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Chapter One

HE old-fashioned bell jingled over the doorway, and a gust of Tchill wind swept through Lawson’s Bookshoppe It was July

Greta shivered, knoho it was even as her eyes re She took a deep breath and let it out slowly

"Anthony We’re closing up early"

"We? You look quite alone Where’s your little redheaded friend? What’s her name? Charlotte?" The vampire licked his lips

"You know very hat her na Charlee home early The other clerk ess often struck when people were alone and vulnerable He’d always see he could relieve her of her blood in seconds

Greta focused on the counter as the Forave under the pressure of her hand She met his eyes and tucked a strand of short dark hair behind her ear, grateful her kind couldn’t be enthralled

He wore the standard vampire uniform of basic black, his blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail A long leather coat flowed out behind hi background

Anthony removed a soft-covered book fro at the title and placed it on the counter

His crystal blue eyes glowed and locked with Greta’s dark brown

He inhaled deeply, not bothering toto stop teasing me and letup on twenty-eight aren’t you? Special year Moon’s nearly full" Greta’s hand shook as she passed the scanner over the book’s bar code Therians, known to the mortals as Weres, celebrated their birthday not on the anniversary of their birth, but on the full ht wasn’t a nu the huhth birthday was bigger than the hue for vae, and slipped the book into the opaque green shopping bag Her eyes widened when she gliht a book on ed and s "I like blood" He scooped the bag up, gave her one last ful look, then drifted out of the store

Greta locked the door behind hiainst the cool wood She could do with fewer bloodsucking patrons; they’d increased in nu up, she n posted in the

It was thirty athered the nerve to venture into the parking lot

Most of the lights in the lot had burned out, and no one had bothered replacing them With only one human employee and few after dark human patrons, it was deeht not realize as out there, but they were shy of the dark all the sa stealth a physical iaphone Fresh et it boys

If Anthony or any of his ilk were lurking, they didn’t take the bait Nothing black-clad or fanged e, or whatever it was he did at night For all she knew, he hung out at the all night grocery store scaring stock boys

When she got ho to be let in

"Hello, Mink" She bent to scratch the kitty behind her ears and went inside, stopping in the hallhere the answering ht blinked

"This is your mother I need to see you Be discreet" Click

Jaden was more abrupt than usual Be discreet Translation: be in fur

Solanced at the hall clock, 9:45, plenty of time for a shower

It wasn’t until Greta shut off the water that she remembered she hadn’t done laundry Shit No towels She closed her eyes and focused as ies flowed over her , htened as she allowed the e The room shrank and swirled around her Her spirit jolted from her body, hovered for a moment, then was pulled back into her new compact form

She stretched all the way down to the pads of her paws, then shook herself and licked her black fur down flat There was going to be a hairball situation if she didn’t do laundry soon She hopped onto the pedestal sink, ad herself in the