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whispering?”
    “I don't know. It's kind of creepy. Why don't we find a cave instead?”
    “I'd rather we were inside. If any patrols happen by, they aren't likely to check in here. Let's take a look upstairs.”
    I flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. “Electricity’s off.”
    “Hold on.” Craven rummaged through the drawers in the cupboard under the sink. In the second one, he found a candle which he lit using a match from the small box on the worktop. After a few moments the hot wax had stuck the candle to a saucer.
    Craven led the way—every second stair seemed to creak. Two of the rooms upstairs were crammed full of boxes, and were obviously being used for storage. The bathroom was much cleaner than I'd expected, as was the only bedroom. I tried one of the wardrobes, and was surprised to find a selection of men's clothes. The second wardrobe had obviously belonged to the woman of the house. The bed appeared to be freshly made. Why would someone change the bedding if they intended to go away? I was getting bad vibes.
    “What's wrong?” Craven could sense my unease.
    “Something's not right. Something happened here.”
    “Maybe someone was taken ill,” he offered. “Or died.”
    “That makes me feel a lot better.”
    “Whatever happened here must have been some time ago. You saw how much post there was. Come on. We should get some rest.”
    I didn't think I'd be able to sleep. My mind was too full of thoughts of Semron and Marlow.
     
    “Louise.”
    Even though Craven had spoken in a whisper, it still woke me with a start.
    Before I could speak, Craven had put his hand gently over my mouth. Our eyes met, and he gestured toward the door. I nodded to show I understood, and he moved his hand away. I strained my ears—trying to pick-up on whatever it was he'd heard.
    “Someone's downstairs,” he said softly.
    I heard it now too—footsteps on the stairs. Had the owner returned?
    Craven got to his feet. I did the same. We were on opposite sides of the bed—both of us staring at the doorway. What were we going to do? How would we explain our presence? Had the owner already called the police?
    I almost jumped out of my skin when the glass shattered behind us. We spun around to see a broken window.
    “What have we here?” The tall vampire said, as he brushed glass fragments from his suit.
      “They aren't humans.” This voice came from behind us. Standing just inside the doorway was another vampire. “They smell way too bad to be human.”
    I glanced at Craven. There wasn't even a hint of fear on his face.
    “We're just passing through,” Craven said. “We'll be long gone tomorrow.”
    “The arrogance,” the tall vampire said. “It's bad enough we have to put up with the local shifter scum. Why should we allow outsiders to contaminate our territory?”
    “We'll leave now if you wish,” I offered.
    “Can't you control your mate?” The tall vampire addressed Craven. “I assume she belongs to you.”
    “I suggest you allow us to leave,” Craven said. “That way no one gets harmed.”
    “What makes you think I care what you suggest?” The vampire sneered. “The humans who lived here failed to heed our warnings, so we were forced to deal with them. Now, it's your turn.”
    The vampire took a step towards me, but in that same instant, Craven shifted. I did the same. The vampires had made the fatal mistake of hesitating a second too long. Craven took the one by the window; I took the one near the door. Had they made their move while we were still in human-form, the odds would have been in their favour. As it was, they were no match for our wolves.
    “Are you okay?” Craven asked. The two vampires were lying dead at our feet.
    I nodded—the taste of blood still on my lips.
    “There'll be more of them here any moment” he said. “We have to get out of here now.”
    He was right. The two vampires would have sent word back of our presence. Their arrogance had been their undoing. If