Page 4 of Vampires and Violas

Not bothering to answer that, I look out the window.

“I know you’re mad at Noah,” Cassian presses. “And I’m not saying you don’t have a reason to be, but he’s a standup guy—one of the best I’ve met, and I’ve lived a long time. I don’t know why he didn’t tell you, but I’m certain he didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I’d rather date you than go back to him.” I glare at the scenery outside the window. “At least you never hid your vampireyness from me.”

“Don’t tempt me. I have the same desires as Shanda’s boyfriend.”

“Ew.” I look back at him, grimacing. “Don’t say things like that. It’s creepy.So creepy.”

“I won’t bite you, Piper,” Cassian laughs. Then he sobers, frowning at the road. “I already have too many vampire progenies running around.”

It’s a problem that plagues him. Though he’s an advocate of eradicating the virus altogether, vampires keep randomly showing up bearing his line’s mark.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have snacked on so many humans while you were living it up in Transylvania.”

“I’ve only personally created two vampires,” he says heavily. “One of them passed the virus to countless others, and it’s her vampires who are running amok.”

“Who was it?” I ask, holding fast to the conversation. Cassian rarely talks about people from his past. Noah mentioned a woman, but the vampire has never brought her up himself.

“Her name was Sophia,” he answers.

“Was?”

“We met in the 1800s. I don’t know if she’s still alive or not.”

“Ethan mentioned he was turned by a woman,” I point out. “Do you think it was her?”

“It could have been, or it might have been one of her many creations.”

“But you sense her on me, right?”

It still makes me uncomfortable.

He turns to look at me. “Yes.”

“Does that mean I have to disappear?”

Cassian snorts out a laugh. “No. You’re a good little bunny, and I’ve decided to keep you.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re terribly condescending?”

He grins, pulling into a parking spot outside the restaurant I didn’t agree to go to. “Such a feisty herbivore.”

“Who was the other vampire you created?”

Cassian shuts off the engine and turns in his seat, frowning at me like he doesn’t want to say. But his guilt-riddled expression does all the talking.

“No,” I whisper, horrified. “Youturned Noah?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Is that why he hates you so much?”

“He’ll forgive me eventually. Forever is a long time to hold a grudge.”

I pause, thinking about it, growing uncomfortable. “Why…I mean,how? What were youdoing?”

“It was during a hunt. He took a bullet to the stomach and was dying right in front of me.”

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