and pulled an ecstatic face.
“ Vamps like power? ” I guessed. “And all its trappings?”
“ Ceriden owns two Maserati ' s and uses a Bentley for the grocery run. His home is worth millions. Tristran, his direct superior, lives in Las Vegas, in a new apartment built on the Strip. The complex has its own beach. The saying among Ubers goes: behind every great man, there ’ s a great fang. They ’ re everywhere. ”
I tried to keep the shock off my face as my view of the world shifted. “ Wow. ”
“ Vamps bask in power.”
“ But lycans are free? Why do you say that? ”
Felicia moved her head so her masses of blonde hair framed her perfect face. “ Okay, Logan, I ’ ll try to explain. ” She didn ’ t sound condescending, just earnest. “ It ’ s the freedom of being here in this house today, but knowing I could be just as happy in the depths of a forest or on the wilds of the moors tomorrow. It ’ s the freedom of being able to mingle, with anyone, anytime. We don ’ t need anything material to be happy. We just need the Run, passion, sex, excitement. All the best things that gets your blood up. Could you say that? Could any other species? ”
Felicia took a breath and fixed me with her deep saucer-like eyes. “ But, most of all, it ’ s the wild, uninhibited sense of the Run. When we change we are raw nature, untamed and unbound , beyond regulation and rule. T he Run is true freedom , Logan , the passing of tree and root, the caress of the harsh sun or the silvery moon upon your flawless body. When you get that kind of release, well, that ’ s why you howl. ”
I didn ’ t know what to say. She made it sound so good.
“ Don ’ t believe a word , ” a new voice boomed from behind me. I started, almost spilling my coffee as I whipped around.
Ceriden said, “ Sorry, Logan, dearest. Us ‘ material-beings ’ tend to move without making much sound. ”
I lifted my mug. “ Grab a coffee. ”
“ Is it double blended? ” Ceriden asked. “ With blood and a pinch of Bram? ”
I certainly hoped not, but before I could speak Ceriden went on, “ Felicia, I simply love the way your belly-button ring sparkles when you twist it, but please give it a break. ” He made a nauseous sound.
Felicia screwed her face up. “ This, coming from a vampire ? ”
Ceriden waggled his long fingers at her. “ Felicia misrepresents us, I feel. Have you been on the ‘ Shrooms again, poodle? ”
“’ Shrooms? ” I questioned, as Felicia giggled.
“ Magic mushrooms, ” Ceriden smiled . “ Are a lycan delicacy. They have the same effect on lycans as cannabis does on humans. Or Bram does on vampires. They make her frisky. ”
I stared at the blonde wolf in human form. “ You mean she ’ s high? ”
“ Most of the time . ” Ceriden reached into the freezer, levered out a carton of blood and placed it in the microwave. “ Emergency ration, ” he said to my appalled look.
“ Well, Mr. ‘fashion-victim‘, I hear your powers might have started to surface? ”
“ Not really.”
“ What did you feel? ”
“ Sick. I almost threw up. ”
“ Almost? Well , try studying your dress sense. T hat should do the trick. Anyway, avoiding the situation will not change it. ”
“ It ’ s not your situation. Maybe I’m the wrong man. And what the hell is Bram? ”
“ You don ’ t want to believe it. ” Ceriden ignored my question and sidled with perturbing speed and grace over to the table. He picked up a copy o f Cosmo and started leafing through it. “ That ’ s fine. But you did feel something. Sweet-cheeks told me, and it was a response to the danger your friend was in. Devon Summers had a similar response to the danger she was in. Devon, however, had no choice but to embrace her powers. ”
I met the vampire’s hard gaze. “ It saved her life, didn ’ t it? ”
“ Yes. And now face this fact- one day soon your life will be in danger. And the lives of your friends, and your
“ Vamps like power? ” I guessed. “And all its trappings?”
“ Ceriden owns two Maserati ' s and uses a Bentley for the grocery run. His home is worth millions. Tristran, his direct superior, lives in Las Vegas, in a new apartment built on the Strip. The complex has its own beach. The saying among Ubers goes: behind every great man, there ’ s a great fang. They ’ re everywhere. ”
I tried to keep the shock off my face as my view of the world shifted. “ Wow. ”
“ Vamps bask in power.”
“ But lycans are free? Why do you say that? ”
Felicia moved her head so her masses of blonde hair framed her perfect face. “ Okay, Logan, I ’ ll try to explain. ” She didn ’ t sound condescending, just earnest. “ It ’ s the freedom of being here in this house today, but knowing I could be just as happy in the depths of a forest or on the wilds of the moors tomorrow. It ’ s the freedom of being able to mingle, with anyone, anytime. We don ’ t need anything material to be happy. We just need the Run, passion, sex, excitement. All the best things that gets your blood up. Could you say that? Could any other species? ”
Felicia took a breath and fixed me with her deep saucer-like eyes. “ But, most of all, it ’ s the wild, uninhibited sense of the Run. When we change we are raw nature, untamed and unbound , beyond regulation and rule. T he Run is true freedom , Logan , the passing of tree and root, the caress of the harsh sun or the silvery moon upon your flawless body. When you get that kind of release, well, that ’ s why you howl. ”
I didn ’ t know what to say. She made it sound so good.
“ Don ’ t believe a word , ” a new voice boomed from behind me. I started, almost spilling my coffee as I whipped around.
Ceriden said, “ Sorry, Logan, dearest. Us ‘ material-beings ’ tend to move without making much sound. ”
I lifted my mug. “ Grab a coffee. ”
“ Is it double blended? ” Ceriden asked. “ With blood and a pinch of Bram? ”
I certainly hoped not, but before I could speak Ceriden went on, “ Felicia, I simply love the way your belly-button ring sparkles when you twist it, but please give it a break. ” He made a nauseous sound.
Felicia screwed her face up. “ This, coming from a vampire ? ”
Ceriden waggled his long fingers at her. “ Felicia misrepresents us, I feel. Have you been on the ‘ Shrooms again, poodle? ”
“’ Shrooms? ” I questioned, as Felicia giggled.
“ Magic mushrooms, ” Ceriden smiled . “ Are a lycan delicacy. They have the same effect on lycans as cannabis does on humans. Or Bram does on vampires. They make her frisky. ”
I stared at the blonde wolf in human form. “ You mean she ’ s high? ”
“ Most of the time . ” Ceriden reached into the freezer, levered out a carton of blood and placed it in the microwave. “ Emergency ration, ” he said to my appalled look.
“ Well, Mr. ‘fashion-victim‘, I hear your powers might have started to surface? ”
“ Not really.”
“ What did you feel? ”
“ Sick. I almost threw up. ”
“ Almost? Well , try studying your dress sense. T hat should do the trick. Anyway, avoiding the situation will not change it. ”
“ It ’ s not your situation. Maybe I’m the wrong man. And what the hell is Bram? ”
“ You don ’ t want to believe it. ” Ceriden ignored my question and sidled with perturbing speed and grace over to the table. He picked up a copy o f Cosmo and started leafing through it. “ That ’ s fine. But you did feel something. Sweet-cheeks told me, and it was a response to the danger your friend was in. Devon Summers had a similar response to the danger she was in. Devon, however, had no choice but to embrace her powers. ”
I met the vampire’s hard gaze. “ It saved her life, didn ’ t it? ”
“ Yes. And now face this fact- one day soon your life will be in danger. And the lives of your friends, and your
Similar Books
