Page 5 of Vampires and Violas

“You saved him,” I say softly. “But how? The first bite wouldn’t change him.”

“He was already a second-stage pre-vamp. Most hunters are—staying clean while you’re fighting vampires is impossible. They come at you, fangs first.” He gestures to his mouth like I don’t know where the fangs are located.

“Like Emma,” I say, referring to the receptionist at NIHA’s local administration office.

“Exactly like Emma.” He frowns. “It was going to happen eventually. All hunters know it. They either die or they become vampires. It’s a job hazard.”

“Then why is Noah so mad?”

“He went nine years—a long time. He thought he could avoid that final bite.”

“Did you get in trouble?” I ask, curious if he’s above the law.

“No,” Cassian says heavily. “Noah didn’t turn me in. Everyone assumed he was bitten by one of the vampires we were fighting.”

“Can’t other old, decrepit vampires like yourself tell he’s from your line?”

“The vampires we were fighting were from my line, too.”

“Ah, that Sophia woman again.”

He grunts, not impressed, and opens his door. It pivots up like a butterfly lifting its wings, a strange feature of these wildly expensive cars. “I’m hungry.”

I follow him, ignoring the gawking stares we receive. Tourists openly gape at the car, nudging each other, wondering who we are and what we’re doing in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

“A table for two?” the hostess asks when we walk inside.

“Three, actually,” Cassian answers, “but our friend is already here.”

I whip my head toward Cassian, a protest on my lips. But it’s too late. The vampire lifts his hand, greeting someone seated at one of the tables.

My stomach clenches as I numbly follow the hostess.

Our handsome dining companion stands as we approach, looking as uncomfortable as I feel. His honey-brown eyes are focused on me, but I keep my gaze averted.

“Hey, Piper,” the hunter says cautiously when we reach him, pulling out my chair for me like a gentleman.

I finally meet his eyes, my emotions a jumbled mess. “Hi, Noah.”

2

We’ve barely satdown when Cassian looks at his phone, grimacing. “Oh, how foolish of me. I completely forgot I have an appointment.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You have an appointment at eight-thirty on a Tuesday evening?”

“I’m afraid so.” He rises. “You two stay—enjoy your dinner. Noah, you don’t mind driving Piper home, do you?”

Filthy, wretched vampire.

I breathe in through my nose, glaring at him. Cassian smiles in a way that’s not as innocent as he believes and then excuses himself.

Noah clears his throat, highly uncomfortable, and sits back in his seat. Looking at the table, he says, “I’ll take you home now if you want.”

“I thought you went back to Denver?”

Slowly, he lifts his eyes. Meeting his gaze is a painful dart to my heart. We weren’t friends for very long, and we’d only toed the line of a romantic relationship when I found out he was a monster-in-hiding. But I became attached, and our parting hurt.

“I did.” He drops his gaze to the pepper shaker and idly slides it toward him.

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