Page 55 of Death and Donuts

I focused on the miniature meringues I was using as teeth in my elevated version of Dracula Denture cookies. The almond halves were adorable fangs. And everything together—the butter cookie, raspberry filling, and almonds—smelled and tasted divine.

“Life, I guess. Knowing that Vena and I will be graduating soon and thinking of what comes next for us.”

“Change can be hard.”

I nodded then glanced at him again. “Are you married, Doc?”

He grinned. “I’m telling Shepard you were interested in my current status.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s less likely to have a problem with any potential interest I might have in you over Cross. Does it bother you when Cross comes over?”

“Yes,” Doc said honestly. “It goes against every instinct I have not to go after him.”

“Are you being metaphorical or literal?” I knew wolves had instincts, but I still didn’t know very much about them.

“Literal. It’s in our blood to kill vampires. It’s what we were made for.”

“Made?”

He shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Shepard about our origins. It’s a story only passed from father to son when we first change.”

“Got it. Want to try my version of Dracula’s Dentures?”

For the rest of the afternoon, I kept my emotions in check so Doc didn’t question me again, and he kept himself entertained with a fictional werewolf romance book that Vena had brought home for “research.”

I was showered and in my pajamas for the night when Vena and Anchor finally returned.

“What a shit show,” Vena said, plopping onto the couch as Anchor went to the kitchen with the Chinese takeout. “Not a single person I asked had any information about a vampire who could turn into a cat, or about a vampire that wouldn’t die even with its heart crushed.”

“Rome wasn’t conquered in a single day,” Doc said.

Vena rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m being impatient. I know that. But I wasn’t the only one. The market was crawling with dwarves asking the same questions I was.”

Anchor returned with containers for both of us. I listened to her summary of their time in the market as I ate. She’d gotten a few leads on people who might be able to help her locate a black cat, but that was it.

With a food-happy sigh, I leaned back against the couch from my position sitting on the floor.

“You liked it?” Vena asked. “You’re never going to guess where it’s from.”

“If you say something gross after I finished eating it, I’m going to punch you in the chesticles.”

Doc made a strangled sound, and Anchor clapped him hard on the back.

“Nothing gross,” she said. “I promise. It was a vendor in the Shadow Trade market. A stall in the front where it’s totallysafe. And just to be sure, I interrogated the lady selling them. Straight-up human-grade food. I guess it’s good business there. After browsing all the unusual stuff, humans want something familiar.”

“Makes sense,” I said.

“There were a lot of other food stalls there…if you want to come with us tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Come on. Come with us. You and your girls are my lucky charm when it comes to getting information.”

I made a face at her.

“Plus, we’re due for a charm recharge. Especially with Master running around again.”

I thought of my run-in with Adriel and how my charm had fizzled and knew she was right.

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