Page 18 of Seph

Simeon looked her up and down. “Can’t tell. You walk everywhere, Huntress, how the hell d’you manage to put on weight? We train a couple nights a week. I saw you out with Mr. Minegold on the Night Watch yesterday. That’s hours of walking.”

“And we caught something.” Emily’s eyes glittered for a moment as she put the box on the small dining table. She could feel it, the satisfaction, the brief cessation of guilt. She’d killed a vampire. With the help of a vampire. Guilt nibbled.

Simeon looked at her and nodded slowly. “The ‘bad tourism’ always starts in September, or so I hear.” He strode into the apartment and opened the box. “You must be burning off loads of calories, Em. You look... You look good.” The vampire stuffed half a donut in his mouth and wouldn’t meet her eyes.

Did he want to say something else?

She didn’t like it, but her heart sped up at the thought of the handsome, charismatic vampire complimenting her.

No one ever complimented her. Her father used to compliment her skills, not her.

She had a lean middle with stubborn curves. She had a fatter bust and bottom than she should, according to her father who wanted her to be flat-chested and muscular. He said her “soft parts” were nothing more than easy targets.

No one had called her pretty since her mother had left. Then, she died within a few weeks, before she could come back for her.

“I stayed thin because we never splurged on snacks. We ate two or three meals, always the slaying diet. High protein. Or Chinese. Dad said Chinese was cheap and reliable. You could always get protein, starch, and vegetables in one box.” She didn’t tell the vampire that she was never allowed ice cream, pudding, mousse, or the like because it would add fat to her already full “fat deposits.” Most humans would have called them breasts and buttocks.

“All right, but when you’re a human hunting machine, you probably ought to put away more food for fuel, yeah?” Simeon nudged the open box toward her. “C’mon. They’re part of my bribe.”

“Bribe?”

“Go to the bonfire on Sunday night with me? Part of Applefest. There’s pie, cider, donuts, chili—”

“Apple chili?”

“No! Beef, turkey, chicken, vegetarian—probably venison and boar for all I care. It’s just part of the weekend festivities. Plus, we can patrol.”

“Patrol?” Emily picked up a donut and brought it slowly to her mouth.

“Yeah. We should be out among the locals, making sure the bad sorts don’t get in. Days get shorter, nights get longer, hungry demons come to visit—especially on the college campus.” Simeon shook his head with a low whistle. “It’s like a differentworld over there. Two thousand young, horny, drunken students living in dorms or those apartments across from the campus—”

“Whereyoulive?” Emily didn’t know why his sentences upset her, but something prickled. Maybe he’s sneaking over there. Snacking on young, hot college girls.

I could be a hot college girl—if I were hot. If I went to college. Am I still young? I feel about four thousand years old...

“Yeah, right over the river! Some parts are so narrow you just take a walking bridge. Anyway, it’s stupidly easy for the bad sorts to mingle in crowds.”

“I know. London was your favorite place for over a hundred years—and we never managed to catch you,” Emily hissed, suddenly, savagely biting a donut.

“Well... Come with me to the bonfire. Patrol with me. Let me buy you chili and cider and all the things you like—and I’ll let you catch me.”

His tone was smooth, his smile sensual—yet somehow it wasn’t threatening. She knew very well that vampires were highly sexual creatures. They would use charm and seduction the same way she would use a crossbow and holy water.

“I can catch you anytime I want,” she countered, ignoring the paradox she’d just spoken. In London, they’d never caught him. In Berlin, Paris, Florence... Vampires love big cities.

A vampire who comes to a little town feels he has no need to hide. They intend to kill and leave.

The evil beings who entered Pine Ridge knew it was a paranormal-friendly place, and they expected a hidden gem where they could kill and feed without repercussion.

They were wrong.

And Simeon was wrong.

This wasallwrong. She wanted to catch him, maybe kill him, just for making her confused, for opening her eyes to things she wished she could unsee.

Things that didn’t make sense and made her life a lie.

“Anytime you want?” One dark brow arched, and his hand was suddenly on her arm, pulling her to him. “I could catch you, Huntress.”

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