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rang, breaking the spell.
    Tina looked up to find the vampire walking in the door again. This time, he was dressed in clothes that didn’t have horrendous tears in them, and he wasn’t bleeding. And he was also surrounded by bear shifters. Big John, Brody, Tom and a few others were all trooping in behind him, like an honor guard, or maybe a guard detail.
    “Good evening, Miss Baker,” the vampire said, his voice fluid and strong.
    “Hello.”
    Tina was out of her element. How did one speak to an ancient vampire? Was there some sort of etiquette? If so, it hadn’t been covered in her school.
    “I wanted to come by before I left town to thank you for your assistance last night. You were very brave.”
    Whew. If Tina hadn’t already decided to jump Zak’s bones at the earliest opportunity, her head might just have been turned by Hiram, the hottie vampire. He had a way about him that was exceedingly charming and very old world. Sexy.
    But her werebear was even hotter in a more primeval sort of way. Hiram was urbane. Zak was rough around the edges but absolutely honest in everything he did, and that was something Tina truly appreciated. She’d had bad experiences in the past with guys who wanted her to believe the best about them when they really were the worst.
    As far as she was concerned, meeting Zak was kind of like hitting the big winner in the lottery. He was the real deal, and her heart—picky thing that it was—had settled on him. It had taken time, but she’d gotten to know him, and now, it would be very difficult for any other man to turn her head.
    That’s not to say she couldn’t appreciate a totally hot man like Hiram, but her heart wasn’t going anywhere but in Zak’s direction. Interesting. It had taken this little encounter to drive that fact home to her. She looked at Zak and then at Hiram, realization dawning, even as the vampire waited for her to say something. She retreated to common courtesy.
    “I’m glad I could help,” she replied rather inanely, she thought, but Hiram smiled and stepped forward.
    “You were my angel of mercy at a time when I was in desperate need.” He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, kissing her knuckles in that courtly way of his. She was charmed, but she saw the glint of amusement in his eye as Zak visibly bristled nearby. “Thank you, Miss Baker.” Hiram released her hand and stepped back. The old vampire turned to look at Zak and bowed his head slightly, just once. “I owe you a debt, deputy. If you are ever in need, call me, and I will come.”
    The other bear shifters seemed surprised by the vampire’s words. Tina got the feeling such a promise from a guy like Hiram was a very big deal. The vampire walked forward so he was standing in the center of the seating area, werebears gathered all around.
    “Everything I have seen of your settlement gives me hope that we can be allies from this point forward. You have good people here, John,” Hiram nodded toward where John was standing a few feet away. “I extend the hand of friendship to you and yours, Alpha,” Hiram went on, walking up to John and holding out his hand for a shake.
    John’s eyes narrowed, and he paused a moment before taking Hiram’s hand. “Our Lords speak highly of you, Master Hiram. I’m glad we can work together and coexist. And I’ll go one step further. We’ve heard reports from the Lords of renewed activity by agents of evil. My men and I are retired now, but we’re still warriors at heart. If evil shows its ugly face in this region, we’ll be fighting it, and we’ll come to your aid if it’s in your territory.”
    “As I will for you, my new friend. I have long stood against the forces of darkness. As long as you and your people serve the Mother of All and fight on the side of Her Light, I will stand with you.”
    The handshake was as fierce as the men who shared it, and even if Tina didn’t understand everything they were talking about, one thing was