Page 54 of Newly Undead in Dark River

I was alone once again. But after being holed up with Tex for so long, going about my normal routine was almost a relief. I had to go have my Council mandated therapy session with Nico, which I was pretty sure only involved us eating icecream and him mining my brain for pop culture references to add to his office of horror, but I found myself looking forward to the bi-weekly ritual.

Dressed in some black skintight jeans that I never would have worn as Mika because they bordered on almost indecent, but damn they made my ass look good, I decided to head downstairs through the Immortal Cupcake and say hello to Angeline. I’d basically been ignoring everyone in lieu of Tex.

Guilt rushed through me as she lit up when she saw me. “Raine! I thought you’d died of dehydration up there. Just remember, you have the same vagina for all eternity, don’t wear it out in the first year,” she yelled, so not only would everyone in the store hear but everyone on the entire block. My face flamed so red, I could feel the burn.

“Jesus Christ, Angeline,” I hissed back. “Say it louder, I don’t think the people at the diner heard you.”

When she opened her mouth to do just that, I slapped a hand over her face. But the sparkling mirth in her eyes made a giggle bubble up in my chest, and before I knew it, we were both laughing hysterically while people stood waiting in front of the glass display cases to be served.

Finally, we both stood, wiping the pink-tinged tears from our cheeks.

“I’ll help you catch up, then I have to head over to Nico’s for therapy,” I said, as I served the vaguely familiar vamp in front of me.

“That’d be great. Take him some of the unicorn cupcakes. They’re his favorite.” At this point, I wasn’t even surprised that Nico liked cupcakes that literally looked like they’d been shit out by unicorns.

Nor was I surprised at the odd squee noise he made when I put them down on the desk in his office twenty minutes later. Iwassurprised by his ability to fit an entire cupcake in his mouth at once though. Multi-colored rainbow frosting extruded from the corners of his lips like a rabies epidemic in Equestria. That’s where the My Little Ponies live. I was a Pony fan. Don’t judge.

When he finally swallowed the cupcake in one large swallow, seriously it was as gross as it was fascinating, he finally greeted me.

“Hello, Raine. It is good to see you, and especially good to see you when you bring me baked goods.”

I smiled and sat down on the stupidly hard chaise lounge. “I don’t even care that I come second to one of Angeline’s cupcakes. Totally understandable.”

In a gesture that was a dichotomy of innocence and exoticness, his tongue dipped out and licked the frosting from his lips. I followed the gesture like a moth to a flame. I blushed again, glad he wasn’t looking as he sat on his inflatable ball chair.

Nope. Not going there.

“So, how do you feel about getting a little piece of home, right here in Dark River? With the bullet-proof protection of the Pack at that?” He asked lightly, as I laid back on the couch and stared at the ceiling.

I didn’t think I could accurately describe my joy, at least not without letting on that Tex was also my Mate. “It’s a little piece of bliss I thought I’d be denied forever. It’s eased something in my soul,” I said truthfully.

“And your other paramours? No one is upset about having a near-human in their midst?” He stuffed another cupcake in his mouth, devouring this one in two bites instead of one.

I almost laughed out loud. “Uh, they are all taking it well. Do you think it’s odd? I mean, am I going to be stoned in the town square for having three boyfriends?”

“Three?”

Walker wasn’t there yet. He was still holding back. I wasn’t sure why, considering the way he kissed me outside the club in Calgary. I knew he wanted to solve my murder first, and I could respect that. “Three and a half?” I suggested, and he just laughed.

“To answer your question, no one has ever been stoned in the town square.” He paused. “Actually, there was that one time Burt added marijuana to his brownies. I don’t know who was more surprised about the effect on Vamps, Burt or the Council. It’s like the effect on humans but knocked us out completely. There were a lot of stoned vampires in the town square that day.” He laughed at the memory. Huh, I’d have to ask Alice why weed affected us and alcohol didn’t. That was probably one for the vamp scientists though.

Nico continued. “But no one here will begrudge you any happiness. The rate of women turned to vampirism is far less than males, so our numbers are always at odds. It is not unusual for female vampiresses to have several lovers living in a nest together. Eternity is a long time to live alone due to a false belief in monogamy.” His eyes grew sad, and I wondered if Nico had someone. He was so full of life for a man who had been dead for a millennium, and I hoped he did. The sadness was chased from his face by a grin. “From a Council perspective, closer ties to the Pack, because you are engaging in coitus with the Alpha, is always a boon.”

I felt my eyes bug out. “You make me sound like some kind of sexual spy!”

He laughed, and the tattoos that encircled almost every available inch of his skin danced in the light. It was hypnotic, like something you’d see on a snake in the wild before it opened its maw and swallowed you whole like Nico did with that cupcake.

“I’m fairly sure there are members of the Council that are convinced you are a spy for the Vampire Nation.”

I laughed along, even though the idea perturbed me. “Hang on, wouldn’t they be upset that you told me that?”

He shook his head. “Oh no, Raine. I am very certain you aren’t a spy.”

I crossed my arms and pouted. “I could be a spy. I’d make the perfect spy. Who’d ever suspect me? It would be like suspecting Burt.” I’d done some stupid stuff in my time, but trying to convince an ancient vampire that I was a spy probably topped the list.

He didn’t seem to be buying it though, walking over to sit by me on the chaise lounge. “I know it because it’s my job to know these things.” He gripped my chin and turned my head, so I was looking into his eyes. “I can compel the truth from you remember? Raine, are you a spy?”

“No.” It was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

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