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process. That he couldn’t live without and knowing she blamed
him for the way her life turned out, the fact she was now one of
the monsters, ate at his conscience.
    More so now. With Erik Foster showing up, he
knew whatever this, Collective, had planned, wasn’t going to go
away just because Malcolm was dead. The Breeds had banded together,
just as Dillon said. That could only spell trouble. He’d thought
Rayna was safe but that had been an illusion.
    He turned his back to the bedroom. “I want
everyone to watch the house and the road.” Looking at Bryce, he
gave him a pointed look. “Pick whoever you think is best and secure
the town. I want to know who comes and goes through that main road.
We should have had someone watching it before now.”
    “I can have someone there within the
hour.”
    “Do it,” he said. “Send someone to try and
catch up with Foster, too. I don’t trust him. He’s up to
something.”
    Bryce nodded before handing the cup in his
hand to Dillon and turning, hurrying down the hall. When Dillon
mumbled under his breath, Garrett looked over at him.
    “Blood for the vamp,” Dillon said, holding
the cup up.
    “Better take it to her. Don’t get too close,
though,” he said, smiling. “She bites.” He caught Rayna’s eye and
she crossed the room before stepping out into the hall.
    “So, what did the wolf want?”
    “Nothing good, I’m sure. I didn’t get much
out of him.”
    “Where is he now?”
    “Gone. I sent Bryce to have him
followed.”
    She stared at him for long moments before
sighing. “You’re not going to tell me what you talked about, are
you?”
    Garrett smiled. “If it were anything worth
repeating I would.”
    “I thought the time for secrets was in the
past.”
    He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her
snug against him, before kissing her on the forehead. “I don’t have
any secrets. If there was anything to tell, I would.”
    “And why don’t I believe you?”
    “Because you’re paranoid.”
    She sighed, her shoulders relaxing. “Is that
due to the wolf or is that just me?”
    He chuckled. “Knowing you the way I do, I’d
say it was just you. Comes from all the skulking around in the dark
you did and crossing my police lines when I specifically told you
not to.”
    Rayna pinched him on the arm and looked up at
him smiling. “If you would have just told me what I wanted to know
I wouldn’t have had to sneak past your weak barriers.”
    “And if you would have been a good citizen
like the rest of Bluff’s Point,” he said, before kissing her on the
lips, “I wouldn’t have caught your scent. The wolf wouldn’t have
been intrigued enough to follow you over half the city before
finding you in that dingy little bar. Me wanting you is all your
fault.”
    She smiled. “You stalked me?”
    “Something like that.” He kissed her again,
his tongue delving into her mouth. A moan worked its way up her
throat as her arms tightened around him and the sound of someone
clearing their throat caused him to pull back.
    Dillon gave him a lopsided grin. “Hate to
interrupt, but the vamp is agitated. She’s gone all spooky.”
    “Spooky?” Garrett stepped around Rayna and
walked into the bedroom.
    “Yeah. Her eyes turned white and she’s got
these creepy veins on her face.”
    Rayna saw what he meant when she was near
enough to see the girl. Dillon was right. She did look a bit on the
creepy side.
    Her eyes weren’t white as Dillon said, but a
pale crystalline blue. Her face held a sickly pallor and small blue
veins could be seen near her temples and snaking down over her
cheeks. “What’s wrong with her?”
    “No clue. She was watching the door then went
all…. vein-y.”
    “Watching the door?” Rayna turned to look at
it herself before looking back at the girl. The sight of her made
her think of, Sabriel, the vampire who had attended Malcolm’s
little dinner party the night they tried to infect her. He’d been
quite handsome. Too handsome,