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with a fresh one. Any questions?”
    “I think that about covers it,” I said, inclining my head. Once the clerk let go of the key, I turned to Kassy and pulled a thick leather collar and chain from my back pocket. “Remember this?”
    Her eyes went wide, and she bowed her head.
    “While this collar is on, you’ll do exactly as I say. This is just until you get the hang of how things work around here. I’ll join you for your first couple of times, but then you’re on your own. Do you understand?” I clipped the collar behind her neck and lifted her chin. “Kassy, do you understand?”
    She swallowed. “Yes, Master.”
    “Good girl. Now, come with me. Our room is down near the end of the hall to our left.”
    Tightening the chain from Kassy’s collar in my hand, I guided her down the long hall, pausing whenever she tensed up. Every now and again she’d lift her head and inhale. I did the same, smiling at the tell-tale scent of one of our younger vampires feeding on a fresh donor. Their blood might not have been as good as drinking wild or from a club like Kassy’s, but it was convenient. Especially for those who couldn’t leave the hotel.
    “Got a live one, Alex?” a younger vampire asked as he strode towards us. He walked into line beside Kassy and looked from me to her. “Are you willing to share?”
    I rolled my eyes and drew Kassy to my other side. ”I don’t share my meals—or my subs, Kyle.” I covered my nose. “And by the smell of it, you’ve had way too much to drink for one day. Get out of here before I get Corvis involved.”
    Kyle lifted his arms and backed away. “Okay, okay. I meant no offence. But if you ever do want—”
    “Kyle. Go.”
    He bowed his head and let his shoulders slump before heading back to the reception area. Kassy drew in a deep breath, and as she released it, the tension in her body dissipated.
    “Doing okay?” I asked, nodding at the filth that had just left us. “Don’t pay him any mind. He’s always like that.”
    She lifted her gaze when I stopped in front of our donor’s room. “Are they all like that? The other vampires?”
    I shrugged and shoved our key in the door. “Vampires are just like any other drunk. Some of us get happy. Some get depressed, and Kyle… He gets extremely clingy. But don’t worry—one quick kick to the groin will send him running. Here we go.” I ushered her inside the room before locking the door behind us. “Welcome to your first drinking lesson.”
    Kassy’s vision swept from one side of the room to the other as I released the chain hanging from her collar. Aside from the bed covered in dark sheets and a handful of supplies used for cleaning up a donor, the room was pretty bland. But then again, we weren’t here for our honeymoon. The real prize had yet to come in through the door opposite us.
    “See that door?” I nodded in its direction. “Donors come in on the other side of the room and can use their door as an escape if a vampire gets too aggressive. The doors are programmed to only open for a certain string of DNA, a string we vampires no longer have. It’s complicated, but it works and usually keeps everyone safe.”
    “Usually?”
    I licked my lips. “It doesn’t happen very often, but there are times when a vampire will drink too much. Those that do usually have a strong hold on a donor, which means they can’t escape.”
    Kassy’s vision snapped back at me. “So…what? They die?”
    “Like I said, it usually works, but nothing in this world—human or vampire—is perfect.”
    “I’ll keep that in mind.” She padded over to the bed and sat down. “When is this donor supposed to arrive anyway?”
    “When I feel you’re ready.” I double-checked to make sure the door was locked before joining her. ”It’s going to take time for you to get used to the taste, but the donors really are the safest bet for a new vampire. You might not think so now, but if I let you out into the streets, you’d have