Page 32 of Twice Bitten

“Hmm. Yes. I suspected this was a long shot. Her scent is heavy around this area. Maybe she’s a frequent customer?”

“Maybe,” I agreed. Inside my head, I was screaming. “Do you have a picture of her? I’m sure any woman the Vampire Prime is looking for would consider herself lucky.”

A small smile. “Perhaps,” he agreed. “Though I don’t know about this one.” He shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t have a picture. She was on the shorter side, a couple of inches past five feet.” Again, that intense probing look.

“We have numerous people coming in every day,” I said, hoping my tone sounded apologetic enough. “With the conference here recently, those numbers went way up. Maybe she was with them?”

“You’re probably right.” He nodded and dug into his pocket, before tossing a twenty-dollar bill onto the counter. Hey big spender. That would buy me a few lattes this week.

“I’ll return another day, then,” he said. “She might be assisting with the admin side of the conference or working for one of the attendees, but I suspect she’s a local.”

Not good. I lifted my hands to the register and smiled. “If any dark-haired girls mention the Vampire Prime, I’ll make a note.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Thank you…” his voice trailed off as his eyes dipped to my chest. “Alex. You’ve been helpful.” Alric lifted his hand in farewell and turned to go.

Addy’s scent charm had worked. A rapid heartbeat was easily explained away. Everyone who had a lick of sense knew enough to be frightened when the Prime showed up. But scent never lied.

My hands were slick with sweat. I lifted my hand, snagging the side of my knuckle on the jagged edge of the metal register. I’d asked Addy a hundred times to replace the stupid thing, butshe kept saying as long as the register worked, maybe I should tape the side up so I’d stop cutting myself on it.

A tiny bead of blood welled at the tip of the small wound. Alric’s hand froze as he reached to open the door.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Ohfuck.

He turned, standing just outside the entrance, his gaze burning with a brilliant green glow.

Our eyes locked. I pressed my other hand to the wound and squeezed, cutting off the blood flow, but it was too late.

Alric knew who I was. But after a terrible moment of silence, he simply dipped his head. “I will see you soon,Alex.”

Fear burned in my veins. Alric disappeared in a gust of silver wind, magic ripping through the shop as he left.

“Oooh, shiiiiiit,” Quinn trilled from behind her hiding spot. “You are introuble.”

I gave her a withering glare, but the pixie was right.

I wassoscrewed.

Finishing my shift was a chore, but when the clock struck five, I took off my apron and snuck out the back using aHideawaycharm I borrowed from Addy. Hedgewitch magic was handy for many small things, but few things could beat one of my boss’s charms. I tugged the leather cord over my head and shivered as I disappeared.

Logically, I knew my body was still there, but not being able to see myself made me feel disjointed. Addy opened the back door, and I slipped out, keeping a close eye out for Alric or Beckett.

My boss was still processing her feelings about Alric showing up at Three Little Beans. Social media had blown up from the few customers inside the shop at the time. Several had managed to snap pictures and upload them, causing a mass influx of customers right beforemy shift ended.

I could almost see the dollar signs dancing in Addy’s eyes when she handed me the charm. “Don’t forget to call Cora,” she’d said right before my shift ended.

The parking lot was full. No sign of Alric or any vampires or shifters. Still, I kept the charm activated as I hurried to the car. Once I was inside, I took another sweep of the parking lot before I pulled away toward home.

Alric’s threat of seeing me again rang in my ears all the way there.

TWELVE

The next several days passed in a haze. Coffee. Home. Apothecary work. Rinse and repeat.

I kept forgetting to call Cora, mostly because I was more worried about keeping my head than figuring out why I was suddenly eating like a bodybuilder during competition season.

No sign of Alric or the Shifter King. I’d managed to tame my response to the humans coming in, but I was still eating steak by the truckload. Even Edmund had commented on my new culinary habits and expressed concern for my arteries.

After a particularly trying day, I heaved myself out of my vehicle and was trudging up the steps to my house, when a cool, cultured voice spoke.