Page 35 of Twice Bitten

“Then you’ll leave me alone,” I repeated.

“Hmm. We will see,” Alric said right before he disappeared in a gust of wind. In the place where he’d just been standing twirled a black business card with golden lettering. I snatched the stupid thing from the air and shoved it inside my pocket.

What an asshole. With a sigh, I pushed open my door, only for Edmund to accost me the second I crossed the threshold.

“The VAMPIRE PRIME?”

“Yes,” I said with another sigh.

“You were attacked by thePrimeand you thought that wasn’t an important thing for me to know?”

“Why does it matter?” I put my keys onto the hook by the door and kicked my shoes off.

The house shivered. Edmund was throwing a tantrum. “Because you mentioned blood getting in your mouth! You’ve been feeling off lately, and you haven’t connected the dots? A vampire doesn’t need to bite someone to turn them. They just prefer it. Why would they choose to use their claws when they can sip the world’s finest wine?”

My blood ran cold. There was no way. Turning a witch was an impossibility, like turning lead into gold. There were rumors of hybrids, and Addy even knew one, but never one who’d been attacked simultaneously like me.

His voice sounded exasperated. “Do you know who the shifter was?”

When I stayed silent, a laugh cracked through the house like lightning. “My gods. It was Silas, wasn’t it? How in the world did you manage to land in a fight between the Shifter King and Vampire Prime? It’s a miracle you’re alive.”

“I’m well aware,” I said dryly. “But in a few days’ time, I may not be.”

“You’re going to dinner with him.” Not a question, but Edmund’s voice dripped with disapproval.

“Drop the judgy tone, house spirit. I have no choice.”

“There’s always a choice.” He sniffed.

“Hmm. Dinner with the Prime or jail? I’ll take the option without the bars, please.”

“He’ll imprison you anyway if you aren’t careful.”

“I’m well aware of how screwed I am, thank you very much.” I rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out the stuff to make alfredo. Fresh pasta from the local Italian store, butter, a shallot, garlic, cream, and a block of parmesan. Salt, pepper, and nutmeg from the spice cabinet.

As my hands got busy with chopping the shallot and garlic, my mind whirled. I needed to call my contact and figure out how to switch up the couriers or make alternate arrangements for my shipments to go out. If the Prime had uncovered mybusiness that easily, it was only a matter of time before someone else stumbled upon my secret.

But even more worrisome was the prospect of dinner with the Vampire Prime. What did he want and why was he so insistent I accompany him? I was low on the totem pole and could give him nothing he didn’t already have. His insistence on meeting made me borderline paranoid.

If he wanted to kill me, he could have done it at any time, even in the shop. No one would have stopped him.

“He wants something from you,” Edmund said. “Once you provide it, he will never leave you alone.”

I snorted. “I run a black magic apothecary out of my basement. Maybe he needs an STD cure.” The thought of that made me grin.

I heated up butter in the pan, and when it was sizzling, I tossed in the shallots and cooked them until they were soft.

“Funny,” Edmund said, his voice monotone. “Will you at least try to take this seriously?”

I added in the garlic, stirred, and cooked it until the fragrance filled the air before adding in the cream and turning the heat down. Once I had a separate pot of water on to boil, I added grated parmesan to the first.

“I’m freaking out inside my head,” I said quietly. “I know I’m screwed. He’s the Prime, Edmund. There’s no escaping his influence.”

He made a disapproving tut. “You are far more powerful than you believe. I’ve seen some of the stuff you’re shipping out.”

I stopped stirring. “Edmund! You aren’t allowed in the basement!”

“You assume I can’t see through your packages.”