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"That so, huh" She sat at the table across fro his eyes with an unexpected directness--as if she were challenging hie He held all the cards "Hoas your bath?"

"Water pressure was good Always a bonus" Steam rose from her wet hair and the fire blazed, yet she rubbed her arms for warmth Must be thirsty

He frowned She’d taken her fill fro stretches without feeding "Did you lose blood over the day? Feeding another, perhaps?" He’d never considered that she s had never ation subjects before

Now he found hi if she’d rocked a babe to sleep with a waret back to her offspring

Mothers made sacrifices His own certainly had

And a child would mean a mate

"I’ve never fed someone else" So no child Why should that relieve him so much?

He pressed a rune carved into the table, and the dishes began to disappear Another rune materialized a wine service

She jerked back and stared like a rustic Did she live et out of theit to her

"Wine’s not really my scene"

"I could sweeten it with ht to say

She tilted her head, as if unfamiliar with the concept

"I have a vampire ally who lives on blood wine and mead"

"Vampire?"

Why would that ulate their heartbeats Perhaps she was younger than he’d thought

Then how had she traced with such control? He’d find out all her secrets soon

"Isn’t rin "Blace is a very, very old vampire" The oldest

"Does he ever visit you here?"