Page 84 of Thicker than Blood

He looks away for a moment before directing his response to Geordi. “I didn’t choose Ronald. Fisher did.”

“Fisher?” Geordi asks, looking at me.

“Fisher Mason? The Englishman?”

Tristan nods. “That’s him. He hates what we’ve become. What we’ve allowed the mortals to take from us. He’s been searching for the perfect mortal to seduce. When he found out Ronald was related to the chief of police… well, the choice was obvious.”

“How did he know about the vaccine?” Geordi asks.

“Luck.” Tristan nods. “Fisher compelled Ronald to get information that could be helpful to us. Ronald, ever dutiful, drilled his uncle, who took his interest as a positive sign and secured him a role in the research facility.”

Geordi shakes his head. “So Ronald was acting under compulsion?”

“Yes, of course. What mortal in their right mind would side with the vampires?”

Geordi narrows his eyes. “There shouldn’t be sides. We should coexist peacefully. That’s what the vaccine was for, and you guys ruined it. It wasn’t ready and now they’ll never let me finish developing it.”

Tristan glares at Geordi. “Oh please. As if the mortals want peace. You want to control us like we’re pets.”

“You’re wrong. A lot of us don’t want that. We don’t want trouble. I’ve spent years trying to make it better.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s one of us,” I say. “He’s a dhampir.”

Tristan looks stunned. “That’s why you’re drawn to him. He’s not a mortal at all.”

I stand, pulling Geordi close and gazing into his pretty eyes. “He’s everything. Beautiful, smart, kind, sexy. He’s my eternal companion.” I turn a hard look on Tristan. “He’s everything you could never be.”

Tristan emits a low growl.

“I always knew there was something off about you,” I continue. “You’re evil, Tristan. You allowed yourself to be lured by dark deeds instead of following my example.”

He scoffs. “Your example? Hiding in your home and fucking everything that moves?”

“Yes. It’s worked out well for me.” I kick his foot. “But now you know for as long as I allow you to live, that the only man in my bed is Geordi. You can think about that while you slowly die.”

“I told you what you asked for. Why continue to torture me?”

“Why not?” I wrap my arms around Geordi from behind. “Perhaps I’ll change my mind if you tell me where to find Fisher.”

“I have no idea. He summons me when he wants to see me.”

“What’s his next move?” Geordi asks.

Tristan clenches his jaw, obviously resistant to answering, but all it takes is a growl from me and he decides to cooperate.

“He was hoping your vaccine would kill mortals, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“No,” Geordi says, his tone revealing his disgust. “How awful.”

“If that didn’t work,” Tristan continues, “his plan was to target certain mortals he could compel to do what he wants. Like Ronald. He hasn’t made much progress with that.”

“Why not?” I ask.

Tristan looks around the darkened space as if somehow Fisher might just appear.

“Why, Tristan?” I repeat.

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