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"Why did you kill theed in so upon your territory?" Such derision and scorn It didn’t belong in that melodic voice

"I have no territory--not here in the States, at least--unless you count the small parcel of land upon which my current abode resides"

"You sleep in a crypt or sohed "No I like ed in a turf war as you called it I killed the vaaze "First of all, I don’t need protecting"

"The events that transpired the night we est otherwise"

"That was a unique situation Vampires don’t usually travel in packs"

"A co them" The fact that she still lived led him to believe this was a fairly new endeavor for her

"Years," she responded defiantly

He lean enough to know she told the truth Even so, doubt plagued him "How many years? You can’t have seen more than twenty-five in your lifetime"

"Twenty-seven, not that it’s any of your business And I’ve hunted varipped hiht vampires for six years and survived to tell the tale? With no help fro in North Carolina in recent years: The uprisings The battles And she had hunted vah it all?

"That’s i here" She frowned "Wait You said the them, not us"

He swore silently

"What are you?"

"I have fangs My eyes glow I heal at an accelerated rate And I have preternatural speed and strength What do you think I am?" he retorted Until he was sure she and her brother were operating independently and weren’t part of soroup he and the others had recently defeated--he was reluctant to tell her that he was an iifted one, orfrom advanced DNA, before he had been infected with the vampiric virus Va the advanced DNA, were driven insane by the brain dae it caused

She shook her head "You’re different You’re not like the others"

He arched a brow "Because I didn’t try to kill you?"

Her head continued to wag back and forth as her gaze skipped over him "You’re different"

He frowned She didn’t see hi that set him apart from the others?

"How am I different?"

"You tell me"

Not bloody likely

She mimicked his frown and took another step back "Why have you been following ht that, had she?

Well, curiosity had driven hiood vampire lure He hadn’t killed this many vamps on a daily basis in quite some time

He should have turned her na about her He couldn’t get her out of his head

Not that he would adood bait," he stated just to rile her

Her face flushed with fury "I what?"

Da vampires has never been so easy I just follow you and take out the dullards who can’t resist you and slink after you"

"YouIIs that an insult? Are you saying only dullards would be attracted tobefore a big-ass dullard, he wanted to say "Of course not Only dullards would want to kill you"

"Oh Well, you can’t do that You can’t just follow ged "You can’t really stop me, can you?"

"The hell I can’t"

"Well, you could if you ceased hunting and left the slaying of vaested

She stared at him "Seriously, what are you?"

"What are you?"

"What do you mean? I’m human"

"Your brother isn’t"

The tip of one of her swords nicked him as she pressed it to his throat "What do you know about ifted one"

"I don’t knohat a gifted one is, but you leave hi as he aids you in your quest, I’" Her expression fierce, she pressed forward "Stay The hell Away from him"

"If you fear for his safety, you have only yourself to blame You led me to him"

Alarm and self-condemnation flitted across her pretty face

"It’s only a matter of time before you lead vampires to him as well," he pointed out, "if you haven’t already"

"I haven’t I’ve been careful"

"Are you sure? Did you know I followed you?"