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I am not prey!

I studied our hostess, Bettina, Blood Master of Clan Rousseau Rousseau was a beautiful woe, mostly African and European, and I had learned early on that she had entered this country as a slave Perhaps through this warehouse, where she noas hostess It seemed the kind of ironic situation that would appeal to a vamp

Vamp lore said that Bettina had pleased her master, who had later turned her, freed her, and made her his second in command When he died in 1915 - crap Wasn&039;t that the year Bruiserthe last vamp war? - Bettina had moved into his position of power Of course, I&039;d heard other stories too, but I hadn&039;t found anything in the oo files to verify any of them

Bettina stood five-four or five-five in heels, had e than aPlayboy bunny, and oozed seduction She had tried it onthere Clan Rousseau&039;s blood-master took Bruiser&039;s hand as if to shake, but pulled hi her cheek to his, her accent exquisite even in the single word

"Lovely lady," hehis cheeks to both of hers in a manner that seemed Old World and LA current at the same time

Bettina turned to me "Our brave hunter," she said

When I offered herthem between us as she stepped close, way insideour bodies Unlike most vamps, ore minimal perfume, Bettina was drenched in it Beast retreated fro her gaze, however, when she looked up

Liquid dark eyes pulled atpheromones,crap ,seduction pheromones spiked on the air I could srance She leaned in closer, up and againstour chests, her mouth ativen Bruiser Or a blood kiss

I a me back away She bared her teeth and claws Flooded my system with adrenaline Prepared to attack

But Bettina didn&039;t try to bite ; she sniffed ht down anger and insult

Bettina blew out a breath that went down my dress front, cold, dead air, and stepped back She said, "The Rogue Hunter is welcouest of Pellissier&039;s blood-servant, and as one claimed by the Blood Master of the City My home is honored"

Claimed?I blushed hotly Leo&039;s blood scent clai it would be stupid and dangerous to deny that status Could others try to clai I washere? Maybe I should be less ticked off with Bruiser Or maybe I should hurt hiured ere done, but she sers She haddiue Hunter call uponaze, and when she spoke again, it was haltingly, choosing her words with care "Yet, though you defeated him, I have not received such a call I a she was trying to convey so more than her words therip loosened and her tone returned to coy persuasion

"I still wish to know you better, who you are,what you are Should you tire of Leo and desireemploymentwhen your current contract is concluded, you will call upon reed upon, I am certain"

Accoonna happen

Before I could say it, she stepped back again, into her place in the one-va line, and released my hands Bruiser retook my arm and we moved on "Well, well," he murmured "Leo did say you smell like dessert"

Beast is not food!"That was seriously freaky," I murmured back

"So what are you?" he asked "Why do you ss?" I said, hoping to deflect his curiosity

"Yes, but you s to Leo Which, for a vas"

"M to respond to that one I sain and stopped, my hand at ht a whiff of the rogue maker from her palm I looked back at Bettina She had shaken his hand He?

Yes I was pretty sure And thatat , but what? I sniffed The odors were rich and inter over it all No scent of the rogue ered on the air

I scanned the central area of the warehouse and breathed in the e open area with three-feet-thick, old-brick walls, a slate floor, and thirty-inch-dia up the second floor, which was fifteen feet overhead Gas fla in the air-conditioned, artificial breeze Whatever its use in the past, the entry floor was now set up for entertaining, with a serving area to the right big enough to seat a hundred at the long table, which was currently pushed against the wall Scores of chairs lined the rooht match the faint scent on my hand

However, the air was redolent with ht "Later," I murmured, as if to myself Bruiser looked my way, but I pretended not to notice The table was laden with food for hu s that looked like lollipops but smelled like lamb, kabobs, shrimp, fried seafood in bite-sized pieces, and boudin, a Louisiana favorite, onto plates There were veggies and a multitude of breads and cheeses too, not that I cared

To the left was a place set up like a parlor, with couches, chairs, tables, and a fireplace scaled to fit the warehouse, burning huge logs that looked custom cut Bruiser led me left, to pause partially behind one of the round pillars The seating area was decorated with French and Spanish antiques, lots of burled wood on cases holding paintings and priceless objets d&039;art The upholstered furniture had sweeping lines, tufts, tassels, skirts, and ges - art deco and art nouveau ht be seen in an old black-and-whitearfed by the scale of the room

Midway to the back half of the warehouse was another area, s tossed on the slate floor, and here va, bohe here too, pepper, parchment, fresh mint and cah thatthe vas Beast didn&039;t like that stench, and hissed deep in ht clan blood-faly difficult to keep their political and social divisions straight, but it was soue-vamp hunter in their territory Pellissier, Laurent, Bouvier, and St Martin were in one political alliance, with Mearkanis, Arceneau, Rousseau, and Desmarais in the other The clan homes of the latter four blood-masters were in the Garden District, and once upon a tiroupings tonight, it was clear that the alliances were changing, the vaht in the world of the blood-sucking predators

I spotted Rafael Torrez, the small, black-eyed scion and master of Clan Mearkanis, and self-proclaimed enemy of Leo, in intense conversation with two unknown vauy in a red costume and a va

I heard the word "Leo" froroup across the room And "clan," and "true-death" From the way his body tensed, Bruiser heard too I asked, "What do they get if Leo suddenly dies or is defeated in war?"

"I&039;m not sure" His eyes crinkled at the corners as he scanned the room "If Leo names a new heir and solidifies his political base, then at his true-death his poould move to his successor, ould become master of the city Of course, the new ht But if Leo holds off nan, it all beco that "difficult" was an understateed him away, to the table with human food, as in food for hu vamps around tended to make such distinctions tricky The sexual tension between Bruiser and me and the atmosphere in the roole," I said, "to see if any of theue maker -