Page 76 of Bitten

After digging up the location of all the books referencing the vampiric change and dhampirs, he went in search of the books. A few minutes into his hunt, he saw someone moving into the aisle where he stood. Turning his head, he saw it was a familiar-looking vampire.

The same one who’d forced him to bring the blooddust into the city.

Caelian turned back to his search, praying to the gods that the vampire wasn’t there to see him and knowing full well that was just foolishness.

The vampire stopped beside him and leaned on the stack. “I hear you’ve sung to the cops, little songbird.”

Caelian looked around for Cannon, who was nowhere in sight. Damn him. Caelian hated the pig, and now, when he needed the asshole, the guard wasn’t there. Fear slammed into him. Do I yell? He could kill me in a heartbeat.

“I didn’t,” Caelian lied. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Don’t,” the vampire said. “There’s no point in trying to deny it. We know what you spilled. And you know what the punishment is for a rat.”

“Okay… maybe I gave them a little… but I told them the instructions for the pick-up were slipped under my door. I didn’t tell them about you.”

“But they caught our transit cop and arrested him. That is… before we killed him.”

The breath slipped from Caelian’s lungs. Before we killed him echoed in his ears. Caelian searched from the corners of his eyes, looking for a means of escape—or his guard—but only saw more vampires entering the stacks from either end.

Closed in, he had nowhere to go.

If only I could fly.

“Go ahead. Run,” the vampire said. “My guys like a little bit of sport. Gets their juices flowing. Let’s see how far you can get before they rip you to shreds.”

Caelian swallowed, realizing this was how he died. He didn’t even know the vampire’s name. He hadn’t been given it during their first—and last—meeting, the one where he’d been told he’d either die or traffic in blooddust.

His mind went to Kane… to Ralnur… it was just his luck to find his future… only to have it ripped from his hands.

“I have a way out for you,” the vampire whispered. “A way you get to live.”

Caelian eyed the vampire, knowing how improbable it was he’d like the answer to his next question. “How?”

“The Halfling guardsman. According to our source, you spent the night with him.”

Caelian narrowed his stare. “According to your source? The only one who was there was…”

“Who it is, is immaterial,” the vampire murmured.

“Cannon. It’s Cannon, isn’t it?” His stomach turned. He’d always hated that guy. Maybe this was why.

The vampire didn’t answer. “When Reginald Kane comes back to your bed, you steal the amulet from around his neck.”

“It was a one-night stand,” Caelian lied. “He’s not coming back that I know of.”

“I heard a little differently. Something about a mate?”

Caelian blanched. How in the hell did he know that? Is my room bugged? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The vampire smiled. “When he comes back to your bed—and I know he’ll come back to your bed—you’re going to steal that black gem he wears around his neck.”

Shaking his head, Caelian stared at the vampire. “I can’t do that. There’s no way he’ll part with it.” He’d seen how quick Kane had been to pull the gem from his fingers. “Why do you want it?” Besides the obvious, of course. The thing was worth a mint.

“Because I do,” the vampire spat. “And you’ll procure it for me—or you know what’ll happen.”

Caelian watched as the vampires around them grew closer. Panic gripped his heart. “I won’t steal it. I can ask him for it. Maybe… maybe I can trade something for it.” Kane wouldn’t let him be killed. If Caelian was his mate, the Halfling would help him figure a way out.

Wouldn’t he?

---