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Still Bones drank, ignoring everything around hietting nourish raith every pull of his ed into Bones's flesh with the same ease that sand absorbed seawater It was lovely to watch-and frightening

A hu, thunderous crescendo in a split second Instinctively I clappedli hiround Mencheres fared better but not by rasped hi barely conscious

I held Bones on uard for that anyone who approached would be killed It wasn't an exaggeration They were all ars underneath my red dress

Mencheres regained hiiven and accepted as proof of ht to hi Bones's face and waiting for him to wake up

Several y that made me twitch before his eyelids even fluttered All of a sudden, Bones felt unfa power that nor and growing, until he felt like he was going to explode right in my arms

His hand closed over mine in the next instant, and I jerked back It felt like I'd just shoved ht socket

"Bloody hell, luv, this feels quite different," were his first words

I laid a tentative hand back on him "Are you okay?"

It was al sparks up my arm, but I couldn't help myself

He nodded and opened his eyes "Very much so In fact, I've never felt better At least not unless ere alone"

Pig Now I kneas the saed in power, but not in any other way It was alutter

"Let's get you offme in the kidney-"

So on his face made me stop in midsentence "What?" I asked

"Did you just call ?"

I froze Had I said that out loud?

"Bloody hell, no you didn't!" he answered forto his feet in a lithe motion

Good God,he could read ht would happen

Bones pulledfroue alood Very, very good

"Shh," he whispered into my ear when his mouth trailed from mine

I could guess why the secrecy, of course We were in mixed company, and if Bones's enemies didn't know he had the new ability to read ainst them

I won't say anything But you and I will have to talk about this, because you can't just invade my mind whenever you want to be nosy

"Ahh!"

It caasp when he bit my neck in the next moment Mother of God, th entirely in the next second

We'd planned on hih he was now hyped full of vamp juice, it wouldn't nourish him Only human blood could, and mine still half qualified Thus it wasn't the shock of hi my neck that buckledover me with each pull of his one down on me with similar effect

Bones raised his ood, because Iash that they could all sense just howmy neck turned into a straw, but at least I wasn't about to ask for a cigarette

"Don't be embarrassed," Bones said low "I feel the same way every time I drink from you We'll finish up here soon, Kitten, now that the formalities are over"

He still had his arm around me when he turned to Mencheres The other vampire was refreshed as well from his blood donor, albeit less sensuously, I'd bet They clasped hands once before facing the crowd

"Our alliance has been sealed," Mencheres said formally

Bones was more casual about it "Then this is a party, mates Let's have at it"

Chapter Ten

BONES, EVER PARANOID THAT ONE OF THESE guests could be Max's mysterious benefactor, was plastered to ht There was a shitload of pulseless people here, and who kne many of them were really allies? The other reason was si my skin

But when the nad huuests, I stopped in my tracks

Bones chuckled, hearing the question infrom the look of my face

"These are the hors d'oeuvres, Kitten See that glitter they're covered in? It's a very special mixture, edible as well Note the ones with the extra arms? They don't have birth defects, those arlued onto them Ghouls have to eat also"

I stared in disbelief as one of the walking treats sat on the lap of a vanawed on what appeared to be a fake fourth ar from her torso Yuck!

I found my voice "That is the sickest version of a snack plate I've ever seen How did you get these people to agree to this? Mind-fuck them?"

He snorted "Not nearly They're willing volunteers, pet Soroupies, for lack of a better word People who know about va soe over It happens, of course Else they wouldn't flock to us in droves Soe, but that's their choice I don't require it"

Oh, so they were dinner and entertained Here I was, one of the hosts of a bang-and-bite soiree honoring Bones's alliance with a y?

Bones caughtaway for abookshelves, he pressed a lever, and then ere in a narrow dark passageway before I'd ever seen where it was

"Secret tunnel?" I teased "How very cloak-and-dagger"

He smiled "Ah, here we are Alone at last"