Blood Trail

vampire?"

    "Because Stuart won't allow that kind of challenge to his authority. If he can't save the pack, neither can I. You're female, you're Nadine's problem, and Nadine, at the moment, is devastated by the loss of her twin. If you were wer, you could probably take her position away from her right now, but as you aren't, the two of you should be able to work something out." He shook his head at her expression. "You can't judge them by human standards, Vicki, no matter how human they seem most of the time. And it's too late to back out. You told Rose and Peter you'd help."

    Her chin went up. "Did I give you any indication that I might back out?"

    "No."

    "Damned straight, I didn't. She took a deep breath. She'd worked with the Toronto City Council, she could work with werewolves. At least with the latter all the growling and snapping would mean something. In fact, the wer were likely to be the least of her problems.
    "There might be difficulties. I mean, with me taking this case."

    "Like the fact you don't drive." She could hear the smile in his voice.

    "No. Real problems."

    He turned and spread his arms, the movement causing the hair to glint gold in the lamplight.
    "So tell me."

    It's called retinitis pigmentosa. I'm going blind. I can't see at night. I have almost no peripheral vision. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't handle the pity. Not from him. Not after what she'd gone through with Celluci. Fuck it. She shoved her glasses up her nose and shook her head.

    Henry dropped his arms. After a moment, when the silence had stretched to uncomfortable dimensions, he said, "I hope you don't mind that I've invited myself along. I thought we made a pretty good team the last time. And, I thought you might need a little help dealing with the ...
    strangeness."

    She managed an almost realistic laugh. "I do the day work, you cover the night?"

    "Just like last time, yes." He leaned back against the glass and watched her turning that over in her mind, worrying it into pieces. She was one of the most stubborn, argumentative, independent women he'd met in four and a half centuries, and he wished she'd confide in him.
    Whatever the problem was, they could work it out together because whatever the problem was, it couldn't be big enough to keep her from giving everything she had to this case. He wouldn't allow it to be. Friends of his were dying.

    "I don't want to die, Ms. Nelson."

    I don'twant you to die either, Rose. Vicki worried her lower lip between her teeth. If they worked together, he'd find out, eventually. She had to decide if that mattered more than the continuing loss of innocent lives. And put like that, it's not much of a choice, is it? If she wasn't their best chance on her own, together she and Henry were. Screw it. We'll work it out.

    Henry watched her expressions change and smiled. Over his long existence he'd grown very good at reading people, at picking up the delicate nuances that mirrored their inner thoughts.
    Most of the time, Vicki went right past nuance; her thoughts as easy to read as a billboard.

    "So, Friday night after sunset. You can pick me up."

    He bowed, the accompanying smile taking the mocking edge off the gesture. "As my lady commands."

    Vicki returned the smile, then yawned and stretched, back arched and arms spread out against the red velvet.

    Henry watched the pulse beating at the base of her throat. He hadn't fed for three nights and the need was rising in him. Vicki wanted him. He could scent her desire most times they were together, but he'd held back because of the blood loss that she'd taken in the spring. And, he had to admit, held back because he wanted the timing to be right. The one time he'd fed from her had been such a frenzied necessity that she'd missed all the extra pleasures it could bring to both parties involved.

    The scent of her life filled the apartment and he walked forward, his pace measured to the beat of her heart. When he reached the couch, he held out his hand.

    Vicki took it and hauled herself to her feet. "Thanks." She yawned again, releasing him to shove a fist in front of her mouth. "Boy, am I bagged. You wouldn't believe the time I had to get up this morning and then I spent the whole day working essentially two jobs in a factory that had to be eighty degrees C." Dragging her bag up over her shoulder, she headed for the door. "No need to see me out. I'll be waiting for you after sunset Friday." She waved cheerfully and was gone.

    Henry