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Now, Kane had experienced it, too Just once, but once was enough to break nearly anyone And for the next twelve full ain, into ahates h I fulfilled the ters didn’t turn out in her favor She’s vowed that her hellhounds will tearuntil the next full moon, when her pack will have an extra ’s co else I know it, and he knows it

There’s no way around it: I love you doesn’t stand a chance against Sorry, but in a few days I’ll be forced to hunt you down and kill you Was it any wonder ere avoiding each other?

With a heavy heart, I crossed the street and headed home

IN MY BUILDING’S LOBBY, I NODDED GOOD MORNING TO CLYDE, the door, as zombies do, but Clyde’s sense of decoru on the job He stashed a crinkly cellophane bag in the desk and brushed sohn," he said I’d asked about a hundred ti on a first-na one’s nose in public "Mr Kane stopped by while you were out"

My heartbeat surged "Is he upstairs?"

Clyde pursed his lips He’d been aa zoh he’d never uttered a judgmental word, he’d let ave Kane a key to ht now If you’ve never gotten a disapproving look from a holier-than-thou zoet past the disapproval, Clyde’s a good guy

"No," he finally said "He seemed very concerned with that business out there" Clyde waved a hand toward the door, whether to indicate the zoeneral I couldn’t tell "He requested that I infor"

As the rhythm of my heart settled back to normal, I wondered whether it was pleasure or anxiety that sped it up in the first place Both, probably At any rate, Kane knew I usually slept during the day, so he was assu I’d come home from wherever and fall into bed Which was exactly what I intended to do

If only he were there to fall into bed with me

I wished In the days since we’d returned from the Darklands, Kane and I had barely been able to look one another in the eye, let alone touch each other It was like each of us was afraid the other would break

Maybe ould

A sigh escaped me before I squared my shoulders and thanked Clyde His expression softened, as o soft "Is everything all right, Ms Vaughn?"

No These days, nothing ithin shouting distance of all right But I pasted on a smile and nodded "Fine"

Clyde tilted his head skeptically, as if trying to see inside mine "If I can be of any assistance I’m a trained counselor, you know" He blinked, as if suddenly re his place, and nodded sharply

"Thanks, Clyde" My words seemed to embarrass hiaze "Well, have a good day," I said He didn’t reply

Walking across the lobby to the elevators, I wondered how long it had been since either of us had had a truly good day Was there such a thing in Deadtown?

4

I COULD HEAR JULIET’S MOVIE SCREEN–SIZE TV BLARING through the front door as I inserteda 650-year-old vampire for a roommate was her simultaneous fascination and boredoued by est, flattest, highest-definition television she could find But during her many centuries of undeath, she’d seen it all--aside fro channels or the latest reality show, she couldn’t sustain interest in as on In other words, she loved her TV but couldn’t care less about the content She’d turn it on, crank up the volume in all six speakers, marvel at the quality of the picture and the sound, and then wander off to find soo, she was undoubtedly tucked into her coffin, dead to the world, leavingtotally deaf in the ti roo off