and sticky, and while it was satisfying in ways he could never explain, part of him hated the way it felt in his mouth. Water was pure refreshment, and the first thing he went for after feeding. Kade groped for the bottle behind him, twitching when he found it. It was cold. Colder than his fingers, anyway, offering a quiet reminder of his problems.
“I liked it better when I thought you were just a midnight cowboy,” Felicity said quietly, hugging herself. “When the only reason we couldn’t have picnics or afternoon walks was because you had to work overnight.”
Cautious, he pushed himself off his bed and moved to sit on the edge of hers. He settled by her feet, far enough away to keep from being threatening, but close enough to make his presence undeniable. “I can’t do much about afternoon walks. But there’s nothin’ to stop us from having picnics, if that’s what you want.”
Her brown eyes flashed a warning. “You have to eat at picnics, Kade. Or am I supposed to be your food now?”
“Not unless you want to be.” He picked at the edge of his water’s label. “I can’t stop you from thinkin’ whatever you want of me, but I got my own rules. Things I ain’t comfortable with. I never bite anybody without permission.”
“I’d think that would make it hard to eat.”
Kade shrugged. “Ain’t so hard as you’d think. I pay for most of my meals. Lots of folk who’re more than happy to sell a snack for 20 bucks or so. When I’m set up somewhere for a while, I tend to get standing agreements. One meal, once a month. Find eight folk willin’ to do it, that’ll get me through.”
“And when you can’t find enough people? When you’re so hungry it makes you mad?”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t happen.”
She eyed him, skeptical.
“There are a few requirements for havin’ a job like this. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I would make the cut.” Inching closer, Kade took a quick swallow of water before going on. “Actual hunting skills, of course. I ma
de that easy enough, once I worked off the rust. If you’re no good at that, they won’t even consider you. So first you prove yourself in a couple low-threat hunts. Survival skills, problem solving, tracking, aim, familiarity with weapons, ability to improvise . . . those tests come first. The hard ones come after you change.”
“They make you turn into . . .” She hesitated, unwilling to say the word. “I mean, before you even know if you’ll get the job?”
He nodded. “There are contracts that go with it. It ain’t like just wantin’ to be undead, as far as I know. Before you continue testing, you have to agree to let them place you somewhere useful if you don’t make it through. Some who don’t make it become Keepers.”
“And the others?”
“Don’t know.” Kade lowered his eyes. “They’re real particular. They put me through a lot of hard things. Most people who turn get a chance to get used to it, learn to control their instincts. Impulses. They have someone to walk them through the first few days, when you’re hungry as anything and your limbs don’t wanna work right.”
She put her coffee on the bedside table and pulled up her legs, hugging her knees. “Not you?”
“They put me out on the street in a rural city, gave me something to hunt, and told me to survive three nights on my own without feeding. Since I had to work, I couldn’t just hole up somewhere and hope it blew over. I’d just changed, had only eaten once. I was out of my head. Still not sure how I made it through, honestly.” He smiled ruefully, raking fingers through his hair. “The trials got longer after that. A week. Two weeks. Three. Each with only a couple days between to eat and rest. I had to learn control fast.”
“That sounds so dangerous, though. Aren’t they worried about people getting hurt?”
Kade chuckled. “Nah. It was fake. I didn’t know it then, of course. Didn’t know it until it was all over. The whole place was a controlled area. The people were volunteers, a mix of folk like you and folk like me, but everyone knowing what they signed up for. I was bein’ watched the whole time. Studied, I guess, to see what I would do.”
A hint of a smile drew the corners of Felicity’s mouth upward. “I guess it’s a little less scary, since I already know you made it through.”
He nodded, some of the tension leaking out of him. That smile was a good sign. “I learned a lot, though. Learned my limits and how to push them safely.”
“Have you ever lost control?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Let your instincts get the better of you?”
Kade caught his lower lip with his teeth, reluctant to answer.
She raised an eyebrow in challenge.
“Once,” he said at last, letting his eyes slide down over her body. “But not the way I think you mean.”
From the way she blushed, he figured she caught his meaning. It shouldn’t have surprised her, though. She had to know what she did to him. She was so delicate, so beautifully shaped. Taking her in like that challenged his instincts all over again. He craved her now as badly as he had when she’d caught him wearing just a towel, only a couple days before. Some vampires used sex as a means to lure prey and feed, but not him. Morals aside, that impulse had vanished amid the stress that came with his conditioning, the trials he’d overcome to become a hunter, and had been dormant ever since. Until he met her, with her doe-like eyes and silky hair, soft skin and a smile that made him weak in the knees and hungry for something other than blood.
His stomach fluttered and he tore his eyes away, fighting the dull ache of desire.
“Anyway,” Kade said, pushing himself up. “I left most of the little bottle of shampoo, just in case you want to wash up. If you don’t mind, I’m gonna try to get some shut-eye.”
Felicity cleared her throat, the color in her cheeks subsiding. “Of course. I’ll try to be quiet.”
“If you get tired, you’re welcome to, um . . .” The words tangled on his tongue and he found himself unable to speak, motioning awkwardly to his bed. “I mean, you know, if you just want some company . . .”
Amusement sparkled in her eyes and for a moment, she looked more like the happy, determined Felicity he’d brought with him out of Holly Hill.
He made an exasperated sound, putting his water beside her abandoned coffee and throwing back the covers on his bed. “Oh, you know. Good night, Filly.”
“Good night, Kade.” His name rolled off her tongue with a hint of fondness, and she turned off the lamp.
The blackout curtains left the room dark, and he crawled under the blankets fully clothed but feeling altogether more comfortable.
Whatever wall had been erected between them, he’d already started chipping it away.
SIXTEEN
* * *
“I RECEIVED VERIFICATION that the glass on your vehicle has been replaced. I am on my way out of the office now, so please call me on my cellular phone in fifteen minutes to continue discussing your work,” Thaddeus said politely. He was never polite, always critical and often sharp. And he never left his office.
Kade frowned, scratching his forehead with his thumb. “Sure thing. Let me grab a pen.”
The Keeper provided an alternate number, one Kade couldn’t recall hearing before. A disposable phone, most likely. Bad news. They shared amicable goodbyes before Kade hung up.
“What’s up?” Felicity hovered at his shoulder, looking at the note.
“Don’t know.” He checked the clock, then slipped past her to finish gathering his things. They hadn’t unpacked much, but he always liked to double-check to be sure his bags held everything. Leaving any trace behind was unacceptable. Especially when something as small as a misplaced paper could spell trouble later on.
She followed his lead, pulling a few pieces of clothing from her bag, folding them better and putting them away.
“The windows are fixed. He wants me to call him back in a minute.” He didn’t try to hide his concern. Felicity was his partner in this affair, for one thing. And keeping secrets wasn’t going to win him any favors when things between them were already strained.
“Needing to speak to you in private?” It was half question, half suggestion.
Kade grinned at her. “I think you’re right on the mark. Have you seen my razor?”
“Check under the edge of the bed. You left it on the covers before you went to sleep.” Tucking the last of her things back into her bag, she zipped it closed.
He leaned over, snatching the razor from the floor and stuffing it in with the rest of his things. “Good call.”
Felicity smiled so sweetly it made his heart ache. “So we’re just waiting for you to talk to your Keeper, right?”
“Far as I know, yes. We don’t have anywhere to go until he points us in the right direction.” The good news was it sounded like Thaddeus had important information. But he didn’t know how good of news it could be, if the Keeper had to hide whatever he’d found. Kade put on a cheerful face, but a slow rise of anxiety and tension filled him as the minutes crawled by.
After fifteen minutes, he dialed the number he’d been given, feeling a wash of relief when the Keeper answered. “Talk to me, Birch. What’s going on?”
“I found the owner of the farm trailer you inquired about.” Thaddeus sounded completely unruffled, but Kade heard faint road noise in the background. The Keepers kept the tightest security Kade had ever seen. Why would he need to leave the office to speak freely?
Thaddeus went on, calm as ever. “It is registered to one Alexander Noble.”
“Doesn’t sound familiar.”
Thaddeus chuckled. “No, it wouldn’t. He is a Keeper. Or, was, I suppose I should say.”
Kade glanced up. Felicity brushed her hair, distracted with her primping. He turned away. “What do you mean?”
“Alexander Noble died under mysterious circumstances approximately three months ago. The Keepers investigating ultimately ruled it was suicide by sun exposure. Alexander was, of course, a colleague of mine.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,”
Kade murmured. “How come the trailer wasn’t transferred to another Keeper, though?”
“The paperwork for some of Noble’s holdings was . . . shall we say . . . misfiled.” Thaddeus lowered his voice, adding weight to his words. “His charges were redistributed to other Keepers. All except one, whose documentation I discovered alongside the other misfiled holdings. Care to wager who it was?”
Kade could have cursed. He likely would have, if not for Felicity behind him. “Drake du Coudray.”
“Precisely.”
Sighing, Kade wiped a hand over his face. “So this is more than just a vampire keeping an exotic pet, isn’t it. Did you find any information on his real name?”
“Drake du Coudray is how he is filed. If it’s an alias, it’s one he’s been using a long time.” Thaddeus clicked his tongue in disapproval. “On a positive note, that does make it easier to track his activity. I can point you in the right direction, but finding his precise location will take more time. I’m afraid it’s not something I can do from the office.”
That couldn’t be right. “Thaddeus, the Keeper’s offices are one of the most secure places I’ve ever heard of.”
“I am aware, Colton. But as you, yourself, have said, this is much larger than a vampire keeping an exotic pet.”
Scrubbing a hand through his dark hair, Kade squeezed his eyes closed. “Are we at risk?”
“Of that, I am uncertain. For now, it’s likely best to continue on and feign ignorance, lest you incriminate yourself. As far as anyone knows, you are hunting a chupacabra. Nothing more. I have added no further notes to your documentation. To prevent any leaks of information, any further discussion will happen through this number or another I will supply you with when I reach my destination. I have already flagged your recorded inquiries about du Coudray as inconsequential and impossible to follow up on, as his file is missing.” A hint of amusement crept into the Keeper’s tone at the end.
Kade nodded to himself. All bad news. “So where do we go next?”
“The best course of action is to visit some of the local farmers who have lost livestock and pretend to be investigating there. I have sent a new cellular phone to P.O. Box 37 at the post office in the town you are staying in now. It will be there by morning. The box will be closed but unlocked. I will contact you on that phone with further direction.”
